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I'll be rebuilding a Revell 1/48 Command Service Module, CSM, that I got off of eBay. The eBay find included a lot of broken up LMs and lotsa parts and I see this as a bit of fun!

As tempted as I am to buy Vincent's 1/48 LM from Shapeways, I have a Monogram LM in my stash which has to get built and I'll be using New Ware's Update sets on both the CSM and LM.

 

 

This is in pretty sad shape, but I'll be sanding off the all the surface details and rebuilding it all anyway ... I'll be building this to represent Apollo 16 and will create the SIM bay from scratch.

 

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The Windows need to be repositioned, the Umbilical connection needs to be removed and relocated, a New Hatch needs to be built, thrusters and Antenna need to be repositioned ...

 

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The SIM bay needs to be relocated too ...

 

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New Ware's Resin for the CSM. Tom has also included some nice looking, thin PE for the Service Module's surface detailing!

 

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Okay ... pitter patter, let's get at 'er!

Pete

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I really get my enjoyment out of doing something like this ... rebuilding an old model ... 

 

I started by cutting off the old thruster housings

 

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... removed the CM parts and pencilled in the new Window location. It has to be lowered by 2 or 3 mm

 

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... using a piece of Dymo tape as a guide, cut out a little styrene

 

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... started filing off surface details ... this is the SIM panel and the lower half hasn't been filed, the upper half has. The lower half will be cut off and removed. I've also cut out the old Umbilical connection and will relocate that too. In the background you can see the CM Umbilical connection has been removed as well

 

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... the SM's interior will need to be reworked because the SIM bay is narrower. New Shelves will be cut and this section of the Service Module will be modified.

My thumb is on the panel which will be removed and relocated 1/4" to the left.

 

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... cutting out new shelves for the SIM bay from .040" styrene using my 45 year old compass  :rolleyes:

 

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... New Ware PE looks quite nice and I didn't realize that this was designed for the Dragon kit, and this is the Revell version. I hope it all fits.

 

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Doing a little more research, the SIM bay will be even narrower than I first thought. The pencil lines show where I'll have to cut the kit's part.

And a ref photo is in the background.

 

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Till later

Pete

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Awesome Pete. Looking forward to following this. I am doing a similar build so likely will be robbing some ideas and techniques off of your build here. I may have to get that New Ware PE set, I've lost my Dragon kit's PE and this looks to be a better set anyway. Keep up the inspiring work!

 

Bill

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Don't feel like you're robbing my techniques, they're just the same ones we all use ...  :thumbsup:

 

 

Looking at a >20 year old FSM, Glenn Johnson's Apollo 13 build has him cutting off a bit of the nose to accurize the height of the CM ... so I did too.

 

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Then I mapped out the proportions and cut out the SIM Bay panel ...

 

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From Mike Mackowsi's book on the Apollo CSM, I enlarged a drawing of the Heat Shield and glued it onto a sheet of .040" styrene to build one from scratch.

This old ebay rescue didn't have one ...

 

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Gluing the nose cap onto the hull resulted in a few gaps. This is how I fill up the gaps using, in this case, .005" styrene, file it, sand it and then a little putty.

 

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I had to figure out a new mounting for the New Ware Resin SPS engine ... it's nice and snug!

 

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... and onto the SIM Bay. There are lotsa details on Ninfinger's site. I built the bay itself, which was some pretty time consuming, yet fun, work and then will do the internal cameras and such later on. 

 

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... and dry fit

 

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A new Hatch has to be built too ...

 

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I'm getting all the big stuff done and will work down the list to all the fine detail work as the build progresses.

Pete

 

 

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I've been creating the Heat Shield and still have a bit to do on it ...

 

I cut an allowance in .040" styrene for the kit's aft end ... this'll be the plate the heat shield sits on

 

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The underside of the Heat Shield has been built up with varied sizes of square rod.

 

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... edges filed down

 

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... the parts

 

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... a little filler

 

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... and getting there. The form of the Umbilical Housing has been started too.

 

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... I had glued the other cap on at an unacceptable angle, removed it, re-sanded the CM and reapplied another cap. The Docking Collar and Probe will be attached to this

 

2v2Ep9D3hxAnAAS.jpg

 

This assembly is coming along nicely!

Pete

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Wow.  I've never been brave enough to overhaul a built kit.  As my dad used to say "you're making a silk purse out of a sow's ear".  He used to be a pig farmer.  Fantastic job.  I can't wait to see how this turns out.

 

Randy

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Thanx Bill ... I'll give it a good try!

Randy, this is where I get all my enjoyment out of this hobby ... the problem solving, the carving of plastic and the build process. The ideas that come to me on how to replicate "X" or "Y" is the fun part. The finishing, the painting, is the struggle, but these initial stages ... I LOVE it!  :yahoo:

 

Pete

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Pete,

 

Exactly.  Building is most fun.  Finishing and painting is where I usually get bogged down too.  I've been known to have a build sit for weeks while I procrastinate over masking the model.

 

Randy

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I realized that I'd have to complete the SIM Bay components before I can close the Service Module's panel ... so I got started ...

 

Using these ...

 

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... I got these. The Panoramic camera on the left, the Mapping camera on the right

 

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I also cracked open my LM boxing and started on it too

 

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All I did was make the LRV Bay. This'll be Apollo 16 and I'll use Vincent's 3D LRV that I built last summer.

 

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As soon as New Ware's Update set comes in, I'll get to working on the LM too.

Pete

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Thanx Lads!

 

The SIM Bay has really been fun and time consuming ... but that's what this Hobby is all about for me!

 

I looked up the Real Space Models site thinking they had a 1/48 SIM Bay, but no. Glen's is 1/32. And these elements are tiny ... this is the foot restraint

 

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... and getting there ...

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... the components are dry fit in there. I've 'foiled' a couple of the film canisters and painted the frame Aluminum, but didn't like it. It was too dark so I painted on a coat of Light Grey and the Aluminum coat bled through. So, I applied some Easy -Off and put the frame in a Zip-lok bag to strip the paint and ... it didn't.

 

It's always worked in the past to strip enamel paint, so I'm at a loss to understand ... but,

 

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... this SIM Bay is just about done and ready to install ... then I can get to sanding the Service Module.

 

Later

Pete

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After spending a couple weeks on this, the SIM Bay components are done and installed. But only dry fit into the SM.

 

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I'll glue the old hinged SM panel ( my thumb is on it ) down and then, after sanding and putty-ing, get onto the surface details.

 

Pete

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Many Thanx Gents! niart17, johnlove_mk_11, Saturn5Tony ( are you gonna join our Group Build S5Tony   :whistle: ? )

ApolloMan, I shan't be making copies ... while this is good enough for me, it's not good enough to sell. Plus, I've never done any resin copywork.

 

Starting to build the Docking Probe ...

 

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... and re-doing the Docking Collar ...

 

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... and after attaching the BIG panel on the SM, I was left with this gap. So, I'll fill it and then spend a few hours sanding it, puttying it, and sanding some more. It's gotta be nice and smoo-o-oth ... maybe I should buy a couple more tubes of putty ...  :rolleyes:

 

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New Ware's Resin and PE updates came in the mail, so I'll get busy on the LM now as well.

 

Thanx for taking a peek!

Pete

 

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Pete,

 

That docking probe and collar are looking great.  Your scratch building skills are amazing.

 

I've been admiring your tools as well.  Where did you pick up some of those, especially the scribing compass and those excellent tweezers.

 

Randy

 

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Aw-w shucks ... thanx Randy ...   :cheers:

 

The tools are nothing exotic ... the tweezers are Tamiya's, bought from my local Hobby Shop before they closed up. And the Compass is from a Drafting set I bought 45 years ago. The 'scriber' end disconnects and can be replaced by a pencil lead.

I've got 5 or 6 different tweezers and am only just starting to use this Tamiya pair regularly. They hold small parts very nicely. Using the other tweezers, parts tend to fly all over the place.

 

Pete

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23 hours ago, K2Pete said:

Many Thanx Gents! niart17, johnlove_mk_11, Saturn5Tony ( are you gonna join our Group Build S5Tony   :whistle: ? )

ApolloMan, I shan't be making copies ... while this is good enough for me, it's not good enough to sell. Plus, I've never done any resin copywork.

 

New Ware's Resin and PE updates came in the mail, so I'll get busy on the LM now as well.

 

Thanx for taking a peek!

Pete

 

Just joined a few weeks ago, so not sure yet. Have a few kits on the shelf but I may in the very near future. Working on a non-Apollo kit at the moment so maybe soon. (Its a 1983 N-i-k-e Revell Hercules missile I just started a while ago before I found this site). I have a few LEMs as well so maybe I will. It will be OOB tho, so not to much addons, PE and such but yea, Ill keep in touch and at least enjoy what you cool builders are doing and comment. Thank you for the invite as well Pete.

 

Oh, btw Saturn5Tony has been my email address for about 20 years now and was not really kit related in some aspects. I used to build quite a few low power flying rocket kits (including a  half finished estes S5) but got out of it in the late 90's so it never got completed.  To me the Saturn 5 is about the most advanced, coolest, awesome rocket ever made and one I have always admired since I was a boy when it was created. That 6-million part monster got us to the moon! I always loved it. Thats why I started that name and like I said, the best rocket design ever...

Edited by Saturn5Tony
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S5Tony, you know we'd love to see your build, not here, but on the Real Space Forum ... don't be shy!

The Moon Machines Saturn V show is one of my faves ... and to think it was designed and built over 50 years ago ... just astonishing! That's what this GB is all about, the engineering of these extraordinary vehicles done in a short 8 to 10 year time period and they all worked bee-yoo-tee-fully!

 

 

After all the new info on the Docking Collar from niart17's thread, I added a few details to mine

 

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The lovely stuff came in from New Ware and I got started on the LM ...

So, the Resin and PE get washed, the Resin in Dish Soap to remove the release agents, and the PE in Vinegar

 

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... the LM's Resin goodies after their bath

 

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... chiselled off the surface detail

 

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... drilled, then joined the holes and cut out the kit's hatch

 

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The PE hatch fits so well, that I didn't have to cut out the kit's hatch at all, the PE will just sit on top of it.

 

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I wish the Aircraft modellers could work on this kit ... my gawsh, the seams, the poor fit and overall inaccuracies would destroy these guys  :bandhead2:   ... but we're a tougher breed, ain't we?  :woot.gif:

 

I'll be dressing up the LM with PE and Resin ... 

Thanx for taking a peek gents!

Pete

 

Edited by K2Pete
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I'm carving up the plastic and fitting the Resin updates from New Ware.

This is the Rendezvous Window ... 

 

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... and puttying some seams ...

 

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... and a little more putty and notice the little Resin piece at the bottom right on the LMs mid-section. 

 

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... this is the Revell LM, the one with the thin, spindly fold-able Landing Gear that I just wanted to show with the PE and Resin installed, just to give you an idea as to what this one will look like when done ...

 

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This'll move pretty fast, then adding all the foils ... that's always an ... um ... fun part!  :whistle:  :bandhead2:

 

Pete

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  • 3 weeks later...

This LEM looks terrific, I've just made a start on my Challenger. Looking over your build and what I need to do. Wow, I have my work cut out for me. I'm just researching at the moment the quads in the stowed position either side the ladder. I will keep watching your build closely. Thanks Pete again, for creating this group build and motivating us all here to get these great build going.

 

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