1:1 Millennium Falcon Cockpit Replica - Group Build

There's really only 2 ways to bend wood, both require clamping jigs to fix the curve.

Steam is good for many bends, especially if it's not a large profile. A steam setup isn't difficult or expensive to make really.

Cutting thin strips and laminating them into a single piece is often better, especially if you are painting it.

The clamping jig has to be built for the curve you need. With steam you have to allow some spring-back, not as much to none with lamination.

The main thing with lamination is you will need to choose a slow setting glue and you will need to be able to joint the edges to they are nice an flat when done.

Both of these processes are easy to look up with google.

You can also buy bendable wood, which is pretty easy to bend unless the curve needs to be very small. And I'm assuming you are aware of bendable plywood, which is very bendy and comes in sheets with the bend direction long ways or across.

This looks absolutely amazing.

Hi Gang,

Weekend Update Part II! Enjoy!

Started Saturday morning by adhering these MDF pieces together




Base


Basic Layout - next is filler.... lots and lots of filler


I then headed over to the warehouse where it was time to tackle the front window transition. This is what I have to add to the window


I ripped these 6" 1/4" pieces of ply


Cut ea one with a 45 degree angle


I have to build up this much material


Strip number 1


Test fit


Glue and brad into place




Two ends meet


The diam took 3 separate strips. Now on to the second layer






EWE






Each new layer covered the joints from the previous layer making for a smoother transition


Han's side looking toward the front




Han's side looking in




The final strip


I then added some filler


I'm hoping to add another thin layer of styrene to help smooth out the actual transition. Should look near perfect when finished!






95 degrees... Still...


With the window done I could FINALLY move forward to the dreaded Volvo panels!


Before I made the cut I made sure the surface was level


A little more material to remove - it was REALLY bad before I sanded


Almost perfect!


Volvo panel lower frame piece cut and in place


I also sanded down the window / nose transition. Awesome! I didn't go all the way around...


Finding the curve




And this is where we are...


The Volvo Panels are really tricky since adding the shelves! The lower Volvo panel MUST align with the edges of the shelf when going toward the front window. Seems easy right? I'm looking at several "Behind the Scene" images from ESB (feel free to use them) and I discovered a LOT of anomalies between the nose and main body transition. Note how the upper Volvo panel is actually angled away from the interior making it possible to see the actual side of the "Slider" panel. These are the little things I'm trying to figure out...


A few more




Why is it so confusing? The original ANH cockpit didn't have this issue


This one is VERY telling... Note how the hose, just above the Volvo dash cluster appears to be tucked behind the lower 15" extension panel


More to Follow so Stay Tuned!

Cockpit is looking good Sofa and those strips of wood you've affixed on the main window will do the trick for sure. Keep up the great work!

Hi Gang,

Weekend Update Part III!

I did it! I made enough forward progress on the front nose where I could finally start work on those dreaded Volvo Panels!

Filler strip added at the bottom of the window




Broke out the trusty sander and evened out the plywood strips to the nose!






I already cut Han's lower frame panel so now it was time to build the rest of the frame! I used the scrap MDF to create templates


Looks uneven but it's just tilted wrong






These are really tough pieces to cut!


I might have to redo this panel - I sanded a bit too much off the exterior side


And now for the front...




This pic shows WHY I had to add so much material to the front nose. Note the difference between the solid piece of wood and the strips of ply on the window. I think there was 1/4" of wood to play with! The added ply gave me a little more surface area




Prepping for the top piece of the frame


And Done!


Near perfect fit!








I cannot wait to get the exterior skin added!


I then started Chewie's Side!


Unfortunately I ran out of time... it was also 95 degrees!




She might not look like much...


During all this my buddy Scott gave me some old Pinball parts and all I saw were greeblies! So... added some black paint






Still need to paint the inside


I'm going to paint them silver and add to this greeblie to give them a bit more life


Whew... More to Follow!

Friendly flyer said:

I'm afraid nothing less than steam will help you.The idea is to loosen the lignin fibres relative to each other, allowing them to slide and set in new places when it cools. For that it needs to be above the boiling point. Hot water simply isn't hot enough, you would need at least a pressure cooker, and likely hooter than that.

Click to expand...

Hey FF,

That's what I was afraid of. After 4 days of soaking I knew the pine wasn't going to behave the way I hoped. That's why I went with the 3 ply strips to get the shape I needed and it worked really well.

- - - Updated - - -

Rebelscum said:

There's really only 2 ways to bend wood, both require clamping jigs to fix the curve.

Steam is good for many bends, especially if it's not a large profile. A steam setup isn't difficult or expensive to make really.

Cutting thin strips and laminating them into a single piece is often better, especially if you are painting it.

The clamping jig has to be built for the curve you need. With steam you have to allow some spring-back, not as much to none with lamination.

The main thing with lamination is you will need to choose a slow setting glue and you will need to be able to joint the edges to they are nice an flat when done.

Both of these processes are easy to look up with google.

You can also buy bendable wood, which is pretty easy to bend unless the curve needs to be very small. And I'm assuming you are aware of bendable plywood, which is very bendy and comes in sheets with the bend direction long ways or across.

Click to expand...

Hi RS,

Thanks for the input! I was doing a lot of research on YouTube and that's how I found the laminate approach. Layering up the ply was the easiest and least resistant path to take. I like how everything is turning out so far!

- - - Updated - - -

BigBigDave said:

This looks absolutely amazing.

Click to expand...

Thank you, Sir! I appreciate the kind words and continued support!

- - - Updated - - -

joberg said:

Cockpit is looking good Sofa and those strips of wood you've affixed on the main window will do the trick for sure. Keep up the great work!

Click to expand...

Hey J,

Thanks so much! Yup... the single strips of ply really did the trick. Now I have to remember to get the pine out of the tub!

Man, Sofa. It just keeps looking better and better!

SofaKing01 said:

Hey FF,

That's what I was afraid of. After 4 days of soaking I knew the pine wasn't going to behave the way I hoped. That's why I went with the 3 ply strips to get the shape I needed and it worked really well.

Click to expand...

I'm glad to see you found a way around it, looking forward to seeing how the front assembly end up!

mattkelly said:

Man, Sofa. It just keeps looking better and better!

Click to expand...

Thank you, Sir! I appreciate the kind words. I'm really looking forward to getting the exterior skin applied to those Volvo panels! We'll DEF begin to see the curvature of that iconic nose!

- - - Updated - - -

Friendly flyer said:

I'm glad to see you found a way around it, looking forward to seeing how the front assembly end up!

Click to expand...

Hey FF,

Me too! I really need to stop over analyzing certain things and simply move forward with what works. Still a few more things to do before and real visual progress is made. But forward progress is better than none at all!

Hi Gang,

Early morning update! I added filler to the foot well greeblie! I'll be sanding and adding primer tonight. The base






Changing gears... as you can see from this image there are no greeblies mounted to the panel above the door... I'm not sure if I should leave it as is or add some greeblies, hoses, etc...


Using the 1/4 scale...


What do you guys think?










Or something completely different or nothing at all?

More to Follow!

I think I like the vents best.

mattkelly said:

I think I like the vents best.

Click to expand...

Hi MK,

Me too. I like the vents as well. I don't think silver would work. I really like the look of the black. Keep it simple. Thanks for the input!

Yup, I like the three vents arrangement best! :thumbsup

Roughneckone:cool

Roughneckone said:

Yup, I like the three vents arrangement best! :thumbsup

Roughneckone:cool

Click to expand...

Hi R,

Thanks for the input! But the question is... which configuration? :confused

For me it's the three vent configuration (exactly as shown in your image), I really like the asymmetry of it.

Roughneckone:cool

Roughneckone said:

For me it's the three vent configuration (exactly as shown in your image), I really like the asymmetry of it.

Roughneckone:cool

Click to expand...

Hey R,

I agree. I like the asymmetric config as well.

I vote asymmetric three vent config.

I'm also gonna throw my vote in for 3 asymmetric vents

Hey Y & BBD,

Thanks for the input!

What do you guys think of an open panel with lots of greeblies in the back?

SofaKing01 said:

What do you guys think of an open panel with lots of greeblies in the back?

Click to expand...

I don't know... I think in that spot, less is more.