ALL SCI-FI Forum Index ALL SCI-FI
The place to “find your people”.
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Building the Lost in Space Derelict
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Models and Dioramas
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2016 7:36 pm    Post subject: Building the Lost in Space Derelict Reply with quote

I have recently undertaken the task of building the 1/350 scale Moebius kit of the "Derelict" from Lost in Space.

The vehicle was featured in the second episode of the series and no color photos of the prop exist.



The kit is pretty straight forward. This is one of those models that is really more of a painting and finishing project than a construction project. A modeler of minimal skills should be able to build this kit with no issues.. The challenge is trying to represent the textured and oddly marked surface of the ship.

Here's the early construction of the "doors" and the spheres which will mount to the end of the doors.



The kit comes with a pre-colored, die-cut cardboard interior but I elected to scratchbuild a plastic interior. My finishing process requires a lot of wet sanding and cardboard components would be problematic.



Last edited by Brent Gair on Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:47 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2016 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The interior was painted flat black. The kit thoughtfully provides three small Jupiter 2s in various configurations. I built a J2 in standard gear down configuration and mounted it to the Derelict hangar floor.



The main hull has been assembled. The ring around the opening has hinge supports for the doors. The hinges are not functional so two different sets of hinge supports are provided: one set for open doors and one set for closed doors. The builder must choose one set or the other. I have chosen the hinges for open doors.



Last edited by Brent Gair on Thu Dec 01, 2016 8:15 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gord Green
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 06 Oct 2014
Posts: 2940
Location: Buffalo, NY

PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2016 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Beautiful work!

I do a lot of scratch building augmentation too, and you can really appreciate the extra effort.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Gord!

I like to keep my building a bit ahead of my posting so that I can regularly feed out pictures even if I hit a slow patch. Since things are progressing nicely, I'll let out another group of pictures.

This series shows the secondary hull which the model instructions call the "propulsion module". This ring fits on the back of the main hull. That extension protruding through the ring has holes into which alignment pegs in the secondary hull lock.



The secondary hull has a number of fairings with holes that are used to attach "field emitters" (see screen image in original post).



Here's the two hulls assembled.



BTW, a special shout out to the fantastic Lost in Space Blu-ray Discs which show the Derelict in much greater detail than it has ever been seen before. The screen image in the first post is actually one a number of photographs I took from my TV screen (since my computer does not have a BD drive to do true screencaps).
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 1:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One complaint about this model is that it comes with a completely inadequate stand. The stand is a small, semi-spherical section with a steel rod projecting straight up to support the model. That may do the job if the model is protected in a stable cabinet but it's asking for disaster if anybody brushes against the model. It's light and has a small footprint.

I modified one of my model airplane stands. I shaped the top of the arm to fit the contour of the model and I drilled the arm to take a steel pin (shortened from the steel rod in the kit). The base is MDF and is much bigger and heavier than the kit stand.



I've also prepped the clear plastic "field emitters". These are a pain. They are well-molded in one piece but there is a lot of cleanup work needed on the mold lines and sprue gates. I shaved down and sanded the main seams but the small, delicated pieces are hard to polish. I used the old modelers trick of dipping the parts in Future acrylic floor finish to hide any small scratches and give them a crystal clear appearance.

Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
mach7
Quantum Engineer


Joined: 23 Apr 2015
Posts: 333

PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 2:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice build so far!

I posted mine here in Sept.

It's a nice kit that builds nice. The seams are the only really tricky part.

The kit stand has worked out well for me but yours looks
much nicer.

I experimented with putting a paper printed interior in one of my little J2s, but the windows are so small and its
dark inside so it really can not be seen.

I painted mine with kyrlon hammered aluminum
rattlecan paint.

I thought about pre-veining the kit but ended up going
without any veining at all. It's a very subtle effect.
I'm looking forward to seeing how you do yours.

Also, be cautious with the ball attachment point is week,
I ended up having to repair 3 of mine.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2016 3:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mach7 wrote:
Nice build so far!

I posted mine here in Sept.

It's a nice kit that builds nice. The seams are the only really tricky part.

The kit stand has worked out well for me but yours looks much nicer.

Also, be cautious with the ball attachment point is week,
I ended up having to repair 3 of mine.

Yes, I certainly recall your build and I have reviewed that thread. I eventually ended up buying the kit from Fabgearusa when they opened up an amazon.ca store. Even though the kit shipped from Georgia, it was cheaper buying it from Fabgear than it was in Canada!

Regarding your last point...yeah...I broke one (twice). It was a stupid mistake. I glued them all on nice and strong with no problem. But, during the painting process, I masked off the "lens" section. When I went to unmask it, instead of unwrapping the tape, I just yanked it off...and the ball came with it Sad. I fixed it after much effort...then dropped it the next day and broke it again. Yeesh.

As for the stand...I'm a klutz and I own a cat. I need extra stability Smile.

I "over did" it on the seams (more in an upcoming post). The short version is that I take extreme pride in my seam work. Other guys do better detail and lighting but good seam work is my calling card. Truth is I spent a lot of time getting perfect seams but the textured paint really made my extreme seam work a bit of a waste since it hid some of my efforts.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

After filling the seams, the model was primed and given a base coat of silver metallic lacquer. The final coat will be texture paint but I wanted a consistent base because I wasn't too sure how thick the texture paint would need to be. If I needed to spray a very thin coat, I didn't want areas of primer showing through.

As mentioned previously, I probably committed some overkill at this stage of the build. I'm obssessive about hiding seams and I have an involved process for doing so. This involves keeping the model in a warm dry spot for a week or so to "bake" solvents out of the glue joint to prevent future shrinkage. Then the seams are filled with cyanoacrylate glue which is also non-shrinking. Lacquer based putty is only used at the final stage to touch up low spots. I also use this process to fill in sink marks left over from the molding process.



A lot of this work was probably not necessary as the texture paint will hide some of the sins. Here's the door assemblies in the silver lacquer base.

Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Sun Dec 04, 2016 1:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The exterior now has it's texture and detail.

The texture paint is a dark silver metallic that nicely fits my interpretation of the prop color. After applying it, I lightly buffed on some old Humbrol silver...then I toned it down again by wiping it with a cloth that was slightly dampened with mineral spirits. I tried a few methods of "veining" it. Ultimately, I lightly brushed them on with that same Humbrol silver then softened them with mineral spirits. Satin clear lacquer was applied as a final coat.



The doors got the same treatment. the texture is lighter on the balls because photos indicate they didn't have as heavy a texture.

Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Sun Dec 04, 2016 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The model is in final assembly but here's one last photo before the model is complete.

I took some artistic license with the edges of the hangar doors. Screen images of the prop show that the door edges have a random tortoise shell pattern. It looks a little haphazard and, no doubt, it was...probably quickly applied with a brush. I didn't think it would translate well to a small scale. It would just look sloppy. I applied a geometric pattern reminiscent of WWII naval "dazzle" camouflage.

From a distance, it captures the random appearance of the original tortoise shell pattern but, when viewed close-up, shows some care in application so that it won't look like I "phoned it in" Smile.

Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Done:









Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Bud Brewster
Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)


Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17016
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 2:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

Stellar job, Brent — as always! Very Happy

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Thu Mar 15, 2018 8:36 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
orzel-w
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 19 Sep 2014
Posts: 1877

PostPosted: Mon Dec 05, 2016 4:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

To quote an Alka-Seltzer commercial from the '60s...

"Atsa some spicey meatball!"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUpj9oTNIBI
_________________
...or not...

WayneO
-----------
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Gord Green
Galactic Ambassador


Joined: 06 Oct 2014
Posts: 2940
Location: Buffalo, NY

PostPosted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 2:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I never really appreciated this model.....But ,this, Sir, is a work of art!

Fantastic job on a difficult piece. It would be easy to just glue the pieces together, but you did a labor of love in creating a true piece of craftsmanship!

Well done Brent!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Brent Gair
Mission Specialist


Joined: 21 Nov 2014
Posts: 465

PostPosted: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks fellas!

As I said, this is more of a finishing project than a construction project. I'm at that age (despite my 14 year old brain) where putting parts together isn't a great challenge. To make it worthwhile, I have to push myself on the paint.

Now...how do I do fit this in my Lost in Space display case?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    ALL SCI-FI Forum Index -> Sci-Fi Models and Dioramas All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group