TIE Bomber Scratchbuild

[Keiko]

Hello everyone,

Another weekend with a bit of time for fiddly bits on models. I'm closing in on the cockpit fuselage being 100% done. All that's left is the Stuka "X" shaped piece that goes inside the larger opening on the raised back part of the fuselage.

Meanwhile, I puttered away adding raised chip details to the fuselage, as well as drilling many tiny recessed holes. I also completed a few tiny parts on the leading edge of the upper fuselage. It's all good and I'm happy with how it's come out.

I decided that my jig made parts (which are also on the inner wing in large quantities) weren't good enough because they lacked the slope to intersect the raised detail on the hull like it seems to in photos. I therefore started over and built them in place on the front of that detail. There are only 2, or a total of 8 fins, so it wasn't too bad. It's only 4:30 p.m. here, so I'll likely continue on with that "X" part this evening and head into the week with nothing left to do on the cockpit fuselage. I'm getting there as I mop up the straggler details!

Thanks for looking as always.

K.

 

[gedmac66]

Hey Keiko ,

Just looked up ‘ Insane Perfectionism ‘ in my Dictionary , and it had a photo / detailed description of .... you guessed it ! :lol
Incredible work , as always

:cheersGed

 

[Keiko]

Haha, thanks Ged. I'm doing my best, but I also know where all the imperfections are! It's definitely getting near the end of mastering, and the beginning of actual building to follow. It's taken a crazy amount of time though I've done some side projects along the way too.

Cheers,

K.

 

[blakeh1]

Fascinating!

 

[gedmac66]

Haha, thanks Ged. I'm doing my best, but I also know where all the imperfections are! It's definitely getting near the end of mastering, and the beginning of actual building to follow. It's taken a crazy amount of time though I've done some side projects along the way too.

Cheers,

K.

Aahh , but that time ( when available ) has been well spent , delivering examples of sublime care , dedication and intricacies .

 

[Keiko]

Careful, my parents would be very disappointed if I got a big head!

 

[davidvaradyszab]

Hi Keiko! First of all: beautiful build, truly exciting to watch how you get along with it. I have been following this thread for a while now and your updates never fail to amaze me.
And if I got the chance to ask an expert, why wouldn’t I: I wonder what is the appropiate color for the TIE Bomber according to you. Thanks!

 

[Keiko]

Hello everyone,

I'm back for some more minute updates. As I mentioned before, I'm moving around the ship and subassemblies, going back to the parts that I had not quite finished during my first pass before moving on. I'm now complete the final touches on the mid spar and cockpit fuselage, with the remaining work on the weapons fuselage also underway. After that, it will be potentially re-doing the bomb chute from scratch, and then molding and building.

As I work around I of course find errors and minor mistakes. They bug me in the present, but I know from experience that after the model is finished, I will have a harder time spotting them. I've also noted a few asymmetries and I sort of have to fudge other parts to make things appear to be aligned. I've concluded that the human eye isn't nearly so good at spotting an asymmetry as it is a misalignment. Therefore, when choosing my poison, I make things look as good as I can and hope I get away with it.

Anyway, lots of pictures as I move through the forward details on the weapons pod.

Cheers,

K.


davidvaradyszab: thanks for your kind words, I'm glad you're enjoying the build! To answer your question, I'm planning to use Tamiya's Haze Grey, TS-32. I've read that the original ILM prop was painted in Pactra Stormy Sea Blue, which is no longer available, but that the Tamiya colour is a good match.

 

[blakeh1]

Once again inspiring work!

 

[Keiko]

Back again with a few more photos as my last update du jour.

I've continued on into the pincer pieces on the forward part of the weapons fuselage. I decided to call these "missile guides" in my notes.

I'm pretty happy with how it's coming out. I did a little more shaping of the front plate to make it taper to an narrower edge around the circumference and I'm happy with that. The seat back parts around the circumference hold the front plate in really nicely with no glue. The "half pipe" parts that connect to the seat back part will be next, concurrent with my ongoing work on the missile guides.

Thanks for looking as always!

Cheers,

K>

 

[gedmac66]

Super ‘Cool Bananas ! ‘ - updates again mate !

In pic#2 you mentioned sanding the front plate again ‘ for a more rounded ‘ dome appearance , it certainly is that . Very crisp and blemish free too ... (viewed via iPad , I zoom in - only way for me to truly appreciate your skills even wearing glasses ! ) :lol

What’s your method in obtaining such a smooth finish ? Wet / dry sanding , micro mesh , polishing compound ... ?

:cheersGed

 

[Keiko]

Hi Ged,

I'm glad you're liking it. I'm getting close now - only a handful of things left to do. One of my other interests is endurance sports - marathons, triathlons, that sort of thing. I always find during a long event that the third quarter is the toughest, mentally speaking. When one starts the third quarter, they're barely half done and the burnout sets in. They finally get through the drudgery of that to the final quarter and come back to life when the end is in sight. This build has been a lot like that, but with the wing done, I feel like I've finally rounded a corner and I'm getting into the final stretch toward the finish line, so it's starting to feel like time to sprint. Being able to post in this thread and get some encouraging feedback has kept me going through the doldrums.

I have to finish the rounded parts of the chairs (though they look more like tiny band-aids all over the hull to me), plus a detail on the underside and the missile guides. Then it's a re-do of the bomb chute and done. I shouldn't say for fear of jinxing myself, but I hope to be done that this week.

With respect to the sanding on the dome front of the weapons fuselage, I just hand sanded it by eye using progressive grades of sandpaper. I started with 400 and worked my way to 2000. Definitely no polishing compound or anything elaborate like that. If it were something that needed to be transparent, micro mesh, compounds, etc. might apply, but 2000 is plenty smooth for a painted surface.

Cheers,

K.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

I totally appreciate your commitment to patience, especially as you near the final stretch, but as someone sitting in the cheap seats drinking the last swallow of a warm beer and starting to think about needing to pee and how long I may be stuck in the parking lot may I just say I'm getting antsy to see this thing DONE! :lol Totally ignore me, of course, but c'mon man, cut glue sand paint display! Chop-chop. I'm selfish and I have needs! When you finish, we'll not only have a beautiful replica to drool over and hate you for, but we'll be one step closer to Bandai announcing their version. So, do it for your country, dude! Take some days off from work, ignore the wife and kids, lock yourself in your man cave, and wrap this puppy up! Move soldier!!!

All kidding aside, looks great. Keep up the good work. :cheers

 

[gedmac66]

Hey Keiko ,

Maybe participating in those types of painful looking endurance ‘ activities ‘! is where you find some of your ‘ zen ‘ like qualities as a model builder extraordinaire ? Runners do that too - getting into the ‘ zone ‘ ?. That , and you’re an insanely talented perfectionist !

Not being into such ‘ sports ‘ myself ( I work up a sweat just thinking about it ! ) , I’ve heard of the condition you’ve described - Hitting the wall ... right ?

Glad to hear you’ve smashed through it mate !

Anyhoo , I’m definitely not wishing you jinxed or otherwise , but I’m sorta agreeing with what @Hunk a Junk is saying !... @Haystack Hair scratch building a 1/72 ANH MF ... Bang ! , Bandai releases one ... Your good self majorly scratching a Tie Bomber ... Bang ! , Bandai ...!?lol

Keep on keeping on my friend .

:cheersGed

 

[Keiko]

Hunk a Junk: I hear you. Bandai seems to be teasing with a possible B wing kit now, so it's only a matter of time! This is all good too. Near the end like this, any encouragement, cajolement, or even threats help me keep going.
gedmac66: Yes, I do get into the zone while running and also while modeling. Funnily enough, I've solved a lot of modeling challenges while running. It's like the running becomes so autonomic that my mind is free to hear my subconscious. In the middle of a run, a solution to a problem will pop into my head, seemingly unbidden.

"Hitting the wall" (in an endurance event) is a little different than what I'm calling the "3rd quarter fade". In a marathon (42 km), my wall is out there around 35 km, way past the 3/4 mark. It's a whole other kind of pain and fatigue, much more physical than any mental fade. One just wants to lie down in the ditch and go no further. At least when I fade in the 3rd quarter, there is still a second wind to look forward to. When I hit the wall, getting through it is just more pain. I find myself in a place I call "insensible". Pain stops mattering and my body and mind go numb. I know this whole digression doesn't make a great case for running, but there's something very rewarding about it that keeps me coming back for more.

Anyway, that's me and marathons or me and triathlons. I feel like I hijacked my own thread (again)! At least my analogy should make sense now. Is my ability to focus on sports related to my ability to focus on models? Probably in some "id" way within my personality. I've always had a long attention span.

Cheers!

K.

 

[Hunk a Junk]

Maybe this will help: MORE COWBELL!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gwb4o2qs7Pc

 

[Keiko]

There's definitely no such thing as too much cowbell.

I did a tad more tonight - test fit what I've concluded is my first attempt at the missile guides onto the front of the weapons pod. It's hard to figure this stuff out from photos and when I see it all together in person, it's pretty clear I got the proportions wrong. I'll redo them of course, but I think I'll use thicker sheet on my next attempt. The 0.25 mm sheet I used is a little flimsy.

Anyway, a couple of photos for fun.

Cheers,

K.

 

[Keiko]

One last little update tonight - second attempt on missile guides is started. I did a better job of showing how I lay out the triangular side parts this time - basically, I make all my cuts as right angle triangles, since they're easier to measure and get to match one another. First I cut the main piece this way, and then I remove a tiny right angle triangle from its bottom in order to get the lean I need.

Tomorrow, I ought to be able to do another white glue test, but based on my naked eye holding up the new parts against the old on the ship, I think I'll be satisfied with this iteration.

Thanks for looking,

K.

 

[gedmac66]

Keiko ,

I’ve got a semi - serious question/suggestion to put to you . Would you consider putting a small booklet together containing all the photographs posted in this thread ?

Asking cause , it’d not only be a handy source of reference for those wishing/hoping to build a tie bomber themselves , but due to the added detailed text in/accompanying them , it’d also be very helpful in sharing your general modelling tips , advice and how-to .

I realise people could just search this thread out to gain said info , but , my concern is that it may possibly be lost ala the ‘ photobucket ‘ debacle . Also being pretty computer illiterate myself , if it’s lost ... it’s lost . Just a thought .

:cheersGed

 

[Keiko]

Hi Ged,

I'm flattered but I really didn't have any plans for making a booklet or anything like that. It sounds like a lot of work! The photos can all be saved by anyone who views them simply by right clicking on them and saving to their own computer. They're all hosted here on therpf itself, not on photobucket, so as long as the website remains, the thread should too.

Minor update since I'm online now: before work this morning, I test fitted my version 2 missile guides and concluded that they toe-in too much, so I need to make a 3rd set with less of an inward lean to them. I should have just bit the bullet and did the trigonometry the first time around, but I got intellectually lazy and thought I could eyeball it!

Cheers,

K.