Hero ANH TIE Fighter

[moffeaton]

So with the arrival of the excellent (and do I ever mean excellent!!) Hero wingstars, I can FINALLY finish this TIE for Mike McFarland with the vintage Koolshade we have been sitting on, which was a project I started a long time ago. I think it was back around the time Bob Dylan switched to electric guitar and pissed off all those gentle folk music fans, but I can't quite be sure - suffice to say, I am excited to get this puppy DONE. It'll have lights in the engines too. Of course.

My loose goal is to get this to Wonderfest in May as an example of what a top-quality studio scale kit looks like. Here's where we are as of today.

 

[mslz22]

Awesome, hopefully i will get to see it in person at WF............t

 

[moffeaton]

Mike, you better!

 

[mbmcfarland]

Woohoo! It may be from a kit, but it's a darn fine kit. I can't wait to see what she looks like when you're through working your magic.

 

[ralphee]

The ILM was technically a kit, no shame there, this looks stunning.

lee

 

[dirtydave]

NICE!!!!Great to see one done with the vintage Koolshade.I'm sure you'll do a killer job on this one Jason.

Dave

 

[moffeaton]

Are we all still under the general consensus that the H-beam to use is 1/4"?

 

[moffeaton]

Not bad - looks like the wingstars are only about 2-3mm too thick (I figure anyway, once you add the paper). I can live with that!

 

[joewhite]

Jason,
Those stars look awesome! Can't wait to see more!

1/4" works if using paper since only .010" is left after cramming both sides of KS. I finally convinced myself it wasn't art board (if it is, please correct me) since I have never seen black double-sided art board. More importantly, the kit part dimensions point more toward 1/4" H-Beam.

Funny you say the stars are too thick. I mentioned this earlier in my thread. The pic from the TIE-Spotting thread got me thinking that the stars might actually be .1" instead of .08". I'm still waiting for my friend at work to get a chance to cut a set of each to determine this.

 

[moffeaton]

Sweet!
Yeah, considering it's hand made nature, it's absolutely stunning to get this close to perfect!!

 

[Talkierg]

This is so cool,cant wait to build this,but still waiting mine
Great to see another magic from you Jason:thumbsup

Don

 

[moffeaton]

Don, it shouldn't be long now - Steve is doing a bang up job on getting these out the door.

 

[moffeaton]

This shows how much I'll need to trim from the metal armature on both ends... gonna be harrowing!

 

[Clutch]

Nothing a good cutoff wheel couldn't handle. Can't wait to see this puppy finished.

 

[Talkierg]

Yea cant wait to see it finished,very clean work,
thats a very nice kit,love it,love your work Jason:thumbsup

 

[moffeaton]

It may be THIRTY FIVE years later, but I still love mah TIE Fighter. Only this time, it's built to ILM "specifications" using the same materials. I just finished the wing "frames" this evening, and constructed them in a way where only one wing star is attached to the Plastruct framing, so I can add in the Koolshade/black paper/Koolshade sandwich and the other wing star will hold it all in place.

All I have to do now is some light reinforcement to ensure the thing stays together (the wings *are* flimsy which I think is why they reinforced and uglied them up for ESB), run the smaller T-rods on the wing spars and glue some missing greeblies (thanks to Steve Neisen for the hook up, soon!), paint, and then add the Koolshade sandwich. Button up the wings, run the LEDs to the engine and laser cannon tubing, and BAM done.

- - - Updated - - -

And yeah, I am wearing this ridiculous shirt. Hey, it's for the studio only....

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Keyboard-Cat-Moon-Oxen/dp/B002JPZA0O/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

[joewhite]

The first thing I was gonna ask about even before reading you P.S. note was that damn crazy shirt! LOL! Little you has the always cool Hasbro TIE, big you has a damn SS TIE.....and all I can stare at is that friggin cat and moon! WTH!? LOL!

I'm diggin' the TIE, man! Are my eyes playing tricks on me? I see some of the ends sitting into the H-Beams, and a one or two look like they are sitting on top of them. I know the 1/8" Tee Bar runs the entire perimeter. Is that what I am seeing? Can we get a close up of that corner sexiness?

Joe

 

[moffeaton]

You sure can! And I am tired and lazy, so here's a video!
TIE WIngstar - YouTube

 

[ckwanwoo]

Wonderful~Jason

I wonder whether ANH Tie was used T-Rod into the H-Beam?
I can't recall...probably, Steve Niesen metioned that ANH Tie was used some styrene bar? instead of T-rod?

Please correct me if I don't know the actual material?

Eric.

It may be THIRTY FIVE years later, but I still love mah TIE Fighter. Only this time, it's built to ILM "specifications" using the same materials. I just finished the wing "frames" this evening, and constructed them in a way where only one wing star is attached to the Plastruct framing, so I can add in the Koolshade/black paper/Koolshade sandwich and the other wing star will hold it all in place.

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/935059_10151622490783156_39039540_n.jpg

All I have to do now is some light reinforcement to ensure the thing stays together (the wings *are* flimsy which I think is why they reinforced and uglied them up for ESB), run the smaller T-rods on the wing spars and glue some missing greeblies (thanks to Steve Neisen for the hook up, soon!), paint, and then add the Koolshade sandwich. Button up the wings, run the LEDs to the engine and laser cannon tubing, and BAM done.

- - - Updated - - -

And yeah, I am wearing this ridiculous shirt. Hey, it's for the studio only....

Amazon.com: Three Keyboard Cat Moon By Oxen - Men's And Women's Black Shirts! (Women's X-Large): Clothing

 

[dirtydave]

Damn Jason that's looking sweet.So how did you make out cutting the armature?

Dave