Bandai 1/144 Millennium Falcon

[FG2Si]

Ok, this probably won't be your typical Work In Progress thread. This started out as me trying out some pre-shading techniques which I've never really used before. I usually build 1/32 aircraft but thought the Falcon would be a great test subject for pre-shading and for me to see how it works (or not).

 

The kit is the Force Awakens release of the Falcon. For AM, I've got Tyridium's lighting kit and the Green Strawberry PE. 

 

I started with the main hull sections. I used Tamiya NATO Black for the pre-shading on the bare plastic. 

 

 

 

Over this, I started to fill in the panels using Gunze H338 thinned down to about 70/30 thinner to paint. 

I went back and did the mandibles to match. 

 

 

 

 

[FG2Si]

After a couple nights' work at the bench, I managed to get the two main hull sections completed. 

 

 

 

Next up, I'm currently working on the various coloured panels/patches. My initial plan was to paint them in suing suitable colour matches. There's a website called mech9 that has paint colour conversion charts posted for many Bandai kits. 

One tip I read about was to use the kit stickers as a template for cutting paint masks for doing all the panels. I tried this and it seems to work ok. Then I decided to try the kit's decals. Surprisingly, those worked really well.

 

 

 

They're conforming over all the small bumps and lumps on the hull. So I think I'll continue with these even though I normally don't do so well with decals.

 

Carl

 

[Hewy]

You seem to have nailed the pre shading technique, looks good!

This is a kit on my to get list

[Blythy]

Looks awesome. Just ordered the new version (Rise of skywalker) of this kit. 

[mick]

great work

[Andrés S.]

Very nice preshading !!

 

A. Salvador.

[FG2Si]

Thanks everyone! 

 

I've been plugging away at the model in between clearing a space on my bench so my two sons have somewhere to build their kits. 

 

For the gun ports and cockpit glass, I decided to use the clear parts rather than just the framing. I hit these with a base coat of black first before the top coat. The gun ports I hand cut masking tape to fit while for the cockpit section, I used the kit's stickers as masks. 

 

 

Here's the cockpit section after I painted the top coat and installed it. 

 

 

And here's one of the gun ports. 

 

 

For the inner section of the gun ports, I used the PE parts from Green Strawberry. These include some printed stickers that are translucent in places and allow light to shine through. 

 

 

Lastly, here's most of the sub assemblies alongside a Fine Molds Y-Wing I'm building. This is on the side of my bench that I'm clearing for my boys. 

 

 

I'm hoping to be able to finish both kits this month. 

 

Carl

[FG2Si]

I made some more progress. 

I finally installed the gun turret interiors and the guns themselves. 

 

 

I also finished the decals on the lower hull.

 

I ended up working away and had the hull together in no time. Unfortunately I didn't grab any photos before I closed things up. It all went very smoothly. 

 

 

 

I've got the antenna, the circular exhaust vents and decals left before I do any final weathering. 

 

 

 

Carl

[FG2Si]

I finally got some time to start on the upper hull decals. 

 

 

 

There are certainly a lot of them. 

 

 

I also fitted the rear exhaust vents and the antenna so assembly is completed. I did a test fit on the included base 

 

 

 

Now for a clear coat and some final weathering. 

 

Carl