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I'll be building a 1/144 Saturn V using some combination of Monogram and Airfix parts.  I also have the RealSpace Apollo spacecraft resin that will be added as well as the New-Ware Saturn V upgrade set.  I have Space Model Systems decals for this build as well.

 

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I'm not going super detailed, but I do want to correct some of the big flaws.  Now I need go get the boxes open and start attacking this project.

 

Randy

 

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I've started with the S-IC aft skirt.  I'm using the Airfix and New-Ware parts for this.  The New-Ware parts for the air scoops on the engine fairings were cast as recessed items and they are not.  They are flush with fairing.  So I decided to cut the scoops out of the resin part and glue them to some sheet styrene that I have added to the fairings.

 

(Edited: Looking at some more photos, it appears that the scoops were actually slightly recessed from the surface of the fairings.  My David Weeks drawings appeared to show flush scoops.  Even though they were recessed they did have raised portions that projected from the fairing.  The New-Ware parts are missing the raised portions.  In the end I decided that I preferred the look with the raised scoops and I will forgo the recessed part.)

 

Here you can see what the Airfix part looks like out of the box.

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And this is what it looks like after the sheet styrene.

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I'll extend the raised lines on the fairings into the sheet styrene areas with some .3mm rods after I add the scoops.

 

Here you can see the New-Ware parts on their pour plug.  You can also see one cut off the plug and how the part looks ready to be added to the model.  I just didn't like the recessed look, so I cut one out and I like that much better.  I'll attach it later after I get them all cut out.

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Below is a look at all the parts that will be going into the aft skirt.  One item not shown is the PE heat shield that will go on the Airfix part after all the details are removed from it.  I'll be using the batted F1's that are in the New-Ware set.  You can see where I have removed one from its pour plug.

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Some of the parts may look fuzzy but that is just my sloppiness.  I got some resin dust on them while removing the engine pour plug.  They are actually quite smooth.  You can see that I have all of the scoops cut out and I've sanded the backs thinner before I attach them.  New-Ware includes an extra set of two just in case, luckily I didn't need them.

 

More to come.

Randy

 

Edited by as205
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Since I am using the New-Ware batted nozzles I needed to remove all the detail from the Airfix heat shield.  That got me to thinking about how I was going to attach the model to my display base.  I'll be putting a 1/8 in brass tube in the center and drilling a hole through the center engine so I can run a steel rod up into the brass tube.  That should make it stable enough to stand up.  I used a similar technique on my 1/144 STS-31 Shuttle model.  I ran a tube up each of the SRB's and it slides down onto two steel rods.  It holds up very well and stands straight without having to prop up the orbiter.

 

I added a couple of cardboard tubes to the back side of the heat shield and filled them with epoxy.  Once that had set, I drilled through the center and through the top of the Aft Skirt.  I used JB Weld to attach the brass rod.  It sticks out a bit less than a quarter of an inch on the bottom to aid in mounting the center engine.  I'll have about four inches of brass rod for stability.  While I was at it I also epoxyed in some 1/8 in styrene tubes to act as mounting points for the outboard engines.

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I drilled through the center engine to pass the steel rod into the brass tube.

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New-Ware had a small raised area that fit the holes in the brass heat shield but they were small and ill defined, that was why I added the styrene rods and drilled a locator hole in the top of each engine.

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I test fitted the New-Ware brass heat shield and my holes lined up well.  I also test fitted a couple of the engines to be sure my styrene rods were OK.

 

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I've also started adding the brass details to Aft Skirt.

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Onward and upward.

 

Randy

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Habu2,

 

Thanks for the pointer.  I studied the same pictures and came to a similar conclusion. 

 

By the time I noticed it I'd already started modifying the parts.  At this scale I can live with the difference.  Any bigger scale and I would definitely be adding the proper detail.  I figured that rather get bogged down with my boo boo I'd be happier finishing the build.  Most people who will see the model (other than me) will never notice the mistake.  I'm fine with that.

 

Randy

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I've got all the PE attached to the aft skirt.  Now I need to add in the missing stringers on the fairings and fill the slot for the systems tunnel.  I will be using the systems tunnel from the Monogram kit since it is longer and comes closest the proper length, therefore I need to fill the slot.

 

Here is a shot of one side with the PE and air scoops.  You can also see the brass rod extending through the top of the skirt.  I used some JB Weld to help hold it in place.  The resin fins are from the New-Ware set and are just friction fitted to see how they look.  I'll wait to actually install them until it is painted.

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Here it is rotated 90 degrees to show one of the sides where the stringer had to be rescribed after removing the large hump.

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Here is a view of the bottom with the brass heat shield in place.  You can see the small amount of brass tube protruding that will be used to locate the center engine.

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That's it for now.  Time to get back to adding the missing stringers.

 

Randy

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Oh awesome, made it in time to see this build. Wow its looking awesome so far. Built the Monogram one once and have one in the stash along with a few lems. (well many lems). The one I did (oob) was a long time ago too and not here anymore 😞    I know your gonna make the second stage awesome as well, especially with the airfix section. Good luck and ill be taking notes too. Love the PE stuff not to mention the resin addons you got. cool!!

 

Edited by Saturn5Tony
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I've got the additional stringers added.  Below is a shot of the work in progress.  They are .3mm styrene rod glued on with Plasti-zap CA.  It doesn't set quite as fast as thin CA, so I've got a few seconds to get them lined up properly.  I use long strips to give me plenty of area to get my fat fingers in there to place them properly.  After the CA sets then I can just snip them off with my X-acto.  In the picture you can barely (on the right quadrant) see the that the depression for the systems tunnel is filled.  I used some styrene sheet and then filler putty.

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I'm using the Airfix interstage.  The Monogram interstage has a taper that is too big for me to ignore.  The Airfix part is more straight.  I've also removed the four ulage motors and the extensions of the second stage detail that appear on the interstage.  I've got some filling and rescribing to do on this part.

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Here are a couple of shots of the S-IC.  It is mostly done.  Just need to do some filling where the systems tunnel from the main body meets the aft skirt.  I've added all the PE to the S-IC.  Both the aft skirt and the main body are from the Airfix kit.

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I'm now starting on the S-II stage.  I'll be using the Monogram part for this.  Since I have to remove all the molded on details anyway, I thought I'd use the Monogram part since it does not have that huge hump at the seam line in the stringer sections.  At this point I've removed all the molded on details.  I will have to remove some of the molded on stringers on the forward and aft stringer sections.  They are too long.  Time to make some measurements.

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I've also removed the resin parts from their pour plugs.  I'm amazed that I didn't break any of them while removing the plugs.

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More to come...

 

Randy

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, I actually have been working on this project.  I had a few interruptions, but I decided that is was time to post some progress.

 

The Monogram third stage interstage fits well on the S-II, but the ullage motors are squared off.  I'll have to do some sanding on those.  There are some resin ones that come in the New-Ware detail set.  They are nice but I'm not in love with the shape.  I put some masking tape around the motors so I wouldn't sand off the surrounding stringers.  Just a few swipes with the sanding stick and I had a pretty good shape.  You can see in the photos below how I changed them.

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The as-delivered shapes.

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Here I've masked off the areas I wanted to protect.

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Now they are better.  It's hard to see from the photo, but I rounded them out to a more appropriate shape.

 

The S-II for Apollo 15 had some smooth raised sections of insulation on the forward and aft skirts.  I noticed that the stringer sections of the the forward and aft skirts are too long by the amount that was raised insulation.  So I used some masking tape and Tamya putty and added the raised sections.

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It looks pretty rough but some sanding will smooth that all out.  You can see the aft skirt had already been started.  I need to go back and add a bit more putty to get and even band all around.

 

I also removed the S-II engine cutoff sensors from their pour plugs.

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These are the smallest resin parts I've ever worked with.   Quite an adventure getting them cut off without them flying across the room.  Then smoothing out the back side so it lays down well was a challenge too.  They should look pretty nice on the S-II.

 

The S-II had some additional raised insulation sections around the LH2 feedlines and some of the vents.  I used .005 styrene sheet to get the effect.  It matched up quite will with the putty bands I added earlier.

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I will be adding some putty and sanding to get raised sections merged in with the putty band.

 

With that out of the way, I've added the PE parts to the S-II.  It's starting to look pretty good.

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I think it is coming along pretty well.  I'd like to get some primer on the sections I've got ready, but it is too cold.  I paint in my garage, but it is not heated and around here, winter just does not want to give up yet.  Spring has to come sometime pretty soon, at least according to the calendar.

 

More to come.

Edited by as205
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16 hours ago, as205 said:

I think it is coming along pretty well.  I'd like to get some primer on the sections I've got ready, but it is too cold.  I paint in my garage, but it is not heated and around here, winter just does not want to give up yet.  Spring has to come sometime pretty soon, at least according to the calendar.

 

It certainly is coming along pretty well. I love the attention to detail on those Ullage Motors ... as well as the rest of the work you're doing, like the surface detail on the S II. I found that .005" styrene is pretty sensitive to glue and yours looks like it turned out flawlessly!

 

And it's still cold up here too, near Niagara Falls, but I'm loving this weather ... it IS Winter after all! But come June, Ill be ready for Spring!  :yahoo:

Pete

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More progress to report.  I've finished with the S-II.  There are still a few more resin items to add, but I think I'll wait until I paint to add them.  That should help with the masking (my least favorite part of a build).

 

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Still needs a bit of smoothing.  I'll wait and see what it looks like after some primer.  Then back to sanding.

 

I've been working on the S-IVB and the interstage.  I've added the personnel access door on the interstage and removed all the raised detail on the S-IVB that either will be replaced by resin or didn't need to be there at all.

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The personnel access door is visible here along with a view of the APS that has been removed.  To the right of that is where one of the kit piping covers were to go.  They were too long and will be replaced by a shorter resin part.  You can see where I've shortened the area where it is to go.

 

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I also needed to remove a couple of the antennas on the forward skirt.  They had four molded in, the manned flights only had two.  There will be more scribing to do.

 

While I was at it, I decided to test fit the Realspace SLA/CSM to the S-IVB.  Good thing I did.  There was a bit of a lip.  The Realspace part was designed for the Airfix kit which is slightly smaller in diameter.

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That's a bit too large a lip.  I had to sand the Instrument Unit a bit to reduce that lip to an acceptable look.

 

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That looks a little better.  The tape helped protect the stringers.

 

All of the kit parts, all the PE and most of the resin parts have been added.  The APS units are still not on.  I'm waiting to decide if I want to put them on after paint.  It's starting to come together.

 

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Some of those PE parts were TINY!

 

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It will be interesting to see how it looks after some primer.

 

Now, I guess I'll take a look at the Realspace SLA/CSM and see what I need to do to it.

 

More to come.

 

Randy

Edited by as205
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This is looking great!

The RealSpace SLA fit issue is a nice save too. I'm sure you'll get it looking perfect. I wonder if Resin shrinkage over time can account for this fit issue ...

 

And all the details you're installing isn't going to stand out but will definitely enhance the model. Do you enter any contests? If this was on a table with an almost OOB model, those updated details would certainly draw attention to your build.

 

This is good stuff Randy!

Pete

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Pete,

 

Now that you mention it, resin shrinkage might account for the difference.  I certainly didn't notice that big a gap, a few years ago when I did the Airfix Saturn IB.  I didn't even think about resin parts shrinking.

 

 I haven't entered any contests.  I'm not sure my finishing skills are quite up to contest level yet.  I just build for the fun of it.

 

Randy

 

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Time for another update.  I've been busy on the Apollo spacecraft section.  The Realspace part needed a few updates.  The first one I tackled were the panel lines on the Spacecraft Lunar Adapter (SLA).  Glen had engraved the lines, but my sources indicated that they were raised lines.  They were part of the separation mechanism.  The New-Ware update set had some PE parts that could work to update it, but when I checked, I couldn't be sure that they would fit properly.  They would fit better on the Airfix part but that presented its own problems.  If I used the Airfix SLA then I'd have to cut off the Command/Service Module (CSM) from the Realspace resin part.  I could keep the Airfix Service Module (SM) but then I'd be in a pickle for the Command Module (CM).  Both the Airfix and Monogram CMs were wildly undersized, even with the kit Boost Protective Cover (BPC).  So, I decided to add my own panel line strips to the resin SLA.  I also had to add the semi-circular parts that were between the hinge details.  I found that a 1/8 inch hole punch made a circle of styrene sheet that I could modify and make look good enough.

 

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I think the added details will look fine.

 

I then got ready to add the PE parts to the spacecraft section.  My drawings show that after Apollo 14 there was an extra window in the BPC above the commander's docking window.  I took a small drill and made an appropriate sized hole.  I'll paint both the windows black when it comes time to paint.

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I started adding PE with the CM attitude control thruster covers.  After adding the first one under the crew hatch, I went to add the next cover and noticed that where the other two covers needed to go was a reinforcing ridge.  I could have just moved the thruster covers over to avoid the detail, but that would have put them obviously offset from the +Y and -Y positions where they were supposed to go.  I removed the offending details and used some .4mm strip to place them where they were supposed to be.

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I finished adding my detail and then put the thruster covers where they were supposed to go.

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The raised detail has been wrapped down the lip of the BPC.

 

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Now the covers are where they are supposed to be.

 

Next was to start adding the PE to the SLA.  The PE pieces were relatively large so I used a dowel to add a gentle curve to the parts so they would conform to the curve of the resin.  One thing I fortunately noticed before I started adding the PE parts was that New-Ware labeled the placement drawing with Pos III in the wrong place.  I was comparing to my source material and noticed that things were not going to line up.  It took me a while to realized that the fix was as simple as just re-labeling the instructions to show Pos I where they had Pos III.  Things went smoothly after that.

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PE parts viewed from Pos I.

 

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This is the view from Pos III.  I'll be adding the SM attitude control thrusters after it is painted.

 

Now all the major sections are ready for their first coat of primer.  Then I'll be able to tell what areas need further attention.  I still have to finish the Escape Tower.  I'm trying to decide if I want to use the Realspace PE parts or if I want to scratch build one.  The escape rocket from Realspace is fine, I won't need to mess with that.  I guess I'll play with some styrene rods and see how difficult it might be to scratch one.

 

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Here are the main assemblies.  The resin bits that still need to be attached are next to the sections that need them.  I think it is looking pretty good.

 

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I couldn't help myself.  I had to stack them to see how they will look.

 

More to come...

Edited by as205
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Wow, amazing details. I contemplated buying the upgrade resin top for the Saturn V. I used evergreen on my Apollo 12 stack, the narrow CM has always bugged me. One day I'll fix it. All the other hatches and hose entry details are looking fantastic. Slow and steady, but I really can't wait to see the paint on this baby 😊

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Those added detail bits are really going to set this kit off!  Great job taking the time and effort to get everything correct. Can't wait to see it all painted up!

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Thanks guys.  I'm having fun adding the extra details.  I'm leaning towards using some custom decals for the black stripes.  I did that with my Saturn IB build and it worked out very well.  If I do that, then I'll probably go ahead and put the other S-II details on and then decal.

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