TIE Bomber Scratchbuild

Hey Keiko ,
Totally agree with what @blakeh1 said , except for ‘ starting down that path myself ‘ part :facepalm! , and it’s really generous that you’re taking the time and effort to document the proceedings as you go .

I’m sure it’d be simpler to just concentrate on the task at hand ( I’m assuming it’s a process requiring exact measurements and applications within certain timeframes ) , without also having to consider when to ‘ break ‘ out the camera too ! ... So yeah , thanks again and very much appreciated .

Couple of quick questions if I may , are you and if so , how’re you securing the LEGO bricks to the white cardboard / sheet base ? .
Are you planning to build a 2nd ‘ dam ‘ for the moulding of the outside of the wing panel - for the reason you gave above - easier to clean ?

:cheersGed

p.s. glad to hear you’re still enjoying some downtime , however I’m sure I’d Not spend it doing what you do in it - any form of exercise , which marathons are regardless of size ( opportunities to plan and develop modelling techniques whilst doing so not withstanding ) !?:lol;)
 
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Hello again,

I'm glad you guys are enjoying this. I'm a novice of course though, so take it all with a grain of salt.

Tuesday night and a little more mold work. I've rebuilt the Lego mold boxes around the first mold halves from "pour #1" and gotten pour #2 done. The pictures should make this all make sense and you'll see how the raising of the part on a clay island (or cradle in the wing's case) make it so that the part is in a deeper depression in the final mold. This helps with casting later.

Prior to pour#2, I apply Vaseline on all the exposed rubber of pour #1 with an old paint brush. I remove most of it with a cloth or Q-tip, leaving only a residue to serve as a barrier and prevent the rubber mold halves from bonding. The Vaseline does not attack the rubber. I take care not to get any Vaseline into the details of the part. I also designed my molds so that the more detailed part is covered by pour#1, which means it doesn't see clay or Vaseline. This couldn't be achieved with the very detailed wing, hence the cradle.

To Ged's question about gluing the Lego to the baseplate - I use the same glue stick as I use to adhere the model parts to the Lego, shown in post 213 above. It's water soluble and I've been using a lot of the same baseplate parts for years.

That's all for tonight, just 2 pics. Tomorrow, I'll de-mold some parts and continue with some more pours on smaller pieces that I haven't got to yet. Maybe I'll see if I can post a sweet pic of the weekend hike too.

Thanks for looking.

Cheers,

K.



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Good evening, and another little update. My second pour has cured and I've been de-molding the parts. Nothing is quite perfect - I've got a few inopportune bubbles that may affect my castings or at least could lead to some small defects in the parts to be worked out. I also left the wing mold leaning against something while I was at work, and now it is deformed. I'm hoping it will return to its original shape with time. At least it's on the smaller (2nd) cast of the wing if I had to redo it. Still a worry for a worrier like me.

Anyway, more pics. I figure 2 more rubber pours and I'll be done. They're small ones too as the big ticket items were the wings and fuselages.

Thanks for looking,

Cheers,

K.DSCN5882.JPGDSCN5883.JPGDSCN5881.JPGDSCN5884.JPGDSCN5885.JPG

Bonus photo: weekend hike on frozen river.

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Wow, has it been 2+ years?

Update: my molds were so bad that I have to redo them. I don't know if I got a bad batch of rubber or what, but the casts I got were just not useable. The model and masters have been on hold since then. I had some tough personal times in 2019 and was away from modeling. In isolation, I've gotten back at it, having finished 8 models, but they're easy ones, not big projects.

I thank rbeach84 for the bump. It makes me think someone cares if I finish and want to get back to work. Hmm, Christmas break is coming.

Cheers all,

K.
 
Indeed! Sorry to hear of the rough patch but hope the modeling is helping while "hunkered in the bunker". I also have been working on my shelf of doom to good effect. I have hopes of building some of the un-kitted SW subjects and this project of yours has always been an inspiration - though I will perhaps have an easier time working in 1/48 scale!
Hang tough and stay warm! Regards, Robert
 
Thanks Robert, you too!

I'm glad you've gotten some ideas from my work. I really do need to get back at it soon. I'm doing well now, thriving in isolation for the most part. 2019 was the bad year for me/my family, and I vowed 2020 would be a year of recovery and it has been, in spite of Covid. Though I'm pretty gregarious in my personal life, I'm also very content being alone so this is relatively easy for me. I'm currently finishing a home reno project, then it'll be much more model mode. I have some Bandai Y wings to finish that I extensively modified, along with the TIE Bomber. A two year delay was plenty for Bandai to make an announcement and it hasn't happened, so I hope to be putting updates up in December.
 
Hello Keiko
brilliant work so far all my models are scratch built and I just love to see others doing the same thing, and your model is a superb example od the art are you sure you are not a Hollywood professional from industrial light and magic ?.
I can not wait for the next update.

regards BARRIE ( the old guy who wishes he could build as well as you )
 
I was really intimidated by the rear part of the fuselages. I wasn't sure I could pull it off, so I tackled it next.

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I'd found some formulas online for how to make a cone out of flat sheet. Knowing the taper of the cone and the diameter of the bottom allowed me to create the shapes. Of course, it's actually 2 cones, one within the other.

- - - Updated - - -

Here the rear covers continue with the second inner cone.

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The same approach was used for its calculations, though it was easier without scribing all the lines.

- - - Updated - - -

Next up was the inner cone of the rear structure. As time went on, I began naming parts in my head as you'll see when I get to them, but I never came up with a good name for this part. I did however notice that it is also on the radar dish of the large Falcon miniature.
Been learning more and more about the tools on here. Been spending the last few days reading threads that interest me. Going to add your cone construction and fishing line methods to my technique arsenal. Thanks for the like and comments on my DY 100 Botany Bay build. Once I put this down, I'll have to get back to work on it.
 
Hello

I'm new here... I just had to reply to this thread! I just have to commend you on your amazing skills. Respect!

But most of all for the way you share your knowledge and for taking your time to ansvar people's questions...

I've read through a lot of threads both on this and other forums, and there are certainly a sence of respect and helpfulness on this forum that is special.

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you for giving us/me the chance to follow along on this amazing project. I always liked the Tie bomber and AFAIK there is no official kit of this thing.

Thank you for sharing...
 
Thanks for the kind words guys and sorry for my lack of updates. I undertook a home reno this winter which put the kibosh on my traditional model time. Add it to that the fact that my work from home office has displaced my hobby room, and you'll see I've been short on modeling time lately. I'm looking forward to getting back at it. I need to bang out a few quick wins and then push through this Bomber, finally.

One random day in the not-too-distant future, you'll suddenly see new content here.

Best,

K.
 
Exactly this. It's happened to me several times in the past. I had a 1/72 Y wing about 75% done back when Finemolds finally came out with their kit. I regret nothing though, I learned so much on that project.

Next step was engraving panel lines around the forward part of the cockpit section. I got a lucky break in that the ID of my acrylic rod is a perfect fit for the window opening. I harvested the front "dash" from Vader's TIE and installed it such that its lip engages with the clear canopy part for a nice installed fit.

This took me a couple of tries too. I photographed the scribing procedure on the rejected first try only which will explain why the dash part is absent in the scribing photo.

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I know how you feel when you scratch build something and then the kit is released. It has happened to me in the past as well. But in saying that, at least you get to build something with your own hands, and call it your own. "I made that, and I am proud of it." (y)
 
This popped up in the images at the top of the page. I cannot believe all of the research and work to replicate all of the studio details in the tiny 1/72 scale! If you ever get the chance, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE finish this build!

SB
 

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