Death Star 2 Port Attack Diorama

Inspiring.

Yeah, I know... it's been two months.   I got put on the lead of a massive work project when I got back from Labor Day.  That, and we had to clean up from three recent days of 60+ mph winds.  Also always take a break between phases to work on other stuff (note the side project freshly basecoated in the background).

But, Phase 3 has begun... finally!

I decided to do the entire port, after all... will make pictures easier and more robust.  Now you see why the top surface will be removable... 40" by 48".

More soon... I promise...

WOW! That's wicked cool..

Looking great, Kevin! I can't wait to see this with the steel structures around it in red. This will truly be one of the all time great builds! I would love to see this in a museum. 

                                                                           ~ Cobra Chris

Thanks.  Work projects have had me swamped (still), but finally getting some action in...

Got the top mounting holes permanently fixed into the inner surface panel and the white gridwork that appears under the surface is completed. Also finally lit the inner "laboratory" bay. Still deciding between green or blue filter under the light... comparison shot included. Have seen both lighting wash schemes used. I can switch them, so no biggie.

Started laying out the surface. Looks like they used standard ceiling light diffuser egg crate grid (or similar 1/2") on the original. Since mine is in smaller scale, I've been looking for smaller gridwork. Interesting that a 1/2" egg carton grid panel I had bought when I started is now "smaller" than the 1/2" grid panels you can buy now. Gotta love "standards". Both are too big of a grid anyways.

Have been playing around with 3/8" paint bucket strainer grids I found. They seem like they will work... might have to double them up for more prounounced thickness. At least they have the squared crossbars (not rounded). Will mock up a prototype structure in the next couple of weeks... off we go on the fun part... finally! 

I thought you said you like to build "Big" Projects.

This looks pretty amazing so far. Can't wait to see it finished.

Great subject for modeling! 

"Impressive. Most, impressive..." lol

Been following this for almost a year now, love the updates.

coming alone nicely. what'll the store clerk think when you clean him out of paint bucket strainers?

Nice idea. It's looking very good so far I'm looking forward to the final product.

Thanks for the update, Kevin! I'm glad to see that you haven't lost interest in this. Just keep going - slow, and steady wins the race.

                                                                          ~ Cobra Chris

Ha.  Yeah they did look at me funny with the whole basket of paint strainers.  I told them I was painting every room in my house and didn't want to get the colors mixed up. Slow is about the only way I can go right now... LOL.

Here goes nothing!  And the fun part begins...  At least this is the part I have been waiting for all along (and dreading)... LOL

Started the full-size prototypes for the red port structure.  I tacked this together the past two nights for more sizing tests and checking some math.

The hole is undersized on purpose (so I can fit it just right at the end, in case of any gaps).

I hope to clean up the proto and get a couple of side inner boxes made and primed this weekend for final sizing tests and tweaks, color tests, etc...

The blue looks much more screen accurate. Don't rely on pictures you see on the internet. Some people colour theirs, and others are just poor lighting, and camera macro. Meaning that what looks blue can come out gray, or green, and sometimes even purple depending on the camera used, and what settings are applied to it. You have to use the screen caps on your DVD player to match exactly.  Now I'm excited to see this completed. I've been waiting patiently for this, so I can wait a little longer. I've been keeping others waiting with the progress on my own build of the four foot X beast, so I won't take too much time here. Thanks again for keeping us up on your progress.

                                                                      ~ Cobra Chris

Continued "WOW". This project is awesome, man.

This is pretty cool. I cannot wait to see this done. Even with seeing the MF to scale and everything. This is going to be inspiring. Can you please show use how you lit the tubes up? I am thinking of an idea using something like this to light up a HAS but need info on how too :) 

Keep up the great work.

Thanks guys.

Crazy work schedule again and a broken tooth to deal with... but got through the prototyping and sizing phase...  tried a bunch of different square tube materials and think I have it worked out.  Threw the second one together and thew on some primer for test.

Out of state all next week on business, but getting my styrene stock order in tomorrow so it will be waiting when I get back.  Then onward...

p.s. Auto... check the lower pics on the basic lighting...

Basic Lighting Tubes:

That is awesome! I love it. Its going to be a big sucker when your done :) 

So what kinda light is it. Looks like it is pre wired? 

I was thinking about using those low profile mantel xmas lights. I think theres 15 in a pack? then they are really compact. Great for simulating can lights. or run way lights too. 

Standard under the counter cabinet low watt lighting...  I liked them because they can be linked up to like 15 of them and the cords are removable and can be plugged into EITHER end of the light tube in series.  They also come in multiple lengths.  They don't give off a lot of heat and with the milled out holes I am getting plenty of air cooling.  They also fit perfectly inside of the 2" ABS tunnel tubes.  The biggest feature - I can actually change all of the light bulbs or tube units themselves (if I ever need to).  Now that took some crazy design work to figure out where the wires would run and exit the tubes, but it all worked out.

I also sprayed out the insides of the major tubes (when I could get the spray to reach) with high-heat gloss white (grill/fryer type) paint.  It helped with dispersion of light while keeping it a constant white through most the tube length.

My order came in while I was gone last week... and I stopped and raided the paint department of plastic bucket grids one more time.  Funny looks ensued.  

Ready to build...

First - thanks all for waiting... and off we go again!
 
So... back to this project (after six crazy summer months away from this project with work and family activities).  Been looking at the ROJ Blu-Rays, too... some great, clear surface detail I didn't have before!
 
The first two large port structures took about six hours apiece.  Doing assemly line with my new mini-powered chop saw averaged about three hours apiece (no part sanding - nice!).
 
I got four more large structure frames assembled today to get almost half of the needed twelve done.  Need to cut the front cross-bar pieces for each and then super-detail them like the others.  Will do that next weekend.  What a tedious task these are to make them all line up and work out to the same height...  like always:  measure twice, cut once.
 
PROGRESS!!! 
 

I was wondering what happened to this.  Glad to see you're back at it!

You mentioned the blu-ray release.  I was wondering, do they have the "original version" option like the DVDs had, or is it just the newest "Super-Duper-Double-Special Edition" with even more of Lucas' unnecessary tweaking?

The wow factor continues...

kugai, afaik, you only get the 'latest' version. GL has done his best to bury the original release versions.

I don't think the original is on there... of course I skipped right to ROJ DS2 attack scenes... and the bonus model view stuff...  At least won't have six months between posts again... lol

OctaneOrange

kugai, afaik, you only get the 'latest' version. GL has done his best to bury the original release versions.

I guess GL doesn't want any more of my money going to his DVD sales.

Woot, more of this awesome build. Glad to hear your still at it and back for more

OTnROTSfan

I don't think the original is on there... of course I skipped right to ROJ DS2 attack scenes... and the bonus model view stuff...  At least won't have six months between posts again... lol

~ Cobra Chris

Yeah, these big dios take me a few years to finish... slooooow, but I eventually get there.  Sometimes the long breaks make me look at it for weeks and then figure design stuff out I hadn't thought of before.

Starting to look like something familiar:

The latest four still need putty and paint, but six down, six to go... with my Argo MF for reference... finally got around to making a plastic dust cover over the tunnel hole while I'm working on the top surface.

Putty and paint part 2. Half way done with the large port structures... six more to go. Have some vacation coming up and hope to plow through the last six around the New Year.

With a little Endor blue filter action...

Got enough parts cut to complete the core frames for the final six large strucures...