Thanks guys

Mark - it's a piece of cake to build... I seriously doubt it took me an hour to complete. If you follow my "tips", you'll be able to break it down to fish inside at any time during the build. In fact, I doubt I'll glue the hull together when I'm done - it fits so well it just doesn't need it

ok im convinced, as soon as pay day arrives im ordering one!!

Make sure you do and don't forget a WIP thread to match

i will, leds for engines i may even use fiber optics for the cockpit (always wanted to try them) so any piccys with lights sned them my way or i could watch all the films again

The cockpit will be very fiddly to light - it's tiny, but nothing's impossible. You'll have fun cutting out all those slots in the engine exhausts though...

Looking very nice Mike! I can't wait to see it all weathered up like it is sposed to be! Don't screw it up!!

ill see what its like but fiber optics only need tiny drill holes and pva to stick them inplace

Gettin' deja vu there from another thread

looking great mate!

The first round of weathering was done this evening using some Mig Neutral wash, and then the pic was processed using some tools in Ubuntu that're a leetle bit different from my usual Photoshop, so whether it came out ok, we'll see in a sec



The hull sides still need doing, as do the insides of the cargo jaws

Nice!

Cool, she's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy!

The color looks spot on from my recollection of the movie. It is really looking the part now and the decals really make it pop.

I can't wait to see it finished.

Good work.

Mike

Actual model for reference

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/starwars/smith_sw.htm

Thanks guys - plenty more weathering left to do

Loving that - weathering has already added some nice depth to the finish. Decal colours to about right too which is good news if you don't want to mask each panel off for paint.

Still waiting for mine to arrive....

Stage 2 of the weathering process was done this avo, which included adding a few more colored panels that weren't provided as decals - Most of these were around the exhaust "petals", so didn't take much effort. I also added a few of the first paint effects of superficial blaster hits, which are just dots of panzer grey in a randomish stripe across the hull plates. I'll be adding a little pale surround to this later, as can be seen on the excellent refs provided by the chaps.

Finally, I flatted the surface down with some Vallejo matt varnish ready for the next step of weathering

Coming along nicely.

This ship's all about weathering, weathering and more weathering, innit.

Cheers Paul - another 3 or 4 stages left yet, including pigments, oils and filters here & there. I'll need to apply a black wash to the exhaust mesh area too, to give it a bit more depth

Looking good Mike I can't wait to see it all weathered!

I cheated this avo and did stages 2 and 3 together on the upper surface. Dabs of Mig black oil paint dragged in the relevant direction, and lots of dabs here & there of Mig Black Smoke pigments, all the while paying attention to the reference pics as much as possible. Granted, not every streak will be in the same place as the original, but it was the "feel" of each section that I was aiming at. The same job now needs doing on the underside and the edges... I sealed the top in with some Vallejo matt varnish so it doesn't get messed up while I'm finishing off

Looking great, Mike. The weathering is really bringing her alive.

Obi-Jiff

looks great mike, keep it coming

Looking good Mike, cant wait to see her finished!

Antony

Thanks guys Makes me wish I'd got a 1:72 scale one when the getting was good

Fantastic Mike. Its more complex to weather than you originally think isnt it. The more you look the more you see. Best SW ship there was though!

Thanks Agreed on all points. The underside's done now, so just the "edges" to do and then go over the whole hull again with some rusty marks. When you look closely at the original model though, there are so many crappy bits of painting - drips & all sorts. Still makes a beautiful ship though

Thats the problem. Look too closely at the props and the magic starts to unravel! It then just ends up looking like a beaten up old collection of mish mashed parts. , bent panels , oil oversprays and some dodgy gluing too. Like you say though , still a thing of beauty in a strange kind of way.

I never ever follow references for paint and weathering to the T, after all that is only replicating one moment in time in what would be a lifetime of the craft.

"Allllmost there"

You gotta remember though that these models have done quite a bit of touring to different exhibitions all around the globe now.
I believe some of these dodgy repairs and damage (plus missing bits) are the result of this.
When you check out pics from the Chronicles book for instance, they look a whole lot better.

Oh yeah, I'm sure they've been thru hell & back. What're the "Chronicles" books anyway? I've got a load of original movie guff from the initial releases (all well thumbed, so probably worthless), but it's stuffed in the loft behind a million bags of Caz's clothes

Hi Mike!

This is the Star Wars Chronicles book it covers all the character's, settings and vehicles from the original Trilogy.

Some people find solace and meaning in the Bible - I find it in the Star Wars Chronicles!

Obi-Jiff

Never even seen that book. When was it released, and is it still available?

Most, nay all of my Star Wars bookage is original and bought around the time of the first releases - never really picked anything up since.

It was originally a Japanese book, mid-1990s, then it was translated and released in the UK circa 1997, for a cover price of £100. I got mine at Costco, for about £60, even though I was out of work at the time, but it was an essential purchase. No idea what they go for now.

There is another... a second volume on the Prequel Trilogy was released about 4 or 5 years ago, and I haven't got that one yet.

Obi-Jiff

They go for silly money now... £300 on Amazon through one of their sellers. I couldn't believe that there's also a cookbook with a Cookbook II sequel, and a Party book too!

Despite having no money to my name, I'm not even remotely tempted to sell mine; that's how good it is. Keep an eye on the charity shops, Mike, you never know what might turn up.

Obi-Jiff

I'm with you there, would never sell my copy either.
It's a mahoosive, great book full of some fantastic reference pics.
I think I paid £75 for mine, from a book club I used to be a member of.
Three hundred quid though!. Those peeps on Amazon like to 'ave a larf, don't they.
I have the prequel one, too.
Much like the movies themselves, it's not as good as the original book.

It's extremely comprehensive - it's the only SW book I know that includes reference pics from the Ewok movies...

Obi-Jiff

You mean there was more than one?

Always two there are; Ewoks: Caravan of Courage, and Ewoks: the Battle for Endor. And yes, I didn't have to google those...

Obi-Jiff

Yup and I have both on DVD

Strewth... I'd have thought one was bad enough.

Mike, did you know there was an Ewoks cartoon series as well?

Obi-Jiff

Mike,

I hope you have not stopped this excellent build to watch films and cartoons about cute cuddly teddy bears who can do vicious things with tree trunks.

I need to work on my weathering skills before I even think about building the one in the attic, thats the problem with building F1 cars, not much call for weathering unless its an end of race build even then not much is needed.

Put the remote down and pick up your oils!!

Warren

No, not stopped, just had a bit of life in the way The review for the USS Wasp here took quite a bit out of my day yesterday too

As to weathering, there's nothing difficult in what I've been doing to this kit, so you shouldn't have any trouble yourself, as long as you have the correct tools to start with

She's done



The rest of the pics can be found here. Thanks for watching

Nice work, Mike. Now all you need is to scratch build Mos Eisley Spaceport's Docky Bay 94...

Obi-Jiff

Lookin goooood!!!!!