# V.I.N.C.E.N.T. and Maximillian from Disneys "The Black Hole"



## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Starting a new pair of builds........










I plan on doing some mild lighting in both builds after some minor modifications to accept the LED's.









Cool baseplates make the figures appear to be suspended in mid-air.









I really like the box-art too, and these are in pretty good shape!


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Please keep putting up WIP images as you go. It'll be interesting to see how the builds go for me as I haven't seen of these kits before. I did have a Cygnus when it came out.


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## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

Keep us posted. I had these kits when they originally came out 30 years ago. Which means I've forgotten everything about them. Actually, seeing pics will bring back memories.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Xenodyssey said:


> Please keep putting up WIP images as you go.


I'll second that! It's been a long time since I've built these kits (though I currently have one of each in my stash), so it'll be fun to "revisit" them through someone else's build.


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## Poseidon (Aug 30, 2004)

I always did have a fondness for The Black Hole model kits. I thought they were pretty well made. I remember the Cygnus as being a painter's challenge - if you wanted to paint all the panels as being lit.


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

Way cool, loved these kits! The movie, not so much. Would have been great if the Cygnus had been done in clear!


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

My friend at HiWay Hobby gave me a VINCENT as a going away present when they closed.


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

*Update 7/23*

Did a little more work on this guy...........

Got out the Dremel and buzzed out a hole inthe bottom of the head so I can get my fat fingers and some lighting in there later.....









Sanded the inside of the transparent red visor to diffuse the light once the LED is in place...









Did a little test fire with a red LED.....









Blacked out the inside of the body and got the hole in his back for wiring....









Did a little mock-up...He's pretty good sized.....11" tall...









More parts assembly this weekend, some seam filling and on to primer and then paint. It's funny, I watched the movie for reference for paint and detail yesterday, and the 1:1 Max has a ton of seams, most of the ones the kit has, all over it! Yeesh! Up close, he isn't exactly perfect either. I noticed a ton of bumps and bruises in the gelcoat (probably) he's done with.


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## Arronax (Apr 6, 1999)

One of the things this model cries out for is improved manipulators (hands)! If you do nothing else, replace the kit blades with slivers of styrene sprayed with Alclad.

Jim


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Well, I decided I couldnt stand most of the seams on this thing, although some of them are actually on the 1:1 Max. I got the legs filled and smoothed and his little side flippers/stabilizers. I'm still working on the "hand" attachments for the arms. Really poorly fitting parts. I've been modifying the clawed parts of the hand attachments, reshaping them to resemble the real ones with a bit of my own touches as well....

Cripes, I hate sanding.....









Legs smoothed....









Body parts primed and ready to paint.....


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Fine work, Tim. Doesn't look very easy going. Can't wait to see more!


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Great stuff! Thanks for posting the pics and please keep the WiP going. I have a Max kit and still looking for a V.I.N.CENT and a Cygnus if I'm lucky enough to actually afford them.


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## Trekie2 (Jun 7, 2008)

Anyone think these kits will be re popped? Would love to be able to afford them again....


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## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

Nope,not enough profit in it.....


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## fluke (Feb 27, 2001)

*COOL!!! * :thumbsup: Can't wait to see more! 

I still have extra sections to do a 'better' Sygnus kit.....thats a lot of dremel work to free up those cross sections etc etc. Now this kit in clear styrene would be sweet!

I just saw this a few weeks ago and is it just me or did they do an awful lot of breathing and non freezing when the ship was breaking up like crazy? :tongue:


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

*Episode 4-airbrushing In Paradise*

EPISODE 4-AIRBRUSHING IN PARADISE

Don't get me wrong, I'd rather be down here in Florida than anywhere else one the planet, but I damned near died in my garage/studio yesterday airbrushing this thing!!! LOL! Saturday morning I got up early and got the entire build basecoated in House of Kolors red microflake basecoat. No problem. Yesterday afternoon, I decided I just had to get all the black fogging done on him, so out I went into the oven. I'm standing there in my baggies with sweat just pouring off me airbrushing this thing. I used AutoAire water-based paint for the fogging, I was afraid I'd drip on it and ruin the finish! But, hardcore model guy I am, I got it finished after a few test fits and trips back for some added paint. I was happy in the end with it's finish. I had a lot of reference photos, but unfortunately my printer was low on color ink, so I had to set up my laptop next to my bench and keep referencing it as I painted! LOL! That's a first for me! One thing I did notice, I have photos of Max in some display case, I guess in his current condition. He must have been "restored", although it is just covered with dust INSIDE the glass cabinet. The black fogging looks like it was done with a spray can instead of a paint gun or airbrush. There is a lot more black on him now than there was in the movie. Fortunately I had some actual movie stills and was able to get a better handle on what the black areas actually looked like. It's pretty true to form, but I winged it in the end just to make it look the way I wanted it to.

































There arms were a royal pain in the can to airbrush.....









Next, I'll have to get the head completely finished, meaning clear coated, the LED installed with the red faceplate, and then put in place on the body half. Then it will be masked off, and the rest of the body cleared after assembly. I ran the LED up inside last night and made a tube to hold it which is now affixed inside the head. After that it will be pretty much ready to completely assemble the body. I haven't painted the stand yet, still deciding on color. I also have to figure out where the battery will be hidden and if I am going to make a backdrop for the two builds, possible a scene from the movie, or a nice color pic of the Cygnus would be cool!


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## Arronax (Apr 6, 1999)

Tim Nolan said:


> I also have to figure out where the battery will be hidden


Removing some of the lip around the head allows you to pop the head off (it still need to be a tight fight). Now you can just wire up your LED and lower the battery (I think a 9 volt fits) into the body.

Jim


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

That's a great colour Tim. Looks like all the sweat was worth it! 
@ Fluke, I know what you mean about breathing and not freezing. The Black Hole is really a movie where you have to suspend your disbelief. It was always style over substance. The designs and special effects outweigh the plot by a mile.


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