Building The Death Star - PRODUCTION

[MonsieurTox]

for covering the light leaks out the rear I think I'd just rig up a piece of fabric on the inside to drape of the holes. That way it stll pay homage to the original but displays well while lit... I'd at least try it and see how it worked out

Jedi Dade

Now that's a good idea !! :thumbsup

[edit] Woot ! I got the 2500th post !

 

[Jedifyfe]

More boring math/numeric trivia:

The bit that I am using is a #80, measuring .14mm

The general scale of the model is 1mm = 60 feet

Hence the windows I am creating - in scale - are about 8.4 feet in diameter.

So wait....If my math is correct then that make you a nerd.








Love ya! :lol

 

[Shadowknight]

I love this project. It looks great Rob.

 

[blastmaster]

I only spent about two hours reading through this thread and just showed it to my wife and kids, this is awesome, I am amazed constantly by the talent here,
Killer,
All my best,
AL

 

[PHArchivist]

Thank you, and welcome, Al.

5,500 lights so far and done with just 60% of the lower dome!

 

[PHArchivist]

Circumference = pi x diameter where pi = 3.1416

3.1416 x 36 = 113.0976

Just writing some stuff down...


My model is 113 inches in diameter, or 2,870mm

At 60 feet per mm, it is - in scale - 172,200 feet around.

Hence, in scale, the model is 32.6 miles in diameter, or 52.5km.


Funny because many published resources put it at 120km, more than double.


By the way this also puts it at about 10 miles in diameter. According to some sources, that is the same length as the Super Star Destroyer. So the SSD would still be quite sizable compared to the Death Star.

A standard Star Destroyer would be "only" about 8cm (or 3") long. I say "only" because it is still way too big for any of the equator docking hangars.

 

[minifig]

How did you decide on the scale you used?

I know the ANH Death Star is supposed to be smaller than the Death Star mk II but this is the kind of shot 'we' all surely use as a reference point to implied size...

minifig

 

[PHArchivist]

You know, I honestly don't even remember, completely. But it was based in part (large part) on the size of the Falcon, related to its docking bay.

Scrutinizing the trench on my model, and factoring a lot of imagination, I imagined the Falcon would be about 1mm or 2mm.

Of course, this is all for fun, and subject to HUGE variability.

On the original model, the largest trench lights were between 1mm or 2mm.

I suppose we could re-think this...

The Falcon was sucked into one of the smaller bays, right? So if the largest lights on the model were 2mm, how big would the largest bays be?

The Falcon's bay (the set) was what - maybe 150 feet wide? So perhaps the largest bays were closer to 300 feet.

Which would put a millimeter closer to 100 to 200 feet.

Or, alternatively, if I am generously over-estimating the size of the Falcon juxtaposed to my model - perhaps doubling its size - then a millimeter would (again) be about 120 feet.

Again, highly subject to guess work, and all for fun. But it is fun!

 

[Bryancd]

How did you decide on the scale you used?

I know the ANH Death Star is supposed to be smaller than the Death Star mk II but this is the kind of shot 'we' all surely use as a reference point to implied size...

minifig

THIS has always bugged me. Based on the assumed scaling of that scene, the Death Star II would be IMMENSE. No way it was meant to be that big, this shot was just one of convenience.

 

[PHArchivist]

Even though my own estimates may be off by double, I totally agree with what you said about that shot.

 

[Jm419]

From what I understand, the DS 1 is supposed to be 120 km and the DS 2 is like eight times that, over 900 (0, lol) km.

 

[Bryancd]

Even at 560 miles across, in the shot where the Executor is crashing and assuming it's about 12 miles long, the curvature of the Death Star would be very apparent.

 

[Scott Graham]

Counting rivets based on what amounts to artwork that changes from shot to shot will drive you crazy!

 

[PHArchivist]

Counting rivets based on what amounts to artwork that changes from shot to shot will drive you crazy!

Oh, we know! But is is kinda fun!

 

[srspicer]

Well,

I just caught up to the last page of this thread. Whew :confused

I have just recently joined and have not been visiting much until lately. There are so many different areas on this forum to choose from. I found this subject last night and my jaw is still on the floor. I have been model building, professionally, for over thirty years. I have been asked to do some difficult subject to exacting duplication and this DS is an amazing accomplishment!

You have been driving me crazing every time you re-do a section but the end result is worth it. Looking forward to more on the lighting.

Best regards,

Scott

www.srsprototyping.com

 

[PHArchivist]

Well,

I just caught up to the last page of this thread. Whew :confused

I have just recently joined and have not been visiting much until lately. There are so many different areas on this forum to choose from. I found this subject last night and my jaw is still on the floor. I have been model building, professionally, for over thirty years. I have been asked to do some difficult subject to exacting duplication and this DS is an amazing accomplishment!

You have been driving me crazing every time you re-do a section but the end result is worth it. Looking forward to more on the lighting.

Best regards,

Scott

www.srsprototyping.com

Thanks Scott, and welcome.

It funny, looking constantly forward, it hasn't seemed all that difficult. But looking back, and realizing how much has gone into it, it can be a bit staggering.

Yes - re-doing areas is a challenge. But to me, that is how I approach the task of getting what I want in the end. That is, keep working it until it is right, and not letting up until it works. Until you hit the sweet spot where looking at the reslts you can say "Now THAT's how its supposed to look!"

 

[PHArchivist]

What's this...?

 

[dreaminspired]

wow! that's a pretty sweet shot from inside. makes me feel like i'm inside your deathstar getting ready to jump off the gantry.

 

[PHArchivist]

Its pretty cool. One of the neat things about this project - this is a view that NO ONE would ever be able to see, (except the owner of the original model), because the manner in which the original is displayed, there is no ambient light to shine in through the holes.

 

[srspicer]

Nice view.

Just a suggestion: I was in Lowes yesterday and noticed that they carry LED bulbs that fit where a regular bulb would. They will throw off less heat and boast to last 30,000 hrs. They do cost about $30.00, but would be worth it. I would think that heat from the bulbs from a prolonged display time could be an issue.

Need to see some wips of actual hole drilling. ( unless I missed them in the thread )

Scott