Category: Uncategorized

Fiber optics and more fiber optics

A bit more done. Actually I added many more fiber optics and I still have plenty to go still. A lot of them will be trimmed flush with the hull after I finish the final paint job.

The car is coming along well too but do take the time to watch booth short videos in these builds that explain more in detail the processes here. They are on the home page just scroll down.

Great day on all things models

Finally I got to light up the engines on the star Destroyer. Thanks Randy Nuebert and VooDoo effects!The soft blue lights really do the trick.


I also got a little more done on the car sorting out how I’ll do the exhaust and I started the wind screen to vacuum form the wind screen itself.


John Warren made up my tires, aluminium wheels, and resin minilite wheel inserts and they look awesome. They will take a while to get here as John is in New Zealand but well worth the wait! His work is excellent!
It was a good day. I plan another one today!


And here’s part 3 of the Star Destroyer build. A short 4 minute video of the latest progress.

Lots of stuff done 11-10-2021

Thanks to Randy Nuebert of VooDoo FX’s I have everything I need to finish lighting this Star Destroyer.
I got a lot more fiber optics installed yesterday. Today I’m doing more top and bottom and installing the engine lights.


The 1/32 Cooper is coming along well. I did a test body and painted it Royale blue as I’m getting a bit tired of BRG. This tells me how much work still needs to be done on the body master before I make the final mold for production.
I worked on the test frame some more. As it turns out the front axles are not dead center of the body openings but rather forward of center and closer to the nose. I moved it for an accurate fit.


All it needs is the intake cover for the carburetors. And I’m good to go. The body came out great.


John Warren from New Zealand I made contact with again and this fine modeler makes tires, rims, and inserts for 1/32 scale slot cars. He has exactly the parts I need to make my cars accurate to the full sized car. He is currently making the parts for me. Here’s some picture of his work and parts he makes. He also is building a Cooper seen here with the blank body and the accurate parts and tires he makes.


Still I have the windscreen, intake cover and exhaust to make. All these parts will be molded in silicone and produced in resin. Lots to do still. 

Star Wars and Slot Cars…

So here I wait for the post office to deliver something 6 hours from home over 5 days. My much needed package from Voodoo FX! It has all my lights in it for the engine bells and more. Still I wait.


But in the meantime I found some more warm white LEDs and started adding more pepper of tiny windows to the hull. However after looking at the actual Star Destroyer models used in the movie I found they are hardly lite at all. As is typical of fan models they are all over lighted and too bright. I want this model to reflect more the movie models and the later CGI which was loyal to the original ILM models.


So today I’m going to move some of the lights to the other side of the hull not yet done and start more on the tower and sub structures on the hull but not too many.


The hangar bay looks great. I’m very happy with that outcome. All Fiber done with optics and the correct brightness.


One the slot car I struggled with the test frame and got it to fit inside and have the axles the correct height. From this I can duplicate the correct frame each time I build one. However I think I’ll have Mark 3D print a frame I can mold and produce out of resin for the eventual kits to be.

Just stuff…

  I got a pressure pot yesterday from Harbor Freight. May not seem like a big deal but it is to me. Finally I’ll be able to cast small resin parts bubble free. The idea here is you mix resin, place it in your small silicone molds and put it inside this  pressure pot. Then increase the pressure to around 30 pounds and it forces the resin into all the tiny areas of the mold crushing the bubbles. No waste and a perfect part every time.


I did some more on the Star Destroyer. Still waiting for my lights to get here I started to drill holes, rigged some fiber optics, finalized the base fitting and did the wiring to the power sources for the lights. Works great!


Lastly I built a test frame for the Cooper. Now I’m on the net tirelessly locating the correct sized and shaped tires, wheels and incerts for this car. Time to build a car and see how she runs.