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Apollo Crawler at 1/72 scale


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HEY EVERBODY,

So today I have wraped up the installation of the external skin. The skin build involved making a few braces to support the loose edges and the the six pieces of skin for the sides.

The first photo shows the braces and the skin parts. The braces are the small parts on the right side of the photo.

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This photo shows the braces are installed against the frame pillars. I had eight of these to install. And as you can see I had two different shapes, for two different areas of support. The edges of these braces are to support the loose edges of the skin.

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A shot of the other brace.

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Here you can see the skin for the central area of the side. The brace for this side is now matched very closely and it all looks like one solid piece.

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And in this photo you can see how the skin wraps around corner "A" This will be the finished skin for this corner. This detail will be visable on the finished model.

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Now that the skin section is finished, I get to move to the interior. I will build the fuel tanks and install the floor grates. All comming up next post. Same station, same channel, stay tuned all. Thanks!

Edited by RichO
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HEY GUYS,

The Fuel Tanks today.

I have built one of the fuel tanks and thought you'd like to see the construction. No real problems with this little mini build. I did have to dig up some after market ladders, however this was a lot easyer than I anticipated it would be. I scored the ladder from the first hobby shop I stoped at. The right place, the right time...ect.

In this first photo is all the parts for the tank build.

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The second photo is the main tank body. Here I have assembled the flat layout into the 3d tank.

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In this next photo you can see how I have marked the tank sides, and I have started laying in the tank belly support straps.

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Tank support straps on the end of the tank.

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Around the ends and across the sides with the belly straps.

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And now, the finished Fuel Tank. I still need to paint before I install, but all is built. The brass ladders came from " Model Shipways" and the mounting gear on the top of the tank is temporarily in place so you can see how all this fits together.

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I have another tank to build and paint, a day or so, then comes the floor screens. Thats all for today. Thanks!!

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HEY GUYS,

Thanks to everyone for liking my build, it continues.

So, more photos today. I have finished with the Fuel Tanks. I have rattle can sprayed the tanks a classic grey. I like to spray with acrylic paint. I let that dry, and then I go back over and paint by hand with a brush, the final color. The goal here is to give the finished model a light texture. Anyone who has been on board a navy vessel can see layers and layers of paint that gives a nice tactile texture. Very industrial feeling. This is what I am trying to achive here, a nice rough texture and not a smooth airbrush finish. I will paint the entire model this way. Including the different colors, like the Engineers office floor.

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Next. This is the area of the build that requires floor grates. The floor grates are all around the build and also all the walkways and catwalks.

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In this photo I have cut a heavy piece of card stock and trimed it to the size of the openning where the floor grates belong.

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In this photo I have made notes along the edges of the card cutouts for all the opennings. All these card cutouts and notes get transfered to the wire mesh.

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Here is the wire mesh in a close up photo. This wire mesh is Stainless Steel at a 40 mesh count. I have painted this with a gloss black acrylic. I just have to paint it in many layers very lightly so I do not plug up the holes with the paint.

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And this is the final floor grates. These are test fitted here and all looks good. I will now move on to the rest of the floor grates. I will then remove these grates and then paint the crawler. I will wait untill I have installed the Pipe Chords before I paint the main Chassis. That way all of the basic Chassis will be built and assembled and the Chassis painting will be acomplished at the same time in one step.

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Now, the construction will proceede with the installment of the Pipe Chords. Thats next. Thanks for watching all!!

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Hello Rich,

wow, you're making great progress, all respectable. What a lot of new details, which coming along nicely, very impressive! gut.gif

And I think, with the 40 mesh Stainless Steel for the floor grates you've chosen a good size, it looks cool.
And now in 1:72 you've also sufficiently wide column to hide the LED wires.
hallo.gif
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MANFRED,

You know better than most about the small details! Thanks for the nice words!!

The 40 mesh screen was a good choise for the 1/96, but for the 1/72, it is really great to work with at this scale. I think it looks much better. Also at 1/72 I have a ton of room for the wiring dept. to work with. With the size of the columns and beams at this scale, I can hide all with no problems. I have started messing around with the design of the "spots" using Evergreen tubes. These new spotlights are going to look even better this time around, and much more solid and easyer to work with. All comming up shortly.

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HEY GUYS,

Thanks you guys for all the likes and for following along!

Today I have started with the Pipe Chords. I have, One Hundred Seventy One to build!! The Pipe Chords are the structures that hold up the roof of the Crawler and supports the weight of the MLP/LUT and Rocket.

The first photo here is of my miter box jig. I have set the jig so all the Chords of this first step are the same size.

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Here I have cut 64 of the Pipe Chords. Once the Chords are cleaned of the rough edges from the cutting all will be installed.

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In this photo you can see no Pipe Chords. Just a view into the belly with no supports.

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And in this view you can see the installation of the first Pipe Chord.

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Now I have only 170 more Pipe Chords to install. There are several different lengths and diamiters to deal with. I will install acording to plan and then the main Chassis will be ready to paint. I plan on spending several days on this next process.

So for now, Thanks for watching.

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fantastic scratch building - I think I have already said that, but I think I can say it again.

I have no real interest in NASA or space related stuff, but I can certainly appreciate some serious scratch building - and that is what is going on here.

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HENDIE,

Not to mention the repetitive nature of the Pipe Chords. To bad you don't have as many himispheres to deal with (LOL). I wouldn't wish that on anyone!

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JOHN,

I have a best friend also. Sonny is the Chief Inspector General for my build projects. As for how I maintain my patience with the repetitive parts. I sometimes go slow and steady, sometimes in batches, sometimes with some Mother Mahoney's Royal Recipe. It's all good tho, I am retired with plenty of time on my hands, and I get to work on my projects almost everyday. It's the rainy season here in the great NW of the US, so I'm inside most days this time of year. Thanks for following along!

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I'm enjoying following along. Excellent work. I've spent some time in the Puget Sound area and as I recall, the "rainy season" runs from about Labor day to Independence Day so you should have plenty of time to work on your modeling projects when it's raining outside :)

Edited by louiex2
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Hi Rich, lookin' good, I was beginning to worder what the 'pipe cords' were, now all is reavealed. I see you have one serious quality assurance instector... We had one in the UK which like the tast of the trailing edges of SH-3 main rotorblades!!! Our current cat just likes to sit on my lap whilst I surf the net.

Colin

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LOUIEX2,

I know you have been here!! Only someone who's been here, knows about the rainy season, which runs from Labor Day (or earlyer) to Independance Day!! Lots of time in the next couple of months. I'm in modeling heaven!!

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COLIN,

OMG, That was so funny!! Really made me laugh this mornning, Thanks!! great way to start the day.

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HEY ALL,

WELL, it's been a busy few days around the NASA construction yard. I have managed to complete the Pipe Chord installment. The Pipe Chords are hollow tubes that support the roof of the Crawler. I believe that the Pipe Chords got their name because they look like the large pipes of an old world Pipe Organ. I'm just pulling that out of my astro droid, but it makes sence to me.

In this first photo you can see into the belly with the pipes during the start of installation.

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Here is a shot as the install continues.

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This is a view of corner "C" as the angled pipes are mounted into place.

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In this photo you can see that the installation of the central Pipe Chords are all in place. You can also see that the Pipe Chords for the external frame have not been installed just yet.

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This is a long shot of the central Chord installation. Now that the central section is complete, I will move to the external frame along the outside of the Crawler.

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And now the external Pipes along the outside of the frame. A view from corner "B"

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This view is the finished Pipe Chord installment form corner "A".

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An end shot of side "1" This gap will be left open to install the Fuel Tank.

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The Pipe Chords took me three days to install. I had to cut and clean 171 Pipe Chords. Keep all organized, because these are various different lengths and diameters and make sure that they are all installed into the proper locations. I will now go back and make sure that all these pipes are tightly secured and all is clean and ready to be moved to the paint dept. I do have six more pipes to install, however I will wait to install these untill after the base painting. These last six pipes, three on each end, are the ones that seal in the Fuel Tanks. I will do my base spray paint, install the Fuel Tanks onto the tank support floor, then install the remaining six pipes to lock in the Fuel Tanks. Then I begine the laborious task of brush painting the entire crawler to get the texture I'm looking for.

So off to the piant dept. Thanks All

Edited by RichO
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Hi Rich,

it looks as if here a real architect is at work, or rather an artist. :yikes: No more paper rolling of thousands of pipe chords, and this time is all much more stable than your poor paper crawler, keep up this great build and you'll be the winner. :thumbsup:

:bye:

Edited by roma847
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Lookin' good Rich. Nice design work @ NASA, using pipe for the supports and bracing , a lot better than all those exposed surfacers on H beams and angle iron. When I was on the oil rig model, the legs of the support structure (jacket) was/were all tube but above water back to I's, L's and H sections.

Keep up the great work Rich.

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Thanks for the flattery Manfred! If you remember, the first chord project took me about a month to build. Working with the styrene I did all this in three days, with no wrinkles or metal filings. Soon I'll be even with the paper crawler build. Construction continues.

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COLIN, I want to see photos of your oil rig model. I also have plenty of H's, I's, and L's to secure and paint in the next step.

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HEY GUYS,

So just a brief update for today. The paint dept has started with the painting, and tho it goes slow, it is proceeding along.

In this photo I have removed the new screen mesh.

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Here I have taped off the floor for the Engineers Control Room.

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This is the basic color I have chosen. This is a classic grey color, a little on the dark side.

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You can see how the Fuel Tank has been installed. I have installed the bracing above the Fuel Tank and the three Pipe Chords that lock in the Fuel Tank from end "1".

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And now this end of the crawler has been painted The basic grey spray, with brush painted lite grey over that. This gives me a nice contrast and texture, and an aged feel to it.

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I thought you might like to see the tank install. Thats all for now, the painting continues.

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GORDON,

I just had to approche each one as an individual and just take my time. A lot of hours of painting, but the effect in person is quite nice and subtile.

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SO ALL,

A very brief posting today. I have wraped up the painting and now I'm ready to move on to the outrigger section of the build.

In this photo you can see the contrast between the darker grey and the lighter grey that I have painted onto the beams and chords and floor.

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In this photo I have masked off the floor areas. The light grey is applied to the beams and chords but not the floor.

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And now, the finished painting of the top side. The effect is subtile and looks realy cool in person. A nice contrast of color values.

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I will paint the underside when I get to that part of the build. I needed a break from the painting and get back to cutting and building. Next up is the outrigger section. See you then. bye for now.

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GORDON,

I just had to approche each one as an individual and just take my time. A lot of hours of painting, but the effect in person is quite nice and subtile.

That's how I would have gone about it. And I know for sure that when the paint had dried I'd find one or two that I'd missed...

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