# "Lost in Space Chariot" Building two, I must be crazy.....



## Tim Nolan

OK, I asked you replied, you go it! I was hesitant to start another Chariot thread for fear of complete boredom for you guys, that's why I asked about any interest first. I haven't done any "how-to" stuff in a while, so it should be fun. I'll post photos, as well as links to videos on my website or Photobucket site. The website is still www.ratdaddystudios.com if you don't have it, and there is a seperate folder with all of these build photos in it, as well as Gallery folders for a lot of other builds of all kinds. My Photobucket name is "Finktim" if you wish to follow there, and the folder is "Chariot times two". I update both each time. 

I am going to make all of my modifications to the kit first, for use of the Paragrafix photoetch kit. This thing is superb, and very user friendly. It brings your model to a level of unsurpassed detail. I have started with the grilles, then moved on to the dashboards. Having two kind of makes it easy for some "before/after" shots! Here's where I am so far.

Removing the molded grille with the Dremel tool.









Roughed out opening, time to clean it up by hand with files and X-Acto.









Cleaned up, ready for the new part.









Etched grille mounted from behind.









Comparative photo of new and old grille. Man this thing looks so nice!









Tools I used. Those Xuron sheers for photoetch parts are worth thier weight in gold. Available from Micromark Small Tools.


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## Tim Nolan

Quick links for you:

Website build folder:
http://ratdaddystudios.smugmug.com/...Space/23967726_dTrF6X#!i=1955835428&k=nXFTbKK

Photobucket site folder:
http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l35/Finktim/Chariot times two/

Video #1
http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l35/Finktim/Chariot times two/?action=view&current=001-1.mp4

Video #2
http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l...%20times%20two/?action=view&current=002-1.mp4

Video #3
http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l...%20times%20two/?action=view&current=003-1.mp4
(mild foul language, goofy sense of humor just so you know)


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## Tim Nolan

Video #4 CLICK ON PHOTO


Video #5 CLICK ON PHOTO


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## starseeker

Interest? Of course there's interest! I love build threads, and yours looks like it's going to be a beaut. The Paragrafix details are sure bringing it to life. Will be watching and loving every bit of it. Two of them? Twice as much fun. Thanks for posting!


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## wander1107

Keep them coming Tim. I love your work and your threads provide a great resource for me.


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## kdaracal

You're making me want to do another one.......


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## Tim Nolan

Video #6
http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l35/Finktim/Chariot times two/?action=view&current=001-3.mp4

Video #7
http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l35/Finktim/Chariot times two/?action=view&current=002-3.mp4

Dashboards finished ready for paint and decals









Adding details to the scanner unit


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## Ace Airspeed

kdaracal said:


> You're making me want to do another one.......


Same here!


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## kdaracal

Plugging right along. Fun to follow this one.


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## Tim Nolan

Motoring along on these things.....


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## Paulbo

That's looking super, Tim!

Question: What tool did you use to get the nice, round bends on the handles? They're perfectly round and don't show a bit of tooling marks on them. Nicely done.


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## kenlee

Paulbo said:


> That's looking super, Tim!
> 
> Question: What tool did you use to get the nice, round bends on the handles? They're perfectly round and don't show a bit of tooling marks on them. Nicely done.


I would guess jeweler's pliers like these:


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## Tim Nolan

Paulbo said:


> That's looking super, Tim!
> 
> Question: What tool did you use to get the nice, round bends on the handles? They're perfectly round and don't show a bit of tooling marks on them. Nicely done.


I use a small, smooth pair of pliers I got from MicroMark years ago. My wife used them for jewelry for many years. They are perfectly flat inside, with a rounded outside.


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## Tim Nolan

LED cans mounted inside scanner units










The wonderful Paragrafix photoetched insert for the storage rack floor










Lower grille screen in place










Parts cleaned and ready for paint


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## Tim Nolan

*08/12/2012 update*

I have been behind posting updates guys, too much going on. Lot's of paintwork, starting some sub-assemblies and lot's of test fitting as well.
Here's the two of them at this point...










The scanner units are complete, just need to clear the decals and mount the LED's inside.










I used gloss aluminum and light gunmetal on the units to give them some contrast.










The Paragrafix etch/decal sets are just fantastic!










I keep the builds in these old display boxes to keep things organized and dust-free.


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## teslabe

Tim Nolan said:


> OK, I asked you replied, you go it! I was hesitant to start another Chariot thread for fear of complete boredom for you guys, that's why I asked about any interest first.


The Chariot has always had a special place in my heart and I never tire of following another build, as for being crazy for doing two, well, I'm right there with you in that pursuit...... How are you going to handle your canopies? I finally did mine using "Bare-Metal" Chrome foil for the outside and Lou's orange Vinyl on the inside. I never knew just how easy that foil is to work with and how nice it can turn out, IMHO, you can't get as good a result with paint..... Can't wait for more pictures, they are looking great so far......:thumbsup:


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## Tim Nolan

teslabe said:


> The Chariot has always had a special place in my heart and I never tire of following another build, as for being crazy for doing two, well, I'm right there with you in that pursuit...... How are you going to handle your canopies? I finally did mine using "Bare-Metal" Chrome foil for the outside and Lou's orange Vinyl on the inside. I never knew just how easy that foil is to work with and how nice it can turn out, IMHO, you can't get as good a result with paint..... Can't wait for more pictures, they are looking great so far......:thumbsup:


Thanks! I feel the same way about this kit, and it really is just so nicely done by Moebius. I'm using Lou's masks as well, will paint the silver on the canopy, and use aluminum bare metal on the body trim.


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## Tim Nolan

The Paragrafix photoetch set is magnificent. 










These make the perfect chrome headlight bezels!



































Tackling the robot....


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## Tim Nolan

The B9 robot is very tedious to add the etched parts to, but well worth the effort! (My eyes were buggin' out of my head!) I have almost 90 minutes work in EACH of the robots so far! 




























What a difference!


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## Tim Nolan

I wrapped a very fine soft solder around the post of the scanner antennae and solar panel. It will simulate the flexible rubber cover that was on the real Chariot.



















End result....










I did basic assembly on the front two figures so I can fit the controls in around the wiring. These were pretty rough this time, going to take a lot of putty work to make them look good. (No offense to Drew, because I love the fact that we even have them! They make this kits come alive!)










This is how I paint. I spent 2 hours scraping mold seams off of all the bumpers, handles, roof rack, etc; Now it's time to paint!










My garage paint studio....










Meanwhile back inside....


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## Tim Nolan

Hence the head-mag!


































Someone asked about the tool I bend brass rod with....










More to come later!


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## Fernando Mureb

Hy Tim.

Thank you so much for this extremely well documented job.

An amazing job indeed. Congratulations! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Paulbo

Sweet!

Thanks for all the WIP shots, I'm really enjoying them.


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## Captain Han Solo

Tim, they are looking awesome! Excellent work!
I 100% agree about Paul's Photo-etch!! I need to get the Robot Photo etch for my personal Robot..
Great job!!


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## Tiberious

Very nice build log. I look forward to your next installment. I think it's huge that you (and others) share this stuff so the rest of us can take what you show us and apply it on our own builds....or at least know what it'll take to step up to the next level.

Thanks and keep up the excellent work!

Tib


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## Trekkriffic

Awesome build log! Such a treat to follow along like this. I've always wanted a Chariot but after hearing about all the issues with the treads I decided not to take the plunge myself.


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## fxshop

Sick build Tim... Love it! Randy


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## hal9001

Tim Nolan said:


> Hence the head-mag!


Dem old eyes ain't what they used to be huh? Yeah, I know the feeling! I thank God we don't need hearing to build models....

I've been known to stack two pair of +3.5 reading glasses one on top of the another!

Fun to watch your build Tim. I too have the PGMS PE set and it's interesting to see it in action. Doesn't look like I'm ever gonna get around to mine anytime soon. 

hal9001-


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## Ace Airspeed

Looking great, Tim. :thumbsup:

The Chariot is a very fun kit. I just might have to build another one soon......


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## Tim Nolan

Dash decals installed, and I have clear-coated them since this was taken....










Photo etch parts on the robot parts



















I got a lot more done this weekend, but haven't taken the photos....


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## scifimodelfan

Wow amazing the detail you are putting in to this. I watched your last build and I was in aww with that one and with this one my mouth is on the floor. Absolutely beautiful.


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## kdaracal

Beautiful! That close work photoetch. That's some small work! Pics make it look easier than it must be, huh?


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## Carson Dyle

Very nice build(s), Tim.

I've got one of these on the "to build" pile myself, and I have a question:

Like many others who purchased the Chariot early on, my kit was effected by the "tires and treads melting the styrene parts" issue. Moebius promptly replaced the damaged styrene parts, but the question remains: how does one build this subject without encountering the same problem, i.e. parts melting at some point down the line after assembly is complete? I assume you must have a battle plan for ensuring this does not happen to your Chariots...


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## teslabe

Carson Dyle said:


> Very nice build(s), Tim.
> 
> I've got one of these on the "to build" pile myself, and I have a question:
> 
> Like many others who purchased the Chariot early on, my kit was effected by the "tires and treads melting the styrene parts" issue. Moebius promptly replaced the damaged styrene parts, but the question remains: how does one build this subject without encountering the same problem, i.e. parts melting at some point down the line after assembly is complete? I assume you must have a battle plan for ensuring this does not happen to your Chariots...


I hope it's alright for me to chime in on this question...... What I did was use foil tape on the rims and since mine are R/C modded, I also scratch built the drive hubs. As for the many who believe the tracks are it's weak link, I have to disagree, after all my tracks are under a lot of stress every time I drive them around and they've yet to fail. IMHO it all has to do with what you use to glue them together. I used Loctite "Vinyl" flexible adhesive, it looks nice and is very strong when dry........:thumbsup:


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## Captain Han Solo

Carson Dyle said:


> Very nice build(s), Tim.
> 
> I've got one of these on the "to build" pile myself, and I have a question:
> 
> Like many others who purchased the Chariot early on, my kit was effected by the "tires and treads melting the styrene parts" issue. Moebius promptly replaced the damaged styrene parts, but the question remains: how does one build this subject without encountering the same problem, i.e. parts melting at some point down the line after assembly is complete? I assume you must have a battle plan for ensuring this does not happen to your Chariots...



If Tim dosen't Mind another tip, because I am sure he has his own method, All I did was prime the "wheels" with red automotive primer,Then sprayed a Gloss white on top of that....I have had the kit, My personal kit, for several years now..with no problems.


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## Tim Nolan

Captain Han Solo said:


> If Tim dosen't Mind another tip, because I am sure he ha his own method, All I did was prime the "wheels" with red automotive primer,Then sprayed a Gloss white on top of that....I have had the kit, My personal kit, for several years now..with no problems.


Yes, these guys are right! I think Moebius explained, it was the oils in the rubber tires/treads reacting with the silver plastic tht caused the "melt" problems early on, a chemical reaction. The first one I did I shimmed the hubs in brass, but it was a royal pain. Everyone I have talked to has said that once painted (rims), there is NO problem whatsoever with the rims softening up or collapsing.


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## Tim Nolan

Wow, I'm way behind on updating you folks and I apologize. I have been working on these things almost every night, but we did have a hurricane throw in the works amongst other tidbits of "life gets in the way" and I just haven't been around here much. So, with that said, here's some updates!

OK, here's the simple board I will use for the "voice" of the robot. It has two LED's which blink back and forth, and you can adjust the speed of them. I've played with it enough to simulate the voice action. These were an ebay find, and they are very affordable. I will use two of them in this build. 










I won't bore you with the basic paint phots, jumped ahead to robot assembly a little further along. I ended up spending a total of (16) hours building these two robots! The hard work paid off, I'm very pleased with the results, and he looks cool as hell lit up! 


















I love the power pak etched part!


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## Tim Nolan

I should mention, I had to recolor the decal on the front panel with some Tamiya transparent paint. Once the backlight was added, the colors were too light and washed out. It was simple and I painted the back surface, now they have a nice color! Here's a test light:



















I also made these tiny blackout panels to keep the light in. Too much light was getting into the robot body itself. This is just Plastruct tubing cut in half and cut out, painted flat black.










I decided to do aluminum seat supports again on these builds. First you need to shave the "rocket fins" off the stock base supports:










With that done, I also went ahead and started making a template for the carpet. I did black in my first one, decided to do some cool orange rugs in these! 


















Skipping way ahead, the rugs are fit, and the aluminum tubing cut to fit. There are actually (3) pieces of tubing on EACH chair to get them up to size! They swivel, cool but meaningless once the figures are in! LOL. I just like the look of them, and they are sturdier to support the resin figures. I will tell you, THIS TOOK HOURS!!! 










Seats glued up, and a test fit with the resin figures. Everyone appears comfy!


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## Tim Nolan

I like the orange carpet this time! Very 60's- 70's sheek! LOL.


















And, back to the robot again. I used very fine solder wire to wrap the support post on the bubble top. The actual robot had that flexible covering here, and it simulates it well. 










These are pretty much done on outside assembly, now it's back to the lighting. I wasn't happy with the lighting, so I completely went back and redid it as I had originally had envisioned. 



















This is what I had in mind from the start, but I strayed and found out I should have gone with my first intuition. This design keeps the light focused on the front panel, and allows the red voice lighting to really stand out as well.




























Both robots are complete and ready for installation, time to move on to the next wiring harness!


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## Tim Nolan

Headlight LED's are next. This is pretty cut and dry, so I didn't go crazy with photos. 3mm LED's installed from behind using Permatex black #82180 for a good solid hold and blocks out any light. The wiring, as with all the rest, will go from under the dash, under the front of the scanner, down thru a hole in the floor, then exit thru a hole in the tread base, where it will all be connected to a small control box. With this much wiring, plus some fiber optics to come, it was the only logical decision. 










Both headlight installs done, time to start on the dash lights. Notice I used some black felt to black out the back of the grille!










Before I started STRUGGLING with the dash lights, I finished the scanner LED installation. Same idea, wiring will go thru scanner base and out the same way.










After screwing with this for many hours and not happy with light distribution, this is what I came up with for backlighting the dashboard. This will get adhered to the front inside of the Chariots nose, above the headlights. It's a snug fit, but it does work nicely! The odd angles of the dashboard, along with so much area to try and light, was the big issue. This worked out fairly well. 










I covered the back of the dash with diffusion material from VoodooFx. This stuff is great!










More to come soon! Thanks for looking, comments/criticism always welcome!


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## Captain Han Solo

Excellent work Tim!!


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## Tim Nolan

OK, LED bar finished and test lit. Works great, and this was really easy to make! I used warm white LED's on this so it wasn't ridiculously bright, and it's got a single 220ohm resistor. 










Set in place with Permatex black silicone, it fits great behind the dash!










Test lighting with dash in place. Although you can see light under the dash here, when it's in the Chariot you really don't see too much of it. The warm whites just aren't so intense.


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## Ace Airspeed

Some great work here, Tim. :thumbsup:


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## hal9001

Orange shag charpet! Groovy man, groovy. Are you gonna install a lava lamp too? A strobe light would be hip. A little LDS and they could all go on a wild trip together. They'd all be seeing something more than just a one eyed monster I bet.

I've gotten more than a few good tips from this build Tim. Keep'em comin'.

hal9001-


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## Fernando Mureb

Awesome Tim! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Carson Dyle

Tim Nolan said:


> Everyone I have talked to has said that once painted (rims), there is NO problem whatsoever with the rims softening up or collapsing.


Great; thanks for the feedback, everybody.

And Tim, to reiterate what others have said, wonderful work!


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## armymedic80

You got great pictures and videos. Can't wait to see it all finished up. Thank you for sharing.


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## Tim Nolan

Thanks guys for all of the kind words. I have always enjoyed teaching, and learning. I don't think it's ever NOT a learning process, I learn something new every time I build and step it up just a bit more. That IS one of the most important things to me though, stepping it up a bit each time I build. If it was so easy, everyone would do it, you have to constantly challenge yourself and your skills. And hey, guess what, it doesn't always work the first time!! That's OK, think it out, and do it again. In these builds alone, I have redone the robot and the dash lighting multiple times until I got what I wanted.

I'm a firm believer in having fun too. Even though I build many things to sell to people, I try not to make a "job" like my 8-6 everyday. I try to spend a minimum of 20 minutes EVERY DAY, no matter what. Now, that might turn into 30-45 minutes, or it might be 2 hours if I have the strength and focus, but even if you ONLY do 20 minutes a night, that's still 140 minutes a week, and your build WILL progress, not sit gathering dust! Granted, there are days when I just can't even look at a project, that's OK too, because if you make yourself work on those days you are probably going to screw something up! LOL! Go with your gut feelings!! At any rate, have a good time and enjoy building! Thanks again for tuning in, will post more soon! Tim


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## hal9001

Tim, that's kinda the attitude of one of the early rocket pioneers, forget which one, von Braun maybe?, who said every time they had a problem like an explosion, he said it wasn't a failure but a learning experience. In other words, if it exploded, then don't do it the same way the next time. Figure out what went wrong and fix it!

While model building is't rocket science, it is a perpetual learning experience. :freak: And boy have I learned from mistakes!!!! 

hal9001-


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## Tim Nolan

*Update 9/5/2012*

Ok, did a bunch of work. Todays lesson, how to stuff 10 pounds of sh#t into a 5 pound Chariot!! LOL!!

A ton of spaghetti!










Holes have been drilled in all of the ends of the side benchs and consoles, perfect place to hide the wiring harness.



















Here's a correction you need to know. I had to redrill the exit hole at the bottom of the right hand console, as the dash is actually in the way of the hole I frilled in the top. Make a note! (you can't see the hole on the finished piece, it's very close to the dash) 










The entire bundle exits thru the floor of the upper body area.



















Exit hole for wiring harness to go inside of lower chassis unit.










The scanner is set in place, it's wires also run out the exit hole, and it hides the entire bundle.


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## Tim Nolan

Wow. I've screwed the lower chassis in place, and it's starting to look like something! Long way to go! 










Test fit of Robot and seating, and everything fits real nice. This is such a nice kit. Kudos to Moebius.










The control box is next, have to make sure everything is working before I start detailing the hell out of the rest of it!


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## liskorea317

Looks fantastic! I can't wait to see the figures inside!


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## Tim Nolan

I hooked up the board to test the scanner lighting, and I'm prepping the control box for paint. 

The holes are drilled for the toggle switches. I've installed a 9 volt battery holder inside. 










Short video of lighting test: Click on photo to view: Many thanks to David Duresti for doing my boards on this project. You can find Davids work on ebay regularly, his seller name is simply "DURESTI" and the boards run $10 and include shipping. He's working on a prototype flasher board with 4-5 functions that could be of use to all of us as well. Great stuff!


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## liskorea317

Where do you get the control boxes for your projects, Tim?


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## WEAPON X

Awesome work there, Tim! :thumbsup:

-Ben


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## kdaracal

Fuzzy orange carpet will keep their feet warm on those cold, frozen Inland Sea trips. 

_"Dad, The Bloop squatted on the carpet, again!"_


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## hal9001

kdaracal said:


> _"Dad, The Bloop squatted on the carpet, again!"_


Yeah, I hear nothin's worse than Bloop poop! *Peeennnnyyy...!!!*


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## Tim Nolan

liskorea317 said:


> Where do you get the control boxes for your projects, Tim?


At Radio Shack, very basic boxes and I drill them out to whatever I need to fit. They are cheap too! I like doing cool paint jobs on them!


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## kdaracal

Might be a stupid question:

Are you doing each step simultaneously on both? IE: drill on part "x" for Chariot #1, then drill the same on part "x" of Chariot #2? 
Like a assembly line? Curious about logistics.


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## Tim Nolan

kdaracal said:


> Might be a stupid question:
> 
> Are you doing each step simultaneously on both? IE: drill on part "x" for Chariot #1, then drill the same on part "x" of Chariot #2?
> Like a assembly line? Curious about logistics.


Not a dumb question! Yes I am!!! LOL. I'm a real nut for things being "in order"..... OCD? Probably to some extent.....


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## Tim Nolan

More progress shots.... Last weekend we had really bad storms, so the humidity was off the charts and no painting.... Soooo... I concentrated on some minor assemblies!

The nice resin carry cases tht came with the Crow's Nest figure set were painted, so I did the detail work on them with the brush...










And did some test fitting in the rack... I will make some straps later for everything.


















This control box also came with the resin set, a really nice detail for the joysticks to be installed into later.










Then some easy paintwork on the laser rifles, also the replacements from the resin set.... They are much more in-scale than the kit rifles are.










On my first build, I made a rifle rack using sheet plastic, and drilled some holes in it for looks. It was hard to get the hole patterns correct, and the drill wanted to spin the parts so I destroyed my first attempts. This time, I utilized the left-over parts from the Paragrafix Photoetched parts set, and made this! 


























That's the extra grille, and two of the extra support braces off the rooftop scanner! Worked great! I love it when a plan comes together!


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## Tim Nolan

*Update 9/16/2012*

OK, I finished the control box up on Chariot #1. It works! 



















Short video of working lighting! CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW!


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## Fernando Mureb

Mr Hannibal Smith, you are the best.


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## Tim Nolan

WARNING! CONTAINS YUCKY PHOTOS!!! 

I have been put off-schedule a bit this week, due to second and third degree burns on my left hand. My own dumb fault. I've been working on cars and motorcycles my whole life. Rule #1, never wear jewelry. So, in my haste 7:45 Wednesday morn, tighening a loose positive terminal on my car....

12 Volt battery + ratchet + gold wedding band + touching car frame = instantaneous electrical arc and extreme heat! End result, my wedding band being welded to my ring finger! Yeh, it hurt, and it is still hurting!!

So, I have taken this time to slowly work on cleaning up the resin figures for this build. I have them all primered and have started painting a bit, but moving slow. It's been five days, and I have pain and a wierd numbness all the way up in my arm. I saw my good friend and doctor yesterday morning, and he assured me all is part of the healing process. It's more of an aggravation at this point!


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## Tim Nolan

BACK TO WORK SLACKER!!! 

I have been carefully cleaning up the Crowsnest resin figures for these builds. It took me about 3 hours over a period of 3 days to prep them decently for primering, now I can start painting and detailing them. I'm moving slow anyway because of my hand, but the figures needed a lot of filling and massaging this time. 



















My finger is healing, but still hurts. I dropped by my good friend/fellow modeler/doctors house yesterday morning to have it checked out, so far so good, but it has my whole arm aching and feeling wierd.


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## BOXIE

Sorry to hear about your accident.Looks
very painful.The build looks great.


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## Fernando Mureb

Hi Tim.

I never used my wedding ring. Now I have an alibi to continue doing so. Thank you!

Oh, wait. OK. I'm so sorry for your misfortune. Take care of yourself.


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## Jafo

build coming along nicely. that injury looks painful!(and gross)


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## Tim Nolan

*Update 9/28/2012*

Well, the resin figures are coming along, I'm about halfway there on painting and finishing them. I am using AutoAire onthe outfits and Freak Flex onthe hair and skin tones. So far so good and I'm pleased with the colors. More to come!


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## Tim Nolan

Dr. Smith getting his pants painted!










Girls waiting in primer










This just looked funny as I was painting!! LOL.


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## Xenodyssey

Your figures are looking great. Are you going to do the eyes as well?

I like what you have do with the gun rack and the control box for the joy stick controls. Wish I'd thought of using mesh for my gun rack.


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## Paulbo

Tim Nolan said:


> Dr. Smith getting his pants painted!


I'm sure his fellow shipmates wanted to clamp Dr. Smith's head like that many, many times 

Looks great!


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## Captain Han Solo

Great Job Tim!!!


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## Tim Nolan

Eyes are generally a problem in very small scale, so I'm still up in the air. My first set I did the eyes in white, and dotted their pupils, but a few of them ended up with "Pop-eye", which I was told by other figure modelers I should not have done. I guess the rule of thumb is to just leave the eye area flesh color with some highlighting. I have done some of that, and it's tempting to give a shot again at adding the whites and pupils. I don't want them ending up looking like "Gumby" characters... We'll see.....

Figures I did two years ago.... Penny looks like she just took a crap in her parka.....










See? "Gee Gumby, I don't know...."


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## Xenodyssey

I've found when I do eyes that I do a brownish oval first for each eye, depending on the skin color. Then I do each side of the eyeball as a light grey inside the oval. Then depending on the scale I try to do a highlight on the pupil/iris. Using a grey for the eyeball avoids that gumby eye you mentioned. 

I also try to offset where the iris/pupil is to avoid the blank stare look straight ahead.


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## spocks beard

Tim, Sorry to hear about the accident and wish you a speedy recovery bro.
I haven't been visiting the hobbytalk boards in some time, but wanted to comment on the excellent Chariot builds.
Very well done!
I haven't got around to buying the chariot & Hope to get one soon before they go out of production. It looks like a bit of a challenge painting wise, But will eventually tackle it.:dude:


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## Tim Nolan

spocks beard said:


> Tim, Sorry to hear about the accident and wish you a speedy recovery bro.
> I haven't been visiting the hobbytalk boards in some time, but wanted to comment on the excellent Chariot builds.
> Very well done!
> I haven't got around to buying the chariot & Hope to get one soon before they go out of production. It looks like a bit of a challenge painting wise, But will eventually tackle it.:dude:


It really isn't hard to paint, just take your time when you build yours and have fun with it! As usual, I've taken a fairly simple kit and turned it into a complicated nightmare!! Ha ha ha!!!! But, I love adding the super details and again, Moebius has given us such a gret kit to work from! These LIS kits from them are the kind of kits I've dreamed of for years, so I'm taking every advantage I have at my disposal to build some great models! God bless all of our aftermarket guys too, they have made it all possible!


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## hal9001

Tim Nolan said:


> God bless all of our aftermarket guys too, they have made it all possible!


God bless them? I curse the day they were borne!! Well...let me rephrase that. My *wallet* curses the day they were borne. LOL. I think I have as much aftermarket stuff as I do models.

HAL9001-


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## Seventy7

Hey Tim, my name is Jess and I don't usually come into this area but L.I.S. caught my eye and I just had to tell you how awesome your work is! I loved watching your videos, inspiring stuff for some of the projects I have to finish!

I was planning on getting a few diecast Chariots but after seeing your work I think I'm going to give building one a shot sometime soon.

Just had to say thanks for sharing!


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## Tim Nolan

hal9001 said:


> God bless them? I curse the day they were borne!! Well...let me rephrase that. My *wallet* curses the day they were borne. LOL. I think I have as much aftermarket stuff as I do models.
> 
> HAL9001-


I HEAR THAT!!!!! LOL!!! It's addicting! The Paragrafix etched parts are my favorite, as well as doing lighting! Randy at VoodooFx has been a huge help to me over the years, he pushes me towards more complex lighting Fx and has been great at creating my own ideas with different boards I came up with. I'm also working with a new guy named David Duresi, whose got some cool boards. Decals, resin parts and figures, WE ARE LIVIN' IN GOOD TIMES!!!


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## Tim Nolan

Seventy7 said:


> Hey Tim, my name is Jess and I don't usually come into this area but L.I.S. caught my eye and I just had to tell you how awesome your work is! I loved watching your videos, inspiring stuff for some of the projects I have to finish!
> 
> I was planning on getting a few diecast Chariots but after seeing your work I think I'm going to give building one a shot sometime soon.
> 
> Just had to say thanks for sharing!


Thanks Jess, that means a lot to me buddy! I'm not a contest builder, or out to impress anyone, I just want to build some top-notch models to share with friends and make a little extra $$ in the process! LOL. I enjoy what I am doing, and Lost in space is no doubt a favorite subject. I will be doing (2) more Jupiter 2's next year some time, so stay tuned! You can follow on my website at www.ratdaddystudios.com Thanks again!


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## Tim Nolan

Thank the Good Lord for Lou Dalmaso and Aztek Dummy masks!!! Started masking the first canopy tonight! I'm also still painting the Crow's Nest resin figures, almost done!! Slow going! 1 hr. 15 minutes to do this one! More photos soon!


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## Lou Dalmaso

Thanks Tim!

after the work week I'm having, I can use all the prayers I can get.

:wave:


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## Tim Nolan

Well, I masked off the second canopy and sprayed it tonight, so all of the aluminum color on the outside is now done on both of them. I started on the doors as well, masked them off and got the body color on the lower sections. I will tape those off tomorrow night and shoot the aluminum trim on them, then it will be time to tape the inside with the orange detail. Whew! This stuff is time consuming and tough on the eyesight! LOL. 



















Sorry you had a tough week Lou, mine wasn't too spectacular either. (but your masks made it a bit better!) 

Penny got her third damned paint job. I finally got the right color mustard/babyshit yellow I was looking for! I will next attempt to do some pattern on it like the real one! Argh. 










I did make one boo-boo on canopy #2. I forgot the mask the two front corners on the top, so they are solid silver! It actually looks kinda cool, but there's no changing it now anyway! (This one just became mine!) I don't know how I managed to do that, tired I guess.


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## liskorea317

Couldn't you scrape the paint off using an acrylic stylus? Just take a small piece of clear rod about the width of a pencil, sharpen the tip in a sharpener or any method you care for, then carefully scrape. We used top do this with animation cels that had vinyl paint-the cels would be photographed as soon as they were finished and projected onto a cinema screen, so they had to be clear! And animation cels are not nearly as hard as plastic. You could use some hot water on a paper towel to get started. Just keep the stylus sharp. I used to resharpen on sandpaper.


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## hal9001

Tim Nolan said:


> I did make one boo-boo on canopy #2. I forgot the mask the two front corners on the top, so they are solid silver! It actually looks kinda cool, but there's no changing it now anyway! (This one just became mine!) I don't know how I managed to do that, tired I guess.


Ah, just tell people it's a stunt double! Or, I suppose you _could_ repaint it mustard/babyshit yellow?

They're coming along great Tim!

HAL9001-


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## kenlee

If you used Tamiya spray you can remove it with alcohol.


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## Lou Dalmaso

I tried to do the pattern on Penny's Parka..but it was putrid.

I opted for a more "impessionistic" intrepretation


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## liskorea317

Lou Dalmaso said:


> I tried to do the pattern on Penny's Parka..but it was putrid.
> 
> I opted for a more "impessionistic" intrepretation


That works for me! It doesn't look bad at all!


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## Tim Nolan

Figures are finished and adhered to thier seats! Both canopys have been painted, and I am finishing up on the doors. I have to wait on an order of aluminum Bare Metal Foil to come in so I can do the detail on the ribbing onthe body, then the canopys can go on, and start with all of the outside details.

As you can see, I winged it on the pattern on Pennys jacket!! LOL.


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## scifimodelfan

Absolutely beautiful, I bought mine years ago but am still intimidated by it. Tim you do great work and have always loved watching your builds.

Jim


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## Tim Nolan

scifimodelfan said:


> Absolutely beautiful, I bought mine years ago but am still intimidated by it. Tim you do great work and have always loved watching your builds.
> 
> Jim


Aaawww....... Thanks man. LOL. I appreciate the kind words. Don't be intimidated by this kit, it goes together easy. The canopy painting is the biggest pain in the butt, but worth the time and effort to use the Aztek masking, a HUGE help. I sold this build this morning to one of my regular patrons, he has my last Jupiter 2 among others in his collection. I'm glad to see it going to a great home. The second build is mine. I may attempt this "twin build" thing next year with the Jupiter 2 again. (and YES, one will be mine!!)


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## Tim Nolan

Applying Bare Metal Foil to all of the thin body trim....










This stuff looks so good when applied correctly....


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## Tim Nolan

Short "walk-around" video of finished work thus far.... Click on photo:


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## kdaracal

Love all the work you've done, and your interpretation of everything. Great job, Tim!


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## Tim Nolan

Alrighty then! I used this metalic tape to fabricate the upper solar blinds.










Once cut and shaped to fit, (simply by pushing it up into the windows, it holds it's shape perfectly!), I adhered it using some of the scrap vinyl from Aztec Dummies masking kit, and then reinforced it with some watch crystal cement.










As you can see, nice results....










The ladder rungs were PUSHED into place, no cement required they lock in place so tight. I'm a firm believer that the less adhesive you use on clear parts, the better!










Next step was to use Bare Metal Foil on all of the the solar curtains, and start mounting all of them.. These things are a ROYAL pain! 










The larger curtains really bug me, because they are smooth on the top, and just don't make sense! On the very first Chariot I built, I made all of the curtains with the metal tape, and it wasn't too bad. But, it was a lot of work for marginal results. So, I used the Dremel to cut all of the lines on top of the drapes to match the sides. It looks much better!










Once all the drapes were foiled and installed, (two evenings of work, several hours!), then it was time for the canopy installation. My first attempt was to stick the door hinge pins in the canopy, and tape them in place. In this manner, I could install the canopy, and install the doors at one time. No muss, no fuss. Nice try.... The door pins are too long, and the doors made the canopy "levitate" above the body. that killed that. doors all removed, canopy test fitted, and it sat perfectly. Removed canopy again, and went around the entire mounting surface with Krystal Kleer watch cement. (this is a clear, silicone adhesive available from micromark Small Tools. Great stuff!).
The canopy was carefully set in place, and allowed to dry for several hours. Once solid, I set about carefully sanding down the door hinge pins a little at a time, until I could force each door into place. 3 out of 4 stay hinged, the left rear can fall off. I ran into this same problem on my first one a few years ago, but it is a minimal problem. At this point, you could either glue them in place, or some of them, and leave the rest open for access. I contacted my buyer, he left it up to me. I decided to leave them all loose, as they will stay closed and in place, a snug fit in the closed position. 

Once all the doors were mounted, I set about applying chrome foil to all of the spotlight lenses, and mounting them in place. The scanner was also set in place with watch cement. The luggage rack was pushed into place firmly, no glue. My last thing to do was to make the luggage straps, using the metal tape once again. I simply folded it onto itself, then used the X-Acto to cut strips to the lengths I needed. Once set in place, the folds were glued with thick CA glue. 

The first build is basically done, this one is already sold. All that's left is to go over the entire build, clean it, and make sure everything is perfect for shipping. I'll do any minor touch-up at the end as well. I have also prepared a dust cover for the buyer to keep this baby clean!


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## Tim Nolan

(You'll notice inthese shots the luggage straps are not in place! I almost forgot!)


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## Tim Nolan




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## Tim Nolan

So, my work here is done. Not really, I still have to finish the second one, a few more weeks work probably. (Oh, and I know there is a tiny piece of foil on the rear that needs fixed! Got it!) Questions and comments always welcome. This is something I planned to do for a while, I'll be glad to put it behind me now and start on my next projects. I have a lot of fun stuff lined up for 2013.
Stay tuned!


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## Fernando Mureb

*G A S P !* 

The excellent photos honoring the model. Thank you Tim. :thumbsup:


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## xsavoie

Put a short video on you tube in low light and darkness to show you Chariot and lights display.


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## liskorea317

Are there no lenses on the headlights?


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## liskorea317

Really beautiful work, Tim


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## Dave S

Great work Tim. Thanks for sharing. 
Could you provide the manufacturer details on the tape you used for the solar reflectors? 
Thx,
Dave S


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## Tim Nolan

liskorea317 said:


> Are there no lenses on the headlights?


No, there are no lenses. The kit lenses are too large to adapt properly, so I may make some from sheet acetate and score it. (or I might leave them open, with just the LED's behind them as they are now)


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## Tim Nolan

Dave S said:


> Great work Tim. Thanks for sharing.
> Could you provide the manufacturer details on the tape you used for the solar reflectors?
> Thx,
> Dave S


Theres no name on the roll, but it is used in the air conditioning field. Believe it or not, my A/C guy left it in my attic about 5 yrs. ago, and I haven't been able to find any like it since!!! LOL!!! It has an almost clothlike texture to it, is thicker than foil tape, and holds whatever shape you give it!!


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## Paulbo

I love seeing every update.



Tim Nolan said:


> No, there are no lenses. The kit lenses are too large to adapt properly, so I may make some from sheet acetate and score it. (or I might leave them open, with just the LED's behind them as they are now)


Have you though about "google eyes" that you can get at the craft supply store?


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## Fernando Mureb

Tim Nolan said:


> No, there are no lenses. The kit lenses are too large to adapt properly, so I may make some from sheet acetate and score it. (or I might leave them open, with just the LED's behind them as they are now)


Tim

If my memory is not betraying me (wich happens quite frequently), I guess that Teslabe found a solution for this same situation about the headlights. I just don't remember the thread. :wave:


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## teslabe

Fernando Mureb said:


> Tim
> 
> If my memory is not betraying me (wich happens quite frequently), I guess that Teslabe found a solution for this same situation about the headlights. I just don't remember the thread. :wave:


Hi Fernando, I'm glad there's someone who read my posts.....


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## Fozzie

A most remarkable build. I've done the chariot myself and it can be quite a challenge. Congratulations--you really nailed it!


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## Fernando Mureb

teslabe said:


> Hi Fernando, I'm glad there's someone who read my posts.....


Only smart guys read them.


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## Tim Nolan

*Finished!!!!*

4 months and 1 week, approximately 175-200 hrs. later, the two of them are done! I am quite pleased with the final product, hopefully my client will be with his purchase. The second one will stay in my own collection! Woohoo! Thanks for following along, I hope it helps you out on your own builds in the future! It's always a learning experience for me as well! Onward!


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## kdaracal

So nice of you to take us along for the journey. Top drawer all the way. Yep, this is why I like HT.

Thank you, sir. My hat's off to you!


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## WEAPON X

Sweet looking rides!
-Ben G.


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## jimpeachey

Damn, i have one of these in the post and was just searching for some research photos. Having found this thread i am now scared to death of receiving this model. What a truly magnificent build


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