Converting Revell 1/48 Apollo to Block 1

[SpacecraftGuy]

42 minutes later, and that's done. And I feel really good about it. It's going to be the LM the way it was supposed to be. The photos below show all of the standard cutting to correct the facets on the back and front of the port tank surround and the front of the stbd tank surround, removing the solid fuel line on the port side, the incorrect facets on both sides of the docking hatch, and the area surrounding the ascent engine. And now this is where the actual fun begins: adding the new panels and facets. Followed by the no-so-fun filling and sanding and repeat. I'm going to focus on just the 3 Revells now, and leave the 4 Monograms for later. See if I can't actually finish something this fall.

 

Can't believe I feel this good about this.  

 

 

[SpacecraftGuy]

So. New plan. Correct "corrections" don't quite fit the 60's Revells. A new discovery was that the midsection isn't quite as tall as it should be. The front and back profiles of the mid section aren't right, either. They could be corrected by adding bits here and there, and I really wanted to keep as much of these old models as unaltered as I could, but I reluctantly decided that the best choice to fixing this would be to remove the old mid-section entirely, box up an accurate foundation, and layer as much of the old kit parts as I can over the proper base. That, I hope, will give me a solid platform to begin correcting the original (and now much) smaller issues. Sort of like restoring an old faded, torn painting. Fix and stabilize the backing first. 

 

I've started on my original '67 stack version first, to see how this works. Really wish I would have started on the '90s re-release, but it's too late now. I'm already wondering how I'm going to get it apart to install the interior, but something will work itself out. A third day of smoke at +10, and no signs of that changing for a at least a few more days, so trapped inside with nothing else to do for a while. Might as well try to be productive.  

[K2Pete]

Good Golly Miss Molly ... when I did my last LM, Apollo 10, it was only then that I realized just how inaccurate the model was. But I had no idea the Ascent Stage was too short. I did fix some facet panels but ... dear oh dear ... you've given yourself a LOT of extra work! ... but FUNN work ... I might add   ;^ D

 

And ... you're giving me the urge to build one more LM, from the 1967 kit, with foldable legs. I gave away mine to a friend and love seeing those bare bones, no paint, no foil LMs. Just PE and putty and no question the amount of mods that were made to this Olden Goldie! ( I gotta call New Ware and get another update set! )

 

I'll letcha get back to your production ... ;- )

Pete

 

 

[SpacecraftGuy]

Hi, Pete! I hope you realize that you're the reason I'm finally rebuilding these. It's something I've always wanted to do, but it has been going back through your build threads here (discovered via a note about your builds in one of Mike Mackowski's SIMs, that has inspired me to get off (or onto) my butt and start cutting.

 

I've lost all my initial concerns about destroying just what my old '67/'68 kits were as I've now become immersed in cutting them and obsessed in angles and millimeters, etc. To be fair, the height difference in the midsection is pretty much unnoticeable in sane-person territory, as it's less than 3mm. But making a new box for the mid will, I hope, also make it so much easier to make it... so much harder to "correct" the shapes. Harder, as in, the side panels of the old kit are a really good fit in two dimensions, but now will need some serious surgeries to lie flat on the surface. I'm sure hoping it won't involve cutting some or all into separate facets. Darn.

 

 But first up was getting the bottom of the mid, the ascent engine surround, boxed in. I've never seen a photo of the bottom of a "Block 1"  LM, but I'm going on the assumption that like most of the close-to-finalized pre-flight LMs, like the rest of the ascent stage, it looks much the same as the flight versions. So that's how I've started to box it.  

 

Another air quality alert day here. Not 10+. tho', yay! So I don't know if I'll still be trapped inside cutting panels for the LMs or if I'll finally be back in the garage cutting panels for the bathroom. It's amazing how much easier it seems working on something 48 times larger than measuring everything in sun-millimeters.

Edited September 5, 2023 by SpacecraftGuy

[K2Pete]

When you said that the Ascent Stage was too short by just a couple mm, I looked at my last thread and was pleased to see that I had indeed added a couple thick styrene shims to the bottom  ... and I had also enlarged the windows. Is that coming later in your build?

 

And the engine bell area looks just fine. I have a few references from when I made my LM cutaway plus a view from VIRTUAL LM ( sans foil ) ... and yours looks great!

 

I hadn't realized that Mr Mackowski said anything about my LMs ... 'tis nice to hear! And I'm happy to have inspired you in this build ... misery loves company!  :^ D

 

Carry on Lad

Pete