LastBattlestar's Galactica: 12 years & counting!

[LastBattlestar]

Hi guys! I've finally decided to create this thread here to show you my studio scale Battlestar project. I figure there's maybe 2 or 3 of you that haven't seen the mega thread at RI, so this one's for you!

   

My original 4 footer Galactica, based on modified plans derived from the horrible Monogram kit. I scratchbuilt EVERYTHING, including the Roco mini tanks on the engine section. It never looked right, the auto primer dried like sandpaper and I was soon captivated by behind-the-scenes photos of Jim Creveling's studio scale version in progress. I'd also met Brad Gaffy and learned of his early attempt at a SS build. This model met it's fate in a dumpster about 5 years later.

   

Using a combination of Jim and Charles Adams early blueprints and a lot of tweaking of my own, the basic studio scale shell was completed to this stage in late 1999.

   

Inititally I was only going to use a few major signature kit parts and kitbash the rest in. This pic shows the model well on it's way in that regard, early 2000's from memory.

   

Not good enough! Now the journey towards a far more accurate yet unique build had begun and is still obsessing me to this day! Wow, what a journey and the people I've met along the way.....

I'll skip all the waffle and build pics from the last 5 or 6 years and get straight to the major updates from the last 12 months. Enjoy!

Mike

                       
                                                       

And how could I forget the BUILD VIDEO?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFsZ_3BJn...r_embedded

Mike

[dbhs]

What, that's it?

Ok - it is pretty impressive.
I like the new shots with the greeblies all laid out in their original colors. I also like the piping that has the pipe supports to set them off of the surface a bit. That's a nice touch that seems very realistic and a bit "architectural".
Very clean work !

[Wombat]

Fantastic to see you finally posting this here,bout time!!

Like the title also,unfortunately thats just an ongoing thing with it all. Still it tell's the story how it is,this hasbeen one very long adventure you have had with it. LOL So here she is,the one that actually planted theat damn seed in my mind here. It just the short period of time i've known you it's come a hell of a long way,sure it's been a step back herte and there but it's been well worth it all seeing the transformation to what you had compared to what you have now. Just for fun post a before and after shot's of the body and neck lid's. Those are two outstanding pieces of reworking right there.

[LastBattlestar]

OK Phil, here's some pics from the archives for comparison. The recent massive amount of hours I've spent rebuilding and detailing have definitely been worth the effort. Looking back only a couple of years and she looks quite plain and primitive!

       

Check this out: original bay arms, short neck, misaligned engine section, no scribing....

   

Mike

[Wombat]

(07-06-2011, 10:08 PM)LastBattlestar Wrote: Check this out: original bay arms, short neck, misaligned engine section, no scribing....

And ya know,even with all that it still looked like a badass Battlestar. Now theres just more badass about it,thats all!!

[LastBattlestar]

I'm just watching '102 minutes that changed America', and my thoughts go out to all my friends who were affected by the terrible events 10 years ago. I was stuck in a motel room on a business trip in the country and sat up until 4am watching it all unfold live on TV. Half a world away and I was sickened and scared to death; was there going to be a nuclear response? Thankfully not. Watching this show, I have nothing but admiration for the FDNY and NYPD who sacrificed all on that day.


I just took a few pics to show some of the further mods I've done to the old Gal recently. Here are the units I constructed to house the hexagonal mesh and semi-opaque white perspex diffusers for the engine ports. It's a single removable unit to allow me to paint the engine ports from inside and out. The centre diffuser has a gel to provide the red glow for that engine.

   

Assembly in place, also showing new bulkhead to provide strength to wall, lid and floor. I can now insert chrome cardboard panels to stop light leaks and tidy things up in there. I've been waiting to remove that temp. timber support strut for years.

   

   

A couple of final touches to the neck top panel: main gun added.

   

Can anyone see what is different in this pic?

   

Mike

[darkimmitator]

The little astral dome tower is in the open position !!!
She 's lookin bloody awesome Mike !!!!

[dbhs]

Kenny beat me to it. Nice touch, Mike. It's really coming along.

[Wombat]

I was pretty damn impressed with the removable module you've constructed for the back end of the engine. That is really nice work with what you came up with and it does everything you wanted it to do very well. I know myself from seeing it first hand that it was another fantastic idea as per normal. The build overall has come some far since i first seen it and it's all been for the better as well.

Keep pluging along, you're closer than you've ever been!!

Oh, that chamber is on the correct box, i checked and once again i know nuthin, as per normal.

[LastBattlestar]

Thanks guys, I'm happy with progress so far, but it's definitely stop and go as you will understand. I'll rebuild the little astral dome as it was a quick and dirty job. The cover panels were MURDER to cut out, very tiny, and I didn't get them all even-sized. If it stays, it will get a fibre inside for lighting. Then I'll make a 1/960 Sheba and Cassiopiea waving Apollo and Starbuck goodbye...

No worries Phil, you had me thinking on it's location too, but I was reasonably sure it was near the fans over the crappers.

Mike

[LastBattlestar]

Hi guys, with all this Galactica activity going on recently, I thought I'd spend my last few minutes of free time before the Christmas chaos to post my final update for 2011. Wow, I've done a ton of work on the old Gal and spent many, many past-midnight hours getting her up to scratch. All these super duper $$$, CAD, laser cut, 3D printed, pressure cast Battlestars coming up the line are making me worried about how mine will look when done, so I'm putting in the elbow grease to try and stay in the ballpark!

Anyway, here are the latest pics some of you may not have seen yet. The port side and top are almost complete and I've spent way too much time getting my 'real' port bay interior into shape.

So, I'll wish you a happy CHRISTMAS and an enjoyable holiday season. Don't drink and drive, we need you all back on deck here in 2012!

Mike

[swpropmaker]

INSPIRATION! I hope my Galactica turns out 1/2 as good!
Great job love the landing bay interiors!

Steve

[darkimmitator]

Like Steve said ...Inspiration , is the only way to describe those latest progress pics Mike !!!
Happy Holidays to you as well mate !!!

[LastBattlestar]

Thanks gents, I use those pics to motivate myself!

I have two weeks holiday for the first time in 8 or 9 years, so hope to get some more detailing done. Funny thing is, I only seem to get the urge at 10 or 11pm these days. It also gets pretty hot upstairs, but I'll soldier on. Maybe I should move the whole project to Phil's place where there is better air con?

Mike

[JAWS]

Awsome!
You finally posted your beast here.
Its looking great Mike & I am particularly envious of your landing bays.
They are sick.
Merry Christmas.

[Wombat]

Maybe you should call yours, Inspiration?

Afterall, its been just that for many of us.

Its the one that did it for me!

[LastBattlestar]

Thanks Phil, but if I had known that you were going to build a better one, I'd never have shown it to you...

OK, minor update time again. I was looking at Wombat's v.2 Galactica build progress and decided that I could easily finish off the engine back plate pretty quickly. It only needed about 10 tiny little parts before I could hit it all with primer so.....here it is!

   

I've used Tamiya white primer as that's all I could get at the time, but it never ceases to amaze me how it ties all the detail together and really improve what I thought was a so-so job in a lot of areas. But I'm pretty happy overall as this is an incredibly labour intensive area to build and detail. There would be several hundred individual panels and parts in there, not to mention all the delicate resin castings I had to mould, pour and clean up.

   

Mike

[Wombat]

Who says i'm building a betta one? I think what you've done there on your own is as good as one could hope for when you look at what you started with. You should be more than proud of what you've done all ready, i know i would be. It's scrubbing up betta and betta all the time and you are like so close to finally wrapping this all up. Half ya luck mate!

That back plate is well, it's a work of art on it's own! LOL

Man that does look good! Nice work from what i can see and it is a lot of work building it all from scratch. The detailing alone is a killer and theres plenty of pieces like you said. Real good to see you are there with it and again nice work mate!

[LastBattlestar]

Thanks Phil, yeah, it's looking OK considering how it was originally constructed in a little tin shed with a dirt floor using a hacksaw, Stanley knife, a few sheets of styrene and MDF, miranti timber strips, a couple of aluminium tubes and some nuts and bolts! Looking back, I don't know how the hell I got this far!

Some more detailing tonight, just the really fiddly stuff on the port side of the head. I have new respect for the Apogee guys- tonight I noticed even finer styrene chips around the eye area than I'd seen before. Unbelievable. You guys that haven't done this yet are in for a hell of a ride, heh, heh!

               

Mike

[darkimmitator]

A thing of beauty there boys . A thing of beauty !!!
I never get tired of looking at this model !!!!

[Wombat]

The chips are just one of MANY things that make this ride so much fun..

Looking at your build there reminds me of just how much fun i'm in for, thanks!

btw, part's question.

On your backplate in the trench area you have a part between the Brummbar hatch and ship railing. Looks right to me looking at the model shop pictures, what kit is that from?

[darkimmitator]

(12-30-2011, 12:00 PM)Wombat Wrote: The chips are just one of MANY things that make this ride so much fun..

Looking at your build there reminds me of just how much fun i'm in for, thanks!

btw, part's question.

On your backplate in the trench area you have a part between the Brummbar hatch and ship railing. Looks right to me looking at the model shop pictures, what kit is that from?

I believe that is from the 1:35 Peerless Max 155MM M1-A2 Howitzer.
Parts B#13 & B #18 .

[LastBattlestar]

Correct, Kenny, I was struggling to remember what that part was from. I had to cast another as I lost one year's ago in my little dirt floor model shop.

Happy birthday BTW mate!

Mike

[darkimmitator]

(12-30-2011, 07:06 PM)LastBattlestar Wrote: Correct, Kenny, I was struggling to remember what that part was from. I had to cast another as I lost one year's ago in my little dirt floor model shop.

Happy birthday BTW mate!

Mike

Thanks Mike !!!

[Wombat]

Cheers fella's!!

Bar those last trench part's my backplate is finally done. Oh how much fun it's been n all......

Might as well stay up now and add those last pieces before hitting the burrow. After this i'm hibernating for a year though! LOL

[dbhs]

(12-31-2011, 03:05 AM)Wombat Wrote: After this i'm hibernating for a year though! LOL

It better be for just the rest of this year.

[Wombat]

LOL... Even that would be nice!

I start that hibernation as of now. Thats 3 past 5am's for me in one week.

I'm getting too old for this!!

[LastBattlestar]

Yeah, but sleep is a waste of time when there is a Battlestar on the bench! I've had years of uber late nights on this thing and am definitely feeling the burnout bug these days. I'm having lots of troubles with two tennis elbows and painful joints in my wrists and hands these days, so I think I'm subconsciously pushing myself to finish this build before I can't do it any more.

As usual, the tidy up process involves repairing and improving work I did a decade ago. Check out the holes torn in 2mm styrene when I removed the Rocos! I think that may have been Loctite CA way back then and you can see how well it has bonded over the years.

   

I repaired the old waist panels with epoxy and bogged up the rest for sanding tomorrow.

   

Fun and games!

Mike

[Wombat]

You are an animal! LOL

Guess this was coming as you'd talked about. Still, seeing it is another thing.

Won't be long and dare i say it, you'll be happy with things finally?

[LastBattlestar]

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

[darkimmitator]

Holy crap asaurus rex !!! That is one shitload of refit / post there !!!! WOW !!!
Excellent mods indeed there Mike .
Sorry I can't help you with either of those two parts as i am in need of the same ones !! lol
Nise update indeed . The battlestars are rockin again !!

[Wombat]

Building another would have been easier in the long run with what you put this one through but still, it's looking really fantastic with all the mods you've done. Not just now but over the last few years, it's transformed it a hell of a lot! Congrats Mike on having the balls to do what you have been doing with it all. Don't think i would have been able when that finish line was so close beforehand but it looks like now you can finally finish the journey you started so long ago. Plenty of detail work to do but it's pleasing knowing you are pretty much happy with the structure to lay it down on again at last.

Looking really bloody good there and great to see you can start sharing it with the world again also.

[JAWS]

Wow Mike you really ripped this ol girl apart.
All the better for it.
I admire you doing that.

[peza]

eh up buddy this looks mint mym8,very neat and tidy build there...cheers peza

[LastBattlestar]

Thanks guys, nice to have positive feedback after all that work! Phil has been a massive help with kit parts, not only just recently, but for the last few years. He also let me mould a lot from the expensive kits like the JPS etc. so that has been much appreciated too.

I'm pushing forward again and am keen to start on the lighting systems when the detailing is done. Got a couple of unique features in mind for that!

Mike

[Wombat]

You are most welcome mate!

It's really great seeing you getting closer with it all. Even with all that reworking you seem ta do. Thing you've really done about all of that side of thing that you can do so from here on end it's all moving forward.

Is that an easter egg on that stb bay? I hope so!!

[LastBattlestar]

Not too many structural mods left now, only the bay inner trenches in aluminium C channel and the starboard bay cross arm to go! I could rebuild the long waist and engine slope but I ain't going there......again.

No, the big wheel ain't goin there LOL. But I'm pretty sure it's used on the front edge of the long lost bottom armature cover. Id still like to build that.

Mike

[Wombat]

Thats what ya say now on that area! lol

The bottom cover. Will be good to go over that with you for your take on what you see there. Theres not too much showing it clearly so i guess it's all in ones interpretation of it all really.

[LastBattlestar]

Update time again. I've been away from the build for a couple of weeks due to a heavy workload and lots of late nights and am scared I've lost the momentum again. But I did get a hell of a lot done over the last few months including the complete body underside strip down and re-detail, a total rebuild, scribe and re-detail of the head underside and resolving the difficult technical issue of the bay cross arm construction. Whew!

The model is getting close to complete on the top, port side and port half of the underside. To tell the truth, I'm procrastinating on turning her around and starting on the starboard re-detail. 12 plus years and this thing still terrifies me!

Here you go:

   

   

   

   

   

Once again, thanks Phil for all the odds and ends you have supplied. This model wouldn't be anywhere near this accurate without your help. Man, I thought I'd be helping you with your build a few years ago, how things change!

Mike

[t2sides]

Mike, you are a madman!! Wow, what an outstanding update, and incredibly IMPRESSIVE changes. You sure are making this one helluva gorgeous replica!! Your determination and non stop work on this is really inspiring!! What a GREAT JOB you continue to do on this beauty!! Keep these awesome updates coming!
-Sean

[LastBattlestar]

Hey, thanks Sean, it usually gets an annual blitz on reworking and then sits for 6 months!

BTW, can you and any others here who correspond with me via email send me your addresses? I lost all my contacts when the laptop went into meltdown and I need to get back in contact with some of.you guys!

Mike

[Wombat]

Thats not a half bad update, i guess!!

The light at the end of the tunnel is really getting bigger and much brighter now. Nice work!! The stb side will be a piece of piss since you've basicly been there beforehand doing the port.
All ya need is a bit of motivation and you'll be there!

[dbhs]

Amazing work, Mike. It's astounding how much work you've put into this. I'm sure the newly finished areas are very gratifying. Are you able to salvage and reuse most of the greeblies on these areas?

[darkimmitator]

A right fair thing of beauty right there Mike . She's a real beauty with all of those upgrades !!!

[padawan-builder]

Hey Mike,
It is looking mighty sharp these days. All those mods paying off. I guess I will throw in the towel now. Unless you undertake another major mod, I will not catch up. But, I am happy that you can now see that finish line. Keep them updates coming.

Mel

[Wombat]

Don't worry Mel, he'll be hacking something apart again before he's done...It's Mike afterall!!


You just keep plugging away there on your own and most importantly, keep us updated!!

[Wombat]

Is it 13 years now?

[peza]

eh up buddy,lookin really nice and precise!time can wait for perfection!but also a am gonna celebrate ya builds finish like my daughter gettin married!!!lolcheers mym8 only playin.....peza

[LastBattlestar]

Hah, yeah Phil, probably closer to 14 years now!

I began some re detailing on the starboard body side during my holidays, the section between the centre and rear leg, but hit a brick wall as I'm.missing a few key parts. Of course they are the bits that go down under other parts first, so I walked away and left it in disgust!

Mike

[Wombat]

13-14 whos counting?

Ya bloody close now and thats all that matters!

What parts are you needing, i may have spares?