Nostromo research

[Space Jockey]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

That is looking fantastic I have to say. Very much looking forward to seeing it progress. Great Job!! :cheers

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

That is looking fantastic I have to say. Very much looking forward to seeing it progress. Great Job!! :cheers

Thanks Space Jockey! I hope this helps a bit in designing the blueprints, placement of the shuttle, the general layout of the ship. Im kinda having to piece everything together from every picture I can find. I was looking at the bottom of another model kit, I think Halcyon maybe, and I did not even see it on there, But the Shuttle in relation to the nostromo is not so small that it cant be seen. Notice the whole "PREFABRICATED INTERLOCKING STRUCTURE" thing going on in the bottom of the Studio shot? Thats kind of the way I see they were going for a "mega-manufactured" look..... I cannot wait to see more progress on your blueprints, I will be going to Kinkos and printing them out to Sofa-size frame-able prints for my living room!!!!!!!!!!

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Here are 2 more pics of the Narcissus shuttle bay !



Fred

PS : I agree, it looked like the Nostromo was redesigned several times until the last minute, when it was supposed to be filmed... typical Sir Ridley way of doing things ! (really painful for those involved in the making of the film... but very impressive on screen !!!)

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Thats a great shot of the guy on the ladder under the ship. You can even see some probes here, wow, I had never seen this one before!

 

[Lord Boron]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

You could go crazy trying make thing "perfect." One thing you have to keep in mind is Ridley worked around what looked good on screen. weather it makes sense from a practical standpoint never entered his mind, by his own admission. He's a very visual director (which is why he's one of the best.) Take for example, when they shoot Kane's body out. It goes tumbling down the "trench" So where did they eject it from? Doesn't matter...on film it looked good.

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

One thing you have to keep in mind is Ridley worked around what looked good on screen. weather it makes sense from a practical standpoint never entered his mind, by his own admission. He's a very visual director (which is why he's one of the best.)

I totaly agree with you... The result on screen is the most important thing ! (but it's great to see jtparker trying to complete the most accurate version of the ship from his APC molds... Great work in progress, I'm impressed !!!)

Fred

 

[Lord Boron]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

I totaly agree with you... The result on screen is the most important thing ! (but it's great to see jtparker trying to complete the most accurate version of the ship from his APC molds... Great work in progress, I'm impressed !!!)

Fred

Absolutely!!! It's a fantastic looking model of a one of coolest ship designs.

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Thank you very much guys! This is kind of turning into a building blog unintentionally, my main goal is simply to offer some ideas of what can be done with this 25 + year old kit molds that I acquired for better or worse.. and give people some possibilities of building..all up to the individual builder.

The pros for me are:

1) Lots of fun

2) A large very heavy kit that can be cut, sanded etc.

3) A good amount of existing detail that can added onto with ease.

4) Inexpensive to assemble and finish. I spent maybe $35 bucks on some assorted precision miniature tubing, tubes of super glue, epoxy, vinyl sheet and paint.

5) A very good excuse to drink lots of pabst Blue ribbon beer, while doing a lot of the endless details..
.... the next morning, it still looks damn good.


The cons are:

1) A very heavy kit (this can be good or bad depending how you look at it)

2) Definitely not for the beginner, But then I imagine everyone here on the RPF is capable of building this, and many builders far better than I could if they wanted to.

3) Takes some dedication and time, but then again, Rome was not built in a day

4) For Me, Redoing a few of the molds for cleaner parts is a pain, and there are a couple things I am recasting to make it a bit more accurate.


I just came across another Idea for this thing. I have plenty of time before I attach the upper docking module to the Nostromo hull. There is plenty of room inside the hull as it is rotocast...for fiber optics. I simply just need to cut a section out of the rear top of the hull where the Docking module will sit, and I can use that for the battery housing and hide an ON/OFF micro-switch with a little detail as the tiny knob on the back of the Docking module. I will attach the Unit with 3 brass pins so it will be removable to replace the battery.

Then I can drill all the little tiny holes through the hull between the panels in uneven rows similar to the movie Nostromo. there will also be the four forward pointing floodlights attached right off of the bottom rear hull. This might actually look cool. I should just be able to string the fiber optics through tiny holes on a small piece of wire. Doesnt sound too scary actually.

I just need to find out where to get a hobby fiber optics kit, So far all I can find are expensive kits for aquariums.. which is kind of odd that I cannot find one for simple models.... But anyway, I am going to go ahead and order was ASAP and do the lighting next... This will be cool. I will post everything here to give some ideas on it, or people can see what not to do if i mess up lol:lol

 

[blipper]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Think that will be great, the Nostromo really demands some decent lighting. Two of my favourite Nostromo moments are when they flick on the huge floods after landing, and the exterior shot of the bridge's illuminated port window, so atmospheric. Awesome ship. No other movie space ship has had that 'yep, they probably will look something like that' vibe to me.

On another subject, I'm guessing Ash's science blister is absent in your work up, (I think it was absent on the actual filming models?) - any idea where it's supposed to be located?

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Think that will be great, the Nostromo really demands some decent lighting. Two of my favourite Nostromo moments are when they flick on the huge floods after landing, and the exterior shot of the bridge's illuminated port window, so atmospheric. Awesome ship. No other movie space ship has had that 'yep, they probably will look something like that' vibe to me.

On another subject, I'm guessing Ash's science blister is absent in your work up, (I think it was absent on the actual filming models?) - any idea where it's supposed to be located?

I think it is located on C- deck, Starboard, just forward of the front landing strut. I am going over the DVD trying to determine that actually I can get a general sense from the corridors they are walking. I also am using the view out of the observation Blister as a reference. That will be so small unfortunately it would be the size of a pinhead :lol but a piece of fiber optic will go there and I can say "Hey Look!! ASH's Observation blister!!!lollollol

 

[Bryancd]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Hey jtparker, I have been following this thread for a while now being a huge ALIEN fan and think your work is fantastic! On a personal note. I will be in Havasu this Friday and Saturday for the Lake Havasu triathlon, my 3rd year doing the race. My wife and I have had a number of fun trips to the lake, even brough our boat once. I'd love to see your work in person someday!

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Hey jtparker, I have been following this thread for a while now being a huge ALIEN fan and think your work is fantastic! On a personal note. I will be in Havasu this Friday and Saturday for the Lake Havasu triathlon, my 3rd year doing the race. My wife and I have had a number of fun trips to the lake, even brough our boat once. I'd love to see your work in person someday!

Thank you Bryan!

You know with the Economy here, Boats are very cheap, we also have a lot of Sand -rails and stuff here cheap, every street corner a boat or sandrail for sale. It is already in the low 90's here, by late June, maybe 130 in the day, 110 at night. Im sure they will be blocking off McCulloch street for the race. Come on by and you can see the ship and molds if you have time! I even am in the middle of an astromech project! but thats on hold with this project.
Will be great to meet an RPF'r !


Here a pic of some raw parts being test fit to the hull just for fun....

 

[Space Jockey]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

That is looking fantastic! Coming along nicely! Do you foresee there being any problems with the weight of the model on the undercarriage?
On another note I probably won't be able to post much over the next week as my folks are flying over from England

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

That is looking fantastic! Coming along nicely! Do you foresee there being any problems with the weight of the model on the undercarriage?
On another note I probably won't be able to post much over the next week as my folks are flying over from England

Thanks Space Jockey!


Nope! In landing struts are 4 brass rods and down the center there is one heavy brass rod hidden between the struts that can be left Longer than needed to Peg into a Plywood board for a Alien Planetoid Diorama.

 

[Space Jockey]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Well the geometry of the model overall looks great matching the original models ,and I am somewhat relieved the blueprints are matching your model too with the geometry, so thanks for posting the images!

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Here a pic of some raw parts being test fit to the hull just for fun....

Great pic of the Ship's belly !!! Bravo jtparker !!! BTW, did you know that the 2 long boosters were last minute additions to the ship, scavanged from the first version of the reactor chamber that didn't make it to the screen ?

Regarding the location of Ash's blister discussed in a former post, you can see it on the Cobb concept design pic I've posted here page 20...


Last but not least (and as promised), here is a LAAAARGE pic of the Nostromo as featured in the A L I E N japanese program I own... I've reworked the pic in Photoshop to make the details sharper, hope it'll help !

Fred

Here it is :
:love

 

[jtparker]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Well the geometry of the model overall looks great matching the original models ,and I am somewhat relieved the blueprints are matching your model too with the geometry, so thanks for posting the images!

Thanks for the great pic skin job66, that really cleaned it up with the image editing. I think i see a cable loom on top of the docking section going down into the ship to illuminate it. Also I see a small antenna that is not on the final model. The large registration number on the engine nacelle is much clearer now... Wow, what a great picture. I remember in 1980 in a London Book store in Kensington I bought a large Illustrated ALIEN book when I was younger, The book was hundreds of pictures with the dialogue. I had like an hour tube ride back home, and I stared at the fantastic pictures in that book, even running into people getting off of the train.
out of all those pictures, this one reminds me of that book!





Space Jockey, from what I saw of the forward section and the bridge, the blueprints you are doing are beautiful! I will look forward to getting a set when I can buy stuff here!!!!!!!

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

I remember in 1980 in a London Book store in Kensington I bought a large Illustrated ALIEN book when I was younger, The book was hundreds of pictures with the dialogue. I had like an hour tube ride back home, and I stared at the fantastic pictures in that book, even running into people getting off of the train.
out of all those pictures, this one reminds me of that book!

The book you're talking about is the ALIEN MOVIE NOVEL, published by Futura publications limited. Bought mine in 1979 !


Other great ALIEN ref books include Ron Cobb's COLORVISION and, of course, THE BOOK OF ALIEN...

Those 3 regularly pop-up on eBay at rather affordable prices...

Regarding the ID number on the engine of the Nostromo, it's the same ID as seen on the crew patches : 180286

Well spotted, the little antenna is missing on the final model... This to say I'm more and more considering turning my Halcyon model into this variant version...

Fred

 

[Knightjar]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

Other great ALIEN ref books include Ron Cobb's COLORVISION and, of course, THE BOOK OF ALIEN...

Interesting - I haven't seen that Cobb book before (at least if I have I wasn't aware of it's Alien content). I'll have to hit eBay. Thanks for the information!

The others are absolutely indispensible references. Book of Alien was the first real collection of concept art I'd ever seen and I devoured it over and over when my father gave it to me after the movie's release. I guess I was about 12. I still have it of course!

 

[SKIN JOB 66]

Re: Update! First Nostromo parts out of the Mold!

This Cobb book was published in 1981, it's the only one devoted to his movie design works, which only included at that time Darkstar, ALIEN, Conan & a few things for STAR WARS. This book also includes a collection of personnel works, illustrations and political cartoons (I LOVE those... so clever and sharp !)

Fred