Our Collective 5-Foot Millennium Falcon Build
- Thread starter Studio Kitbash
- Start date
I know.
I know.
I know.
I know... what you're thinking...
"That's not how the Force works, kid!"
Trust me: I know.
I've made a lot of special modifications myself...
One on each side and squeeze everything else in between. 
This is how the original model was made:
But in the photo below are balanced pieces from the Sealab. See the little nib on outer left and right of each side? That's what I was going for. So in order to make it look like right, I added the little round saucer plate at the bottom to the piece on the right:
Like so:
and then cut off one of these guys from another Sealab piece:
So the result is almost exactly like the original, but modified "just" so slightly enough that it gives a better sense of balance:
You can see/notice it when they're placed side by side like this. When they are spread out on the far port/starboard side of the upper mandala engine deck, it won't even occur to you that it's different. Or at least, that's my thinking as I make these subtle edits. I want it to be "authentic" and "original" but I also want it to be a sort of idealized version of a static model made for display, rather than a movie prop made in the usual rushed "over-budget-and-behind-schedule" mode.
But in the photo below are balanced pieces from the Sealab. See the little nib on outer left and right of each side? That's what I was going for. So in order to make it look like right, I added the little round saucer plate at the bottom to the piece on the right:
Like so:
and then cut off one of these guys from another Sealab piece:
So the result is almost exactly like the original, but modified "just" so slightly enough that it gives a better sense of balance:
You can see/notice it when they're placed side by side like this. When they are spread out on the far port/starboard side of the upper mandala engine deck, it won't even occur to you that it's different. Or at least, that's my thinking as I make these subtle edits. I want it to be "authentic" and "original" but I also want it to be a sort of idealized version of a static model made for display, rather than a movie prop made in the usual rushed "over-budget-and-behind-schedule" mode.
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manugu
Well-Known Member
Hi Studio Kitbash,
I like your aproach!
(although it's still not symmetric - ducks and runs)
It's still not symmetric -- THAT'S what I like about it -- it actually "keeps" the ILM intentional "symmetrical assymetry" while still making it a bit more "balanced."
Sneak attack... You did a very nice job getting that off so clean, and gluing up Read.
P.S. You must have too many SeaLab parts! LOL
P.S. You must have too many SeaLab parts! LOL
Right side: final draft
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Closer look at the final draft version:
Still a few tweaks/perfections/accurizing I'm going to do before installation, but this is the gist of it.
Still a few tweaks/perfections/accurizing I'm going to do before installation, but this is the gist of it.
This is the tool:
That I've found quite useful...
for shaving a constant angle on the compound curvature of your upper mandala engine deck edges:
Resulting in a nice machined look...
That's fairly continuous all the way down the edge...
It's the Logan brand handheld mat cutter for art framing, but it's basically a jig that holds a razor blade at a constant angle. You have to make over 100 passes per side, as it "shaves" off only a tiny bit of acrylic with each pass -- and thus a plunge router with an angled chamfer bit would probably do it a LOT quicker -- but the advantage with the mat cutter is that you have near perfect control on the result, and it's pretty satisfying to "work" the material into shape.
One added bonus is that you can do it at the kitchen table and there's no toxic smell or fumes to deal with. And the cutter has a "retracted" setting so nothing gets accidentally cut when moving it around.
If you do decide to go this route, do yourself a favor and buy extra Logan razor blades before you begin -- I chewed up both ends of the one I used, and probably could have gotten it done a LOT faster if I had a fresh blade for every 20 passes or so.
That I've found quite useful...
for shaving a constant angle on the compound curvature of your upper mandala engine deck edges:
Resulting in a nice machined look...
That's fairly continuous all the way down the edge...
It's the Logan brand handheld mat cutter for art framing, but it's basically a jig that holds a razor blade at a constant angle. You have to make over 100 passes per side, as it "shaves" off only a tiny bit of acrylic with each pass -- and thus a plunge router with an angled chamfer bit would probably do it a LOT quicker -- but the advantage with the mat cutter is that you have near perfect control on the result, and it's pretty satisfying to "work" the material into shape.
One added bonus is that you can do it at the kitchen table and there's no toxic smell or fumes to deal with. And the cutter has a "retracted" setting so nothing gets accidentally cut when moving it around.
If you do decide to go this route, do yourself a favor and buy extra Logan razor blades before you begin -- I chewed up both ends of the one I used, and probably could have gotten it done a LOT faster if I had a fresh blade for every 20 passes or so.
There, I fixed it.
Cue the Frank Sinatra...
This is, in my experience so far, the trickiest and most complex maintenance pit of them all, with not only dozens and dozens of individual greeblies to place just right, and not only multiple pipes of multiple sizes to trick/fool your eye, but also a variety of height, depth, and width relationships that are extremely tricky -- and I'm not saying I got it right, as you'll see I clearly put in my own Easter eggs and added a few hanging pipes where I thought it looked better, and thus my "Frank Sinatra" defense. Who knows, I may redo the whole thing, but for now I'm liking it and think that buried deep within the Falcon you won't notice anything but maybe one or two of my heresies...
And yes, there are missing greeblies. I'm still looking for a few final details.
This is, in my experience so far, the trickiest and most complex maintenance pit of them all, with not only dozens and dozens of individual greeblies to place just right, and not only multiple pipes of multiple sizes to trick/fool your eye, but also a variety of height, depth, and width relationships that are extremely tricky -- and I'm not saying I got it right, as you'll see I clearly put in my own Easter eggs and added a few hanging pipes where I thought it looked better, and thus my "Frank Sinatra" defense. Who knows, I may redo the whole thing, but for now I'm liking it and think that buried deep within the Falcon you won't notice anything but maybe one or two of my heresies...
And yes, there are missing greeblies. I'm still looking for a few final details.
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Mockup time...
Nothing decided.
Nothing glued.
Nothing permanent.
Just getting a feel for the parts-to-the-whole ratio with dry test-fitting...
Nothing decided.
Nothing glued.
Nothing permanent.
Just getting a feel for the parts-to-the-whole ratio with dry test-fitting...
Looks great Read! “I love it when a plan comes together.”
Gotta get the kids over there and pick for kit parts on the floor. We’re too old to be bending over that far, don’t throw your back out! ; o)
As the Kool-Aid man would say, "Oh yeah!!!!"
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