Modding the UCS Imperial Star Destroyer - again

[mortesv]

When I am taking a break I sometimes mod my models. This little post is what happened the last time I needed to take a break.

I was building my latest moc and was about halfway done. In the morning had gotten a big shipment of the dgb plates I needed to move on and I was content with the progress I had made that day. The sun was shining and birds were singing. Well, it was early March and there were very few birds to be found anywhere - but I imagine I could hear them sing.

Suddenly the imaginary birds went silent.

Something on the model was not lining up as expected. I took a second look. Nope. It was not correct. I had messed up. Badly. I knew what I had to do. I needed to take most of the model apart and a long with it the last couple of days of work. I felt the frustration surging through my veins (if this story ever turns into a movie, I would like to be played the Rock. I imagine he has the acting skills to play a frustrated Lego builder).

I stood up (a bit too fast so I got dizzy and had to sit down again). I was sitting down. Pondering. I really did not feel for taking the model apart. If only there were something I could do to help me push off the inevitable – just for a bit. I stood up (this time slowly). I looked around my Lego filled room. The models were getting dusty.

I took my brush and went to work, cleaning the models. The radar dish on the falcon always falls off when dusting, but not today. Maybe it was a sign? I continued. I knocked over the Y-wing. It had not been a sign… Then I got to the Star Destroyer. The command tower had a thick layer of dust. I took the model down so I could give it a good cleaning. I got to the back. Saw the engines covered in cobwebs (well not cobwebs exactly, but it sounds more dramatic than ‘more dust’, so bear with me).

I glanced at my old engine mod. Hmm, it could be better. I had had fun making it, but I hadn’t been concerned with the finer details. Well, now I had the time…

The mod was pretty straightforward. It is just about putting bricks on top of bricks. Nothing was taken a part - that would diminish the purpose of relaxing :)

I wanted to get the sloping engine housings as correct as possible along with all the piping.

The remnants of the old mod can be seen behind the engines. How the detailing exactly look back there I am not 100% certain, but this gives a nice affect of depth.

Yes, I have used a lot of lbg levers. I was lucky I had a small stash because they are pricey!

This time the tables have turned! With the assitance of an Escort Frigate, the Corellian Corvette is hunting down the behemoth Imperial Star Destroyer – yes they are all both exactly to scale :) ISD 1600m. Frigate 300m. Corvette 150m.

The Corvette is a modified version of the mini model Lego released a few years ago. The Frigate is what happened when I accidentally shot my Nebulon B with a shrink ray!

After this, I could go back and take my moc apart.

[Ellisss_]

Amazing mods! You have covered what TLG ISD lacks! Great details.

[Sucram]

Has anyone made a version of this set without the magnets?

[Raskolnikov]

Something on the model was not lining up as expected. I took a second look. Nope. It was not correct. I had messed up. Badly. I knew what I had to do. I needed to take most of the model apart and a long with it the last couple of days of work. I felt the frustration surging through my veins (if this story ever turns into a movie, I would like to be played the Rock. I imagine he has the acting skills to play a frustrated Lego builder).

I can relate to that feeling pretty well. I went through it a few times with a life-consuming MOC of my own that that I'll be sharing here in a couple days. It's a 1.5 meter Star Destroyer with an interior, so it is very heavy (30+ kg). To support all the weight, it has a ridiculously robust technic frame. I lost full days of work, more than once, fixing that frame. Sometimes it's hard to tell if something is lining up correctly until you've gone pretty far with the build. "Is that right? I can't tell, the unfinished parts of the frame might be temporarily causing sagging. When I finish more of the frame and attach everything in a sturdy fashion, it'll disappear... Nope, I literally built a Star Destroyer frame with gently curving sides." I became a lot more careful after that.

Anyway, I like your engine mod. I'm just doing some final touch ups on my MOC, and as a matter of fact, I just was working on engine greebling yesterday. So the shape is very familiar to me, and you've captured the recognizable bits pretty well. Are you going to mod the rest of the ISD at some point? That's one UCS kit that can benefit a lot from mods, I think.

Has anyone made a version of this set without the magnets?

Not sure, but I have no doubt that it's possible. It's sort of hard to explain, but I do not use magnets on my MOC -- the top and panels just slide into place on tiled "rails" that extend for part of the length of the sides of the ship. They basically trace the outer "V" shape. There is no hope whatsoever for directions, but hopefully I'll get all my picture taking done in the next few days.

[mortesv]

I can relate to that feeling pretty well. I went through it a few times with a life-consuming MOC of my own that that I'll be sharing here in a couple days. It's a 1.5 meter Star Destroyer with an interior, so it is very heavy (30+ kg). To support all the weight, it has a ridiculously robust technic frame. I lost full days of work, more than once, fixing that frame. Sometimes it's hard to tell if something is lining up correctly until you've gone pretty far with the build. "Is that right? I can't tell, the unfinished parts of the frame might be temporarily causing sagging. When I finish more of the frame and attach everything in a sturdy fashion, it'll disappear... Nope, I literally built a Star Destroyer frame with gently curving sides." I became a lot more careful after that.

Anyway, I like your engine mod. I'm just doing some final touch ups on my MOC, and as a matter of fact, I just was working on engine greebling yesterday. So the shape is very familiar to me, and you've captured the recognizable bits pretty well. Are you going to mod the rest of the ISD at some point? That's one UCS kit that can benefit a lot from mods, I think.

Not sure, but I have no doubt that it's possible. It's sort of hard to explain, but I do not use magnets on my MOC -- the top and panels just slide into place on tiled "rails" that extend for part of the length of the sides of the ship. They basically trace the outer "V" shape. There is no hope whatsoever for directions, but hopefully I'll get all my picture taking done in the next few days.

Hi Rasko, I can't wait to see your ISD moc - it sounds crazy!

Yes, I have made a lot of mods on the ship - elongating the entire command structure and adding detail to the hull plating in general.

Some day I will probably tile the entire thing over - that would really make the model stand out. However, the added weight would mean that I would have to strengthen the technic frame quite a bit. It is no secret that the stock frame is under a lot of pressure as it is - so the first "mod" was to move the front leg to the launch bay.

Moving that leg has also made room to create the bottom shield generator dome :)