Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

[Grail]

Hey Robots!
Sorry I didn't post earlier. Big work project.Real life job getting in the way of my modeling goodness.   
So here's some pic action!
Almost all original detail,but I''m taking some detail cues from a bunch of SW references to keep continuity through the build stage.This one from box art.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

More detail.I've tried to make about 90% of all added detail piping counter sunk and bent in. Not just cut off.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

and more detail... Side Hatches.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Xtra cockpit detail. Some base early shading. What's that you say? Why yes,my Falcon DOES have some sort of space hot rod gear shift 

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Trying an internal layer of black and cheap metallic. According to some old school movie modeler stuff I read,the metallic paint on the inside stops light seeping through your plastic.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Engine grill. Testing some lights.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Testing white LED with resistor.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Blue. Looks purple in the pic accidentally I think I set the Cam wrong. 

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Putting lights in a 1/144 will be a new one for me. I'm intending the same method as Foo on his Falcon thread,but I'm still trying to test if maybe a I need a different size/voltage or amount etc of LEDs? I don't think I asked specifics about lights. If anybody has an opinion or recommendation for a size,or type,amount,or setup of LED's? eg. 5mm,3mm, mcd,Superbrite,Flat Top,6lights,10lights,?etc. I'm open.
Hope you like the pics.

[Steel-Mark]

Great progress!!! Details... Beautiful Job!

[FichtenFoo]

Looks good. Engine lights... As many as will fit basically. and if wider, better. You might find that at that scale and without any clear engine parts behind the grille that a strip of white tissue paper or frosted acetate (sanded clear styrene) will not only block the view of the other internal LEDs but diffuse the light nicely.

[Grail]

Thanks Steel!

and if wider, better. You might find that at that scale and without any clear engine parts behind the grille that a strip of white tissue paper or frosted acetate (sanded clear styrene) will not only block the view of the other internal LEDs but diffuse the light nicely.

Thanks for the tips Fichtenfoo! You are exactly correct about the lights. I do need something.I happen to have ordered a bunch of LED's from ebay cheap (great deals on LEDs there by the way,it cost me like 13$ with shipping for a couple hundred) and the order contained 50 flat top blue LEDs that have a wider spread. In the pics you can see a piece of clear plastic that I scuffed and painted clear blue. I'm finding I have to post the lights a little further back though,or they get a real obvious ring behind the plastic..

The only other problem is they didn't come with any kind of voltage or mcd rating, so I'm trying to figure out if all 5mm,3mm,etc LED's are a similar voltage? Otherwise I guess I need to find out how to test them. I'm just using the basic electronics formula to figure out resistor size,but it's tough if you have no other information.
Thanks again guys! All feedback appreciated.
Back to the real job..

[FichtenFoo]

They tend to be 3v to 3.3v. So a few AA's will do the trick for testing.

[Grail]

Thanks! So,I believe I should be able to just add a resister that will stop down the highest value. Cool.

OK, I have another question that I don't think I have heard any answers to?
The exhaust streaks from the large rear vents at the back. They are always in a v type pattern. Wouldn't they be straight lines toward the back?
Is this just style? Or is there a reason for the dirty streaks in a pie shape ?
Any takers?

[FichtenFoo]

I thought it was how rain would had washed them down the slope of the ship, but I was thinking  the same thing.

[Grail]

I thought it was how rain would had washed them down the slope of the ship, but I was thinking  the same thing.

I know right!??  Still,congrats,that's probably the most sensible,only,answer I have gotten in my many yrs of liking SW. 

[FichtenFoo]

I talked about "gravity" with the streaks more than once I think. but I was also wondering why each had 2 runs of soot and figured it was from the water pouring around the vents into 2 streams and making the deposits.

[Grail]

I talked about "gravity" with the streaks more than once I think. LOL but I was also wondering why each had 2 runs of soot and figured it was from the water pouring around the vents into 2 streams and making the deposits.

I love how wherever your Falcon is stored there is constant torrential downpours. 
I think that again,your interpretation would be another good reason.
I just have this nagging in my mind that while flying it would dump a bunch of exaust all straight back...or just everywhere.. 
I'm debating photoshoping a look,to see if it just looks dumb that way? I'm sure that the reasons you gave are probably the most logical. Thanks for joining in this one..
I have just always wondered,and never really found out. 

P.S.. IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL BUILD IT...
Got a PE set for the 1/144 in the mail! I can't believe just the other day I commented that I wished they made one,then it was right there for me to order from SSM!
Very Pleased.
Heavy work week as usual.. More pics very soon...

[mathai]

wow those details with the pipes look great! must be killer twisting all those tiny wires into shape eh?

[Grail]

wow those details with the pipes look great! must be killer twisting all those tiny wires into shape eh?

Thanks! Yes it is a bit time consuming. I can't handle knowing that they aren't just right either, so I bend and countersink the ends as well as functional obvious bends.
Some days I find myself accidentally crossing my eyes from staring at such small focal points for so long. 

It is still a surprisingly easy/therapeutic kit to build,just needs time and it's fun to do a ship for a change.

[Grail]

Hey, guys!
Had a couple hrs to hit this on the weekend. Still very much in the wip stages,but we do what we can when we aren't working right? 
I Felt like finishing up the interior cockpit with detail and paint,so it can be sealed up when the paint process begins on the exterior body of the ship.
Decided my Falcon would need a cool crew with baseball hats and stuff,(the kit doesn't come with any)and I really wanted to test some lighting out. I also got a sweet PE set from Starship Modeler that comes with resin pieces and everything! Just like the 1/72 version. Couldn't have come at a better time and it fits awesome if you take your time cutting out the exhaust vents. I really recommend it for added detail on this kit. It looks cool I think.

Posting some progress pics I snapped tonight for this week. Hope you like. 
A few others here on the site as usual. http://animoceans.com/?page_id=1356
Comments,questions,and crits are all good. Have a great week! 

Drilled holes and cleaned flash with an X-Acto.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Test fitting the resin and PE pieces

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

I added some wear buy making tiny bends carefully in the PE vents.. you can see them if you squint. 

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Resin Parts

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Resin parts painted and in place. These will provide nice depth I think and you don't have to do much painting on them as they will be mostly covered.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Holes for fiber

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Our pilot get's his ball cap on,slams his fist on the dash and we jump to light speed! 

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Front assembly test fit after painting.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Here comes the trusty tall sidekick and they keep the tools handy 

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Lights...

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

More pic action soon after another fast paced week at work.    

[Steel-Mark]

It looks so sweet with all these details! Great Job!
The lights of the cockpit looks great also!

Thanks
Mark

[FichtenFoo]

Lights look good! A few tips that may or may not be helpful.

Cheap and quick fiber optic for this stuff if you want REALLY tiny... heat-stretched clear sprue. No joke. I assume you know how to stretch sprue over a candle flame?

Also you can simply color any of those FO lights with a dab of clear color on the other end. The end touching the white LED. Even a blue or red marker will work. That way one light makes multiple colors.

Looking great so far!

[Grail]

Thanks Steel!
Thanks FichtenFoo !
Just a quick note about the build.. If anybody get's this kit an wants to mod/detail the internal cockpit? Be aware that the clear canopy sits low and really only in one exact spot. Meaning the characters inside don't have much room for height. I had to rework a couple minor fit issues but made it out pretty clear because of constant test fits. The kit is still really easy to build for some reason. I credit this mostly to fine molds and only working on it when I have a coffee in hand. 

Cheap and quick fiber optic for this stuff if you want REALLY tiny... heat-stretched clear sprue. No joke. I assume you know how to stretch sprue over a candle flame?

Awesome idea! I never even thought about that!. Funny,I actually learned about stretching sprues from your Hardboiled wip a while back!   
I'm using pretty cheap .25mm fiber from The Fiber Optic Store and Ebay right now,(honestly I don't know how much smaller I could go without losing it a little)
One day I will get to my Basestar that needs about 200+ tiny fiber connections to custom the way I want  so  this will be my warm up 

you can simply color any of those FO lights with a dab of clear color on the other end. The end touching the white LED. Even a blue or red marker will work. That way one light makes multiple colors.

Good call.I was using clear blue/orange/etc. paint,on some tests with a clear styrene like we talked about earlier,but damn I didn't think of that either for fiber! The marker idea is awesome too! Maybe even be easier/cleaner and look just as good. I'll add some fiber color into the wip.
Thanks guys!!

[FichtenFoo]

I just got a copy of the 1/48 Tie Fighter from Fine Molds along with the Acreations PE set for it. Gonna be awesome as both companies do fine work. Who did the PE set for this 1/144?

[Grail]

I just got a copy of the 1/48 Tie Fighter from Fine Molds along with the Acreations PE set for it. Gonna be awesome as both companies do fine work. Who did the PE set for this 1/144?

That's awesome.    It is a daily struggle not to buy the Tie,X,and Y fighters fine molds kits.This is my first fine molds kit and I would usually not buy so small, but FM really impressed me. I have learned hard lessons about buying kits with garbage detail and poor fit.
The exhaust detail up package is by Millennia Models International in Toronto.Which apparently is closed?? For good? For the day?
http://www.coldnorth.com/millennia_models
I got mine from Starship. http://www.starshipmodeler.biz/shop/index.cfm/product/2115_42/1144-millennium-falcon-pe-exhaust-grilles--for-fine-molds.cfm

[Grail]

Had a few minutes to touch up a couple things this afternoon between my bananas schedule and pretty much finish the interior. 
(Other than maybe some colors on the fiber as Fichtenfoo suggested)
Anybody think the Han and Chewie-ish Captain and Co Pilot can use  backup soldier passenger in the back? Or are they fine with just their trusty tool box?
Cheers

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.

[Major Williams]

Fine Molds 1/144 SW Milennium Falcon-Custom Mod.