Ralph Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 (edited) Hall all, This is intended to be a bit of a slow burn project running up to Christmas. I have put in this year for a 1/72 Bandai X-Wing (T65) as part of my general love of Star Wars and got to thinking about some sort of display base for it. Ever since I was very young, I have always loved getting junk and recycling materials and making imaginary worlds for my toy soldiers/Star Wars figures/tanks/Lego whatever and it's something I have able to indulge in quite a bit since having children of my own! Anyway, I was unpacking a new food mixer, and the poly packing just leapt out as being very Mos Eisley 'esque'. I kept it on the off chance I might do something with it when it struck me that the circular bit would be the perfect size for a 1/72 x or y wing. I then got the idea that this might be a great base for an X wing 'forward operating location' in the manner of A10s or Harriers in the 80s. Something perhaps just around the time of the Mandalorian, when things are somewhat chaotic and even more so in the Outer Rim of the Star Wars galaxy. Anyway, have been doing a far bit of redecorating and repainting recently, and while I had the filler out I gave the whole thing a skim layer of filler to seal in the soft polystyrene and to create that stucco effect associated with MosEisley/Tatooine buildings. I am going to have to come up with some sort of dome and produce lots of 'greeblies' (think that's the technical term?!? )As far as poss this will be done using bits and pieces to hand- old aircraft parts, toothpaste tops, that sort of thing, and to just have fun with the process! Here it is with the filler skim... Edited August 26, 2022 by Ralph 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HansReggelsen Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 You have a great eye for possibilities! I like the way this is coming along! Cheers Hans J 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted August 25, 2022 Share Posted August 25, 2022 Do I see the handiwork of a child of the Blue Peter generation ? Following with interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 26, 2022 Author Share Posted August 26, 2022 10 hours ago, Richard E said: Do I see the handiwork of a child of the Blue Peter generation ? Following with interest Precisely so!:)) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 26, 2022 Author Share Posted August 26, 2022 (edited) Quick update...I've been pondering how to tackle the dome characteristic of Tattooine architecture, and despite best efforts have not found anything suitable from the recycling bin! One quick visit to ebay and got this plastic dome of precisely the right size -apart from the lip extending around it! Out with the hacksaw...looks a bit rough around the edges-literally- but this will all be blended in with filler, so not a problem. One thing I have been pondering are figures of the right size. I've found some by a Czech company called Greenstrawberry which would be absolutely perfect -they do ground crew and vehicles for x-wings etc... but they are a little on the expensive side! I've found a Polish company who do x-wing pilots in various states of repose for about £7 so I've gone for those...what would be fantastic would be a range of droids, Jawas and different races, thst sort of thing, but I doubt anyone will do these outside of bespoke 3d printing. I do have three R2 and R5 heads left over from my Y-Wing model, so might have a go at scratch building some droids using those, and I've also found schematics for vaporators, so I am going to have a bash at scratchbuilding a couple of those! Blue Peter eat your heart out! Edited August 26, 2022 by Ralph 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted August 26, 2022 Share Posted August 26, 2022 Very interesting. I can see just what you saw in this from the start. The dome, I presume, is for the tall section? You'l need card for doors etc. Drinking straw pipes? Odd lengths of wire. I'd put a tent type cover over the pit where the X wing will sit to hide it from aerial view. Why is there no infra red in Star Wars? Most odd. The droids sound interesting. I think Airfix did an Arabic figure set in 1/72nd. The clothing won't be too far off. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 27, 2022 Author Share Posted August 27, 2022 (edited) 15 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said: Very interesting. I can see just what you saw in this from the start. The dome, I presume, is for the tall section? You'l need card for doors etc. Drinking straw pipes? Odd lengths of wire. I'd put a tent type cover over the pit where the X wing will sit to hide it from aerial view. Why is there no infra red in Star Wars? Most odd. The droids sound interesting. I think Airfix did an Arabic figure set in 1/72nd. The clothing won't be too far off. Good luck Funnily enough, I had been looking at pics of Mos Eisley with tents and Arabic style awnings in pictures...there are some superb pictures by artists on places like Deviant Art as well as screen shots from the films. I think I will fabricate some out of tissue paper and white glue. It did cross my mind that the x-wing would need some sort of sunshade or cover...I am thinking about some sort of 'sail' type shelter over part of the circular area. I have found some brass tube that is perfect for making the tubes running from the buildings to the ground that I can ser on pictures, so another bonus! The dome is indeed going to go over the tower, and test fits shows it looks just right, so that's next. Oh, and happened to be painting the downstairs loo in a matt mushroom colour which happens to be the perfect base shade for the plaster of Tattooine buildings! Who knew! Have used the last in my paint bucket...want not waste not! Pics to follow when I get back from the bank holiday break. Thanks for the tip on the Arabic figures...might have a look on ebay! Edited August 27, 2022 by Ralph 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted August 27, 2022 Share Posted August 27, 2022 11 hours ago, Ralph said: Thanks for the tip on the Arabic figures...might have a look on ebay! You're welcome. I looked. They must be rare as they are not cheap. I don't think any of them will be really suitable from what I could see. Might be better to for mechanics or something and redress them with tissue? I'm glad I pretty much guessed your plans, great minds eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard E Posted August 27, 2022 Share Posted August 27, 2022 11 hours ago, Ralph said: Thanks for the tip on the Arabic figures...might have a look on ebay! Strelets may offer another alternative. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 28, 2022 Author Share Posted August 28, 2022 (edited) Right, back from our break...quick update. You can see here the emulsion painted base. I will do some washes/highlights/weathering etc in due course, but first things first.... I've also started to play around with the details. On various pictures of Tattoine buildings there are pipes and what-not going from building to ground and various ducts etc which in my mind are presumably part of airconditioning/heat exchangers/water recovery that living on a binary system plant must entail. Again, I'm trying to use as much stuff laying around as poss. The brass tubes are, well, brass tubes bent shape and inserted into the polystyrene base through the filler; the silver duct and grilles in the small tower (in my mind an air-conditioning plant room of some description) redundant parts from a 1/48 Hasegawa Ki-100, and the brass grill on the rotunda tower is from the same kit. Finally...for now...I've PVAed the clear dome to the rotunda tower and will let this set solid. I am going to have to apply filler over it...can't see that sticking terribly well to the smooth plastic, so am gojng to put some duct tape over it to provide a key for the filler. All in good time! More as events warrant...am currently looking up doors etc! Edited August 28, 2022 by Ralph 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 29, 2022 Author Share Posted August 29, 2022 OK...doing on going house repairs so in the interests of efficiency have taken a 10min break while I have the masking tape and filled to hand! I applied a layer of masking tape to act as a key for the filler. Next, I used a craft applicator to smooth on the filler, finally just using moistened hands to smooth it down. It's already drying...a light sand later and a coat of mushroom emulsion and the basis will be done. Really enjoying this! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SprueMan Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 I love this. This is modelling in the highest scale. Looking at a piece of something and feeling inspired. Keep it up! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 29, 2022 Author Share Posted August 29, 2022 ...and a coat of emulsion! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 29, 2022 Author Share Posted August 29, 2022 41 minutes ago, SprueMan said: I love this. This is modelling in the highest scale. Looking at a piece of something and feeling inspired. Keep it up! That's very kind! I guess this is the advantage of sci-fi modelling...it doesn't necessarily have an exact prototype to follow! Quite liberating in that regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted August 29, 2022 Share Posted August 29, 2022 5 hours ago, Ralph said: it doesn't necessarily have an exact prototype to follow! Frustrates the heck out of the rivet counters! May I suggest, large staples up the side of the tower to form a ladder to that curved wall. That has a lookout platform at the end. There's a scene where the Falcon blasts off while a man in a lookout tower watches. I think he has a spear? A bit weird I thought. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 Quick pic...adding play sand for Tatooine sand...very fine grains give it more of a scale effect I think. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted August 31, 2022 Author Share Posted August 31, 2022 On 29/08/2022 at 19:11, Pete in Lincs said: Frustrates the heck out of the rivet counters! May I suggest, large staples up the side of the tower to form a ladder to that curved wall. That has a lookout platform at the end. There's a scene where the Falcon blasts off while a man in a lookout tower watches. I think he has a spear? A bit weird I thought. Might have to look into that.. although I'll probably do any such look out platform on the small corner tower as that looks our directly onto the landing pad area. I'll look at the film again to get a sense of that. 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FG2Si Posted September 1, 2022 Share Posted September 1, 2022 Great looking project. If you're looking for droids and other bits to decorate the base, Retrokits make some in 1/72. https://retrokitonline.net/product-category/science-fiction-and-fantasy/retrosf/page/3 They even have moisture vaporators. Carl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted September 1, 2022 Author Share Posted September 1, 2022 15 hours ago, FG2Si said: Great looking project. If you're looking for droids and other bits to decorate the base, Retrokits make some in 1/72. https://retrokitonline.net/product-category/science-fiction-and-fantasy/retrosf/page/3 They even have moisture vaporators. Carl Thanks for the thought! I had found these before but the vaporators etc seem to be out of stock everywhere. Still, I've found enough spare parts snd plastic tube etc to make a pretty good go of a couple...rather looking forward to it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted September 1, 2022 Author Share Posted September 1, 2022 (edited) 'Space junk'! One of the key features of Mos Eisley is the heaps of presumably scrap space ship parts and random tech piled up in corners...something of a space flea market! I've always had the sense that it is a run down sort of place that has to 'make do and mend' to make ends meet, and where recycling is a essential part of life. I am aiming to recreate this aspect in a corner of the diorama. I dug out some old sprues of random parts, and have glued them together to hopefully give the idea of scavenged parts propped up in a corner to be used ...at some point! I think there are 1/48 Bf109 cowlings and exhausts, Ki61 cockpit parts, triple ejection racks,N gauge railway barrels...well, you get the idea. They are all glued together, and currently drying in situ as per the second pic...in the fullness of time I'll prime them black and spray them with various shades of AK metals. Thoroughly enjoyable 10 mins of fun before I hit the sack! I just wish I had some 1/72 Jawas rooting through them...I wonder how difficult it might be to sculpt some from Milliput?🤔😬 Edited September 2, 2022 by Ralph 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share Posted September 3, 2022 Saturday morning relaxation....scratch building a vaporator out of well, junk...a panther tank wheel, a bf109 spinner plate, brass tube and various plastic tube and square section. I've used various pictures and schematics online to inform how I've built it without slavishly following a prototype. I've figured there would be many makes and models following the same basic design. Thoroughly enjoyable! ...and the more or less finished article before painting, but placed on the diorama to see how it's looking! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share Posted September 3, 2022 Saturday morning relaxation....scratch building a vaporator out of well, junk...a panther tank wheel, a bf109 spinner plate, brass tube and various plastic tube and square section. I've used various pictures and schematics online to inform how I've built it without slavishly following a prototype. I've figured there would be many makes and models following the same basic design. Thoroughly enjoyable! ...and the more or less finished article before painting, but placed on the diorama to see how it's looking! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted September 3, 2022 Author Share Posted September 3, 2022 Have decided on reflection that it was some what over scale in height, so have cut it down to be more in keeping with 1/72....definitely works better on the diorama I think. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daront Posted September 3, 2022 Share Posted September 3, 2022 Oh i like this very good 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted September 11, 2022 Author Share Posted September 11, 2022 (edited) Just some detail bits and pieces...space junk in various shades of metallic glued on... Random 'greeblie' from the spates box... Vaporator painted light grey... ...and a bit of fun! Slightly off scale, but Star Wars Lego and speeder bike from Mandalorian just to populate it in the meantime!😁 Edited September 11, 2022 by Ralph 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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