# TIE Standard - Revell



## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Just started laying primer down on this thing. Also did some paint touch up on the pilot.


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## Maritain (Jan 16, 2008)

Nice start, looks like a nice big kit. I am going to have to get one sometime. Good luck with the rest.


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## Hunk A Junk (Jan 28, 2013)

I love the size of the kit, and the detail is generally good. My only complaint is that the wing/solar panels are a little thick. And since they're molded as one two-sided piece it's really impossible to thin them down.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Small update, but not on the actual model. Having done more research on ILM's studio model TIEs, I have found the exact correct color to match the studio model. Below is an image of a TIE hatch from ILM's original TIE fighter from A New Hope. You will see a color swatch labeled TS-32, which is in fact Tamiya TS-32 Haze Grey model paint. The match to the original ILM model color is pretty much dead on.










Now, before painting my own model Haze Grey, I wanted to see what it looked like on a TIE model that was not studio scale. I had an old Revell snap together that I don't really care about, so I painted it TS-32 Haze Grey. To my eye, it looks way too dark at such a small scale. It looks even darker in person than in this photo. On a studio scale model it would probably look correct. The smaller a model is, the lighter you have to paint them to look correct.










So to that end, I'm going to have to make a compromise in matching the studio model, which is usually my goal, to match what looks "correct". TIEs in the movie look grey, almost white, not near as dark. What I will probably do is a mix of Haze Grey and White. Perhaps 2 parts white, 1 part Haze Grey.


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## irocer (Aug 22, 2000)

Just looked at the ILM thread photos and those tie's were looking very close to your haze grey, but I guess lighting gives them the lighter on-screen look. I thought the haze was way to dark, until looking at the studio model. To give it the screen look it would need to be much lighter I think. Until I tought they were white.

What scale is this kit?


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

irocer said:


> Just looked at the ILM thread photos and those tie's were looking very close to your haze grey, but I guess lighting gives them the lighter on-screen look. I thought the haze was way to dark, until looking at the studio model. To give it the screen look it would need to be much lighter I think. Until I tought they were white.
> 
> What scale is this kit?


The small kit I spray tested with Haze Grey is a "pocket kit" is around 1/80 ish scale I would imagine. This main TIE which I am painting in this thread is around 1/37th scale.

I know logically that Haze Grey is 99% perfect to the studio color model. However, I believe I will have to go with an "in between" look on my build. I want to pay respect to the studio accuracy, but I also want it to look similar to how it does on screen. I will probably match haze grey and lighten it with white. I am currently looking for a Tamiya acrylic alternative that looks close to Haze Grey in hue.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Is this from the older double (two kits) T.I.E. kit?

*Never mind, found which kit it is...sorry.*

Carl-


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Bit of an update on hull color I wanted to share with the community. Based on research done by Studio Scale modelers, Tamiya T-32 Haze gray is a DEAD ON match to the studio model hull color.

I however wanted to spray my color with an airbrush, because I feel that Haze Grey is too dark for a model smaller than studio scale. What I did in this test below was take XF-2 Flat White and XF-82 Ocean Gray 2 (RAF) (which looks very near identical to Haze Grey, just slightly darker) and mixed them 1:1...










This produced the results below...



























As you can see, the results are VERY close. In person they look even closer than this picture does justice. My mixture on the left, and Haze Grey on the right. Now mine is a little lighter in shade than Haze Grey because I believe I mixed in too much white. If you did say 1.5 or 2 parts XF-82, and 1 Part XF-2, I believe you'd have a pretty much dead on match to Haze Grey. In person these spoons are almost identical.

I however, going for a smaller scale, will probably even add more white to the mix to lighten mine more, but I wanted to let you guys know what I found out.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Ok, I got 3 of the 4 solar panels painted. I ended up using 2 parts XF-2 Flat White and 1 part XF-82 Ocean Gray 2 (RAF). It came out pretty much exactly like I wanted, and still has the hue from the studio model, so I am quite pleased.










I also completely repainted the pilot, because his factory paint job was crap.


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

That color looks great, perfect for the ANH on screen look.


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## spock62 (Aug 13, 2003)

Looks like you nailed the color. Looking forward to seeing the kit finished!


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Update on a missing piece that I was able to replace with a spare part.

The Revell model is pretty accurate for the most part, but a major part on the back of the TIE ball is not represented by the kit. It is a detail part right behind the cockpit hatch.

Come to find out, ILM actually used a model kit part from a Sherman Tank bogie (suspension) for the detail piece.










To that end, I found a 1/72nd scale Sherman Tank for cheap on ebay and purchased it for it's suspension part.










Now, some versions of this tank have the suspension piece separate from the wheels, but unfortunately it was not the case for me. The piece was also considerably thicker than the studio model piece, but the detail was right.










I used a sprue cutter to cut off the wheels and shave down the thickness of the part considerably. I then cleaned up the roughness with an Xacto. 










After noticing the thickness was still too thick, I started shaving off layer after layer with a strong Xacto again. Finally, the thickness was nearing where it should be, so I then started grinding it on wet 220 grit sandpaper laid on a strong flat surface (bathroom sink). This flattened the bottom nicely and leveled the shaving marks from my Xacto.










Unmodified pieces and the final piece...


















And how it looks on the TIE itself...


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

The Trumpeter bogie looks oversized compared to the studio pic. The 1/76 Fujimi Sherman might be a better donor, plus the bogie is thinner and the wheels are separate.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

robn1 said:


> The Trumpeter bogie looks oversized compared to the studio pic. The 1/76 Fujimi Sherman might be a better donor, plus the bogie is thinner and the wheels are separate.


I agree in the previous pic above it looked oversized, but in person it looks exactly the right scale. The perspective on that original photo was misleading, so I've edited the post with a more accurate angle.

A 1/76 scale would probably work too, but the t-shape on this 1/72nd scale lines up exactly with the detail on the Revell as they line up on the studio model.


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

The new photo does make a difference, looks fine :thumbsup:


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Here is Saturday's update. I noticed that I had enough parts to test fit the major components together, and I wanted to see what it looked like and how large it was going to be. Banana for scale.



















I also noticed the top cockpit hatch was missing a few details, and there was also no detail for the hatch bolts. I used a teeny tiny drill bit to drill the bolts and I used styrene strips to add some missing details.

New detail bits are white. If you look closely, you will notice little bolts drilled into the plastic.









And fully primed...


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Sunday night update. Firstly, I'm an idiot. I dug further into the Sherman tank model sprues, and low and behold, I found other separate bogie pieces that were on the sprue without the wheels or the crazy thickness! 

I suppose they had two different ones for options of how you want to build the tank. So to that end, if you guys get the same Sherman tank kit I did, you will not have to do any modification on the part like I did in my previous post. I was just being a blind dummy.

Along those lines, if any of you guys out there are building the Revell TIE Standard or Revell Darth Vader TIE, simply email me and perhaps I can ship one of the spare parts in an envelope to you.










I also went ahead and knocked out the TIE cockpit. Since the cockpit is SO inaccurate, I did not try to accurize it. I would have basically had to scratch build the cockpit to be accurate. I don't really care that much since a TIE cockpit is too dark to see into anyway.










I also did a couple of things on the TIE ball. Firstly, the panels lines on the cockpit ball seem quite too thick, so I used many coats of high build filler primer on the ball while masking everything else with tape and liquid mask to prevent their details from being covered.










I also noticed that some of the TIE ball details were represented on the kit as low detail raised areas. I wanted them to have a more accurate shape, so I cut them off and sanded the area down. I then replaced these details with scratch details built from styrene sticks.



















Test fit with finished hatch...


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Small update for tonight. Sigh...more modifications. Luckily easy. Tonight was painting the cockpit glass. It comes prepainted, so the first thing I did was soak it in 91% rubbing alcohol to loosen the paint. Once it had sat for a couple of hours, I took it out and scrubbed off the paint with a toothbrush.

To give the primer a bit more surface, I lightly sanded the rim with 600 grit sandpaper. Then masked off the clear areas...










After a light coat of primer, I was disappointed to see that while panel line detail from the studio model was present on the piece, it was very soft, and not well defined at all. After putting on the dark grey paint, I was certain this detail would be obliterated and not visible.










To rectify this, I used a flat file to sand deeper straight panel lines, and then used the same drill bit I did on the upper hatch to drill the bolt circles. I used the soft detail that was already there as a guide for placement of the file and drill bit.










After hitting it with a final coat of primer, and then the dark grey paint (in this case Tamiya XF-50 Field Blue), the panels now look like what you see on the studio model instead of being hidden to soft detail. The reason I used Field Blue instead of a saturation-less neutral dark grey, is because the hull color of the TIE will also have a very slight blue tint. Field Blue looks 95% grey, but just a HINT of blue. I feel this helps unify the color language of the model. Just more pleasing to the eye.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Update for this weekend. I stripped paint from the pre-painted solar panel wings, and finished most of the TIE ball detail modifications.


I soaked the TIE solar panel wings in 91% alcohol overnight and then scraped the black paint off easily with a toothbrush. This will allow me to prime the bare plastic and repaint over the model.



















A few updates ago, I drilled bolt holes into the upper hatch that were missing. I noticed after studying a studio model, that there are also bolt holes in the bottom hatch. I therefore added them. 










Lastly, I finished almost all of the detailing of the TIE ball. I shaved off and sanded down the raised detail on the ball and replaced with scratch parts built from styrene strips to better match the studio model.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Got a little bit done tonight. I got one TIE solar panel painted. If anyone wants to know, it's Tamiya Semi Gloss Black. I see some people use Flat Black, but the studio model definitely has some glossy shine to it, but not super shiny.



















Wanted to see how the black looked against the hull color. I find it comforting that the TIE hull color looks blue in photography, but not quite as much in person. This also happens with the studio models, I guess I'm on the right track.


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## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

Nice work.

I like the semi-gloss black.

seems like the right amount of sheen.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Ok, another update. I apologize if I am being too through with my updates. I just know when someone else posts their WIP, sometimes they leave out details I'd be interested in, so I am trying to include everything I'm doing. It may bore a few, so I apologize. 

I wanted to get the last of the body modifications out of the way, so we will start there. I took the piece from the back of the TIE ball. Again, I built parts from sheet styrene and styrene strips. I sanded down panel detail and replaced with my own panels.

Original part...










Modified part...










I finally have finished one of the major components, a wing/solar panel.

Below is the best procedure for repainting. As in my previous posts, you will notice I painted the whole thing black first. I masked the parts I wanted to stay black and sprayed my hull color over it. I did it this way because it is easier to mask the recessed black areas than to try to paint everything the other way round.

Inside masked









Be sure to mask the backside as well, because airflow around the wing during spray will deposit paint particles on the backside, and you don't want to ruin your glossy black with grey paint.










Masking coming off. Looking good!










Masked removed...










And now the opposite side with the strut pieces attached. The wing is complete except for a peg piece in the middle that will be added when the wing is mounted to the fuselage.


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

Looking good. Nice work on the black panels, most folks do them in flat black and it doesn't look right.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Weekend update. 

Finished painting both wings other than touch up. Very happy about this because each one takes 2.5 hours to mask off.










I also sprayed a light coat of primer over the cockpit ball because modifications are complete. Very happy to see everything looks good once unified by the coat of primer. Can't really tell where I sanded and shaved pieces off. I was worried about leaving cut and sanding marks behind, but it's smooth.

The panel lines are also much more subdued than the out of box kit after I did the filler primer on the TIE ball. I'm glad they aren't so pronounced now.










Everything is really about finished, so hopefully I'll have this model done sometime in the near future.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Beautiful job so far on all the details! I appreciate all the detailed pictures and explanations. 

The color you are using is a perfect balance between the studio model color and the on-screen look. It' funny, I always thought the Tie Fighters were white but later learned they were actually gray and quite a bit darker then I would have thought. I like your compromise on the color.

BTW, which kit is this? Is this the larger scale, 1/65 kit from Revell Of Germany?

How does this kit compare with the Fine Molds Tie Fighters?

Mike.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

crowe-t said:


> Beautiful job so far on all the details! I appreciate all the detailed pictures and explanations.


Thanks. I was worried my updates were too detailed and frequent, but then again if someone down the line builds this kit, they may want to know how I did it.




crowe-t said:


> BTW, which kit is this? Is this the larger scale, 1/65 kit from Revell Of Germany?
> 
> How does this kit compare with the Fine Molds Tie Fighters?


This is the largest TIE that Revell makes. I believe it's actually 1/37th-ish scale, from what others have figured out. Not a Revell Germany kit, because I bought it at a hobby shop in the US.

It is not quite as detailed and sharp as the Fine Molds, but it is a fine kit nonetheless. The difference in detail sharpness is minimal. Some details were missing, which you see I've added here. It is also meant to be built without paint, it comes prepainted. 

To this end, the wing struts and solar panels are not separate, and have to be masked as you see above. The outer struts are indeed separate, but the inner ones are not. I stripped all the factory paint off easily by soaking in 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. 

I will also say that it's accuracy and shape is heads and shoulders above most Revell Star Wars kits. Their X-wing is ok, but their Millennium Falcon model is so far off it's ridiculous. Their other Star Wars models also seem toy-like, especially the Darth Vader TIE. I find it funny they nailed this TIE, but dropped the ball on Vader's.

Bandai's new Vader TIE blows Fine Molds and Revell away.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Hey thanks for the reply! 

What's the measurements of this Tie Fighter? Height, width?

Can you post a picture of the box it came in? I'm trying to find it online.

Thanks,

Mike.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

crowe-t said:


> Hey thanks for the reply!
> 
> What's the measurements of this Tie Fighter? Height, width?
> 
> ...


I'm not sure of the exact measurements, but if you scroll up you can see it assembled next to a banana for a rough estimate. 

This is the box it comes in. It's Revell Tie Fighter Snaptite.


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

It's Revell kit number 85-1875. Very nice kit, good scale (1/32 - 1/35). Some details are missing, but what's there looks pretty accurate. Wing star detail is excellent. Cockpit is very similar to the MPC Vader TIE.

This kit was so good it gave me hope that the big Revell X-Wing released a year ago would be of similar quality, but it was a huge disappointment.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

robn1 said:


> This kit was so good it gave me hope that the big Revell X-Wing released a year ago would be of similar quality, but it was a huge disappointment.


Why do you say that? From the videos I've seen on YouTube, the X-wing looked pretty good.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

PixelMagic said:


> I'm not sure of the exact measurements, but if you scroll up you can see it assembled next to a banana for a rough estimate.
> 
> This is the box it comes in. It's Revell Tie Fighter Snaptite.


Thanks for posting this picture! 

Since I saw your build today, I was looking at some pictures of the Fine Molds 1/48 Tie Fighter and it doesn't look much different, in terms of details, than this Revell kit. You're right, the difference in detail sharpness on the Fine Molds kit is minimal. 

Considering the Fine Molds 1/48 Tie Fighter sells for over $100, this Revell kit is a bargain. The missing details can be added. I also like the larger size of this Revell kit. 

Mike.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

robn1 said:


> It's Revell kit number 85-1875. Very nice kit, good scale (1/32 - 1/35). Some details are missing, but what's there looks pretty accurate. Wing star detail is excellent. Cockpit is very similar to the MPC Vader TIE.
> 
> This kit was so good it gave me hope that the big Revell X-Wing released a year ago would be of similar quality, but it was a huge disappointment.


Thanks for posting the Revell kit number.


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

PixelMagic said:


> Why do you say that? From the videos I've seen on YouTube, the X-wing looked pretty good.


It's not terrible, and the execution is probably on the same level as the TIE, but the X-Wing details are tougher I guess. The droid strip and butt plate are very shallow. The inner wing surfaces have a hallow recessed look similar to the new Hasbro. And most of the details have beveled edges, a "low draft" design so they can come out of the molds easily. This is most noticeable on the engines and the large plates on the intake "Saturn V" parts. Other kits have done a better job there. Some of the small details on the TIE ball are also like that (which you did a great job of replacing :thumbsup, but the plates would be tough to fix.

But I think I'd rather deal with the Revell than the new Bandai kit. Their Vader TIE looks awesome, but the X-Wing is kinda meh.

Sorry for the off-topic chatter, please continue to (not) bore us with this TIE build


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Getting closer and closer. Got the LEDs and fiber optics laid in. To get these large fiber optics to fit into the engine nozzles I had to drill and file out some channels into the plastic for them to sit. This was very delicate work, because going too much to the wrong side would have breached the channel out of the hull and ruined the outer surface. The optic fibers are not sitting in the channels yet, simply hanging freely until I'm ready to close it up.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Nice work on the wiring! I assume you'll mount this one on a base since there doesn't look to have any room for batteries.

Can you please show how this is all wired to the power when you get up to that stage?

I haven't lit a model yet so I'm trying to learn.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

crowe-t said:


> Can you please show how this is all wired to the power when you get up to that stage?
> 
> I haven't lit a model yet so I'm trying to learn.


Sure! This is my first time lighting a model. My friend is helping me out with the electronics. Luckily a TIE fighter is fairly simple as opposed to something like a Federation starship.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

A project like this may be the first model I try lighting on.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this one completed!


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

You're taking this to an ultimate level. So nice to see your work documented!!


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Ok, time for an update. I got the TIE ball assembled...through sweat and tears. This thing did not want to go together properly, even with glue. I had to hold the pieces with my finger pressure until they started to hurt. Even still I am left with some sizeable gaps and even some overhang where the pieces don't mate up properly.

I got very lucky that the overhang is happening in areas where I am obliterating detail and scratch building anyway. Still, Revell needs to get their crap together over something like that. Such a stupid place to put a seam line. With some filing, putty, and sanding, I can fix and make it seamless, but still. I shouldn't have to.

Front with overhang and seam gaps.









Fully painted and partially decalled upper hatch with custom mods..










Rear with less objectionable seamlines, but still there.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Nice work getting the hull together! The hatch looks great with the color applied. All the added details blend in perfectly.

The mis-matched seam is unfortunately par for the course with a snap kit in this low price range. It should be better but since this kit is a snap together model I guess Revell doesn't care much about making it perfect. 

This Revell kit is still a nice looking kit, out of box, but this build(in this thread) is taking it above and beyond.

Beautiful job so far!


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

I had hoped to finish this sucker before going on vacation. That won't happen as I leave today. I might take the kit with me, plus a few tools to finish up the body work during my down time. Then when I return home, I can take the airbrush to it to finish the paint job and assembly.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Ok, so I got the seam work done. On the front side I had to completely sand away the detail on either side of the cockpit glass. It's just as well I guess, the detail there was soft and inaccurate anyway. I'll scratch build the detail back up.

I attacked the overhangs with metal files to make them even. This left a small gap that had to be filled with putty and sanded down. On the backside, I wanted to keep all that detail, so I had to very carefully sand in small corners to not sand down detail. It come out pretty good, the detail was saved.

The TIE ball now just needs the scratch build details on the sides of the cockpit glass and a couple on the back. I should be painting it later this week and the model will be pretty much done at that point.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Great job! I can't wait to see it painted.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

PixelMagic said:


> Fully painted and partially decalled upper hatch with custom mods..


Are those small decals on the front part of the hatch? 

If so do they come with the kit?


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

crowe-t said:


> Are those small decals on the front part of the hatch?
> 
> If so do they come with the kit?


Those are decals. They do not come with the kit, no. I got them off a tank kit I had, and tried to make them match as close as I could to the studio models. I am using EFX's TIE Fighter as reference for everything I do. It's pretty much spot on to the filming miniature.


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## IndyRC_Racer (Oct 11, 2004)

PixelMagic, 

I really enjoy reading/viewing threads like this. I don't think you can ever have too much detail/info. You never know if it might help someone else when they are building a kit and have a problem to solve.

For example, I would have never thought to use plastic spoons as a simple/cheap way to create test paint samples. Even if I had, I wouldn't have thought to use a marker to document the test sample on the spoon.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Not a huge update, but since all the major body work is done, I wanted to see how it looked all together. Revell really did a good job with the proportions I think. Pretty close to the studio model by my eye. Their other kits proportions are quite questionable, and some downright very wrong like their Millennium Falcon.

I have not progressed further than this because it has been too cold to prime/paint the TIE ball. This weekend is looking like temps in the 60s however, so there is a chance I could completely finish painting this thing over the weekend, which would be nice.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Even un-painted it looks great! I agree that the proportions look accurate to the studio model. I actually like this Revell Tie Fighter a bit more than the Fine Molds 1/48 Tie Fighter. This Revell kit looks to be a slight bit more accurate in shape. I recently picked one of these up and am very happy with it.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

crowe-t said:


> I actually like this Revell Tie Fighter a bit more than the Fine Molds 1/48 Tie Fighter.


Actually, now that I'm almost done with this one, I've been thinking about selling my 1:48 Fine Molds TIE off. Firstly, I don't think I want to build another TIE fighter for a LONG time after the amount of work I put into this, heh. 

Secondly, I think I will be quite pleased with this build since I accurzied it, and won't have the motivation to have/build another smaller TIE model.

I still will probably pick up the upcoming Bandai 1:72 TIE Standard however just so I have one in scale with the Bandai X-wing I already picked up.


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## whiskeyrat (May 7, 2012)

Excellent work! I just picked up one of these, based solely off what I'm seeing in this thread. It is a nicely molded, good sized kit; surprising to me, for a snap-tite model that is pre-painted. The corrections you've made have really done this kit a wonder. If you don't mind I'll be saving this one for my future reference! Again, nice job!


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Ok, so decent progress this weekend, but still not as much as I'd hoped.

Firstly I scratch built details on either side of the cockpit glass to replace what I had to sand off to fix Revell's horrible seams.



















And some scratch details on the back to replace the poorly molded ones originally on the kit.










Needed to protect the cockpit glass from the new primer/paint coats, but I couldn't cut perfect circular masks that would go down around the edges. This would have let some paint get on the edge of the frame. So instead, I used liquid mask and painted over the edge of the frame, then came back with a toothpick to burnish up to the edge. This masked the cockpit window perfectly.










Finally, I was unsure how to mask the open cockpit hatch on top. Spraying without the upper hatch would have let paint get all over the pilot, and that was unacceptable. My simple solution was to stick a rolled up piece of paper in the opening and let it unfurl to the edges of the hatch opening. This worked great to keep paint out.










Because I had been stupid and forgot to paint the INSIDE of the model black for light blocking of the LEDs, I simply painted the outer body with black Rust-Oleum primer. I was relieved once I got this coat on, because I could see all my body work had paid off, and that the TIE ball was mostly smooth. A couple of areas need minor sanding touch up, but overall I am very pleased.


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

A custom "Ace of the Empire" black TIE would look cool, it seems.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Nice job getting rid of the seams and the new scratch built details look much better than the details on the kit.

The rolled up paper was a good idea!

BTW, will you be using the hinge for the upper hatch that came with the kit or just placing it on?


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

crowe-t said:


> BTW, will you be using the hinge for the upper hatch that came with the kit or just placing it on?


No. The cockpit is so inaccurate I really don't want to draw attention to it by having the hatch open. In fact I cut and polished away the little peg stems on the clear plastic part of the hatch. I made the plastic as flush as possible, but tiny peg holes are still there. Again another stupid idea by Revell.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Saturday night update. Major milestone. The TIE ball is now painted. That means that model painting is complete other than small details that need to be highlighted in darker gray. The cockpit glass mask has not yet been removed. I'm letting the paint set overnight before I remove it.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Saturday Update 2.

Here she is all painted. No decals yet. The TIE hasn't been hooked up to the base yet, but the hull painting is done. All the research I did on hull colors really paid off. The color scheme in person looks just like an ILM studio model. I am very happy with it.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

The color looks perfect and it's great to see it all together!


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

PixelMagic, what paint/color did you use for the darker gray highlights of the small details on the TIE ball and hatch?


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## kazarn (Mar 8, 2015)

I found this thread searching through internet and I just had to register to say how amazing i think is your job with this model, I've recently bougth two of then to combine with the planeta deagostini Millennium Falcon collection and now thanks to you I know how I'll deal with them, thanks again.


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

kazarn said:


> I found this thread searching through internet and I just had to register to say how amazing i think is your job with this model, I've recently bougth two of then to combine with the planeta deagostini Millennium Falcon collection and now thanks to you I know how I'll deal with them, thanks again.


Thank you very much.


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## Maritain (Jan 16, 2008)

Well done, I hope mine turns out that nice.


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## Hagoth (Mar 12, 2015)

Very nice! Great source of inspiration. What gauge of wire are you using?


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Hagoth said:


> Very nice! Great source of inspiration. What gauge of wire are you using?


I'm not sure what kind of wire it is. I just bought these pre-wired LEDs...

http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/bl-212.html


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## Hagoth (Mar 12, 2015)

Hmmm. Might be 28 gauge. Are you familiar with 44 gauge enamel coated magnet wire? How does it compare to that size?


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

Hagoth said:


> Hmmm. Might be 28 gauge. Are you familiar with 44 gauge enamel coated magnet wire? How does it compare to that size?


I no absolutely nothing about electronics I'm afraid. This is the first model I've ever lit.


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## Hagoth (Mar 12, 2015)

Regardless, it looks very nice. Looking forward to a picture of it all lit up. I just might have to get me one of these ...like I don't have enough kits waiting in the wings already.


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## harristotle (Aug 7, 2008)

Amazing job so far! Is she done yet?


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## PixelMagic (Aug 25, 2004)

harristotle said:


> Amazing job so far! Is she done yet?


No, I lost motivation to work on it because of a couple of seam problems it developed. Maybe I'll get it finished up soon.


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## harristotle (Aug 7, 2008)

PixelMagic said:


> No, I lost motivation to work on it because of a couple of seam problems it developed. Maybe I'll get it finished up soon.


Understandable. Feel free to use us anxious hobbytalkers for motivation lol


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