1/144 Bandai Millennium Falcon Complete Build Log.

[rastanz]

Hi and welcome back all, great to see the site back up.

There's a ton of 1/144 Bandai MF's around and you've probably seen them all, I'd just like to share mine here with you all.

Recently completed my Bandai Falcon, I applied various painting and weathering techniques learned from reading other's build logs and watching hours of YouTube video's.

Parts used:

• Base kit, Bandai 1/144 Millennium Falcon TFA model kit

308 Bits Shapeways parts:

• Turret Well Windows set
  Engine Exhaust Vents set
  Cabin Cone (5 footer)
  Laser Yoke and Laser Cannon set
  Docking Rings set (5 footer)
  (Optional) Radar Mount Base and Round Radar set (5 footer)

Electrics:

• Tirydium Models TFA Millennium Falcon Lighting Kit SW-09

Kitbashed addons:

• Electric Guitar D string for Landing Gear hoses
  Extra fiber for Headlights and Caution lights

Parts excluded from the base kit:

• Boarding Ramp D2-24,D2-25 and D2-26 parts
  Turret Well Windows A15 and Cabin A14 clear parts
  Engine Exhaust Vents F3 and F4 parts
  Cockpit Cabin E1-24 and E1-2 parts
  Landing Gear Covers A12, A13, A17, A19, A20 parts
  Laser Canons F6 and F13 parts
  Docking Rings F2, F5, E1-4 and E2-44 parts

Decals used:

• Only applied the logo decals from the Bandai sheet and the red decal that goes on the front of the Cockpit Tube.

Everything including the panels and markings were painted with Archive-X enamels, weathered with mig oils Starship Filth, and Black (lightened), no panel or pin washes.


I primed everything with a flat black acrylic before hand and proceeded to add the damage using a dremel and a heat gun to bend some areas of the panelling.





I removed the original mounts for the dish replacing them with styrene tube so I could have the option to swap them out on display.


I used a spare guitar string to kitbash some of the hydraulic hoses on the landing gear, I bent the ends of the string to help anchor them into the holes then glued them in place.




Used my hobby knife to cut away a channel in the tabs to route the fiber strand for my mandible headlights.


I widened the opening for the battery compartment so I could mount the battery holder to the cargo lift cover.


Started painting the tiny details in the cockpit as well as the figures then masked off the nose cone ready for a base coat.


Installed the fibers in the back-wall and mushroomed the ends to prevent them from popping out, I then tacky glued them into place.


My plan for the battery holder worked just fine after applying some tacky glue which I also applied around the wire connections themselves for added strength.


Lighting test... I used only three of the four engine leds , the fourth will light the Mandible headlights and the red caution lights, I also opted not to use the original mounting and instead trimmed away the middle support pillar to use as the mount for the middle engine led.


Painted the details in the Gun-wells, drilled the mounting holes for the nano lights which are held in place with more tacky glue... after taking a look at my reference photo's I noticed the kit Gun-well controls didn't have the hose on the front console's so I kitbashed some using more guitar string.



Another lighting test before moving on to the next step.


I airbrushed a light layer of Archive-X reefer white base coat and continued to masked off the panels that needed to be painted.


More painting...


Preshaded the Mandibles and other areas.


I knocked back the panel colours with a mist of base coat then applied a clear gloss over everything ready for weathering stages...


Added damage and more predominant weathering to certain areas of the kit...




Started detailing the landing gear with rust and mig oils and also used a black Gundam marker to emulate chipping around the edges of the doors and under the feet...


More follows in next post...

 

[rastanz]

Build log continued...

Applied the tiny decals everywhere then sealed them with a light coat of clear gloss...


Streaking with mig oils begins...


I dabbed a couple of spots of mig Starship Filth and black on the nose of the mandibles then blended with a soft brush.


Stage 1 of streaking completed on the top and bottom hulls... I only used mig oils Starship Filth and Black.




Worked out the wire routing for my kit, I used some cable sleeving and heatshrink to bundle the fibers together... I also used tacky glue to mount the main lighting board to the lower hull... I used tin foil for light leak blocking in and around the engine area.


Weathering continues on the engine deck and exhaust vents, I didn't want to go too heavy on this area as I've seen some do... I used oils to discolour some of the panels then afterward layered a thin coat of Testors flat clear over the entire model.


Although complete., I feel I could have done certain things better (painting wise) but I went with the less is more approach and avoided the whole panel wash thing.

Nuff said, here is the completed model... photo's taken under warm lighting.














Photo's with round dish.

Cheers

 

[Quaralane]

What a piece of junk!

And I mean that in the very best ways when discussing this ship.
Your work shows throughout

 

[blakeh1]

Perfect!

I love all the added details

 

[Dark Kyp]

really nice job!

 

[stevethefish]

I notice you lighted those two small lights inside the middle area between the mandibles. Nice! I noticed those lights while watching TESB and considered lighting those on my FM 1:144 kit I am somewhat currently working on.

 

[rastanz]

I notice you lighted those two small lights inside the middle area between the mandibles. Nice! I noticed those lights while watching TESB and considered lighting those on my FM 1:144 kit I am somewhat currently working on.

Awesome, I too have a FM 1:144 kit in my model stash, I'll get around to building it some day, I was actually going to use it's side walls for the mandibles on my Bandai kit.

I think that is where I saw it too during a scene on TESB, my original plan was to use one of the four engine led's on my lighting kit and install only the headlights but I saw that there was enough space on the surface of the led to light four 1mm fibers so I decided to light the headlights and the two lights in between the jawbox.

I painted the tips of them Tamiya clear red.

Goodluck with your build, I'll be looking forward to your progress pics.

 

[stevethefish]

For my FM Falcon, I have the clear resin for the engines and corresponding PE, as well as the vents that also come with PE. Both I'd bought from Starship Modeler. 308 Bits has a better radar dish, but I won't get that. I also have the cockpit decal set from HDA Modelworx. My plan is to paint the cockpit white, and then paint it with fluorescent white. So if I can install a small UV light inside the cockpit, it should make it look like the lights are shining. At least that's my plan. For the Bandai TFA kit, I have the Green Strawberry PE sets to go all-out on it. I'll buy the docking rings and round dish, and ditch the Rey and Finn figures in the trash. TLJ has caused me to lose all appreciation I had for TFA, so I just want to build this kit as an OT Falcon.

 

[peza]

this is mint Steve!Top job

 

[rastanz]

this is mint Steve!Top job

Thank you... but this is not Steve's work.

 

[peza]

Thank you... but this is not Steve's work.

BIG SORRY RASTANZ!

 

[rastanz]

BIG SORRY RASTANZ!

No problem, I'm hoping for Steve to post his WIP build log.

 

[Grendels]

Excellent work

 

[rastanz]

Excellent work

Thank you Grendels.

 

[stevethefish]

No problem, I'm hoping for Steve to post his WIP build log.

Who is Steve? You mean me? Sorry, my name is Greg actually. Steve was my pet fish in college, but everyone gets confused. I named my website stevethefish.net because I did not want to use my real name for my domain name. It confuses everyone, but at least it throws the trolls off.

I don't have any pics uploaded yet, but here are the videos I've taken of my Fine Molds 1:144 Falcon so far.
vid 1
vid 2
vid 3

I've actually re-drilled the mandible lights from 7.5mm fiber optics to 1mm fiber optics to give them a bigger shine. I've successfully replicated the part for the section between the mandibles in clear UV resin and I've shaved it down a bit to get it to fit properly. I'll need to light block it to see how it will look lit up from behind.

 

[rastanz]

Apologies for getting your name confused Greg I just grabbed the name I saw in your profile and presumed Steve was your name and didn't realize it was your fish's name

Thanks for the links, your Falcon is looking great, subbed your channel.

 

[ssgteverett]

Nice build...

 

[stevethefish]

I remembered this old conversation, so I thought I would add to it. This summer I have resumed work on my FM Falcon I mentioned earlier. For those two lights inside the docking port between the mandibles, I created a light pipe using Oyumaru clear plastic putty and stuck a 3mm warm white LED. That way the single LED lights both of those lamps. You can see what I did here:

 

[ohbejuan]

amazing work!

 

[rastanz]

I remembered this old conversation, so I thought I would add to it. This summer I have resumed work on my FM Falcon I mentioned earlier. For those two lights inside the docking port between the mandibles, I created a light pipe using Oyumaru clear plastic putty and stuck a 3mm warm white LED. That way the single LED lights both of those lamps. You can see what I did here:

Wow, I haven't visited this thread in a long time. Thanks for the revival and great video btw, using the single pipe to light those lamps is brilliant. Considering that the 1/144 size doesn't allow for much internal hardware or lighting circuitry to be added, your layout is extremely tidy. The cutout opening on the underside for the power source is neatly done too.

In build video 7 I'm surprised you opted for the decals and not airbrushed on the markings, I have this kit in my stash and have wondered if these decals would last over time or fall victim to crumbling as the kit itself is now a few years old.

Looking forward to your take on weathering and the streaking part of the build.

I'm currently in the middle of life changing events and haven't picked up on my model building for some time since after the passing of my youngest son and my nephew all in the space of three days of each other almost three years ago. I've just been working and keeping myself busy moving around.

I've been visiting the forums for a bit of lite catchup viewing and checking out all your guys amazing builds and I think I'm about ready to take on another project.

I replied to a build thread in the ships category section so I'm eyeing up my 1/350 scale Minicraft Titanic kit which looks like a huge job, or perhaps I may start on something less taxing like another Thunderbirds kit.

Great to hear from you and keep the awesome Youtube content coming.

amazing work!

If you're referring to my build, thank you very much for your comment.

Cheers.