Death Star Surface Tiles - Full scale 2x2 replicas
- Thread starter t2sides
- Start date
t2sides
Master Member
And here’s a fun little video montage of the entire process and the successful conclusion of this very long and dedicated effort on this tile.
Big Thank You for the amazing support and help from Dan Durda and Dirk Terrell!! You guys are awesome!!
And the first casting joins the tile wall!!
Big Thank You for the amazing support and help from Dan Durda and Dirk Terrell!! You guys are awesome!!
And the first casting joins the tile wall!!
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JediMichael
Legendary Member
They look absolutely perfect.
Now imagine you have to make hundreds more, as filming it all starts in a few weeks.
Now imagine you have to make hundreds more, as filming it all starts in a few weeks.
Just like the Falcon, pictures cannot do justice to the way it looks in person.
Oh, I did have a respirator. At the end of the day I took a selfie:
Seriously, though - you are correct and I/we all should be more careful all through this hobby. We work with so many nasty or potentially nasty materials...
Dan
Combat Baby
New Member
I am definitely biased with the subject matter. but I'll say it again. This is hands down one of the best projects I've ever seen on here.
These replicas preserve a piece of history and provide in-depth visuals for all the people that could never inspect an original. The storage rack of long out of production and rare model kits is the type of thing that only the most dedicated artists can appreciate.
The lengths that your crew went to not only find all the pieces necessary, but to collaborate with owners of original props to perfect the size, scale, and geometry of these cannot be understated and deserves every praise...right down to redoing the tiles previously constructed to be "perfect".
Accurate scribe lines is a bullet point that brings a smile to my face.
The satisfying images and video of smooth-on supplies in action might be the icing on the cake for some.
The commoners will never understand the pride of that first kit kat pull.
These replicas preserve a piece of history and provide in-depth visuals for all the people that could never inspect an original. The storage rack of long out of production and rare model kits is the type of thing that only the most dedicated artists can appreciate.
The lengths that your crew went to not only find all the pieces necessary, but to collaborate with owners of original props to perfect the size, scale, and geometry of these cannot be understated and deserves every praise...right down to redoing the tiles previously constructed to be "perfect".
Accurate scribe lines is a bullet point that brings a smile to my face.
The satisfying images and video of smooth-on supplies in action might be the icing on the cake for some.
The commoners will never understand the pride of that first kit kat pull.
Looks great! Are there still plans to sell tiles?
t2sides
Master Member
Thanks, a bunch guys! Sincerely appreciate the nice comments and support!
CombatBaby, Wow, that really, really means a lot!!! It’s so great you (and our fellow RPF’rs totally get it), and I could never have said that better!!
Scott Graham, absolutely! We are still fine-tuning these molds for production, but we are definitely getting there and will make them available!
Here’s a quick update,
Pretty much have the volumes for resin and foam nailed.
I don’t think this many Kit Kat Death Star Surface tiles have been together in a room since the 1970s!
CombatBaby, Wow, that really, really means a lot!!! It’s so great you (and our fellow RPF’rs totally get it), and I could never have said that better!!
Scott Graham, absolutely! We are still fine-tuning these molds for production, but we are definitely getting there and will make them available!
Here’s a quick update,
Pretty much have the volumes for resin and foam nailed.
I don’t think this many Kit Kat Death Star Surface tiles have been together in a room since the 1970s!
The castings look so clean! Wow!
Combat Baby
New Member
I thought the same thing. It's amazing to see the clean castings that allow the scribe lines and model kit parts to appear perfect when this doesn't fit in a pressure pot. The work time of the smoothcast 66D also isn't very long, but clearly the viscosity is perfect for limiting air bubbles.
I doubt there is a surviving screen used piece that ever looked as good as these do now.
Totally blown away -- which is fitting considering the fate of the first Death Star
modelerdave
Sr Member
Absolutely professional work. Just outstanding! 
A day of good, if not overdue, progress!
The round 'chimney' tile (and the 'three fins' tile as well) have been sitting all silicone-covered for several weeks now:
A couple weeks ago I managed to get the mold box for the chimney tile all reassembled and the expanding foam hard shell poured:
And that's how it has sat until Sean could help out today to get the hard shell separated from the silicone-covered master (no easy task and one that I was unable to manage on my own - THANKS Sean!):
This is a beautiful mold! It incorporates a lot of lessons-learned from our previous efforts and I think/hope is going to produce some really nice casts.
Not evident here is all the really fine detail captured from all the greeblies - really amazing!
Fun to compare with what was happening about 50 years ago in Van Nuys...
So, I hope to get a first test cast done some time this coming week - stay tuned...
Dan
The round 'chimney' tile (and the 'three fins' tile as well) have been sitting all silicone-covered for several weeks now:
A couple weeks ago I managed to get the mold box for the chimney tile all reassembled and the expanding foam hard shell poured:
And that's how it has sat until Sean could help out today to get the hard shell separated from the silicone-covered master (no easy task and one that I was unable to manage on my own - THANKS Sean!):
This is a beautiful mold! It incorporates a lot of lessons-learned from our previous efforts and I think/hope is going to produce some really nice casts.
Not evident here is all the really fine detail captured from all the greeblies - really amazing!
Fun to compare with what was happening about 50 years ago in Van Nuys...
So, I hope to get a first test cast done some time this coming week - stay tuned...
Dan
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Nicely done! These tiles look fantastic in person.
