The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Exciting adventures IRL.
User avatar
Raid
Local
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:07 am
Location: Keep of the Lead Lord

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Raid » Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:55 pm

I've always shied away from these tiny pilot figures with the Gundam models (which are slightly larger than Luke here), but the X-Wing pilot is fully visible through the canopy so I figured I'd best make an effort. I'm really quite chuffed with this; it's not quite film accurate, but then the film's costume designers weren't working on people the size of their thumb nail. There's a waterslide decal to go on the helmet yet so he's not quite finished.

Image

User avatar
Raid
Local
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:07 am
Location: Keep of the Lead Lord

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Raid » Fri Oct 01, 2021 1:51 pm

So I finished the X-Wing.
Image
Image
Image
Image

This is the first time that I've ever really done a weathered model, and I have to say I'm pretty proud of the result. The "rust" is maybe a bit basic, but I'm really happy with the streaking and grime. There's a bit I couldn't quite get looking right with the oils, and that's the scorch marks just behind the torpedo launchers (the slots on the underside, halfway down the fuselage) which I should have done with the airbrush.

I did however have something of a disaster. To achieve the streaking effect, you basically soak the model in the oil wash, and then later take most of it back off with cotton buds or paper towel moved across the model in a uniform direction. Well unfortunately I used cheap mineral spirits to dilute the oil paint, and it turns out this stuff just wrecks the plastic if it finds an unpainted spot, and the tips of the upper wings (complete with cannons) just disintegrated and broke off. I managed to repair the damage successfully, but there are lots of tiny cracks throughout and I consider the model to be a bit fragile. I'm too scared to close the S-Foils as the mechanism inside was entirely unpainted (Bandai models have such fine tolerances that even super-thin airbrushed paint can clog up moving parts), and I really sloshed the wash inside to hide that fact.

But yeah, other than that I think it's been a big success. The question is do I do the Y-Wing or the A-Wing next?

User avatar
Animalmother
Local
Posts: 2916
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:44 pm

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Animalmother » Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:47 pm

Really nice job, the soot and smoke streaks are great.

You try one of the ground vehicles yet like the chicken leg thing ( can't think of the name..)?

User avatar
Raid
Local
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:07 am
Location: Keep of the Lead Lord

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Raid » Fri Oct 01, 2021 2:59 pm

The AT-ST? Nah, can't say I'm all that interested in the ground vehicles. It was always the space battles that I loved as a kid, and as much as I think it's a great design, it just doesn't stir the emotion that the 'Wings and TIEs do.

User avatar
Mantis
Landlord
Posts: 3474
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 5:39 pm
Location: The Grid

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Mantis » Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:06 pm

How long did it take in total? All of the little details around the engine look very nice indeed.

User avatar
Animalmother
Local
Posts: 2916
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:44 pm

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Animalmother » Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:17 pm

Fair enough

User avatar
Raid
Local
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:07 am
Location: Keep of the Lead Lord

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Raid » Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:30 pm

Mantis wrote:
Fri Oct 01, 2021 3:06 pm
How long did it take in total? All of the little details around the engine look very nice indeed.
Really not very long, maybe 12 hours or so (spread over a week)? Most of those little details are just moulded into larger parts making for a really quick build, but then the oil wash helps to separate them visually.

User avatar
Rusty
Posts: 815
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:21 pm
Location: Plymouth, Devon

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Rusty » Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:26 pm

Very nice indeed and well photographed too.
-- To be completed at some point --

User avatar
Alan
Posts: 2240
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2018 2:35 pm
Location: Through that hairy wormhole.

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Alan » Fri Oct 01, 2021 4:42 pm

Braw!
A man who could tell more truth and eat fewer pies.

User avatar
Raid
Local
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:07 am
Location: Keep of the Lead Lord

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Raid » Sun Oct 03, 2021 7:20 pm

Aaaand part 3 of the new hobby room setup; a semi-permanent mini studio for taking photos of the finished articles. This stuff used to take 15-20 minutes to unpack and set up, so I just hardly ever bothered using it. I had to buy a second small soft box (I also have a massive one that doesn't fit in this space) and the desk stand (the left light is on a floor stand that I only have to move a few inches, as it's not in the way in the "stowed" spot).

Image

Image

Mmm, yes. Gimme that edge-lit contrast.

User avatar
Rusty
Posts: 815
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 3:21 pm
Location: Plymouth, Devon

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Rusty » Mon Oct 04, 2021 7:05 am

Noice. I'd love to be able to create nice stuff AND then photograph it all for cataloguing.

My Dremel wood carving is so noisy that I can only really do it in small amounts, at sensible times of the day :(
-- To be completed at some point --

User avatar
Raid
Local
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:07 am
Location: Keep of the Lead Lord

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Raid » Mon Sep 05, 2022 6:06 pm

So I built my next project last week... only took me nearly a year to get 'round to it. There are WIP photos on the Discord if people are interested.

Bandai 1/72 RZ-1 A-Wing
The A-Wing was always my favourite Rebel fighter as a kid, and I'm pretty damned happy at how well this model turned out. There was a problem with the top coat which has caused a sort of dusty/hairy effect in places which I've corrected in some of these photos, but it's only visible with flash and it's not easy to see on the camera's screen. Other than that there really weren't any significant errors, but in fairness it's one of the simplest models I've ever put together.

I think I'm getting the hang of this oil weathering lark. I even did a bit of masking on this one, as the filming model has several mis-coloured panels that make it look like the ship has been damaged and repaired with whatever bits they could scavenge from other A-Wings. There's a big scorch mark on one side of the upper fuselage where the ship looks to have been hit, set on fire, and then they've just stuck another fairing panel on and not bothered cleaning the soot off. I basically just masked the replaced panel, flicked a bunch of black oil paint across the surface, then removed the tape to reveal a nice clean edge to the scorching. It's not perfect but I really like the effect.

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

I have a Y-Wing that I may build next. Who knows, maybe I'll find a week in 2023 where I think I ought to be doing more than drawing and gaming and watching TV, and build it then.

User avatar
Lenny Solidus
Posts: 852
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2021 10:31 am
Location: RTB

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Lenny Solidus » Tue Sep 06, 2022 10:32 am

Excellent work dude, you should be proud. Care to share what your next project might be?
Building the future, and keeping the past alive - are one and the same thing.

User avatar
Raid
Local
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 9:07 am
Location: Keep of the Lead Lord

Re: The Hobbies and Model-Making Thread

Post by Raid » Tue Sep 06, 2022 10:52 am

Cheers Dave, I am. I've got a handful of assorted kits, most of which I've had in boxes for years. There's the Y-Wing I mentioned that goes with the X and A Wings, a handful of smaller Gunpla, and then the much larger Perfect Grade Exia Repair that I actually mentioned back in 2019 when this thread was started (I lost a few years of building time when I was forced to cram my entire life into one room and didn't have any space to build and certainly none to paint). The latter won't be next, but it's one of the kits I've been building towards as it was pretty pricey and I really wanted to do it justice.

It's probably still going to be the Y-Wing, but the smaller Gunpla might be a nice change of pace.

Post Reply