Colonial Viper 1:32 Revell/Monogram Build Album
![Album image #1 Album image #1](/albums/img/4/9/4/693494-54338-43-720.jpg)
Box was so warped I knew I was in for some moisture damage to the parts; the eBay seller warned me!
![Album image #2 Album image #2](/albums/img/4/9/5/693495-54338-61-720.jpg)
![Album image #3 Album image #3](/albums/img/4/9/6/693496-54338-71-720.jpg)
Old, water damaged decals
![Album image #4 Album image #4](/albums/img/4/9/7/693497-54338-88-720.jpg)
I created new decals by scanning the original sheet, retouching in Photoshop, and printing on a color laser printer
![Album image #5 Album image #5](/albums/img/4/9/9/693499-54338-66-720.jpg)
Added rivets to canopy
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The nose required a good bit of putty and sanding
![Album image #7 Album image #7](/albums/img/5/1/3/693513-54338-27-720.jpg)
Going to light this up, so filled lots of gaps/cracks with black 5-minute epoxy
![Album image #8 Album image #8](/albums/img/5/0/0/693500-54338-30-720.jpg)
The biggest part of this project was, by far, learning how to cast transparent parts. First step was to saw off the parts I wanted to make transparent.
![Album image #9 Album image #9](/albums/img/5/0/1/693501-54338-94-720.jpg)
Bed of clay
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Foam core box
![Album image #11 Album image #11](/albums/img/5/0/3/693503-54338-64-720.jpg)
Trimmed to box dimensions
![Album image #12 Album image #12](/albums/img/5/0/4/693504-54338-15-720.jpg)
Ready for pour
![Album image #13 Album image #13](/albums/img/5/0/5/693505-54338-56-720.jpg)
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Flipped, removed initial clay, and added sprues
![Album image #15 Album image #15](/albums/img/5/0/7/693507-54338-42-720.jpg)
Poured top cast
![Album image #16 Album image #16](/albums/img/5/0/8/693508-54338-49-720.jpg)
Mixed resin with transparent blue, one drop of white, and injected with syringe. Notice all the rejects!
![Album image #17 Album image #17](/albums/img/5/0/9/693509-54338-95-720.jpg)
After three full tries, finally happy enough with this set. Still quite a few imperfections that I hope to fill with putty and obscure with paint.
![Album image #18 Album image #18](/albums/img/5/1/0/693510-54338-22-720.jpg)
Filled some bubbles and gaps
![Album image #19 Album image #19](/albums/img/5/1/1/693511-54338-81-720.jpg)
Applied mask to inside and outside of exhaust cones circles (not the sides)
![Album image #20 Album image #20](/albums/img/5/1/4/693514-54338-78-720.jpg)
Painted inside with light gray primer to help light reflect
![Album image #21 Album image #21](/albums/img/5/1/5/693515-54338-78-720.jpg)
Removed liquid mask
![Album image #22 Album image #22](/albums/img/5/1/7/693517-54338-17-720.jpg)
My messy soldering; still learning how to do this, but it lights up! [New add] Kids! I learned from reading about soldering to apply cold solder to hot wire, not the other way around. This would have made my joints much cleaner.
![Album image #23 Album image #23](/albums/img/5/1/6/693516-54338-84-720.jpg)
A dab of super glue and each LED sits in its exhaust cone
![Album image #24 Album image #24](/albums/img/5/1/8/693518-54338-57-720.jpg)
Rotary tool opened access via the connector to the display stand; an ideal setup for adding lighting
![Album image #25 Album image #25](/albums/img/5/1/9/693519-54338-53-720.jpg)
Now wired to stand and with coin battery container and switch
![Album image #26 Album image #26](/albums/img/5/2/0/693520-54338-39-720.jpg)
Main assembly complete and ready for paint
![Album image #27 Album image #27](/albums/img/5/2/1/693521-54338-29-720.jpg)
Loving that first coat of primer black
![Album image #28 Album image #28](/albums/img/5/2/2/693522-54338-68-720.jpg)
![Album image #29 Album image #29](/albums/img/5/2/3/693523-54338-81-720.jpg)
I like the random mottling effect
![Album image #30 Album image #30](/albums/img/5/2/4/693524-54338-86-720.jpg)
![Album image #31 Album image #31](/albums/img/5/2/6/693526-54338-13-720.jpg)
Added a little bit of Vallejo brass and Oily Steel semi-dry brushing; super happy with how the grunge camouflages imperfections in the cast parts. Kind of makes it look all beat up.
![Album image #32 Album image #32](/albums/img/5/2/7/693527-54338-53-720.jpg)
Decided to make it look like a panel had been replaced on the nose and Starbuck was out of gray paint
![Album image #33 Album image #33](/albums/img/5/2/8/693528-54338-40-720.jpg)
Also "replaced" a panel on the starboard engine
![Album image #34 Album image #34](/albums/img/5/3/0/693530-54338-48-720.jpg)
Gloss coat ready for decals
![Album image #35 Album image #35](/albums/img/5/3/1/693531-54338-19-720.jpg)
Gray decals on the engine intakes were impossible, so I masked and painted those, somewhat imperfectly and, let's face it, this whole model is an exercise in joyful imperfection. Like, "What's that hole in the fuselage? I dunno."
![Album image #36 Album image #36](/albums/img/5/3/2/693532-54338-59-720.jpg)
I used a fine wire brush on the rotary tool to give the illusion of scraped and weathered paint on raised surfaces.
![Album image #37 Album image #37](/albums/img/5/3/3/693533-54338-13-720.jpg)
Lots of icky black oil wash, mmm....
![Album image #38 Album image #38](/albums/img/5/3/4/693534-54338-10-720.jpg)
![Album image #39 Album image #39](/albums/img/5/3/5/693535-54338-44-720.jpg)
For some reason, peeling off the mask from the engines was one of the most satisfying parts
![Album image #40 Album image #40](/albums/img/5/3/6/693536-54338-12-720.jpg)
![Album image #41 Album image #41](/albums/img/5/3/7/693537-54338-81-720.jpg)
![Album image #42 Album image #42](/albums/img/5/3/8/693538-54338-15-720.jpg)
And, oh, my goodness, it lights up!
![Album image #43 Album image #43](/albums/img/5/3/9/693539-54338-86-720.jpg)
![Album image #44 Album image #44](/albums/img/5/4/0/693540-54338-29-720.jpg)
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![Album image #47 Album image #47](/albums/img/5/4/4/693544-54338-10-720.jpg)
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![Album image #50 Album image #50](/albums/img/5/4/3/693543-54338-37-720.jpg)
![Album image #51 Album image #51](/albums/img/5/4/7/693547-54338-74-720.jpg)
Kommentare
1 7 January 2020, 02:07
![](/profiles/img/54338-779-s.jpg)
Absolutely a blast. I blew so much time and money figuring out the casting thing, but it was so much fun. And what you don't see is when my wires came loose inside after I'd glued the whole beast together. I was so depressed I walked away for several weeks, hanging my head in shame for my poor soldering skills. Only this weekend did I do some major surgery to reconnect the wires. I learned this is possible from the Batwing model I just finished. Batman Batwing (1989) | Project by JamesWhite (1:25)
7 January 2020, 03:10
![](/profiles/img/21096-573-s.jpg)
very nice job. i like the idea of the transparent engines for the lighting
2 April 2020, 22:36