1:1 Millennium Falcon Cockpit Replica - Group Build

Hi Gang,

For all those patriots celebrating the 4th of July, Happy Birthday America!

Time for the holiday weekend Update Part I

I laser cut these nav chair nacelle skins


Sprayed adhesive




Then wrapped each nacelle




This edge is the area of most concern - the plexi wants to pop away from the edge


I bent the edges over and rested the nacelle on the actually edge - fingers crossed it works


It was time to dress the cockpit entrance with all the saved wiring harnesses I've had lying around. So, I measured, designed and laser cut several different sized connectors that will mount to the entrance wall and greeblies








Dry fitting












Love this image! Still need to paint that panel - I'm going to remove all the greeblies and spray paint (using a paint gun) the cockpit entrance frame and panels in one shot)










Chewie's side






I'm not thrilled with the harness so I'm going to remove and start over - fortunately I used existing holes and zip ties


I then dug through the many greeblie boxes we have and wanted to create a few more greeblies to fill in some of the massive blank spaces on some of the panels. So, I took these...


And this...


Designed and laser cut these...


Started to dry fit




This panel will mount here


I then laser cut these acrylic pieces






Added paint




Love the detail


Primer


Another dry fit








Dug through some more and found these


Finally, I created a base for the panel - I should have this finished up today!


Then I jumped around... Another wire connector




Another greeblie I created





It was then time to get this LAST arch frame done!


Not sure how it happened but I was 1/2" off on one side?


First panel cut and now fits


YUCK! Lots of dips and uneven cuts! I hate using the jig saw. I managed to break 4 tracing bits during this phase? But, she's framed


Need to finish adding the vertical supports






Trimmed up a LOT of these framed and got it more square




Top View


And this is where we are!


Stay Tuned! Part II Coming!

SofaKing01 said:

This edge is the area of most concern - the plexi wants to pop away from the edge

Click to expand...

Do you think a carefull round with the heat-gun would take some of teh tension out of the plexi?

you sir are a god among builders!! fantastic as always!!

This build is fantastic, I love coming back to see what you have added, I love my weekly dose of cockpit porn, I can't believe your nearly at the end, it's been a fantastic ride and I don't know what I'm ( along with many others ) going to do when it's ended :cry you can't start something like this, get us addicted and end it

have you thought about a support group for us cockpit watchers, a phone number for a good councillor or even another build for us to get addicted to as you can't leave us in limbo !!!!
Think of our family's man

Hi Gang,

Weekend Update Part II

I finished up the new panel greeblie. I went through a lot of design ideas but ultimately decided to keep it simple.


I hope I find a home for these guys!


Tried the traditional 1" tiles




Not quite there yet...


I laser cut this raised panel piece. DEF adds visual interest


Began to mount the pieces I knew would be part of the panel


Countersunk mounting points


This piece reminds of the Nav Computer pulley greeblies


I really like the red but I just don't think it will work. Gotta keep working it


Moving things around trying to find the right balance and combo




HMMMM




I decided to keep it simple! Panel mounted






I might paint the back panel piece silver to help make the panel pop away from the main entrance panel


Painted and added more greeblies to this area




I also worked on the wire connectors - paint


Silver


I had to go back and design some new mounting plates


Once they were all finished up I mounted in place




Added some googly eyes












I created a new wire connector


Painted red


Mounted


Added some weathering


And found a home for the red triangles! This piece looks so much more interesting now!


Wire fits perfectly!


Love it


I have a few wires left... what will I do with these guys?


I then added weathering to all the new bolts and connectors




Tough to see the weathering - might need to add another layer






And finally!


Let's cut some holes!










Both sides of these corridor rings will be covered with MDF to help smooth the edges. This means I have to trim the interior vertical supports but it will look SO MUCH cleaner!


Love this shot!


And this is where we are... I wound up having to scrap the upper ring. The jig saw cuts were really bad and bugged me!


More to Follow! Stay Tuned!

There it is again... The elusive Falcon bathroom door ...only now it has some kind of red tool droid sitting next to it!

Friendly flyer said:

Do you think a carefull round with the heat-gun would take some of teh tension out of the plexi?

Click to expand...

Hey FF,

The key word is "careful"! I gave that a thought but I dont trust myself enough not to burn/warp the plexi. Of course, you never learn until you try.

Unfortunately, the heat and humidity caused a few of the skins problems. I'm going to take them home and try to fix. Like the others, its just a matter of time to get them right

- - - Updated - - -

Fuzzual said:

you sir are a god among builders!! fantastic as always!!

Click to expand...

Hey Fuzz,

Thanks so much! Wouldn't go that far but I appreciate the very kind words. Now get back to work!

Bengrim09 said:

This build is fantastic, I love coming back to see what you have added, I love my weekly dose of cockpit porn, I can't believe your nearly at the end, it's been a fantastic ride and I don't know what I'm ( along with many others ) going to do when it's ended :cry you can't start something like this, get us addicted and end it

have you thought about a support group for us cockpit watchers, a phone number for a good councillor or even another build for us to get addicted to as you can't leave us in limbo !!!!
Think of our family's man

Click to expand...

Hi B,

Thank you so much and I appreciate your continued support. But not to worry! No need for a support group or step program. I'm thinking of you guys and got you covered. When this cockpit is finished I'm planning on Cockpit V2, a gunner station and/or the Nav Computer. We have all the files ready for a second cockpit that will be cut using the CNC and laser cutter. Everything will fit perfectly (minus any warping of course). I'm really excited to get started.

I'm going to keep building and building until I can't build anymore!

trainman said:

There it is again... The elusive Falcon bathroom door ...only now it has some kind of red tool droid sitting next to it!

http://i778.photobucket.com/albums/...n Build 01192/20170704_130211_zpsxmvc7csj.jpg

Click to expand...

The toolbox makes you wonder what kind of food they had a long time ago!

SofaKing01 said:

The toolbox makes you wonder what kind of food they had a long time ago!

Click to expand...

I'm thinking you need tools nearby to fix the plumbing once Chewie gets done in there.

trainman said:

I'm thinking you need tools nearby to fix the plumbing once Chewie gets done in there.

Click to expand...

Or a horrible combination!

Katuna said:

SK,

I came across your build thread the other day doing research for a DeAgostini Falcon build. I was so blown away, I pulled a 3 day marathon reading all 361 pages. All I can say is WOW! It's funny reading it from front to back all at once and seeing it evolve from a simple console to a full cockpit and now the corridor. There were so many times I waned to chime in with a suggestion, remembering that that particular post was 3 or 4 years old!

I equate the way your build has evolved and changed over time to building an entire car by starting with the radio and building out from there. I've lost count how many times the Volvo panels have been rebuilt. Is it 6 times now? You're a better man than I, Gunga Din. Keep pushing forward and keep up the awesome work! Oh, and no more weekends off. My marathon came to a screeching halt last weekend. I need closure on the Nav seats!

Click to expand...

Hi K,

LOL! Thanks so much. And thanks for taking the time to read through the entire post. I probably could have used your inputs during all those times you wanted to say something.

Sadly... as much as I LOVE redoing the Volvo panels it would appear I'll be redoing one of them - attempt number 7. I found a HUGE problem and I think I can trace back to what happened. Frustrating, but I have to do it right or the canopy wont fit.

I'll be sure to keep updating! No rest for the weary. Gotta keep marching forward!

- - - Updated - - -

Katuna said:

It's like reading an entire book over the weekend only to find someone ripped the last 3 chapters out. Closure, I need closure!

Click to expand...

Hey K,

There will never be closure! I'm going to build until I can't build anymore! Cockpit V2 is coming up and maybe a gunner station or something small like the Nav Computer. Maybe one of the landing gear assemblies? A buddy of mine wants be to build the XWing! So you see... no closure.

SofaKing01 said:

Unfortunately, the heat and humidity caused a few of the skins problems. I'm going to take them home and try to fix. Like the others, its just a matter of time to get them right!

Click to expand...

Good luck, and remember that distance is your friend with the heat gun!

I'd consider a thin (1/2 mm) aluminium plate rather than plexi. You can glue it on just like the plexi, and fix the edge with small nails. It won't add to the weight, and best of all, when the chair is used and the surface inevitably become scratched, it will wear like the real thing.

SofaKing01 said:

YUCK! Lots of dips and uneven cuts! I hate using the jig saw. I managed to break 4 tracing bits during this phase? But, she's framed

Click to expand...

SofaKing01 said:

I wound up having to scrap the upper ring. The jig saw cuts were really bad and bugged me!

Click to expand...

I too hate jigsaw cuts like those you're dealing with, but I have a solution! Did you know that you can cut curves with a circular saw? For curves this size, you can even do it with a regular blade, and for the number of curves you're cutting, the setup will be worth it, plus the laser will made it a lot simpler. You need to build a TRAMMEL. A honkin' big one. Here's a random pic I found on the internet that shows the idea with a router, but with the laser you could make yourself several "business end" attachments - one for a router, one for a circular saw, and one for a jigsaw.


It's a stick. You've got a series of holes for different radii (so you could laser cut and label them "hallway wall - outside radius" and "hallway wall - inside radius", for example), then your business end has some attachment for the saw, jigsaw, and router that puts all of their cutting edges at the same point. When using the circular saw, the only real trick is to make sure your blade depth is only just deep enough to get through the material, and that your centerpoint is connected to the piece you're cutting so it doesn't shift.

And to show I know what I'm talking about from experience, this is a 1.5" thick hardwood bar top and that curve on the left was done with a regular ol' circular saw on a homemade 9' trammel.

Friendly flyer said:

Good luck, and remember that distance is your friend with the heat gun!

I'd consider a thin (1/2 mm) aluminium plate rather than plexi. You can glue it on just like the plexi, and fix the edge with small nails. It won't add to the weight, and best of all, when the chair is used and the surface inevitably become scratched, it will wear like the real thing.

Click to expand...

Hey FF,

Any metal would be a huge improvement over wood, plexi, acrylic, etc. It would DEF lend a more authentic look and feel and any scratches would look awesome! I only hesitate using aluminum because I would want to continue using / covering the chair to again, give it a more authentic look and feel - but where do I stop? LOL

BigBigDave said:

I too hate jigsaw cuts like those you're dealing with, but I have a solution! Did you know that you can cut curves with a circular saw? For curves this size, you can even do it with a regular blade, and for the number of curves you're cutting, the setup will be worth it, plus the laser will made it a lot simpler. You need to build a TRAMMEL. A honkin' big one. Here's a random pic I found on the internet that shows the idea with a router, but with the laser you could make yourself several "business end" attachments - one for a router, one for a circular saw, and one for a jigsaw.
View attachment 741466

It's a stick. You've got a series of holes for different radii (so you could laser cut and label them "hallway wall - outside radius" and "hallway wall - inside radius", for example), then your business end has some attachment for the saw, jigsaw, and router that puts all of their cutting edges at the same point. When using the circular saw, the only real trick is to make sure your blade depth is only just deep enough to get through the material, and that your centerpoint is connected to the piece you're cutting so it doesn't shift.

And to show I know what I'm talking about from experience, this is a 1.5" thick hardwood bar top and that curve on the left was done with a regular ol' circular saw on a homemade 9' trammel.
View attachment 741469

Click to expand...

Hey BBD,

I didn't realize how angled the corridor frame edges were until I got them all aligned and in place. The jig saw is a wonderful tool but not for edges as long as these panels. It was ugly and there was no alibi to save them!

I've seen those trammels in action! VERY VERY COOL! One wouldn't think you could do a circular cut with a regular circular saw. I think the path forward for this last panel is to use the cockpit entrance frame piece as the template and use the router with a tracer bit. The entrance frame is near perfect. I might redo the other corridor frames as well. All depends how this new frame turns out.

As I mentioned I've gone through 4 bits (1 bit shattered and 3 bearings exploded). But, this latest bit has held up pretty well so fingers crossed!

SofaKing01 said:

I think the path forward for this last panel is to use the cockpit entrance frame piece as the template and use the router with a tracer bit. ... As I mentioned I've gone through 4 bits (1 bit shattered and 3 bearings exploded). But, this latest bit has held up pretty well so fingers crossed!

Click to expand...

Yeah, the whole "curve with a circular saw" thing is pretty hard to wrap your brain around until you do it, then you go, "Huh. That was easy."

One thing I've found that helps tracer bits last is to make sure you give them as little work to do as possible - in this case, trace your line, then rough cut (you can even freehand it with a circular saw) about 1/8"-1/4" away from the line, so when you trace your pattern you're only cutting 1/4" or so, max. You might already be doing this, but in case that tip helps someone with their project... there it is.

BigBigDave said:

Yeah, the whole "curve with a circular saw" thing is pretty hard to wrap your brain around until you do it, then you go, "Huh. That was easy."

One thing I've found that helps tracer bits last is to make sure you give them as little work to do as possible - in this case, trace your line, then rough cut (you can even freehand it with a circular saw) about 1/8"-1/4" away from the line, so when you trace your pattern you're only cutting 1/4" or so, max. You might already be doing this, but in case that tip helps someone with their project... there it is.

Click to expand...

Hey BBD,

Great advice!

I found that cutting anything 3/4" or deeper should be done with two passes. That way there isn't as much stress on the bit. However, in all my years I've never seen bearings fail within 2/3 minutes after turning on the router

SofaKing01 said:

Hey BBD,

Great advice!

I found that cutting anything 3/4" or deeper should be done with two passes. That way there isn't as much stress on the bit. However, in all my years I've never seen bearings fail within 2/3 minutes after turning on the router

Click to expand...

Wow. Sounds like you got a faulty batch of bearings.

Hi Gang,

Worst Weekend of 2017 So Far!

Saturday started off with super high humidity and my not feeling too well. I wound up cutting the day a little short. Sunday rolled in with low humidity and it was time to get moving!

Saturday: Worked on the nav chair nacelles


Had to spray more adhesive. The humidity was so bad the tape was peeling off


I designed and laser cut more wire connectors to add to the cockpit entrance




Painted red - but I might change this to blue?










Need to add some mounting screws


That's better




I still need to remove all the greeblies and paint the entire panel black to match. I've been toying with the idea to paint it a dark metallic to separate itself from the others but I'm not sure yet.


I masked off the front of the new panel and painted the new back silver






Added a new 1" tile to the lower part of the new panel. I can't figure out if this panel needs a wiring harness or pipes?


Two new connectors for a single harness




I then designed and laser cut a new greeblie












I then found these and I thought... sometimes less is more


Primed








I'm hoping to find a place for this guy. At this point the humidity was way up and I was heading way down... I headed home...


Sunday: What a beautiful morning! A new day was here and I was excited to knock out that upper corridor frame and get some of the 1/8" MDF skin applied to those same arches! So I began to take apart the back entrance


I took apart the entrance frame because this had the cleanest and smoothest edge needed to create the new arch and exterior curve


Basic shapes cut. Now let's cut some holes!


CRACK! While I was routing the edges, and the interior holes, the ply wood began to splinter - horribly! There was absolutely no adhesive between 2 of the layers of ply and the router jumped. In all my years I have never seen ply do this before. I went back to the home improvement store to discuss what happened. I stood there for an hour waiting to talk to someone... at that point... I gave up on the weekend, went back to the shop and cleaned up my area, arranged tools, etc...


Luckily I can get money back on the bad piece of ply. Next weekend we start over and try for corridor arch number 3!

:facepalm