Correcting the Lunar Models 41" Excelsior

Wow! Did you ever post this photo before? I swear I have seen this same photo before in a magazine or another website. I know what you mean about not having references to look up. That was my biggest hang up back then as well. You still did a great job just getting that built back then.
 
I’ve shared this pic on other forums over the passed 2 decades.

If you were to ask Sean Sides what motivated him to start building large scale models, this model is it... at least that’s what he tells me. :)

Tracy
 
The level of skill and patience shown with this build is amazing. I don't care if it takes 5 more years I'll keep checking in to see the progress. ;)
 
I’m taking a step back. Will start back up soon when I decide on a direction - about 3 ideas brewing. The next section is to correct the warp nacelle pylon assembly by adding a lot of missing detail and correcting the shapes and profiles. I will need to mold and cast new pylons from this work so I can include steal rods for strength, and brass tubing to running wiring to the nacelles from the boards that will be mounted in the secondary hull.

Tracy
 
Understandable. That assembly was not the best and really needed to be re-engineered. I'll keep my eyes open for your return to see your solution.
 
HeHe!! Tracy!! Just came across this thanks to you!!! So amazing to see the old gal!! Yes, I believe I may have taken that picture or was around then or something. Man that was a LOOOOOONGG Time ago - Where'd your gray hair go??? :eek:
Yes, that's true, this WAS THE model that introduced me to larger models that were not commercial kits, and gave me the bug to eventually get into scratchbuilding. And this thread is certainly proving that you are still applying time honored, hand techniques, and you do it so well with a challenging subject with all the curves and such! Keep up the great work, and look forward to this beauty coming out of dry dock!!
 
While waiting to start up on this again, I didn't share how the planetary sensor dome was scratch built.

Stacked styrene ring with rocket tube adapter to for the profile.
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Grooved sheet styrene for the ring detail edge. hand pulled to hold the shape of the base ring's taper.
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Then glued into position.
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Paper template for the shape of the particians.
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The patrician part is cut to shape.
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Patrician glued into place.
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Making the dome... I cast the surface of a 4" and a 4.5" Christmas ball.
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Mold
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Resin
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Sand to shape.
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The outer ring detail is cut from flat sheet styrene, then sanded to an airfoil-like shape.
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To meet the contour of a dome, it is hand-pulled over a wood ball.
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The resin dome casting is taped down to a Lazy Suzan acting as a type of lathe and a Drafteres cumbas is used to scribe in the radii.
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The styrene detail is glued into place and other details are added. Dome from start to finish...
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Sections of the ring base can now be removed to make the flood light patricians.
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The dome profile at the bottom of the primary hull had to be removed so the Planetary Sensor assembly could better be fit into place.
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To finish the sides of the partitions, the assembly was taped down to the hull and over-sized parts were glued into place.
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Then trimmed to shape...
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To give the assembly strength for casting, slow cure resin was injected into all the cavities.
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Finished Planetary Dome Assembly on the primary hull bottom half master.
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The Lunar part vs Mine.
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Tracy
 
This is looking awesome! Mine is still boxed but I will definitely be referring to this thread if I ever get around to building mine. The Shapeways parts look great and I've ordered a full set. Good luck completing this beast!
 
Hats off to Tracey for showing the painstaking detail required to make these corrections. I’ve certainly learned a thing or two from this thread. Thanks!
 
Lovely to see you coming back to this. I've been contemplating my own over-ambitious Excelsior plans during your hiatus, and have printed out both straight-on photos of the studio model and the most accurate plans I've seen derived from same at 1:350. Might there be any chance the guy doing the models for your 3D printed bits might make them available -- even for a price -- so one could print them out at the scale needed -- such as 1:350 or 1:1000 (if one wanted to superdetail the amt/Round 2 kits, say)...?
 
just read through the thread and this is amazing work.... I dont think it fair to say your correcting the model kit as this is feeling far closer to scratch building really :D Really is amazing
 

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