Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

The problem with camera iris's are the rarely close all the way down. Even if you modify the sliding joints you'll run into binding issues. Have you tried American Scientific Surplus? http://www.sciplus.com/ Well, them closing all the way isn't really an issue. I can copy the petals onto brass and ...

Actually, the best solution would be photoetch. I found a nice set of plans for an iris that is compact and would translate well to brass. I think I'll see if I can learn photoetching techniques and make them myself.

Yeah, but I need 11 of them and they need to be identical. I'll look into it, though.

I was looking online last night for mechanical irises for a Traveller starship I'm wanting to build. I'd like them to actually work, so I can hook them up to servos. But everything seems to be either expensive or custom jobs. I need 11 of them, and I think I'd go crazy if I had to build them all by ...

Did you at least keep the engine I made?

I know I saw these things pop up on eBay once, but they're gone now and I'd like to use them to light the Galactica's name plate. I looked on Oznium and SuperBrightLEDs, but the ones they had were too big. I need those really tiny ones, the ones that are about 1mmx2mm, and I don't have a soldering s...

I was thinking about resin casting, and it occurred to me that pressure casting is potentially dangerous, because I've heard of people having bad experiences with exploding pressure pots. Then I started to think about centrifuges and how they pull all the liquid to the bottom of the container. Would...

I did leave it open for lighting. I was planning on putting it in myself before life got in the way.

What are your plans with it, K?

It was black primer for light-blocking.

I was painting with XF-12 IJN Gray. I used alcohol to thin it.

Same here. Okay, I'll just send it to Kalhan and he can work on it for a month, then we'll continue as planned. Sound good?

Tap water will screw with the chemical bonds holding the paint to the model. Alcohol is a far better choice. Also, the paint wasn't evaporating before it hit the model; it just lacked the opacity that enamels have. And I already knew why it sputtered: the ratio of alcohol to paint was too low. Reall...

I've been painting on my Enterprise model for nearly an hour with Tamiya acrylics, and only have the saucer covered. And I wouldn't even say covered... it's more like, "Well, I have paint on it... it's blotchy and uneven, but at least it has paint on." If I had been painting with enamels a...

I'm terribly sorry about the long wait. I've been basically broke for the last three weeks and couldn't afford to ship anything. Luckily the paycheck I got last Friday finally managed to put me in the black and now I can afford to ship it off. Who should I ship it to?

so any pics of how it sits?? can't wait to see another transformation! kind of makes me think of dr. who regenerating. Here are some pics as it stands. First, an overall view of the model as it is now. Here are a couple of pics of the exposed engine so that you know how it all fits together: http:/...

It's going fairly well, though the last several days I've had a very little time because I had to take over approximately one third the hours of another guy who got fired for being an idiot (word to the wise: don't blow up firecrackers at work or operate a garbage compactor when you're underage...)....

I got some work done on the cockpit today. It's not done yet, but I figure after tomorrow evening I'll have it pretty much finished. It just took so long to figure out what I wanted to do with it. At one point I even had the notion to switch the scale to 1:72, but the details on the engines and the ...

This is just to give you guys an idea of how fast I can work when I'm a) under a time constraint and b) have complete creative freedom. I've finished building the exposed engine. :D I think you guys are going to like the results: Side view and front view of the engine. I had a tone of fun crafting t...

Patience, my friend. I've been plugging away at this and that section, and when I have some decent shots I'll post them. :) I do think I can tell you what I plan on doing with it, though. My intention is to create a detailed interior, and with my speed at doing detail work I don't think this is such...

I've decided to work on it today. That long piece of ship decking reminded me of deck plating, and I think I can make a short hallway into the bowels of the ship leading away from a bubble canopy cockpit in the front. I'm not sure if I want to make the cockpit on the nose or in the middle, though I'...

No worries, I have it. :D And I will probably start working on it as soon as I get back home from my parents' house. Man, I love what has been done so far! I'm going to make a cockpit for it and possible a small interior, at least. Maybe a lighting system, seeing as how I have a huge number of LEDs ...

I think you're approaching the problem the wrong way. If I understand what you're wanting to do, you want to make tiny rectangular holes for lighting, most likely windows. Don't make the holes that small. It will be a waste of effort because you can never get them that small and be perfectly uniform...

I never do it these days. My experience tells me that if I do that I will end up with a terribly weak joint.

I'm curious as well.

Cool!

Awesome. I heard from April that you're having some trouble getting things off the ground, but hopefully they'll be sorted out by the time it's my turn.

I've been having a few real life issues, but I am still good to go. I'll PM Raser my address.

I'm not sure if I will be going to Wonderfest or not, so let's assume for the moment that I won't be. Finances are tight as usual, so my traveling expenses have been cut.

I have a nice little Iwata Revolution, and I've been meaning to get it fixed for some time. Like, for the last couple of years... :oops: I know Iwata fixes airbrushes, but I've been wanting a second one for a while. The Sotor 20/20 I got from Wonderfest is nice, but the capacity is too small for the...

I'd love to get in on this again. I loved the first two, and it would be cool to be a part of it again now that my skills have improved to more impressive levels.

Hmm. Is this one a good mill? http://www.micromark.com/MicroLux-High-Precision-Heavy-Duty-R8-Miniature-Milling-Machine,9616.html?sc=WGB&utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=GoogleBase&gclid=CjwKEAjwheqgBRD5vOfR45az5AESJABy4m8-GTVg6SOQiENjmMmEpYKbd1iSJcb_SE5sP0FZBha5FRoC...

Let's say less than $1k per tool for "inexpensive". I know a good tool will run me a pretty penny, but I don't want to dedicate all the space cash I have for the next four months to getting a mill and a lathe.