Hunk a Junk's Mando N-1 Hasbro toy conversion build log

[fiveliter8]

Good tips on the printing. I have some new resin and FEP shipping in so I should be able to do some test prints soon. If the details I want to see are too small, I'll bump up the size for the final print. Right now I'm trying to be as accurate as possible to the reference photos.

I did some more work on the open engine compartment where the 'engine thingy' will be mounted. I'll be adding some greeblie detail to the bottom section underneath the trapezoid panels. I'm designing the pieces to fit together like a kit. We'll see if it works. It would be great if I could do some of these details, like the panels, in photoetched brass, but that's a technology outside my skill set (for now).
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Thanks for looking!

Man, I watched for what seemed like hours and never found a good top-down screenshot! Many thanks for posting this.

 

[Ascent art]

Hi, have you seen this posted yesterday

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Very impressive! There are definitely some advantages to doing a full digital ship as opposed to a toy conversion.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

I've been working on the cockpit. I divided it up into assemblies (color coded) for ease of painting and to try to tease the most detail possible out of the prints. The existing clear canopy will be attached to the frame and the frame will slide using two brass strips. At least that's the hope. I've had to do a half dozen test prints just to get the cockpit tub the right size.

There aren't any good shots of the seat or the floor, so I just had to make those up. If I put a Mando in the cockpit, it won't matter.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Analyzer]

Very cool!

 

[MandoJedi]

Hunk a Junk you should start a new threat so we can follow your progress.

 

[NakedMoleRat]

Wizard!

 

[Ascent art]

Here's a scan from the Prequel chronicles book. I think its details from a full size static prop from the Theed hanger. Sorry the this is the best resolution as its from printed matter. you can see a small proportion of the seat. though the fascia is different to Anakin's filming set.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Jeez! I have that book sitting on my shelf too! Those are awesome! Thank you for those. I'll go yank it off the shelf. Going to need to redo a few things...

I modeled the blaster cannons and they're on the printer as I type. Couple hours I'll show how they turned out.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Here are the blaster cannon prints fresh off the printer with a little light clean up sanding. I'll do some more fine sanding and filling before these get primed and painted. At 9cm long, I'm pretty happy with the detail. I'm currently printing the exposed leading edges of the two wings.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Hunk a Junk]

I've been super busy with work, but I squeezed in some time to continue working on the cockpit. After multiple test and failed prints, I ended up with acceptable prints of all the cockpit assembly pieces. The photos pick up every flaw, so I think they look slightly better in real life. My plan is to use fiber optics for the various control buttons, but I may reprint the dashboard using translucent resin and backlight it instead. We'll see what happens after I try drilling a few micro holes.

Here are the unpainted pics:

And here's the painting underway but not finished. I've since gone in with some silver Rub N' Buff on a toothpick to add some metal scraps to the edges here and there. I'll post some more pics later.

I've also been fitting the canopy bubble to the printed frame. I'm going with the clear bubble from the toy and filed and sanded it closer to the V-shape of the original. The original is still more of a pointy arrowhead shape, but I can live with this. Now I need to use some elbow grease and polishing compounds to get it back to crystal clear.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Hunk a Junk]

A couple more showing the entire cockpit module in place in the hull. The assembly is just taped together for now and held in loosely, so there are gaps that won't be there when finished. The canopy rides on two brass strips in the rails on either side of the cockpit tub, so I'll be able to slide it into position open or closed.

You know, looking at these... I think I went too heavy on the drybrushing on the cockpit surfaces. I may have to tone that down.

 

[Analyzer]

Loving all the details. That is pretty brave sanding clear as it takes so much work to get it back to clear again, but it sure looks worth it

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Loving all the details. That is pretty brave sanding clear as it takes so much work to get it back to clear again, but it sure looks worth it

It's easy to be brave when I don't know any better! I've been having some success with the polishing compounds. I'll try giving it a final dip in some Future at the end. If it doesn't get sufficiently back to clear, maybe I'll finally build a vacuform and rework the entire thing from scratch. This build is all about trying new things.

 

[JamesM242]

Hunk a Junk - fantastic work! I'm really enjoying your build and your attention to detail!

 

[Purdy66]

Hi Hunk a Junk, looks great, you're too modest regarding the CAD skills that you're learning; I have heard it said by some that 3d printers are magical devices that turn money into tears. Very impressive work.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Thanks, guys! There is something really satisfying about designing and printing custom parts and being able to resize and adjust them to make them work as you choose. It's crazy.

Speaking of that, I designed and printed the cockpit control grips. I'll CA them to some brass rod during final cockpit assembly. Once again, I designed more detail than the printer could handle for the size, but they turned out better than anything I could've scratched the old fashioned way. It was just a click to resize them to get enough detail to show up but not so big they looked wrong.

 

[Analyzer]

It's easy to be brave when I don't know any better! I've been having some success with the polishing compounds. I'll try giving it a final dip in some Future at the end. If it doesn't get sufficiently back to clear, maybe I'll finally build a vacuform and rework the entire thing from scratch. This build is all about trying new things.

I was forced to do similar recently when the primer bled under my canopy masking on an F-4 Phantom

I was able to get it just about crystal clear between fine grit sandpaper and Tamiya polishing cloths/compounds. And that final layer of future really seals the deal and hides a lot

Was not fun though

 

[Ascent art]

Apparently Disney are doing a spotlight on BOBF on May 4, lets hope there's good BTS reference of the N1

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Apparently Disney are doing a spotlight on BOBF on May 4, lets hope there's good BTS reference of the N1

If there is, I'm sure it will be for all the stuff I've already printed and completed!

BTW, there are more N-1 3D print builds up on the U-tubes. They're all pretty cool and amazing, but I'm at the point where I've looked at the reference pictures enough to get really nitpicky about the details they may have gotten wrong. I watch them feeling like I'm a pedant about to correct someone's spelling!