Some years ago, I bought photoetched vents set from https://scifimodels.de/ – to be honest, when I received it – I said to my self – it is to crazy to be true 🙂 it’s the best replica of “Kolshade” grills used by ILM in their 5footer model, scaled down to 1/43.
Original 5footer engine vents:
Ok, lets go!
SciFiModels set was created to improve DeAgo parts – as in previous posts, I will use 3D printed vents housing that required adjustment to fit photoetched parts. The inner diameter wasn’t right and I need to sand-down about 2mm of the resin. That was really a challange. 3D printed resing is superstrong, very hard to operate with and in same time it is very delicate and could crack… I used dremel-like electric drill and I made many passes to not heat-up the resin. The amount of resin dust was just tremendous – I was using painting booth and a mask to secure my health
Then I started to work with metal vents.
Each one of the folds need to be straighten up one-by-one – something mantra like 🙂
After countless adjustments…
I finalized bending of the first vent grill. Imho looks waaay better than the 3D printed one 🙂
Of course – metal parts bending it is not the end of the Koolshade construction… In each of the folds, there are small hole, that you need to put through square rods 🙂 – crazy, isnt it?! 🙂
But the final look of the vent its worth of the dedication and hard work.
Combined parts together:
This was the most challanging photoetched parts in my scale-models building career. I found that its impossible to sit with more than one vent in one session 🙂
2 vents left!
In meantime I received waterslide decals for 1/43 Millennium Falcon bought on Etsy.
Its exact copy of 5footer decals, based on Bandai 1/72 scale Millennium Falcon.
