Zvezda Star Destroyer

[Madhatter]

Thanks David

Not sure what's happened to the page though - if any of the mods know how to fix it, I would be eternally grateful

Edited September 16, 2019 by Madhatter

[Madhatter]

Hi again

Last update before a short tools down period. I've not really spent as much time on the bench as I thought I would but did still manage some decent progress

The front end is as busy as I want it now. Just need to start filling out areas around the hull. I won't go to crazy as I want to try keep to the grand scale and immensity of the ship.

At the same time, most of this detail will likely be obscured by the paint.

Well, that's it for now but feel free to share any thoughts you may have

Till next time

Si

[Force]

Impressive detail work. ?

[David G.]

Wow Si, you've had quite a voyage on this section. You must be getting eager to see it in paint.

David G.

[Madhatter]

Thanks guys, I am looking forward to painting it, but that's a long way off yet sadly.

I'm putting this aside for a short time while I concentrate on a different project for someone else. I'll be back to this later. Maybe a month or so. Don't know yet, but thanks for looking in all the same

[Madhatter]

Hi everyone - happy new year! Hope we all managed to get some bench time in. I know I didn't 

So I have not long gotten back from holidays and decided it was high time I expended some time into this project. To be honest, I spent a lot of time thinking about this build and the things I could add and by the end of it, was busting to start back onto it.

Also, finally, I have settled on the base layout and how it's going to be displayed. It'll look pretty wicked if I get it right. BTW, does anyone know of a way to bend brass tube to an angle of 90 degrees whilst still maintaining the structural integrity of the tube itself, as in, not collapse in on itself?

So, I got home and promptly got bored of detailing the main body so I decided to move onto something else for a while. In this instance, I chose the top nose piece to play with. Better than my own one right?

Zvezda have created these rather large, blank protrusions from the top surface which just look like blocks. They appear to have no function what so ever. They're just sit there like a zit.

Can't have that, can we now. So, dress it up with some strip shelves, add some various piping and you have something much more interesting. I'll even try to stick in a fiber optic or 2.

There's just some more plates to add then I'll look at the undersides of those edges and add some detail to those as there are woefully lacking. Then it'll be back to the main body and finish that off before moving onto the bottom half.

Anyway, here's where I currently stand:

And I just couldn't help myself, and took a pic which it joined up - just to remind myself of how big this ship is of course

Well, that's all I have for now, but I will be back in a while once the nose is done.

As always, thanks for sticking around and having a look

Si

[afx]

Excellent work Si.

[Madhatter]

thanks mate

quick update. I've finished with the top side of the nose section for now and won't be adding any more surface detail to it until it's joined to the rear section.
I'll be moving on the the main superstructure sidewalls and finish those off plus the roof sections and then add the last of the surface detail to the right side.

Sorry for worktop pictures, but I couldn't be bothered getting out the photo tent tonight - too much effort

It's current rest place:

Well, that's it for now but as always, thanks for stopping in and having a look
Till next time
Si

[David G.]

I'm glad to see that you're back at this Simon. 

This is a rather large undertaking and I admire your patience and persistence.

Thank you for the updates.

David G.

[bisc63]

Just outstanding work!

[Madhatter]

Thanks very much guys - glad you've stuck around to see more. I realise this is a long build but the results should be worth it (I hope!!)

[afx]

These type of builds take time Si, my record is 4 years to finish a build!

[Madhatter]

Thanks JC - I hope it doesn't take me 4 years. I'm only 1.5 years into this one already and it feels like a life time. Definitely shaping up to be my longest build for sure

[Madhatter]

So, I have managed to get most of the starboard sidewalls and roof parts detailing done with only 3 left to go. Then it'll be time to blend in the walls to the surface and add some other stuff around - then the last part of the top side surface detailing will be over.
I'm still deciding if I will paint first then add the fiber or vice versa. I'm leaning toward paint first because I just think it'd be too hard to be able to trim off fibers without damaging the paint work but shuddering at time it'll take to do it like that. No pain no gain right?
Anyway, here's some pics of where I am at currently

That's it for now, but as always, thanks for stopping in and having a look

Si

[kpnuts]

Wow what amazing detailing.

[David G.]

All  the detail you added to the, I guess it would be the quarterdeck, reminds me of some of those hillside cities in Brazil.

 

With quite a bit less chaos though.

David G.

[Chuckyg1]

The intricate details really boggle the mind, (mine at least). There's great stuff happening here. Can't wait to see more.

[Madhatter]

that's a very cool picture David - I really like that. I can also see why the reference

Thanks to you as well John for your kind post. I'll be posting an update in a few weeks once I have the top done. The onto the bottom half. Yay

[Madhatter]

I had the camera out today for other things and decided today is a good a day as any to take a couple of update shots. I'm not as far along as I would have liked but I had the spare time. I'm almost finished the top. I just have to finish the edging and then the top will be considered done.

I test fitted the bridge to the body to make sure I could. There are definitely going to be fitting issues but nothing some super glue won't take care of. Looks like I'll also have to add some more details once the body has been glued together to help tie in the areas better. This adds to the ever compounding issue of painting first or not (first world problems....)

Anyways, that's all the pics I took but thanks for looking in.

Si

[afx]

That think is going to be epic Si - very impressive!

[David G.]

Wow! There is so much detail in so many different tones and colors that it'll almost be a shame to paint it all one shade of gray or white... whichever is the proper color.

David G.

[Madhatter]

Thank you guys for the kind posts. I will have an update on this soon as I have been working on it again.

[Madhatter]

Hello once again everyone. It's been few months since this was last updated and sorry to say, I haven't done as much as you might hope I had, but I have finished off the top section - well, mostly. I still have the SMD's to add for the trench spot lighting but in regards to detailing, that's all done

So here is the top section shown as finished. I added some of the bits that sort of frame some of the lines to balance it out. You'll catch my drift if you look at the last picture in the previous update and look to the left of the ship and you can see some chips that run down the mid-section in a line toward the front. They have been replicated on the other side to make it right.

That was a lot of explaining for something so trivial, so I shall move on and let the pics do the talking:

Its pretty much the same on the other side. I might yet bulk some of the rear section out some more but I need to see how the side walls go on first. I do need to sort out that section at the very back of the ship - looking at these reminded me about it

The bottom hull has also been started. I made the very foolish mistake of gluing the nose to the body in a hurry to install the hangar bay. This in hindsight was very silly. I has also located glue marks and other blemishes on there and I am not happy about it. I do not know when or how they got there but I also realised I forgot to grind down the old hangar surrounds and it has created a gap where there shouldn't be and now I have to fix and live with my decision to install when I did.

Still, none of this is unfix-able and I will fix it as much as I can accordingly. I just wish I hadn't created this unnecessary work for myself is all

Well, that's all I have for now, but I will be back again soon enough. As always, thanks for stopping in and having a look

Si

[Lunajammer]

Thanks for the update. Glad you're still with it. Amazing, as always.

[Madhatter]

Thanks for sticking around Mike! There is still a long way to go yet and I still have the base to start yet which will be a scratch built model in itself. The next challenge after the detailing will be installing the fibers - a task which I am not relishing the thought of