37 1/2 inch (1/2 studio scale) TOS Battlestar Galactica scratchbuild #2
- Thread starter mslz22
- Start date
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- Tags
- battlestar galactica
I am getting close to calling it a day on the big kits, I have 1 more that i really, really want to finish, and will with any luck this winter, then I will likely need to spend some time rethinking what i want to spend my energy on.
I am hoping that if this does well i will be working on some ragtags in this same scale, which i guess is like 1/2000? Not sure what the consensus was on the scale of the studio galactica model. It would be cool to have some ragtags, at least the prominent ones along side this 3 footer for display. Those would be much more manageable in many ways.
mike
Yeah, it's been a long road.....
So I will continue to post here as I go along with the test build. If i wait too long most of these pics will likely go unposted and I will wind up with yet another kit that needs instructions...
So here is the recommended procedure for attaching the head.
The body has a clearly marked 1/2 inch center hole that needs to be drilled, in addition to that i mark and drill out 2 1/4 inch holes about an inch and a half from the center on each side.
I use some scrap plywood to make a back up to the neck connection, be sure not to interfere with the bottom neck plate.
I also made a few braces to connect the neck and main body supports that are cast into the body, may be over kill but once this is all buttoned up is not the time to figure out a few braces would have been nice. There are tight fit and 5 minute epoxy'd into place.
Pretty straightforward here, i use 2 1/4-20 1 inch button head bolts to secure the head and neck together. The bolt nut combo allows for small adjustments and a nice secure connection.
So I will continue to post here as I go along with the test build. If i wait too long most of these pics will likely go unposted and I will wind up with yet another kit that needs instructions...
So here is the recommended procedure for attaching the head.
The body has a clearly marked 1/2 inch center hole that needs to be drilled, in addition to that i mark and drill out 2 1/4 inch holes about an inch and a half from the center on each side.
I use some scrap plywood to make a back up to the neck connection, be sure not to interfere with the bottom neck plate.
I also made a few braces to connect the neck and main body supports that are cast into the body, may be over kill but once this is all buttoned up is not the time to figure out a few braces would have been nice. There are tight fit and 5 minute epoxy'd into place.
Pretty straightforward here, i use 2 1/4-20 1 inch button head bolts to secure the head and neck together. The bolt nut combo allows for small adjustments and a nice secure connection.
crackerjazz
Sr Member
Wow, this will be the kit of all kits!!!
Attaching the mid engine support is pretty straightforward as well. Both the 1/2 inch and 1/4 hole locations are marked on the body and the mid engine support. The 1/2 is for a tube and allows for the power supply wire for the engines. The 1/4 inch is for 2 bolts, 1 1/2 inch long. Some dremmel work needs to be done on the body corner supports to accommodate the nuts.
WOW. That is amazing looking.
Let me know when your excepting payments. I WANT ONE!
Let me know when your excepting payments. I WANT ONE!
belleauwood
Well-Known Member
Amazing job Mike. As always you impress! I bet you learned a LOT from the earlier build, this one looks spot on to its bigger brother.
Keep posting, its always nice to see these things come together!
Ryan
Keep posting, its always nice to see these things come together!
Ryan
moonlightdrive2
Well-Known Member
Seeing pictures of this model inspired me to pick up and watch the original series again, this time with my 10 and 12 year old sons. It holds up and is as good as I remember it. So far, the kids are loving it just the way I did when I was about their age.
Yeah, i am very nostalgic for it right now, I guess like everyone i go thru phases with these things (galactica phase, star wars phase etc etc) I am sure that working on the model has kicked my sense of nostalgia into high gear for galactica.
I will say that one of the things that really holds appeal for me about galactica is the promise it held, in some ways it's potential was greater than what actually made it on screen. And the models reflect that, movie quality models on TV. The creativity that went into some of the designs is really outstanding. The ragtags alone are captivating classic designs in their own right, and they are the background ships.
I guess it's fun to play "what if" in your imagination in this playground, part of me wishes they could have continued for another season or two (and galactica 1980 does not count).
Seconding Taz. If the studio had happened to need a smaller model for distance shots, there is NO WAY their build would have been this faithful to the big one.
Ditto! And wait a sec...having missed this, how did you not notice I'd missed it too and clue me in!?!?!??!?! :lol
Mike, if you ever do quit big kits I hope it'll be after that big SDF-1. :lol
137th Gebirg
Well-Known Member
Dear God this thing is beautiful! :thumbsup
wizardofthenorth
Well-Known Member
Seconded
Production molds will be done by the end of the week. I've got the test build to the point where i feel pretty confident that there will be no surprises for any buyers, just the usual cleaning, small amount of fitting etc.
The last bits to get molded are stuff i need multiples of, landing bay caps, engine inserts, arm detail caps etc. Everything else, including the clear parts are molded and ready to go.
I'll say that i will be taking orders at the end of the week. Post any ?'s or concerns you have about a kit here so i can address them. I want people to be very aware of what they are getting with a kit, especially in regard to stuff like the greeblies and the accuracy of them. I've said earlier that this is a scaled replica of the full size one and there were many liberties taken with the greeblies because of the limited amount of 1/2 scale kits. I am perfectly happy with the way it came out but want to be sure that everyone who wants a kit will be on board with that, no surprises.
One last thing about pricing and availability. The price i have in mind, to be honest is low for a subject this large and detailed, never mind the hundreds of hours that i put into the pattern. I will likely not even get to a break even point on this by a long shot, but I do want people to have this, if they want it. That being said, the price may still come as a bit of a shock if you are not familiar with resin kit prices for these large subjects. Don't be afraid to ask, it really is a reasonable price for something this big, and it is quite big.
Right now, i really only plan 1 run of this, the molds are HUGE and very expensive, and take forever to make. So if you want one, consider getting it now, because a second run may not be in the cards for me.
thanks, sorry for the long winded answer.
mike
The last bits to get molded are stuff i need multiples of, landing bay caps, engine inserts, arm detail caps etc. Everything else, including the clear parts are molded and ready to go.
I'll say that i will be taking orders at the end of the week. Post any ?'s or concerns you have about a kit here so i can address them. I want people to be very aware of what they are getting with a kit, especially in regard to stuff like the greeblies and the accuracy of them. I've said earlier that this is a scaled replica of the full size one and there were many liberties taken with the greeblies because of the limited amount of 1/2 scale kits. I am perfectly happy with the way it came out but want to be sure that everyone who wants a kit will be on board with that, no surprises.
One last thing about pricing and availability. The price i have in mind, to be honest is low for a subject this large and detailed, never mind the hundreds of hours that i put into the pattern. I will likely not even get to a break even point on this by a long shot, but I do want people to have this, if they want it. That being said, the price may still come as a bit of a shock if you are not familiar with resin kit prices for these large subjects. Don't be afraid to ask, it really is a reasonable price for something this big, and it is quite big.
Right now, i really only plan 1 run of this, the molds are HUGE and very expensive, and take forever to make. So if you want one, consider getting it now, because a second run may not be in the cards for me.
thanks, sorry for the long winded answer.
mike
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