Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

But I find that each type of modelling has it's 'sticky' points. OOB - I'm trying (usually) to produce something fairly close to what the box cover-art depicts. Scratchbuild - I have to decide what the cover-art is - and then make that . Welcome to spaceship design, 101. My name is Captain Grebblie...

Most details are very fun to make- but when you know what the details are for... the most successful details I have ever done are the ones where the parts actually represent some purpose on the craft. That is another reason why I emphasize the drawing/blueprint. Most of the time, I have to look furt...

Well- the point I was trying to make is that before you decided what this was going to be - you made THIS , which is, by most standards, a blueprint or drawing of the structure for the model- entailing how it would ultimately go together and look. You knew what you were going for- a very helpful bit...

Ok... Say your cutting up all these little plastic strips to mount all over a starship hull. Putting them in random places and all that. How and where do you put them to make the ship look good and not ..."Fake". Somehow in some places...it just doesnt look right to me. Should I use tubin...

After seeing the DeathStarI build on the Props site... I think I would reserve any photoetching for the interior widgets. There was a guy there in that string that had good photos of the DeathStarII, which showed an incredible amount of detailing in both the surface cutaway, and the interior parts- ...

Photo etching parts is one way, however the entire structure would have to be covered with amazingly detailed etchings- something that can get very tedious- and is not altogether without cost. I could see how you might be able to make several large patterns that you simply repeat over and over- to m...

Hah! I never thought of that. It might take a lot of heat though, since its going to be around 20 inches long. How would you recommend I clamp the two pieces together over that distance, so that it is perfectly in the middle? TazMan2000 If you are soldering a long line use several techniques at onc...

For circle cutting I cut from the same angle and take my time- turn the sheet often, and always use a sharp blade. Patience. I try not to cut too deep early into the cutting, I can't really use a template, and circle cutters only go so deep- But they can start you off. Ninety percent of the circle i...

Is Building Out of a Box Really Difficult? I don't think so- but the focus shifts from "making exactly what you need" to "fitting what you have". I find that the quality of kits is often below what I would like to see in a model kit these days... I don't really know if that is b...

HEY! I just found the comic book dividers on eBay! :shock: They come in magazine size too! - Leelan Thank-you Leelan, I didn't want to have to outright spell it... and somehow I feel ashamed that I didn't now... I just did a search on Yahoo, Google and Bing, they all gave me about 10 good choices f...

I'd use tin foil- glue it into place, or plaster the back and then use that to vacu-form styrene... but foil make the best dents, even if it takes a little practice, but look at it this way- one sheet goes a long way!
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BCW Supplies has gone up in prices! ya! They now cost a lot more, I bought mine about 5 years ago, and the cost has nearly tripled and they no longer sell in reams... go figure. http://www.bcwsupplies.com/products/Comic-Accessories/Comic-Book-Dividers.htm --------------------------------------------...

This is really an advanced scratch building topic, but I use superglue almost exclusively, precisely because it doesn't have good sheer strength, and because it takes several seconds to cure. Because alignment is usually so critical, especially with the much smaller scale of the projects I pursue, ...

I looked through this board and didn't find it so here's my tip for a cheap source of styrene. When I am doing a project and need to laminate a part or build up say a vehicle side I get a few For Sale signs at Walmart. For less than half the price for bag of Evergreen plastic sheets I have all I ne...

Primer/Sealers Straight primers are designed to provide a surface that paint bonds to. Sealers are designed to fill imperfections and provide a barrier between the surface and the paint. Different surfaces require different sealers, most metals require at least a enamel sealer, if not an epoxy seale...

I got started on scratchbuilding because of the special effects in Star Wars, seeing all the wonderful models growing up, wanting to make my own... finally getting to- HA! Most of my stuff has been less than epic in its quality, but the journey is what counts! Scratchbuilding is something that I res...

I love the Millenium Falcon! One of the best Star Wars icons of all time!

You have done a 1st Class job on your model! Awesome!!!

Big ol' Box of Stuff? Never has there been a bigger understatement. I have boxes and boxes of parts, trinkets, whosee-what-its, thing-a-ma-bobs, doo-dads, and dingle-hoppers. I have several boxes of old VCR's waiting to be taken apart, and several boxes of taken apart VCR's, seperated by material- p...

BTW- I did try CAD- 3-D programs seem to run out of polygons before I finish the model! Even then I need to do a thumb just so I know what it is I am spending my time on- for most people, time is the most valuable thing we have! If you haven't an idea- then your just playing around till you find som...

My inspiration comes from within mostly- But for when I am looking for directions to go in, I usually Google "starships", or "spacecraft" or anything that relates to what I am in the mood for. I am an artist (for the past fifteen year) and I have always started with a thumbnail d...

Thanks Mike! I have a ship design that I have been sitting on for literally YEARS but never gotten off the ground- that looks just like the part I need to base the engines on... Now- off to the Walgreens!