08-26-2012, 03:17 AM
Update time with pics at last! Today we went out and made the most of a two for one laptop deal with a couple of Toshiba units. We got Nikki one with a 750gig HD and 12gig RAM for her art work and I went with the slightly lower spec 'free' one as I don't need quite the graphics capability that she does. Besides, it will be full of resin and styrene dust soon enough.
Here we go: basically, after seeing Phil's underside detail work on his Galactica, I just had to get mine to at least 75% of that quality. This major rework is an almost total rebuild and detail of the entire underside. The old coffin, pyramid, armature covers and bay cross arms were removed and the bottom panels cleaned up ready for new work. The coffin had to be built in two halves to slip neatly around the existing armature. Very tricky. The large PVC tube simulating the original's round pipe had to be sectioned and slipped around my square tube armature. The location of this caused some problems which resulted in the square tube having to protrude from the top of the round pipe, a bit like a keyhole shape. Sliding the pipe, pyramid and coffin around the armature was quite a challenge!
All in place, detailing begins!
Scribing and detailing under neck area underway.
Under neck greeblage goodness. Relating to the original model, it's clear to see how different people detailed various areas. This under neck area is in total contrast to other, more skilfully done sections with fine detail. I think this area looks like total crap, but it must be done.
Waist detail parts installed from new Leopold chassis sections. These are very brittle and difficult to cut and fit into the angled waist. This will be the last time I do it. Possibly.
Underside body details continuing using many more of the Custom Replicas parts I've had in a box for months. It's great to have at least 90% correct details on this model after so long!
Those nasty detail panels took quite some time to do. Very satisfying to complete but a pity they'll never be seen under the model! But I know they are there.
Coffin front and rear details goin' on...I'm still mainly working on the hero side of the model at this point.
Detailing the fake pipe armature section. All these new structures have really increased the rigidity of the model with heavy PVC pipe and other 2mm styrene structures braced and fixed with construction glue and CA. I even strengthened the rear half of the single-tube armature with an extra aluminium tube slipped inside. The old girl hardly creaks and groans when I move her now.
The bay cross arms have ALSO been very difficult to rebuild. The centreline of my armature is nowhere near correct. This required some lateral thinking to ensure correct positioning of the completed arm around it's fake pipe armature. Again, I had to section the PVC to fit around the rear of the square tube at the right height and rearward location. I've had to make a few design differences to he front of the arm to make it all fit, but that's the best I can do without an armature change!
Man, that Panther hull was a killer to section and sand to fit in there. To put some of this project into perspective, you need FOUR Tamiya 1/35 Panther kits just for the two bay cross arms!
Something different!
I'm happy with how the arm turned out. Now to do it all again for the other side!
With the rest of the underside going along nicely, I though I'd attack a few areas under the engine section that had been bothering me for years. I dug out a mould of the Exterior Post Van and poured in the resin to create the ribbed sections seen here. A decade ago I had built them from styrene and Evergreen strip!
I also hated the scribing I'd done on my fake Raider intakes last year, working around kit parts. So I made up some thin styrene panels, scribed and glued them on top. I also scratchbuilt the Raider detail panel sitting in the deep trench in the middle from railgun castings I've made. The green bits of tape are there to remind me of more greebles to go on. It's so easy to get lost in this project and forget things!
Yeah, even the areas under the bay arms are packed with detail. It never ends...
I also poured the Exterior Post Van end panel that sits under the railgun truss. I finally was able to glue on my bottle cap, in this case from a stubby of Bundaberg rum and cola that someone else had consumed.
After all this work, the underside of the head and it's hundreds of greeblies, chips and scribe lines wasn't looking too good. Oops.
Here's where she sits as of today. I'm psyching myself up for another late night session getting this area sorted. Freezing cold and wet outside and it's nice to be back in the groove making progress before summer comes along! Ninja likes checking things out but will become a nice fur hat if she knocks that model over....
So, that's my long overdue update. I wasn't kidding when I said I was working on the build! Massive thanks to Phil for his generous donations of spare kit parts from his stash, it's hugely appreciated mate!
Still after the Harrier drop tanks halves and 1/43 truck engine blocks if anyone can spare them?
Mike
Here we go: basically, after seeing Phil's underside detail work on his Galactica, I just had to get mine to at least 75% of that quality. This major rework is an almost total rebuild and detail of the entire underside. The old coffin, pyramid, armature covers and bay cross arms were removed and the bottom panels cleaned up ready for new work. The coffin had to be built in two halves to slip neatly around the existing armature. Very tricky. The large PVC tube simulating the original's round pipe had to be sectioned and slipped around my square tube armature. The location of this caused some problems which resulted in the square tube having to protrude from the top of the round pipe, a bit like a keyhole shape. Sliding the pipe, pyramid and coffin around the armature was quite a challenge!
All in place, detailing begins!
Scribing and detailing under neck area underway.
Under neck greeblage goodness. Relating to the original model, it's clear to see how different people detailed various areas. This under neck area is in total contrast to other, more skilfully done sections with fine detail. I think this area looks like total crap, but it must be done.
Waist detail parts installed from new Leopold chassis sections. These are very brittle and difficult to cut and fit into the angled waist. This will be the last time I do it. Possibly.
Underside body details continuing using many more of the Custom Replicas parts I've had in a box for months. It's great to have at least 90% correct details on this model after so long!
Those nasty detail panels took quite some time to do. Very satisfying to complete but a pity they'll never be seen under the model! But I know they are there.
Coffin front and rear details goin' on...I'm still mainly working on the hero side of the model at this point.
Detailing the fake pipe armature section. All these new structures have really increased the rigidity of the model with heavy PVC pipe and other 2mm styrene structures braced and fixed with construction glue and CA. I even strengthened the rear half of the single-tube armature with an extra aluminium tube slipped inside. The old girl hardly creaks and groans when I move her now.
The bay cross arms have ALSO been very difficult to rebuild. The centreline of my armature is nowhere near correct. This required some lateral thinking to ensure correct positioning of the completed arm around it's fake pipe armature. Again, I had to section the PVC to fit around the rear of the square tube at the right height and rearward location. I've had to make a few design differences to he front of the arm to make it all fit, but that's the best I can do without an armature change!
Man, that Panther hull was a killer to section and sand to fit in there. To put some of this project into perspective, you need FOUR Tamiya 1/35 Panther kits just for the two bay cross arms!
Something different!
I'm happy with how the arm turned out. Now to do it all again for the other side!
With the rest of the underside going along nicely, I though I'd attack a few areas under the engine section that had been bothering me for years. I dug out a mould of the Exterior Post Van and poured in the resin to create the ribbed sections seen here. A decade ago I had built them from styrene and Evergreen strip!
I also hated the scribing I'd done on my fake Raider intakes last year, working around kit parts. So I made up some thin styrene panels, scribed and glued them on top. I also scratchbuilt the Raider detail panel sitting in the deep trench in the middle from railgun castings I've made. The green bits of tape are there to remind me of more greebles to go on. It's so easy to get lost in this project and forget things!
Yeah, even the areas under the bay arms are packed with detail. It never ends...
I also poured the Exterior Post Van end panel that sits under the railgun truss. I finally was able to glue on my bottle cap, in this case from a stubby of Bundaberg rum and cola that someone else had consumed.
After all this work, the underside of the head and it's hundreds of greeblies, chips and scribe lines wasn't looking too good. Oops.
Here's where she sits as of today. I'm psyching myself up for another late night session getting this area sorted. Freezing cold and wet outside and it's nice to be back in the groove making progress before summer comes along! Ninja likes checking things out but will become a nice fur hat if she knocks that model over....
So, that's my long overdue update. I wasn't kidding when I said I was working on the build! Massive thanks to Phil for his generous donations of spare kit parts from his stash, it's hugely appreciated mate!
Still after the Harrier drop tanks halves and 1/43 truck engine blocks if anyone can spare them?
Mike
'Helm, make ready to move. Flank speed and fuel be damned!'
![[Image: 400px-Www-Wikia-Battlestar-Galactica-fr.PNG]](http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/galactica/images/thumb/f/ff/Www-Wikia-Battlestar-Galactica-fr.PNG/400px-Www-Wikia-Battlestar-Galactica-fr.PNG)