# Polar Lights Jupiter 2 (1965) from Lost in Space - Rework



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I built the original Polar Lights Jupiter 2 kit back about 20 years ago but was never completely satisfied with it. 
At the time, I was just getting back into model building after a long layoff and did not have the expertise 
I have now to make the model better than it was so this was pretty much a straight from the box build. 
I did actually buy a set of aftermarket decals for the interior back then but I never got around to applying them, that is, until now. 
The photos that follow detail my attempt at turning this somewhat inaccurate sow of a kit into a silk purse or something close to that. 
Initially I was intending to just apply the decals but, as the decals required me to scratch build certain items anyway, I decided to go all in and modify other areas not related to the decals as well. Things like the pilot seats, the computer wall, etc. that were either woefully inaccurate or lacking in detail.

So here we go. Now if I seem to get lost or go off course, don't worry, there's no Doctor Smith here to sabotage my return...

First I laid out the separate elements of the model on my workbench - the upper saucer hull, upper deck, and lower deck and saucer:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Components by Steve J, on Flickr

Not sure where I got these decals but I know they were made by a fella named Jim James back in 1998. 
The decals are cross-referenced to the individual Polar Lights kit part numbers; fortunately, I still had the original kit instructions to help me with decal placement:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Aftermarket Decals by Steve J, on Flickr

First decals were applied to the lower deck auxiliary control console. 
The decals will go a long way to improving this model. Polar Lights really missed the boat by not including any decals with this kit:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Auxiliary Control Console Decals by Steve J, on Flickr

Veered a tad off course and decided to modify the height of the upper dome. Ron Gross is considered an authority on the Jupiter 2 studio model and he helped design this kit. One thing he recommended when doing his own buildup of this model was to reduce the height of the upper saucer dome by 15%:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Sanding Down Upper Dome by Steve J, on Flickr

More to come...


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The kit came with nothing included for installation under the upper dome. 
I couldn’t find much of anything showing this missing apparatus which can be seen spinning under the dome during takeoffs and landings when the ship is standing on its landing gear. 
Fortunately, a fellow modeler on Hobby Talk provided me with some photos of his own build showing me what was missing. 
Here I have scratched what is commonly referred to as the “V spinner”: 


Jupiter 2 - Rework- V Spinner for Upper Dome by Steve J, on Flickr

I used Figure 2 for reference when scratching the pilots seats. Decals 6 and 7 will be added to the sides of the seat frames to represent holes, Decal 8 is for the lower aux control seat which is slightly different from the two seats on the upper flight deck:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Decal Instruction Details by Steve J, on Flickr

The horrible bench seats had to be sliced off the upper flight deck using saws and a scribing tool. 
Polar Lights wanted them molded on to reduce the kit’s parts count rather than provide separate, more accurate seats. 
I wish they had just left the seats off entirely which would have saved us modelers the trouble of having to remove them ourselves:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Bench Seat Removal by Steve J, on Flickr

Using photos I googled of aftermarket produced pilot seats I cut out some pieces from thin styrene sheet to make my own seats from scratch:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Pilot Seat Side Panel by Steve J, on Flickr

Each seat is made up of 24 pieces of styrene plastic:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Scratch Built Pilot Seats by Steve J, on Flickr

After spraying with Krylon Gloss Black I hand brushed the seat frames with Testors Aluminum.
Once this dries I will apply the black “hole” decals to the sides:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- New Pilot Seats Painted by Steve J, on Flickr

Stand by for next installment...


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

I was hoping to build mine OOB, but was disappointed with a lot of the way it was it was designed. I was still happy to finally have a proper JII kit, though it took lots of mods to make it into something like a silk purse!

Here are my interior mods:


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

That looks nice Chuck. Where did you get the pilot seats and figures? Those figures look a lot like the ones from the “The Voyager“ flying submarine kit, what little I can see of them; just the way the hands are positioned,


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

You got that right, the figures are from an old flying sub kit, repurposed in the best tradition of Irwin Allen! I made the seats from scratch, and I accidentally super glued my fingers to one of them in the process lol! I also added the wall between the airlock & comms panel, and built the soffit.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chuck Eds said:


> You got that right, the figures are from an old flying sub kit, repurposed in the best tradition of Irwin Allen! I made the seats from scratch, and I accidentally super glued my fingers to one of them in the process lol! I also added the wall between the airlock & comms panel, and built the soffit.


That soffit looks great. I may use that for my build. I need a place to mount the LED’s to light the upper deck and the soffit would work well for that. Would just need to open some rectangular holes with clear styrene Inserts.
Also was thinking about the wall you added between the airlock and comma station. I have been planning to do the same thing on this rework.


----------



## Alien (Sep 5, 2001)

Really nice job on the pilot seats. 
Much better than the molded in 'bench' seats in the kit.
As the seats are easily viewable through the main windows, I think that your time, effort and 24 parts is well worth it.

I love that you have mounted your seats on popsicle sticks for painting. They are my 'Go To' holding implements too. 

I also have this kit but have never built it. I am half way through the Moebius version that I will get back to at some point, fingers crossed.
I did build a LED Fusion core to fit in the Moebius model and this will also fit in the Polar Lights version (With shorter LED wires.) I just have to get started.


----------



## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I did a 100% scratchbuilt interior on my unbuilt Jupiter 2, turning it into the Gemini XII years ago, I even altered the lower exterior hull to more closely match the original Gemini XII.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Greetings Lost in Space fans! Here's today's update.

Flight deck mods...

The rectangular computer consoles had to be cut off the main flight console for reshaping. 
They will also be sprayed a silverish grey color before reattachment. 
The white styrene sheet was cut to cover up the holes left in the console.
Also, the area of the floor where I cut off the seats got some additional sanding:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Removal of Flight Consoles by Steve J, on Flickr

The consoles had a slant on the backside that needed to be filled in since the consoles are squarish in cross section. 
They also sit on a base running along the backside that leaves an undercut in front facing the pilots. 
So I flipped the part over and made the bottom the top and covered the hole (from cutting them off the main console) with styrene sheet. 
They still need to be puttied and sanded before primer and paint:

[/url
][url=https://flic.kr/p/2mjQ48B]Jupiter 2 - Rework- Cockpit Computer Consoles by Steve J, on Flickr

Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Deck Floor Color

I decided to airbrush the entire upper floor rather than try to repaint just the cockpit area as I did not have any MM Dark Tan in my paint drawer and the custom mix I brushed on previously just did not match. The closest I came was a mix of Testors flat white and light brown. The hardest part was masking off all the walls and tubes before spraying. Turned out to be a pretty close match to the 20 year old paint color and the floor looks much better now. The light tan disc to the right will be laid in the center of the deck:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Deck Floor Color by Steve J, on Flickr

The center circle painted Testors Light Tan is laid in the center of the upper deck after the dark tan/brown paint has dried:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Deck Floor Repaint by Steve J, on Flickr

Working on the staterooms... 

The Murphy beds, desks, and pillows were scratched using sheet styrene, styrene rod, and chrome bare metal foil. 
After the cabins are done, this rework project goes right into the toilet as I will work on the lavatory:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Staterooms by Steve J, on Flickr

A screen cap expanded to show the lavatory layout for my scratch built staterooms and lavatory:

[/url
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2msBeFN]Jupiter 2 - Rework- Blueprint Lower Deck Detail by Steve J, on Flickr

Suddenly, the Jupiter 2 takes a detour...

I scratched these static discharge tuber from clear acrylic rod and styrene tubing. These were painted Testors steel and will mount into holes drilled into the upper deck floor between each pair of stasis tubes:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Static Discharge Tubes by Steve J, on Flickr

Prior to painting I test fit the tubes into their holes between the stasis tubes. They will be glued into place using CA glue:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Static Discharge Tubes Test Fit by Steve J, on Flickr

Now back to the lower deck...

The center circle was cut from thin sheet styrene and will be airbrushed with Testors Flat Tan. 
The entire lower deck floor will eventually be gloss coated:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Center Circle Cut and Test Fit by Steve J, on Flickr

More to come.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Jupiter 2 takes a hard jog to starboard to ... Magnets!?

I had decided awhile back to take the uppermost top piece of the upper hull and glue it to the lower upper hull ring; some might call it the middle ring between the top and bottom parts of the hull. Then I decided I may want to show this ship in flight mode; hopefully, I can think of a way to use rare earth magnets to use the landing gear without having to permanently attach the landing struts. Either way, I wanted the upper and lower halves of the ship to stick together without gluing so I went ahead and positioned four magnets in the lower hull that stick to metal washers in the upper hull...

Careful measuring was needed to make sure the magnets and washers aligned and mated together properly:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Magnets and Washers by Steve J, on Flickr

Metal washers mate to the magnets in the lower hull. I used epoxy and CA glue to hold the parts together when making the posts:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- by Steve J, on Flickr

I used a total of four super strong magnets to hold the two saucer halves together:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Magnets Installed by Steve J, on Flickr

Whoa! we just made a loop the loop to... Main hatch outward facing.

Scratched the outward facing side of the main hatch on the upper deck. I used MM Intermediate Blue for the piece on the left and MM Medium Grey for the piece on the right:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Main Hatch Outward Facing Parts by Steve J, on Flickr

I glued the two pieces for the main hatch together using white glue. Turned out better than I thought it would:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Main Hatch Putward Facing Assembled by Steve J, on Flickr

Hold on we're back on course again! OK.

Here are some screen grabs of one fan's idea of the lavatory. I'll use these for reference when I make my own tiny lavatory and laundry room for my build. He seems to have followed the layout shown on the studio blueprint putting the toilet back in the left corner across from the electronic shower. The shower and toilet are separated from the laundry room by a folding privacy screen. There is a sink outside across from the electronic washing machine.

Anyway, here are the screen grabs...

Good view of the front of the automatic laundry machine next to the electronic shower:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Jupiter 2 Walkthrough Screen Cap by Steve J, on Flickr

The electronic shower:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Jupiter 2 Walkthrough Screen Cap by Steve J, on Flickr

The toilet:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Jupiter 2 Walkthrough Screen Cap by Steve J, on Flickr

The sink:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Jupiter 2 Walkthrough Screen Cap by Steve J, on Flickr

Next I'll post images of the lavatory. I think i got it pretty close to what you see in the screen grabs.


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

Hopefully you can find some TP, it looks the hoarding has begun again! The new mods are looking good. 👍


----------



## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Huge improvements going on there! I like the magnet solution for joining the hulls.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

So into the loo we go...

I finished the lavatory following what I could make out from the blueprints. The floor of the lower deck will need some more work to get rid of the swirls and brushstrokes left by the gloss varnish:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Lavatory by Steve J, on Flickr

Nice view of the sink and toilet. The toilet has a red lid and black seat made of styrene tubing and a toilet paper roll dispenser:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Sink and Lavatory by Steve J, on Flickr

The clear shower enclosure is a tube made from an empty exacto blade package and has a small control panel scratched from styrene strip and rod with green, red, and blue buttons. A tiny soap dish is mounted next to it. Above is a showerhead. Of course there is also a floor drain:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Electronic Shower by Steve J, on Flickr

The sink has separate faucets with red and blue (hot and cold) "handles" which are small dots of paint dotted on with a sharpened toothpick. Above the sink is an orange-red lever for operating the stopper (I think). Above the sink is a mirror made from a piece of leftover tin photo-etch. A folding privacy screen separates the sink/laundry area from the toilet and shower:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Lavatory by Steve J, on Flickr

To finish the lavatory I had to make the folding accordion doors that it and the staterooms had. So I made four folding doors using some very narrow Evergreen U channel tubing:

[/url
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mvHUNj]Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Parts for Cabin and Lavatory Screens by Steve J, on Flickr

I brush painted the screens with MM Light Gull Grey:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Stateroom Folding Screens by Steve J, on Flickr

The lower deck chair has some extra long armrests I scratched per the decal instructions:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Aux Conrol Chair by Steve J, on Flickr

Lower deck dining table with integrated stools...

Not bad work on these tiny stools:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Dining Table and Stools by Steve J, on Flickr

Carved to final shape using an exacto knife and files:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Dining Table Stools by Steve J, on Flickr

I glued the auxiliary control seat into place with epoxy. The lab, lavatory, and staterooms are done except for decals:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Cabins, Lavatory, Etc by Steve J, on Flickr

Next time...

Lower deck lab and upper deck computer wall.


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

Wow, that's some amazing detail work! I never even attempted the lower deck, but then I did want to have the landing gear wells so there wouldn't have been enough room anyway.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Greetings! Back with the latest updates…

The main back wall lab console was scratched along with a smaller console to the right. The lab counters were painted with a custom mixed green color:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Lab by Steve J, on Flickr

The 2 dimensional panel representing the 3D Inertial Navigation System was cut out and removed leaving an opening for construction of a niche to house new parts made from scratch. I used a metal craft store bead for the ball and a short length of aluminum tubing for the base. A backbone of piano wire will be epoxied after insertion into a hole in the center of the bead then thru a black styrene disc on the top of the base, then down thru the base to exit thru another hole in the floor of the niche:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Making Inertial Nav System Replacement Parts for Computer Wall Niche by Steve J, on Flickr

This computer wall has a lot going on but it’s coming along nicely:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Inertial Nav and Vector Tape Systems by Steve J, on Flickr

Still need to finish installing the walls in the Inertial Navigation System niche. One of the vector tape reels is done and looks good in this test fit. The reels will be painted an orange yellow color before being glued in place. 
The compu-translator below the vector tapes is carved from a block of styrene and painted black, it will eventually be painted silver grey. It will get a decal with control gauges, buttons, and dials on its face later on:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Computer Wall Mods by Steve J, on Flickr

Looking down from behind the wall, above the inertial navigation dome and stanchions. The bumps on the top of the dome were made from very skinny styrene rod cut into thin slices and stuck to the dome using a pin and epoxy. Then I took a pointy toothpick and dotted them with silver enamel:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Inertial Navigation System by Steve J, on Flickr

Have a couple of decals to apply but otherwise this is ready to be glued back into the model:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Computer Wall Done by Steve J, on Flickr

The finished dining table:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Dining Table and Attached Chairs by Steve J, on Flickr

Next i modify the landing legs.


----------



## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Looks great! I can just imagine the arguments over the bathroom.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

StarshipClass said:


> Looks great! I can just imagine the arguments over the bathroom.


One wonders who would commandeer the shower more often- the girls or Doctor Smith?


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Any spaceship worth it's salt needs good landing legs...

Thin squarish Plastruct strips were trimmed to the necessary curvature then forced into the open slots before being brushed with liquid Testors glue:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Landing Gear Mod - Ribs by Steve J, on Flickr

Slots were sliced and sawed out for inserting styrene strips trimmed to form the characteristic ribs seen on the landing pads of the full size set model:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Landing Gear Mods- Slits for Ribs by Steve J, on Flickr

From left to right you can see the steps I took to accurize the landing pads:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Landing Gear Mods by Steve J, on Flickr

Lines were scribed into the pad, then a pedestal was built around the bottom of each pad, then slots were cut into the top and upper half, then thin styrene sheet was trimmed and fit into each slot to make the ribs. They'll be puttied and sanded and painted Metallic Aluminum same as the hull. 

I made a styrene tube in the top of each landing leg for the rare earth magnet to be glued into with epoxy....


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Tray for Magnet by Steve J, on Flickr

I brushed some Mister Surfacer on the landing pad. The plastic “baseball bat” telescoping struts need to go:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Landing Pad Primed by Steve J, on Flickr

Here are the three legs with their magnets installed:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Magnets Mounted to Legs by Steve J, on Flickr

My next task will be to remove the awful plastic kit "telescoping strut" from the top of each pad. 
I will then make new struts using brass and aluminum tubing.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Finally got around to wiring up the projector on the underside. Sort of a poor man’s rotational effect using flashing LED’s: 


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Light Test by Steve J, on Flickr

I just wasn’t prepared to spend around 80 bucks to get one of the plug and play LED chaser boardss so went the cheaper route.


----------



## Alien (Sep 5, 2001)

This is looking fantastic. Great work!
Your 'poor mans' version of the fusion core actually looks pretty good. Well done!

I love your lower deck. Is the ceiling height high enough or do the crew have to stoop? Isn't television wonderful?


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Alien said:


> This is looking fantastic. Great work!
> Your 'poor mans' version of the fusion core actually looks pretty good. Well done!
> 
> I love your lower deck. Is the ceiling height high enough or do the crew have to stoop? Isn't television wonderful?


The lower deck has a lower ceiling than the upper deck but the crew don’t have to stoop because everything is a smaller scale down below. I know that because I made the two upper and one lower deck pilot seats the same size before realizing this and the lower seat looks oversized after I installed it. So I postulate that the Jupiter 2 is able to shrink the crew as they descend the elevator or ladder to the lower deck and restore them to normal when they ascend. This effect is even more pronounced for those venturing even lower into the engine room.


----------



## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Trekkriffic said:


> The lower deck has a lower ceiling than the upper deck but the crew don’t have to stoop because everything is a smaller scale down below. I know that because I made the two upper and one lower deck pilot seats the same size before realizing this and the lower seat looks oversized after I installed it. So I postulate that the Jupiter 2 is able to shrink the crew as they descend the elevator or ladder to the lower deck and restore them to normal when they ascend. This effect is even more pronounced for those venturing even lower into the engine room.



HTPOTD by Milton Fox, on Flickr


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

This is some seriously awesome work, bro. I have one & it's still in development hell....


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> This is some seriously awesome work, bro. I have one & it's still in development hell....


Thanks Chris! Do you have the Polar Lights or the Moebis model?


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Trekkriffic said:


> Thanks Chris! Do you have the Polar Lights or the Moebis model?


Polar Lights. This is what the mess looks like as of today. I did a lot of work, so finishing it up won't be all that difficult- when I GET to it... (notice I made the front viewport ever-so-slightly smaller-?)


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

And you corrected the hatch too! 👍 I did the same.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Did either of you correct the position of the round port to the right of the main hatch?
My understanding is it needs to be moved to the right about an eighth of an inch to line up properly with the interior walls. I’ve been debating whether or not to attempt fixing this myself.


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Trekkriffic said:


> Did either of you correct the position of the round port to the right of the main hatch?
> My understanding is it needs to be moved to the right about an eighth of an inch to line up properly with the interior walls. I’ve been debating whether or not to attempt fixing this myself.


My take was that it was so small a thing that it didn't justify the work involved. The viewport & hatch were my main concerns.


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

Same here, viewport & hatch were the main things. I'm not sure the round window would line up to the interior if it were moved over and down to the correct position anyway.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I tend to agree with both of you. Not sure I should cut it out if I’m not moving it though so will probably just paint it black. I am serially considering raising the lower lip of the main viewport though as there should be a low shelf between the windows and the three rectangular computers above the three flight consoles. As it stands now the outer shelf is almost level with the shelf the computers sit on.


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

You can see from the inside how I re-framed the viewport.


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Chuck Eds said:


> You can see from the inside how I re-framed the viewport.


Me too...


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

Great minds think alike lol!


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Greetings Lost In Space fans! 
Sorry for the long gap between posts... the Jupiter's communication console needed some work but she's back in business... for now. 

Anyway, here we go with some new stuff!

After much procrastinating I commenced working on the hull landing gear magnets...

The kit's landing gear insert hole will be filled with putty. The telescoping strut fits into the round hole nearer the rim of the saucer:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Landing Gear Hull Magnets by Steve J, on Flickr

Three rare earth magnets are glued in flush with the landing gear indent surfaces. 
The indents will be covered by a thin piece of sheet styrene painted to match the hull:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Landing Gear Magnets in Hull by Steve J, on Flickr

Interior:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Saucer Magnets by Steve J, on Flickr

The landing gear work is almost complete. Just need some pointing up with AVES and some paint now...

The reworked legs with their metal tubing struts and rare earth magnets installed:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- New Struts Complete by Steve J, on Flickr

Testing the new struts with the hull magnets installed...

The landing leg magnets literally "grabbed" the magnets embedded in the underside of the saucer forming a very strong union. I also placed the decks inside the saucer to see how the legs handled the weight. No problem! The hull and legs have yet to be repainted at this point:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Test Fit Saucer with Magnetized Landing Struts by Steve J, on Flickr

Lower deck underside grinding...

I had to carve out these shallow ovoid recesses using a milling bit in my Dremel to provide clearance for the landing strut magnets:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Underside Lower Deck Grinding by Steve J, on Flickr

Good hygiene signage...

Got this idea from a fan made tour of the lower deck video. I had to hang it to the right of the toilet rather than behind it as in the fan video though:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lavatory Signage by Steve J, on Flickr

New astrogator dome finally ready...

After much polishing and several coats of acrylic Krylon Gloss UV Resistant Clear spray the new dome is done. 
This will replace the cracked kit dome which I will have to remove from the base:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- New Printed Astrogator Dome by Steve J, on Flickr 

Here's the LED arrangement for the atomic motor...

Three pairs of serial wired flashing and non-flashing warm white LEDs:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Atomic Engine LEDs Arranged by Steve J, on Flickr

Prior to repainting the atomic motor projector cover, I masked off the clear side panels inside and out using Tamiya tape. Unfortunately, the bottom panels that should have been clear were painted silver over 20 years ago with lacquer so they will remain that way now:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Atomic Powercore Projector Cover by Steve J, on Flickr

Next up... lower deck lab rework...


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I added a bullnose edge to the counters in the lab and repainted them. 
I then added tiny spigots/valves to the bottom front of each of the the three tall algae tanks. 
I also painted some tiny warning symbols on the device to the left of the tanks using red enamel and a very fine brush:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lab Counters and Algae Tanks by Steve J, on Flickr

I painted the silver tanks upper and lower caps with aluminum enamel. The valves were made from tiny craft pins: 


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Algae Tanks and Counters by Steve J, on Flickr

More lower deck work...

I fed the two wires from the projector LEDs up under the lab algae tank counter to exit out the lab's back wall. 
Now that the deck is glued into the lower hull I can work on the lower flight deck window and crash doors 
which will be built in place attached to the sidewalls and lower hull:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Deck Installed by Steve J, on Flickr

Made some quick sketches of the electronic washing machine that Maureen Robinson used. 
It could wash, dry, and fold clothes in seconds using sonic waves:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Electronic Washing Machine by Steve J, on Flickr

I used brass sheet and piano wire along with styrene tubing and rod to make the sonic washing machine:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Electronic Washing Machine by Steve J, on Flickr


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Electronic Washing Machine by Steve J, on Flickr

The electronic (sonic) washing machine was installed with epoxy in the lavatory across from the wash tub:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Washing Machine by Steve J, on Flickr

The washing machine was painted MM medium grey. I also applied some additional detailing using some leftover decals for vents and control knobs:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Washing Machine by Steve J, on Flickr

Back to the upper deck...

I glued a piece of thin styrene sheet to bridge the gap between the main flight control console and the main viewports:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Window Shelf Extension by Steve J, on Flickr

I taped over the upper hull clear window, then held it in place inside the hull with my hand while I traced the outline of the window frame using an ink pen. I'll use this for reference when I make new windows and frames from scratch:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Making a Template by Steve J, on Flickr

Next up... more astrogator work.


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

This is simply incredible work! Mine won't be anything close to this. My only wrinkle is that it's gonna be the J2 after getting back from being lost in space... with severe weathering...


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> This is simply incredible work! Mine won't be anything close to this. My only wrinkle is that it's gonna be the J2 after getting back from being lost in space... with severe weathering...


Well if you are doing the severely weathered look, I’ll try to make mine look only a little the worse for wear. Or I may just have a clean build.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Alright LIS fans, back with the next installment after some issues with the astrogator sent us
somewhere Doctor Smith thought would be nice to visit... not sure I believe him but... anyway, here we go...

The astrogator was redone to be more accurate to the filming miniature.
The original clear dome was cracked, and since I couldn't get a replacement from Polar Lights, I had a new one printed for me by meatloafr over on AST.
He sent me several to practice on as I needed to finish the curing, sanding, and polishing steps.
Not the greatest photo but I'll get a better picture once I'm done retouching the paint:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Astrogator Reworked Parts by Steve J, on Flickr

I added a second ring between the ribs and the base ring using .015 thick styrene sheet trimmed to a width of 2 mm.
I then hand brushed the rings and a few other areas with thick grey primer:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Astrogator Base Rings Primed by Steve J, on Flickr

I brushed most of the astrogator with a mix of Testors Flat Tan and Light Ivory enamels.
Once it's dry I'll paint over the upper base ring with Light Ivory:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Astrogator Base Rings Painted by Steve J, on Flickr

Raw materials...

The circular, white course adjustment ring (with black hashmarks) that sits just inside the clear astrogator dome
was made from a promotional flexible clear plastic ruler and magnifier I'd had in my stash for years. 
I found out that Doctor Smith had used a magnet to drag this ring sideways to a new location thus altering the Jupiter 2's course:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Astrogator Nav Ring Material by Steve J, on Flickr

Not sure what this was called but there's a photo I have of Will adjusting
some knobs and looking into the visor of what I'd call a stereoscopic viewing scanner. 
It's located in the station to the left of the upper deck main hatch, right of the flight deck windows.
I find making a pencil sketch can help to familiarize me with an objects shape before I attempt to construct it in plastic:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Long Range Viewer Sketch by Steve J, on Flickr

From sketch to plastic...

Pretty happy with how this turned out.
The long range telescope/viewer is made from 12 tiny parts glued together with tiny drops of CA.
It was base painted black then silver using enamels.
The black knobs and visor need a little touching up with the black. I may also paint the base section steel:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Long Range Viewer Silver Basecoat by Steve J, on Flickr

On to installation...

A hole was drilled using a pinvise into the slanted face of the main communication console to the right of the main view port.
Then I clipped off all but an eighth inch the piano wire embedded in the underside of the Viewer and glued it into the hole with CA:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Long Range Viewer Installed by Steve J, on Flickr

Just a few small touch ups to do and this station will be finished.
I still need to add red and green dots to some buttons on the long range viewer too:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Communication Station Decaled by Steve J, on Flickr

Just for a strength check, I assembled the decks inside the hull and held it up about 5 feet off the floor to give the complete model a shake.
The four rare earth magnets holding the upper and lower hull halves together held firmly which was a relief.
Actually, I was 99% sure they would hold but... you never know for sure unless you test it.
The final test, after I finish the lighting, will include at least one, more likely two, 9 volt batteries.
So ... I'm hopeful the magnets will still hold:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Magnet Strength Test by Steve J, on Flickr

Back soon with more work on the lower deck observation station with it's large viewport and cover.


----------



## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

When the ship was landed, I think they indeed use random flashing lights in the fusion core. 

I like the mods on the landing gear--big improvement!


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I've locked Doctor Smith in the engine room for a little while so I can post this update without his interference.
I don't think there's anything in there he can mess with; besides, the radiation will do wonders for his pale complexion. 
Maureen wasn't sure this was a good idea but at least Debbie agrees with me... I think:


Debbie the Bloop by Steve J, on Flickr

Anyway, here's another update...

I did a sketch on paper to help me construct the interior window and cover of the lower deck observatory:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Observatory Window Sketch by Steve J, on Flickr

The sketch is based on a page from a schematic in a fan made Operations Manual:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Page from Jupiter 2 User Guide by Steve J, on Flickr

It appears to be faithful to the full size set design so will need some adjustments to match the much lower profile of the Polar Lights model which strives to match the shape of the filming miniature:

The full size set:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Show Still by Steve J, on Flickr

The crash doors/covers for the lower observatory window would be made using two layers of Plastruct styrene sheet (dark and light grey) recessed inside an opening cut in .040 styrene sheet:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Obervatory Crash Door Layers by Steve J, on Flickr

The observatory window cover will be inset within the boundaries defined by the masking tape:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Observatory Cover Placement by Steve J, on Flickr

The lower window framing was glued in place using narrow styrene channel:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Crash Doors and Window Framing by Steve J, on Flickr

I cut and trimmed three pieces of thin clear plastic sheet to make the window panes and framed them with more styrene channel:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Observatory Windows by Steve J, on Flickr

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out for the observatory window port and cover:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Observatory Windows Added by Steve J, on Flickr

Next time I'll show you guys the work done on the upper flight deck main viewport framing and window panels:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Framing Added by Steve J, on Flickr

Guess I should release Doctor Smith no... oh... wait... there he is now.
I guess Will must have let him out?
Oh dear... he seems a wee bit peeved with me.


Doctor Smith by Steve J, on Flickr

I better tell him how "tanned" he looks.
He'll forgive almost anything if you appeal to his vanity!


----------



## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Scary, isn't it?


----------



## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Trekkriffic said:


> I've locked Doctor Smith in the engine room for a little while so I can post this update without his interference.
> I don't think there's anything in there he can mess with; besides, the radiation will do wonders for his pale complexion.
> Maureen wasn't sure this was a good idea but at least Debbie agrees with me... I think:
> 
> ...


Best compromise I've seen yet with that forward view port on the lower deck.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Moving along now to the main viewport...

I built out the plastic framing for the viewport so the hull will mate up perfectly to the walls and control console
in the upper floor with no visible gaps:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Framing Added by Steve J, on Flickr

I ended up adding Plastruct and Evergreen to the top, bottom, and sides of the main window port. 
Then I brushed with Testors Light Ivory:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Interior of Reframed Viewport in Upper Hull by Steve J, on Flickr

After a few hours of trimming and tweaking and test fitting I'm satisfied with the fit of the panes to the frames. 
I'll remove the protective plastic film from the plastic windows once they are glued in place after the hull is painted its final color:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Window Test Fit by Steve J, on Flickr

The main upper hull viewport will have these three clear panes cut from .015 clear styrene. The two central support frames will go on last, inserted between the panes from the front, after the panes are glued into the framing around the inside of the viewport opening:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Main Window Panes and Center Pillars by Steve J, on Flickr

I used AVES Apoxy sculpt and Plastruct sheet to add an upper brow at close to a right angle to the slope of the sides of the viewport. This more closely matches the angle of the large scale exterior set:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Window Recontouring by Steve J, on Flickr

The profile looks much better using the epoxy putty and a thin arced section of plastic sheet to add the "brow":


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Main Viewport Brow Profile by Steve J, on Flickr

After two to three coats of Mister Surfacer 1000 with sanding in between. Feels very smooth now:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Main Viewport Mister Surfacer by Steve J, on Flickr

Uh oh! The robot is going off about "Danger! Danger!" again! 
John and Don have put the Jupiter into a steep tilt and turn to avoid a meteor shower which, 
oddly enough, takes us to the next thing to work on... the galley ...

I added the round cereal containers on the right side and the rows of seed canisters (5 rows of 6 canisters) to the left:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Galley Right Wall by Steve J, on Flickr

I made the 8 half round bins above the grain containers and painted them gummetal. 
I need to glue the table down to the floor:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Galley Left Wall and Table Test Fit by Steve J, on Flickr

Table was glued down with epoxy. Decaling for the dining room/galley were applied to the table and walls. Still may add a few to the right wall to the right of the round containers:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Galley Decals by Steve J, on Flickr

Next up is some work on those lit panels above the counters in the laboratory and observatory. 
For now just sit tight and ignore Doctor Smith's wailing for help. He's locked himself in the space pod bay again but he'll be fine right?

🤔


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

That's a big improvement to the viewport!


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Well looks like were heading for a red giant star so keep your fingers crossed this only ends up being a big red bag of roiling gas...
OK. Here we go! IMPACT!!!

Whew! We got lucky! 
Guess I'll be able to finish this update after all.

I made the black framed white panels (2 sets of 3 panels) that run along the tops of the side walls 
of the lower deck observatory using black styrene sheet and white decal film:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Observatory Panels by Steve J, on Flickr

I wanted the lab's back wall panels to be a light blue color to match the show, unlike the aftermarket decals which are a dark grey, as shown on the right in this photo. Rather than try to paint the panels I used some white decal film and painted it the proper shade of light blue. 
After it dried I cut out four rectangular panels to fit inside the black borders of the existing decals, as you can see to the left in the photo:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- New Lab Panel Decals by Steve J, on Flickr

I made a simple box for the 9V battery that powers the LEDs in the lower projector ring and wired it to a push-button switch I transplanted from a cheap Harbor Freight donor flashlight. The switch is mounted directly above one the holes for the landing gear struts with the button facing down. Inserting a toothpick into the hole from below allows one to push the button and turn the lights on and off. The hole still accommodates the landing strut peg when the switch is not in use of course:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Battery and Switch Installation by Steve J, on Flickr

Before applying the flight deck console decals I filled the molded recessed panels with AVES. 
Will get a light sanding then some light tan and silver paint. 
I am considering installing a warm white LED strip above about where the pilot seats will be glued in using a panel made 
of light grey Plastruct strip. It will point at an angle downward and back into the ship. 
This will prevent glare on the windows from inside. I'll do a light test using a 9V battery before I glue everything in. 
I'll also need to figure out how to run the wires from the strip over or thru the wall and down to the battery:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Consoles Puttied and Overhead LED Strip by Steve J, on Flickr

The LED strip fits into a slot in the panel over the flight deck. I don't think I'll have any clearance issues between the upper hull and the strip:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- LED Lighting Profile Check by Steve J, on Flickr

I'll power up the LED strip and see how it looks. Assuming all goes well I'll cover the LED opening with a rectangular cover cut from a piece of milk jug plastic to help diffuse the light:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- LED Lights Over Flight Deck from Inside by Steve J, on Flickr

Panel cut to fit at an angle above one of the three sections along the top of the cryo tube wall between the ceiling supports. 
A piece of milk jug plastic was trimmed to fit over the slot cut for the LED strip that will sit flush in the slot 
above the panel facing downward into the ship over the tubes. Needs a little more cleanup along the slot:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Light Panel for Over Cryo Tubes by Steve J, on Flickr

Still mulling over how many of these panels to make for the three sections of Cryo Tube wall panels. 
What I plan on doing is running three to five LED strips off the 9V battery and see how bright they are. 
I'd like to have at least three strips to light the upper deck interior. 
If the battery can handle five I could light the entire cryo tube wall, the flight deck, and the computer wall. If not, I'll light the center section of the cryo tube wall, the flight deck, and the computer wall. 
I'm sure the battery will handle three strips at 20ma each since the battery that powers the engines can handle a 60ma draw:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Cryo Tube Wall Lighting by Steve J, on Flickr

I think I can get away with lighting just the flight deck, stasis tube, and computer wall sections as laid out in this photo. 
There should be enough light bounce off the glossy floor to illuminate the back wall. 
If not, I will see if the battery can handle lighting any of the other wall sections before I add any additional LED's:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lighting Panels by Steve J, on Flickr

Next Up:

Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Shaping Elevator Yoke by Steve J, on Flickr


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Time for an update LIS fans...

I wanted the inboard faces of all the upper deck ceiling support beams to appear lit so I ended up using .125" wide Evergreen strip to make the the lighting "bands":


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Ceiling Support Strips by Steve J, on Flickr


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Ceiling Supports Faux Lighting by Steve J, on Flickr

This was a very clean solution to making the inward faces of the ceiling beams appear to be lit:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Ceiling Support Faux Lighting Strips by Steve J, on Flickr

I removed the kit molded half round cylinders from the wall to the left of the space pod hatch:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Cylinder Removal by Steve J, on Flickr

Photos of this area of the LIS studio set showed brackets holding three red cylinders (fire extinguishers?) The cylinders I made were hollow Evergreen tubes and filled with AVES epoxy putty before insertion of three metal pins that I had filed flat on their sides:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- New Cylinders and Brackets by Steve J, on Flickr

The elevator control yoke was painted with a brush using aluminum enamel, then decaled before being glued in place using Testors tube glue:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Elevator Control Yoke Decaled by Steve J, on Flickr

I added the decals to the computer wall.:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Computer Wall Decaled by Steve J, on Flickr

I decided to move the porthole to the right (viewed from the outside) of the main hatch. It just did NOT line up with the alcove inside the model so I resolved to drill and auger out a new hole in the correct location:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Relocating Porthole by Steve J, on Flickr

The old porthole was filled in with AVES Apoxy Sculpt:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Old Porthole Filled In by Steve J, on Flickr

I need to spray the landing gear with gloss black Kryon before spraying with Krylon Aluminum and needed something to hold each leg as I sprayed it. The heads of these nails match up perfectly with the magnets in the top the landing legs:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Landing Gear Paint Prep-Nails by Steve J, on Flickr

More to come!


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Gloss black Krylon acrylic lacquer is sprayed onto the three landing struts:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Three Landing Legs Primed Black by Steve J, on Flickr

Photo of the upper deck elevator cage with scratch made control yoke:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Upper Deck Elevator Cage by Steve J, on Flickr

The porthole and main viewport were brushed with thick primer then sanded to smoothness:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Brushing on Mister Surfacer Around Viewports by Steve J, on Flickr

The lousy kit molded on cylinders were replaced with three red cylinders made from scratch. 
The door to the right will get some additional light sanding to smooth out the rough finish:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- New Wall Cylinders and Brackets by Steve J, on Flickr

I decided to add detail to the upper deck alcove between the communications station and the main hatch. First off I drew the door to the armory room (which is in the lefthand wall of the alcove) on thin styrene sheet:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Armory Doors by Steve J, on Flickr

I used a small drill in a pinvise to drill out the panels for the doors. Then I carved, filed, and sanded until it looked right:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Armory Dooray Drilled and Carved Out by Steve J, on Flickr

I wanted to add a few fire extinguishers to both decks. This one will go in the armory alcove where various crew members have been seen standing and gazing out thru the round porthole there occassionally.:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Fire Extinguisher by Steve J, on Flickr

The checkerboard panels in the communications station just look wrong. I will make some corrected panels to glue on over them. I do love how the two round photo-etch tin (?) speakers look though. They were leftovers from my '66 Batmobile build. The armory doors were painted and glued in place with 5 minute epoxy:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Armory Doors and Comm Station by Steve J, on Flickr

These three tanks hang in a row on the left side of a short wall under the round porthole in the alcove between the main airlock and the comms station which is to the right of the upper flight deck station. I'l paint them metallic aluminum:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Tanks for Armory Alcove by Steve J, on Flickr

The battery that powers the upper deck LED’s was installed in the lower hull and tied to a push button switch. A quick power disconnect harness was soldered to the battery wires:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Battery for Upper Deck Lights by Steve J, on Flickr

That's all for now folks! Stay the course and stay tuned!


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

This is incredibly detailed work. It's like a mosaic of bits all coming together....


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks Chris.

Continuing on our journey which I really feel is coming to a successful conclusion
very soon now that Doctor Smith has been jettisoned from the airlock... accidentally...

The fire extinguisher in its place on the right hand wall of the alcove:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Armory Alcove Fire Exinguisher by Steve J, on Flickr

The flight deck got its decals:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Flight Console and Computer Decals by Steve J, on Flickr

Once completed these panels will be glued in place over the red, yellow, and white checkerboard decals I installed previously in the communications station:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- New Panels for Comm Station by Steve J, on Flickr

Five panels will be lit with warm white LED tape. Three panels will not be lit. The 5 sections each power 3 SMD LEDs drawing 20 mA from the 9 volt battery for a total of 100 mA:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Deck Lighting Panels Atop Wall Sections by Steve J, on Flickr

I decided to add some detail to the upper deck ceiling. This took a few days, mostly from waiting for paint to dry...

The round hub in the center was made by cutting the top off a battery powered tea light candle I got at the craft store.
The ceiling support beams are made from 20 mm thick Evergreen strips:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Ceiling Beams and Central Hub by Steve J, on Flickr

The ceiling beams were painted with Model Master Intermediate Blue enamel:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Ceiling Beam Masking and Paint by Steve J, on Flickr

After the Intermediate Blue paint dried I finished the ceiling by gluing white styrene strips to the faces of the ceiling beams using CA:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Ceiling Beam Light Strips by Steve J, on Flickr

Oh no! A small disaster strikes!

Somehow I knocked off the upper section of the scope I’d made and mounted to the communications station.
It had been glued together using CA glue so I must have bumped it accidentally with a sanding stick while working on the alcove next to it.
The little scope's binocular head must have snapped off and flown off into space, forever wandering the wastes of my garage floor.
Anyway, here you can see the long handled locking tweezers I used to install the replacement for the missing head:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Comm Station Scope Repair by Steve J, on Flickr

The newly repaired scope and new panels over the photo etch speakers turned out pretty well:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Comm Station Finished by Steve J, on Flickr

This panels with the red and blue lights look so much better then the checkerboard decals did. And the scope looks better than ever as I corrected a few minor things the second time around:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Scope and Speakers by Steve J, on Flickr

Next I'll post pics of the finished upper deck lighting. Stay tuned!


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

There followed lots of soldering fun...

Four of the five light strips were soldered together using black and red 30 AWG solid kynar wire before being installed in the panels over their wall sections using CA. The remaining strip over the computer wall will be soldered to the battery on its own circuit. Care had to be taken to keep the profile of the strips below the tops of the support beams so as not to cause any impingements with the ceiling:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- LED Strip Wiring Almost Done by Steve J, on Flickr

And the lights work. Thank the maker! 


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Deck Illumination Test by Steve J, on Flickr

Decided to add one more wall detail to the galley and then I'll call it done...

I made my own “polka dot” panels for the galley using leftover video screen decal material, the dots were made using red, yellow, white, black, and green Testors enamel and a toothpick. Once the paint was dry I cut the decals to fit the square recesses in the wall of the galley. These were then floated into position vertically along the right hand side of the right wall nearest the entrance: 


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Polka Dot Panels for Galley Wall by Steve J, on Flickr

Back to the upper deck...

To finish off the look of the wall to ceiling intersection, I added thin strips of styrene to the front edges of the panels over each wall section. These somewhat replicate the soffits that provided recessed lighting along the perimeter of the inner walls. They would be painted Light Ivory to match the color of the walls and ceiling:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- False Soffit by Steve J, on Flickr

Lower projector work...

After saying I was leaving them as as is having painted over them with silver hull paint 20 years ago I changed my mind and decided to scratch off the paint from the lower projector’s lower recessed light "facets". I used a small 45 degree angled xacto knife, files, and sanding sticks to remove layers of silver and black paint:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Scraping Paint Off by Steve J, on Flickr

Tamiya tape is a must for masking with these small pieces:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Masking the Projector by Steve J, on Flickr

Astrogator Finished!

I used some leftover black decal material to make the six "star chart" panels around the perimeter. The stars are just dots of silver enamel made with a sharpened round toothpick:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Astrogator Detailing by Steve J, on Flickr

I just used some leftover decals and brass photo-etch (painted black) for the tiny manual control console's buttons and handle:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Astrogator Manual Control Console by Steve J, on Flickr

I call the upper deck done. This astrogator dome replaced the original kit dome that cracked when I installed it 20 years ago. I had a friend of mine, who goes by "meatloafr" over on the All Scale Trek forum, print me a new one which I sanded and polished before using a clear UV resistant spray to prevent yellowing. Not perfect but better than having a dome with a big crack on top. I also finished painting the false soffits around the perimeter above each station with light ivory:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Astrogator and Upper Deck Finished by Steve J, on Flickr

More to come after the exterior hull paint dries.


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

I had decided to permanently seal my J2, so I won't be doing anything NEAR what you're doing inside. Actually, I don't think I COULD do anything near what you're doing...


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> I had decided to permanently seal my J2, so I won't be doing anything NEAR what you're doing inside. Actually, I don't think I COULD do anything near what you're doing...


I think you are too modest. You do beautiful work. Love your Gat from Firefly.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Almost there!

After more sanding and polishing I resprayed the upper hull exterior with Krylon gloss black Colormax spray.
Next I have to wait two days to spray with metallic aluminum:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Hull Second Black Coat by Steve J, on Flickr

The lower hull was also sprayed with Krylon gloss black.
After a few days I did some cleanup sanding and polishing for a dust free finish.


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Hull Black Coat by Steve J, on Flickr

Days later...

The hull surrounding the lower hull engine projector was masked off in order to spray just the projector with metallic aluminum:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Hull Exterior Masking by Steve J, on Flickr

After this dries I'll unmask and finish painting the lower hull:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Projector Silver Coat by Steve J, on Flickr

More days go by...

Not too bad. I'm majorly chuffed with how that seam turned out between the roof and middle hull ring after I joined them.
One spot still bugs me but I may just live with it rather than mess with a superb finish like this one.
Man there was a lot of sanding and polishing to get it to look this good considering the mess it was when I started this redo:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Hull Silver Coat by Steve J, on Flickr

Getting that seam filled between the uppermost and middle rings of the hull took
a lot of effort and time but I think it was worth it to get a smooth, seamless joint:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Hull Final Coat by Steve J, on Flickr

I'm fairly satisfied with how the upper deck turned out:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- The Finished Upper Deck with Wiring by Steve J, on Flickr

The proof in the pudding comes when she's all together and lit up. 
There should be a lot of light bounce off the floor and the ceiling so even the sections I did not light should not be too dark at all.
And I like that the lights don't shine directly out the windows too so you get a good glare free view into the ship.

Final pic for now...

I added one more speaker in the soffit above the pilot seats.
I also added a speaker to the lavatory in the lower deck above the toilet across from the shower:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Deck Over the Astrogator by Steve J, on Flickr

More to come as I finish installing the main hatch and the windows.


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

This thread is more entertaining than Sunday's Oscars! This is art in (slow) motion.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

So I decided to go ahead and fix the noticeable football shaped 
shallow reflection (?) that I said was a "minor problem" before and that I was not going to fix. 
Turned out I just could not let it go so I went ahead and wet sanded the hull after spraying with another coat of black:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Black Coat Number 2 by Steve J, on Flickr

Spraying the Underside of the Main Window Brow...

The best angle to spray from was from the inside so I masked the whole underside first then sprayed black:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Spraying the Underside of the Main Window Brow by Steve J, on Flickr

I used heavy brown paper and blue painter's tape (mostly) for masking off the ceiling and walls:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Hull Interior Masking by Steve J, on Flickr

Having sanded the hell out of the bow under the window to get rid of the reflection under the silver I had sprayed the entire hull with Krylon gloss black. Then I filled a few remaining shallow divots with Perfect Plasitc Putty (PPP) before sanding and polishing followed by another round 
of wet sanding and polishing. Care had to be taken not to wet sand the PPP as it dissolves quite easily in water even after it cures:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Hull Bow Puttying and Wet Sanding by Steve J, on Flickr

The repainted black lower hull was sprayed with a new coat of Krylon Metallic Aluminum. 
After a day I went back and removed all the little squares of Tamiya masking tape from the projector. 
Some of the Krylon silver flaked off as I removed the tape but I was able to do touch-ups using aluminum enamel paint and a brush. 
The enamel bottle paint was a dead match for the Krylon thankfully:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Lower Hull Second Silver Coat and Unmasking by Steve J, on Flickr

This turned out pretty good. 
I did a little cleanup and touchup of the bow window frames prior to installing the clear plastic window panes. 
I also installed the main hatch into the hull using 5 minute epoxy:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Hull Really Finished This Time Silver Coat by Steve J, on Flickr

Next up... Window Installation! 

Hey here's a question for you LIS trivia fans. 
What were Doctor Smith's last words as he floated in space sans space suit after an unfortunate mistake?


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I masked around the window opening with blue tape as a precaution against doing anything stupid to mar the finished hull paint during window pane installation. I glued the windows into the frames using 5 minute epoxy applied very neatly and carefully :


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Main Flight Deck Bow Windows Installed by Steve J, on Flickr

Getting there...

Man, I have to say, tricking Will into jettisoning Doctor Smith out the air lock sure helped speed this refit along. 
I still need to finish installing the upper bubble with its butterfly wing spinner and finish the main window frame pillars: 


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Progress Shot by Steve J, on Flickr

More window work...

The pillars were glued in carefully using 5 minute epoxy:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Bow Window Pillars Installed by Steve J, on Flickr

Just need to glue on these strips to cover the bottoms of the windows. They are painted using Testors "flat steel" enamel. 
It's almost identical to the Krylon and goes on smoother than my bottle of aluminum paint which is thickening up in the bottle.
Metal enamel paints tend to do that, although True North paints claims there's is less prone to that than Testors:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Final Framing by Steve J, on Flickr

Spinner done...

The spinner dome looks nice. It actually spins too. I used 5 minute epoxy to glue the dome in place:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Spinner in Dome by Steve J, on Flickr

The spinner (which is supposed to be a navigational sensor and force field generator) can be turned from the inside by twirling this short length of tubing in the center of the ceiling hub:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Spinner Handle in Ceiling by Steve J, on Flickr

I applied the last decal next to the main hatch after giving the hull a rub and buff with Novus 1 polis:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Upper Hull After Novus Polish by Steve J, on Flickr

The last of the decals was applied using MicroSet and sealed with a light brush of Future:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Door Tether Points and Switch Decal by Steve J, on Flickr

I glued the last three bottom sections in using epoxy; any gliue residue was cleaned up with alcohol and a microbrush. 
Once the putty dried I filled in underneath the strips with AVES. 
The AVES being grey it doesn't really need to be painted to match the aluminum hull although I found steel enamel worked just as well. 
I don't even see the light grey putty using the naked eye:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Window Framing Done by Steve J, on Flickr

The model fully assembled and lit... teasers prior to posting the final finished model shots and a video...

The illumination is not as bright in person as it appears in camera. The two switches for the engine projector and upper deck batteries are push buttons mounted inside the holes for the two forward landing leg struts:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Low Light Test by Steve J, on Flickr

You can see more in progress shots here:








Jupiter 2 from Lost in Space


This is my rework of the old Polar Lights Jupiter 2 kit from the 1965 TV series "Lost in Space". I bought and built this kit over 20 years ago. It was a straight out of the box build at the time which I have since decided needs a facelift. I'll be doing some additional detailing using a set of...




www.flickr.com


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Here’s another teaser shot, unlit, but a good view of the landing gear.


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Ready for Photos by Steve J, on Flickr


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

A work of peerless art, sir! I need more pictures!


----------



## Chuck Eds (Jul 20, 2009)

Beautifully done!👍👍


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chuck Eds said:


> Beautifully done!👍👍


Thanks Chuck. I appreciate the help you gave me with the spinner.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> A work of peerless art, sir! I need more pictures!


OK. Here’s one:


Display Cabinet - Top Shelf - Nice Pair by Steve J, on Flickr

i moved her from the garage into the display cabinet inside the house temporarily as I will be spraying paint in the garage for the Space Pod very soon. The last thing I want is for her to get dusted with aluminum, silver, light beige, or steel spray paint dots if the wind picks up In the garage and the spray dust circulates.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Here’s a short teaser video. Shoulda combed my hair I guess. 🫣


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Teaser with Lights by Steve J, on Flickr

See if you can identify the item seen thru the small round porthole next to the main hatch.


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Awesome. And it's a fire extinguisher.


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> Awesome. And it's a fire extinguisher.


Correctomundo!


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Armory Alcove Fire Exinguisher by Steve J, on Flickr


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Finally! Here are the final images of my reworked Jupiter 2:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Images by Steve J, on Flickr


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Images by Steve J, on Flickr


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Images by Steve J, on Flickr


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Images by Steve J, on Flickr


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Images by Steve J, on Flickr


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Images by Steve J, on Flickr

Upper deck:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Images by Steve J, on Flickr

Lower deck:


Jupiter 2 - Rework- Finished Images by Steve J, on Flickr

Go to page 3 here on Flickr for more pics:









Jupiter 2 from Lost in Space


This is my rework of the old Polar Lights Jupiter 2 kit from the 1965 TV series "Lost in Space". I bought and built this kit over 20 years ago. It was a straight out of the box build at the time which I have since decided needs a facelift. I'll be doing some additional detailing using a set of...




www.flickr.com





Thanks for looking!


----------



## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

I cannot believe you did the whole lower level. If you put figures in the ship, they will have to be in two different scales, eh?


----------



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> I cannot believe you did the whole lower level. If you put figures in the ship, they will have to be in two different scales, eh?


Correct! There would need to be some…. Shrinkage.


----------



## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Trekkriffic said:


> Correct! There would need to be some…. Shrinkage.


Put a pool in the engine room.


----------



## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)




----------

