5 Foot Falcon Replica - ANH

Beautiful work! The bottom pits look so different between the models with or without landing gear bays?
 
Hi Sean
What a wonderful project you are working on - the holy grail of the Falcons.
If you don't mind me asking, but I have noticed that you prime a lot, - doesn't you loose details and doesn't the plating and chips fall of over time. I mean, glue on top of paint.
I never prime half way, so it makes me wonder why you do it.

Im not great at inches...
What thickness, in mm, have you used for the dome and plating?
 
Sean...duuuuuuuuuude...I'm still trying to pick up my jaw off the floor seeing this!. How the heck you get this done so fast & looking so clean & simply amazeballs is beyond me...but there it is...what a sight huh. I know your feeling on sitting there looking at it, it's normal & I do it on some of my built sections, but your progress of the underside is another milestone. Now you thinking overtime & wanting to flip it over to do the top I bet...course you are:).
So impressed my friend!
 
Thanks a ton Apophis, Jedi Michael, Faustus100, Darkside72 and eagle1!!! :cheers:cheers

Thanks Moe! Great to hear from you!

So great question on the primer - but the answer is no, parts will not/do not fall off with primer.

Reference the pic below, and as you'll see, the original falcon used black primer first over the acrylic structure, they then placed the parts/plating/chips on, primered again, then painted. I have proven this works with the Studio Scale Galactica. I built it over 10 years ago, and have not lost any greeblies due to falling off from bonding. The key here (for me), is to use a good Automotive Primer. If I were to use Testors or other model primers, then I believe you would not have a good bond.

More importantly, one of the main rationales I've found for the priming is light blocking. It's apparent to me that this was also one of the studio reasons as well. If you try to put primer over parts laid on clear acrylic, you'll not get in all the nooks and crannies where light would leak out ( I also found this out on the Galactica).

As for thickness, I'm using .040 (1.016 mm) styrene primarily for the chips/plating.

The Acrylic hull is 4.7625 mm (3/16"), and the mandibles/core are made out of 3.175 mm (1/8") acrylic.

Primer on the hull while adding greeblies
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Mandibles/Walkways Primed before parts on
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Thanks Mike! VFXSup64/Maruska's plans - that simple, out of the box. Those two amazing chaps' plans are the best 'starter set' around. I simply measured it up, went to a skylight company, asked them to blow mold 3 domes, and as previously mentioned, after 12 attempts, they got the 3 I needed! The domes definitely are a key player in getting this thing to come together! Those fellas' research is Gold and gave me a huge leg up!

This is the initial drawing I made - I later realized the thickness needed to be 3/16, which was the final blown material. Also, note the diameter, I went with the 'core' of 45.5, but the 'lip' extends 1", therefore adding 2" in diameter. After they realized they could not sand flush as I needed, I had the 1" routed off to meet flush to the core. As you may have seen in my earlier posts, I then re-add the 1" extensions to the dome, and skin over that. This gives me an exact replica of the 'inside lip' bevel detail.
I think there is a new prevailing opinion the filming miniature diameter (CORE) may be 46" even (Cardinal measures are common on this ship), but I can live with that minor deviation if it is indeed.
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I hope this is okay to ask but would these guys be able to make more domes with the correct dimensions????

Also can I ask why 3?

Thanks
 
Jamesfett,
These were the only 3 of 12 they were able to crank out to the exact dimensions. (They made them in the 3/16 thickness) Unfortunately, they lost so much on this deal - they were a good, solid company to ensure I got the 3, but they kindly asked for no more work like that. Because they are a skylight company, they don't work to the tight tolerance/accuracy I needed. So Sorry, I can't refer to them.
The reason there are 3 is because you need the 3rd one for the extra 'lips' around the engine, and for the top engine deck where the 6 fan/vent assemblies go. They need to conform to the hull, so cutting that out of a 3rd dome is what makes it a perfect fit/overlay. So there is not much of the 3rd dome left over after chopping it up.
Thanks for asking,
Sean
 
Sean...duuuuuuuuuude...I'm still trying to pick up my jaw off the floor seeing this!. How the heck you get this done so fast & looking so clean & simply amazeballs is beyond me...but there it is...what a sight huh. I know your feeling on sitting there looking at it, it's normal & I do it on some of my built sections, but your progress of the underside is another milestone. Now you thinking overtime & wanting to flip it over to do the top I bet...course you are:).
So impressed my friend!

THANKS much Stu!! Yeah, I just flipped it yesterday (Thanks to help from Ryan/Belleauwood) - it's now elevated on the table, so I JOKINGLY had to do this with THAT picture - One can only dream/imagine what that must have been like!

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Here it is now oriented properly and ready to begin work!
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What is your main off-white paint of choice for this build? I've seen the 5 footer in person and it is something that I could look at for days, such amazing detail. It was just a typical cool off white as far as I remember, but the community of builders would definitely know more.
 
Thanks Moe and Jason!! Much appreciated!

Soooo...when is the resin kit going the be available? :p

In my best Dr. Evil Impression - "Rrrrriiiiiiiiggggggghhhhhhhttttt!" :) Sounds like a lot of work!

What is your main off-white paint of choice for this build? I've seen the 5 footer in person and it is something that I could look at for days, such amazing detail. It was just a typical cool off white as far as I remember, but the community of builders would definitely know more.

I have a few whites I'm testing out, but the white over the black primer will be the 'main' base color. I might go with AS-20, Reefer White, or another slight off white color. What I believe is going to sell it is then the application of the thinned down 'grime/gray' overspray in different contrasts like they did. It will be a fun time when painting day arrives!
 
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So how would you transport this somewhere anyways? I'd be afraid to damage something of this caliber. You'd have to drive so carefully as if you had a wedding cake.
 
So beautiful:cool You'll have to hang it on 4 springs attached to the side of the van when transporting that beast!
 

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