large sheet goods for Avenger hull.

Hey all,

Ive just started work on whats going to be a little bit smaller than studio scale Avenger SD and i was wondering about sheet goods for the main hull shape. where do you get it, what would you use? Since I cant afford or am in the mood to collect all the models required to bash this thing to studio accuracy, Im going to make as many of the parts as I can ( or close replicas). Some of the places on line that have sheet acrylic have prices that are crazy high. 48x96x1/8" for 400 bucks? uh, no. Im an architect and we used to build models out of strathmore board and paper.

US plastics has sheets of styrene at resonable prices.
Hope this helps.

Not sure where you are from, but styrene in the plastics industry is sometimes called HIPS. High Impact PolyStyrene. Same stuff. More than likely a local place near you carries the material in stock. Get the thick stuff for the main hull. CA will probably be enough to adhere it to the wood frame, but you can add screws.. You can always cover it with thinner stuff for the edges to make it look closer to the studio scale thickness. Keep us posted with your progress.

TazMan2000

thanks tazman and angrytrooper. I'm in the florida panhandle. i was thinking id need only some 1/8" sheet stock for the hull. theres a good bit more bracing that need to be added between the frames, and screws were already in the plan. and I'm trying not to block out the parts where id need lighting to pass thru. I think I'm going to use a string of exposed leds on the inside and illuminate the inside of the hull and out thru the drilled openings. i don't like the billion hotspots that fiber optics tend to give you.

I've also been flip flopping on the method to detail the panel lines. in the production books and a lot of the pict available, most of the lines seem drawn on in pencil, while some other builders have chosen to score the plastic with a razor knife for the affect. I'm thinking of going this route. but i will keep you guys posted on progress it'll be just under 7 ft stem to stern when done.

7 feet. Wow. I'll be following.

TazMan2000

You should find plexiglass sheet in your local big box store, a lot cheaper than 400 bucks. Clear plex is perfect for lighting, you don't even have to drill through it, just through the paint.

If you are going to be making wood styrene bonds, I would recommend using Weld On 16. It will make a very strong joint. I used it on my 44" Eagle and there is no sign of joint failure after almost two decades.

You should be able to find thin sheets of clear 4'x8' acrylic and polycab at places like Lowe's and Home Depot.

chuckkat said:

Hey all,

Ive just started work on whats going to be a little bit smaller than studio scale Avenger SD and i was wondering about sheet goods for the main hull shape. where do you get it, what would you use? Since I cant afford or am in the mood to collect all the models required to bash this thing to studio accuracy, Im going to make as many of the parts as I can ( or close replicas). Some of the places on line that have sheet acrylic have prices that are crazy high. 48x96x1/8" for 400 bucks? uh, no. Im an architect and we used to build models out of strathmore board and paper.

Click to expand...

You need to find better acrylic places... I get made cases for that much. maybe its the 96" length that is the issue, see if they will sell you 48x48 at less than per inch...when you're getting the full 4x8 ft sheet they can only sell you "perfect" sheets and with how easy it is to scratch... might be hard to get. see if you can get some of their rejects... some polishing to get curved scratches out might do the trick or a bit of putty... point is you don't need it to be perfect since you're painting over it anyway... their scraps could be your gold.

Also I've seen 4x8 sheets at home depot/Lowes for a lot less than you're being quoted might try there.

Jedi Dade

Acrylic is expensive. If you can find it at a Home Center, that should help. Don't order online as the shipping would be ridiculous. I buy in bulk from a local plastics supplier. In years past they would sell only to businesses, but these days they'll sell to just about anyone.

Models made from cardboard, Foamcore, or any sort of paper product (like art board) just won't last (especially in your climate). Parts will swell from humidity and warp. Glue bonds will eventually fail. Even wood is a poor choice in a damp climate (unless you are very careful in sealing it -- even then, it expands and contracts with changes in temperature and so it may not be stable over time unless kept in climate-controlled conditions). Perhaps the best material choice is acrylic. Styrene (HIPS) is also good but it does yellow over time and will become brittle.

Acrylic is very hard and tough to work by hand. It's best cut with a power saw and worked with power sanders. It's easiest to use when cut by laser (just about any local sign shop can do that for you). It's much too tough to scribe by hand. If you add a layer of styrene on top, that is much easier to work by hand and detail. Just be careful when gluing the two different materials together.

Plastruct Plastic Weld cement is one of the best products for bonding styrene to acrylic but it's expensive. WeldOn #16 also works but it dries way too fast. It should be thinned with Weld On #3. Please keep in mind these are professional use industrial solvents and they are TOXIC. As a result, they should never be used indoors. Use them outside only and DON'T breathe the fumes. (If you can smell it, you just inhaled it.)

Weld On #16 is a strong solvent for bonding acrylic but it is *not* suitable for bonding acrylic to other non-compatible materials like wood. That requires something like an epoxy.

If drastic changes in humidity are an issue I would recommend sealing the wooden frame with something. If that starts moving because of moisture absorption the joints within the frame itself and between the frame and skin will eventually fail. Also, acrylic absorbs moisture too.

Thanks guys.

I did find full size sheets of 1/8" + thick sheets of acrylic and lexan at my local store and they were still $220 a sheet, and I need two to complete both sides of the hull. I had planned originally to try and get away with scoring it with a xacto to save some time and any difficulties involving gluing sheets to sheets. I had done this before for a architectural model once, scored joint lines for a cement block wall and spattered color and texture over it with a tooth brush - worked great.

Thanks for the tips star-art. i found some interior wood paneling that is 3/16" thick and stiff. Much like Masonite tempered on both sides. it remains very stiff between the 10 inch frame spacing. it also has a very low expansion rating, so Im pretty confident after sealing the whole superstructure with some West 105 it will remain stable enough. I have a feeling that the 105 will slag any plastic I try to use it on, so finding a suitable adhesive to apply the styrene to the paneling without worrying about build-up underneath will still be the challenge.

I have one frame that is out of alignment with the others, so gotta fix that bit first, then get the plywood for the sheer strake cut and glued, then its big wedgie time.

Most acrylic sheet is not actually 1/8 inch but rather 3mm. The true thickness depends on whether it's extruded or cast. Extruded offers the most consistent thickness, but I've noticed that, in order to save money, most of the stock I've purchased has always been slightly "undersize" and almost never oversize.

Extruded is not as rigid as cast (and there are two different types of cast sheet). In fact, depending on the thickness, extruded sheet can be surprisingly flexible compared to cast sheet. Extruded sheet also costs less than cast .

For a Star Destroyer, you need the edges of the hull to stay as flat as possible. For what you want to do, if you can deal with variations in thickness I would probably recommend cast sheet. If you can find a local plastics supplier, it should run about $120 for a 4X8 sheet of 3mm black. I'd recommend black and not clear so you won't have to deal with light blocking (especially if you engrave it).

1/8 x 48 x 96 black styrene $75.66

1/8 x 48 x 96 black abs $79.77

1/8 x 40 x 72 white styrene $50.93

1/8 x 48 x 96 clear acrylic $107.80

I guess I am a bit late to this but do a search for plastic supply places near you. Others mentioned the HIPS, this is the same stuff cos players use to make armor (storm trooper etc...) Here are some prices I was quoted in January 2017 when I started my mandalorain cos play build.


These are 4' x 8' sheets. I have found that Plexiglas and similar plastics to be way more expensive than the HIPS.

You might consider contacting some local sign shops or sign shop suppliers. We use a variety of materials and usually have scrap/drop pieces which can be given away or just for a few bucks.
I have used these in builds before and while the styrene may not be as stiff as injection molded styrene it works just fine with standard adhesives and paints.