MPC/ERTL Millenium Falcon Resurection

kookoogr

New Member
Hi, my name is Kostas and i live in Greece. The last month and a half i started scale modeling again and my goal is to finish some old scale models (among a couple of other i bought recently) i started when i was a kid. Among those scale models is an MPC/ERTL circa 1989 Millennium Falcon that i started building in the early/mid 90's and never finished it, actually the build was complete but never painted the whole ship. So after searching the Internet i found this forum and i am gathering info/materials for the build/upgrade, also note that i am still a beginner at scale modeling but i think i will master some modeling techniques along the way. The ship was in a disregarded condition gathering dust at my parents' house and with bits falling off (luckily my mother didn't throw anything).

The first thing to do was to completely dismantle the ship after a good wash and it was easy enough since many parts had started to fall off, the majority of the parts were removed easily with a couple of precision knives i have while some required the use of a dremmel and a precision saw. At the pictures below you will see the status of the model as well as some damaged parts over the course of years and questions i have for the build. So let the ''carnage'' begin...

The Falcon after dismantling it

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1. You can see that the hinges from these hatches broke, how can i repair them, if possible
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2. How would you suggest to unglue the rotating base of the radar, i tried using a small drill but the plastic was getting stressed and i didn't want to damage anything, the reason to remove this is to remove the paint from the radar base and maybe upgrade it. If things come to worse i will just leave it as is since i can scratch the paint easy with a dull modelling knife
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3.This is the status of the clear parts, the cockpit clear part was fused at the cockpit and i had to use a dremmel very careful in order to remove the clear plastic so i can use it in the future. My question is, is there any source for the clear plastic of the cockpit in order to buy/make a new one? Also the clear part does not sit well and it can leave a gap at the cockpit,i had noticed this when i built the model and that's why i used this much glue.
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4. At the engine clear plastic when i made the model there is this ugly seam at the middle. For the new build i am thinking to replace/cover it with a grill, but my main question which applies and at the cockpit clear part is if there is some sort of filler that is clear after it's application (i said i am still a beginner so please forgive the ignorance)
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5. This is one of the landing gear, clearly one of the feet broke but the main problem is that the right ''ear'' of the square base is broken and i believe this this will compromise the strength of its placement once i install it. I am thinking in gluing some spare sprew and maybe reinforce it some tiny metal nails, is this idea sound? Also i will remove the landing legs and rebuild them with metal pipes for extra strength.

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6. This is the cockpit corridor which has an alignment issue, i read at some builds that there is a way to fix this but i have no idea on how to do this, any pointers would be helpful.

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7. You will have noticed some orange patches at all the parts of the model. This is clearly from the liquid cement glue i used when i built the model. My question is how this will affect the new build? I will try to sand as much as possible of this stuff

These are my first questions that i had while dismantling the model. So far i have gathered some metal tubes, wires to replace the ''2D'' pipes at the fuselage and i managed to find two 1/72 panzer I and II in order to scavenge for parts in order to decorate the hull. I am thinking in replacing the entire cockpit with a shapeways 3D printed one, the gun nests and maybe the Haystack Hair kit which is about to release. This is going to be a very long build and i will come for advice and opinions in this forum so i can get this build right because this is my favorite sci-fi ship
 
hey, hows it going...I just started again myself this past summer. I'm binging on MPC falcons, bought about a dozen I found for decent money on ebay. I've researched a lot of info, acquired many of the upgrade parts from Shapways, 3d printed stuff, good quality but expensive. started making silicone molds of originals and duplicating with liquid plastic. most result are pretty good. I've sold a couple of completed builds on ebay so far and have many left to do.
adding the two front landing gear and housings "empire strikes back" does wonders. also, the stock side walls and front mandibles are too tall for the proper look. I'd recommend doing those. for your rear engine panel, if youre going to light the model, use some light difussing acylic and blue LED's. If not, you can use a cut strip of semi see thru tupper ware and some blue sheet plastic attached to the back side of it.
you cockpit glass...take a clear plastic water bottle that's not too thick, cut yourself some windows from the top of the bottles cone area, works good and you can see the inside better.
for your landing gear struts, youre on the right track, spare sprue works well.
the landing gear doors, get some round stock the size of the missing piece and some of your sprue and make a new hinge. the round stock is also great for adding more piping to the side walls and the maintenance wells to get a great 3 dimensional look to it. as long as youre not looking for screen accurate, which is almost impossible with the MPC, add some stuff, it'll look good, that's what I've been doing. I'm on #4 build now which is a cut away with the short walls. tough project with all the mods needed for the interior to fit with the short side wall and mandibles. I also go nuts with LED's and fiber optics. I'm nearly done with this one and with all the LED's and fiber optics I think i'll have several hundred lighting points in this one, including landing gear wells, landing lights, the interior, and the cockpit. I also use 2 flashing LED's to feed the cockpit and interior for a really grea
 
After spending a long of stripping the paint from the inserts i started the rebuild of the falcon. The first step is to replace the pipping from the model in order to give a more 3d sensation, so i bought wire at various diameters and started the replacement of the pipes


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gt350pony66 thanks for for your suggestions, i am not sure about lighting the falcon but time will tell. As for the sidewalls and the panels i am waiting to see when haystack hair is going to release his MKII falcon upgrade, i believe it will have many parts that eventually will be more economic than buying all the panels from sahpeawys
 
1. You can see that the hinges from these hatches broke, how can i repair them, if possible
View attachment 693431
You probably won't be able to repair them using the original pieces. Assuming you will be display the kit gears down permanently, you won't have to actually make working hatches, you can just glue them on. If you want removable landing gear and closing hatches, then maybe try gluing small metal hinges on it, or replace the plastic rod parts with metal rod parts?

2. How would you suggest to unglue the rotating base of the radar, i tried using a small drill but the plastic was getting stressed and i didn't want to damage anything, the reason to remove this is to remove the paint from the radar base and maybe upgrade it. If things come to worse i will just leave it as is since i can scratch the paint easy with a dull modelling knife
View attachment 693433 View attachment 693434


Assuming it is the typical styrene glues that actually fuses the plastic rather than just bond two surfaces, you may have just destroy the piece with a dremel or similar to get it out unless you can use it as a base and build on top of it. Sine it is circular shapes, you could rebuild it with styrene or brass/copper tubes/pipes

3.This is the status of the clear parts, the cockpit clear part was fused at the cockpit and i had to use a dremmel very careful in order to remove the clear plastic so i can use it in the future. My question is, is there any source for the clear plastic of the cockpit in order to buy/make a new one? Also the clear part does not sit well and it can leave a gap at the cockpit,i had noticed this when i built the model and that's why i used this much glue.
View attachment 693435 View attachment 693436 View attachment 693439 View attachment 693440

4. At the engine clear plastic when i made the model there is this ugly seam at the middle. For the new build i am thinking to replace/cover it with a grill, but my main question which applies and at the cockpit clear part is if there is some sort of filler that is clear after it's application (i said i am still a beginner so please forgive the ignorance)
View attachment 693437 View attachment 693438

There is clear styrene sheeting. but you can also use just about any clear plastic you might find in packaging etc... to replace the glass part. you could also use clear acetate sheets (like the stuff you would cover book reports with in school)

As far as the clear engine part, your probably better off ditching it and replacing it with something that is made out of one piece. Again, plastic from packaging etc...

There are a few after market grills you can get for it as well. I am not sure how much you want to spend on it.

An alternative if you are going to be adding a 3-D printed or photoetched grill is that the seam may be able to be hidden behind one of the vertical bars of the grill


5. This is one of the landing gear, clearly one of the feet broke but the main problem is that the right ''ear'' of the square base is broken and i believe this this will compromise the strength of its placement once i install it. I am thinking in gluing some spare sprew and maybe reinforce it some tiny metal nails, is this idea sound? Also i will remove the landing legs and rebuild them with metal pipes for extra strength.

View attachment 693441

I would rebuild the landing gear with metal rods and just glue the plastic on.

6. This is the cockpit corridor which has an alignment issue, i read at some builds that there is a way to fix this but i have no idea on how to do this, any pointers would be helpful.

View attachment 693442
Not sure about that. Jaitea, Ozzman, and Marco have done some amazing work getting the right shape for the falcon. Search for some of their threads


7. You will have noticed some orange patches at all the parts of the model. This is clearly from the liquid cement glue i used when i built the model. My question is how this will affect the new build? I will try to sand as much as possible of this stuff

If it is just discoloration, it shouldn't make a difference once you get a coat of black primer on there and then start painting. if it has texture to it, then sanding it smooth first will be a good idea.
 
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sure thing, there's a lot of folks on here that I have no doubt know a lot more than me. I just thought I'd chime in since I'm doing a series of these and I discover innovations as I go. a lot of it I've picked up from you tube and reading what others have done. you're right about the Shapeways...expensive stuff. that's why I've made molds to duplicate those parts. I'm quite sure I'm not violating any copy writes as long as I only use them on "built" kits.
keep the progress news coming, I love to see what others do with their kits. I really like these, though I did spend the dollars on a reasonably prices Revell/Fine Molds kit that I'll do last and keep for myself. by then all my lighting processes will be perfected. When I get some pics from my phone on the PC I'll put some up of my falcon adventures.
have a good one my friend
 
some of what I've been doingfalcon 1-19-17 4.JPGfalcon 1-19-17 2.JPGfalcon 1-19-17 5.JPGfalcon 1-19-17 7.JPGfalcon 1-19-17 8.JPGfalcon 1-19-17 12.JPGfalcon 1-19-17 13.JPGfalcon 2.JPGthe last pic is Falcon#2, a non-cut away with short walls, an excess of lighting and a sound module from Radio Shack. intergrated with the LEDs and runs off a 9V. you hold one button and record up to 20 seconds, and the other button is play back. I put these in all my Falcons. The cockpit lights I pull a few random strands of fiber optic and run them to a flashing LED, my latest thing for the cut away was to use two flashers which like your car, will for a few seconds flash in sinc with the car in front of you, but mostly alternate. the next project may get 3, it's a cool effect though. also #2 had standard boarding ramp. #4 is the first with the Shapeways ramp. I also used the coupler plates that go in the hull, though they are for a Fine Molds, the scale difference is minimal and unnoticed because the ramp is fixed in the down position, but it looks good. #2 went to a fella in TX. the other pics are Falcon#4, the first cut away, with short walls, upgrade ramp and hydraulics. May not do another one of these. a non-cut away with short walls and all the other upgrades and my over board lighting takes around 6 to 8 weeks depending on my free time. this cut away is my first and I'm already at 8 weeks with probably 2 more to go
 

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Wow pony your falcon is amazing, you made me think seriously lighting my falcon and maybe using an arduino for effects with the lights, your photos are added at my reference collection. A couple of questions though, did you use the stock cockpit interior and added the shapeways cockpit walls? Also what is the thickness of the optic fiber you used?

I continued my falcon segmenting the construction into areas and working on them so i won't get ''drowned'' in the things i need to do. I am doing right now the pipping and i managed to remove the the radar base with no damage, i just had to go very slowly with a fine saw, a tiny drill bit and a dentist tool i bought in order to use it as an engraver. I am using various pics as reference, mostly Jaitea's, in order to bring the falcon as close as possible to the movies, deepening on my modeling skills of course


Here i realized that i placed at the wrong place the pipe at the bottom of pit so i scratch built a small box with styrine, even though the result of the box is not the expected i will remove it and use a piece of copper sheet bent into the shape of a box for the pipes to fit.

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Here is the job i've done so far, the pipes are not glued yet, so i can make corrections when needed, except for the straight ones at the nose section of the ship

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wow, I just spent 20 minutes typing stuff and it didn't post! crap...well anyway, the cockpit walls are recast of shapeways with the stock floor, stock seats moved forward and scratch built dash. the cockpit and interior fibers are .25mm
 
I'm out of time right now but when I get a chance I'll re-do what didn't post, it was stuff you might find useful. AND, great idea with the piping! I'll be doing that on my next build. good going on saving your antenna base, the right tools and patience always works, but with me sometimes I have to stare at it for a while and think! LOL
 
A question for greeblies, i have a couple of panther I's at 1/72 scale and i saw that there are a some parts from the jagdpanther (especially on one of the pits at the top section) and i am thinking of buying a couple of those and replicate some of the parts for more greeblies, what scale do i need to have the jagdpanther 1/72 or 1/144?
 
I was going to say the other day, you can mod a lot of what's there to get the short wall. you can do all day surgery on the front sidewalls but its a lot of work. that's why I recasted mine.
you can also cut some of the top off the rear sides just take it off the top where its not so visible and add greebs. the docking collars can be shaved top and bottom to work. the wing panels on the sides of the docking collars you can cut a section from the center and glue back together. same with the front flood lamp panels. and the mandible panels, just trim top and bottom evenly till the fit right. be sure to use a fine tooth hobby saw like an xacto. if you want, tell me where, and I'll send you a set of my cast front side panels.
 
first I can't post replies half the time for having to log in SECOND TIME..amd then everything gets wiped out, and now can't post a pic!!?! this message is for the moderator, maintenance folks, whoever. but if you cant make this site user friendly I'm gonna bail. what's with this?!?!

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kookoogr, add @yahoo.com to my user name

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kookoogr,

add @yahoo.com to my user
 
side walls.JPGthis is what I did on falcon#2 with the stock sides compared to an untouched set, you'll notice the top plates on the front sides are missing, I took the pic before I reinstalled the plates. as far as the rest, I've been using copies of the shapeways for the rear, center side and the center mandible. but this is a way to do it without spending a lot of money, just time. hope this is useful to budget building. you can also take the center mandible, set the clear piece in it and greeblie over the whole thing.
 
"almost there..."falcon 4 near done.JPGall that's left is cockpit cone, docking collar wing panels, upload 20 seconds of sound, engine grille and "light leak" patrol
 
first I can't post replies half the time for having to log in SECOND TIME..amd then everything gets wiped out, and now can't post a pic!!?! this message is for the moderator, maintenance folks, whoever. but if you cant make this site user friendly I'm gonna bail. what's with this?!?!

This happens to me all the time, too. It's very frustrating.
 
I would like to address another major issue of the build, the colour of the model. I have read many threads, saw videos and the more i try to find the more i get confused and the fact that i am inexperienced with painting scale models makes things more troublesome. I know that the colour from model to model varies, there is a difference is screen calibration so i can compare photos etc. So here are some questions i have

I am thinking of using as a base colour the tamiya insignia white, i read and saw videos that many people use it as a base colour and after applying layers of other colours and weathering the base colour will change dramatically. How many cans will i need 2-3? Also as a primer should i go for a light grey colour, does it matter?

For painting the various panels on the falcon i will need extra colours such as red, yellow, light grey, dark grey. Any suggestions on these colours?

As i watched a series of videos i saw that people use a variety of brands on top of the base colour and then they seal them with a clear coat. I have some Humbrol acrylics/enamels and humbrol washes along with some Molak enamel colours and a bottle of Humbrol clear along with brown, white, black oil paint tubes. My question is will there be any issues with the tamiya base colour. As a primer i will use a tamiya one. Clearly the best way is to use the same brand along with the clear coat in order to avoid any problems but since i may have some of the colours i will need i would like any opinions on the matter
 
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