Building The Death Star - PRODUCTION

I love watching you folks take on gigantic projects like this. I have neither the time, patience, room or money to undertake something of this magnitude, but I sure don't mind living vicariously through you.

This Death Star looks to turn into a fantastic display piece. Too bad it's not allowed in the house. Not even hung from the ceiling? My wife wouldn't let me do it either if I was in your place.
 
Here's the latest guys...

1. The overall construct as of this date
2. How the trench is shaping up (look about the right thickness?)
3. The upper "cogwheel" (whats the gap for?)


DS111308011.jpg


DS111308040.jpg


DS111308010.jpg

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I love watching you folks take on gigantic projects like this. I have neither the time, patience, room or money to undertake something of this magnitude, but I sure don't mind living vicariously through you.

This Death Star looks to turn into a fantastic display piece. Too bad it's not allowed in the house. Not even hung from the ceiling? My wife wouldn't let me do it either if I was in your place.

This one for me has been a long time coming, and sort of represents a "beginning to an end" -- there are roughly about five crazy involved projects I've always wanted to do before I'm "done" with this hobbby (1:1 Indy, 1:1 Vader, 1:1 T-800, 1:1 R2, 1:1 Fett, Death Star), and I've accepted I won't do them all. Once these "holy grails" are complete, I'll likely slow down on the hobby if not back out entirely. Maybe.

This model absolutely does NOT lend itself to hanging from a ceiling, spousal approval or not. Mounting methods, running power to it, and overall weight all countermand this approach. Though a nice floor display would be cool.
 
This one for me has been a long time coming, and sort of represents a "beginning to an end" -- there are roughly about five crazy involved projects I've always wanted to do before I'm "done" with this hobbby (1:1 Indy, 1:1 Vader, 1:1 T-800, 1:1 R2, 1:1 Fett, Death Star), and I've accepted I won't do them all. Once these "holy grails" are complete, I'll likely slow down on the hobby if not back out entirely. Maybe.

This model absolutely does NOT lend itself to hanging from a ceiling, spousal approval or not. Mounting methods, running power to it, and overall weight all countermand this approach. Though a nice floor display would be cool.

Ehhhh! - Always with you - it can not be done... Hear you nothing that I say...

You "could" mount it any way you wanted as long as you plan for it before hand... that the thing about a sphere... Sphereoid... if you can mount if from one direction you can mount it form anywhere... with some planning during construction :thumbsup The locator points for the equator, trench and superlaser as well as the meridians are what you really need to build this bad boy - that and a lot of patience, forthought and perseverence - and of course several hundred dollars worth of acrylic hemispheres :lol

Just making an observation not saying what your doing is easy - just that its possible to do "other ways", if you wanted to display it differently.

Jedi Dade
 
Last edited:
Ehhhh! - Always with you - it can not be done... Hear you nothing that I say...

You "could" mount it any way you wanted as long as you plan for it before hand... that the thing about a sphere... Sphereoid... if you can mount if from one direction you can mount it form anywhere... with some planning during construction :thumbsup The locator points for the equator, trench and superlaser as well as the meridians are what you really need to build this bad boy - that and a lot of patience, forthought and perseverence - and of course several hundred dollars worth of acrylic hemispheres :lol

Just making an observation not saying what your doing is easy - just that its possible to do "other ways", if you wanted to display it differently.

Jedi Dade


Agreed... Cool thing is that the easiest way of displaying mimics how they did the original! ;)

You nailed it with, "locator points for the equator, trench and superlaser as well as the meridians are what you really need to build this bad boy - that and a lot of patience, forthought and perseverence"

This thing takes more and more planning and problem solving the more I get into it.

Examples:
--Central support is hollow pipe for the power cord, and the wood base is drilled under the pipe, but where d I route the wire from there...!? I have to gouge out a chennel on the under side of the disc
--How do I suspend the upper dome such that it is exactrly 1/2" above the lower all the way around, and THEN permenantly affix it? I'll have to use a perfectly uniform set of 1/2" spacers all the way around, set the upper dome on the spaces, then somehow use the rear access hole and the super laser hole to reach inside to wedge in vertical supports between the two wooden cog wheels. Unless I find that I need to install the super laser dish first.
--If I add the raised styrene strips at the north pole BEFORE using a "shoe" as a guide for the longitudinal lines, will they interfere with the "shoe" guide.
--Will the cog wheels truly allow enough adjustability to get the two domes to align exactly as I need them, or am I mistaken in thinking they will?
 
Last edited:
Rob! :cool:cool:cool:cool I am absolutely pleased you are making this happen! :D Already from what you have posted... I know it will turn out TOP NOTCH! (y)cool:thumbsup
 
Thanks Kurt!

Here's a shot of the original showing the trench and the dome wall thickness... How's it compare to mine?

Trench002.jpg


DS111308040.jpg
 
Last edited:
Question... Looks to me like the "hazed" the backing plate for the trench by sanding it. Do you all agree?

Also, with that in mind (if they did sand the acrylic) do you suppose they did so over the entire finished area of the model? Its difficult to tell of course since it has been painted over, AND the unpainted area is still optically clear.

Trench002.jpg
 
Last edited:
Looks like sanded acrylic to me bud, would you not do the same to the domes seeing as this is a display piece to last you years?

I do agree the prop doesnt look sanded ont he domes, but i personally would give it a wet sand with some 2000 grit maybe?

Shouldnt affect lighting at all, and would give the paint more "grip"!

lee
 
How to suspend the dome exactlly 1/2 inch... You can do it a you wish of course but here's what I think I'd try.

Sicne you're using pipe and pipe flanges you have a built in height adjuster with the threading of the pipes. As long as the pipe length is close to what yo uneed you shoudl be able to adjust by going in or out a little on the threads. As for how to permanently attaching it, there are a couple of options... First I suggest that you decide how you want to be able to take it apart to change bulbs - they eventually burn out... Something they probably did not worry about when they made the original since they never planned to use it for more thne a little while...


If you attatch the top to a ring similar to the bottom with the top ring on a pipe and flange set up then one you've got the right height set all you need to so is spot glue using acrylic cement. They make squeeze bottles with needles for acrylic cement - this should allow a couple of "spot welds" of the upper dome to the trench Of course gluing it like this makes it difficult to change the bulbs if you need to...

What I think I'd do is to use a "jam nut" on the pipe threads that once you got it to where you want it run the jam nut up so that it is so tight with the pipe flange that neither of them can move without a lot of umph. Its unlikely to move but can be undone for maintenance.

Or if you have a better way of changing the lights like making the super laser removable - just glue the sucker ;)

I just realized I'd assumed you were aware of the special acrylic cement. For more about it and where to get it (in case you don't know) there is a thread with details here... http://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=42974&highlight=acrylic

Jedi Dade
 
All right girls... What would you do with out me to figure out all your problems!? ;)

Learned QUITE a bit tonight...

I test fit the upper dome and realized that the compression fit from the trench backing plate pretty much holds the upper dome in place.

The backing plate, I'm pretty sure, angles outward just an RCH, causing the need to really work the upper dome down over the top. This solves multiple problems:
--It allows the dome edges to align beautifully and essentially automatically
--It allows for MUCH easier even spacing of the domes for the trench since gravity isn't causing the upper dome to slam down on the lower
--It will make supporting the upper dome a lot easier since the compression pretty much holds it in place any way...

As a matter of fact, I may forego the upper cog wheel entirely, and just add a wooden vertical support from the lower cog wheel to the north pole.

Tired of hearing my rant...?




]
DS111508005.jpg


DS111508007.jpg


DS111508002.jpg


DS111508003.jpg


DS1115080036.jpg


Trench002.jpg
 
Last edited:
Some of observations for those thinking abut doing this...

1. I requested 3/8" thick acrylic. The edges of mine measure out to be just a bit over 1/4". Acrylic blown into a dome gets thinner the closer it gets to the poles, and the 1/4 may be due to the flange that as cut off prior to delivery of the domes.

2. The gap on my trench (which is temporary) is just under 1/2", and looks just a tad more than the original. I bet the original gap (trench height) is just about 3/8".

3. Again, my domes are 16 5/8" tall. With the gap for the trench, I think I've lost a bit of the ovoid look. If I were to o it again, I'd have the domes cut to 16 1/4" tall. Maybe 16 3/8".
 
My question is how tall would you make the pieces if you were using a 24" sphere to start with?

I have a 24" sphere lying around I want to make into a Death Star.
 
My question is how tall would you make the pieces if you were using a 24" sphere to start with?

I have a 24" sphere lying around I want to make into a Death Star.


24" is 2/3 of 36", right...?

So would it work to do this:

16.25/3 = 5.42 (so 5.42 is 1/3 the total height if going with 36")

5.42(2) = 10.84 (5.42 twice of course being the 2/3)

So 2/3 of 16.25 is about 10.8
 
Thanks!!!

I was going to go with just the sphere, but your excellent work here has made me realize how much better it looks done right. Damn you.
 

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top