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So I picked up a resin kit of the Akira a few months ago. I also picked up Jtgraphics improved decals. With 2 sets of decals I needed a second ship. Putting a Star Trek resin kit together was way too easy so naturally I wanted to complicate my life a little.
I wanted the ability to light this ship, so I decided to vacuformed the entire kit.
Now if you only wanted your warp nacelles to light up, you could just vacuform them alone, but I figured I might as well do the entire ship. If you wanted to just light the warp engines, then just vacuformed the front and back. Design the base where a support goes to the 2 pylons and gouge a channel in the resin to hide the wiring. The smallest wires you can find will supply ample power for a project like this.
Vacuforming is not some dark industrial ritual that can only be done in a shop with industrial equipment. The vacuum source is essentially any size electric power vacuum, be it a room/floor or shop vacuum. I would not suggest that you use a hand held such as the little “Dirt Devil.” The boxes that the hose attaches to can be made out of even cardboard if they have an inner support system. See these new pictures of my 3 boxes that I currently use. (vacuforming boxes.jpg)
Having various sizes of boxes mean I waste less plastic. One box design is no better than the other.
Here are the steps to vacuforming a model with new and better pictures.
The wood box has peg board as the top for which the blank will rest. The box is sealed with glue and duct tape. The only air the shop vac is suppose to get is through the peg board holes, other wise the shop vac can not suck the plastic around the blank. (vac01_jw.jpg)
The plastic is cut larger that the box as the frame to hold the plastic must go around the box, not rest on top. (vac02_jw.jpg)
Strips of wood and binder clamps makeup the frame that hold the plastic. (vac03_jw.jpg)
The item to be vacuformed in most cases should be slightly elevated above the box so the plastic will be drawn under to get the proper outline of the object vacuformed. (vac04_jw.jpg)
The project is now placed on the strips of wood elevating it above the table of the vacuform. (vac05_jw.jpg)
You do not want the plastic to touch the rack in your oven, otherwise you will have "grilled" marks on you plastic that will have to be sanded out. A frame is made so the plastic will be elevated above the rack by it. (vac06_jw.jpg)
Plastic is now in the oven. (vac07_jw.jpg)
The oven is turned on to "broil" though you can use the "bake" mode. The plastic is checked to see if it is getting heated properly with a pencil's tip erasure in a corner of the plastic. (vac08_jw.jpg)
When the plastic is ready, you will notice that it is sagging in the middle. You do not want too much sag, but enough for getting the job done. You will have to experiment to learn what is just right. (vac09_jw.jpg)
Here the plastic is pulled over the blank. (vaca_jw.jpg)
Notice how the plastic was pushed down to create a seal around the box. (vacb_jw.jpg)
This is what can happen if you do not pull the plastic straight down on the object that you are vacuforming. This wrinkle can also be caused by getting to much sag in your plastic as was seen in (vac09_jw.jpg)
I wanted to keep a copy of the base for future projects, so the base was vacuformed twice. One for the new model and one for casting resin another resin stand.
The finished part is seen with removed from the bad vacuformed plastic. (vacd_jw.jpg)
Even so this vacuformed plastic could still be use, but plastic when bought by the sheet is pretty cheap, when buying 4 foot by 8 foot sheets. Check you yellow pages under plastics. If you live in an area that does not cater to this, then do a search at Google, or go to Interstate Plastics which is online at (http://www.interstateplastics.com/)
As a side bar, I plan on making a resin centaur by using the AMT/ERTL kits as my next scratch built model. Here is the first phase. On one side you see the original styrene warp cell. In the middle is the vacuformed molds in which resin is poured. On the other side is 2 casting made from the vacuformed mold. (centaurwarpeng_jw.jpg) When I complete this endeavor, an article will be written about it, if I succeed.
For structural supporting plastic you may want to work with .040 or slightly larger styrene. For gathering detail you want thinner plastic. I had an entire sheet of .020 on hand so this what I chose. The thinner the plastic, the more detail can be picked up and revealed through the plastic.
I vacuformed the front and the back of each warp nacelle, the top and bottom of the saucer section, and the top and bottom of the support boom that the nacelles attach to. I also vacuformed the top and bottom of the weapons pod. The bridge was vacuformed, and in case I wanted to use that bridge on another kit bash or scratch built, I poured resin into it make a cast. (akiratopextra_jw.jpg) you can see the sensor that I had left over from another model that I vacuformed for the Thunderchild. (thunder6_jw.jpg)
One could also cut the blue area from the vacuformed pieces and use clear styrene or polycarbonate for the grilled area, or vacuform the entire warp engine in polycarbonate. If you have tried vacuforming with clear styrene and it would not work, then that is why you need to use polycarbonate. Clear styrene is only for flat or warped services, but can not be vacuformed with any constant results.
For the saucer sections I trimmed the top and the bottom to fit, before I assembled the resin ship, I used it as a way to reinforce the back of the plastic shells so I could cut out windows. The same was done for the boom section. Before gluing the saucer and the boom together I bought a big cheap can of black spray paint. The inside of the vacuformed parts, except the warp engines, were generously covered with black paint to aid in keeping out light.
When gluing 2 adjoining pieces of vacuformed plastic, one needs to cut strips to make a lip for the 2 pieces. In this case I made the lip cover the entire insides of the warp engines which helped to light from leaking out. The area that is blue and the area that is red was left unpainted, on the inside. Just prior to assembly, I reduced the thickness of the red and blue area so more light could be seen through it.
I thought about the design of the lights, and wanted a way to be able to access and replace with the least about of work. I decided to light each engine separately and the saucer separately. There are 2 lights per engine, one per pylon, and 2 for the saucer sections. Additional wiring is kept in the base that is also vacuformed. The tubing going into the saucer is glued in with silicone glue so it can be easily pulled out if need be.
A variable power converter was purchased from Radio Shack (http://www.radioshack.com/) and can be used for other lighting projects. It is Catalog/Model #: 273-1662. (273-1662_jw.jpg)
The "hobby power lead adaptaplug" Catalog/Model # 273-1742 is very handy for lighting projects. (273-1742_jw.jpg)
I really should have bought the Light Sheet for the warp engines but did not choose to spend the extra money. However, as stated this ship can be retrofitted with Light Sheet without damaging the model.
I left the weapons pod loose for accessibility. The warp engines are attached to the pylons with silicone glue, and seams filled with white glue. I now can access all lights on the ship fairly easily.
With major assemble out of the way I proceeded to paint the model according to instructions. Since the panels on the Akira are "soft" compared to the resin model, (this is the result of it being a vacuformed copy) I chose to highlight the panels with an artist, non permanent, ink pen. This was allowed to dry for a day. Several light coats of Future make the non permanent ink now permanent.
The bulbs and power supply were about $15. The plastic was about $1. It was not exactly 2 kits for the price of 1, but it was close.
Photographs were done with my digital camera. For illustrating what the model looked like when lit, I set my camera on a tripod, left the aperture open for 16 seconds, and used the timer to avoid jarring the camera. Light from a mini mag light was used on the ceiling in this room for just enough lighting to see the ship well.
This model looks great from about 2 feet away, but on closer examination you can see that it is no match for the resin cast kit, and essentially looks like crap. But I found some fun times at a cheap cost, and felt that I could write a more comprehensive article on vacuforming.
So why waste a perfectly good styrene star trek ship when you can vacuform it. I decided to make a centaur class ship. I vacuformed the major pieces and then as with a silicone mold, poured resin into the vacuformed shells. The end result is a resin model of the centaur class ship, and I still have the original styrene kit to use for other purposes.
I encourage you to add vacuforming to your skills so that you to can light your starships.
So I picked up a resin kit of the Akira a few months ago. I also picked up Jtgraphics improved decals. With 2 sets of decals I needed a second ship. Putting a Star Trek resin kit together was way too easy so naturally I wanted to complicate my life a little.
I wanted the ability to light this ship, so I decided to vacuformed the entire kit.
Now if you only wanted your warp nacelles to light up, you could just vacuform them alone, but I figured I might as well do the entire ship. If you wanted to just light the warp engines, then just vacuformed the front and back. Design the base where a support goes to the 2 pylons and gouge a channel in the resin to hide the wiring. The smallest wires you can find will supply ample power for a project like this.
Vacuforming is not some dark industrial ritual that can only be done in a shop with industrial equipment. The vacuum source is essentially any size electric power vacuum, be it a room/floor or shop vacuum. I would not suggest that you use a hand held such as the little “Dirt Devil.” The boxes that the hose attaches to can be made out of even cardboard if they have an inner support system. See these new pictures of my 3 boxes that I currently use. (vacuforming boxes.jpg)
Having various sizes of boxes mean I waste less plastic. One box design is no better than the other.
Here are the steps to vacuforming a model with new and better pictures.
The wood box has peg board as the top for which the blank will rest. The box is sealed with glue and duct tape. The only air the shop vac is suppose to get is through the peg board holes, other wise the shop vac can not suck the plastic around the blank. (vac01_jw.jpg)
The plastic is cut larger that the box as the frame to hold the plastic must go around the box, not rest on top. (vac02_jw.jpg)
Strips of wood and binder clamps makeup the frame that hold the plastic. (vac03_jw.jpg)
The item to be vacuformed in most cases should be slightly elevated above the box so the plastic will be drawn under to get the proper outline of the object vacuformed. (vac04_jw.jpg)
The project is now placed on the strips of wood elevating it above the table of the vacuform. (vac05_jw.jpg)
You do not want the plastic to touch the rack in your oven, otherwise you will have "grilled" marks on you plastic that will have to be sanded out. A frame is made so the plastic will be elevated above the rack by it. (vac06_jw.jpg)
Plastic is now in the oven. (vac07_jw.jpg)
The oven is turned on to "broil" though you can use the "bake" mode. The plastic is checked to see if it is getting heated properly with a pencil's tip erasure in a corner of the plastic. (vac08_jw.jpg)
When the plastic is ready, you will notice that it is sagging in the middle. You do not want too much sag, but enough for getting the job done. You will have to experiment to learn what is just right. (vac09_jw.jpg)
Here the plastic is pulled over the blank. (vaca_jw.jpg)
Notice how the plastic was pushed down to create a seal around the box. (vacb_jw.jpg)
This is what can happen if you do not pull the plastic straight down on the object that you are vacuforming. This wrinkle can also be caused by getting to much sag in your plastic as was seen in (vac09_jw.jpg)
I wanted to keep a copy of the base for future projects, so the base was vacuformed twice. One for the new model and one for casting resin another resin stand.
The finished part is seen with removed from the bad vacuformed plastic. (vacd_jw.jpg)
Even so this vacuformed plastic could still be use, but plastic when bought by the sheet is pretty cheap, when buying 4 foot by 8 foot sheets. Check you yellow pages under plastics. If you live in an area that does not cater to this, then do a search at Google, or go to Interstate Plastics which is online at (http://www.interstateplastics.com/)
As a side bar, I plan on making a resin centaur by using the AMT/ERTL kits as my next scratch built model. Here is the first phase. On one side you see the original styrene warp cell. In the middle is the vacuformed molds in which resin is poured. On the other side is 2 casting made from the vacuformed mold. (centaurwarpeng_jw.jpg) When I complete this endeavor, an article will be written about it, if I succeed.
For structural supporting plastic you may want to work with .040 or slightly larger styrene. For gathering detail you want thinner plastic. I had an entire sheet of .020 on hand so this what I chose. The thinner the plastic, the more detail can be picked up and revealed through the plastic.
I vacuformed the front and the back of each warp nacelle, the top and bottom of the saucer section, and the top and bottom of the support boom that the nacelles attach to. I also vacuformed the top and bottom of the weapons pod. The bridge was vacuformed, and in case I wanted to use that bridge on another kit bash or scratch built, I poured resin into it make a cast. (akiratopextra_jw.jpg) you can see the sensor that I had left over from another model that I vacuformed for the Thunderchild. (thunder6_jw.jpg)
One could also cut the blue area from the vacuformed pieces and use clear styrene or polycarbonate for the grilled area, or vacuform the entire warp engine in polycarbonate. If you have tried vacuforming with clear styrene and it would not work, then that is why you need to use polycarbonate. Clear styrene is only for flat or warped services, but can not be vacuformed with any constant results.
For the saucer sections I trimmed the top and the bottom to fit, before I assembled the resin ship, I used it as a way to reinforce the back of the plastic shells so I could cut out windows. The same was done for the boom section. Before gluing the saucer and the boom together I bought a big cheap can of black spray paint. The inside of the vacuformed parts, except the warp engines, were generously covered with black paint to aid in keeping out light.
When gluing 2 adjoining pieces of vacuformed plastic, one needs to cut strips to make a lip for the 2 pieces. In this case I made the lip cover the entire insides of the warp engines which helped to light from leaking out. The area that is blue and the area that is red was left unpainted, on the inside. Just prior to assembly, I reduced the thickness of the red and blue area so more light could be seen through it.
I thought about the design of the lights, and wanted a way to be able to access and replace with the least about of work. I decided to light each engine separately and the saucer separately. There are 2 lights per engine, one per pylon, and 2 for the saucer sections. Additional wiring is kept in the base that is also vacuformed. The tubing going into the saucer is glued in with silicone glue so it can be easily pulled out if need be.
A variable power converter was purchased from Radio Shack (http://www.radioshack.com/) and can be used for other lighting projects. It is Catalog/Model #: 273-1662. (273-1662_jw.jpg)
The "hobby power lead adaptaplug" Catalog/Model # 273-1742 is very handy for lighting projects. (273-1742_jw.jpg)
I really should have bought the Light Sheet for the warp engines but did not choose to spend the extra money. However, as stated this ship can be retrofitted with Light Sheet without damaging the model.
I left the weapons pod loose for accessibility. The warp engines are attached to the pylons with silicone glue, and seams filled with white glue. I now can access all lights on the ship fairly easily.
With major assemble out of the way I proceeded to paint the model according to instructions. Since the panels on the Akira are "soft" compared to the resin model, (this is the result of it being a vacuformed copy) I chose to highlight the panels with an artist, non permanent, ink pen. This was allowed to dry for a day. Several light coats of Future make the non permanent ink now permanent.
The bulbs and power supply were about $15. The plastic was about $1. It was not exactly 2 kits for the price of 1, but it was close.
Photographs were done with my digital camera. For illustrating what the model looked like when lit, I set my camera on a tripod, left the aperture open for 16 seconds, and used the timer to avoid jarring the camera. Light from a mini mag light was used on the ceiling in this room for just enough lighting to see the ship well.
This model looks great from about 2 feet away, but on closer examination you can see that it is no match for the resin cast kit, and essentially looks like crap. But I found some fun times at a cheap cost, and felt that I could write a more comprehensive article on vacuforming.
So why waste a perfectly good styrene star trek ship when you can vacuform it. I decided to make a centaur class ship. I vacuformed the major pieces and then as with a silicone mold, poured resin into the vacuformed shells. The end result is a resin model of the centaur class ship, and I still have the original styrene kit to use for other purposes.
I encourage you to add vacuforming to your skills so that you to can light your starships.