slave II building has begun!

[cayman shen]

I used to have a great line drawing of Slave II, from the rear, a perspective shot. I can't seem to find it on my computer or online. Can anyone post it? I'd take any other cool shots, too, but that's the one that's making me tear out my hair. Thanks. (I'm about to FINALLY embark on a scratchbuilding project)

 

[Treadwell]

Slave II?.

 

[GeorgeC]

Slave II is a Star Wars Expanded Universe vehicle so it wasn't in any of the Star Wars movies. It's only been pictured as drawings in the Star Wars reference manuals and one or two of the comic books produced by Dark Horse.

I think Slave II showed up in Dark Empire I or II which were mini-series produced by Dark Horse that take place shortly AFTER Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" novels.

 

[punisher]

who piloted the slave II?

 

[Clone-extra1]

Same person that piloted the Slave I

 

[Skyler101]

Slave II is a featured ship in the PC game Rebellion. Im sure they have a 3d model you can turn around and look at in the games data interface...

(Been a while since I played it, so Im going by an old and worn out memory)

-Skyler101

 

[corranhornjje]

I don't remember it in rebellion, but I do remember it in X-Wing Alliance.

 

[Skyler101]

Arrrhhhh...
Your right.. Its in Allience...

I hate it when the games have such similar names.

-Skyler101

 

[cayman shen]

OK, I guess the pic I want is from the Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels, so I bought a copy from Amazon. This will be my first scratchbuild (I've been tossing the idea around for years--time to take the plunge), so hopefully it goes well. Check out Asylum Shipyards for a great version of the ship (also a kick a@@ Nebulon Ranger).

BTW, those of you who've never seen Slave II in action, read Dark Empire. It's a classic.

 

[cayman shen]

So I began to work on Slave 2. This is my first scratchbuild, and boy has it been a learning experience. A few things I've discovered so far, with the main hull about 70% complete and the box of greeblies beginning to accumulate:

1. I thought it would be easier to make this model because there was no real model to compare it to. I was wrong. Now I have to make decisions and judgement calls instead of copying an existing product. This is stressing me. I've decided to use the video game render for the basic shape, and extrapolate detailing from the Guide to Vehicles and Dark Empire.

2. Score and snap is MUCH easier than I'd feared (using .060 styrene). I then take the piece, put in on a scrap of sandpaper, press my try square to it, and viola--clean edge.

3. Angled edges are tricky. I don't have a real good solution yet.

4. Old toys are loaded with cool greeblies. Not exactly kitbashing, but I've been going through my basement, dumpster-diving, whatever. I'm on a budget.

5. The Essential Guide to Vehicles and Vessels is nowhere near good enough to work from. Making your own blueprint is essential. If you're like me, the math is a killer, but I don't have access to large scale copiers, and this ship will be about 20 in. long.

 

[Hotshot]

Pics... I demand pics..



also, wen making angles, a dremmel is your best freind...for now

can't wait to see it.

 

[cayman shen]

Okay, another few hours into this bad boy. More tips for those of you who might be diving into the scratchbuilding trenches:

1) Old squadron putty sucks. It gets really crumbly. But I'm too cheap to buy a new tube, so...

2) Krazy glue + styrene+ a more or less permanent bond (anyone know how to UNDO it?)

3. When making panels for a spaceship: do one huge panel that covers the entire area, then cut your smaller panels from that one. Otherwise, you have to make every angle of ever panel match precisely, which takes about...oh, 30 minutes per panel. (grumbles)

4. What do people use to fill in small scratches?, like, I dunno, the kind of nick you might get trying to pry a misshapen panel off with an x-acto knife?

 

[Hotshot]

1.Tamiya two part epoxy putty. Very cool stuff. Let it set over night, but for at least a 1/2 hour, you can sculpt the bejezus outta it.

2.Krazy glue's great, but you'll want to combine that witha bonder (like plastiweld). You can undo crazyglue with nail polish remover. Clean it off good, cause it'll hurt eventual paint jobs.

3. Amen....

4. Lightly sand, then prime. it should be fine. OR . . .leave it . . it's a Star Wars ship..

i've alway's kinda liked this design, I can't wait to see it..

 

[cayman shen]

Thanks--I hope it doesn't suck. I've been taking progress shots on a traditional camera, so hopefully I can get them scanned in a few weeks.

I now have to make an important decision: The one starboard shot of the ship in Dark Empire shows a lot of exposed conduits, etc., similar to the missing panel on the snowspeeder. The video game image I'm working from doesn't have this detail, and the slightly different shape of the vid. game profile might make it hard to incorporate them.

I want to have cool details, but I can't help but think the vid. game version makes more sense. Why would Fett leave these huge areas of his ship unarmored? GAH. I really can't decide...

 

[Hotshot]

Unarmored?? What'd call the underside of Slave I????

 

[cayman shen]

Excellent point. So, I just cut three holes in the hull. The comic shows all kinds of random openings, but I'm going to make mine as though the panels that I have on the port side have been removed on the starboard, which means smaller, more realistic holes than the gaping openings in the comic drawing.

Trying to combine the comic, the Essential Guide, and the video game is becoming less frustrating the more I embrace it. I can make it look the way I want and not feel too bad about accuracy. As long as it's accurate to my vision, I'm happy.

I'll have to see about those progress shots. Maybe I'll borrow my school's digital cam this weekend.