Search found 136 matches
- Tue May 31, 2011 9:53 am
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Place to buy greebles?
- Replies: 30
- Views: 84306
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...
- Wed May 18, 2011 2:26 pm
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Looking for How to scratchbuild Moveable Joints
- Replies: 17
- Views: 31013
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 ...
- Thu May 12, 2011 11:44 am
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Making Staright/Neat Panel lines?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 34637
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...
- Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:46 pm
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Greebilizing...
- Replies: 47
- Views: 128296
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...
- Tue Apr 26, 2011 8:26 pm
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: New Scratch Builds
- Replies: 9
- Views: 14535
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...
- Fri Apr 22, 2011 1:07 pm
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Scratchbuilding an Eclipse-class SSD
- Replies: 3
- Views: 6418
- Thu Mar 17, 2011 9:42 am
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: *Functional* brass and aluminum cylinders
- Replies: 8
- Views: 9689
- Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:40 pm
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: *Functional* brass and aluminum cylinders
- Replies: 8
- Views: 9689
- Wed Feb 16, 2011 9:32 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: spotlighting pl refit enterprise 1/350
- Replies: 6
- Views: 7364
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, ...
- Mon Jan 31, 2011 9:12 am
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: This may be usefull to someone...
- Replies: 4
- Views: 9871
- Fri Jan 28, 2011 10:09 am
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: This may be usefull to someone...
- Replies: 4
- Views: 9871
- Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:17 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Installing upgrade parts?
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3819
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...
- Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:50 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Filling pinholes and bubbles in resin
- Replies: 12
- Views: 15540
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...
- Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:19 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: need 5.5" round cold cathode source!
- Replies: 4
- Views: 4311
- Mon Nov 22, 2010 12:00 pm
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: 3d Printers?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 31155
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...
- Sat Sep 25, 2010 12:31 pm
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Help fixing the angle on a warp pylon?
- Replies: 4
- Views: 8407
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...
- Sat Sep 25, 2010 12:11 pm
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Best source/kit for engine bells?
- Replies: 14
- Views: 16540
- Thu Sep 23, 2010 11:19 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: those of you that use a syringe for glue
- Replies: 4
- Views: 3901
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...
- Fri Sep 03, 2010 11:58 am
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Tank Wheels
- Replies: 6
- Views: 9265
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...
- Thu Aug 26, 2010 10:17 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Looking for triangular rods
- Replies: 3
- Views: 2426
- Thu Aug 26, 2010 10:04 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Rounding misaligned resin parts
- Replies: 9
- Views: 7256
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...
- Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:35 am
- Forum: Lighting & Electronics
- Topic: Drill Bits
- Replies: 7
- Views: 7843
- Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:29 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Making Clear Windows
- Replies: 62
- Views: 237243
- Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:14 am
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Cheap Styrene
- Replies: 65
- Views: 110764
.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...
- Thu Aug 05, 2010 9:52 am
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Antenna Dishes
- Replies: 33
- Views: 58455
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...
- Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:57 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Tight test fit on resin parts leads to panic... help
- Replies: 5
- Views: 4877
- Mon Jul 19, 2010 10:58 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Scroll or band saw
- Replies: 13
- Views: 13713
- Fri Jul 16, 2010 1:59 pm
- Forum: Scratchbuilding
- Topic: Plasticard fuselage marking/etching/engraving
- Replies: 6
- Views: 11642
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...
- Fri Jul 09, 2010 11:49 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Question about joining styrene at angles
- Replies: 21
- Views: 20243
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...
- Thu Jul 08, 2010 10:03 am
- Forum: Construction
- Topic: Question about joining styrene at angles
- Replies: 21
- Views: 20243
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 ...