Star Wars GB Episode II CLOSED

Señormodeler,

That falcon looks outstanding lighted. Can't wait to see it finished! Hope my x-wing looks as good! Great job!

Thanks, Bruce.

Bish, here's the link to Madman Lighting. They have different packages for different models. They all come with a controller chip and the only thing you need is a wire wrapping tool. Wire wrapping is an alternative to soldering. Some say it's not as good but I think for us guys with little experience soldering it's just fine.

Also if you just have a couple of lights, you can power it with batteries instead of a wall adapter. Since I have so many lights, it would take 12 AA batteries to keep the lights on and only then for 10 hours or so. I plan on plugging my wall adapter into a timer so that they come on at night for a few hours. I only wish I could add sound. It would be fun if the lights came on accompanied by the sound of the falcon taking off. I could do that with an arduino probably.

Adding lights and sound for me would be mixing business with pleasure. I solder, test and repair printer motherboards all day at HP. The soldering I do is surface mount through a microscope, some of the components are smaller than a pinhead. Lighting? Not for me brother.

That lighting on the Falcon is impressive.  Most impressive.

Sorry Señormodeler,

I didn't mean I didn't like the lighting. Hope you didn't get the wrong impression. 

That is impressive work, Not easily done, looks VERY nice. 

I just meant It's too much work for me because I know what has to go into it.

I'll shut up now to keep my foot from going further in my mouth.

Señormodeler, really impressive work on the lighting.

Modelcrazy, I knew what you meant. I lol'd at your post. 

Bish, yes please put me down for the Interceptor and I'll add something more challenging later. 

Senor, thanks for that info. I think you forgot to add the link.

Bruce, added you to the roster.

I'll be building Anakin's Pod Racer from Ep1.

Glad to have you on board Octane.

Hi all,  just checking in and am looking forward to starting in the new year!!!

Also,  stikpusher...I haven't seen that in years...love that video...

I will definitely be checking out the Destroyer upgrades on Avery...thanks for that link...

Bish,  I think if you did Ep XIII and IX, it would be great...consider that there will likely be new kits after this Ep VII...did everyone notice the redesign on the x-wing in the trailer (OF COURSE this crew probably noticed...you noticed the radar dish on the falcon in under a second of screen time...we all have a sickness!!!!   )

Here is a repost of my kit still in the box!!!  Can't wait!!!

 

That's my thinking as well Ken. I missed the re design on the X-Wing, will have to go back and check. I am sure there will be some nice new machines and mods of older ones.

Nice looking kit Ken, looking forward to that.

Ok Bish, I just picked up an old (1983) MPC Return of the Jedi Speeder bike, in unopened box. I've never seen one up close, and there is no scale on box, but it says its 12" when finished. If that will do for the first attempt... Count me in!.

Thanks

Doug

Thanks Bish, I am looking forward to it.

Does anyone know if the Arvey Devastator kit 3-002 that was posted is to 1/4222 scale like my AMT kit?

Most importantly, do the parts, especially the side rails add more accurate detail than the kit provides?  The website is lacking in detail, so any information is appreciated!

There was another kit for this model a long time ago in a galaxy far far away that did accurize my kit, but is no longer available. Hoping to find something else to help with the accuracy.  Even the deflector dome kits seem to be no more.  Else, I'll have to get creative which can sometimes work out pretty good.

Any tips are appreciated.

I knew what you meant, modelcrazy. No worries. I wouldn't mix business and pleasure either.

Bish, here's the link to the lighting kits I was talking about:

home.comcast.net/.../ourproducts.html

Thanks for the nice comments, Silentbob and Raven. Hopefully all will continue to go smoothly and the lights will look good in the end. I had a short circuit which now causes 6 of the LEDs to flicker randomly. I'm ordering a new board ($17) to replace the one I have. I hope that fixed the problem.

And for something completely different, but really cool!

Tie Fighter Accident

hogfanfs

And for something completely different, but really cool!

Tie Fighter Accident

O I like that, that's funny.

Senor, thanks for that. Some interesting ones there. I have the Bird of prey kit, might be nice to light that up.

Doug, looking forward to seeing that. That one of my few original builds that has survived. Must be about 15 years old new. The biggest issue I have had is the stand, I have lost count as to how many times I have repaired it. I have recently bought 2 more of the Airfix boxing. one I want to do in the proper colurs and improve the trooper and the other in a German camo with the trooper in SS style camo.

Thanks Bish... Yes, I was kinda wondering about that, Why would one trapes around the forest in a shiny white shell? I was kind of wondering if it would be blasphemous to do the trooper in some kind of a camo pattern...We'll see...

Doug

Actually, Bish and Rigidrider, the books mention that the Empire changed policy on the armor, and began using camouflage after Endor. My suggestion: paint them up as Shadow Stormtroopers; flat black armor with red, green, or black eyepieces, depending on their mission. But feel free to camo them however you want.

Klik

Rigidrider

Thanks Bish... Yes, I was kinda wondering about that, Why would one trapes around the forest in a shiny white shell? I was kind of wondering if it would be blasphemous to do the trooper in some kind of a camo pattern...We'll see...

Doug

No, doesn't make much sense does it. But I guess that's what you get for being the bad guards. Stand out like a shore thumb, can't shot worth a damn, get killed by little teddy bears with rocks that can penetrate your armour.

That's not a bad idea Kilk. I do like the came worn by the troopers in Ep III on Kashyyk.

LOLOLOL!!! Aint that the truth!

Hi guys, Just spent some time catching up with what is going on. Sad to hear that FM lost the license, really like the kits though they are expensive. Looking forward to what Bandai brings, understandably they have to go with the popular kits, but could some one make a nice size and reasonably priced CR-80 Corellian corvette (aka. blockade runner or Tantive IV)? How about a Nebulon B Frigate? I'm also thinking a nice a-wing or v-wing fighter would be wonderful. Anyone else know of lesser but just as important ships that are in need of an update or just not made in a good scale in plastic?

I love the B Wing..i'd love to see a big (1/32ish) sized one. That'd be cool!!

How about the Naboo Cruiser. I know Fantastic Plastic made a Royal Starship Kit , but it was pricey for what you got.

Sorry Bish, I'll have to ask you to scratch the TIE Interceptor from the build list.

Having received the 'kit' today, I discovered that it is in fact a prepainted 21-piece kit for kids. Basically a toy. In a blister pack, no less. Costing $13. How embarrassing.

Klik... Thanks! I loved the first 3 movies but just cant feel the same enthusiasm for the last three. Glad there are some vastly more (then me any way, lol...)knowledgeable builders and fans here to help with advise. Thanks again. Could you offer any references I can look up and study? Google search is really sketchy on my build subject and is showing how others have built their speeders. I'd like a bit deeper research field if possible.

Doug

Rigidrider, wookiepedia is a great source for the Expanded Universe story lines. It's full of every tidbit of Star Wars trivia. I'm a bit if a SW nerd, so I could answer any questions you've got as well.

I can't wait for this GB. I'll come clean, I haven't been able to resist getting some pre-painting done on my YT-1300. Sorry.

But, yeah, camo up those Stormies if you're going for the Empire Post-Palpatine ( but before Fel). White Stormie armor was phased out of Front-line units, if they were deployed outside urban areas. They reappeared in total white armor in the Legacy comic story arc.

As for the Bandai kits, if they're anywhere near the quality of the Gundam kits, I'll get them all. Though, for my two cents, I want the unusual kits: the Super-class star dreadnought, the TIE bomber, defender, and phantom, and the Z-95, the A- wing, K- wing, and especially the new X- wing from ep VII.

Klik

Doug, a really good book for a general reference on Star Wars is "Sculpting a Galaxy."  There are some really good close-up shots of the studio model that I used when I built my speeder bike a couple of years ago.  Unfortunately it had a crash landing when my wife accidentally knocked my display shelf off the wall.  When I get home I'll try to find some other resources I used, as well as some a website or two that has some good info as well.

Rob, a 1/32 B-Wing would be cool, but I think you'd need a small hangar to display it  Those ships are pretty big.

I am not sure if you guys already know this, but those Bandai kits are already on the shelves.

http://starshipmodeler.biz/shop/index.cfm/category/40/star-wars---full-kits.html

I am not to keen on those laser beams coming out of the TIE X-1 but hopefully they can just be left off.

Klik, if you don't mind a pricey resin kit, this TIE bomber is a nice one.

http://starshipmodeler.biz/shop/index.cfm/product/2782_40/172-imperial-twin-bombardier.html

But you have to keep your eyes open for it. I got mine a year ago and a couple of days later they were all gone. They had a few more in a couple of weeks ago, but they have gone again.

I did some work on the falcon. Mainly focused on getting the LEDs installed for the headlights. Had to dremel away some plastic and then secure the LEDs with a bit of additional styrene and white glue.

What's interesting is that the headlight Photo Etch from Paragrafix is specific to the 5' model, not the 32". The headlights on the 5' model are off center, but on the 32" they are centered. ILM continued to use the 5' model here and there in episodes 5 & 6, but mostly used the 32". If you look closely at the scene when the falcon lands at Cloud City in ESB it is clearly the 5' model --- indicated by the headlights. In most other shots, the headlights are centered.

I'm thinking of my model as a hybrid between the two different models. There's battle damage on the 5' that isn't on the 32" just to the right of the jawbox on the topside that I really love. So I'm including that.

Thanks for looking.