scratchbuilding a canopy....HELP!

Lonnie Sweet · Post by **Lonnie Sweet** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:48 am

Hi Guys, I need a little help with instructions on building a canopy. Are there any online guides or tutorials, or even words of advice. I think its a a case of overthinking something, but I want it to be similar to an x-wing style canopy but sleeker. I just can't seem to come up with the how or even where to start.

Rogviler · Post by **Rogviler** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:55 am

I guess the first place to start would be to decide if it's going to be made up of flat panels or if it's going to be curved in some way. Panels are easier, but with a simple curved shape you can do the old trick of heating up some clear plastic and smooshing it down over your mold. The next step up would be vacuum forming...

-Rog

Post by **TER-OR** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:56 pm

The only times I've done it were for vacuforming (or thermoforming my own work). I'd build the master, attach to a base which could easily be discerned when looking at the vac piece. Symmetry is the really tricky part (as usual). For a frame and panel type, you probably still want to make a buck (blank master) and then place your framing parts over that - styrene strip works best, I've found. Then you can cut and place panels on the inside - or work the opposite way where you place all the clear bits temporarily on the buck and then frame that.

Joseph C. Brown · Post by **Joseph C. Brown** » Tue Jan 04, 2011 11:55 pm

PetarB did an awesome job of making a custom canopy, detailed here:

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.p ... opic=28650

Treadhead · Post by **Treadhead** » Thu Jan 06, 2011 4:36 pm

Joseph C. Brown wrote:PetarB did an awesome job of making a custom canopy, detailed here:

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.p ... opic=28650

PetarB is a genius. I wish he'd get back to work on that Crusher Joe ship that he'd started a while back. That little gem was too cool for words