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Hello again, Here is my Civil War era 1/144 Rebel Fighter Squadron. The X-Wing, Y-Wing and A-Wing are Bandai kits (the "Vehicle Model" series) and the B-Wing is from F-Toys. All build straight out of the box with little or no glue, painted with a variety of different paints and some homemade decals for the X-Wing and Y-Wing. The base is a very old resin one I had in the stash from Scale Solutions (they still do some excellent resin parts) that was just perfect for this little display.

It is very rare I decide to share one of my builds online- just making them for my own fun mostly. This one I chose to make an exception on- it is still needing a couple of minor things such as adding the engine lights, a bit more weathering and decals, but when I put it on the stand last night it felt finished enough to share. It is the SDCC Edition B-Wing. I figure there were enough people building it to match the filming model so I gave mine two additional twists. The first is that I made it Red 7. There was some discussion a while back about how the wing stripes on the X-Wings could show numbers higher than the five the space allowed for, I thought gaping them would work so I used that on this fighter. I also though the long fuselage strip on the X-Wings would look nice on the main wing of this build so Red 7 was born. The Second was giving it a bit of history. The SDCC has a couple of missing panels at the bottom of the main wing with exposed greebly. the stock version of the kit has an exposed panel up at the top that the SDCC version has a plug for. I liked it open so I added some mechanical bits behind it. I then started thinking- why leave these two areas open. What I came up with was that this particular fighter was damaged in it's last battle. The mechanics did not have time to do a proper repair so the power feeds the blast tore apart and just ran a couple of bypasses along the outside instead. This to me gives a reason for those missing panels and sort of embraces the feel for the Rebels doing whatever it takes to get things battle ready without having the time or materials to do it in a fancy way. As mentioned there are still a couple of things I think still need to be done for this build but I am going to put in on the shelf for a while and just enjoy it a bit...

Bandai's latest addition to the Vehicle Model range, the Super Star Destroyer, at the somewhat eye watering scale of 1/100,000. I'll probably make a start on the build later tonight, but for now I'll post some sprue shots to show off Bandai's exceptional injection moulding skills. There are only two sprues for the SSD, along with a third for the standard Bandai stand (back in black again, rather than the more recent clear), with only 20 parts to make up the ship. The surface detail (here on the lower hull) is even finer than on the previous Star Destroyer. Lower engine section and aft hull extension. Upper half of the aft hull extension. Detailing on the upper hull. Slide moulded engines. The absolutely miniscule (about 3mm wide) bridge. That's it for now. The build (not that there's much to it) should begin later. Andy

Hi all I'm a little late getting organised cos I've got a couple of other builds on the bench... However, I'm sorting myself out a bit now... In 1977, star wars hit the big screens. Obviously I don't remember it first time round but I'm a pretty big fan, as are my boys. All the ships /vehicles are pretty iconic but there's one that stands out... So I'm building Bandai's X-wing. There's hundreds of build threads for this kit or variants of it, in the space/sci-fi section, most of them expertly done, but I've never built any space/sci-fi kits so it's a first for me. I'll do the Skywalker/R2-D2 version 'cos my kids wouldn't forgive me if I don't. Just in case you're from a galaxy far far away, this is it: Th sprues are moulded in multiple colours - which would be good to see from some other companies too. This one has four including clear.. You get your own section of Death Star - 2 in fact - one as part of the stand and the other enables you to do the attack on the thermal exhaust port scene. I'll use the stand but probably not the exhaust port one due to shelf space. The instructions are very... Japanese.. 😂 Here we go then.. W-D

Hi All. Well, I have finally finished this model. And I say finally because I thought it would be faster than it really has been. The painting process has been minimal: a simple shading around the raised parts of the surface, subsequently masking to lighten these raised parts. As with the first attempt I had doubts that it would remain after varnishing and applying oil to highlight details, I did it again with a darker tone. The end result was not what I had anticipated but you learn from mistakes. I have enjoyed this kit a lot because it has offered me what I wanted from it: good detail but without waiting for any wonder due to its size, absence of lace problems that oblige to putty and sand, and no complications with cockpits, landing gear or armament For not having, he doesn't have any decals. In other words, kill that sensation of gluing, painting, varnishing and showcase. I just need to put the photos. Andrés.

STAR DESTROYER Bandai 1/14500 Bandai tempts me again, and hook me, with one of his little kits: The Star Destroyer. The scale is small, really small, 1/14500. That translates into a model that, having 11 cm in length, fits in the palm of the hand. However, the detail is very fine. In my opinion of having made Bandai a kit of this ship at 1/7000 scale would have resulted in a length of between 23 and 25 cm that, with the great detail to which the Japanese brand has accustomed us, would be perfect for those of us who love the ships of this galactic saga but we do not want a model of it 50 or 60 cm long. With its 11 cm it is, although very manageable, really small yes. Another thing would be the Imperial Super Destroyer that at 1/7000 would result in its 2'7 meters of immense length even at this scale. There is no wife to be persuaded, a "deadly" salary that would allow her or a showcase to house her. Show the construction process I think is not worth it. The pieces, which are 22 or 23, fit in a small staple and from the beginning of cutting the first piece until it ends by pasting the last one, I don't think 45 minutes have elapsed. Its adjustment is almost perfect, needing putty in 4 or 5 points and I have applied diluted in acetone. I think more by forecast than by something else because the boards may not be visible because of their size and layout once painted and especially because they are camouflaged when applying dark oils to highlight details. I have used extra-liquid glue also more by anticipation than as a necessity since Bandai's fat-breasted system and its exquisite fit surely does not make it essential. A photo of the mock-up not yet painted, and without the engines. I prefer to paint them comfortably apart and place later. After applying a dirty white result of mixing XF-2 with XF-55 I have sprayed Tamiya XF-55 very diluted around the different structures. Next, I reapplied the base color by masking the surface so that it was only applied to the highest parts of the structure. At some points I applied the paint with a fine brush. I thought I could finish it completely today, but no. Anyway, this little bug has no decals or landing gear or anything like that, so in the next post it will be "ready for sentencing." Andrés.

Has anyone else seen the Dragon 1/35 scale AT-AT and have any better information than that on the Dragon website. all i found was a picture, no measurements or anything so no idea of sizes or anything?

I got this the other week - I think it's a limited edition or something, as it comes in an all-black box. It's basically a standard Stormtrooper that's been moulded in shiny black rather than shiny white. No worries - you can't have enough Stormtroopers in the cabinet. I'm not sure where these guys appear in the series, but they'd look good next to the Death Troopers. Anyway, rather than stash it away in my Bandai Star Wars stack, I figured I'd build it straight away. I didn't use paint other than a bit of Molotow Liquid Chrome for the chest-plate lights/buttons (?) and the detail parts on the helmet that don't settle down well as decals. All the rest has just had the sprue gates sanded back, then polished back to a glossy shine with buffer pads, and put together with a little liquid glue in the friction tubes. Totally OOB, and I'm not going to do any weathering on it, as I don't know where they were posted, if at all so far. I thought I'd make a post in here just so I could claim another completed model for 2019 There's not much to tell about construction, as everything goes together awesomely, and I fiddled with it in between extended bouts of during this hot weather. Here it... he? is:

Still needs a matte coat...

I've bought some weathering washes which (so far) I've only used undiluted on one test project. I saw a video on YouTube which suggested you can dilute it with the matching solvent to get a less intense color. I'm going to be applying either this dark "multi-grey" shade or "multi-black" over top of Tamiya TS-81 "Royal Light Grey" and I'm not sure if I should use the dark grey wash or a heavily diluted black. This will be going on the Bandai 1/100000 Super Star Destroyer. Was wondering if anyone had any advice or insights on this as far as mixing ratio, tips, opinions, anything?

I finished this model some months ago but I haven´t showed it in RFI yet. I waited for new camera equipment, but I am not sure if I am happy with it. The lighting looks a little bit off. The real colour lies between the first pictures and the 2 WIP pictures below, which I have taken before. I tried to recreate every tiny scratch and chip from the studio model. I hope you like it. Some pictures from the finished cockpit while it was in WIP:

Here's my offering - a straightforward, simple build. 😀 I am expecting it to go together quickly, giving me enough time to have a decent bash at weathering. The kit looks nice enough, and comes with a very comprehensive set of colour instructions. Also included is a small decal sheet - I think I'll be painting most of the colour though in an effort to speed things up - we'll see. The clear parts were all short-shot - but hats off to Revell who came up with replacements very quickly.

Less than happy with the Thornycroft, lets see what I can manage in hours few. The box The bits Parts painted in the paintshop For a build of this speed, it’s got to be a some banging tuuuuunes by Scooter. This is where it’s at

Just started out on another model from the Bandai's Resistance Vehicle Set which includes two 1/144 T-70 X-Wings along with this 1/350 Falcon from the Last Jedi. Few parts but great detail. I'm really impressed by the pipes which run from the hull into the maintenance pits. The parts were all very clean except for the radar dish, which had a prominent mold line running down the center. I laid down a base coat of Badger Stynylrez Black Primer followed by random squiggles of Vallejo Model Air 71.119 White Gray to give some modulation to the hull color. I just received a set of Flory Washes in the mail yesterday, so I'm eager to try them out soon.

My brother is a huge Star Wars fan and quite an accomplished cosplay crafter as well. For his 47th birthday, I'm creating a small First Order Stormtrooper bust for him. Since I'm still learning how to sculpt in Zbrush, I purchased a 3D model online and will be modifying it into a customized 3D printed model. The model I purchased features a classical sculptural base. It looks nice, but I have an idea for a base that features the First Order emblem. First, I created the base in my favorite NURBS modeler and added a 1cm hole in the center. The Aurubesh text is my brother's name and age. Next I turned to customizing the model in Zbrush. First, I trimmed off the original cylindrical base and add a 1cm wide post. The space between the helmet and the torso is pretty tight, so I separated the geometry at the neck and add a mounting post with a matching recess in the helmet. I tried to align the separation between the folds of the neck piece as best I could. Then I imported my custom base and checked the alignment digitally. Next, I sent the geometry to my Form 2 SLA printer and waited for nine hours for the print to complete. After an isopropyl alcohol bath to remove residual resin, the model parts were ready. Here are the parts still attached to their printing supports. I did a little clean up of the parts and put them together for quick test fit. Surfaces that have a gradual slope that ends in a horizontal surface tend to have faint stair step lines from the printing process, in this case they were 0.05mm layers for the model. The sanded portion on the top of the helm is where I lightly sanded the layer lines away. In the photo below, the horizontal lines that are visible are actually completely smooth. I'll be performing additional sanding and clean up in the morning, then onto priming and painting.

With the 40th anniversary of Star Wars this year, i'm going to try and build some kits from that series as a kind of a tribute GB. And to mark feeling very old! To ease myself into it, I've pulled this from the stash which I picked up last year at Telford for the princely sum of a penny shy of £2.. Just a small bit of wear and tear on the box! (hence the price) But everything there.... Behold the mighty sprue map...almost 40 parts! None of your fancy-shmancy 900+ parts Master Series nonsense here.... The upper hull/turret bustle had received a fair whack in the box and was cracked from left side to right so that needed fixing...plastic tabs (hidden) to support and lashings of glue.. It's an Easy kit (Snap-Fit to us older folks) but I'm going to glue it together. So out came a persuading tool to snip the lugs for a better fit. And we have a hull! While not as accurate as the AMT kit and smaller in scale (about 1/50 I think), I'm going to try and improve this by repainting in the Phantom Menace scheme and adding some basic detail to it. Yes, I know there are some minor shape/detail differences between these versions but hoping it will still look the part (and not upset the fans ) I'll miss those 'eyeliner' gun stains from the front glacis! Thanks for looking. Cheers, Dermot

Kylo Ren's Command Shuttle (06746) 1:93 Revell Kylo Ren is Supreme Leader Snokes' young(ish) apprentice and plays a substantial role in both of the episodes of this sequel trilogy so far, with the promise of more in the upcoming Rise of Skywalker that is due (at time of writing) this Christmas, with the hope that it ends the series on a high note. Ben Solo as he was named at birth gets around in a large black Command Shuttle, which bears a familial resemblance to an Imperial Shuttle in the folded configuration, and with the central fin deleted. In flight the wings fold out into a wide V-shape that defies explanation other than looking malevolent. It's screen time is fairly fleeting in The Force Awakens, but it acts as his mobile command centre toward the end of The Last Jedi, hovering menacingly over the under-used AT-M6 Gorilla walkers and taking centre stage during the breaching of the Rebel base's huge armoured shield-door on Crait . The Kit This is a re-release of the snap-together styrene kit as a true model, and is more detailed and larger most of the other kits in the Star Wars range. It arrives in a large end-opening box, and has six sprues in grey black styrene, plus one containing a single clear part. The details aren't painted at the factory like the previous release, and as such it has been re-branded as a kit with the skill level raised from 2 to 3, and Kylo's helmeted head has been removed from the box art to be replaced by his Grandad wielding his light sabre. Now the instructions show glue being used and colours are called out on the way using the more usual alphabetic codes that relate to their paint brand. The first thing of note is how big these wings really are. They're over 30cm long, so when it's built, you're going to need some headroom wherever you want to store/display it. There are detail inserts in the wing edges, and the cannons in the leading wing-root edge are carried over from the old shuttles. The wings fix into the hull at the vertical landing orientation, so if you want to depict it in flight with wings canted to the sides, you'll need to adapt the roots to suit. The partial retraction of the tips of the wings for landing inside hangar bays would make for a more difficult conversion, but there is bound to be some out there willing to give it a go, and some maniac will probably also motorise it! The lower hull has a crew compartment and bulkhead added along with an articulated access-ramp, which is covered by a blank bay to block your view of the interior. The canopy and wing root bulkheads are slotted in place along with a few other smaller parts, and the hull is closed up, with a pair of exhaust nozzles added to the rear. This time around you will need to paint the canopy yourself, which gives you the opportunity to leave it translucent to show the detail in the control room. The wings slot into the hull's bulkheads on long pins for strength, and you then install the landing gear skids in retracted positions by leaving the gear legs off, or in landing pose by adding the legs beforehand. Conclusion This is a now marketed as a model and I feel that it is better suited to this genre as the surface detail is more in line with its new status. It's a big kit and if you take your time to paint and detail it to the best of your ability, the basic detail is strong enough and for the detailers it is a good base on which to go to town, with room inside the hull for a lighting rig if you have that in mind. Highly recommended. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or

Revell/Bandai's 1/72 'Perfect Grade' version of the #MillenniumFalcon will be back in stock this coming week! #starwars #revellmodels #modelkit #hansolo #wookie #chewbacca #bandai https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/blog/article/bandai-perfect-grade-millennium-falcon-jul-2019/

AT-ST Walker Bandai 1/48 I've just received this in the post, fresh from Japan and although I've got other things on the go I wanted to get stuck in as soon as I'd opened the box and seen the contents. I have to admit when I first heard that the SW licence had switched to Bandai from Finemolds I was expecting a load of pre-painted toy-like models in the Revell mould (no pun intended) but having seen some of the builds others have done of the earlier releases, I think these are probably the best SW models yet produced. They also seem to be great value. This was around £10 + postage from HLJ. As I mentioned above, I've got other builds in progress so work on this one may be a little drawn out but to begin with I thought I'd upload some sprue shots to show what Bandai have managed with this release It all comes in a smallish box (12" x 7") and it's pretty packed with sprue's, 6 in total including one with what seems to be Bandai's trademark with these SW kits, multi-colour moulding The main cockpit is a nice one-piece slide moulding And there's some very fine detail for the interior walls and control panel The seats are moulded integrally with the cockpit floor and have a location block for the drivers which will need removing if you don't use the figures Back wall of the main 'head' Waist pivot section The base is a little basic but with some texture added should look OK The transparent red 'laser blasts' for the main guns You get three figures in the box, two identical pilots and this rather nice Chewie Though I've no idea what happened with the two pilots! The weird thing is, the moulding on them is actually very good, particularly the undercut on the helmet, so why they shaped them in such a bizarre way, only Bandai know. Maybe I'm just reading things into it that aren't there but it almost looks as if they were going for some kind of anime look to the figures. In any case I don't think I'll be using them. The decal sheets, waterslide and stickers And the instruction book which, in keeping with the fine traditions of Finemolds, is all in Japanese So, there you have it. I'll try to get some work started on it in the next day or two and I'll get some shots up when work commences Andy

This is Bandai's new 1/1000 Blockade Runner from their Vehicle Model range. The kit's intended to represent the Tantive IV, the first ship to appear on screen in A New Hope, but I've finished mine as the Liberator, which was the command ship of Phoenix Squadron in the Star Wars Rebels animated show. The kit is well up to Bandai's usual standards, with tons of tiny detail that you'd think would be impossible to mould on a model as small as this. The only downside (apart from wanting the kit to be bigger) is the inclusion of stickers for the markings, meaning you'll either need to paint them on like here, or source some after-market decals. You can find the full build here Thanks for looking Andy

This is Bandai's little 1/144 Striker, from the U-Wing/TIE box set. It's designed along the same lines as their Vehicle Model series, with only a few parts and no clear moulding for the canopy, but it's still highly detailed, being essentially a scaled-down version of the 72nd kit. I finished this one in a scheme heavily influenced by the red TIE Interceptors used by the Royal Guard in various EU comics. Paint was my usual steel-over-black recipe for the panels, while the red was Gunze red over Gunze russet. Thanks for looking Andy

So I actually managed to make a start in my 3D printed lightsaber hilt today Today was spent disassembling, a little filing and dry fitting. Everything does already fit together, but not massively well so I’m cleaning all of the join points. the calculator ‘bubblestrip’ is Especially problematic, I need to lose a good 2mm from the overall width as well as around half a mm from the thickness. The plan is that mask all of he joins and then give it a good couple of coats of high build primer from Halfrauds before an eternity of rubbing down and wet flatting before I really start to do things properly. Still can’t decide if I’m going to build this as a rusty relic, used or mint condition. I think I’m going to settle on it having had some use (because I’m not yet able to do rust effects etc to a level I am happy with).

Ok, so yesterday I was at a toy collectors fayre at the Nec. I usually go for a look around, don't often buy anything but occasionally you can pick up a model or two. As it turns out I was two isles down and I saw this for £10: Not only was it a bargain and saved me three weeks wait while it made it's way from Japan it was also the next kit on my list so very happy days. I already have a project on the go and I fully intended to put this on a shelf until I had cleared the backlog but I got home from work today and opened the box to take a look and the next thing I knew; Damn you Bandai😡😡 I didn't get too deep in but I already had an idea to create a diorama of an X-Wing in a hangar looking like it's under maintenance so was dry fitting a few bits and seeing how that would work. I have never really tried anything like this before (opening panels that aren't supposed to be opened) but have always wanted to. I have followed many of @AndyRM101's builds and loved the x wing he did with the panels open. So, inspired by this I hope to show this X-Wing with maybe an engine off and some panels open with wires and internals showing. Maybe with a few droids and ground crew knocking about, as if it's booked in for it's MOT. Not sure how long this will take but hoping to get started soon. Will be in need of lots of advice as scratch building is something I really want to get into but have not really done in the past! Cheers Chris!

Hi! This is not the Bandai kit which I find too big for my taste. It's a vinyle toy from Hasbro found on ebay for around 10£ (S&H included!). It's around 12 cm high. The details are pretty decent. Although almost static I decided to cut off all the joints and replace them with sections of plastic tubes. This way I was able to give it the pose I wanted the droid to have. The figure stood in that state for a bunch of months on my bench until recently I decided to start the paint job as I was painting my Death Star. The paint job is almost done. Pictures to come pretty soon. Ciao Iwik

BB-8 Astromech Bandai 1/12 These two turned up today, so I thought I'd get a wip underway, although it'll be a while before plastic gets cut, as I need to finish the BTR first. To get things going, I'll just show a few sprue shots for anyone who may be thinking about ordering one. I'll just be dealing with BB-8 here, as R2 is the same as he was in the previous boxing. There's only two sprues in the box for BB; one in silver and the other with the white and orange panels The white panels are very shiny. It'd be a shame to have to paint them. All the body panels fall along natural panel lines, so shouldn't be a problem. The dome however is split in two, as R2's was. There are panel lines on the dome too, so I'll have to see whether it'll need any filling or not. These are two of his arms, including the one for the scene (which I guess at a push you could light, if you threaded a fibre optic along the arm) The orange panels seem like a pretty good match for the prop colour, but I think I'll paint them anyway These two parts make a box section that all the main body panels then attach to. There's space inside to run fibres and LEDs should you wish The 'silver' parts aren't bad as they are, but I'll be Alclad-ing them (although I have just ordered some of that new Vallejo metal paint, so I might try that) A couple of tinted clear parts for the his sensors And the clear parts for the stand. The idea with this is that an arm holds his head in place, and traps the body between the head and the base of the stand, allowing the body to be rotated. I'll be dispensing with this, pinning the dome to the body, and placing him on a terrain base And lastly, although I said before that R2 was identical to the earlier release, Bandai have changed the colour of the plastic for the silver parts. BB-8's silver is the same as the first R2/R5 release but here R2 has a much paler, less metallic plastic I'm not sure what the change is for, or why they haven't done it with BB-8, but as I'll be repainting it, it doesn't really matter. Just thought I'd point it out. I'll make a start on him as and when Andy