1/72 TIE Defender buildup

While originally thinking of "hidden hinges" I eventually went against that because to make room for their "swing" inside would require some ugly pockets to be cut into the framing and traditional hinges would assure that the doors would open and then lay flat against the next panels to them. So fashioned up some hinges from brass tubing and strip which was then sunk flush into their mounting areas. The overlength wires for hinge pins are just place keepers for mock up.

Just read the thread, very well done!! I also look forward to seeing the finished piece.  I think the stand your making will add the extra flair your looking for to an already outstanding piece.  Keep up the good work (and man you get some modelling time in your schedule!!)

Just to dang awesome!

CPD, Batman,

 Thanks for the kind words. They're much appreciated. 

 

 

The base has it's basic colors on now and after this come the topcoats.

 

 

Very nice looking base. Did you use actual grip tape on there, or how did you do that inner portion of the base. It appears like grip tape to me.

Wolfie,

 Sorry for the delay. I'm not sure where you mean? But I can say that tape won't be part of the finished product.  Thanks.

 

The location of the guns out on the wingtips originally caused me to go with fiber optics but after breaking one here and there during handling I rethought that decision.

Rebuilt every gun so that an LED would become part of the gun itself. 


With wiring being bulkier than fiber I also had to reroute connectivity. 


But eventually even without light block applied it far outshines what fiber could transfer.

And there are four in blue and four in green.

It looks like the tape above to me, on the inside of your base. If it isn't that type of tape, how did you create that effect?

It's coming right along, and looking great.

darkwolf29a wrote:

It looks like the tape above to me, on the inside of your base. If it isn't that type of tape, how did you create that effect? It's coming right along, and looking great.

 

 

Oh. No, just "paint"? It's a 50/50 gloss/flat black, or "satin black" of course. Then there's a topcoat of a House of Kolor 'Phase Shift' paint that turns Green/Blue/Gold depending on light angles which probably gives it the shimmer you thought of with that nonslip kind of tape. And thank you very much!

 

Here's the base colors applied with a quick mockup and then a light test.

DOH!

Darkwolf! I think I finally realized what your referring to! I set the base upon SANDPAPER to take the picture and you're looking through the area where the rear flat panel will occupy!

That will become a backlit transparency of the ship schematic later on! I'm so very sorry for stumbling through this explanation so long now. 

 

Ok...That was a duh moment for me as well. :) As soon as you said the sandpaper was sitting there....I noticed the surrounding area was covered in the stuff. LMAO Don't mind me...I'm just clueless sometimes.

After too long a delay, much spent accumulating parts and then even redoing one false start because I didn't like my own layout, I have started the board for the electronic components which control the various functions.