SW – ANH (5 Foot) - Studio Scale Millennium Falcon Build

[vfxsup64]

Probably something like this, just not as extreme in height...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbaQLlbMvjI




(I'd need to crack open my Mechanics Of Materials book from engineering school and see what the math says about the resultant shape of a blown "homogeneous" heated material of "constant" thickness under a pressure load...I bet the resultant shape would be mostly spherical...mostly)



ab

 

[asalaw]

Wow!!!!!

 

[Junk Pilot]

Yup. Lorne Peterson said when I asked the question they were custom blown by a company in the San Gabriel valley and that the edges were routed for a sharp edge

They were blow molded!. Plexi is super heated & air blown up from underneath until desired dome height is reached!.

 

[Blackbeardcrazy]

Incredible work ! An old dream come true ! Thank you so much gentlemen.

 

[rbeach84]

Blow molded without a buck! What a concept. Lots of variables could effect the final shape, including how consistent the heating of the sheet was during forming. Probably accounts for the slight flattening already noted - though 1/64" seems pretty small an error.

Regards, Robert

 

[asalaw]

Crap. Just watched it again and now I want pancakes. CURSE YOU ILM!!

 

[jawsmodels]

Outstanding effort. Simply what this hobby is or should be about. Thank you foe enabling another project to be able to come to my bench.

 

[joberg]

Andre, Stu and Joshua: wonderful work on that MF and a big thank you in having shared your journey with us:cool

 

[scottjua]

open in new tab/window for large

 

[dsp5500]

The 32" Falcon is so 2008 :lol
Check the pencil for scale!

 

[Tom1971]

open in new tab/window for large

http://www.scottandtemphotography.com/graflexSaber/falcon/5ftflacon2_scottjua.jpg

I just keep staring at this.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[joewhite]

The 32" Falcon is so 2008 :lol
Check the pencil for scale!

Hey, hey, the 32"er is still cool as hell! Lol!

So, you guys think the 32" dome was formed the same way as the 5 footer?

Joe

 

[Jaitea]

I just keep staring at this.

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know, I always find staring at domes hypnotic:lol


Ok,......I'm really considering making a 1/72 Falcon using the dimensions that you guys have shared

Thankyou

John

 

[Junk Pilot]

That's a sweet photo. It's very early on in its construction because it's missing the bottom dome.

 

[asalaw]

Yeah, and I'm curious about what kind of wood that is. It's very pretty. Maple?

I'm also curious about the materials choices in general. Given that the model was going to be mounted on a model mover, and re-mounted from different mounting points during shooting, was weight reduction a factor? If so, why wood and plexi, instead of fiberglass? Were the thermal properties of the build materials also a factor, given the intense lighting needed for the longer exposures? Or is it as simple as just having a good bonding surface for gluing all those kit parts?

 

[scottjua]

I always thought it was Balsa wood... can't remember if I read that or just assumed it.

 

[dsp5500]

I always thought the base ring was ply wood?

 

[swgeek]

I think the ring is definitely plywood, you can see the layers where it's ground down. As far as the other wood, it might be basswood.

 

[Duncanator]

The plexi domes would have been vacuum formed, wouldn't they? Kinda the only way to thermoform it that makes any sense.

There are other ways to make custom domes like this. The easiest is to "slump" the plastic. You sandwich the acrylic between two layers of plywood that have a hole cut in them the diameter of your dome, and then heat the plastic till it sags as deep as you want - and then remove the heat allowing it to cool in its new shape. It will take a few trys to get it to slump the right amount, as it will continue to sag a bit after the heat is removed. Getting even heat can be a challenge on a piece this large, but not insurmountable.

Another way is "blowing" a dome. It's the polar opposite of vacuforming. You again have a sandwich of plywood (or metal) with a hole in it, but the hole is only in the upper plate. when the plastic softens from heating, air is blown in between the plastic and the lower plate to inflate the bubble of plastic.

 

[eagle1]

Or another way is to not have a dome at all!.