Swampy X Wing and a film crew

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 4:50 am

Finished off all five of these blighters...varied length on purpose, well really due laziness as they were pre cut so used what I had.

Here is how they will install into the base, then the aalluuuumineeeeum (with English accent please) pole slides in

I have a love/ hate relationship with soldering brass.
Modified things slightly as I went along to improve speed and strength, but had to do more than one attempt many times. I started soldering the pin into its hole first and was smoking along until the last one....five tries. The tubes also each took at least two attempts to solder solidly. It is done, gotta sort lights maybe tomorrow

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 10:02 pm

One frame ready, three more to make
Painted everything TM Aluminum

LED store is large stuff only, darn
May try the train hobby shop tomorrow if time

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 11:29 am

BOOM!..... Overhead lighting rig is built..

...and in brass... and soldered!..... Wow!..
Wish I was so handy with the soldering, mine looks like I taught a bird to crap on demand.... Lol..

Well done again dude, the Aluminium finish looks spot on, just needs lots of tapes and twisted wire holding the lighting cables to them..
Continued success Scott, she is coming together now..

DBMiller · Post by **DBMiller** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:03 pm

wappynutter wrote:BOOM!..... Overhead lighting rig is built..
...and in brass... and soldered!..... Wow!..
Wish I was so handy with the soldering, mine looks like I taught a bird to crap on demand.... Lol..
Well done again dude, the Aluminium finish looks spot on, just needs lots of tapes and twisted wire holding the lighting cables to them..
Continued success Scott, she is coming together now..

wappynutter:
Well, if you could teach a bird to crap on demand that would be pretty special all on its own.

I still can't believe you took on such a complex build! The work is amazing!

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 4:08 pm

Thanks guys

Still waiting on my lighting and hoping it is not a fail, kind of hooped myself with it..... should have ordered some other ones as backup
Happy with the scaffold and am making a 'metal framework' for the front edges to finish off the look
Didn't get any modelling time last couple days

My soldering is simple, just a bit of care and time in setting things up and a few inexpensive tools and tricks....BUT it can be temperamental and what you just did easily two seconds ago you can't repeat for love or money

I love being able to make parts like that out of stock brass

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 4:49 pm

Just when I thought that it was epic enough.... You go and epic it again!

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 5:07 pm

epic er er er ???

MikeyKb · Post by **MikeyKb** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 6:24 pm

sheesh, Scott.
Stop epic'ing. will you?!

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 3:57 pm

Got nothing done so far this week

Lights still not here FFS

MikeyKb · Post by **MikeyKb** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 6:23 pm

Twokidsnosleep wrote:Got nothing done so far this week
Lights still not here FFS

what 'lights' did you purchase? I work in professional theatre, and work on some film, and am VERY interested to see what kind of lighting you're going to come up with. I'd be happy to talk stage lighting with you if you'd like - specifically the different shapes and types of lights used.
Let me know

Looks frigging incredible, Scott. Keep it up

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Fri Nov 20, 2015 6:40 pm

They are bright white LED lights,5 on a string with double AA battery pack to drive them...thought it would be an all in one stop to light the dio for $2
coming form Hong Kong....slow boat from China I suppose
I have seen the 'grain of rice or wheat' lights and a connection to a 9V battery should have got those as well...but waaayyyy more money

Nige201980 · Post by **Nige201980** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:20 pm

That is all Brilliant

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 4:01 pm

Ha ha, thanks Nige
I think I will move on lights or not, otherwise will be freaking in December that always seems to get busy

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sat Nov 21, 2015 5:07 pm

What you needed Scott was a local Dollar store for some cheap battery operated white Christmas lights.
These are what I have used. Cut off the string what you need, they come pre-resistored and have their own power pack. Batteries not included... Lol... Extend the wires to suit and.. Ta-da!... Lights...

Continued success buddy...

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 3:46 am

wappynutter wrote:What you needed Scott was a local Dollar store for some cheap battery operated white Christmas lights.
These are what I have used. Cut off the string what you need, they come pre-resistored and have their own power pack. Batteries not included... Lol... Extend the wires to suit and.. Ta-da!... Lights...
Continued success buddy...

Good idea
I am just in time for that then, Christmas junk is everywhere now
I will go check out a dollar store...probably the same thing I ordered months ago
Thanks again mate

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 7:44 pm

And Andy comes through again with a brilliant idea

These are exactly what I ordered on line......just a white 5 string

I swear I have a mental disability, does that package not clearly say blue on it???....back to the store I go.
Oh and I tossed the receipt into the garbage outside the dollar store, so can't return it....unexpected daughter's room decoration

One background frame up gluing

Testing standing up in the background

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sun Nov 22, 2015 11:09 pm

Looking real good now Scott... Well done mate.

Glad I could help with the suggestion of lights.. I'm good with all the bright ideas.. That's number two.. Lol...
I have been hacking up cheap Dollar/Pound store Christmas lights for the past few years for use in my PC casemods.
Hoping you manage to use these to your needs. I figured that as I may not finish my build and Don is about finished with his, you need to get yours finished ASAP.

Your working wonders with this build, now go get those lights swapped... Hahaha... Blue!... I'd blame modellers block mate..

Continued success.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 12:40 am

Got the white ones
Sometimes I am like Charlie Brown. You know the scene where he comes back with the pathetic Christmas twig and someone says "you are so stupid Charlie Brown, can't you do anything right"
That's me, CB. Wrats

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 5:23 am

Ground light is rigged up and working
Back side of it wired and clipped onto the brass, painted black so no light leaks backwards...learned that from some guy on a Star Wars sig a few days ago

Working on the spotlights for the upper scaffold. These are styrene oil barrels and the mounting strut was their sprue

Just gonna tidy up and call it a night. Work week here soon enough

for looking

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 7:51 am

They look "Spot on!"... Ha... See what I did there?.. Lol.

Looking good now Scott, saved by the Dollar store.

Oil drums?.. Off cut sprue?? Clever dude..

Have a good week mate.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Mon Nov 23, 2015 3:52 pm

wappynutter wrote:They look "Spot on!"... Ha... See what I did there?.. Lol.
Looking good now Scott, saved by the Dollar store.
Oil drums?.. Off cut sprue?? Clever dude..
Have a good week mate.

Yes, oil drums. I have to take some short cuts, got a deadline to meet
Thanks for the kick in the right direction

And the help in the PM too mate

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 5:47 am

Evolution from oil drum to spot light
Up to my old trick of Dremel as a lathe....used drill as support in chuck spin it and with a file take off the circumferential beads on the drums

From sprue on left to trimmed and mounted cans on the altered sprue line to painted and finished light housings on right

And then a test lighting, these are going to look cool. They are not all that bright, but then neither am I

I have to bend the light at it's back and paint the back end black to block light leakage distally, just like I did with the floor light wiring
Kind of baked from work and chores, so hitting the hay

TheTroyster · Post by **TheTroyster** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 7:42 pm

Hello - Mr. Johnny ComeLate here - yep just discovered this build a moment ago. all that set building, those lights - looks epic.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:33 pm

TheTroyster wrote:Hello - Mr. Johnny ComeLate here - yep just discovered this build a moment ago. all that set building, those lights - looks epic.

Hey man
It is a long thread to read through for sure, thanks for coming over and having a peek

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 8:41 pm

Excellent test lighting Scott....

Nearly done now Sir, i bet you cant wait to do a reveal post?

Keep on doing what ya doing mate...

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 9:31 pm

wappynutter wrote:Excellent test lighting Scott....
Nearly done now Sir, i bet you cant wait to do a reveal post?
Keep on doing what ya doing mate...

Lots of little fiddly bits to get done "many miles before I sleep"
I think I will buy a few of the LED battery powered lights now that christmas is here and they are easy to find
I can see doing headlights and taillights for cars

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 9:42 pm

Twokidsnosleep wrote:
wappynutter wrote:Excellent test lighting Scott....
Nearly done now Sir, i bet you cant wait to do a reveal post?
Keep on doing what ya doing mate...

Lots of little fiddly bits to get done "many miles before I sleep"
I think I will buy a few of the LED battery powered lights now that christmas is here and they are easy to find
I can see doing headlights and taillights for cars

I always do bud, then again you probably guessed that... lol...

Car lights and also the top lights in Police and emergency vehicles too. Grab some of the multicoloured/colored 20 string for these. (My local Dollar store... UK Poundland has these. ) Unfortunately i have never found flashing battery operated Christmas lights. But you can always do as i do and butcher the flashing santa hats etc... for the flasher unit and wire it in..
Continued success Scott..

MikeyKb · Post by **MikeyKb** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:45 pm

continual amazing work, man!
I can't wait to actually come over and see this thing!

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:47 pm

MikeyKb wrote:
continual amazing work, man!
I can't wait to actually come over and see this thing!

God I hope I can finish the sucker!!!
You hanging around here for Christmas/New Years ????

MikeyKb · Post by **MikeyKb** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 10:59 pm

Twokidsnosleep wrote:
MikeyKb wrote:
continual amazing work, man!
I can't wait to actually come over and see this thing!

God I hope I can finish the sucker!!!
You hanging around here for Christmas/New Years ????

yessir. Originally from Montreal - and I'll be going home in January. I gotta work over the Xmas break a bit, so, I'll be here for the most part.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:01 pm

will PM you

Kingdan · Post by **Kingdan** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:11 pm

wow awesome definitely in with a shout of a prize did I say awesome already

Dan

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:21 pm

Kingdan wrote: wow awesome definitely in with a shout of a prize did I say awesome already

Dan

Thanks Dan, not in it for the hardware, just having fun

I want to send some finished pics to Mike C's FSM link for a Star Wars build competition to see what they think
I have never entered into anything other than builds here.
Went to IPMS Vancouver in October and was blown away how talented the builders are and what they make...very humbling

Kingdan · Post by **Kingdan** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:26 pm

It scares the crap out of me at the thought of having someone judge my stuff, I think I'm not quite up to show standard yet but I love modeling for me and that's all I'm after, yours on the other hand wow out of this world crazy cool

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Wed Nov 25, 2015 11:31 pm

Kingdan wrote:It scares the crap out of me at the thought of having someone judge my stuff, I think I'm not quite up to show standard yet but I love modeling for me and that's all I'm after, yours on the other hand wow out of this world crazy cool

Yep, that is a good attitude and similar to mine

I make what subjects I like to and if others like them, fine. Most fun is learning stuff from others on here
Don't think I will get really competitive about my hobby EVER. You hear about guys burning out and stop modelling
I can stop and leave something then come back to it with a fresh mind and enjoy it...so far anyways
Throw competition, rules and deadlines in the mix and it would feel like work

Coen · Post by **Coen** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 3:32 pm

If I enter one it's usually after the fact.
I'll enter something that I've already built and and happy with without a contest in mind. If I have to purpose build something for a contest I would approach the build with the wrong attitude I think. I'm not one for competition, I see it as one of humanity's least attractive qualities.

This build however is smokin!!!
I wasn't sure what your plan was with the lights until I saw it.
Holy freaking holla hoops!! That's wicked cool stuff.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 3:55 pm

Good thoughts there Mr Coen and thank you for the feedback
I have read some interesting car builder threads of guys preparing for a NNL competition (not sure what that is actually)...they burn themselves out and stop modelling. I like your after the build entry idea

I spent a bit of last night painting the rest of the spotlights and then adding some decals from my leftover pile to make them look a bit more like they mean business. Of course I ran out and will have to pick some more up
I asked Andy about splicing and messing with the LED strings, so after some advice I removed one light and extended the wire...everything still works, just have to solder and re-insulate.
Sorry no pics, too lazy
Am getting close to finishing, but we are at a hockey tourney this WE so no models for me

Happy American Thanksgiving Weekend, hope all is safe

Kingdan · Post by **Kingdan** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 4:41 pm

Yeah that Andy is a good source of information I pick his brains all the time only because he's my brother in law quite handy really and only live round the corner so get to see all of his work too which is a real treat to the eye

Dan

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Thu Nov 26, 2015 4:53 pm

You are a lucky dude Dan
It would be awesome to have such an innovative mind close by, very inspiring chap he is

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 11:56 pm

Found a hobby shop in Kelowna BC while here for a hockey tournament
ABC Hobbies, nice bunch of young guys running it much into RC and those damn drone things ....but good guys
Had my hands on a Meng D9 bulldozer and the Nautalis kit that Troy just finished...put them back unfortunately got my little bit of supplies.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sun Dec 06, 2015 1:32 am

Getting close

wappynutter · Post by **wappynutter** » Sun Dec 06, 2015 9:58 am

Ding...ding...ding..... We have a winner!.. Well we do if I judge it.. Lol...

Damn dude, its awesome !!..
Told ya that lighting would look the part... Finality detail , finality detail.. Adds a bunch to the scene along with all the rigging and framework. Also the backdrop image is superb..

I think I'll pack up my Otana and go home now... You, Don and Felis have raised the bar this SiG and left the rest of us out in the cold ... On Hoth.... With Wampa's... Hungry Wampa's!...

Can see the light at the end of your Modelling tunnel now mate.
Continued success, both on the build and with the house build bud..

Nige201980 · Post by **Nige201980** » Sun Dec 06, 2015 3:15 pm

OMG Its has if I'm there filming it myself stunning build buddy wow.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sun Dec 06, 2015 5:33 pm

Thanks guys, I know I am almost done b/c I am getting sick of this scene.
Always happens when I get close, get so fed up with what I am working on.

I made the white/red loudspeaker out of brass late last night and moved some characters around
Finishing was my birthday present to myself
Will let it sit for a bit and 'steep' before final reveal pics

all for putting up with this long winded thread

MikeyKb · Post by **MikeyKb** » Sun Dec 06, 2015 8:37 pm

un-freaking believable, dude.
Just awesome work

DBMiller · Post by **DBMiller** » Sun Dec 06, 2015 9:07 pm

You have got to enter this in the Fine Scale Modeler Star Wars contest as well as this one! This is eye popping!

A winner is right!

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Sun Dec 06, 2015 10:31 pm

DBMiller wrote:You have got to enter this in the Fine Scale Modeler Star Wars contest as well as this one! This is eye popping!
A winner is right!

Thank you gents, I appreciate the support from the regulars here who have definitely motivated me.
I would never have gone so far with this build without all of you guys

Funny as I just see all the issues I have had with the build and am sick and tired of it....was same feel with the Vietnam build and with the MG I made. Just need to let it sit for a week and let my mojo rebuild
I am a little hesitant for the FSM thing as it is not an exact replica of the movie set, rather my interpretation.

Again thanks to each and every one of you who have commented along the way and suffered my blathering and lengthy thread

felisbarcinonensis · Post by **felisbarcinonensis** » Mon Dec 07, 2015 7:15 am

Wow! What an amazing scene!!!!!!!!

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Mon Dec 07, 2015 7:49 pm

felisbarcinonensis wrote:Wow! What an amazing scene!!!!!!!!

my friend

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Tue Dec 08, 2015 7:12 pm

Just got a note from someone that I had the wrong director on the bridge....I did Lucas, but not Irvin Kershner for Episode V
Sorry, I had no idea he directed, but am in the works to make things right and add Mr Kershner to the mix