Author Topic: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild  (Read 2365 times)

Offline lone modeller

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #15 on: April 20, 2022, 09:15:19 AM »
Reading this I thought at first that it was an April Fool thread.......

Having read it properly I am not sure that I was wrong!

Where on Earth is irt going to be stored and displayed? I am certain that it should be in a public space because with the lights and sound it will be truly impressive in every way.

Stephen.

Offline MoFo

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #16 on: April 20, 2022, 11:39:11 AM »
I'm more of a jump-in-with-both-feet-and-figure-stuff-out-later type of modeller.  :)  No idea where I'll put it, but it has been designed to be fully removeable from the base, so hanging is an option.  Or some sort of wall-of-shelves for a few airship models? 

Details, details...  :)

Offline MoFo

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #17 on: April 20, 2022, 11:43:42 AM »
That sounds exactly like what I need to finally get back to this.

Oof!  That's...  a lot of work.

Offline MichaelStieber

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #18 on: April 20, 2022, 08:38:26 PM »
I like your crazy project  8)
...and I am very curious about the next steps...
Greetings,
Michael

Offline Dirigible-Al

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #19 on: April 21, 2022, 01:18:52 AM »
Just a word of warning. Regarding your comment on hanging it I did this with an airship I built a few years ago, in fact it was the only it could be displayed, and it fell to the ground a couple of times thru unforseen circumstances. Because of its size and weight it caused alot of damage each time. It is currently in the attic waiting to be repaired again although I will most probably just rebuild it in such a way it can be displayed differently.

The way I see it is there are two practical ways of displaying these things, one is on a stand and the other is to have a tube running from bow to stern inside it and attach it with a rod running thru this to a solid object.

Regarding the latter airships had mooring towers to which they were anchored to while remaining off the ground. This would look rather special if you have the time to add it.

Alan
I heard that it all started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry!

Offline Dirigible-Al

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #20 on: April 21, 2022, 01:34:19 AM »
Sorry, mooring mast not tower. I tried to attach images of Hindenburg and Graf Zeppelin both on masts but they were both too large to post. Just Google image Airship Mooring Mast.
I heard that it all started when a bloke called Archie Duke shot an ostrich 'cause he was hungry!

Offline MoFo

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #21 on: April 21, 2022, 04:03:07 AM »
Just a word of warning. Regarding your comment on hanging it I did this with an airship I built a few years ago, in fact it was the only it could be displayed, and it fell to the ground a couple of times thru unforseen circumstances. Because of its size and weight it caused alot of damage each time. It is currently in the attic waiting to be repaired again although I will most probably just rebuild it in such a way it can be displayed differently.

The way I see it is there are two practical ways of displaying these things, one is on a stand and the other is to have a tube running from bow to stern inside it and attach it with a rod running thru this to a solid object.

Regarding the latter airships had mooring towers to which they were anchored to while remaining off the ground. This would look rather special if you have the time to add it.

Alan

Well it's got a 1" aluminium tube running the length as a spine, and the air vents on top will be removeable, so I *will* be able to hang it securely, should I choose.  It's designed to rest on the rods, on supports though - the wires connect through these supports, with header pins, to hook up the electronics.



So plan A is a wooden base with the electronic controls and two supports rising out of it to hold the model.  But it'll be 7 - 8' long, so I have no idea where I'd put it!  :)  Plan B would be to hang it... somewhere... secured around the spine, but that means no electronics, since the major circuitry and power are all designed to be inside a base.

I'd thought about a mooring mast - it would be INCREDIBLY cool to have it 'floating', just supported by the mast, but the torque involved would be gargantuan, and it would be too close to the base to appreciate the underside, which is where most of the 'detail' is.  You wouldn't be able to see the engine pods, or gondolas, or inside any of the windows.  Raising it up ~6" gives a better view all around.

-----

Minor update.  I've broken down and bought some microscope slides and glass cutting tools, to fabricate the windows out of real glass.  I wasn't happy with the clear styrene sheet, and was kind of excited at the thought of using actual glass, so, more learning and experimentation await.

Offline KiwiZac

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #22 on: April 21, 2022, 07:00:24 AM »
That sounds exactly like what I need to finally get back to this.
Oof!  That's...  a lot of work.
And yet some may wonder why, despite the CA-11 being one of my all-time favourite aeroplanes, I've not posted progress pics since that kit preview went live!!

Minor update.  I've broken down and bought some microscope slides and glass cutting tools, to fabricate the windows out of real glass.
Allow me quote you: Oof!  That's...  a lot of work. ;D Inspired, though!

Offline MoFo

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #23 on: April 23, 2022, 01:19:57 AM »
Theoretically it *should* be less work than cutting styrene, but we'll see.  The slides arrived yesterday, so I'll start playing with them this weekend.  Still a ton of work - there's ~40 individual windows to be fitted - but easier than cutting/scraping/polishing/framing styrene sheet.


Offline KiwiZac

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #24 on: August 23, 2022, 07:42:24 AM »
Has your work with the windows been fruitful, MoFo?

Offline MoFo

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Re: I've made a terrible mistake: 1/144 Hindenburg scratchbuild
« Reply #25 on: August 24, 2022, 06:23:53 AM »
Sort of.

As I said in the other Zepp thread, it's been a busy summer, so not a lot of modelling time.  I *have* managed to cut out all the windows (I think... man, it's been a while, I'm going to have to double check!)

But.

I also got a new, large-format resin printer.  It will print a roughly 12 x 6" rectangle.  The Hindenburg is roughly 12" in diameter.  So, unfortunately, it occurred to me that if I split it in half...  And I now have a *terrible* conundrum: I can either pour a ton of time and effort into filling, sanding, smoothing and panelling my existing filament prints... OR I can pour a ton of time and effort into revising the CAD so I can print it in resin.  Basically, expend a bunch of sweat smoothing what I've got, or spend a bunch of money on resin.  Resin would be way easier to work on and smooth for paint (and it does have to be NMF), but I don't want to just scrap what I've done already.

Sigh...