Jump to content


Photo

Let's make some 4.5" Scale Starship Playsets!


  • Please log in to reply
12 replies to this topic

#1 Fat Valentino

Fat Valentino

    Newforce is my home page.

  • Members
  • 179 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Centralia, WA
  • Interests:Custom Ships and Playsets

Posted 02 September 2014 - 03:13 PM

Hello everyone. Several years ago I started experimenting with some large scale starship playsets for the 3.75" or 4.5" figures. I used styrofoam to make the basic shapes, and covered it with a glue and cloth mache that is very strong. I wasn't happy with how the first attempts were progressing, and eventually had to throw the incomplete D-7 away during a move.

 

DSC00114.JPG
DSC00113.JPG
DSC00111.JPG
 
I kept the Romulan BOP, but wasn't really too happy with that, either, because everyone assumed I made it from a thick, padded toilet seat. I never finished it. 
 
Robby\
DSC00104.JPG
DSC00175.JPG
 
Not happy with the rough texture or lack of detail of glue mache, I tried to use Hydrospan to increase the size of smaller models to the rough "Playmates Scale"
 
IMG 20131107 170502 016
IMG 20130423 164508 779
IMG 20130918 195738 366
 

This wasn't a great success either. As each casting gets progressively bigger, it gets distorted, loses fine detail, and becomes more expensive and difficult to mold. I think the hydrospan method is only useful when you're only planning one expansion, or when your original piece is organic in texture. So, no 4" Defiant from the Playmates model ship...

 

Here's the thing...right now, lots of artists are sharing information about large scale fabrication in the cosplay world. Some amazing prop guns and suits are being crafted from foam, woodboard, and bondo. Has anyone else been following these artists? I think their techniques could be adapted to making big ships.

 

http://www.volpinprops.com/

http://props.punishedpixels.com/

http://www.zprops.net/?page_id=2

http://www.wmarmory.com/?p=949

 

We should all try this, share information the way cosplay enthusiasts share info!

 

 

 

 

 

 



#2 CB2001

CB2001

    I dream about Toys

  • Members
  • 44 posts

Posted 02 September 2014 - 03:44 PM

Awesomeness!  :D



#3 Loggy

Loggy

    Action figure anonymous member

  • Members
  • 61 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Mount Gambier, South Australia

Posted 02 September 2014 - 08:10 PM

Hey, look, for some home-garage attempts, those are pretty rad! I think that any kid (at least in the 90s) probably would've killed for that sort of thing, regardless of how rough the textures etc. Those artists you linked are extremely talented, too! I don't know anything about all this, really, and while not necessarily foam molding etc, have you considered 3D printing as an option? It's probably prohibitive with costs and time, but you could probably make something in that scale, with individualized components and a whole lot of detail, perhaps as a master mold?



#4 Fat Valentino

Fat Valentino

    Newforce is my home page.

  • Members
  • 179 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Centralia, WA
  • Interests:Custom Ships and Playsets

Posted 02 September 2014 - 09:30 PM

To the best of my knowledge, 3-D printers are very limited by size. Nothing too much bigger than 8" or so was what someone told me. Pepekura paper modeling under Rondo (Bondo + Extra Bondo Resin to make it smoother) is what many artists use to make Stormtrooper helmets and such. I have some paper shuttlecraft models I'm going to play around with see if it works for something 24" or larger.

 



#5 Loggy

Loggy

    Action figure anonymous member

  • Members
  • 61 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Mount Gambier, South Australia

Posted 02 September 2014 - 10:22 PM

Sweet as, dude. I'd love to see the end result!



#6 CB2001

CB2001

    I dream about Toys

  • Members
  • 44 posts

Posted 02 September 2014 - 11:38 PM

Loggy - Another method of construction is vacuum forming.  It's something that may be of interest, but it would require you make not just pieces to vacuum form, but to make a vacuum forming unit (there's many of tutorials on how to do it here from Instructibles).

 

BTW, the clear model next to the B'Elanna figure.  Is that Alice or the Delta Flyer?



#7 Fat Valentino

Fat Valentino

    Newforce is my home page.

  • Members
  • 179 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Centralia, WA
  • Interests:Custom Ships and Playsets

Posted 03 September 2014 - 12:44 AM

That's a 12" Delta Flyer. Let me snap a pic...



#8 Fat Valentino

Fat Valentino

    Newforce is my home page.

  • Members
  • 179 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Centralia, WA
  • Interests:Custom Ships and Playsets

Posted 03 September 2014 - 01:32 AM

Here you go. At 12" or so it's criminally undersized, by the same amount as the TOS shuttlecraft and DS9 Runabout vehicles...

 

So, right around the scale Playmates would have produced a Delta Flyer in the late 1990's!

 

IMG 20140902 235005 207 1


#9 CB2001

CB2001

    I dream about Toys

  • Members
  • 44 posts

Posted 03 September 2014 - 01:32 AM

That's a 12" Delta Flyer. Let me snap a pic...

 

Oh, sweet!  I wondered what it would be like to build one of those in the Playmates scale (probably be just as big as the TNG Shuttlecraft Goddard).  

 

Here you go. At 12" or so it's criminally undersized, by the same amount as the TOS shuttlecraft and DS9 Runabout vehicles...

 

So, right around the scale Playmates would have produced a Delta Flyer in the late 1990's!

 

 

Awesomeness!  You could attempt to upscale it, but I think it would be difficult doing it for a pre-existing model.  But definitely an awesome looking one for sure. :D



#10 Fat Valentino

Fat Valentino

    Newforce is my home page.

  • Members
  • 179 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Centralia, WA
  • Interests:Custom Ships and Playsets

Posted 03 September 2014 - 01:43 AM

I have a silicone mold made in this scale, and I probably could do one last expansion just for the hell of it. It would need a lot of clean up with putty & bondo. I'm torn. Playmates would have produced a dinky little one just like this...



#11 CB2001

CB2001

    I dream about Toys

  • Members
  • 44 posts

Posted 03 September 2014 - 01:47 AM

I have a silicone mold made in this scale, and I probably could do one last expansion just for the hell of it. It would need a lot of clean up with putty & bondo. I'm torn. Playmates would have produced a dinky little one just like this...

 

Well, it's completely up to you.  This is your project, make the choice about what you'd want to do with this.  Whatever choice you make, be happy with it.  Can't wait to check out the end result.   B)



#12 Redshirt#7

Redshirt#7

    Rick & Pat know me by name.

  • Members
  • 398 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Britain
  • Interests:Avoiding landing parties, surviving till the titles roll

Posted 03 September 2014 - 12:14 PM

I echo those above, the Flyer looks fantastic. I'll be keeping an eye out for updates, as this is looking very interesting!



#13 s8film40

s8film40

    New Forceaholic

  • Members
  • 862 posts
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Celebration, FL

Posted 03 September 2014 - 01:17 PM

I haven't used it yet myself but this app looks like it could be a good low cost alternative to 3D printing. My thinking is once completed you could then put a coating of resin or other materials over it to smooth it out. The app is free too!

 

http://www.123dapp.com/make






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users