Topic: Rebuilding the Death Star

[Darth Revenge]

Title of this post is from a french humorist, it seems appropriate to me 

Both rear hallways are done.

Time to work on this famous trash compactor.
I'll tri to do this without Frank's decals. Insulated foam called Depron is used (same as some parts of Jabba's Palace, material used for 99% of the construction of the 2010s). It's very less expensive than foamcore.
It requires a layer of primer before sticking anything on it, except itself or painting. Hot glue can create damage, and contact glue is just not possible to use, the depron melts.

The visible height is not defined, the whole will certainly be lower, to align with the rest. It will all depend on the height of the ceilings I would make to include a minimum of lighting.

Enjoy the pix as I enjoy to do this 

[Darth Revenge]

Look better with some door details.
I need to modify it, a light place is missing on the door.

I made a mistake on drawing the lines, but I don't care, the cuts are done and glued, I dont want to restart an entire wall.

[Starchaser]

I get that! Sometimes good enough is really good enough. I think this is shaping up nicely.

[Darth Revenge]

And the was light.

Using an old forgotten Led Strip with 24v supply, a garbage cardboard, one transfert sheet, a piece of glossy vinyl I kept from 2010's dioramas, and of course foamcore for this ceiling test.

Unlike Frank, I don't make the "snake led". I simply turn the strip on the outer edge.

I think I may use black cardboard sheets for the ceiling visible face.

Total height of the ceiling with light is 2.5 / 2.6 cm.
Add 0.5 cm for the floor, and total height of a standard level is 18 cm.

As I'm lucky for this time, the max height of the Detention block playset I want to use is 14,9 cm. It's a good new, all the levels can have the same height.

Coming back to the ceiling, I think the lighting is sufficient, knowing that the photos were taken with the lights in the showroom on.

What do you think about this ? Please don't be afraid of critics/suggestions, we are all here because we strive to excel 

[Darth Revenge]

Let it shine a little more !

Putting the vinyl on the ground was a real pain, but it's done.

Why make dioramas and not have a little fun with the figurines?
It's time to get out the planned miniatures, and send poor Bom Vimdin to be used for other tests.

It's also time to start seriously this f*****g blastdoor.

[Darth Revenge]

Shiny vinyl floor added, trash compactor resized in height, and adding a wall panel next to the large blastdoor who is now in a distinct part. I needed to do this for easier making of the door first, and second, I can add pipes part above and high wall panels.
Not enough length of Led strip for this first level, of course. Order done.

[Darth Revenge]

No, no, open it !

Today, the objective was to think about a good way for doing blastdoor with abilities to open/close as simple as possible.

The inside separators would act as guide for the doors and made them in one cut instead glueing 2 pieces together verticaly as Frank do and show us in his making-off, I use only one with a thickness of 1 cm. Less foamcore necessary, less excess cut.

I need to find to good angle for doors edges. I'm not 100% happy with the result, but it can do the job. So I won't waste time about it.
The whole blastdoor part is 6cm width, 51 cm long. 15 cm as usual.
The two 12cm wall panels "Blastdoor right and left" will contain the doors in the open position. Unfortunately, it would take more than 12 cm on each side, 15 would have been better, but I don't want to shift the rest of the construction to gain on the position of the doors open.

The pix are  only half build door, enough for tests.

It seems that I reach my objective, and can now build the definitive version and complete the Obi/vader duel part.

[Darth Revenge]

Second blastdoor face done, I began to put the decals details on the first one.
One door has now decals, need to do the 2 others.
Using Frank's decals again, print 6 closed doors (3 front, 3 rear).
Cutting them, and put them on the doors.

I planned to let the door without decals, that's why I used more expensive black foamcore. It was ugly.
Tried to paint, difference of color makes my eyes bleeding.

1st pix shows how I re-use excess from the blastdoor cut and don't have to take another sheet of foamcore.

[Darth Revenge]

It will look like this once closed.
I can't take a shot on opened position now, all the doors must be complete before be glued together and have enough stability.

[Darth Revenge]

Doors does now have their decals, and are glued together.
Let's have a look on this...

[Starchaser]

Brilliant! C'est tres bon!

[Darth Revenge]

The door is almost finished, a few dots of glue, the stickers on the edge and that's it.
The LED strip has arrived, and so has the black cardboard. New try with these leds, it's dazzling (really).
The photo is taken at about 4:10 p.m. (west oriented room), shutters open, and all available lighting on.
I would have no choice but to use the dimmer, otherwise at night the rendering will be much too strong.

[Darth Revenge]

"Curved Hallway" and Blastdoor rooms enlighted
Some mistakes on ceiling cuts, too late to do something on this Visible only if you take care about, so my opinion is : don't bother 

First layers off paint in the trash compactor

[Darth Revenge]

No big updates today, I was busy...
Second layer of paint yesterday on the trash compactor, some weathering this morning (I really need to enhance my painting skills)

I had the pleasant surprise of having Frank Dioro's visit on my FB, and he left an encouraging comment. It's good for my ego  

[Starchaser]

That looks really good. The weathering is great.