Scratchbuild: the Lucky Star from Kepler’s Intergalactic Guide to Spaceships

[AlexD]

What’s up RPF! Starting a new scratch build inspired by a ship in Jake Parker’s comic book, Kepler’s Intergalactic Guide to Spaceships:

I wanted to create a basic shell to build and kit bash upon. I also wanted that really cool interior space with the cockpit module set at that alternate angle. So I began by manipulating several spheres and cylinders within Bambu Slicer, to print a shell and engine cone:

The parts printed out nicely. Got a nice oval cut for the cockpit bay, and a large hollow area for the interior cabin. The nose will be detachable to show the inside. I’m aiming to have this thing be around 18 inches long.

 

[joberg]

Wow! Love the design of the ship...eager to see your next update

 

[AlexD]

Sketching out some of the panels locations. Trying to stay true to the artwork while taking liberties to just achieve the “spirit” of the drawings. For the front cap I’ll make it screw on, so you can see inside the cabin.

 

[AlexD]

Mounted the rear engine cone with a series of 3D printed cones and some pvc. You can’t see it well here, but at the base of the engine area, I’ve inverted a broken solar powered lamp, and I’m using that as the foundation of the engine:

Also started throwing some greebles onto the upper portion of the interior cabin. That part that will be gray and weathered, on top of the light tan living area:

 

[AlexD]

Based the “greeble ring” on the interior in black, and then a gray dry brushing. I’ll be adding furniture, and shelving soon. The real will be skinning the exterior in styrene

 

[AlexD]

A dry brush of silver helped that greeble ring, and today I inserted a bunch of furniture, TV, plants, spare parts, a desk, etc.

 

[AlexD]

Got the pilot seated..almost time to start skinning the exterior

 

[joberg]

Very good build so far Eager for the next update!!

 

[DaddyfromNaboo]

That is utterly fantastic and now I have to grab that book!!!

But I can hardly look at those segmented cones and sphere sections. It is some consolation though that you for sure are going to work some scratcht build magic on them, with plating and stuff!

Top notch project !!!

 

[AlexD]

That is utterly fantastic and now I have to grab that book!!!

But I can hardly look at those segmented cones and sphere sections. It is some consolation though that you for sure are going to work some scratcht build magic on them, with plating and stuff!

Top notch project !!!

Thanks, it’s a very good little book with tons of interesting artwork of spaceships and such. And yeah, it’s hard to visualize the final product until I start plating it. Already got that underway today!

 

[AlexD]

Some plating going down. I am very much still practicing and learning how to cut styrene panels well, but I’m treating this like a sketch from a comic book anyways, so I’m OK with a bit of imperfection on these

 

[joberg]

Some plating going down. I am very much still practicing and learning how to cut styrene panels well, but I’m treating this like a sketch from a comic book anyways, so I’m OK with a bit of imperfection on these View attachment 1944352

Paneling is always tricky, especially when working with round surfaces. Be careful to space the panels equally (with the same gap between them) all around your model. Straighter cuts would be also a ++

 

[AlexD]

Paneling is always tricky, especially when working with round surfaces. Be careful to space the panels equally (with the same gap between them) all around your model. Straighter cuts would be also a ++

definitely, might redo some of these! Thanks for the feedback! Next week I may try a different method of filling some of the seams and carving out new panel lines.

 

[JFB64]

Love the interior detail, especially the dowel pin, screw hole button and the shelf pins. As a cabinetmaker I am quite familiar with all those.

 

[AlexD]

Love the interior detail, especially the dowel pin, screw hole button and the shelf pins. As a cabinetmaker I am quite familiar with all those.

Thanks! Just using what I have there!

 

[AlexD]

Another update, nearly there!

I honestly didn’t realize how difficult it would be to cut out the styrene panels along these compound curves. At one point, I thought about scrapping the whole project, but then I stepped back and realized that this project was originally meant to be a little decoration in our baby boy’s room, coming this August. I also felt that most of the panels would be hidden anyways with the paint job. Maybe one day I’ll revisit this build with higher standards in mind, but for now I gotta get working on other projects (PG Falcon, and some studio scale models).

Soooo I said what the heck, and pressed on with the build. Once all the panels were on, I quite liked the look. Kind of an imperfect, cartoony vibe to match this ship that came from a cartoon anyways. With the imperfections / cartoony look of the hull, I decided to hand paint the pinkish red.

For the cap on the nose, it turned out that a CD was the perfect size. I slapped two on for the right thickness, and then sculpted on top of that with epoxy sculpt to round it out a bit (after roughing up the CD face with sandpaper). Happy with that nose area.

I also tackled most of the engine area, adding lots of greebles from whatever I could find. I still need to do the ribbing on the main engine cone.

For the gray of the main ship body, I used some masking fluid and added a subtle second shade on top. Just to give some variety.

All in all, nearly there. Just gotta add some external windows, the triangular entrance door, and finish the stand, engine, and a bit on the interior. I sculpted some pillows and a blanket for the bed in the cabin, but didn’t get a picture. Also on the way is a clear Easter egg for the cockpit canopy- hope it’ll be the right size!

 

[joberg]

Looking good. I know, I've spoken about the paneling before...always tricky to do it on a trapezoidal form. My 2001 Space Station was also built on the same kind of form (buckets) I made sure to pencil mark the major horizontal/vertical lines before cutting and gluing the panels. It's easy to do with a curved piece of plastic that's affixed at each poles of the bucket...or simply affixing your pencil on blocks and rotating your bucket form on your table to draw the lines

 

[JFB64]

Cool, more shelf pins.

 

[AlexD]

Looking good. I know, I've spoken about the paneling before...always tricky to do it on a trapezoidal form. My 2001 Space Station was also built on the same kind of form (buckets) I made sure to pencil mark the major horizontal/vertical lines before cutting and gluing the panels. It's easy to do with a curved piece of plastic that's affixed at each poles of the bucket...or simply affixing your pencil on blocks and rotating your bucket form on your table to draw the lines

That’s a good method I hadn’t thought of. Thanks for that tip! I’ll definitely add that to the toolkit, haha! Amazing work on that space station.

 

[AlexD]

Cool, more shelf pins.

Haha yep, they add just enough detail lol.