Zvezda 1/2700 Imperial Star Destroyer – WIP

[Analyzer]

I love all the added details!

Also great to know about that LED strip!

I have one of those lying around. Sure saves a lot of trouble

 

[gt350pony66]

FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!

 

[Guns Akimbo]

Thanks guys! Looks like I'm slowly transitioning from "greeblie hell" to "window hell."

"Drill baby drill," lmao.

 

[INVAR]

I made the big mistake of initially gluing the port-side wedding cake sections onto the base plastic and then attempting to drill holes through both. DON'T DO THAT if you are using bits smaller than .50 unless you are a consummate drill master. I am now drilling after I greeblie each section due to the thicker plastic of the base that has already cost me about 26 .030MM micro bits for the eventual .025 FO I will insert for lighting. I did not have the problem with broken bits with the trenches due the fact that I carved away the base plastic because I raised the trenches by .060 MM. The thinner plastic on the greeblied sections is not a problem, but when trying to drill through those AND the base plastic - *snap*! Goodbye bit. Each and every time I tried.

I found it is easier to drill the greeblied section faces separately, then holding them on the base section they will be glued to and marking where the holes are through them into the thicker base plastic. I can then drill those holes with a much thicker bit very easy, clean it up and then glue the greeblied plate over that section. Will make it easier also I think to feed the FO through. Wish I did that for the front lower cake section.

 

[Guns Akimbo]

I made the big mistake of initially gluing the port-side wedding cake sections onto the base plastic and then attempting to drill holes through both. DON'T DO THAT if you are using bits smaller than .50 unless you are a consummate drill master. I am now drilling after I greeblie each section due to the thicker plastic of the base that has already cost me about 26 .030MM micro bits for the eventual .025 FO I will insert for lighting. I did not have the problem with broken bits with the trenches due the fact that I carved away the base plastic because I raised the trenches by .060 MM. The thinner plastic on the greeblied sections is not a problem, but when trying to drill through those AND the base plastic - *snap*! Goodbye bit. Each and every time I tried.

I found it is easier to drill the greeblied section faces separately, then holding them on the base section they will be glued to and marking where the holes are through them into the thicker base plastic. I can then drill those holes with a much thicker bit very easy, clean it up and then glue the greeblied plate over that section. Will make it easier also I think to feed the FO through. Wish I did that for the front lower cake section.

Or...you can do this (on your next one...I mean, you ARE going to build another one, yes? )

 

[INVAR]

Tried that on the front two forward facing sections of the cake when I started on the wedding cake after the trenches, bays and engine areas were done. Drilled a hole, then tried to score the plastic with my trusty #11 so I could bend and snap out the 'window'. Ended up cutting my thumb literally to the bone and bleeding all over the top of the model. Blood, sweat and yes tears being put into this baby. So given that experience and my fears of the integrity of the framework holding up and not warping over time - I decided to try my luck at just drilling through both the plate and the base, and when that cost me dozens of microbits - I went with the method I am using now.

Saw some fella use a rotary dremel to do as you did on a Youtube build of this, but I do not have one of those and the wife is already irritated how much money I have sunk into this kit. So I soldier on, like an Amish version of a starship modeler, though perhaps more mennonite as I do have a chinese micro drill for the thousands of points of light I intend to create in this hunk of plastic.

 

[Guns Akimbo]

Tried that on the front two forward facing sections of the cake when I started on the wedding cake after the trenches, bays and engine areas were done. Drilled a hole, then tried to score the plastic with my trusty #11 so I could bend and snap out the 'window'. Ended up cutting my thumb literally to the bone and bleeding all over the top of the model. Blood, sweat and yes tears being put into this baby. So given that experience and my fears of the integrity of the framework holding up and not warping over time - I decided to try my luck at just drilling through both the plate and the base, and when that cost me dozens of microbits - I went with the method I am using now.

Ouch!

I hear you on the blood sacrifice part. Been there, done that!

 

[Antsnest]

Guys - for those having drilling woes - take a look at the frankendrill I made up when doing mine here My 1/2700 Star Destroyer - literally cost me about 5 quid for the motor/gearbox/chuck combo and I didn't break a single bit!

 

[INVAR]

Using a .50mm bit is undoubtedly less likely to snap when using a low-powered mini drill. My problem is that I'm using .030 mm micro bits for .025mm fiber. I did not have any bits break when drilling holes into just the greeblied plate sections. All my bits snapped off attempting to drill holes into the base plastic, mainly because it is thicker and denser. Using a larger bit to drill holes into the base plastic after I have marked where the .025 mm holes in the plate pieces are located, has been no problem since I began using that process.

I got that idea from a youtube build where the model master drilled holes into the plate pieces as I have, then used hairspray to hold the plate piece in place on the base plastic, then he lightly primed the surface and when he pulled the plate piece from the base plastic, he could see exactly where all the holes in the plate were drilled. He then went in with a bigger bit and drilled out all the holes in the base plastic. Then he glued the plate in place on the base plastic. I've adopted that technique - sans the priming as I only want to prime it lightly once instead of getting too much of a build-up of paint diminishing detail. I use an ultra thin lead to stick into the holes to mark the base plastic where the holes are to be drilled, but otherwise I am using that same process.

 

[INVAR]

More alterations...removed the greater part of the internal dividers behind the trench pieces (bring down structure appeared) with the goal that fiber optics won't get guillotined lol. I cleared out the regions where the parts enter into the dividers with finding pegs; there is a lot of sticking surface over the trench parts for the upper structure.

Oh yes. Been there. Done that. A year and a half ago. Seems like forever ago when I started that.