HIC side panel tutorial...

darthwhitey

darthwhitey

Sr Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Has anyone ever done one?

I've got all these panels, greeblies, chromed parts, metal parts, upgraded machined clips, stickers, lighting kit...(*whew*) with really no idea how to assemble it all! :lol

I don't mind documenting my journey to assemble them and attach them to my HIC but I wondered if anyone had any tips?

Question #1...what do you put in behind the panel to cover the openings? I bought some aluminum flashing that can be cut and glued in somehow is my guess?

Question #2...It looks like the Hero panel (panel #1) using a different material for this? Something more opaque and not metal?

thanks!
 
Thanks TK1625.

Yeah, I've been a member over there for awhile. It's probably just me but navigating that Yahoo site is a major PITA. :behave

We need something like this here on the RPF anyway. :cool
 
darthwhitey said:
Thanks TK1625.

Yeah, I've been a member over there for awhile. It's probably just me but navigating that Yahoo site is a major PITA. :behave

We need something like this here on the RPF anyway. :cool
Click to expand...

I'm right there with you! I stay away from most yahoo groups now. Complete PITA.

I know we have a few HIC members on here, maybe we can get a sticky somewhere. *hint* *hint* :love
 
I started mine, but mostly collecting parts right now. I used styrene to cover the back of my Volvo panels. It's easy to cut, fit and glue into place from the backside. I have some thin tin that I will cut and cover from the front.

I just put a gallery together today...
HIC, Han Solo in Carbonite Gallery

More will come as I make progress.

Jerry Greene

JAG435@aol.com
 
My box is mostly done. I need to glue down Han now, and cast up some side panels. But the wood working part is done. I need to gather up some greebies for the panels, though. I'm hitting a flea market tomorrow morning looking for some old tools that I cna chop up for some parts.

I need to find the 2.75" drawer handles, though. Anyone have a link?

Scott
 
Glenn, gcar426@aol.com sells a lot of the parts and at a great price! You should contact him.

I found handles on the internet, but most places will not sell you two. They are hardware superstores and want you to buy a large batch because most places say they sell them, but don't have them in stock and need to make them. And making two wont happen.

Jerry Greene
 
jag435...that's a good idea about the styrene to fill the openings and then come over the top with the aluminum later...but why not just cut and attach the aluminum flashing to the back?

I read in an old thread from Vos that he used Perspex Extruded Acrylic in Opal White for the Hero Panel. Not sure what this is or if it's sold in the UK only. Another trip to Home Depot! :)
 
The tin I have is very thin. I was not sure it would hold up well. Plus I had some styrene sitting around. I used Gorrilla Glue and that styrene is never coming off. Just user preferece I guess.
If I went with a heavier aluminum sheet metal...more of a pain to cut, longer time to cut.
The styrene I cut with sissors and used some sandpaper to fine tune them to fit. I could do that while watching Star Wars.
The tin is so thin I can also cut it with sissors.
No dremeling here.

For the light panel you can use a cutout section of a milk jug, or sometimes in three ring binders you can get a frosted plastic divider panel you can cut up and use. Get some pin stripe from a local hobby store for the grid.

Or buy one from Glenn :) and save yourself the gas and trouble.

Jerry Greene



Jerry Greene
 
I found a roll of aluminum flashing at Home Depot and got out the tin snips. The flashing is really easy to cut.

Here are a few pics. I think this will work but appreciate any feedback.

I'm wondering now how to best attach the flashing to the back of the panel. Some kind of construction adhesive perhaps?

Thinking ahead, I know I'll have the little round greeblies, etc to somehow glue to the flashing. I'm wondering how to best do this without getting excess glue all over the place? :confused

thanks again
 
Skaught said:
My box is mostly done. I need to glue down Han now, and cast up some side panels. But the wood working part is done. I need to gather up some greebies for the panels, though. I'm hitting a flea market tomorrow morning looking for some old tools that I cna chop up for some parts.

I need to find the 2.75" drawer handles, though. Anyone have a link?

Scott
Click to expand...

Scott, I went to Home Depot or Lowes and got the Alum brushed handles cabinet for 3.00 for a pair.
 
Making some progress...

Prepping the Panels:

Before painting, I drilled out all the little panel holes (8 of them) with a 1/8" drill bit. These are located around the panel and I guess were used to attach it to the dash. Since it's a casting, these holes are filled when you receive them. The Hero panel #1 is the only panel that will actually NEED these holes drilled out (to attach the handles) but I went ahead and drilled them all out for screen accuracy.

Priming/Painting the Panels:

Before primer and paint, I washed all my Volvo panel copies with dish soap and a soft painters brush to get off any weird plastic agents that may be hanging on. Darthchromer recommends SEM 39133 flexible primer for plastics. I had a little trouble getting the primer to cover properly, it wanted to come out kinda splotchy. I switched to what I used on my HIC panel, an auto primer that is "self etching," that I bought from Auto Zone. It's a dark green color and really covers nicely.

I then gave all the panels a couple coats of the finish he recommended, SEM 15083 Silver.

Greeblies:

Darthchromer also sells a full HIC greeblie kit. He also offers some chrome greeblies that won't need painting. He gave me the idea to attach all the greeblies to a piece of tape and prime/paint them that way. It holds them in place nicely. **I just like saying the word "greeblie." :)

I painted them with different model paints I had hanging around. I used pics from the Yahoo HIC Builder's Group and various online and RPF sources. Thanks Kurtyboy! :thumbsup

More to follow shortly...

brad
 
I decided to attach thin aluminum flashing to the back side of the panels. I chose to use one big aluminum piece cut to fit the entire back. I think it's the cleanest option and I'd hate to try and perfectly cut out a piece of aluminum the size of each little opening. Not the only way, but what I chose. :)

But what kind of adhesive to use? My first choice was black gooey flashing sealant, which doesn't even have "adhesive" in the name. :lol Needless to say it "kinda" worked but was WAY too messy.

I went back and forth on many different glues and adhesives. I then got the idea to use DOUBLE SIDED tape. This is the kind of project that it's not super critical for it to be glued, and the messy factor was just too high with glue. I didn't want to get glue on the aluminum or the panel openings edges. I found some super sticky tape at Home Depot made by Scotch called "Outdoor Mounting Tape". It's expensive at about $15 per roll, but hey...it's for the HIC! :confused

The tape seemed to work great. It takes a little time to cut out all the small pieces, but it's very secure. The beauty is if I ever want to "upgrade" my panels in the future I can just remove the flashing and the panels could be redone or repainted. Also, if in the next steps I really screw up an aluminum piece with a crappy greeblie glue job I can just replace it altogether! :thumbsup Fingers crossed that it'll hold over time, but this tape is really sticky.
 
I've attached a pic of my template and the process of cutting out the aluminum flashing. The first one is the most difficult to make, then it's just a matter of making duplicates.

I'm now gluing on greeblies.

I decided to use a GEL super-glue instead of regular. My hope was that it would be easier to work with and not as watery.

I've completed the #8 panel. The gel glue worked pretty well, it holds great, but it's REALLY hard not to get any extra glue on the flashing. From all my research photos, the original prop makers had the same problem. :)

You can see from the third close-up photo how the glue wants to cloud the chromed larger round piece. Maybe there's nothing I can do about that and I'm just being way to particular! :unsure

Anybody have any advice on which glue to use? Is there a big difference between the gel and the regular runny stuff?

thanks

brad
 
Hi Brad, your coming along really nice. Its great to see your progress thread. I would recommend regular "runny" super glue and use a really light coat that way the glue won't seep into the other part. I did this with mine and it came out great.

Keep up the good work. :thumbsup
 
Thanks DC, that works much better!

I'm still using the gel for bigger pieces that require more glue, but for those small rings the runny stuff is the ticket! :thumbsup

Attached is a pic of my panel #7...

brad
 
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