SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

SMT AT-AT commission build

3937 views
13 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Chulak/Jaffa Cree!
SMT AT-AT commission build
Posted by stipp on Friday, July 6, 2007 10:22 PM

Howdy folks! I know its been a while but i have some pics of an SMT at-at that a client of mine wanted me to build, I still have to weather the beasty and will post finished pics soon, i also built a base for the battle of Hoth, so i hope you will enjoy:happy




  • Member since
    October 2005
  • From: Garland, TX
Posted by tabascojunkie on Sunday, July 8, 2007 3:59 PM
That's really sharp. I gotta find one of those.
Bruce
  • Member since
    May 2006
Posted by SJPONeill on Friday, October 5, 2007 1:29 PM

Very nice...I am resurrecting my one...in 2003, I thought it would be a good idea to fill the body with expanding foam to reinforce it as the resin was quite thin. Phase one went OK and I left it for a couple of days to ensure that the foam was fully cured before slicing off the surplus and (very firmly) gluing the body base on....hmmmm....slight sequencing problem: should have sliced off the surplus and then left it for a few days to cure.

 I was working away from home when my wife rang up and asked if that Star Wars thing in the garage was expensive as it had just exploded. The foam had reactivated on contact with the air when I sliced of the surplus foam and commenced expanding again when I secured the base - expanding a whole lot and with the base so well attached it squeezed out wherever there was a weakness. I was so gutted at the damage that i threw it in a box and only brought it out again after seeing your thread...

 Damege was pretty bad as the expanding foam had warmed up and actually stretched the resin of the body sides out into a big bulge so it wasn't just a matter of warming it and straightening the bulge...have gotten it reasonably square now but have had to windlass the sides in using a massive woodscrew set into the foam as an anchor because no glue would stick any bracing to the resin.

 Have now finshed the body and legs and am just dciding on a final pose before securing the 'toes' then it's off to work on the head and finally a Snow Speeder for it to step on...

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Friday, October 5, 2007 6:14 PM
Awesome work as always, Stipp!
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, October 6, 2007 5:01 PM
 SJPONeill wrote:

Very nice...I am resurrecting my one...in 2003, I thought it would be a good idea to fill the body with expanding foam to reinforce it as the resin was quite thin. Phase one went OK and I left it for a couple of days to ensure that the foam was fully cured before slicing off the surplus and (very firmly) gluing the body base on....hmmmm....slight sequencing problem: should have sliced off the surplus and then left it for a few days to cure.

 I was working away from home when my wife rang up and asked if that Star Wars thing in the garage was expensive as it had just exploded. The foam had reactivated on contact with the air when I sliced of the surplus foam and commenced expanding again when I secured the base - expanding a whole lot and with the base so well attached it squeezed out wherever there was a weakness. I was so gutted at the damage that i threw it in a box and only brought it out again after seeing your thread...

 Damege was pretty bad as the expanding foam had warmed up and actually stretched the resin of the body sides out into a big bulge so it wasn't just a matter of warming it and straightening the bulge...have gotten it reasonably square now but have had to windlass the sides in using a massive woodscrew set into the foam as an anchor because no glue would stick any bracing to the resin.

 Have now finshed the body and legs and am just dciding on a final pose before securing the 'toes' then it's off to work on the head and finally a Snow Speeder for it to step on...

LOL! That is a classic story. That expanding foam is dangerous stuff. Little bit goes a long way. And woe betide anyone with the misfortune to get it on their hands...

  • Member since
    May 2006
Posted by SJPONeill on Monday, October 8, 2007 2:02 AM

On your hands? You want to see what happens when you get it on your dog!!

 I'm glad I've resurrected the AT-AT - partly because my wife and oldest daughter (who was living at home at the time and discovered the 'body') keep asking 'how's the Star Wars model and burst into giggles...also because, even at 'only' 1/48 it is one kit that will hold its own visually against the Soar Art Dora...

My only regret about the AT-AT, apart from the little misunderstanding with the foam, is that LucasArts shut down the production of the SMT Star Wars line as I would have liked to have made a couple of these beasts. My errors aside, it is a reasonably easy build and good into to garage industry science fiction kits...

  • Member since
    July 2005
Posted by Admiral Grasshopper1 on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 6:50 AM
Very Impressive Work.
  • Member since
    October 2007
Posted by White_R34 on Saturday, January 12, 2008 6:14 AM
This build is just "Awsome"!!!!
Building the Impossible Is my main goal!!
  • Member since
    January 2006
Posted by KirkTrekModeler on Saturday, January 12, 2008 10:00 AM

Yes, yes it is. I've got one of the AMT kits sitting in my garage waiting to be finished. Guess I'm going to have to get back on it now!

 

Kudos to the modeler! 

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: ON canada
Posted by flaver on Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:24 AM

Just curious, how much does one pay for a build like that?

If I'm being nosey, just tell me.

 

Thanks 

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Chulak/Jaffa Cree!
Posted by stipp on Sunday, January 13, 2008 6:12 PM

Well, thanks people!

"I" charged the individual the sum of $600.00 minus the kit and the shipping.

the customer already had the model, i replaced the straight pieces on the legs and the guns with brass tubing and with the correct kit parts ILM used and replicated the rear flaps out of brass sheet, i worked two weeks including weekends on it for about 5 hours a day and 8 hours on the weekends, so about 32hours total.

the shipping also includes the cost of materials.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: ON canada
Posted by flaver on Sunday, January 13, 2008 7:08 PM
Man, that works out to about $18 an hour, I can barely get a half decent labourer on one of my sites at that wage!!!
  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Baton Rouge, Snake Central
Posted by PatlaborUnit1 on Monday, January 14, 2008 8:14 AM

i have one of those AMT kits with custom markings, and I actually put some effort into it.

 

its HORRID! Still need to get that chicken walker out and combine it with my speeder bike for a forced perspective dio

 

David

Build to please yourself, and don't worry about what others think! TI 4019 Jolly Roger Squadron, 501st Legion
JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.