2001 ASO. Uhu02's EVA Pod by DanBKing

DanBKing

Dan the Man
One question: what kind of acetate (and printer) did you use for the panels? Are they transparent sheets for photocopy? Did you print them with a colour laser printer?
I never had good results printing on transparent sheets. The laser printer give pale colours, with very low saturation (perhaps this is the reason for you gave marker touches to the backing paper).
The inkjet transparent sheets I tried have a rough surface not good for little scale details..

Hiya Tonino!

The acetate I used was supplied by my local printing company. It is the same stuff they used to use back in school, (the old days,) for over-head projectors. It is glossy and you can write on it with dry-wipe (white board) markers. According to the printing company, the stuff is becoming scarce, due to digital media projectors and the like.

You were correct in saying that the colours tend to be a bit pale when laser printed, which is why, as you correctly stated, I used coloured markers to enhance the colour from behind. Maybe next time, I will try and set the colour enhancements settings on the printer to maximum.... Might improve the colour density on transparent film. However, black print is dense and fully opaque.
I print all my models with a laser printer. I find inkjet to be a little bland in quality for my taste. The toner used in laser printing is plastic based and actually helps in protecting the finished model from the elements!

I am experimenting with various types of LED setups, at the moment. Whether to use high-intensity white, or warm-white LEDS, or LED strips. I dunno yet. But, the concept of back lighting the panels works, as shown in the opening pictures of this thread.
I also need to figure out how I am gonna do the lighting layout. I'm gonna need to using light blocking and light reflecting techniques and also contain the light source(s) within a light box. I am a little worried about the available space to do this. It is difficult to determine how much space is available, using the instruction/build-guide photos.
I'm thinking it might be wise to build the main assemblies first; interior, interior roof, main body shell and chassis parts, so that I can temporarily put them together, to get a better visual feel for my available 'play area'!

I've never done this sort of lighting setup before, so I am learning, experimenting and making it up, as I go along. ;)

Stay tuned! :D
 

Cybergrinder

Member Extraordinaire
A suggestion for the lighting; why not fibre-optics? I remember lighting up a plastic Star Destroyer and the kit used fibre optics for the window lights.

I do have a picture of the bridge (all that survived) some where....
 

DanBKing

Dan the Man
Fibre optics is an idea. I'm not sure that they would suit this application though. Most of the switches are square and not round like fibre optics.
 

Cybergrinder

Member Extraordinaire
True, but what I also did was use silicone sealant (clear of course :)) as a shapeable (not easily) "fiber-optic". Why not try this or plastic blocks behind the panel & use fibre optics to transfer the light?

(Thinking there won't be much space between the panel & outer skin)
 

Gandolf50

Researcher of obscure between war vehicles...
Staff member
Moderator
as far as the acetate sheets , you should still be able to get overhead transparency for laser copiers .. I still have tons of it..as far as fiber-optic.. you can use virtually any translucent plastic, say an old toothbrush for example.. cut to shape, file and polish the button shape, drill small hole in side / back ?? anywhere, and insert fiber with either silicon or epoxy, it will light up! Network with friends and the local thrift shop and gather junk plastic!

I have some of the wire from Zathros's post and it is way cool, but I got it from walmart auto department for a way cheaper price! 12 volt
 

DanBKing

Dan the Man
Upload Heaven.... !!

Now, that I can, let me catch up a bit.... ;)

Judging by the various build/instruction pictures and with reference to other modelers builds, (thanks @Jacopo1969 ;) ) it seems the main console top edges fit snug to the interior roof.
I want to be sure though, so I decided to build the roof and associated parts. I cut all the tabs away from the roof joints and back-tabbed them, to smooth out the roof 'dome' a bit.
I also made up all the backlit panels, with associated light baffles.... I made the various backlit panels the same way as the main console.
I have no idea what they are meant to be, but the two thingamajigs on each side of the forward roof, I laminated to 1 mm cardstock and coloured the edges, to give them some 3D depth. Also, using @Jacopo1969's observation, I recessed the roof console panel. It fits and looks better too ... ;)

Nothing is attached yet.......

IMG-20171229-02887.jpg

I'm experimenting further with the main console.

I sealed the top edges of the console from behind, using aluminium tape, still on it's backing paper. The white backing paper will diffuse and spread the light better than the reflective aluminium foil, but the foil makes a solid light blocker on the outside .. :)

IMG-20171227-02868.jpg IMG-20171227-02866.jpg

I will go further with the console a little later, but now that I have to fit lighting to the roof, I need to be sure how much available space I have to do this.....
So, that means I need to make up the outer fuselage to find out....

I would just like to point out, I wish the templates were editable, as there are quite a few line and texturing errors throughout the templates..... Study them well before cutting!!! ;)

Let the cutting fun begin.....

It is most important to take your time with this. It is not a job to do after a few beers and such..... Trust me on this..... ;):smoker::sticktongue:

The objective is to remove all the printed black lines, from the joins of the outer shell..... Following my technique from the Discovery build, I laid a sheet of white paper over my cutting mat. The white background helps you to see where the bits of black on the edges are, that you missed when cutting.
I use a very sharp pointed, curved detail scissors to carefully trim all the black print away, keeping the cut edge smooth with the curve. It also helps to gently pull the part you are cutting over the adjacent part, then the black is obvious........ I also use 600 grit carbon paper to GENTLY remove any last fibers of black...... Oh, and one thing to add, don't cut out any of the handhold holes yet, this will be a benefit, in the later uniform-shaping of the shell..........

IMG-20171230-02893.jpg IMG-20171230-02896.jpg

Front done .......

IMG-20171230-02897.jpg

More when I can......

See ya!

:wave:
 
Last edited:

zathros

*****SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR*****
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Very very nice!! Superb cutting too, that's so hard on the hands, mine anyways! :)
 

Jacopo1969

New Member
Upload Heaven.... !!

Now, that I can, let me catch up a bit.... ;)

Judging by the various build/instruction pictures and with reference to other modelers builds, (thanks @Jacopo1969 ;) ) it seems the main console top edges fit snug to the interior roof.
I want to be sure though, so I decided to build the roof and associated parts. I cut all the tabs away from the roof joints and back-tabbed them, to smooth out the roof 'dome' a bit.
I also made up all the backlit panels, with associated light baffles.... I made the various backlit panels the same way as the main console.
I have no idea what they are meant to be, but the two thingamajigs on each side of the forward roof, I laminated to 1 mm cardstock and coloured the edges, to give them some 3D depth. Also, using @Jacopo1969's observation, I recessed the roof console panel. It fits and looks better too ... ;)

Nothing is attached yet.......

View attachment 163316

I'm experimenting further with the main console.

I sealed the top edges of the console from behind, using aluminium tape, still on it's backing paper. The white backing paper will diffuse and spread the light better than the reflective aluminium foil, but the foil makes a solid light blocker on the outside .. :)

View attachment 163314 View attachment 163315

I will go further with the console a little later, but now that I have to fit lighting to the roof, I need to be sure how much available space I have to do this.....
So, that means I need to make up the outer fuselage to find out....

I would just like to point out, I wish the templates were editable, as there are quite a few line and texturing errors throughout the templates..... Study them well before cutting!!! ;)

Let the cutting fun begin.....

It is most important to take your time with this. It is not a job to do after a few beers and such..... Trust me on this..... ;):smoker::sticktongue:

The objective is to remove all the printed black lines, from the joins of the outer shell..... Following my technique from the Discovery build, I laid a sheet of white paper over my cutting mat. The white background helps you to see where the bits of black on the edges are, that you missed when cutting.
I use a very sharp pointed, curved detail scissors to carefully trim all the black print away, keeping the cut edge smooth with the curve. It also helps to gently pull the part you are cutting over the adjacent part, then the black is obvious........ I also use 600 grit carbon paper to GENTLY remove any last fibers of black...... Oh, and one thing to add, don't cut out any of the handhold holes yet, this will be a benefit, in the later uniform-shaping of the shell..........

View attachment 163317 View attachment 163318

Front done .......

View attachment 163319

More when I can......

See ya!

:wave:
Looking GREAT! So glad you found my build useful
 

zathros

*****SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR*****
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
I see you use scissors, curved ones too. I have a set of those, right hand ones, I wish I could ind left hand ones, but I guess it just as easy to flip the parts around. We had both side scissors when working on airplane skins, of course, you couldn't flip the plane over, that was saved for landings! :)
 

DanBKing

Dan the Man
I see you use scissors, curved ones too. I have a set of those, right hand ones, I wish I could ind left hand ones, but I guess it just as easy to flip the parts around. We had both side scissors when working on airplane skins, of course, you couldn't flip the plane over, that was saved for landings! :)

The finger/thumb holes are the same on both shears. Doesn't matter whether you are left or right handed. I use my right hand to cut in both curvatures.
Depending on whether the cut off side of the paper is above or below the cutting hand when cutting, makes all the difference ...... ;)
 

zathros

*****SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR*****
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I meant the cutting edge, as in right hand shears vs. center vs. left hand shears. The side of the cutting blades determine which side the curf goes off.
  • Red snips cut left.
  • Yellow snips cut straight or left and right.
  • Green snips cut right.
Standard in the industry. :)

 

zathros

*****SENIOR ADMINISTRATOR*****
Staff member
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Nobody touches my tools. I had a "friend" I asked to flatten a piece of sheet metal, and with an anvil next to him, he almost started pounding on my milling machine table with a 5 lb. hammer!! I never invited him back. I fixed his car" covered an old hole where a shifter had been on the transmission tunnel and made him a new one for his new transmission. If it wasn't that I liked that Barracuda more than him, I wouldn't have bothered.
 

Cybergrinder

Member Extraordinaire
I completely agree Zathros! Some people think anything will do and bugger up precision tools in the process....

(not including inquistive boys who are trying to figure out how things work, cos I have one & was one ;))
 

zathros

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@DanBKing ., all your parts have come out so clean!! This will make a great companion for your discovery!! ;)

@Cybergrinder, what's even worse is when someone says, "Hey, I think that's my wrench (or put tool name here)". As I have at least doubles or triples of everything, some people see that and think that's where one of their missing tool went.
 
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