Here's the newest from my table for all to see. I had to modify this only once (thankfully), not there's much to it, but one irreversable mistake could've caused me to scrap the whole thing.

In the beginning.

 

Getting there. I wanted to show that each piece is a separate component to make up an entire part. Each rivet is a rounded over rod cut, then sanded round on the end with an emery board, then glued into the plate from the bottom, this allows more realism. This is also how I made the side by side cabochons (half round greeblies) in the middle.

This still isn't right yet. I liked this look better than the actual shape it has on the ILM model. I didn't have a choice, I HAD to make this correct, and true to the original model - the cabochons (pronounced Ka-bow-shawns) had to go. You can see what change had to be made in photo below this one.

This is what it is today. I have no more plans to change it at this point in time, except the rod ends that go into the holes need to be extended a little, and I need to put the rest of the rivets on the other side. I had to replace the rods at each end of this for accuracy - they were too big around. I also altered the half round greeblies in the center - these are stepped, not round as I originally thought. After super sizing, and squinting forever - I saw that these have two flat surfaces each one of a different diameter with a hole in the center. I decided to make the inner circular step with aluminum tubing to save me from having to drill a hole in a styrene rod.  See the picture of the ILM model at the bottom, and compare it to my version.

 

I used other pictures for reference for the rivets, and spacing between parts, but this one is the clearest showing the two stepped greeblies in the middle along with the diameter of the rod ends in relation to their size.

 

There's a small lip - TOO SMALL to glue without making a mess! I superglued the styrene square to an acrylic piece to make a panel for the engine bay. I sanded the entire styrene square even with the edges of the acrylic part, when the very end should've extended about .60" of an inch over one end.  I remembered when I had to make engine bells that needed to be separated after being glued incorrectly. I used a kitchen knife with an upholstery hammer tapping it slowly on each end of the blade as it cut between the styrene, and the acrylic with the acrylic stood up on end - pretty much the same way I did with the engine bells. I had to do this very carefully, so I didn't cut myself while holding it.

 

I don't have any glue, but tomorrow I'll go to the hobbystore to get it, and some styrene shapes for the laser barrel heatsinks. A few days ago I did a little job that netted me enough money for glue, so full-steam-ahead! Here's a little something I did a couple nights ago. I guess this is all for naught seeing as it didn't come out the way I  intended it to. I'll have to buy the expensive-assed corrugated styrene sheet I should've bought for this to begin with afterall!

This is the very beginning - right before scribing the lines into the styrene. I didn't use the master pattern since it was too thick, .40" - and the original one was .20" thickness, the same as corrugated edge on the Saturn V parts, which is the reverse of the ribbed panel (bottom photo of this post).

 

I'll have to redraw my lines for the sealab parts onto a new piece of styrene. This is the first picture I took after washing these two once separated from each other. I'll have to sand the styrene, and superglue  off with 100 grit sandpaper, then smooth it out so the glue can adhere to both pieces evenly. I'll need to use another piece of .40" thick styrene so this will have the correct overlap on the end, and distance from the radiator panel the second time around.

 

This is the part I was talking about - it was sanded too short on one end. I took this picture after I separated these two, and washed them in the sink. I wanted to show the damage this caused by being glued together with superglue gel that was almost too dry to use. This just made a mess while I was applying it. It didn't dry evenly around the edges. Take my advice people: if your glue is like chewing gum - THROW IT AWAY!

 

The first run of scribe lines came out good, but at this point in time I was getting tired of doing this, so I stopped for the night, and picked it up again yesterday morning.

 

This was a lame attempt to show all the scribe lines a little clearer, but the flash washed out the other panel at the angle it sits at. The panel closest to the camera (left front) became the panel for the left wing, as the first one wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I flipped this over since it wasn't scribed, and used it as a reverse from the right wing pattern it originally was. I traced out two right wing panels, and one left wing panel without really thinking about it at the time.

 

Each of these (like this post) has taken two hours to make from start to finish. It's still a waste of time, and effort, but I'll use these pieces for scratch making something else some other day - if I don't die before then.

 

These curled up from being scribed, as this made a relief on one side since I made five passes, which cut through most of the styrene. This makes spaces between the lines, and the panels between which causes them to spread out and away from each other.

 

This is the material that I need for these pieces - notice how it has ribbed, not scribed lines, and it has a slight inwards rounded over edge between the panels.  For some reason, Plastruct also moulded the corrugated side of this on the reverse. This is two sided, which is probably why it's so expensive. I guess being moulded with two designs on one sheet was also the reason it was used for the original four foot model on two different parts. Why not take advantage of having two designed sides to one sheet, when it can be used for more than one thing?

 

 

Here're some month old photos that I forgot about. I've been so busy with readying the garage at my grandmothers' house for the closing last monday - I didn't realise I had taken these until I was looking through all the pictures on my camera before uploading them to my computer. I haven't been able to get much more done since that time. Now that the house is sold, I can dedicate all the freetime I have available to finishing as much of the acrylic cutting I can before the weather gets too cold outside. I hope this will suffice until I can get more progress done.

This is the vault "buttplate" - only the top sides are too short, therefore they'll have to be lengthened to 3/8" wider than they are right now. I didn't realise this until I already cut the plate out.

 

These are the top, and bottom of the wings after I glued them, and cut them out. This picture was taken after they dried. I'll reinforce all the edges with Weld-on cemet to keep them from deforming while being cast.

 

 

These are the insides of the wings right after gluing them. I laid all these on top of the sheet of styrene on the bed while gluing, and cutting because it was the biggest clean, flat surface available. I still have yet to clean up the edges of the styrene because I still have to straighten out the acrylic pieces that I cut for them. Once this is all joined, I can cast the inside detail parts for the Stug, then glue them and call these done for the most part. I think I'll wait until they're completed before scribing the lines on them in case I make a mistake that will need to be sanded out, or filled.

 

This isn't a joke, I was doodling the shape to see where I need to extend the fuselage from the canopy to the end of the nosecone, and the hyperdrive motivator in accordance to the scale of the original model. I'm going to use these proportions to upscale the diagram to four foot length.  This will help me to correct my symmetry to the correct proportions with the angles of the fuselage panels. I don't have a definitive X-wing model to follow from, so using photos, and scaling to the correct proportions in a smaller scale will help me make this with little, or no correcting as much as possible before converting to full size plans. This will be like making an RC plane in every respect. I'll need to ensure this comes out perfectly - I'm running out of time to do this, and 0.40" thick styrene sheet. Whatever materials, and supplies I have will be needed to finish the greeblies on the fuselage (hyperdrive motivator), and wings.

I think I have a little more tweaking to the length of the fuselage between the canopy, and nosecone. The angle of the fuselage around the canopy will be the hardest part, as this needs to be a perfect fit between the two, even though the canopy will be moulded into the fuselage.

 

A distance shot to show this is very close to the correct shape of the X-wing fuselage. The wings are already started, but I need to adjust the fit between the two for an exact scale match. This will complete the plans, and ensure correct proportion, and symmetry.

Here's the general shape. Unfortunately, I can't trace the actual size to the correct dimensions since the fuselage will take more styrene sheet to compensate for the overall coverage of the underlying structure while vac-forming. I'm half way there now, I just need to make a vaccum former. This will give me most of the dimensional shape of this once formed over my balsa frame. I'll break this down into three separate pieces to be cast in resin form. The "R2" socket is obviously too big, but I only drew it, for a reference point. I still have yet to scale, and create the parts for the hyperdrive, but all the will come as soon as I have the fuselage properly measured out. Right now I hear the wing sections calling my name.......
 

 

A little more of an actual update. This is what I've been working on for the last few hours, only to find out that I have to go back to the hobby shop to get more U shaped channel. I have enough to make four lengths, but not enough to finish the rear sealab panels for both wings. The groove panels look good though! :P

Starting over.

This is the sealab (white) panel before I smeared the glue all over to seal the edges between styrene, and acrylic .

 

I hope my computer doesn't end up like this - I found a bunch of filth at the bottom of the tower this afternoon - I can only imagine what the rest of it looks like inside! :-/ I took the guts from an old computer I got from my friend down the street. I wanted these parts for scratch build projects.

 

 A new beginning

 The sealab panel in progress.

 

These aren't from kits, or kit parts, these all scratch made, as they were on the original model.  This is going to be huge - I hope you have the room for this, Jase! I'll post a comparison between this, and the Captain Cardboard kit. Each of these little pieces is T-track sanded narrow on one end, with the top sanded at an angle toward the back with a little bit of the top of the T shaved down to make the shapes you see. These are glued separately at the back of the U shaped channel.

After seeing all these details, I have more of an appreciation for how much more realistic the design of the four footer is. This has much more plausable, and understandable features than the small X-wings do. This is only because such detailing isn't possible to make, or see while filming something so small - it's too bad because the large version is much more believable to the eye with all its' detail, and there's more of it! It's just like a model cars' detailing verses the real thing - the same type of situation applies here, I just wish that they gave this more film time in Jedi - that would've shown the massive undertaking that the hyperdrive motivator itself is among the other details that are readily viewable.

 

All these have yet to be glued, except the U channel on the far right end of the table. I just wanted to show these as soon as possible. Tomorrow I back up all my computer files, and clean it out. I hope my hard drive doesn't blow up before then! It's been doing some weird things today, mostly software problems.

These U channels, and T track pieces are placed here for example. They still have a little clean up, and I need to measure the spaces between them to ensure correct spacing before I can glue them in place. After I make this side, I'll have to do the same to the left panel.

There are some other parts that go on these, but those will have to wait. I messed up the left panel yesterday, and I'll have to remake it today.  : (

This is the mostly finished right wing panel. I still have yet to place the small chip on the top left in the correct spot - I was trying to do this from memory, but it's just a little off. I'm not going to replace it now, I have to make an all new left panel. I accidentally misplaced the sealab panel with a slightly crooked side when I glued it - I hadn't noticed until it was too late, and the glue had already set! I couldn't use the same method to remove it, as I did the first one in the picture below.

 

Please compare the two. I know that they aren't exact, but they are very close! It's hard to tell exactly how big these parts are in relation to each other until glued. If this bothered me, I'd change it, but I'm not going to. It isn't enough to be obtrusive, or stick out like a sore thumb, so this is just the way it'll be. If someone else wants to sand this (chevron shaped) part off their kit, and redo it with new styrene, that's fine - I won't be the least bit offended. It looks good to me, so it stays. I don't have a lot of time to screw around with it anyway, so on to the next part!  I might offer a 100% accurate aftermarket version of this panel if this becomes a bone of contention as far as accuracy is concerned. Until this becomes a kit available for all to buy, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

 

 

You can't see the chevron (radiator panel) has lines on it, but it does. This is also too big for the correct shape of the four foot monster, but it is correct for the smaller X-wings from the original movie. This is proportionate to the 18" 1/2 studio scale models. but it's not for this one. I can't take it off, or redo this now this it's glued, it'll ruin the panel, and the acrylic under it trying to remove styrene, and glue. You'd see a telltale "witness line" where the glue was. This stuff is also caustic, so it eats into the plastics. It'll just have to stay this way. I was hoping to have this done before the holidays, but so many setbacks....

I want this done so bad, so I can paint my own version, but it won't happen before Christmas with all the holiday shipping that will be going on now! This would make a great Christmas present for me! ; I wanted to have this cast before the end of the month, but I need a vaccum former now.

Here you can finally see the lines that are in this panel.

This is/was the panel for the left side - I trashed it because of the paint stripper I used removed more acrylic around the edges that I wanted it to. This made a mess out what was left once the styrene came off. I should've been more careful, since I knew that it softens plastics, but I was desparate to remove the two panels from each other without making a huge sanding mess. It'll take less time for me to make a new panel than it would to attempt to save the old one, which I just took the protective covering off LAST NIGHT!

Look carefully, and you'll see the edge where I broke this in half to keep me from being tempted to use it anyway. I did this over the sink this morning. All this because I glued the styrene panel on facing the wrong way! I hope to have good news later today, as I have to go outside, and freeze while making a new intake panel to replace this one. Joy, oh, joy!  These are angled to join the other panels at a 45 degree angle, which I'll have to sand into the new part. Wish me luck!

Another new beginning. This took me about twenty minutes to make from start to finish - believe it, or not! It took me another half hour to make it smooth, and even all the way around, and surface it for gluing.  I had to bevel the edges, which is what took the longest. This still has the protective cover over it in this picture, it was sad that I had to sand all the gloss off it to make the parts stick together once glued.

 

Another shot for comparison between the old, and the new.

Please study all the pictures of the old acrylic panel. This is what modeling stupidity looks like. I'm not punishing you all with a lot of pictures of the same thing, I just want this to be burned into your memory - NEVER USE PAINT STRIPPER TO REMOVE GLUED PLASTICS!!!!

I have used this technique before, but that was to remove paint, and plastic from a model. This method does work if you are trying to make an inpenatrable weld between plastic pieces, but only in a small amount. This is what's known as "plastic welding". This would've worked at removing the styrene sheet had I been more careful with the stripper, and not allowed it to set so long, and slop over the sides where I didn't want it.

If you look closely, you can see that this cracked in places from the heat of the stripper in its' chemical reaction with the acrylic.  I saved what I could after rescuing this from destruction, I'll use the rest for reinforcement. I'll just cut off the really bad part, and sand the rest with 100 grit to smooth it. I could've just masked this off last night, then sanded with 60 grit until I got through most of the styrene before gouging into the acrylic below, then sanded the rest with 150 grit, but I was too impatient!

 

Back to our regular program. I love how the glue beads, and shows wet even in the picture with this crappy camera. This is how I keep my glue from seeping out the sides in a oozing mess. This was glued together with the Bob Smith industries glue. I'm using two differnet types, and brands for this, thin, and medium. The thin closes gaps where the thicker stuff doesn't get into. The thicker is what I'll use for large surfaces, and thin to seal around edges.  So far this has worked very well with no problems! : )

This is as far as I can go for tonight - I need more U shaped channel before this can go to the end. It's mostly done, so I'll get more plastruct tomorrow, or saturday. I need to work on the engine bays next, then work the wings together. The other parts I've started but haven't finished will take the rest of the week to get done. I wish I had casting resin for the right wing panel - I would've copied it with the main ribs attached, and saved myself a little time, and effort. Oh, well...... This will be mostly scratch made, so I can't complain. I didn't want to leave you guys with the trash/bin being the last photo update of the day! I hope to have more to show tomorrow.  Stay tuned!

 

Here's the latest. I would've had this done earlier, but today's the only chance I had to get to the hobby store. I need to refine the disc a little more. This is only a rough draft at the moment. At least most of this is finished, and I can get on with the rest of the wings.

Reviving this thread before it disappears into oblivion forever! I'm going to start the fuselage forms today to get this towards the finish line. I hope to at least accomplish that before the end of this week. I need to make a vacuum former to finish the fuselage in six pieces - three for the top half, and three for the bottom. This will be joined together permanently with pins to align them straight. Stay tuned - hopefully more to see this friday. I have a lot of casting to do, so I won't be on the forum until then.

~ Cobra Chris

I'm with 427 Cobra.

                         This way to cool of a build to just disappear!

                          I took a some pictures when STAR WARS Where Science Meets IMAGINATION was in the

                      Pacific Science Center .

                    Here the link to my shutterfly page http://russtravilingprehistoricmusium.shutterfly.com/

                     yes I know I spelt Museum wrong.  I also have picture's from Battlestar Galactica The Exhibition,

                    Walking With Diniosaurs LIVE, and some other stuff.

LOL, waiting for more x-updates

Cobra,

I too would love to see you pull this project out and finish her. Really cool idea, seems you killed it before I even joined this forum.

Cliff

Yeah, I know. I just haven't been able to get to it, and now I have the supplies to do it, and the fire in me to get it to the finish line before the end of this year! I thought I'd get some casting done today - I need to make some mould boxes. This will hold the mould material in place for parts that I need to make multiples of. I have both rubber, and resin - only I don't have enough of both to do this, and the two other X-wing projects that I started earlier this last year. It'll happen, people. Patience is the key.

 

                                                         THE RESIN

                                              THE SILICONE RUBBER

 

                                                    THE HARDENDER

This is mixed by weight, not volume. This means I'll have to measure this ten parts to one part rubber. This will be the hardest part of it all. I need to buy some mixing cups, and stir sticks.

 

Cobra: Very cool! I've fooled around with resin but nothing to the extent of what you're doing here. No rush but I've love to see how she's coming when you get some time to work on her.

Sure thing! Here's a little of what I've been doing the last few days. I'm stuck in a rut. I can't figure out the detent of the fuselage to cut along the sides, and the wrap around for the cockpit area. The cockpit cutout will be the hardest.. I can measure from here to eternity, but I can only cut once! I'll have to make some type of shape for this to build this around.  Hopefully I'll get the rest done on the top of the fuselage today, or tomorrow. Enjoy what you see until then. ~ Chris  

I was trying to shape this more to the vault the way it was cut. Somehow I couldn't get it just right no matter how I did it. I ended up making the strips I had in storage serve the purpose that I originally intended for reinforcement. These did double duty.

This is Mitzy - she's helping me. Her sister, Mandy was sleeping when I took this picture.

This is 1/8" strip that I cut into  "purfling" with knife. The "kerfs" are slots that I cut to relieve the balsa to wrap around convex shapes. This is what is used inside guitar bodies to hold the top, and back to the sides. It also gives it reinforcement along its' edges. This will serve the same purpose. It took me half an hour to do this. I broke some of the pieces since it was so flimsy, but it was neccessary to do this anyway  - I can't just glue the edges together, and hope that they'll stay. I'll just cut the broken spaces between them out, then butt them against each other to make a solid joint.

 

 

OK. Three months and NO progress to speak of. I've been recently refitting the 1/48th scale version of the MPC X-wing. I'm using this kit as an experiment in moulding and casting. I have a little more progress done on this, but I need to get back to the shop to finish the wings, and the cockpit. I'm going to finish the fuselage this week in tandem with the smaller of the two X's so that I can get at least the forms done. I have to make some moulds of each, and learn how to make a cheap, and easy to use vacuum former. This will be the next step in making this kit a reality. I just needed to figure out how to make a mould box without using a lot of silicone rubber while moulding so I can have a durable mould, and save money with this design. I'm sure I can do this without a lot of trouble. Please stay tuned. More to come.

 

~ Chris

Um, OK. It's been THREE YEARS now! I STILL have nothing to show since my life situation has changed, and NOT for the better!  The form for the fuselage has been destroyed by mildew. I found this between a wall, and storage tub, that had mildew growing on it. There's not enough to salvage, but I still have the measurements for it. Don't lose hope people, I'm still going to finish this project, but without vacuum forming. I'll explain later. Either way, this is my pet project that I'll finish as soon as I get the other things I have finish first. Stay tuned - this isn't over yet, but FAR from it!

OK, People I got the rest of the supplies I've needed for a LONG time to finish this project that I started in 2009 which I joined this forum despite the incorrect join date shown under my member name. I'm still in the beginning phases of the fuselage since I've had to start over. The original balsa form that I started to create a fuselage with fell down between the wall, and a storage container that had mildew growing on the wall behind it, and was there for at least the winter months before I started spring cleaning not realising that this was there, and was consequently destroyed. I apologise to all those who have been watching this thread for not updating it more often. However life itself has not been to good to me so now I have to pick up the pieces where I left off as I have several projects that I have to finish at the same time. Silicone rubber, and polyurethane resin are very expensive, and not financially feasible for me to buy in large quantities. Basic frame of fuselage to start this week, and hopefully photos soon to follow. Stay tuned - this is about to become interesting! ~ Cobra Chris

Can't wait to see new pictures!!

I just saw this thread today and I am amazed at what you've done. Count me in for the rest of the ride.

Cool! Looking forward to seeing her all dusted off and back underweigh. 

 

I hope this works since Finescale has decided to go to an ALL NEW FORMAT for posting which SUCKS!! The original version of this site was so much EASIER to post pictures to. Hang on - this is just a teaser. The plans were also destroyed along with the fuselage master that you see in the pictures before these. Thank you everyone who has shown interest in this thread, and has hung in there PATIENTLY after an EXTREMELY LONG TIME! I'm now forced to go this alone and in so doing is a very lonely affair. However I'm not going to let that get me down, nor will I let it stand in my way!  Hang on, people - this is about to become very interesting! I took these last night right after drawing them up. I need to make a few corrections so this isn't the final draft.

Yeah, I remember how much easier posting photos were before the 'new and improved' forum. Oh, well that's progress for you... 

Blows that you lost the original plans but great to see you moving on this again. 

You're not a true modeler until you've bled for your craft.  I know my mother was scared to death of letting me use an X-acto hobby knife the first time.  She was certain I would end up slitting my wrists or cutting off a finger, I almost did quite a times.  I think the worst of it was when I accidentally dropped my knife in my lap and instinctively they closed, thus jabbing my thigh pretty deep (I think I ended up with like 7 stitches).  But the end result was totally worth it.  Making your own tools to do the job shows an even greater level of commitment and ability!  I'm loving the work your doing.  Your eye for detail and the quality are top notch.  Am watching this build with a keen eye!  Keep it up.  I look forward to the final product!

How very true! I've been bleeding out of every part of me - not just my skin! I've been having trouble working since I have NO place to build, except for my bedroom now that my ass hole brother has moved in with me, and my old lady. He WON'T move even though he now has a full time job, and full time pay, and full time benefits, and full time hours. Not one, but TWO legally plated, insured, and running vehicles one of which is in my moms' driveway, and he doesn't drive it. Why the hell doesn't he just move on?!

Either way, I have the plans almost done now, and some of the inner forms done as well. I don't want to show a bunch of pictures of partially finished pieces, so just hang on everyone until I can get the rest of the basic form cut, shaped, sanded, and glued into a recognisable form. I had hoped to have it done by now, but I had to get more spars, and more balsa sheet before I could progress any further. This will be very much like an RC plane with ribs inside with balsa covering over them. This will make it easier to form a fuselage from than trying to make hollow form glued together, and hoping that it will be strong! 

I won't be vacuum forming afterall - to much involved, and too much time to get any results, so I'll be working on finishing what I started with the rear vault (buttplate) so that can be moulded, then mould all the small parts for the wings that need to be duplicated, then finish the wings so that they can be moulded. The R2-D2, and the power strip behind him (hyperdrive actuator) will be made from scratch made parts, and moulded as one piece, except the middle piece which on this model is raised, and different from the original ILM versions of 1977.

The pilot, and interior will be one of the last things that I make since I'll need to size it to the fuselage. This will be a hell of push to get this done before spring, but I won't hold my breath since I have one model to finish that has been on the back burner for a month after working on it for over a year now. I also have my 1/48th scale ILM version of the X-wing as well that is in the finishing stages of the wings, and will be cast as soon as I get enough money for the silicone rubber, and resin for it, and the four footer. Like I said before, the last pictures are a teaser - this is about to become interesting! I just need to find some sulpher free clay for the figure so that I can mould it without degassing problems.

 

~ Cobra Chris

Ah !

     With you the " Force " Is . Fluid of life for the " Force " is shed . Good this is . Modelmaker of years telling you this is . I believe that's what YODA would say .Love your work . T.B.

Thank you for your reply! I appreciate it. I got some bad news though. I had to remove the forms that I had glued at each end of the fuselage bottom. I also had to carefully break away the sides of the fuselage as well since the rib on one side was hackneyed. Somehow when I glued the spars to the end support I didn't realise that the template that I had used was slightly smaller than the actual fuselage plans when I glued it together. However I thought that I could glue this, and make up for the gap between the wall, and the bottom spar. I had to remove it after removing the side wall, and the internal supports on both ends, then remove 1" 9/16 from the back since it was too long, and I had to clean up all the glue, and broken balsa pieces from everything.

 

Now I'll have to measure again since one side is somehow taller than the other. Meaning that the support on the end towards the vault (fuselage end) is taller than the one inside towards the cockpit. I don't know how all this asymmetry happened, but the bottom is wider than the template about 3" 1/6 of on inch on each side. So I have to re-glue the pieces all back together again after I figure out which measurement is correct by 3/8th of an inch difference between the two inner forms. Once I get all the cutting, and sanding necessary to fix my mistake, then I'll go forward with the rest of the fuselage. I need to build it from the back to the front since I have the wings for this from the first go-around. This makes it easier for me to adjust the correct proportions. UGH!! Stay tuned - as I said before this is ABOUT to become interesting!

OK. Small update. Problem solved - disaster averted! Everything is sanded, reglued, and back together. However one end is slightly taller than the other. How this happened is STILL a mystery since I don't know what is wrong with the measurements since they are spot on! I think it's from the very bottom pieces where they join in the center have bowed a little causing the dimensions to shift ever so slightly. Despite this the sides both measure the exact same from bottom to top edge. ?????  I even recut the supports internally, and cut the needed shapes for the spars to go into the internal supports for the wing armature to mount directly to the bottom plates of the form themselves. All this is even except the end toward the vault (ass end) of the fuselage....

Any way, I need a drink after all this! I'll finish this hopefully tomorrow, and start on the top half of the fuselage then, or monday. As soon as I have a recognizable shape I'll post the pictures of all this but it won't have the styrene on it yet. I'll have to see how much of this I have left, and measure to see if it'll be enough to cover this inside, and out! This will be a HUGE help in getting this done before spring which is when I'll be casting as the weather will be warm again. Stay tuned - pictures WILL be forthcoming good, or bad!

 

~ Cobra Chris

Looking forward to more photos!

Yes, Sir I am too! I had to remove the rear internal support, and reshape it. For some unexpainable reason it wouldn't come out right no matter what I did!  I see now that it was at an angle, so I sanded out the irrregularities, and now both sides measure 4" 3/16 from top to bottom - end it end! Now I'll wait for that to dry since I did this a few hours ago. Now I'll remove the sewing pins, and finish the rest of the fuselage form. There's a slight bulge on the left side, but that will be straightened out when I add the rest of the reinforcement to it before being covered in sheet styrene. Please be patient with me - I've come a LONG way from the days when I first started this project, and although I've shown quite a bit it just isn't enough for me to say that I've earned the respect of the other modelers here on fine scale. This is something that I had planned for years, and worked slowly as I could get a chance to, but this will be done!

Just hang on - IT WILL BE DONE! In the meantime I'll have to go to Lowes to see if they have anything that I can cut into spherical shapes for the R2-D2, and hyperdrive actuator. The shapes that I WAS going to use I just found out last week are too big, and now I need to make a smaller version to fit properly to scale.  I don't want to clutter this thread with a bunch of picutures of half finished junk only to make you wait a long time looking at it wondering if there will ever be a light at the end of the tunnel! Stay tuned - I hate having to leave post after post with nothing to show, but know that this is going on behind the scenes although I haven't posted pictures yet. There WILL be a light at the end of the tunnel! Thank you for reading.

 

~ Cobra Chris