The Imperial Shipyards

Imperial Creative Engineering => Models, Scratch Builds, and Miscellaneous => Topic started by: spudafett on June 15, 2010, 03:59:17 PM

Title: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 15, 2010, 03:59:17 PM: I've started a project that I hope to have complete or near complete by fathers day...

My dad is who originally fueled my love for science fiction, not necessarilly star wars exclusively, but all sci-fi. Mostly novels. We had, and have kept adding to a very large science fiction book collection for as long as I remember. We have so many right now that we have had to start stacking them 2 deep on his bookshelves... both the sets in the basement and upstairs...

His biggest collection consist of star wars and star trek. He's been an avid collector of both. He has also been diligently recording every episode of every major sci-fi series since VHS technology was available! (of course now he's going back and re-recording them to dvd!)

Anyway, as a kid he used to build models as well. Most of his models were airplanes, boats, military, etc... but one model has outlasted them all. It's a vintage battlestar galactica cylon raider from the original TV series. The 30th aniversary of BSG was just a couple years ago so this model has to be at least 28 years old as I am 23 and I know he built it before I was born...
amazingly this model has held up to now, it's been passed down to me and as a kid I played with it like it was another one of my toys... thus it probably suffered a few scuffs and cracks at my hands.
My plan is to refurbish his old model, crack it open and install an LED circuit and repaint the entire model. I'm then going to build a display stand for it on his sci-fi bookshelf. But to take it one step further I purchased a revell 30th aniversary BSG Viper model that I'll be constructing, lighting, and putting up besidde the raider as though in hot persuit... I'll use the existing damage on the old raider model to simulate battle damage from the attacking viper and hopefully pull off a nice little 2 piece dioramma display.....
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 15, 2010, 04:00:37 PM: here is my dad's original BSG cylon raider:

(http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/165/a/3/Vintage_BSG_cylon_raider_2_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/165/2/7/Vintage_BSG_cylon_raider_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 15, 2010, 04:01:13 PM: and this is what I have done so far on the new VIPER model.

(http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/166/9/9/wip_viper_stripes_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: hangarbay94 on June 16, 2010, 04:53:28 AM: (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4656840953_273f12f873_m.jpg)

You lucky boy! having a Dad who's into scifi how cool is that!!!

I remember having one of those Cylon Raiders when i was a kid, it's a very cool ship, and a fair size if memory serves. I'll enjoy seeing how you get on with this, and I'm sure your Dad will want it back once you're done.

Looking forward to more images as you progress!
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: Phatty on June 16, 2010, 07:09:58 AM: Spud, this is an excellent project. First off, it's about damn time you got your hide back in here; you've been too quiet for too long! Second, this is a fantastic project in itself, made better only by it being for your father on Father's Day. Your LED additions are superb!
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: CaptainLux on June 16, 2010, 05:42:02 PM: excelent proyect!
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 17, 2010, 11:58:59 AM: thanks phatty, I know i've not been frequenting here as much. There's been so many new members joining lately I just can't keep up! I've been doing alot of non star wars customs so that's another reason i've not been posting as much. I've got another thread in this section for my joe and iron man customs, go check that out!

a big update on my progress...

made alot of progress today and yesterday.
mostly on the raider.

bottom of the model pre-modification
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/168/4/5/bsg_raider_project_wip1_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

I needed to cut open the bottom of the model to insert the battery pack and LED lights. I couldn't use my dremel on the model because it would make to large of a cut and I'd have a hard time rebuilding the model and disguising my cuts. I decided to try something new and use a heated exacto knife to cut through the plastic where I could pop it open...
(http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/168/2/7/BSG_cylon_raider_project_wip4_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
as you can see the cut didn't come out quite as cleanly as I'd hoped but it did make a much smaller cut than the dremel did, later when I cleaned it up it's hardly noticable.
(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/168/7/9/BSG_cylon_raider_project_wip3_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

here is both sections taken apart.
(http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/168/0/8/BSG_cylon_raider_project_wip2_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

I then installed two pieces of styrene to hold the LED lights for the engine effects as well as planned the placement of the battery pack.
(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/168/8/a/BSG_cylon_raider_project_wip6_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

copyright stamp:
(http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/168/5/1/BSG_cylon_raider_project_wip7_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

My dad's model never had any weapons mounted on the gun posts, IDK if the original kit did not have these or if they had broken off long ago... i believe they never even came in the original kit. I wanted to fix that so I found two identical star wars figure weapons that looked good and cut off the stock and handle and glued them to the model's mounts.
(http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/168/7/5/BSG_cylon_raider_project_wip10_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

I used a can of flat black spray paint as my basecoat for this model:
(http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/168/6/c/BSG_cylon_raider_project_wip8_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
I sprayed the inside as well to prevent any LED light bleedthrough or wash...

I then masked off the wing stripes, engines and cockpit with masking tape and used my testors spray kit to spray on a layer of light grey. This is the result after the masking tape was removed:
(http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/168/c/d/BSG_cylon_raider_project_wip9_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/168/2/e/cylon_raider_wip12_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

I've also finished the LED lighting and instalation so I'll get pics of that up soon. I'm also going to do a little more detailing to the outside of the model and build a display stand.

I'm also needing to find some decal sheets online to try and print off for a few of the smaller details.
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 17, 2010, 12:02:38 PM: here is the prelimary paint work on the viper. I'm starting working on both the model's lighting systems soon.

(http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/168/b/2/BSG_viper_model_wip1_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: CaptainLux on June 17, 2010, 03:48:32 PM: this ones are great
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: hangarbay94 on June 17, 2010, 04:02:54 PM: Ahh WOW! The Viper is looking coool! this thread brings back such cherished memories.

Thanks for the update! please take a photo of your Dad when he sees this stuff, it'll be priceless!
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: Phatty on June 17, 2010, 08:36:02 PM: They are looking very good, Spud. These are shaping up VERY nicely.
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 19, 2010, 01:07:00 PM: here are the last wip pics for both models:

finishing up the viper:
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/0/3/viper_wip_cockpit_1_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/e/a/bsg_viper_wip_cockpit_2_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/1/8/viper_cockpit_light_detail_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/f/f/viper_insides_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

(http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/7/c/finished_viper_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

last wip shot of the raider:
(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/e/9/cylon_raider_wip_LED_engines_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: CaptainLux on June 19, 2010, 01:38:27 PM: they look awesome, great work man! :o
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 19, 2010, 02:46:57 PM: so without further ado:

Battlestar galactica Viper:
complete with 3 blue LED lights in the engines, and one green LED light shining through the cockpit instrument pannel. the LED kit was built from scratch. The cockpit/fuselage section is removable from the engine/wings via 2 screws in the underside allowing access to the battery pack holding 2 AAA batteries. The laser blast effects were made from two clear rods which were part of the model's sprue holding together the clear parts
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/d/5/bsg_viper_finished_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/b/6/finished_viper_2_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/2/f/finished_viper_3_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/b/1/finished_viper_4_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/9/4/finished_viper_5_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/d/8/finished_viper_6_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/7/8/finished_viper_7_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/b/a/finished_viper_8_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/6/c/finished_viper_9_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/0/2/finished_viper_10_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/5/a/finished_viper_and_raider_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

which brings us to the raider:
this model sports 6 LED's two blue lights in each engine plus two red lights in the front.

(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/f/4/restored_raider_2_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/b/1/restored_raider_3_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/2/f/restored_raider_4_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/b/0/restored_raider_5_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/1/5/restored_raider_6_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/b/8/restored_raider_7_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/1/d/restored_raider_8_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/7/6/restored_raider_9_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/f/5/restored_raider_10_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/2/7/restored_raider_11_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

(http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/d/a/viper_vs__raider_1_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/6/0/viper_vs__raider_2_by_SpudaFett.jpg)

on the shelf:
(http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/0/b/viper_on_the_shelf_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/b/8/restored_raider_12_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
(http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/170/6/6/restored_raider_1_by_SpudaFett.jpg)
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 19, 2010, 02:51:55 PM: after taking all my finish pics I realized I'd forgoten the canopy detail on the viper... so I went back and fixed that...
this is the way it should have looked in all those other pics. :(

(http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2010/170/e/5/viper_cockpit_detail__by_SpudaFett.jpg)
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: wraithnine on June 19, 2010, 03:01:08 PM: spud as we say in the UK ....that looks the dogs bollocks......... ;D
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: commanderCharlie on June 19, 2010, 04:15:59 PM: that colonel viper looks like a e wing or nd something wing.
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 19, 2010, 04:54:23 PM: Quote from: commanderCharlie on June 19, 2010, 04:15:59 PM
that coloniel viper looks like a e wing or a something wing.

That would most likely be because Battlestar Galacta was greatly influenced by Star-Wars IV's success. the creators of BSG (the original) created a space drama for television that cashed in on the "space drama" bandwaggon. Lucas even sued them for coppyright violation.
quote from wikipedia:
"Battlestar Galactica was finally produced in the wake of the success of the 1977 film Star Wars. In fact, 20th Century Fox sued Universal Studios (the studio behind Battlestar Galactica) for copyright infringement, claiming that it had stolen 34 distinct ideas from Star Wars. Universal promptly countersued, claiming Star Wars had stolen ideas from the 1972 film Silent Running (notably the robot "drones") and the Buck Rogers serial of the 1940s"

go check out the article at wikipedia if your interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: commanderCharlie on June 19, 2010, 05:14:31 PM: lucas sues a lot of people for that trademark
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: TheCloneCommander on June 19, 2010, 07:05:50 PM: you are the LED King Devin!! these look amazing to say the least!! what did your dad think of them? you never said... isn't it Fathers day soon for you guys in the U.S... over here in OZ its not till September..
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: Phatty on June 19, 2010, 07:07:59 PM: Devin, my man, there are no words. Your father is going to be thrilled for sure!
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on June 19, 2010, 08:39:16 PM: well.... thrilled wasn't quite how I'd put it. they just got back from a week long missions trip and had been up all day... I think he was impressed when he saw them but he was a little bit distracted from everything. :-\
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: hangarbay94 on June 20, 2010, 04:49:50 PM: Spuda, they go beyond awesome. They are perfection in plastic.

The LED's are just out of this world, you have done a wicked job...Wicked!!!

I bet your Dad was pleased...
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: CloneSniper78 on September 06, 2010, 02:04:27 PM: You did an excellent job man, good work.
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: Joerhyno on April 12, 2011, 10:49:06 AM: Another awesome thread... those look awesome and love the one stand, did you make it(cylon one)? LED work is just too cool... I gotta find me some BSG models, I wasnt a fan of the old show, but love the new one... I recently read in the SW:Insider that the model builder that made most the ships for the original trilogy also made them for the original BSG.. :D
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: Spookymufu on April 12, 2011, 11:43:23 AM: thats awesome, I really like the old, original BSG, used to watch it as a kid, these models are great!
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: spudafett on April 12, 2011, 08:32:44 PM: Quote from: Joerhyno on April 12, 2011, 10:49:06 AM
Another awesome thread... those look awesome and love the one stand, did you make it(cylon one)? LED work is just too cool... I gotta find me some BSG models, I wasnt a fan of the old show, but love the new one... I recently read in the SW:Insider that the model builder that made most the ships for the original trilogy also made them for the original BSG.. :D

The stand for the viper was the out of the box stand it came with... however the cylon raider was so old that it had long ago lost it's stand.... it also used to have a functioning rubber band powered firing missile launcher in each wing, both missiles had long been lost (however I remember playing with them as a kid so at one time they were there) and the rubber bands dry rotted away...

So yes, I did re-build a brand new stand for the cylon raider out of sheet styrene plastic and some good-ol-fashioned jerry rigging!
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: hemble on April 13, 2011, 02:42:32 AM: Damn I can't belive I missed this thread, that raider and viper are awesome and the lighting really adds more realism to them well done mate.

Ron
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: Tamer on April 13, 2011, 06:57:08 AM: I missed it too.

Daggone fantastic work. I loved the BSG TV Show. I never missed an episode.
Title: Re: father's day restoration project.
Post by: Ozz78 on April 14, 2011, 08:34:15 AM: Great build, lighting is fantastic.