Repainting a MPC Millennium Falcon ***FINISHED*** with tons of pictures
- Thread starter JediMichael
- Start date
JediMichael
Master Member
Thanks. Getting close to finishing, as is the kitchen rebuild. Be nice to get everything cleaned up...so I can start 5 more projects....lol.
JediMichael
Master Member
Starting to get these decals on in areas I know are finished painting.
Tiny little guys.
Few are so little, and in an area where the detailing on the MPC is different than the Bandai and wouldn't quite fit. So a few I can really skip.
Tiny little guys.
Few are so little, and in an area where the detailing on the MPC is different than the Bandai and wouldn't quite fit. So a few I can really skip.
Paul H Edd
Member
Hi,
There's some nice work and help already but I'll add my thoughts. I'm coming to prop making fron scale model background. Firstly adding lighting kits bring Sci-fi ship builds to life inho. I'm uk based and Captain Jack's do some great kits and Falcon specific from just engines to full interior lens and fibre optics. Very helpful too.
I tend to buy older kits from 90's mostly 1/24 scale aircraft but moving across to just sci fi as list interest in aircraft. Detail or lack of it can be an issue but I either scratch build or live with it as its an old kit. I use cyano glues as revel contacta tends to melt older plastics. It's also as strong if not stronger than the plastic. Rocket do a thick cyano that fills small gaps and has 45 second repositioning time.
Weathering products like the flory range are ideal to pick out and enhance details, there's a great range, several ideal for Sci-fi ships. Before weathering decide how worn you want the finished ship to look from pristine to having done the Kessel run under fire!
I've applied weathering products with brushes, bits of sponge, q tips and airbrush. It's choosing the right one for the particular area and build it up. One thing I've discovered is weathering becomes easier to see flaws as the scales drop. My current 1:1 pulse rifle being so much more difficult to get realistic effects than a 1/24 spitfire where I could add rust to exhaust tips and oil stainingfollowing airflow with relative ease.
Good luck, there are quite a few weathering products out there including tamiyas range of powder types which give great effects and easily bought. Scratchbuikding extra detail can be very rewarding, not always and card templates can save a lot of grief.
The Falcon a favourite ship of mine and will watch with interest.
Paul
There's some nice work and help already but I'll add my thoughts. I'm coming to prop making fron scale model background. Firstly adding lighting kits bring Sci-fi ship builds to life inho. I'm uk based and Captain Jack's do some great kits and Falcon specific from just engines to full interior lens and fibre optics. Very helpful too.
I tend to buy older kits from 90's mostly 1/24 scale aircraft but moving across to just sci fi as list interest in aircraft. Detail or lack of it can be an issue but I either scratch build or live with it as its an old kit. I use cyano glues as revel contacta tends to melt older plastics. It's also as strong if not stronger than the plastic. Rocket do a thick cyano that fills small gaps and has 45 second repositioning time.
Weathering products like the flory range are ideal to pick out and enhance details, there's a great range, several ideal for Sci-fi ships. Before weathering decide how worn you want the finished ship to look from pristine to having done the Kessel run under fire!
I've applied weathering products with brushes, bits of sponge, q tips and airbrush. It's choosing the right one for the particular area and build it up. One thing I've discovered is weathering becomes easier to see flaws as the scales drop. My current 1:1 pulse rifle being so much more difficult to get realistic effects than a 1/24 spitfire where I could add rust to exhaust tips and oil stainingfollowing airflow with relative ease.
Good luck, there are quite a few weathering products out there including tamiyas range of powder types which give great effects and easily bought. Scratchbuikding extra detail can be very rewarding, not always and card templates can save a lot of grief.
The Falcon a favourite ship of mine and will watch with interest.
Paul
JediMichael
Master Member
I actually prefer scratch building, but theres also plenty of things I wouldn't know how to do. Like this Falcon, that would be more than I would want to do. Any curve shape is where I mostly wouldn't be able to do so well.
Lighting a model can be tricky, but also make it look good. My biggest issue is, I NEVER turn the lights on, other than to show someone....and then half the time the batteries are dead.
I built this Battlecruiser from the PC game, Starcraft a few years back. Its the biggest scratch build I've ever done.
StarCraft BattleCruiser (Scratchbuilt) FINISHED - Now with a ton of pics.
Heres a project I've been thinking of working on for a while. Couldn't find any models from this game other then a 3D printed one. Between the 2 games, I'm basing this more on the first game, although I will still change up some stuff depending on what looks best. The remastered HD version of...
www.therpf.com
As for painting and weathering stuff. So many tons of ways to do something, with people giving different ways to also do things. Plenty times its like, oh yeah, thats a good idea. But more times than not, I just stick to what I'm comfortable with, and, something about using the cheap acrylic paint just hand brushed on and trying to look as good as other more professional ways is like a challenge to me.
Redoing this Falcon is also more or less a test to see how it turns out, so some day in the future I could actually attempt the Bandai PG. I'm in no rush....and if I were to never get to it, not a big deal really.
JediMichael
Master Member
Thats true also. Some yeah, it can really help the detailing, but other times, you just want to get it done.
I've only used the battery pack led Christmas lights so far, which work. Its just finding that spot for the on and off switch and being able to easily.
On the Battlecruiser, the switch was here. Although, I had to glue on some styrene to make it stick out. So theres always that possibility in the future it could break off.
Once done, the switch blended in pretty well. But yeah, most the time, just easier not not have lights.
JediMichael
Master Member
I've taken the last 2 days and been trying to clean the house up a bit.
With the kitchen still not complete, can't fully clean it all, but, getting everything dusted really good and mainly, FINALLY got around to hanging my Imperial Shuttle and Batwing.
Originally I had fishing string around the models and tied to screws, which made hanging them a bit tough.
I now hang the strings tied to this keychain ring, which hooks on this hook, making it much easier to remove. (Like to dust)
From this angle that old MPC kit doesn't look quite as bad.
In this corner.
Batwing in the other corner. My car collection was so dusty, mainly from the kitchen being torn out.
So I'm thinking when I finish this Falcon, to hang in this area where the red dot is. (Few dots) Try to hang at an angle so you can see front from the right of the room, and back side from the left. I'll see once I get that far....getting close.
With the kitchen still not complete, can't fully clean it all, but, getting everything dusted really good and mainly, FINALLY got around to hanging my Imperial Shuttle and Batwing.
Originally I had fishing string around the models and tied to screws, which made hanging them a bit tough.
I now hang the strings tied to this keychain ring, which hooks on this hook, making it much easier to remove. (Like to dust)
From this angle that old MPC kit doesn't look quite as bad.
In this corner.
Batwing in the other corner. My car collection was so dusty, mainly from the kitchen being torn out.
So I'm thinking when I finish this Falcon, to hang in this area where the red dot is. (Few dots) Try to hang at an angle so you can see front from the right of the room, and back side from the left. I'll see once I get that far....getting close.
JediMichael
Master Member
Thanks. I like getting things a bit more straightened out.
The walls are already a bit yellow/creamish. I'm thinking maybe I'll change all the light bulbs from their yellow tent to a more cool white tint. That might help lighten up the room as well as cut down the yellow look.
Having the kitchen, which is directly behind me, painted a better color than that old deep yellow has already helped SO much.
First of all: THANK YOU for documenting your progress. There is a wonderful learning experience for both you and for us, watching you troubleshoot along the way.
Second: I had this model kit back in the day received from a friend, and from what I recall the pieces were just "wonky" and did not fit well; that way from MPC. I was painting or repainting and eventually just had "done enough," so I REALLY enjoy your perseverance!
Third: Are you going to accent the multiple panel lines (either with a black wash, or Gundam fine point panel line marker, or even with a mechanical pencil?) I find it makes a HUGE difference in the "real-ness" of the model when done.
Anyway, I LOVE the progress here and it will be a REALLY nice AMT/ MPC Falcon when complete!
Second: I had this model kit back in the day received from a friend, and from what I recall the pieces were just "wonky" and did not fit well; that way from MPC. I was painting or repainting and eventually just had "done enough," so I REALLY enjoy your perseverance!
Third: Are you going to accent the multiple panel lines (either with a black wash, or Gundam fine point panel line marker, or even with a mechanical pencil?) I find it makes a HUGE difference in the "real-ness" of the model when done.
Anyway, I LOVE the progress here and it will be a REALLY nice AMT/ MPC Falcon when complete!
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JediMichael
Master Member
I totally didn't see your comment til just now.
Thanks. I was totally intimidated on how to even tackle this whole thing. But just going at it little by little, its turning out pretty good, for all that MPC wonkyness like you said.
As far as darkening the panels. Looking at all the studio model pics of the 5 footer, I really cannot see any pics in which they marked them. Of course most these pics are of the model now or probably the last 10ish years, so a lot has faded, so its hard to really tell for sure. Unless someone shares a good quality picture from 1976/77.
At the most, a VERY light color, as I feel too many people use to dark of a color, which to me, just doesn't look good, or at the least, not how the studio scale photos look. (as of today)
I'll see. Might try a test in photoshop to decide first.
JediMichael
Master Member
Heres a pic I found off google. (along with others)
Some of these close up shots, I don't know enough of the difference between the 5 footer and 32 inch, but this was labeled as the 5 footer.
This, and even the angled photo above, to me it looks like they did not do much with the panel lines, and the lighting is more just creating shadows in them.
I still do like seeing everyones different take on how they paint it. Each one its own type of style while still being the Falcon, just a different point of view.
Some of these close up shots, I don't know enough of the difference between the 5 footer and 32 inch, but this was labeled as the 5 footer.
This, and even the angled photo above, to me it looks like they did not do much with the panel lines, and the lighting is more just creating shadows in them.
I still do like seeing everyones different take on how they paint it. Each one its own type of style while still being the Falcon, just a different point of view.
Sym-Cha
Master Member
These next 2 pictures should help you to position all those tags or tiny hash marks that are all over the place, tip do use a good waterproof fine-liner :
Excuse me for uploading such large files but I did not want to loose any details ... especially of all those hash marks
Chaïm
Excuse me for uploading such large files but I did not want to loose any details ... especially of all those hash marks
Chaïm
JediMichael
Master Member
Thanks. I do have these pics, but much lower quality, so this should help a lot.These next 2 pictures should help you to position all those tags or tiny hash marks that are all over the place, tip do use a good waterproof fine-liner :
View attachment 1715745
View attachment 1715746
Excuse me for uploading such large files but I did not want to loose any details ... especially of all those hash marks
Chaïm
I was also able to find the Bandai guide in high res, but only the top side. I have the bottom, but its also lower res. So between those and this, it will help.
I haven't really even checked and gotten that far yet, but I expect the sides would have some decals here and there.
