C-57D spaceship, Forbidden Planet, Polar Lights 1/72 kit

Try here: http://culttvman.com/bob_perovich_s_c-57d.html

And here: http://www.starshipmodeler.com/olb/sm_c57.cfm

Both the CultTVMan and Starship Modeler sites are essential bookmarks if you're into sci-fi models.

Thanks, this is very helpful information.  I note the guy on Starship Modeler made no effort to seal the seams between the six sections of the upper and lower saucers.  I am finding it difficult to do, but making the effort because these seams should definitely not be visible, if you want it to be an accurate model of the movie prop.

Glad you found those sites worthwhile. I agree, those seams are very noticeable. I have the kit, but it's stored away unbuilt and I have not looked at it in a while, so I don't know how I would tackle the seam issue myself. Probably use lots of superglue, followed by the usual copious amounts of putty followed by lots of sanding followed by lots of primer and repeating as necessary.

If the seam is really noticable what about epoxy putty to fill it in, something like Magic Sculpt or Aves.

Than a really thin coat of glazing putty.

 

Eric... 

That sounds good. I like Evercoat Eurosoft putty, which I would probably use in this instance. Milliput would probably be a good choice also. The epoxy putties at least have the advantage of being able to be smoothed with a wet knife.

I used Squadron green putty- lots of sanding, looked good, then primer, which showed areas needing more putty, then more wet sanding with 320 grit, looked good again, sprayed metallic aluminum finish coat and it looked awful.  More sanding thru the aluminum down to primer, used some Gunze water soluable putty for fine touch up.  Then I spent a lot of time with first dry, then wet, sanding.  Looks good now, ready to apply more finish coats- we shall see!  I think Milliput would also be a good choice, as you can smooth it in with a wet finger.

Construction tip:  Avoid having to deal with more than one seam at a time when glueing the saucer sections.  Glue two sections together, set them aside.  Then glue two more, set those aside, and then glue the final two together.  Let them set to cure for a couple of days.  You will now have three wedges consisting of two parts each.  Glue two of those together.  Then after that dries, you can add the third section, glueing only one seam at a time.  Keep them on a flat table with weights holding them down all during this process.  I used Tamiya super thin plastic cement, the solvent type, generously applied, and used many clamps to hold the seams together on the ridges on the inner surfaces of the saucer.  After all is done, I used some super glue along all the seams on the inside, just to strengthen the bond, but this may not have been necessary.

 

Those sound like good assembly tips, and I'll file them away for when I get around to building mine.

I gave up using Squadron Green Stuff years ago. There are much better putties. I like Evercoat Eurosoft for large fills because it doesn't shrink and sands just like styrene plastic, even though it requires mixing a catalyst into it. I once used 3M Acryl Blue for small areas, and it is good, but lately I have discovered Spies & Heckler's Permacron, which I think is superior to any of the other glazing putties. I also just acquired some Gunze Mr. Dissolved Putty, but haven't had a chance to try it yet.

Where can you buy those putties you mentioned?  I think there must be many that are better than Squadron.  But I had a bunch on hand, and have lots of experience with it, so I knew what to expect.  Yes, it does shrink a lot as it cures.

The only problem I have with Milliput is that it is much harder than styrene, so it's difficult to sand it to a flush finish with the plastic.

Aves

Aves also has a Saftey Solvent some people use to smooth and feather the edges instead of water. 

Magic Sculpt can be found at these stores. 

I got mine at Tap Plastics. 

Or you can get plumbers putty in 5 and 20 minute cure times.

This is a grey stick with purple center that you cut off a slice and knead till one color.

Comes in a clear tube.

Don't get the steel version it is hard as steel and smells really bad.

Should be available at the hardware store.

 

Eric... 

One problem with this kit is that the "dome" is the wrong shape- too square and almost an inch too small in diameter.  I am getting ready to offer a thick vacuum-formed dome in which the master was turned on a lathe to the original blueprints  outline.  It will correct the dome shape and size issue.  The kit has other problems too, but this is the one most easily seen and the correct dome shape makes all the difference in making the PL kit look like the C-57D.  I'll let everyone know when it is available.

They can be purchased only at auto paint and collision repair supply stores. Evercoat Eurosoft comes in 20-ounce and half-gallon cans and includes the hardener catalyst; a 20-ounce can will last you a long time, but make sure it's well-sealed, as it will harden over time on its own in the can. Don't ask me how I know this. It's not the most economical; it's not cheap (about $20 for the 20-ounce can the last time I bought it) and there is invariably some waste, but for bulk filling it can't be beat. One nice thing about it is that it turns rubbery before it completely hardens; if you monitor it by gently poking it with the tip of your knife/scalpel blade as it sets, you'll know when. At that point, you can easily carve away any excess leaving a minimum to sand. And once sanded, it takes primer and putty just like styrene plastic because it's not really a putty but a "catalyzing styrene monomer," i.e., plastic!

I use old plastic coffee can lids or small ice cream carton lids to mix it. Once it's set, you can flex the lid and remove any waste and reuse the lid to mix the next batch.

There are other brands, but Evercoat seems to be more generally available.

Of the "spot" putties, I'd recommend either 3M Acryl-Blue Glazing Putty (retail $27 for a 21-ounce tube) or Spies Hecker Permacron Fine Putty 7715 (about $16 for an 8.8-ounce tube). These are lacquer-based, about the consistency of toothpaste, intended for filling pinholes and other small imperfections, and are good for filling seams. I apply them with a paint brush wetted with MEK (methyl ethyl ketone, the primary ingredient in lacquer thinner). Wet the brush, pick up a little putty right out of the mouth of the tube, and paint it on. They do shrink when applied in large amounts, but that's not what they're for. The 3M putty also comes in red and green, but the blue has a finer consistency and longer drying time, although it can be sanded in 30 minutes.

Interesting comment about Milliput. The times I have used it, I have found it to be softer than styrene.

Thanks, guys, this is all new to me regarding the putties.  I appreciate this helpful information and look forward to advancing beyond "Squadron Green"!

To justimagine- please let me know when that new dome is available.  I'm building the model now, hope your dome will be ready soon.  I haven't yet tried to fit the existing dome, and did not realize there was a size problem.  An inch off in diameter is pretty serious!

Ditto for me, also.

I'll let everyone know when the new dome is available.  I have the Lunar Models ship build and noticed the difference between the two instantly.  Once I got out the original plans I was surprised at the difference- the PL is way off the mark.  I originally only noticed the shape differance, I was totally surprised at it being so undersized.  A friend of mine has a large vaccuum-form machine and we are planing to pull the new dome in thick .060 plastic.

  I'm surprised at many of the buildups of this ship keep the dome as clear.  This not only looks strange to me, but the top lifts off anyway, so why bother? 

At first, I was planning to leave the dome clear, but have reconsidered.  My dome is kind of foggy, not sparkling clear like the lower dome, and as the model is taking shape, I can see how it would look and have decided to paint it.  I did make the lower dome transparent blue, by airbrushing the inside with Tamiya transparent acrylic.  It really looks nice, but lately I learned that the bottom dome glows red with rotating segments when flying through space.  Darn, I could have done it that way, but it's too late now!

Also note, the ship only has three legs/ramps.  The other three are meant to be assembled closed and you should make the seams disappear.  The kit was only built this way for cost reduction purposes, as putting in six ramps allows all six sections of the saucer to come from the same mold, rather than having to make three parts with ramp opening and three without.

Here's a photo of the bottom section upside down on the table:

Well, I just tried fitting the upper dome to my C-57D, and was pleased to find it fits just perfectly- it is not too small in diameter as mentioned in previous posts.  I wonder why- maybe there were several production runs where things did not go right, or maybe parts deformed in storage in the box.  I know I had bad warpage of the saucer sections in my kit, as it sat unpacked on the shelf for about eight years before I started to build it recently.  Nevertheless, I am still interested in hearing from "justimagine" when his new vacuum formed dome is available.

Chuck, You misunderstood me. The kit part fits just fine. The problem is, it is the wrong shape and size compared to the C-57D minature used in the film.  Polar Lights dome is the wrong shape and is undersized compared to the original filming minature.   If you want a model that looks like the film minature, you're gonna have to use a bigger dome that's more rounded- like a half-sphere shape rather than going up and then inward.  There are other accuracy issues with the kit as well, but the dome shape is the easiest to fix and makes a real difference in the kit's look.  If you build it as molded you get a nifty-looking saucer that looks almost, but not quite, like the film version and for lots of folks, that's ok.

 By the way, nice job on filling the seams.

Roger on the dome, thanks for setting me straight.  I'd be very interested in purchasing the new dome from you, when it's ready.  I won't glue mine on so I can change anytime.

Another mistake the kit made is that the saucer, when viewed edge on, should not have a symetrical shape regarding the top and bottom discs.  The top disc should be quite a bit taller than the bottom disc.  I found a great set of reference drawings for the ship, inside and out, (and plenty of behind the scenes info about the movie) in a new book, "The Saucer Fleet" by Jack Hagerty and Jon Rogers, published by Apogee books.  You can purchase a copy from Jon Rogers here:

http://www.rogersrocketships.com/home.cfm

It's a work of art, and the chapter on "Forbidden Planet" alone is worth the price.

Thanks for the compliment- the seams are not perfect, but if you dim the lights and stand back far enough, it looks good!    I gave it a coat of Pledge/Future floor polish which gave it a nice shine.

Have you built one of these models?  If so, how about showing us a photo?

Chuck,

 

Your right both about the ship's profile and how great "The Saucer Fleet" book is.  I had not realised about the taller upper suction when I assembled my hull or I'd have tried to do something about it. Actually, the LOWER hull is the one in error.  Still, as you look at the kit, most of us will be looking down on the model and the dome is what really shows, so that's what I'm gonna correct.

I'm also checking into using a small motor with blades to add the rotating engine effect- I'll post my results in the future- along with the information about the replacement dome

New dome master is ready!  Will post a photo of the pattern soon!

Good deal!  I'll be watching for it.

Here's a link to a photo of the master pattern next to the kit part.

 http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b398/nautilusnut/?action=view&current=dome.jpg

 

What I'm about to say, many won't beleave, but the issues of sanding that big sucker was handled with a Black and Decker "Mouse" sander. After fitting and gluing the parts together, I used autobody "Red" glazing compound to fill the seams. Sanded them down refilled and sanded then primed with Floquil Primer this is a little thicker than the normal model primer.  them used Testors Aluminum enamel.  Cam out great. The model is in a case at a client's house.

I used the Black & Decker mouse sander on mine, too.  That thing was just too big to do by hand, and it needed some brute force.  I did finish sanding using wet 400 grit paper.  After refilling and resanding and repainting three times, some little parts of the seams were still visible and I said to heck with it at that point.   

I painted it with Rustoleum "Painter's Touch" metallic aluminum spray cans, over Rustoleum primer, and after many coats, buffing each one, finished it off with Pledge/Future acrylic floor polish.  It's not perfect but looks pretty decent if you don't get too close!     

My Sears craftsman hand sorbital sander is doing mine.  This is why the ones you see built on the net usually paint weathering lines on the section joints and why you don't see this brute on the tables at model shows.  The only thing bigger than this kit is the task of building it properly.

Fitting the top and bottom saucer discs together is going to be tricky, too.  I'm wondering how to get the internal locating pins inside around the dome opening to mate properly, when you can't see them when the interior is installed  (as it must be, when you do the final assembly.)  I've tried it without the interior in place, and they don't all line up perfectly, either.  I think I will drill the mating holes out a little larger to give it some "wiggle room."

I've sent the master pattern off to my friend who will do the actual molding.  As soon as I receive the new dome I'll post a photo.  I've attached a link showing how much difference the dome will make.

 

http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b398/nautilusnut/?action=view&current=Dome-outline.jpg

Hello Chuck,

 not sure if your aware, BUT if you really want to go the extra mile, you can get the ID Monster by Tony McVey - it's resin, and should "fit" the scale.