I don't mind my thread going off topic, but i at least like to have some idea what people are talking about. I was curious before about this Derby discussion, but now after seeing those pics, i just have to ask.

YES! Woody with a pair of single-fins and Steve! Those are awe. some. Will have to show my son the one your kid did (he is obsessed with Minecraft even though we won't let him play it yet). +10 for creativity. :-) 

And thanks for the tips. I think the problem I/we had was weight placement and getting the nails (ahem, I mean "axels") into the car straight. Kept splitting the wood. Grrrr.

Also, looking forward to that Shuttle build. ;-) 

Here is a shot of my pinewood derby car,  and one of mine and my sons....

Pinewood derby 2017 by Justin Ryan, on Flickr

Pinewood derby 2017 by Justin Ryan, on Flickr

...on top of the instruction sheet of my next build project....lol

That cockpit for the snowspeeder looks awesome!  Love the seat belt idea!  I am really enjoying the builds!  I may have to check out my local Barnes and Noble for some of those kits!

That defender looks cool as well!  I'm not well versed in the expanded universe, so I can only offer oohs and aaaahhhhs on that build. 

As for the pinewood derby tips,  all I can really offer you is the same stuff you can find on the web...try to keep the most weight right in front of the rear axle, use the graphite on the wheels and axles, don't forget to chuck the axle nail into a drill or a Dremel and smooth them with sandpaper,  and our rules state that four wheels must be on the vehicle,  but only three must be touching the track at all times.

I'll post a picture of mine and my son's cars in a bit....

NucMedTech

Thanks guys. It is a pretty solid build and goes together easy enough. I do have a few finishing touches before I call it done. At 1/48 scale it is a good size when I am done I will post pics of it with a FM 1/72 tie and Revell ' s 1/50 force awakens tie for reference.

More recently the tie defender was in Star Wars Rebels as a concept design. Hera and her crew came across the schematics for the ship and had a holoprojection in the show. She said if the Empire builds this the rebellion would be in alot of trouble.

 

Oh cool, nice to see it used further in the Expanded Universe. I wasn't sure it popped up beyond the game.

That will be nice to see it with those other kits. I can see its a god size from the paint bottles on your bench.

Thanks guys. It is a pretty solid build and goes together easy enough. I do have a few finishing touches before I call it done. At 1/48 scale it is a good size when I am done I will post pics of it with a FM 1/72 tie and Revell ' s 1/50 force awakens tie for reference.

More recently the tie defender was in Star Wars Rebels as a concept design. Hera and her crew came across the schematics for the ship and had a holoprojection in the show. She said if the Empire builds this the rebellion would be in alot of trouble.

Yeah, that TIE Defender does look awesome!

I remember it being the last fighter you get to fly in the TIE Fighter computer game from twenty years ago (pre-Windows, it ran in DOS). In it the Defender was an experimental super fighter Admiral Zaron's tech branch had developed. He trusted entirely in technology and felt the whole 'Force' thing was a bunch of bunk and ended up launching a coup to take out Palpatine and his bunch of mystic crackpots. You had to fly the Defender with Vader as your wingman to rescue the shuttle Palpatine was on though wave after wave of Zaron's advanced TIE concepts.

https://www.gog.com/game/star_wars_tie_fighter_special_edition

Ah, cool. Thanks for the info.

Porkbits

That Defender is sweet, NMT. Really like the blue accents.  I didn't realize how crazy the solar/ion panel arrangement is. So is this a ship from the SW lore, or just a "what-if?" (within the larger "what-if?" of SW itself)

And, thanks, re: speeder. Yeah, people have been posting on other forums the past week or so about Bandai kits showing up in hobby shops all over (and B and N, even!), both online and brick-and-mortar.

PB

 

 

 

PB, the TIE/D comes from the expanded universe, with prototypes being tested during the Battle of Hoth and a small number of operational craft being deployed at Endor.

That Defender is sweet, NMT. Really like the blue accents.  I didn't realize how crazy the solar/ion panel arrangement is. So is this a ship from the SW lore, or just a "what-if?" (within the larger "what-if?" of SW itself)

And, thanks, re: speeder. Yeah, people have been posting on other forums the past week or so about Bandai kits showing up in hobby shops all over (and B and N, even!), both online and brick-and-mortar.

PB

Now i like that Stephan, really nice work. I normally try and stick to 72nd but i might have to grab one of these next time i see one.

I have seen the bandai kits on Star ship. But i haven't seen them in any stores over here.

Well, I got some work done on the defender. It is pretty much together just a couple parts some finishing and weathering.

PB, that snowspeeder is looking nice. So I am guessing that bandai ' s license has changed. I found their kits at, of all places, Barnes and Nobles. I picked up the a-wing for $30. I am also finding them in on-line shops.

Thanks, guys!

Although I have to admit the seatbelt idea wasn't mine, borrowed it from a speeder build I saw online.

PB

Now that looks nice PB. Great idea for the seatbelts.

Good luck with the derby, Justin! Feel free to post any pointers/tips. :-) My kid needs a leg up on the competition this year so....guess I'll keep posting progress pics of the speeder to keep you around lol.

SO, here's some more--finally finished all of cockpit detail/painting. Used a set of Eduard's fabric seatbelts intended for WWII USN a/c to add a little oomph to the seats. Cockpit bits are just temporarily put into place for photos.

Thanks for looking!

PB

I'm glad to hear you will be sticking with us Justin. I have enough on my hands iwth just the one hobby. I couldn't have a econd, i hate doing anything which takes me away from the bench as it is.

Thanks everyone for the compliments!  I will more than likely add another build to this list, but I am busy right now with our pinewood derby cars...the derby is next weekend, so that may free up some time until it gets warm enough to get back out to the garage and get a couple of woodworking projects done....apparently I have too many hobbies!

im going to keep following this thread...I can't wait to see that snow Speeder finished!

Aha, yep! Moving along with painting cockpit pieces and for the first time ran into somethng Bandai did that I don't like--there are lugs on each of the seats backs for attaching the rebel pilot figures.

I don't like dealing with figures, so...had to grind the lugs off each seat and then do my best to rescribe the seat padding lines. I'm a horrible rescriber so the results aren't great--argh. Thanks, Bandai! Ah well. Onward and updward....

I agree with G, it does look nice. I was looking at the pics earlier and trying to work out what the holes were for. Then it dawned on me, the cannon.

Thanks, Gamera! It's definitely going to be a fun build. Worked on the cockpit a bit last night, will post pics when I make more progress.

PB

Justin: Looks pretty dang good to me! The grass shoots look fine but if you really want to lose them then go ahead, beats thinking 'I wish I'd done that differently' everytime you look at the model.

PB: Some nice detail there, looks like it'll be a really nice kit. 

Thanks, Lewbud! I bought the TIE over ten years ago. Old enough that the kit decals pretty much shattered on contact. Good times.

Bish--yeah, those are the cockpit sidewalls (sorry, bad photo). Glad you got one, too! Bandai kits are first-rate. 

PB

Nice to see you started PB. Are those darker parts the cockpit side walls?

I've now got one of these added to my e-bay watch list. Not a ba price and free shipping from Japan. Think i will get this next month.

Porkbits, the TIE Fighter looks great!  I wish I'd gotten the Fine Molds kits while they were affordable.

Justin, great job on the Speeder Bike.  Like the others have said, the base looks fantastic.

OK, I've started. Not exactly sure how to approach everything, painting-wise, but will figure it out as I go along (per usual). I'll paint some of the detail on the cockpit sidewalls next.

PB

Thanks, Bish and Justin!  FM and Bandai make some really nice kits, so def get one, Bish. And correct the snowspeeder is 1/48. Can't wait to start it, but life keeps getting in the way. Ah well. 

Justin, bike looks awesome.   The base turned out really well. My preference is for ferns, but the tall grass looks good, too--he doesn't necessarily have to be on the far side of the forest moon of Endor. :-) :-)