MPC Falcon builders of the galaxy unite!

All sounds very familiar, but even after 4 short wall builds I still struggle with the cockpit tube every time. Yes, very frustrating. Yeah, the Moon stuff is ugly and cheesy looking anyway. But, I guess back when that's all there was, it was used quite a bit. I can't see now where they would even bother with production since there are other things available that are much better. I didn't realize the stuff sucked that bad till I got it. I just wanted to get a set an see what is was...not likely I'd ever use it though...not now.

alad61 said:

Fitting the lower tube piece was a nightmare in itself. Poor molding and serious misalignment issues. And yes I do have the blue moon set but I went with Tony's due to the side wall resin castings from Blue Moon filled with air bubbles to the point one piece is wafer thin. And I may have cut too much away on the tube. Noyhing irreparable just frustrating. Oh well, live n learn.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

I've not done a lot, per-sae, except spend a great deal of time test fitting and figuring out how and where the 3D printed short walls fit; they don't come with any instructions??? This led to more sanding, grinding and a great deal of swearing when I discovered the inset discs on the mandibles sat too deep for the walls to fit properly. That is wher3e the swearing came into play during the careful removal of the glued pieces, filing/sanding them down without losing detail and still gain me the extra few millimeters I need. Then the center jaw sections were too thick as well, so I ground and filled them down and reworked the detail parts so the sat inside the jaw section. Of course, I only realized this after I added the spots on the lower jaw section.


Once I was satisfied I could get the short walls to fit I went back to adding extra battle damage detail on the lower hull. The pieces supplied in the Blue moon kit for the side walls of the docking ring are will work on the starboard side but for the damaged port side I will be scratch building those from .4 & .5 styrene sheet. To get the best approximate look for the tear I ground down the incredibly thick plastic from the inside and then used a fine pointed file and exacto to carve out the damage along with adding some thin styrene cut and shaped to fit the jagged areas where the plastic broke while shaping.




I'm still working out how best to fill the gaps around the lower cockpit tube after assembling the top and bottom halves, but that is still a few weeks off. So before then, I'll be doing the lower hull floodlights and lighting box for the engine.

However, all work is at a standstill for the next few days due to our trip to Melbourne where I'm spending the better part of a day at the Avengers Station - MARVEL: Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N - before we do an overnighter at an open range Zoo.

I'm still working out how best to fill the gaps around the lower cockpit tube after assembling the top and bottom halves, but that is still a few weeks off. So before then, I'll be doing the floodlights and lighting box for the engine.

Cheers.

Sounds like we've chewed the same dirt, that's for sure. Do you folks have lasebond down there? that instant UV light setting glue? I've been using that extensively for temporary setting of pieces. just a dab here and there to hold a part in place (you can easily peel the part off again) while you fiddle with other stuff. then when I'm sure everything works I set everything in place with the laserbond again, just enough to hold it, then use regular glue around it. But yeah, no instructions with the upgrade pieces. After a few time you get a feel for where they go. As far as battle damage, I use the fine tip of the soldering iron to sink gashes in flat panels and warp panel edges to simulate a bent panel. I hover the iron at a panel till it's soft, then use the back end of a paint brush to push on it and (very gently) use tweezers to bend it around, being careful not to pinch it too hard because it'll leave an imprint of the tweezers, but it works pretty good. As far as the tube gap, I've made copies of the Blue Moon piece, or just scratched a filler piece and worked it till it fit perfect. Yes sir, MPC mods are a lot of work, but there's some satisfaction to be gained by going to all the trouble.
Enjoy your trip my friend, and don't forget to post some pics of what you're doing, I love seeing other folks work. I'm pretty sure this is an "open" thread :thumbsup

alad61 said:

I've not done a lot, per-sae, except spend a great deal of time test fitting and figuring out how and where the 3D printed short walls fit; they don't come with any instructions??? This led to more sanding, grinding and a great deal of swearing when I discovered the inset discs on the mandibles sat too deep for the walls to fit properly. That is wher3e the swearing came into play during the careful removal of the glued pieces, filing/sanding them down without losing detail and still gain me the extra few millimeters I need. Then the center jaw sections were too thick as well, so I ground and filled them down and reworked the detail parts so the sat inside the jaw section. Of course, I only realized this after I added the spots on the lower jaw section.
https://i.imgur.com/GXsCpzA.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/sDkf1rX.jpg

Once I was satisfied I could get the short walls to fit I went back to adding extra battle damage detail on the lower hull. The pieces supplied in the Blue moon kit for the side walls of the docking ring are will work on the starboard side but for the damaged port side I will be scratch building those from .4 & .5 styrene sheet. To get the best approximate look for the tear I ground down the incredibly thick plastic from the inside and then used a fine pointed file and exacto to carve out the damage along with adding some thin styrene cut and shaped to fit the jagged areas where the plastic broke while shaping.
https://i.imgur.com/8pUiLGB.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/BS0Vehr.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Rs5Sib4.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/AOVziSZ.jpg?1


I'm still working out how best to fill the gaps around the lower cockpit tube after assembling the top and bottom halves, but that is still a few weeks off. So before then, I'll be doing the lower hull floodlights and lighting box for the engine.

However, all work is at a standstill for the next few days due to our trip to Melbourne where I'm spending the better part of a day at the Avengers Station - MARVEL: Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N - before we do an overnighter at an open range Zoo.

I'm still working out how best to fill the gaps around the lower cockpit tube after assembling the top and bottom halves, but that is still a few weeks off. So before then, I'll be doing the floodlights and lighting box for the engine.

Cheers.

Click to expand...

Can anyone share their method for revising / reconciling the cockpit tube to the shortened sidewalls? Looking for technique as I'll be starting my MPC build in the near future and want to document different heavy-lifting areas.

Hey dude, I can tell you if you get HH set it will come with a usb stick that kinda shows you what to do with his, but basically you shave off the stock wall locator strips from the top and bottom hull and stick them on that edge that you shaved off. Also, HH comes as a thick cast piece. I took mine to the scroll saw and cut off the excess so they'd be easier to deal with. The Shapeways stuff just goes where the stock ones would go. Then of course you have to cut the locator pin barrels on the hull pieces shorter (you probably knew that) Also, I use the laserbond stuff in dabs on the inside to mocj things up, along with some good sticky masking tape. That'll help get set up for trimming and final locating of your new stuff. Hope that helps :thumbsup

i am leaf said:

Can anyone share their method for revising / reconciling the cockpit tube to the shortened sidewalls? Looking for technique as I'll be starting my MPC build in the near future and want to document different heavy-lifting areas.

Click to expand...

it might be in the rough still, but symmetrically, that's probably the nicest overall shape I've seen on an MPC, including my own. I think you've nailed it. looking forward to watching this build for sure :thumbsup

ozzyguanche said:

View attachment 828896View attachment 828899View attachment 828898View attachment 828897View attachment 828900View attachment 828901View attachment 828902

Click to expand...

Fifth try at getting the shape right. This one is exact measurements @ .333 scale of the 5 foot provided by guys in the studio scale threads and checked against actual 5 foot build numbers. Below is one of my first falcons and shows the spacer and method I used to bow the hull.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=59858

On this page it shows my third build and what and were the cuts are, I am pretty sure I give measurements of the spacer etc in here as well.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=131375&page=3

And Below is how I started the above, which was a totally different approach, but I wanted to get the exact shape and a 1/3 size to use donor kits to kit bash the greebles. I have finished most of the build above just have not taken photos for a while.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=218411

Hope the old threads help.

Awesome efforts my friend! :thumbsup I have yet to try a sliced hull and rebuilt corridors to get that awesome hull curve. I've seen it before, but the guy had the docking collars outta whack. But, now that I have your pics to go by, I'll do'er up on the next MPC I do. Looks perfect :thumbsup

ozzyguanche said:

Fifth try at getting the shape right. This one is exact measurements @ .333 scale of the 5 foot provided by guys in the studio scale threads and checked against actual 5 foot build numbers. Below is one of my first falcons and shows the spacer and method I used to bow the hull.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=59858

On this page it shows my third build and what and were the cuts are, I am pretty sure I give measurements of the spacer etc in here as well.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=131375&page=3

And Below is how I started the above, which was a totally different approach, but I wanted to get the exact shape and a 1/3 size to use donor kits to kit bash the greebles. I have finished most of the build above just have not taken photos for a while.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=218411

Hope the old threads help.

Click to expand...

ozzyguanche said:

Fifth try at getting the shape right. This one is exact measurements @ .333 scale of the 5 foot provided by guys in the studio scale threads and checked against actual 5 foot build numbers. Below is one of my first falcons and shows the spacer and method I used to bow the hull.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=59858

On this page it shows my third build and what and were the cuts are, I am pretty sure I give measurements of the spacer etc in here as well.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=131375&page=3

And Below is how I started the above, which was a totally different approach, but I wanted to get the exact shape and a 1/3 size to use donor kits to kit bash the greebles. I have finished most of the build above just have not taken photos for a while.

https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=218411

Hope the old threads help.

Click to expand...

FIVE ATTEMPTS... me thinks one is my limit for the MPC kit. But kudos to you sir. My build over the last week was one filled with a WTF moment each night; from blown lights and beyond. My main grief came from lighting behind the thruster grill to my satisfaction. Happy to say I am now satisfied with the finished result.

However, I have strayed from the path of doing the ANH 5 footer to the fields of the ESB version... [emoji849][emoji39] To the point of ordering the two additional landing leg bays.

I also glued in a piece of 90mm pvc pipe. The first one came out too short. The second cut to the 56mm height, while giving a truer look to the hull curvature made the companion way to the docking ring look alitle odd. So I sanded off about 4mm. I los a bit of hull curve but at least the companion ways and mandibles look better.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

A quick update...

All the lighting is done with the final 'watch your head' fiber optics installed along with the two front landing leg pieces from Tony via Shapeways. My first run at lights for the engines went south; a costly exercise. However, the alternative with 5mm LEDs and a run of adhesive strip LEDs ended up giving me a better glow, which when seen through a thin sheet of acetate sprayed with dullcote gives a nice even glow.


Over the weekend I finished the gun well, again from 308bits via Shapeways. For lighting, I added more LED strip lighting to the inside of the PVC tube along with an alfoil for reflection. There are no fiber optics in the walls. Tony does make them with holes to take thin fiber optics, but mine is all done with backlighting through the translucent parts. And no the wells aren't that bright. The auto iris on the camera makes it look very bright, but in reality, the lighting is a lot softer. The two with the black background was taken with all the lights in the garage/workshop turned off. I tried replicating the colors as best I could by referencing still images. I know some of it isn't screen accurate but for the scale, IMHO, it didn't turn out too bad.


I also added the side walls to the top hull assembly, which after finishing off the lower hulls detail, I should be ready to paint by the weekend.

Ah, ESB, excellent! I myself favor that version as well. I've also done the center spacer on my last MPC. I saw a guy do 6.6cm and had to cut and mod the corridors. I went with 5.7cm and while I could see a slight dip in the corridors it wasn't too awful. I used lasebond to temporarily set the walls, then taped and rubber banded everything together and used the wife's blow dryer in a circular to get the hull pieces to form down, worked pretty good. I've probably said all that crap in another post already :facepalm:lol
Pics brother, pics! :thumbsup

alad61 said:

FIVE ATTEMPTS... me thinks one is my limit for the MPC kit. But kudos to you sir. My build over the last week was one filled with a WTF moment each night; from blown lights and beyond. My main grief came from lighting behind the thruster grill to my satisfaction. Happy to say I am now satisfied with the finished result.

However, I have strayed from the path of doing the ANH 5 footer to the fields of the ESB version... [emoji849][emoji39] To the point of ordering the two additional landing leg bays.

I also glued in a piece of 90mm pvc pipe. The first one came out too short. The second cut to the 56mm height, while giving a truer look to the hull curvature made the companion way to the docking ring look alitle odd. So I sanded off about 4mm. I los a bit of hull curve but at least the companion ways and mandibles look better.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

If I could add another comment, I wouldn't stress too much on "screen accuracy" with an MPC. If it looks great to you, that's all that matters. Nobody's gonna nitpick you on it :thumbsup
At the same time, I do admire those who strive to get every last color and detail perfect...I'm just not one of those guys... yet:lol

gt350pony66 said:

If I could add another comment, I wouldn't stress too much on "screen accuracy" with an MPC. If it looks great to you, that's all that matters. Nobody's gonna nitpick you on it :thumbsup
At the same time, I do admire those who strive to get every last color and detail perfect...I'm just not one of those guys... yet[emoji38]

Click to expand...

Thanks.
I suppose you could classify me as one of those blokes. Only I lack the skill to mod and mold my own parts. At least my scratch building ability is pretty good; most of the time. However, what I make up fore is a paint and weathering, which also helps hide my poorer skills elsewhere. [emoji6][emoji4]

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

On a side note. My build time table is now shunted with my book coming back from my editor. [emoji847]

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I will say though, as some scoff at the MPC and wouldn't fool with it at all when there are better kits out there...when you take an MPC Falcon and some aftermarket parts or scratched parts for that matter (even more of a challenge), and work it to the point where it appears to be the Millennium Falcon you see on the screen and not that sorry pancake image on the AMT box (same junk) to me that's an accomplishment and a very satisfying exercise in tenacity. Not to toot my own horn because it took 5 tries to get there, but my 5th MPC looks better than a Fine Molds (I think anyway)

alad61 said:

Thanks.
I suppose you could classify me as one of those blokes. Only I lack the skill to mod and mold my own parts. At least my scratch building ability is pretty good; most of the time. However, what I make up fore is a paint and weathering, which also helps hide my poorer skills elsewhere. [emoji6][emoji4]

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Painting the top hull over the last seven nights have, IMHO, yielded some good results. I would like to thank the RPF member, I'm sorry, but I can't remember who, whose photos of the five footer were posted via links on RPF to an open one drive file along with those I downloaded, several years ago, from Starship Modeler which were put up via Fantastic Plastic. These have been a huge and invaluable aid in with my model.

I have tried to emulate the damage and weathering the folks in ILM did way back when, but I will be honest and say there is a little artistic license at play as well. The mediums I used have been chalks/pastels, Tamiya smoke, washes from the Games Workshop range and some dry brushing for highlights. All of this I did over a black and grey primer followed by pre-shading in flat black, then a coat of Tamiya deck tan and three thin coats of the hull color which is a custom mix from when I converted a 1/72 Revell Gato.

I know I've said it before but the paintwork for any Star Wars build is the clincher, regardless of how fine the detail is if the paintwork is poor the whole model is let down-
But wow! You've absolutely nailed the paint alad61, you should be proud of that build.

Tony's parts look amazing too, they don't look grainy like I thought they might

I guess when you posted this at first I saw it at work and the pics were blocked...IT guys:angry, and I forgot to check again on MY laptop...I think you did a bang up job with the paint, and honestly, yours looks very similar to mine and I'm pleased with mine. I will admit though, my painting skills are still evolving, but you've done a fine job with that build! I love MPC Falcons

alad61 said:

Painting the top hull over the last seven nights have, IMHO, yielded some good results. I would like to thank the RPF member, I'm sorry, but I can't remember who, whose photos of the five footer were posted via links on RPF to an open one drive file along with those I downloaded, several years ago, from Starship Modeler which were put up via Fantastic Plastic. These have been a huge and invaluable aid in with my model.

I have tried to emulate the damage and weathering the folks in ILM did way back when, but I will be honest and say there is a little artistic license at play as well. The mediums I used have been chalks/pastels, Tamiya smoke, washes from the Games Workshop range and some dry brushing for highlights. All of this I did over a black and grey primer followed by pre-shading in flat black, then a coat of Tamiya deck tan and three thin coats of the hull color which is a custom mix from when I converted a 1/72 Revell Gato.
https://i.imgur.com/eq86rmn.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/6EoLtxQ.jpg?2https://i.imgur.com/khadkRr.jpg?2https://i.imgur.com/XDJtTLJ.jpg?2https://i.imgur.com/3WdpnOp.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/47C5LeC.jpg?2

Click to expand...

- - - Updated - - -

Almost for got, your gun well looks killer! I may try that next time myself, the amount of FO to do those right can be extremely cumbersome

Hah! I also just noticed you bought the FUD smooth gear boxes, excellent choice. they are SO much better than the white a flexible with that funky texture and well worth the extra 10 bucks. I was the one who asked Tony for those in FUD and they/he did NOT disappoint! :thumbsup

alad61 said:

A quick update...

All the lighting is done with the final 'watch your head' fiber optics installed along with the two front landing leg pieces from Tony via Shapeways. My first run at lights for the engines went south; a costly exercise. However, the alternative with 5mm LEDs and a run of adhesive strip LEDs ended up giving me a better glow, which when seen through a thin sheet of acetate sprayed with dullcote gives a nice even glow.
https://i.imgur.com/VlUtsvS.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/e8j8KMc.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/qO18p3p.jpg

Over the weekend I finished the gun well, again from 308bits via Shapeways. For lighting, I added more LED strip lighting to the inside of the PVC tube along with an alfoil for reflection. There are no fiber optics in the walls. Tony does make them with holes to take thin fiber optics, but mine is all done with backlighting through the translucent parts. And no the wells aren't that bright. The auto iris on the camera makes it look very bright, but in reality, the lighting is a lot softer. The two with the black background was taken with all the lights in the garage/workshop turned off. I tried replicating the colors as best I could by referencing still images. I know some of it isn't screen accurate but for the scale, IMHO, it didn't turn out too bad.
https://i.imgur.com/CpaS03y.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/b5hwlco.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/Vb3oOZy.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/mIXL32X.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/RWQz6c4.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/VxFfYEL.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/r0oqZOB.jpg

I also added the side walls to the top hull assembly, which after finishing off the lower hulls detail, I should be ready to paint by the weekend.
https://i.imgur.com/lhOTYnt.jpg

Click to expand...