1/32 Command and Service Module (CSM)

[crackerjazz]

Hi, I got jealous of Ret's CSM  : )

 

I just re-inspected the box and was thinking about starting it.   I might need a little help from you guys.   I've been trying to look for some aftermarket goodies but they seem out of stock.   Let me know if there's any you're willing to part with that I can buy : )   

 

Also, I have some questions.   I don't really intend to do any interior or cutaways -- I'm just after the way she looked in-flight.   (1)  That means I can paint over the clear part right?  Or did it fly at some point without the panel?   (2)  The kit was a product of its time when raised panel lines were the order of the day.  Do you normally rescribe the panel lines.  It will take some bravery to sand them down in some areas because of adjoining rivets.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Any and all advice about building this kit is welcome : )   Thanks in advance : )

[habu2]

I assume you mean the clear panel on the SM?  The kit panel covers fuel tanks but another panel covered a scientific instrument bay and, on those later flights, the SIM panel was jettisoned to expose the instruments. 

[Dafixer]

If you've got a 3D printer, this guy makes upgrade parts that are pretty amazing:

 

https://cults3d.com/en/3d-model/various/apollo-csm-additional-parts-for-the-1-32-monogram-csm

 

 

[southwestforests]

How do you plan to represent how the unfiltered sunlight in space blistered the aluminum paint on the service module?

 

Apollo 17 for example,

 

 

and

 

 

[southwestforests]

My model is in a box at the moment but I think I removed the raised lines on wide section of engine bell after seeing photos like in the following references.

How to paint the engine bell probably depends on which time point in which mission.

I took the easy way out and merely painted mine in a way that looked nice to me.

 

https://www.nastarcenter.com/season-of-apollo/part-five-apollo-command-service-modules.html

 

and

 

http://apollo.sese.asu.edu/LIW/20071022.html

[southwestforests]

You may, however, want to Add raised panel lines on the Inside of the engine bell,

https://www.apollomaniacs.com/apollo/sme.htm

[crackerjazz]

4 hours ago, habu2 said:

I assume you mean the clear panel on the SM?  The kit panel covers fuel tanks but another panel covered a scientific instrument bay and, on those later flights, the SIM panel was jettisoned to expose the instruments. 

Oh ok thanks.  Yes, I meant the clear one -- I guess I can safely paint over it.    Will have to look into that SIM panel (I need to do some homework, brush up on terminology and get to the know the CSM better.

 

4 hours ago, Dafixer said:

If you've got a 3D printer, this guy makes upgrade parts that are pretty amazing:

Thanks Dafixer that's really nice work, will look into it -- oh, it's our Vincent's! : )

Thanks for those links and pics, southwestforests.    I'm not sure if I could do the blistering.  It might end up looking like a faulty paintjob on the model : )   But that's really cool info! 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by crackerjazz

[habu2]

Well there's a clear panel on the CM too, I assumed you didn't think they flew without the CM panel ....  😳😳😳

[crackerjazz]

Oops, you're right.  I didn't notice that other clear part in the plastic bag.   And the clear windows look big enough to see inside.   I wonder if I can still get away with leaving the interior empty.  

 

  

 

[K2Pete]

This was, and is, one of my shelf Queens ... I started it, according to a receipt from Rick Sternbach, ( Decals ) in 2008. IMHO you'll have plenty of 'fun' just putting it together.

 

Going simply by my simple memory, let me give you a heads-up.

 

The cockpit should have stuff in it, so just use the kit's to fill it up. The windows aren't that BIG. But do NOT use those Green kit decals. I read that they were supposed to represeent Flourescent lighting, but they just look stoopid. I also replaced the kit's IP with Real Space Models resin. It's got textures for the numerous switches.

 

 

 

Don't worry about the raised panel lines. On the CSM those access panels' edges were raised. You'll have plenty of fun applying those strips of Aluminum Foil ... which will distract our eagle eyes from your panel lines.  ;^ D

 

Plus, the GOLD colour is inaccurate, but again, it'll be covered by Foil, if you so choose.

 

The Service Module was my problem. The Seam right through the Radiators ended MY fun ... This is where the Clear Part joins ...

 

 

Now, I was just a year or so into this Hobby, in 2008, but it still prevents me from continuing this model and completing it.

 

As RET showed, it DOES build into a really nice, BIG model of the Apollo CSM, so Ret, chime in and guide this young Padawan to success.

 

My kit was an eBay find and was partially built, which is where I get some fun, but this one did me in!  :^ (

Hope this helps CJ!

 

If you'd like the Resin Cockpit, as you see it here, or the 1/32 Decals, no IP decals, let me know that too.

 

Pete

Edited April 11, 2023 by K2Pete

[habu2]

I built this kit when it first came out, and I remember those gawd-awful green "stickers".  Later releases had a more realistic gray but it's still a 2-D representation of the switch panels. 

[crackerjazz]

I've got the green stuff, too : )     I'll buy whatever you have, Pete : )  Sending a PM : )

 

 

 

[Ret]

Hi CJ - just saw this thread - thanks for the tip of the hat. The CSM I did was a few years ago - so I'll have to try and remember what I did. I'm actually working on the same kit again right now, but want to do it as a cutaway - we shall see how far I get. As Pete noted the huge challenge for the kits are the seams that cut across the SM radiators and right down the CM hatch! I mean really, who engineered this kit? - I think i just gently worked the SM seam - but also covered part of it with new panels - I covered the RCS quad panels with paper or thin evergreen polystyrene. That got rid of a chunk of the seam - I redid the hatch as well - under the BMF you can't tell, if that's the way you decide to go.

 

The kit can be fun, but I do remember getting to a point where I wanted to bin the whole thing. Then I thought, well maybe I'll just do the CM. Slowly, I brought it back to life. 

For my present build I'm trying to figure out what to do with the interior decals - I don't really have an option to reprint new ones.  I might try to build the IP if I have the patience.

 

Good luck and I will follow and chip in here and there with my 2 cents (Canadian).  ;-)

[crackerjazz]

Hi Ret, thanks!   Looking forward to your own build.

 

And thanks to the pointers, too, Pete!

 

Now I understand what you guys mean about the engineering and alignment of the kit  : )     So far I've joined the shell halves together.   

 

 

At first I still had the alignment pins intact but noticed that they caused some misalignment between the shell halves so I had to cut them all off.

 

  

 

I then had to sand down the edge of the cover of the fuel cells.   I'm not doing a cutaway so I'm just going to glue the thing on.   

 

  

 

I noticed the clear part sinks in some areas so I had to glue on a lip..

 

  

 

 

The cover sits nice and flush to the surface:

 

  

 

The join that the guys were pointing out.   I'll see what I can do.   I scratched the clear glass inside with the xacto but that's ok as it's going to be painted over.

 

 

  

 

And there's this bigger gap at the other edge that I'll have to fill.   Fun!  : )   Regarding the SIM bay -- the experiments weren't carried out until after the LM separated, is that right?    So if I were to mate this thing up with the LM (complete with descent stage) I don't need to open up the SIM cover?

Edited April 13, 2023 by crackerjazz

[habu2]

1 hour ago, crackerjazz said:

So if I were to mate this thing up with the LM (complete with descent stage) I don't need to open up the SIM cover?

 

wait, you're also doing a 1/32 LM?

[crackerjazz]

I haven't really decided yet but mulling over it.  I wanted to display the CSM on its own but then I still have the Vincent Meens LM that's been on the backburner for eight years : )   I was thinking I could attach it to the CSM without the descent stage for a rendezvous display and with the SIM bay open.  Or I could attach the LM with descent stage to the CSM and keep the SIM bay closed.   This 1/32 CSM is just huge -- the whole kit and caboodle would make an even bigger display : )

 

 

 

  

Exactly as she looked years ago.   The masking tape's been there for eight years : )

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by crackerjazz

[K2Pete]

Yessirree ... that'll be a BIG one!

If you choose to use the SIM Bay, Real Space Models has one ... it doesn't say it's 3D printed so I'll assume it's cast Resin ...

 

http://www.realspacemodels.com/shop-galapagos/132-apollo-15-sim-bay

 

 I do NOT recall your 1/32 LM from all-l-l those years ago ... And just using the Ascent Stage would be a different look.

You could damage the rear panels and stress the other panels due to the stresses of Lunar Lift off ... but M Meens prints must've cost you a pretty penny and you wouldn't wanna waste the Descent stage ... unless, a diorama with the lower stage on the surface and the Ascent stage with the CSM ... Oo-o-o ... maybe I'll KEEP my 1/32 CSM after all!

 

... ya ... just kidding ...!   ;^ D))

Pete

[Ret]

A LM? Holy cow Batman! I'm pulling out my popcorn now. You could always do an H mission and forgo the SIM bay. I started going through the kit again and now I'm remembering - it's a whole series of issues to dance around. The CM and SM are like two different kits - each with their own challenges.

 

Yours will look great - you did a stunning job with the pair of Tomcats.

 

ret

[kellyF15]

This looks great,  I've never even thought about doing that kit until now......

[habu2]

The CM SIM bay was in Sector 1 which was in the +Y / -Z quadrant, below the right couch in the CM. It was only used for the J missions, A15 A16 & A17.  An excellent reference is the Haynes NASA Moon Missions book covering A12 on. 

[habu2]

Forgot to add, the SIM bay panel was jettisoned several hours before LOI so you could model it open both with and without the descent stage. Also, after leaving lunar orbit the film cartridges were retrieved from the cameras during a space walk. 

[crackerjazz]

Great info, habu2, thanks! : )    Sad to know the Apollo 11 mission didn't carry SIM equipment : (     I was planning on modelling the Columbia.

 

I've started sanding down the seams:

 

There's a step at the edge of the clear part of the cone where the only solution was to sand down this corner and a little from from the sides along this area.

 

 

 

Will have to do some more filling and sanding later.

 

I thought I'd lost these universal joint parts.  Was really happy to find them:

 

 

 

At first I was wondering if the nozzle was going to flop about.   The joint was a little loose inside the sandwich:

 

 

 

 

 

Then I realized what they were up to.   Once you glue the cage on flush to the surface, the swivelling part presses on the middle area of the cage that acts like a spring to tighten up the nozzle movement -  cool! : )   This must be old hat to you guys and I probably look like someone  reading an old newspaper and being amazed by the news : ) i still can"t forgive them for the seams but this is some cool engineering. :l

 

 

 

I'll see how I could clamp the cage down before gluing it.  And I think I'll have to paint that partially hidden part first.

I forgot to mention --  can you guys recommend a good source of 1/32 LM decals?   Or will I have to print my own? (ulp!)

Edited April 16, 2023 by crackerjazz

[crackerjazz]

Hey, @kellyF15, thanks!   Looking forward to seeing your build pics!   I'm still building familiarity with this spacecraft but I'm learning a lot.   : )

 

Clamped down and glued on the universal joint cage.   

 

 

 

Added a little 2-part putty around the seams for good measure:

 

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by crackerjazz

[as205]

You can get the Space Model Systems 1/32 CSM decals from Cultvman.  His website shows them as being in stock and listed at $7.99.  I've got a set in my stash they are very good.

[K2Pete]

The CSM decals are there on CULT-TVman  but the 1/32 LM decals, I don't think, exist.

I even looked thru Vincent's thread on his 1/32 LM, and didn't see any info, so I'll assume he made his own decals.

I've got some leftover 1/48 LM decals if you wanna scale 'em up!  ;^ D

 

Pete