Anakin's Podracer

Chris Greathouse
Very cool Canyon!

JD
A bit of progress...no big deal.

JD
Thanks!

Torsten
Looks good to me 👍

JD
It's been a real challenge so far...Hard to keep motivated sometimes. Y'all know what I mean...😛

Chaz Gordon
In my stash, one of these do i have. Hmm watching am I.

JD
😄

Chris Greathouse
Looking awesome

Ralf Topeters
Wow your project shapes up more and more every time. I have the impression it will be something extraordinary when ready. Keep on motivate yourself!!!

JD
Starting to take shape now...

Chris Greathouse
Sweet!

Choppa Nutta
Ok, I'm in, this is an all round cool project !! 🙂

JD
Decal sheets and bonding spray have arrived...Don't want to screw up the decals on this one, so I'm gonna learn how to print my own duplicates. Then on to the weathering, and try and figure out a way to mount everything to the base. I'm really happy with everything, just wish my progress wasn't so slow 😛

Spanjaard
looking good!

Roman Modelar
nice progress

JD
Thanks! 😄 the Pod decals scare me the most, as the stripes have to meet in the center line of a complex curved shape...🤔

JD
Engines completed, except for some final weathering. Having a major decal disaster with the pod at the moment... 😠

Chris Greathouse
Those are some WICKED engines!... So much detail!!!!

Daniel K
Very nice project! The photos of the build and those grimy engines are great, will be following this one for sure.

Rui S
Excellent work 👍 Respect

JD
I'm in a bit of a slump lately, I've had one disaster after another in painting the pod, and the decals are a nightmare, like pieces of vinyl or something and they don't soften and conform to surfaces...Oh and Pledge, aka Future isn't waterproof, so the water dissolved my nice silver paint. After about 5 more complete paint failures, I'm back to where I was, and sprayed Testors glosscote lacquer, with less than satisfactory results, however with some fine sanding and buffing it should come out nice. In the meantime I'm trying to figure out how to print my own decals. On the plus side, I'm happy with how the engines came out. Thanks for looking! 😄

JD
This is where I am, the project is now on hold because I am having great difficulties with the decals. I get a kick out of the recommended age level on the box... 😠 🤔 😄

Chris Greathouse
But it's looking fantastic dude! Keep on keepin' on!

JD
Bro, I needed to hear that!

Chaz Gordon
Those engines are awesome, you did a great job with all those airbrushed sections on the engines, why not airbrush the stripes?

JD
I have to admit this is me reaching way beyond my skill level... How could anyone anyone mask and airbrush that pattern? If it weren't for the decals, I'd be finished by now. It's into the realm of not fun anymore... A fellow Scalemate has offered to help me with the decals, so I am encouraged...

Spanjaard
keep on keeping on! engines look amazing by teh way.

Spanjaard
i would suggest also to try making the masks for airbrushing.... although it may be complicated, it would look great
if you scan them, maybe me somebody you can work it in the computer, and somebody with a siluette machine can cut them for you?

Chaz Gordon
If he can't get the decals from the scan you have, let me know, I have a pod in the loft, and I'm fairly sure the decals are intact, so I could do a hi-res scan and photoshop you a sheet to print

JD
I'm working on a hi-res scan now of my last decal set. I need someone to transform them in to a printable version ... I have already set the bounty of one free kit from my stash to whoever ye be of pure heart...

Torsten
Stay on target😉

Christian Lehmann
Very nice what you did with this kit. I am keen to see the finished scenery.

Spanjaard
i may be able to help you making a printable version. it may be really easy actually (no need to send any bouty, running out of space to hide kits 😄)

JD
Thanks for your encouragement friends, this has been a struggle from the beginning. No wonder I put this off for years...Chaz, you may be my best hope, since you already have the decals and the know how. Spanjaard, thanks to you too for offering to help. I'll be grateful to get this kit behind me and move on. It has been the Phantom Menace of my life.. 😭

Chaz Gordon
valar dohaeris

Zach Wilson
looks excellent

Spanjaard
you will be a happy owner of a nice model when this is over. get me the scan from Chaz, and i will make you the vector graphics that you need to make nice decals, or get mask cut with a cameo siluette

JD
Thanks Zach! Spanjaard, I sent a new scan at 1200 dpi to Chaz, he's on it.. I'm getting excited again! You guys ROCK!

Spanjaard
Sent a first pass in inkscape to you. talk tomorrow 🙂

Chaz Gordon
I bow to spanjaards decal set, very clean vector, I just couldn't get illustrator to behave with tracing, was about to give up and trace them myself.

Spanjaard
inkscape rules 🙂

JD
I dug out my old laptop running Windows XP but it could not run Inkscape. (Note to self, get new PC) This project is on hold until I can figure out how to print them. Is it best to use a laser printer?

Chaz Gordon
should be able to scale the output with Adobe Reader on any windows machine

Chaz Gordon
Always best to use a laser with laser decal paper, as no sealer is required

Spanjaard
install ubuntu (alongside windows) and then run inkscape in ubuntu (make backup before installing ubuntu, just in case).
well, actually you can download, install on a CD and run from there, without touching the harddrive. install inkscape and try. only remember that in that case, you have to save all in the a different drive, since ubuntu will be gone as soon as you restart

JD
Oh, so there's decal paper specifically for laser printers? Noted. I'll try Adobe Reader too. I may try to install unbuntu from a flash drive, but my patience is low while frustrations are high at the moment with this project... I gotta get better equipment.

Mike Szwarc
Nice work on this! I love your Beggar's Canyon backdrop 👍 👍 👍 I got this kit a couple weeks ago, but haven't yet decided whether to build it as the pod racer, or cannibalize it for parts. There are lots of great parts in this kit.

JD
Thanks Mike! 😄 I appreciate it. I'm trying to learn how to print my own decals, as I've ruined the originals. It's been holding me up for some time now. I've often wondered what ultimately became of Anakin's Podracer... Maybe it got cannibalized by someone and looks a lot different now...Maybe you could make molds of the parts you need, then go ahead and build the original pod. Either way, I'd love to see what you can do with it!

Chaz Gordon
JD, what was the clear stuff you used to make the mold on this? I have some blue stuff. I'm assuming the clear doesn't stick to the Blue?

JD
Hi Chaz, It seems that the clear is the same as the blue, not sure why the color difference, maybe it's formulated to not stick to the blue, but maybe it's a visual reminder to keep track of the 2 parts. I think the real reason the two don't stick together is the temperature differential between the 1st and 2nd mold. Another curious thing is the more you knead it, tiny bubbles are introduced that can mess up casting details unless it's very hot when you use it, then using a tool to force it down into the part. For flat, or 1sided parts, I used a piece of glass to push the part into the blue stuff to make a 1 part mold. It takes awhile to cool down, so I have a bowl of cold water nearby. It's lots of trial and error, but easily repeatable. 🙂

Chaz Gordon
I found the blue stuff easiest to get a good 1 part mold if first I force it into a square frame of Lego, on a ceramic tile. then I re-heated the block out of the lego mold, set the parts inside the leo frame, and push the blue stuff block down into the frame. as the block is already smooth, I got a perfect flat mold without bubbles.

I did discover that it cuts well with a sharp blade when cold, so getting a 2 piece mold is easier.

PS do not put the lego in the boiling water, it melts at a surprisingly low temperature.

JD
I'd like to see pics of your trials, what will you use to cast with?
As far as casting material, I've tried Milliput, JB weld 2 part epoxies, and 5 min epoxy which is bubble city.
The clay-like epoxies are quite rigid, and you have to squeeze the molds together, but too much and things get distorted. I want to try injecting resin into a 2 part mold next. Oh yeah and btw, don't use Lego knockoffs.. can't get em' apart!

Chaz Gordon
I experimented with araldite rapid and standard and jb weld steel best results were araldite standard, rock hard in 24 hours and no bubbles. It will also self level as it's workable for 90 minutes. Araldite rapid is ok, but gets bendy from body heat when trying to work it after it's cured. Could be handy in some applications. Jb weld was like rubber for a week, then hard as steel, but lots of bubbles. It's also the worst for levelling.

JD
I want to give a shout out to Mike Szwarc today dudes.. I received the Podracer decals he sent me out of his personal stash. A hell of a nice guy! 😭
And, what a great talent! You have to check out his post-apocalyptic Mad Max inspired builds! Amazing.. 😳

Robin (WhiteGlint)
Looking great! I really love the detail on the engines, nicely done 👍

JD
Thanks WhiteGlint! It's been sitting on a shelf collecting dust for some time now, soon it will begin to look like a real desert! I really must return and finish it someday after I complete my Jedi decal training. Only then will the circle be complete

Ralf Topeters
An extra "Like" for that comment of you. What a great one!!!