Madhatter

hey Lou Yeah mate, I'll take some build photos when I get to it - which won't be for a while yet though as I have a few other things to finish first (like most of us )

hey everyone This arrived in the mail this morning, so I thought I'd show you what you get in the small, expensive but packed box. I generally don't spend much on models if I can but this appeared on their website and I had to buy it. I personally love Alpha kits and believe they are worth every dollar. Not only are Alpha the only manufacturer that produces subjects that I like, but the quality is second to none in the field of resin kits. This is - IMO - the most detailed kit they've come out with yet. I like that they have also included a comprehensive carbon fiber decal sheet - so no more self made templates! The box art is a massive improvement on their previous offerings I might add. There are of course more parts, but I thought I'd share some of the highlights of the contents. I love how the seats are made up of multiple parts - like Tamiya did with the Senna - but this is just better looking (IMO) and that the under tray has detail to it (not that I ever flip my builds over to look at the bottom - but nice to know it's there). It's not a cheap kit by any means - this cost me $300AU including shipping and everyone has their own opinion of what's worth it to them. I really like this kit and hope Alpha come out with a spider version. If they do, I'll have to start saving my pennies now (and prepare a kidney) Thanks for looking Simon

thank you all very much for the kind posts everyone. I'm sorry for the late reply - been on holidays I originally was painting it in a "Cosmic Colour shift" by SMS which was purple, blue and orange mix, but I was not having good results, so switched it to the blue. Worked out well in the end

thanks very much guys. The light just happened to be playing nice when I took the pics (for a change)

hey all Just finished off a side project in the form of the Tamiya R34 Nismo version. As per usual, ts good quality and everything fits as it should. I had no CB decal sheet, so it was just plain black that was matched with SMS Tropical Blue. Interior was black and Magic Blue from Fantasy Game Colours (Vallejo) That's it but thanks for looking!

thanks David Mate, I am so happy to see paint on it finally. It feels like I'm actually getting somewhere with it now. Whilst I let the base coat cure fully, I'm finishing off a project that I had started a while ago and I just want it finished. Then it's back to the fun with hours upon hours of masking coming up

dressed in black

I have been busy with this and have got some colour on it. I only have to fit the nose section and then I can paint the rest of the top half and then of course the bottom. I have found the best colour match to the screen SD's in Gunze paints - in particular their Gundam paint. I'll look the # up if anyone cares enough to ask, but its the right shade (well, to my eyes anyway) to what they're meant to be. The first building is base painted as well, but I haven't taken any pics yet as there is more I want to do before then. Well, that's it for now. I'll glue the nose on tonight and get the top half ready for painting. I'm fine with the black basing, it's the hours of tedious, repetitive masking I'm not looking forward too Anyway, as always, thanks for stopping in and looking Si

LOL - yeah, it is pretty big. Nearly a meter high! I know I've already posted a fair bit over the past couple of days but I thought I'd share my successful lighting in the one part I had strong doubts about getting lit. The part itself is only 8mm x 5mm x 4mm and there was no way I was going to be able to thread nearly 20 fibers through it, so I went with the flood light method which is cutting off 4mm pieces of single strand fiber and sticking and gluing them just 1mm into the wall and then sealing off the bottom with a strip of styrene (that has some al-foil stuck to the bottom to better reflect the light up). Inside the rear of the wall. I stuck a 2mm SMD upright through another small strip of styrene and then glued that onto the roof. Hopefully the pictures will explain better than what I can in words (sorry for the slightly blurry image there - I was struggling to get the phone to focus) I've already fixed that light leak but I kinda wish I hadn't as I like that floodlit area. Maybe once its been painted black again I can chip a bit out and let that spread. We'll see how much light is left leaking soon enough. Anyway, I was pretty happy with this Thanks for looking Si

I love that landing gear - very cool. I don't want to come across a naysayer or nit picker, but are you sure that canopy is big enough? Those sills look a tad thick if your going to go with your current version. Its better to point this out now before you commit to painting. It's your model of course, and you do as you like as this is only my opinion.

Thanks David! Quick couple of extra shots showing how high the SD sits above the base: https://flic.kr/p/2nEmHp5

Thanks Rusty - that's good to hear as that is almost what I'm aiming for Got one building done and primed and have started on the second one. I'm hoping to have the first one painted by the weekend. I have already drilled out the holes where the fibers will be going. I lost count after 50 and 8 drill bits later The good news is it won't require a lot big lengths of fiber. I am contemplating sticking in just little bits of fiber and flood lighting the entire inside but I am not sure I can get much light through the top sections. They'd require longer lengths I think. Also, there would not be enough room to angle an LED bright enough to fill the space... unless I used SMD strip? Enough pondering, here are the pics. I used my phone and not my proper camera coz I can't be faffed getting it all set up In black primer with a very light white primer highlight coat brings it all together nicely And together with the new building. I drilled out some vents on the side of the tower and I'll stick in some strips of clear sanded styrene to cover the openings from the inside. With a red LED shining up from the bottom it'll look pretty cool with the sanded styrene diffusing the light nicely. At least - that's the plan and lastly, the new position of both on the surface: Well, I think I have bored you all enough, but as always, please feel free to critique or suggest anything that could be improved. Like, share, subscribe... LOL I watch way too much Youtube! Thanks for looking

awesome scratch work there Ismael - very tidy. Looking forward to seeing more

you know with the canopy, you could use a Coke bottle or similar cut to shape. It'd be easier than trying to cut individual sections.

hey - great to see you back Ismael. Good choice to come back in with too - you very rarely see these kits being built much online anymore - especially the B-Wing. I don't know if you've ever seen the old AMT Star Destroyer kit - but it is just horrendous. It requires major surgery to make it look like a SD. No one wants to go to the massive amount of time and effort needed on these older kits to get them to look good.. Of course, now with Bandai, Fine Molds, Revell and Zvezda stepping up and putting out some great kits that not only require minimal modelling skills, they have vastly superior detailing that is just missing from the older kits. Deity bless technology right. However, your previous works show that you are not scared of a challenge and as one fellow Star Wars nut to another, I believe you'll do a smashing job at bringing this kit to life. Can't wait to see more! Simon

thanks David - although what is KOTR?

Hi again all For the past 2 weeks (well, more like 6 days when combined) I have been working away on the top plate. I decided to make something to go on top as I feel it needs more visual interest. Yeah, I know its the DS tiles I'm using but I don't really want this to BE the Death Star - more, my own interpretation. I wouldn't go calling my display a battle-station. Probably more a mechanical planet It's far from being finished - I still have heaps to do, but before I really get lost in this and put more energy into it, I thought l'd just get a general gauge if this is a good idea or not It's basically superstructure parts from my ill-fated Bismark and other bits and bobs. My favorite bit is the landing platforms this is where Im intending to put it If all else fails, it could always be a new hull part of a space ship Well, that's it for now, but feel free to let me know what you think. As always, thanks for stopping by and having a look

thanks David I will do some detail painting on the things that can be seen naturally but not so much the rest. Update coming soon

Hi all Quick update The edging is all done and putty applied. Still a couple of spots to clean up but nothing dramatic. I've started to add some more detailing to the surface, with some gun batteries which i thought could be quite cool. I'm not trying to replicate the DS or its surface to its filming parents, so the relevancy of their existence is mute. Looking at them, I do need to change the shape slightly to mask their origins though. Just on the bottom front corners I think I'm looking at making some kind of central building structure, like a control center of sorts, again, just to break up the surface more. Not too high, but high enough. I've been furiously rummaging through the spares box looking for something suitable but nothing is matching my idea, so I think it'll have to be scratch built. Anyways, enough words I just started the detailing, but you get the idea of where its going That's all for now, but open to ideas, suggestions or constructive critique Cheers

thanks guys! Yeah, I'll admit, I have been busy with lots of RL things but even so, all the while, I have been thinking about this build. At any rate, I will continue on with the base to get that sorted. I have got some ideas for it, so hopefully, I can make them a reality All the joints in the tiles have been filled in as much as possible with Putty and cleaned up ready to start detailing the surface some more. The hollow space on the right has yet to have it's edging done, but that won't take long (a couple of hours and she'll be right). Luckily, I do not need to vast any more tiles, so that's some time saved there too! I want to build up some smaller structures on the surface - not too high, but enough to make it more interesting. I really appreciate the continued interest in this. I know it's been going on and on and on - worse than the Energizer Bunny on speed, but I will get there.

wow - it has been a while hasn't it? Hi all, and thanks for stopping in. First of, sorry for the really long delay in doing anything to it until recently. RL has interfered a lot as have other projects blah blah. We all know the reasons why etc that things go on hold but, I do have an update that's worth showing So, I am unable to paint anything ATM due to weather and other such stuff like getting ready to move up north to Brisbane at the end of the year, plus a reno and as such, that limited my options. But I have been chomping at the bit to get restarted on just something to do with this build as its just dragging on and on (rather my my words) so I thought I would continue on with the base. And I must say, so far, I am super happy with it. It's coming out way better than I had hoped so far! I am almost finished the edging on the top plate as you'll see in a sec and the shape of it is working perfectly. I will need to cast another 2 or 3 plates and some more of the original plating for the bottom and mid tiers, but that won't take too long So, first up, the top plate as it is now: The advantages of using resin is you can sand it super thin and then remove excess bits with a sharp knife to create new shapes And the bottom plate has also had some treatment started to it. There is HEAPS more to do of course And combined, it starts to take shape. There is a tier to go in between them but not there just yet Well, that's it now for the next 3 months.... nah, just kidding. It's 7 if you're lucky Hopefully the next update will come sooner rather than later. Thanks for any continued interest Till then!

That looks more like a what-should-be than what-if. Very well thought out and awesome colour combo in just the right amounts. Love it.

Damn - I wish I had found this thread a few weeks ago! I literally just built this NSX and had to scratch build a body kit because I couldn't find a transkit of the LB Walk version. I had no idea this one was even out or I would've bought one Great build - although personally the overall gold is a bit too bling-y for my tastes but I'm boring that way. Maybe the chin spoiler could be black to balance it out more

love the colour and the car - very nicely built and painted. I might have to use that Tamiya Mica red myself - I didn't know it could look so good

Wow David! That came out beautifully!!! The effort that went into the detailing of this is more than admirable. There have been only a handful of builds lately that have had me in genuine awe of their work and this is one of them. I had been watching it come together in the shadows of your WIP and I am sorry I didn't comment more. The interior lighting is perfect - its not too bright and in the right colour - 2 things a lot of people get wrong. Did you consider getting a lighting kit for the light bar? http://www.voodoofx.com/product/ghostbustersecto1lightingkit/ I know its a tad too late there but maybe if you ever decide to give it another go, there's an item of potential use - or for anyone else for that matter Anyways David, I really love what you've done to this iconic movie-mobile. I'd be proud to have that on my shelf too See you on the next subject Simon