SS Hero Tie Fighter

[DarthDuck]

Your completely right....how very crass of me, please accept my sincerest apologies.
I will add, here at the RPF, your going to get this kind of crit, especially when your tweaking with accuracy that doesnt belong.....kinda what we try to strive for over here....us "anal weenie's" that is.

lee

Your sarcasm aside I have no problem with the idea of "accuracy". But I've explained repeatedly now that for what I received the sleeve would have been needed anyways and therefore it doesn't matter what then turns out to be under it?

So it seems to me that you're issue isn't accuracy but either that I didn't do it your way or some unwarranted fear that I was bashing Steve's kit?

So yet again I receive a supposed apology laced with sarcasm and derision.

Allow me to say thank you for the apology at face value and will you please continue your personal issues with me over at the RI. There we can address that I never called you an "anal weenie" and remind you of the terms I have used.


BTW: You want to contribute to the accuracy of this buildup how about you share me with me the right way to build the "edging" to the wings as I've asked before. I have the "Hero" version with CoolShade.

 

[DarthDuck]

No, I understand where you're coming from. I've been guilty of criticizing and modifying a GK or two in my day. :$

Steve's phone # is in the TIE thread, a few times over. I would give him a call and see if this can get sorted out. Steve may have sent a master for machining, knowing that the master works with his kit, and assumed that the machined parts matched the master. Or, maybe this is a bad batch by the machinist. If I'd previously received a set of armatures that were fine, I probably wouldn't bother to check the next batch. Again, I'm really just speculating based on an assumption that everyone is just making models.

In person communication is the way to go. Text can really undermine otherwise harmless intent. Can you post the dimensions of both key locations from the ends or center of the armature? That way there'd be some hard info for Steve to assess.

I did PM Steve and I will be the first to say it wasn't just asking for his take on the armature but the door was open to further communication. Trust me, I was civil and even praised him then again.

He replied later in this thread that ,"There's no need to PM me guys"?

 

[swpropmaker]

*****... all this over a freaking model. I will say that the armeture is on..... was on.. and is accurate when shipped. Resin tends to move and settle and sanding and manuvering is needed for proper fit. Every hull thats shipped is mated to the armeture and test fitted there were no problems on your kit. Maybe your machinist took it down a bit. No way to know now that its been altered. At least 20 heros have been sold and NO ONE has ever had a problem with the metal armeture... until now... remind you no one has ever sent it to another machinist either. So... we will never know...

I just went out in the garage and test fitted over 10 hull sets to 6 different armetures.. they all fit perfectly.

The resin one has not be so lucky. GF came up with a fix so he posted it.

DD you did PM me first telling not to assume you were saying bad stuff about my kit.. when I asked you to make sure you tell folks the machining was not needed, you took that as an attack on your work. All I said is there is no need to pm me just talk about it here on the thread. Leave the name calling and drama with your momma is my moto.

What you wrote about VaderDarth on the RI is wreckless and childish, he deserves an apology.

I would be more than happy to by back the kit if your not satisified with its flaws. However the extensive modifications done to the armeture im not sure id by that back.

The wing struts are tight. they were meant to be that way. The reasoning is that some of the models the squares touch in others they dont. This will allow builders to choose the variant they want to make.. thats all. If you want more room to play with dremel off the tab and press on... no big deal.

Ive been doing this for the past 15 years and have been bashed by even some of my friends posting on this very thread. It happens not everyone is happy with the kit they recieve. I'm sure with the help you recieve here you can build a very accurate replica of the 1:24 scale TIE fighter filming minature.

There is absolutley no reason for name calling. Funny thing is the best person tell learn about trimming a hero TIE wing is vaderdarth.. the same guy you slammed over at RI. He apologized no more than 4 times in this thread and yet you still bashed him and us at the RI.

My kit is not perfect. I do however have the ultimate solution. Scrap the kit and scratch build the parts yourself.. this would save your the head ache of sanding and fitting. So after the 10 years of kitpart hunting and 1000's of hours finding and building your master I hope it will go together easier than my kit your currently struggling with.

Just build the kit.. everyone take a deep breath and im sure it will be a fine TIE fighter when complete. My undertstanding is you are building this for a client.. Clients wishes come first.. period end of story. God luck. Imagineer has a great thread on the ESB hero TIE build maybe your wing question can be answered there.

Steve

 

[swpropmaker]

There is a chance one of the wing strut castings shifted or floated in the mold causing thickening of the part however this would not effect alignement but looking at the pictures you posted it doesnt seem they are deformed in any way accept maybe a mm thicker. Hummm trying to figure this out.. all the struts i have fit all my armetures... (40) trust me I just went and test fitted them... I could always send you another casting...of the end strut... the way the armeture was milled how do you line up the end struts with the TIE body?

Lemme know if you want another strut set. May solve the fit problem you are having.

Steve

 

[DarthDuck]

There is a chance one of the wing strut castings shifted or floated in the mold causing thickening of the part however this would not effect alignement but looking at the pictures you posted it doesnt seem they are deformed in any way accept maybe a mm thicker. Hummm trying to figure this out.. all the struts i have fit all my armetures... (40) trust me I just went and test fitted them... I could always send you another casting...of the end strut... the way the armeture was milled how do you line up the end struts with the TIE body?

Lemme know if you want another strut set. May solve the fit problem you are having.

Steve

Thanks for your offer Steve but no need for new struts. I expect to do some "fitting" with any resin kit and that's all I'm doing now.
I'm glad that all of your kits there fit fine. Mine doesn't and the armature was not "altered" in any way to effect that since it was measured before and after the machining. None of the diameter or location of keyways numbers changed.

When you say I bashed "us" I hope you recognize I've yet to say a disparaging word towards you? Nope, just anyone else who chimed in and took it to the personal level with me first. For that there will be no apologies coming from me. If each and every one of them want to apologize (even if they think it's "again") then I'll be more than happy to reciprocate and put the childish squabbling behind us.

Either way I will continue with the build and share what I am doing.

To that end I still await anyone who wants to share the sizes, shapes, materials and techniques they used to finish off the "wing edging".

Thanks

 

[jockdeboer]

I could use the wing edging too.

 

[imaginager]

The Hero TIE I built was in 2006 and I honestly don't recall the size of the Plastruct H beam, U-channel, or the bar stock. But, that's what I used.

 

[swpropmaker]

H beam is 1/4" and the center is trimed to create the layered look with I think is 1/8 T rod.. check the picture.

Steve

 

[jockdeboer]

Not sure where I got this info, most likely Steve:
For Hero Ties, all will need to buy ¼” I-beam, 1/8” T-rod and 1/16” T-rod to finish out the wings. Two pieces of .060” material for the core of the wing will need to be purchased as well.

 

[DarthDuck]

Not sure where I got this info, most likely Steve:
For Hero Ties, all will need to buy ¼” I-beam, 1/8” T-rod and 1/16” T-rod to finish out the wings. Two pieces of .060” material for the core of the wing will need to be purchased as well.

There's the other piece of info I was waiting for if it is deemed "correct"?

Thanks for the help gents.

 

[vaderdarth]

Folks, the core material for the wing proper is matte black artboard. It comes in 1-2mm thickness. If it's more it won't fit with the above mentioned trim. So keep that in mind when building. Alot of guys used plexi but it was 3mm and that makes you increase the size of the trim pieces. Which throws the whole thing off.

The Wing stars once cut and trimmed should be placed onto the artboard, then use a pencil to outline the stars onto the board and label that star with that side of that piece of art board. Mark one of the star tips and also that corner of the artboard so you can put it right back like you had it.

Now cut and place your koolshade templates. Cut out your koolshade so that the ends pretty much touch the next piece of koolshade and extend under the center star octagon. Make sure the koolshade tucks under the star at least 1/4"

The koolshade comes in a natural semigloss or gloss black. Touch up any pieces of exposed koolshade with black paint and glue onto the artboard. Prime and paint your wing stars, sand the back side lightly and glue onto the koolshade. Your wing tips should be the exact same length as your koolshade/artboard wings.

Now you have to cut and notch your trim so that it butts up against the wing star tips and at the same time the H beams touch each other on the outer edges. Mark each piece and each wing tip where it fits. (no two edges are the same size).

Then cut your T beams so that they sit inside the channel on the H beams and at the same time they join perfectly flush at the corners of the wing tips.

Prime and paint your trim pieces and then glue them in place. You will have to mark each piece as it will only fit that exact location.......mark on the inside edge that doesn't get painted.

Now glue them in place and you have finished TIE wings. If you use screws to hold the wings on the struts, just drill a hole dead center of the strut hole of the wing large enough to clear the screw...........and then fit your strut, screw it on. Voila!!!!

Dave

 

[MonsieurTox]

Thanks Dave !

What's artboard ?

 

[DarthDuck]

FYI:

VaderDarth and I have had communications and agreed we got off on the wrong foot. Apologies exchanged and civility resumed.

We're a small community and there's not much need for infighting when we can instead direct our energies to our common interests. For that and the information/help being shared I am grateful.:cool



Thanks for that info above VD.:thumbsup

 

[vaderdarth]

Darth Duck and I have exchanged PM's and all is cool between us. Just wanted to let everyone know the drama is over. Peace,

Dave

 

[swpropmaker]

Julien.. artboard is a heavy grade paper/cardboard sorta thing.. you can get it in various thicknesses. I think that would be good under the spars but thinner material is needed under the exposed koolshade. see the picture in the chronicals where they are setting up the pyro shot... those are wings minus the wing star. There is also a shot where it looks like they are molding/casting the internal wing support.... I'll dig up the pics later today...

Steve

 

[Scott Graham]

Artboard aka matt board would be what is used to matt pictures/prints in frames. You can get it from art supply stores and framers. We used to use a lot of it in design schools to mount drawings on a stiff backing.

 

[MonsieurTox]

Thanks for the explanation Steve and Scott ! It's clear now

I see what you mean about the Chronical pics Steve, thanks !

 

[vaderdarth]

Sorry about the lack of info on the art board. I got mine at Michaels in the art papers/matte board section. There are many different types, just make sure it is a flat black surface and doesn't have a visible pattern on it. Also make sure it's definitely 2mm or less in thickness or else it will mess you up.

 

[GKvfx]

Actually, I would go with 1mm or less.

When I fondled Richard Edlund's TIE before it went up for sale, I noticed that there was some lining between the sheets of Koolshade. You really only notice it on the intact wing if you stare at it long enough and realize that there has to be something in between those sheets of Koolshade to block the light.

It's more apparent on the damaged wing -

And on the last photo, you can see how hard it it to disceren that there is something behind the Koolshade.

To my eye, the paper seemed to be a really thick butcher paper. It was flimsier (if that is a word) than art card or matte board, but not like a sheet of regular paper. Odds are it was some sort of matte black, opaque paper that was being used in the roto department that the modelshop guys stole. Think along the lines of a manilla file folder (except flat black).

I suspect (and the following is noting more than supposition on my part) that they laid down one of the wing stars (face down) on a table, glued the Koolshade panels in place on the stars, then laid a sheet of this black paper. They probably repeated the process (perhaps omitting the black paper the next time) to make the other "half". Then the halves were glued together.

I thought I brought this up at another time, in another thread. But, if it helps out it's worth repeating, I guess. Somewhere around here is another thread dealing with the TIE Fighter color.

Gene

 

[DarthDuck]

^^^
Thanks for that too GKvfx!:cool