Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Whatever you do, don't buy any 1/72 scale tank kits. *wink* I did so, while investigating building a half studio scale Blockade Runner. They're relatively cheap, and even cheaper if catch them on sale. If you get any of the recent new releases, from Revell Germany or DML, you'll find they are very n...

For scratchbuilders, some of you need a bit more imagination. I've created all kinds of moveable joints. Mostly hinges, but some are no wider than a section of tube. Making hinges isn't a lot different from standard scratchbuilding, with one caveat. Smear the smallest drop of superglue in the wrong ...

IMHO, the best scriber I've ever bought is the one from Mission Models. It comes in a not-so-inexpensive set, but its worth the money. The smallest width scriber is a finely honed steel point, the others are actually pull gouges. The scriber set is compatible with the micro-chisel(s), which is anoth...

I'm a little late to the conversation here, but I'd like to say something about panel detail. I believe that panel detail is apart of the concept, since the FX miniatures of 2001 were the first, certainly the best example, until maybe Star Wars, maybe, of using panel detail to demonstrate exterior t...

It was interesting that I had written this some 12 years ago. But for the most part, its still very applicable. http://www.starshipmodeler.com/tech/aj_scratch.htm This article also has some great ideas. http://www.starshipmodeler.com/tech/my_scratch.htm Scratchbuilding is a mix of planning and probl...

Here is one rule of thumb, anything over 24" or 60cm quickly becomes unwieldy in several different ways. First off, flipping it over to work on the top vs. the bottom becomes a non-trivial effort. Not necessarily heroic, but its not like flipping a 1/72 P-51 over to install the landing gear. So...

I build most of what I need using the telescopic K&S brass rod and tubing. I've built a ships crane, and a retractable ships mast using the K&S product to simulate hydraulics. :8) And Evergreen tubing, while not as robust nor as refined as K&S tubing, also works. I've built several item...

I build most of what I need using the telescopic K&S brass rod and tubing. I've built a ships crane, and a retractable ships mast using the K&S product to simulate hydraulics. :8) And Evergreen tubing, while not as robust nor as refined as K&S tubing, also works. I've built several item...

I have narrowed them down to 1mm also. Using a Unimate lathe and a jewelrs file. Before the lathe I had turned them down by chucking them in a drill secured with a bench vice. The type of drill used is handy if it has a trigger setting to stay ON . Before all this fancy gear had lockable triggers, ...

[quote="ajmadison" Though the attached modeling article, written in French! Not surprising as it's a French company. Incidentally, the Bing translation is rather quaint. ...tells me the resolution is in the millimeter range, which isn't quite there for the scratch builds I do. 0.1mm is ab...

Interesting yes. And I'm always interested in knowing the price points of CNC or 3D "printing" of parts. Alas, wish these guys were more upfront about the resolution of the parts they produce. Though the attached modeling article, written in French!, tells me the resolution is in the milli...

When cutting a hole or removing a section go smaller than the final desired result. It is easier to chop a smaller hole then slowly widen it the final size with scraping, sanding or filing than to cut it the exact size then have to fill gaps if anything turns out rough or not perfect. Also, use a t...

That is nasty! One thing that will work is to fill holes like that with baking soda and then solidify it with crazy glue. You can flatten and do some shaping of the powder as you are packing it in. I've never had problems with this method-I have one model that's 10 or 11 years old and is still soli...

Not sure if its the same thing, but I picked up one of those lighting kits from an Auto Parts store that had a pair of "bulbs" at the dimension you stated. For a quick & dirty solution to powering the thing, turns out Radio Shack has a wall wart that converts AC into and presents a sta...

Blender (free) and skienforge if you're serious about stl printing. Especially if you're going to use a Mac (and I'm not intentionally bad mouthing the mac... I own one) do a fly before buy option with any CAD software you intend to use. I am absolutely stunned that IMSI took my money for the softw...

The trick to getting your warp nacelles to be parallel to the center axis of your starship, you need the ends of your pylons to be parallel to the center axis of the ship. To make that happen, you should first set up the nacelle end of the pylons where you want them, and coax the other end so it att...

You could also create cones or frustrums then decorate them with typical engine bell features. Coolant loops, fuel lines, and reinforcement ridges. Cones & frustrums are easy to make and because you're making them yourself, you can control exactly how big or small they are. You could also take a...

If you're squeezing CA right out of the bottle onto the model, that's the first thing you can change. But I don't use a syringe. I do occasionally use ZAP's supertips, when I need a fair amount of glue in a specific spot. Mostly, what I do is put a couple of drops on some disposable object. A yogurt...

One of the most iconic of spacecraft, the Rebel Blockade Runner (aka Tantive IV) has an incredible number of unmodified tank wheels, tank tracks, valve covers all over it. I have mixed feelings about how successful their usage is, even though this is one of my favorite movie starships of all time. I...

You didn't describe how wide each side of the rod is. In general, anything 2mm or larger, I just scratchbuild. Takes a little practice, assembling the long strips, but you'd be surprised how accurately you can cut a strip of 12" sheet. Though here's another trick I often use. I assemble against...

Frankly, you don't even need a Flex-frame, albeit the idea is the same. The one thing you want to avoid is applying a flat sanding block against your seam. Long before Flex-frame existed, I was talking long strips of wet-dry sand paper and running them back and forth at a right angle to the seam, le...

Unless you know the LHS inside & out, it pays to ask. You might be surprised about what else they carry, but isn't obvious. I asked about micro-drill bits at one store, and to my surprise, discovered they did indeed sell individual drill bits. The organizer for the drill bits was, maybe no surpr...

Its possible there's mention of this earlier in this thread, but there's also Squadron Thermoform. The process is called "heat & smash". Like the vacform method, you'll need a male blank in order to pull the main part of the canopy. But you won't need a vacformer. The process looks cru...

.060 is pretty good for making bulkheads and internal structures. Or spend another twenty bucks and also get a sheet of .080. Or .188. My local source for FOR SALE signs is going to that cheap super thin plastic. Way too flimsy IMHO. So I need to buy a sheet in the very near future. Is .060 what yo...

I tried this last night, worked pretty good. Get a real drafting compass, not the kids craft kind. Replace the pencil lead with a frisket cutting blade. This will appear to be at right angle to the line you will be cutting. Drill a small hole in whatever plastic dome or sphere you wish to use. (Hob...

Here's a tip when you've got partial adhesion, but there are gaps, or its a detail piece that's not sealed down on the corners. I prefer to have a puddle of superglue on a disposable container, like the bottom (now top) of a flipped over yogurt container. I never take an "unmodified" super...

I have a 12" Delta bandsaw, and the 16 tooth-per-inch blade does a great job. You'll want to hook it up to your shop vac, though. I have a scroll saw, too, but honestly dont use it much. This is a great tool. I've used it for wood working projects besides for modeling. Mostly for trimming up t...

As a beginning scratchbuilder, you may want to or be tempted to add all of the detail through the same kind of relief you'd find on an injected kit. Especially if you are following plans of some sort. However, even some of the very best FX miniatures, some of this intricate detail, which shows up as...

You bring up an excellent question. The cork does help grab the plastic so the ruler doesn't slide, but yes, the offset between the ruler and the styrene induces some error. I generally flip the ruler over for cuts, because for me, marking and cutting are separate operations. But the slipperiness of...

No one mentioned one of the very best ways to ensure you get the correct angle and it provides extra strength. A bracket!! Provided the interior of whatever you're building is hidden, I'll cut a series of brackets with the desired angle. And to make sure they're all the same, I'll stack them up and ...