JediDefender.com Forums
Collecting => Customs => Star Wars Dioramas and Displays => Topic started by: Muftak on August 17, 2003, 06:42 PM
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My latest project has been a five-story "playset" Death Star. I'm building it in a modular frame of mind, and I've recently completed the bottom level, which contains the trash compactor and the blast chamber (the only diorama version of it I've heard of.)
First up, here are pictures of the blast chamber:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-08.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-09.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-10.jpg)
I used an old CD for the end of the chamber to create a sort of "lasery" effect in the reflection. I found halfway through building that using the dark steel grey color made the whole thing too dark, so I fudged the color a little bit to brighten it up. The interior is constructed of those little craft foamies, which were the easiest way to get it all to fold up into a tube.
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Here are some shots of the trash compactor:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-04.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-05.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-06.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-07.jpg)
I'd have liked to give it mashing walls, but the Screen Scene base kind of made that impossible. I'm going to put a chute opening in the ceiling to allow figures to drop from the cellblock (which will be directly above it) into the compactor.
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Finally, here are some pictures of how the two rooms fit together, and the overall "footprint" of the diorama:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-01.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-02.jpg)
On the outer walls I used more foamies to create the "armored" look, here's a detail of the outside walls:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar1-03.jpg)
All that dead space in the back came in handy to house the blast chamber's core tube. As the levels get higher they will carve deeper and deeper into the structure, hopefully keeping all the rooms accessible.
Thanks go out to JD's main man Chris, for hosting my pics!
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W :o W Does that ever look cool! Very, very impressive I must say. 8)
That CD looks perfect in there & I like the way you made it a all in one unit for display.
Thanks for sharing that custom. Some great ideas in there. 8)
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Muftak
That is Sweet, it looks Great... I wanted to start a project pretty close to this too, Im gonna have to wait a little while but I will do one, who knows when though. I can't Wait to see it Finished I bet it will look Super!
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Impressive. Most impressive.
Kevin
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WAY COOL!
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Awesome job there Muftak! I really like the Death Star gunner's station. Nice job!
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Outstanding work there Muftak. How big do you plan to have the entire set be? Will it encompass such things as a full detention cell hallway, conference room, and/or the hangar bay? Great use of the CD to add effect for the superlaser control room, but wasn't the chamber parallel to the controllers, or was that in ROTJ? I forget....
What about detailing on the outside, will you add anything like gunner stations or the turrets from the trenches?
This looks to be an amazing project, I'd love to tackle it some day. Keep up the great work!
Happy Customizing!
Jason
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Outstanding work there Muftak. How big do you plan to have the entire set be? Will it encompass such things as a full detention cell hallway, conference room, and/or the hangar bay?
There will be four more levels on top of this one, it will be just a bit bigger than three feet tall when finished. The next level up (3) has the detention center and the cellblock playset from 96, the one above that will contain the hangar control room, the hangar hallway (with blastdoors) and the elevator hall. The next level up (4) will be the control room and a short hallway with blastdoors. The top level will be the central core shaft, with two bridge doors and the tractor beam controls.
Docking bays are just too large to fit the size I was working for (trying to keep this thing under four feet square). I really weighed doing the conference room, which would have been a floor all by itself I think, but in the end it boiled down to not enough officers to fill it. Tarkin, Motti, and Vader will just hang out in the control room. If hasbro suddenly has a change of heart and makes a troop builder set of officers, I can alway retrofit it later.
Great use of the CD to add effect for the superlaser control room, but wasn't the chamber parallel to the controllers, or was that in ROTJ? I forget....
After studying that three-second shot for waaaaaay too long, I've come to the conclusion that the control platform is actually in the round chamber (the laser blast bursts right behind them), which was actually just a matte painting. The painting had all the curved walls, while the platform and all it's walls were straight. In ROTJ it looks like they use the same footage flipped mirror-image style.
What about detailing on the outside, will you add anything like gunner stations or the turrets from the trenches?
I originally thought about putting two little gun towers on the very top (above the chasm doorways), but have lately been toying with the idea of making the whole thing double as a nearly-to-scale gun tower from the back, with two large cannons sticking out about level three.
Maybe an exhaust vent hidden on the back of level two..?
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Very nice work! I like the firing chamber a lot.
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Awesome start to your Death Star there Bobb! 8) My first thought was on the very creative and ideal use of the CD in there, but I see everyone else has already touched on that. So will each level be similar in size, so they all just line up accordingly as each new level gets added on? Interesting idea of making the entire thing (on the exterior) resemble one of the gun towers - with an FX X-Wing right nearby, I presume. I also like the idea of just making the entire exterior look like the surface of the Death Star as well, with some laser turrets & gun towers up top, perhaps along with a portion of the trench along with the exhaust port... 8)
I've gotta disagree with your exclusion of the conference room though. No Death Star diorama (of this grand of scale) can be complete without it! ;) I'm sure by the time you got around to completing it (do your other levels first), Hasbro will have gotten a few more generic (tuniced) Imperial Officers out to us, along with Colonel Yularen hopefully. If not, I'm sure you can get some of these creative customizing fellas on the boards to whip you up a couple nice custom Impy's to fill out your conf. room in style. I say go for it - do the conference room too!
So I assume you're diligently at work on the detention center level now? When's the ETA on that one? Can't wait to check out your new level(s) as you progress through the rest of your project. Keep up the great work Bobb! 8)
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Thanks, Matt! Things are in fact progressing--I finished the Detention Level yesterday, and hope to have pictures to show everyone soon. Now on to the Docking Bay level (which has everything but a docking bay!)
As for the conference room, my creativity's just not piqued with building one...maybe if Hasbro makes a Screen Sceen table...the whole thing disassembles by level, so I haven't ruled out any rooms for sure. I'd love to even stick in a ROTJ Throne Room at some point, but it's not a part of my initial design.
...maybe after I build my modular Cloud City playset...
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As I mentioned earlier, I have finished the Detention Level of my multi-part diorama. Here are some views of the Anteroom:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-01.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-02.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-03.jpg)
The console is not fixed to the floor, it's its own piece of furniture. I went with the orange-colored grid on the floor (instead of reddish like in the movie) to match the floor of the Cellblock Playset. The elevators are constructed out of multiple layers of Foamies attatched to a cut-in-half mailing tube.
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Here, then, are some shots of the Detention Corridor and Leia's Cell:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-04.jpg)
(I designed the "corridor" sticker myself as an homage to Kenner's vintage style.)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-05.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-06.jpg)
I replaced the tiny cell that came with the original playset with a more accurate room of its own. The playset itself is completely removable from the diorama itself (though it looks silly without it there.) There is also an opening behind the trash grate to allow the figures to fall through to the bottom level--I put some nice pipe details in there, but none of my pictures of it would show up very well.
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Lastly, here are some more "overall" images that show the diorama as it stands now:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-07.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-08.jpg)
To allow the cell door to still be able to open, I had to put an opening thorugh the side exterior wall of the diorama:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-09.jpg)
In addition, I made a part of this wall completely removable so that the Cell was accessible for play when the whole thing is put together:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar2-10.jpg)
The ceiling line for this level also gives you a rough design of what the third (Docking Bay) level's floorplan will look like.
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That is awesome! I can't believe how great that looks! I don't think I've seen a Death Star diorama look so good. I am most impressed, and thank you for sharing it with us. All I can say is, WOW! :o
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Nice work dude! The exterior panelling is a touch that just puts this over the top. Brilliant!
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That really looks incredible...
One of the best representations so far...
Like Nick mentioned that exterior just makes this one much more eye candy than anything else out
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Muftak, again I've gotta say some really outstanding work. Your penchant for detail is amazing, especially in the anteroom near the detention cell. A nice nod to the vintage era with the background. How'd you go about making the computer console? And what's the next step for the Death Star? Keep up the great work!
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Yup, definitely great... Modular DS is an idea I've had for a while too, but in a different format I think.
That's looking darn good... Keeping it so it fits together JUST right has gotta be a pain but you're keeping it all together great Muftak.
Cool, and looking forward to more photos of the next room(s).
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Amazing Bobb. Absolutely amazing... 8)
I love what you've done with this level with the limited amount of space you've got to work with. The anteroom is just awesome, with the computer consoles, elevators (working?), flooring, etc. And the corridor looks great with the added depth from that sticker you placed at the end of it. Good idea to increase the size of Leia's cell too, though she's still looking a little uncomfortable lying down on that hard slab... :P
I think the only suggestion I might have is to hack those silly little gun turrets off, and maybe add a few of those "camera thingees" that Han and Luke were blasting away at.
It's coming along just incredibly Bobb. Can't wait for the next level. So, you're going to do the Docking Bay next? Will it have the small control booth that the droids hung out in? You change your mind on the conference room yet?! ;)
So how many hours would you say you're putting in on this project each week, and also - can we hire you to build us one too?! ;D (got my checkbook all ready to go!)
Keep up the great work!
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Thanks to everyone for the feedback and support. I'm glad this thing has been a hit within the community.
Matt, I spend about 10 hours a week working on it, give or take. I seem to be able to turn out a level a month so far, but I actually started the project in June, and spent a solid month planning things out level by level so that everything would fit just right. A lot of the work time now is spent on designing the decals, since this is my first opportunity at photoshop-type applications. The plan has always been to finish by December, and that looks like it'll happen.
I'm still looking for something to use as those wall sensors, I've got plenty of room to stick 'em, but I love those little cannons...
The console is built from a foamcore skeleton covered with black posterboard skin. Basically, the leg pieces are two pieces of foamcore joined face-to-face, the back one slightly taller than the front. A third wedge-shaped piece is placed on top at the angle made by the different heights. Then the posterboard covers the joints, with stickers and scavenged car model pieces to complete the look.
The next level to come will be the Docking Level, featuring the Command Office (above Leia's Cell) with an opening/closing door and rotating computer screens. The elevators continue up into the docking level also to give the illusion of a straight ride (though they are non-functional). A curving hallway joins the two sides, with the Docking Bay Doors (and a large decal of the Falcon in Hanar 2037) in the rear center.
I don't think I could build another Death Star, though. This one was all about seeing my wishlist of rooms and features come to life, someone else would want other things and <poof> the magic would be gone for me.
(Of course, if enough money were offered, I'd stop being an idealist real quick...) ;)
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I don't think I could build another Death Star, though...
(Of course, if enough money were offered, I'd stop being an idealist real quick...) ;)
:'( :'( OK, but if I hit the lottery bigtime in the near future, I'm still gonna come-a knockin', Bobb! :-*
The plan has always been to finish by December, and that looks like it'll happen.
Cool! Merry Christmas to us! Good enough gift for me just to take a long, sweet gander at your completed project! Though insane jealousy probably isn't the best trait to be displaying around the Holidays, now is it... :-\
Thanks for the pix and info as always Bobb. Good luck with Level 3!
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At long last, here's a look at level three, starting with the Command Office:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-01.jpg)
(I made the Han and Luke storimes as well!)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-02.jpg)
Door closed...
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-04.jpg)
...amd open.
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-03.jpg)
Also, there's a knob built in that turns to allow the image on the main computer screen to change...
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-05.jpg)
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Next we have the main hallway outside the Hangar Bay itself:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-06.jpg)
this is the other side of the Command Office doorway, which actually connects out into the hall:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-07.jpg)
and the elevator hub:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-08.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-09.jpg)
I originally designed this level to have a guardrail around the large open area in the hallway, but it got way too cluttered looking so I removed it.
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Lastly, here are some pictures that show the entire diorama as it stands now:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-10.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-11.jpg)
It's about half the height of the finished project now, to give you a better idea of the scale of wha I'm shooting for. Level 4, which is already well underway, contains Tarkin's control room (with more changing screen images) and a hallway with a closing blast door. Look for more pictures soon!!
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impressive... most impressive. it's the little details that make it so awesome, like the ability to change the monitor screens. too cool... great job...
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(http://smilies.networkessence.net/s/contrib/ed/smileeek.gif)(http://burns.thefinaldimension.org/cwm/cwm/eek2.gif)(http://smilies.networkessence.net/s/contrib/ed/smileeek.gif)
That Says it all!
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muftak,
the third level is looking awesome. great detailing all around. about the changing of images in the control room, is the knob connected to a wheel that has the images on it, how'd you go about doing that? I noticed on the 3rd floor that you aligned the elevator hub with the shaft on the 2nd floor, any plans to make a working lift? also how is the stability of the set holding up? keep up the great job!
happy customizing!
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Thanks everyone.
Corran, the images are indeed on a circular piece of posterboard connected to a knob that turns. My original idea was to use a push-pin thru the front of the console, just above the screen itself to both hold the wheel together and act as the knob, but during construction I found out the friction was causing the push-pin to become separated from the circular piece every time, it would come loose after a few turns and stop working.
After a bit of tinkering, I came up with an alternate mechanism--there is now a much larger knob connected to the back of the wheel, firmly glued into place. The angled section of the computer fits flush to the angled back corner, and the knob connected to the back of the computer sticks out a hole in the outer wall of the playset. The "pin" that holds the wheel in place (and that you can see in the lower part of this picture: )
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar3-05.jpg)
is now made from an earring I found at the dollar store that looked vaguely like the controls on the computer. I attatched the other earring to the computer too, to make this one look less funky.
No plans on making the elevators work, though I did figure out a way they could be made to work and retain the ability to come apart level by level (if, say, Hasbro were to devise a real toy based on the design.) For my taste, the tubes were too shallow to try sticking figures in them and making opening doors.
This thing is holding together like a rock--each level simply sits on top of the one below it, but they're so wide it's pretty easy to pick it up by the base and carry it like an enormous birthday cake. The next level should be interesting in that regard, because I'm splitting it down the middle and building it as two dioramas that fit together. The column that will hold the Tractor Beam controls will sit atop the seam, essentially making level four a three-piece construction.
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I must say this is one awesome diorama! :o
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Whoops, looks like I never got around to offering more well deserved praise with your latest level there Bobb! Just awesome, as expected after the first two levels! I love the shiny black reflective flooring. That's too cool! And it goes without saying (since everyone else has already pointed it out), that the rotating pictures on that Control Room display is just an excellent touch that very few customizers would've or could've pulled off. Excellent.
I hate looking at that thing though, 'cause I want one so bad! Not fair! :P
I'm still hiring you to build me another one when I win the lottery out here. So please be ready... ;)
Hurry up with Level 4 though. I'm growing most anxious!
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Yes, Matt, I was worried your love had turned to hate. Glad to see that is not (entirely) the case. ;D
Level 4 pictures will be up soon--in fact they're already in the pipeline. And level 5 (the top!!) is progressing very well. I missed my goal of the end of the year, but not by much!
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Cool deal. I'll be right here waiting for the Level 4 goodness...
BTW, your newest signature kills me! ;D
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Here are the level 4 pictures I promised. Once again, thanks to Chris Berry here at JediDefender for hosting these for me!
Up first is Tarkin's Control Room--
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-01.jpg)
In this view, you can see a black tab sticking out of the wall by the row of lights. This is the end of the card that allows the image on the screen to change:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-02.jpg)
I made two cards, one printed front and back with Alderaan...
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-04.jpg)
and the other with images from the Yavin attack (the last is my favorite--it's the final schematic displayed before the Death Star blew up):
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-05.jpg)
The diorama itself is really small, the most out-of-scale room I've made yet, this time the console got shrunk from five pieces down to two to fit:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-03.jpg)
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The other side of level four is a simple hallway, like the one where Han and Chewie chase Stormtroopers:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-06.jpg)
This is the front of the hall, I used the lid from an Eweb's power box for some extra detail on the wall:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-07.jpg)
To keep it from being too plain (and to add some "playability") I decided to throw in a doorway for Han to run through:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-08.jpg)
This one closes with the same mechanism as the one on level three, except that it slides in through the side rather than through the top:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-09.jpg)
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Finally, here's a shot of what the whole thing looks like right now:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar4-10.jpg)
You'll notice these two areas seem to blend right into each other. The base for the Tractor Beam Control Tower will sit in the middle to create a wall between the control room and the hallway, but I'm still building it.
Also, this level was different from the previous ones in that there is a split down the back, making these two completely separate dioramas. Once again, the Tower will cover the seam when it's all put together.
Level five will be the top (for now?) and will contail the Tower as well as the doorways for the chasm "swing across" scene--which will have a removable bridge. If you look at these last couple levles, you can see things moving further back in the structure--this will allow the doorways (at the very front of level five) to really open up over a big dropoff. It'll be pretty neat.
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I need to find one of those little gremlins where the characters jaw drops to the floor!!
There aren't enough positive words to string to together in one sentence. This diorama is amazing, just frickin' AMAZING and getting better at each level. I can't wait to see the grand finale!!
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Mindbogglingly awesome is about all I can say Bobb. The attention to detail, and the extra cool touches with the interchangeable screens, sliding doors, etc. is absolutely top notch. Can't wait to see how it all comes together with level 5 and the Tractor Beam Tower.
And hopefully you'll change your mind later on when we get a few more Imperial Officers, and make another floor containing the Conference Room for the whole gang of baddies to chat. I assume each floor is still removable from the others, so you could always stick something somewhere in between later on, right?
Keep up the great work. Can't wait for the grand finale! 8)
- Matt
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I need to find one of those little gremlins where the characters jaw drops to the floor!!
It is written, it is done! ;) One for you & one for me!
(http://www.cheesebuerger.de/smilies/verbluefft/3.gif) (http://www.cheesebuerger.de/smilies/verbluefft/3.gif)
Yes, the grand finale! I may need to find something better than the jaw dropping! ;D
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Great work. :o
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Excellent!I remeber how I was making my own around the same time as you...I just got in to deep.Maybe later this year I'll actually put those blueprints to work.
Congrats,now just make sure you're rebel figs are far away.
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Muftak,
Again the work you're doing on this Death Star is just amazing. The newest level is so vibrant and full of rich details. Just a quick suggestion on the control console in Tarkin's control room. Have you thought about making some of the levers and buttons on the console 3-dimensional? A thin straw cut up here and there could do wonders. Just a thought.
Can't wait to see level 5. Keep up the outstanding job and as always... Happy Customizing!
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WOW..... nice work, those levels are amazing. I attemped to make a couple diorama's and failed. I am both jealous and amazed.
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Would it be lame to call your work "breathtaking" Muftak? Not sure how else to describe it. It's just awesome, and the jealous pangs shooting through my body right now are most unpleasant! You are indeed lucky to have such great customizing skills, and as a result, such wonderful one-of-a-kind toys. Doesn't seem fair to the rest of us, but I'm sure you deserve it for the many hours of hard work I'm sure you've put into this spectacular diorama. I can't wait to see the finished piece!
So here's a question: What's up next once you've finished the Death Star? The Cantina? Jabba's Palace? Or just retirement?
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Thanks once again to everyone for their feedback. I don't deserve a lot of the praise--I've been learning so much as I go, I am still a novice customizer. Maybe it's just beginner's luck. If anything, I really put the most effort into making sure it had a nice visual flow, over a month of planning and drawing before I started to build.
So here's a question: What's up next once you've finished the Death Star? The Cantina? Jabba's Palace? Or just retirement?
Modular Cloud City.
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Holy Crap Bobb, that is one of the greatest things I have ever seen! Its a drawdroppingly, breathtaking beatiful piece of work and you deserve all of the praise and then some.
I can't wait to see Cloud City!
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Yes indeed, this diorama is "outstanding". I really like all the action features you have built in, awesome touches. :o
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Thanks for the compliments, Scott and Dan.
About a month behind my dream schedule, I finished up Level 5 today, so now The Death Star is fully armed and operational!
I'll have pics to share soon!
(and curse you, JediMAC, I couldn't help sketching out a rough idea of what a Throne Room might look like as level 6 the other day. But it is not meant to be...at least not for a while.)
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those are some nice customs.
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I know I'm a little late to the game here, but I just came across this thread (and pics) today. I just had to post to say what incredible work you do Muftak. I am just astounded by each and ever level you have put together. That is a tremendous diorama, and I can't believe how great everything looks. Tremendous work!
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Hell of a job, Muftak! I can't wait to see the finished product as well. If Hasbro were to put out a set like this, how much do you think it would cost? I think it'd run into the hundreds.
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I'll have pics to share soon!
Not to rush you...but how soon is SOON??? ;D
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Not to rush you...but how soon is SOON??? ;D
As soon as Chris gets the pics uploaded to the site. ie Any day now.
I hope it doesn't disappoint.
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After what we've seen so far, I really doubt it will disappoint. What's your next diorama?
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Hey--sorry SithTrooper, missed your comments the first time around (thanks, BTW).
Next up I'm working on a Modular Cloud City, very different from my Death Star in design.
(As far as how much I'd estimate a Hasbro-made version of my Death Star would go for, I'd say about $180, breaking it down piece-by-piece into $20 to $30 dollar playsets.)
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i never spend more than 10$ at a time on SW, but i'd make like 800 exceptions if hasbro made this. i am STUNNED at how awesome this is.
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I discovered to my surprise that Toy News International did a write-up on the Death Star a couple of weeks back as there "custom of the week." I'm quite honored!
Anyways, they have the pics of the fifth level as well. For anyone that wants a preview, click through to the review! (http://toynewsi.com/customs.php?catid=173&itemid=2705)
(Rest assured, I'll have the pictures posted right here as soon as I get the word from Chris Berry that they're up.)
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Muftak,
Again an oustanding job. The 5th level came out great and really rounds out the whole Death Star. Did you make the tractor beam control area from scratch or did you utilize parts of the Kenner DS set?
Happy Customizing!
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I'd like to second the congratulations on the review. Well deserved. You made a playset Hasbro seems incapable of doing, and made it with fun playable features to boot. Can't beat that kind of customizing Muftak.
Glad you got recognized for it beyond forums and things in a publication. It's much deserved.
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Well, if there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's to not take praise from Jesse James too lightly. Thanks for the very kind words!
Here, as promised, are the final level pictures, starting with the chasm:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-01.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-02.jpg)
As I was building I realized the bottom of the doorways would be very visible over the Stormtrooper hallway below, so I seized the opportunity to do a mostly-accurate ceiling for that scene:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-03.jpg)
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Here's the tractor beam control tower, which sits behind and slightly above the chasm doorways:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-04.jpg)(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-05.jpg)
I used parts from an R2 cutting-arm and Jango's blasters to make the controls "grip-able" for Obi-Wan. The whole thing is built form scratch, with a film canister on top for detail.
I also put together a bridge to span the chasm:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-06.jpg)
It slides easily over the pegs of the anniversary Luke/Leia footbase, and locks into place very solidly, almost as if Hasbro designed it that way to help me out. I added silver paint details to better match the platforms.
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-07.jpg)
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And finally, here are the pictures of the completed playset:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-08.jpg)
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-10.jpg)
This shot is a bird's-eye view looking directly down the center. It really gives a feel for how each level takes up it's own space within the body of the tower, you can see all the way down to the orange floors of the detention level, and then the two first level rooms jutting out below that:
(http://www.jedidefender.com/collectors/bcollins/dstar5-09.jpg)
Once again, thanks to Chirs Berry for helping me out with these pictures, and thanks to all of you for the encouragement and support as I brought this "technological terror" to life.
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awesome. what more needs to be said?
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Simply amazing. Good work.
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(http://www.cheesebuerger.de/smilies/icq/30.gif) (http://www.cheesebuerger.de/smilies/icq/33.gif)
Absolutely incredible. I love the last shot (or birds eye view), it's awesome.
Great job. There just aren't enough adjectives to describe your fantastic work!!!
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Holy crap, that's absolutely mindboggling! Words can't even describe how impressive and cool that thing is Muftak. Absolutely amazing work there. I'm almost sad to see your project come to an end. One question though: no conference room for the Imperials? Or did you already address that somewhere and I just missed it? Regardless, it's so pretty I almost want to cry. 8)
So can you provide us with any teaser info on what you've got in store for the Bespin set? How many components, or are you not yet finished with the preliminary planning stages yet? Can't wait to see that one! If you're taking requests, after you finish Bespin, you'll have to do the Cantina, Jabba's Palace, and Death Star II. But I'm sure you already knew that. ;)
Keep up the brilliant work Muftak. You're a true credit to the customizing community! 8)
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Thanks again, everyone.
Grant, my take on the conference room was basically "no imperial officers to put in it=big empty space or a lot of extra customizing work." Vader has been finding lots of other fun places to choke Motti--the bridge, the superlaser room, while walking down the hall...
Cloud City will be a little smaller than the Death Star, only three (stackable) levels tall but with a wider footprint. I'm visualizing it as sort of the Palitoy Death Star with Cloud City interiors and a Carbon Freezing Chamber (custom, not the miniscule Hasbro release) on the roof.
I'm also going to build a gantry that attaches to the back of the diorama proper--think of it as a 3 3/4" version of the two Kenner Micro World gantry sets. With the whole thing put together, it will be longer than the Death Star is tall (and I'll have nowhere to display it!)
After it's done, (I'm thinking next Christmas again) I'll start work on an Ewok Village set that's been brewing in my mind for a while (hopefully they'll make some new Ewoks before then.) That takes me through 2005, so who knows after that?
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Absolutely amazing. 8) Well done.
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Anyone catch the blurb in our Comic Con coverage that Hasbro has toyed with an idea like this...but can't get it to a pricepoint they want yet and haven't had the time to devote to it. Nothing is going to top Bobb's work here though, it is truly one of the greatest 3-3/4" things I have ever seen (besides the 1:1/18:1/1:18 Tantive IV :-*)
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(http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=Mullet+Wig/v=2/SID=e/l=IVI/*-http://www.rileystrickshop.com/httpdocs/images/products/836.jpg)
Yeah, that Tantive IV rocked harder than that hairdo there...
Well, I got a playset in the mail today. A modular 1:18 "bombed building" you set up yurself in the order you want. It's a knock off, came with 150 accessories, 8 figures (with removable helmets and super articulation), and you just slap it together.
Grand total: $15.
It's a cheap knock-off toy of BBI's Elite Frce or 21st Cent. Toys XD figures, but it's really quite nice. Hasbro really could do something similar, but better, and even in "sections" that they could price each section at $20 or less even. Make each section interlocking (stackable, or interlock from either side), and you'd have an incredible ENDLESS modular Death Star.
Alas, this seems a bit too cmplex. You can't tell me that, if it isn't overly complex in design, that they couldn't get that out for $20. One figure pack-in, and even that I'd make either a straight repack like the CT Stormie, 4-pack Stormie, or something similar, or a cheap kitbash like a POTJ Officer with DST head.
Do different rooms over time, people will go nuts.
I still say the same methd could be used to make a to-scale Millenium Falcon that you build over time. They release 2 pieces once... Sell through thse then 2 more... Then the cockpit's released and it snaps to the rest of it.
Voila, super Falcon. To-Scale. Adult collectors go ape**** with glee and hang it from their celing as the "ultimate" piece.
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NiubNiub has updated with news on his Modular Death Star, to be featured as the Diorama Workshop at this year's Celebration:
(http://www.niubniubsuniverse.com/C3W/DesignPics/096.jpg)
Now, while I called my playset modular, this is the real deal. Interchangable pieces that can be put together in a million different combinations, and likely will be as the thing comes together at the celebration. My one beef is the reliance on stickers, but it's designed to be an entry-level diorama so not much you can do there. At sixty feet wide or so, it's gonna be neat to see...
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I'd love to be able to go to C3 and see that....
Yeah, looks like Niub Niub is finally getting geared back up into his dioramas.
I still say Hasbro should make a modular Death Star... damn them for not doing it.
:P
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Niub Niub makes some incredible dioramas...but I'd put your Deathstar up to anything he's done!
Great work!
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THIS HAS TO GO UP FOR MORE VIEWING!
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THIS HAS TO GO UP FOR MORE VIEWING!
I agree. Excellent work Muftak!
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WOW! Thank you guys for bumping this up! This is the best diorama/playset that I have ever seen! :o
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It's definitely something out of this world. I've said it before, the decision makers at Hasbro need to be stuck on a deserted island with this thing for a year to finally learn how to make playsets.
:P
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Thanks to everyone who brought this thread back up from the dregs a month back, it made me realize how low-res some of the pictures of the final couple levels really were (thanks to me having to scrounge for a camera at the time). Ever since it popped up, I've been planning to take some new pictures of the Death Star, to allow for a bit clearer viewing of this monstrosity.
It's been two years now since it was built, and the parts are showing some age. Stickers that once color-matched the paint now are a little too blue or green, while many of the curved surfaces have begun to separate. I hadn't paid much attention to the details in a long time, but I guess this is the difference between a home-made toy and a store-bought one. I can foresee a small refurbishing project on my horizon.
But enough talk, here's some new pics. I'll start at the top and work my way down this time around, beginning with the chasm set...
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/24.jpg) (http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/21.jpg)
At the back of the chasm is Ben's Tractor Beam Control Tower:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/22.jpg)
I also built the piece that fits between the two anniversary-set bases to bridge the chasm like in the vintage playset:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/4.jpg)
Thanks to dafoo, CHEWIE, Gregorbian and Anton for the comments. I'll be back periodically with more updated pictures!
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I really need to make myself something like this. This is still one of my favorite dios around. And it has been a huge inspiration in the making of My SGD modular dio/playset.
These new pictures look great. Why sets like this have never been released is beyond me. Do you have anyplans to make anything else after Bespin? Casue I'd love to see it if you do. :)
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Muftak, this just keeps getting better and better... simply amazing! So detailed and this would be the ultimate playset.
:P
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Words escape me. This is truly the most awesome thing I think I've ever seen.It completely blows away the one Kenner put out in the 70's. And that is great praise my friend, that playset is the most beloved toy that I ever owned. I salute your talent.
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WOW!
I think I saw this last year, don't remember if I commented on it.
This is so gorgeous it makes me want to cry.....
I'm stunned.
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Thanks guys. I wasn't sure what kind of reaction I'd get to dragging out more pictures of the same old same old, but I'm glad you're enjoying them.
I wish Hasbro could do something like this too. Images of what they could do first popped into my head when they released those two Death Star sets in 96, and that's probably why I built the whole thing around the scale and color pallette of that Detention Block. It seemed like such a no-brainer, but I gues those sets didn't get the reaction Hasbro wanted. I loved 'em, obviously.
Another thing I'm enjoying about these pics is the updated figures. Amazing what we've gotten in the last two years. Tarkin's Control Room has a bunch of new inhabitants:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/11.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/25.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/26.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/9.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/19.jpg)
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The other side of level 4, if you'll recall, is the generic Death Star Hallway, for Han to chase stormtroopers down or what have you, with a closing Blast Door:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/5.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/6.jpg)
Yes, you never know who's going to be standing around in the old hallway:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/18.jpg)
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OMG! :D That's really funny!
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LOL!! Thanks I needed that laugh. I love the little Vader.
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Level 3 holds what I really believe to be the heart of my Death Star, the control room playset:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/7.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/2.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/15.jpg)
It's a little smaller than the movie set, but I think it's the most authentic room in my Death Star.
The door can be opened and closed:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/14.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/1.jpg)
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The rest of level three houses the docking bay doorway and the elevator hub:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/16.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/20.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/8.jpg)
To make my Death Star truly complete, I had to make a couple of custom figures--Han and Luke in Commtech Stormtrooper disguise.
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/17.jpg)
I really like the looks of Death Star Escape Han's head on a Trooper body. Their heads don't move; I had to glue the neck post into the socket, but I had the advantage of adding the "body glove" on the neck by wrapping a thin piece of electrical tape around their necks.
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/23.jpg)
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Lastly, here are some pictures of the whole thing assembled:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/12.jpg)
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/27.jpg)
And my favorite, the bird's eye view:
(http://www2.propichosting.com/Images/450001325/3.jpg)
Thanks for looking!
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Great work Muftak, everything looks amazing. It really makes me wish Hasbro could/would do something like this. You are definitely very talented, great work.
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I still can't believe how awesome this turned out... how tall is it?
:P
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3 feet tall...sturdy as all get out for the bottom four levels, but the top one is a bit wobbly. It's four separate pieces; both doorways, the tower, and the back wall. I've played with the idea of someday building a "throne room" top to the tower--that would lend it some more stability, I think. And since I'll have to refurbish some of these pieces anyway... ;)
I was actually having a lot of fun the other day (during the photo shoot) by just kind of throwing the rooms and levels together in different combinations...perhaps I can do more updates in the future with some different setups.
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Man, that is just so incredible I can't get over it. More pictures in different combinations would be a great idea!
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Thanks for the update! That thing is just amazing. Is it going to keep growing?
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That thing is just amazing. Is it going to keep growing?
That's what she said
Sorry, couldn't resist.
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the result of your work is the reward for patience and skill
Great job
I liked a lot the bridge, in both positions: extended and closed, also the sight of the tractor beam.