Hasbro 29 inch Millennium Falcon ReBuild

Urban Gardini
Now this is something to follow!

Ricardo Gonzalez Ramos
Absolutely. Follow!

Choppa Nutta
... Da Dah ! diddly dah dah !! dah duh dah... .! 😄

....................does the albatross come with wafers ??

looks all very cool indeed, I take the electronics are from the Hasbro toy itself ?

Glenn
Hi scatematers, Yes, now i have to start hacking big chunks of ABS plastic off! I guess this is dremel time! Lots of careful cutting to do. I've seen a few bloody videos! Yes i mean real blood from people cutting themselves on this model on Youtube! This will be a slow build... This plastic is a bit different to normal styrene plastic and as such i will need to use 2 part epoxy or hot glue and maybe superglue here and there. The electronics in the photo came from the old toy early mid 80's found on the worldwide garage sale. It powers up o.k. and makes some engine sounds, hyperdrive failing sound, Laser cannons and Chewbacca, R2-D2, and C-3PO talking sound bytes too! BUT i'm not using it on this model might slip it into the Finemoulds kit or the old AMT kit? Because there is plenty of room inside the 29inch model as it's hollow. I'm installing RGB LED's (so i can get the nice light blue glow) for the engine recessed in behind the new 3D printed grill behind a light diffuser. The landing lights and headlights using very low voltage white LEDs that will be powered from a USB Li-Po 5volt 2000mAh battery pack. Plus my custom Mp3 SD card player removed from the casing that has a powered 2 inch good quality speaker and i'm adding a larger 5 inch speaker into the center body under the 6 round engine grills on the top to boost the sound. I I've tried it and it's very loud... I have some really good sound samples of flybys and engine sounds even a great jump to Hyperspace boom at the end! (These are not copied from the movie) They seem to be the original sounds before mixing into the movie? Along with some great R2-D2, Chewbacca sounds plus some music, The main star wars theme, The original disco mix from 1977 by Meco and many more sounds i can add if i want might put something from that other movie.... Star Trek just for a laugh... The controls and battery access will be hidden on the sides under the escape pod covers. I'll put up some more pics soon!

Glenn
Just added a few more shots showing the stuff going into my Falcon build. The 5inch speaker added to the Mp3 player. Hey why not? I figure Han would have a kick ass stereo in the pimped out Falcon! The RGB LED's for the engine lit up and the chain of white LED's from low voltage christmas set of 200 LED's that are powered from just 1 AA battery! You can see the size of this model from the standard 9volt and 2 AA batteries sitting on the top of the body. This is not the old toy that was not scaled correctly, That was short and fat, This one is all good in the shape just lacks some detail but I've seen a few of these made up on YouTube and they look great!

John Dunbar
Cool stuff! 👍

Glenn
I forgot to mention the company that makes these 3D printed parts for this kit also makes parts for the Finemoulds/Revell 1/72 scale kit. checkout Shapeways.com 🙂

Pedro Negron
Wuao this one is bigger than the one I'm working, lot of upgrades too! Are you making the crew as well?

Glenn
Hi Pedro, No not going to have crew in this. But you can get a 3D printed Han Solo from the same company that makes the other parts i will use. I will use a couple of LED's and maybe some fiber optics to light up the cockpit. I still need to get some more parts to fill in side details around the body that were just covered in stickers on this toy. I will replace it with more 3D printed parts i will order soon.

Glenn
Wish me luck guys! I might start cutting plastic after dinner tonight. "May my fingers be with me" still later tonight! I hear that Han Solo will be in Episode 8 (Some How?) Mmm... not sure what that means? He might turn out to be re-cloned after all...

Glenn
Finally got some plastic cut! It's a bit tricky to cut this ABS plastic. But with the right toolbit it comes away without any heat friction and melting you get from normal model plastic. But it does get very furry and comes away after sanding carefully!

Thomas Bischoff
it's worth the effort you put in. And this thing is huge!

Glenn
Thanks Thomas, I got all 6 upper exhaust vents cut out today (The plastic is about 1.5mm thick!) Thanks to the flexible Dremel type cutting attachment it's cutting o.k. I also did the main engine thrust grill section. I tried my Mp3 player inside again and now the sound projects out even better than before as i have the 5 inch speaker right under the upper vents! The 3D printed grill is now sitting in place so i tried the LED engine lights WOW very bright! Lots of light leakage through the light grey plastic!!! So i will coat the inside with black paint before everything goes inside. Still loads more to do. 🙂

Choppa Nutta
Silver paint or silver paint over black paint is the best way to kill leaking light 🙂
metallic paints are more opaque than than regular paint, even black !!
I'll be using an automotive spray can of silver for my Falcon just because the colours are strong and they adhere well and they tend to be very opaque, plus I don't have to put anything nasty through my airbrush 🙂

Glenn
Thanks Choppa, Yes I was going to do black first then silver to reflect the light back inside. But because this thing is made from ABS plastic i will use automotive bumper plastic primer first to allow the paint to bight in to the plastic before a can of "Spaceship Grey" primer! over the whole thing.

Choppa Nutta
I saw one build where he sprayed the outside silver too, after the primers etc. just to make double sure 🙂
for some reason, a black pre coat seems to make the silver more effective...

Glenn
I might have to do that, This thing is gonna light up like a Christmas tree by the time i fit the headlights and the ring of landing lights underneath! I'm using 2 x 5volt 2600mHa Li-Po USB phone booster batteries to power all the lighting. That way i can connect them using old USB cables cut and wired in. Also there cheap now and easy to contain and recharge via any USB connection. The RGB LEDs in the tail are pre-wired for 12 volt use but 10volt lights them real good. The string of 24 white LED's are cut from a 200 LED set of Christmas lights that were running from just one 1.5volt AA battery with a solar cell to recharge them. So they will run from only one battery with a variable resistor pot to trim down the voltage so as to not overpower them and burn them out. Lots of planning but it's coming together slowly! 🙂

Steve killick
A truly inspiring piece of work, I'm a bit of a newcomer to scifi modelling , but just looking at this makes me want to break out another kit to start on.

Choppa Nutta
yep, shaping up nicely. Those lights work a treat hey 🙂

Glenn
Thanks guys, I haven't done any sci-fi stuff for years! It's coming together well. But i spent about 3 hours last night just cutting out the front cockpit windows! The plastic is over 1mm thick! I still have the top windows to go. Then make new clear windows, Then i have to cut out part of the rear cockpit to get the floor in and make the cabin bulkhead. Then i have to tackle the scratchbuilt landing gear and cut out a place for the LED batteries on one side and the Mp3 player on the other. And figure out how to mount all the electronic stuff inside! Oh well only have myself to blame, I want it to stand out from just being a dull unpainted toy. 🙂

Thomas Bischoff
keep on! Just looked at the load speaker and I am sure this sounds as great as it looks!

Glenn
Thanks Thomas! Yes it does sound like a jet engine winding up before take off, Then the BOOM you here as it makes the jump to Lightspace is pretty awesome (I wish i could upload the soundbyte) for everyone to hear! I Have a sample of R2-D2 i will also put on the SD card it's also really great along with other sound effects I'll will include. I also just received my Revell/Finemoulds Falcon today from Burbank House of Hobbies Ca. Another one to do! 🙂

Glenn
Interesting Kerry! We tried something like this stuff a few years ago at work, Over time it looses it ability to absorb light to recharge! Plus it don't stand out well in a lit room! but a easy option i guess for some apps! 🙂

Wim van der Luijt
Looks cool! How do you stop the entire rear from being lit up by the lights?

Glenn
Wim, I will paint the interior Black, Then Silver. The black will block light leaking and the silver will reflect it back inside. I can also line the inside with silver foil if needed a great way to block light leaking! 🙂

Choppa Nutta
actually it will be the silver doing most of the blocking 🙂

Ricardo Gonzalez Ramos
I think silver foil will be the easiest way

Choppa Nutta
silver paint is quite effective but silver foil will guarantee no light gets through and will probably reflect more light, definitely worth thinking about 🙂

Glenn
I'm off to the kitchen to get the tin foil.... Been a bit distracted from this build, My mother is not well and I'm off buying more Star Wars items. Just got the Hot Toys 1/6 scale Han Solo and Chewbacca. These figures are simply amazing! The level of detail on the real looking faces and the quality of the fabric clothing and Hair on Chewbacca is stunning! But so is the price! 🙁
[img1]

Glenn
If you want to see a photo of the Han Solo and Chewbacca "click" on that tiny skinny line above the date and time just above this comment. it links to a photo, 🙂

Glenn
Just ordered some 1.5mm fibre optic cable so i can add the small red lights around the bottom and maybe use some in the cockpit lighting (might take a couple of weeks for that to arrive!) so will put things on hold for a bit... 🙁

Jozef Goos
Looks great Glenn

Glenn
Leia Awakened the "Force" in many young Jedi's back in the 80's 🙂

Torsten
Nice work, I will follow this build with a lot interest😎

Glenn
Thanks TWN, Hope to get back onto this project real soon. But i still have to re-paint Leia's bikini on that figure I'm working on too! I guess i could have just left her flesh color all over! And sand off the bikini, save me painting! 🙂

Glenn
The 1.5mm fiber optic cable i ordered has arrived so i will have to drill many little holes around the bottom of the Falcon so i can make the small red marker lights all around the undersurface! Plus pipe some of the fiber optic into the cockpit to help light up the cockpit and dashboard too.
There's a great Parody video of a popular song & singer (which i happen to hate!) on youtube about Han Solo check it out! (It's much better than the original song! 🙂
Youtube Video

Choppa Nutta
Just checking in Glenn 🙂
How's this beast coming along ? 😄
Cuts to the canopy look very neat so far 🙂

Glenn
Thanks Choppa! Well i haven't done much for the last couple of weeks! I was waiting on the fiber optic cable to arrive, Now i have it. But too busy at work making more stuff for the movie industry.... Some "little" movie know as "Episode 8" We were making more stuff for! So by the time i get home, Relax have dinner i feel too tired to do much other stuff plus it's all over at my girlfriends place and I'm only over there on the weekends.
Today for example it was very weird weather overcast stormy all day but it was around high 30's all day, It's midnight now and still 28c in the house! But i will finish cutting out those blasted cockpit windows soon. This plastic cuts real well with a Dremel as it doesn't melt too easy just gets a bit furry then breaks off! Then I'll do the holes for the fiber optic cables next! The next movie (Rogue One) will be out before it get this finished!
STAY TUNED....

Thomas Bischoff
cool 👍 👍 👍

Aaron Ma
This looks really nice where did u got it?

Glenn
Hi Aaron, I got this one on Ebay. It's the new 29 inch Hasbro toy model no detail on the inside just a very basic but accurate shape model of the Falcon. I'm also building the 32 inch DeAgostino weekly build model that you buy over 100 issues! A few other guys on here are also building that one. Cheers, and "May the 4th" be with you today! 🙂

Taarna Eckart
Glenn, I finally got a chance to see this album after you posted your link. Very nice work, thanks for sharing!

Spanjaard
this is good one to follow, although no updates for a long time.... hope everything going ok

Glenn
Thanks Guys! I "hope" to get back onto this project over Christmas if i can ? Only have a few days off work then back to work on the 3rd of Jan. damn..... I was kinda holding off till i have more of the DeAgostino one to build as well, up to around part 35 i think on that one but better start building that one as well! I was figuring out how i would mount the Mp3 player and speaker inside last time i looked have to make up some aluminum brackets to hold things in place along with some "hot glue" here and there still loads of work to do in the cockpit. And have to make up the landing gear legs as well then mount them on. The funny thing is it's the real moves holding me up on the project! Including the work we did for Star Wars Ep.7 Ep. 8 and Rouge One! I don't have much time when i get home or I'm too tired 🙂