Building Mortesv's Nebulon-B Thread

[skybert80]

Off to updating the parts list!

Currently in the process of gathering parts for the build! Where to find this updated parts list when you're done?

[brian3197]

Do we win a prize once we're done?

[Cjd223]

Do we win a prize once we're done?

Very nice! Looks great and I love the Tantive IV right beside of it!

[mortesv]

Do we win a prize once we're done?

Looking good! Way to go Brian!

[Azrielsc]

Looks amazing, brian3197!

All these completed builds is giving me back my Lego mojo to tackle this set. All the bricks are on my table, I just have to start sorting the bricks out before I can start my build.

[brian3197]

Mortesv and Cjd223, thanks for making this set available to other people. It was a ton of fun to build and holy butts was it challenging. I think I'll be building one of Mortesv's rebel transports to go with it shortly, and then trying to figure out some sort of build for a Home One cruiser..

I think I have one contribution towards helping out others: there's one small error in the manual - on page 522, it shows a 13 length technic liftarm in the parts, but in the actual build I believe it's an 11. I also had 11's available from the inventory but not 13's.

[mortesv]

Mortesv and Cjd223, thanks for making this set available to other people. It was a ton of fun to build and holy butts was it challenging. I think I'll be building one of Mortesv's rebel transports to go with it shortly, and then trying to figure out some sort of build for a Home One cruiser..

I think I have one contribution towards helping out others: there's one small error in the manual - on page 522, it shows a 13 length technic liftarm in the parts, but in the actual build I believe it's an 11. I also had 11's available from the inventory but not 13's.

You are welcome! :)

I am considering how to do Home One - the problem is that is will be 5,2 meters long! :)

[brian3197]

You are welcome! :)

I am considering how to do Home One - the problem is that is will be 5,2 meters long! :)

Just knock down a few walls and you're good to go!

If you do build one, consider me in line to build your design if you choose to make it available.

[Hunter003]

I have a question that has been glossed over slightly before........how easy is it to move once fully built? I will have to build this on the floor of my loft/Lego room and will then be faced with the challenge of lifting it up onto a shelf once complete. This is slightly concerning me.....

[mortesv]

You can lift it by yourself, but you might need a friend to help you get the legs into position.

[ecmo47]

Still chugging along and finally acheived a milestone. It's on the stand! Hallelujah! Man, it's been a real pain in the rear starting about page 460 when you had to flip it and work on the bottom. Problem was that there is no way to keep from knocking off all your finely placed top greeble. You can see the "greeble grave yard" scattered about that is testament to my ham-handed clumsiness. Now that it is fairly stable, I will have to go back and fix all these details. It don't know if is possible, but future builders might want to try to construct the skeleton and then go back for the details. Cant be any worse then my 2 steps forward and one back approach. Hoping for a 1 Oct completion date but that will depend on how fussy the wife gets about re-painting the guest room!

DSC01675 by Scott Roys, on Flickr

Edited September 30, 2016 by ecmo47

[Azrielsc]

Congrats ecmo47 on the milestone!

I am currently at page 460 and I am starting on building the bottom section... oh my...

I also realised that around page 250+, when building the frame connecting the 2 ends together, it would be easier to combine both sections so that I can build a few small stands to keep the ship upright. I already had to pull apart quite a few bricks a couple of times to link some bricks that the instructions only asked for a couple of pages ahead!

Numb thumbs! Numb thumbs!

[mortesv]

Great work ecmo!

Since I have never built the model with instructions I don't have any input regrading page 460. I built he model in two parts - including all details. The two parts were lying on duvets and then I connected them - via the central spine/neck. That approach required a bit of force to "click" all the technic pins together in one move - and yes, the bed was a huge greeble graveyard thereafter. Afterwards I had a friend help set up the stands so I could place the model on top. Then I could reapply all the lost greeble and begin to decorate the naked spine.

What I am saying is there is probably no quick way to do this part - unless you suspend the model in a hydraulic harness :)

[Azrielsc]

Good point about using duvets!

Was thinking of how I can lay my Nebulon on its side so that I can start on the bottom part and not lose "most" of the top greebling.

[brian3197]

I have a suggestion to help with this part. One of the modifications I made was to add some 2x4 bricks and plates under the 4x4 DBG plate you add on page 436. This keeps the top of the ship in place while you flip it over (and you can leave them afterwards and they add nice structure). Immediately after this, pages 437-446 build a sloped dark grey section. If you remove this section and have held the rest of the top in place with the bricks, you can easily flip the ship upside down. I then placed a box in the gap left by the section I removed, and a box under the connecting spine, and had no problem working on it upside down.

Hope that helps!

[Azrielsc]

I have a suggestion to help with this part. One of the modifications I made was to add some 2x4 bricks and plates under the 4x4 DBG plate you add on page 436. This keeps the top of the ship in place while you flip it over (and you can leave them afterwards and they add nice structure). Immediately after this, pages 437-446 build a sloped dark grey section. If you remove this section and have held the rest of the top in place with the bricks, you can easily flip the ship upside down. I then placed a box in the gap left by the section I removed, and a box under the connecting spine, and had no problem working on it upside down.

Hope that helps!

Thanks Brian for the great suggestion!

Actually I have added in those bricks under that 4x4 plate on page 436 too! I felt that that top section was a bit too flimsy since it is held in front by a single stud so I braced the length of that section with some "pillars" of 2x2 LBG/DBG bricks.

I managed to get the entire ship flipped on its back with the help of a pillow and a few plastic containers so that I can work on the bottom frame.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Azrielsc

[Cjd223]

Big news about getting a chance to be able to get a FREE manual: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=140280

[ecmo47]

Welp, in the continuing saga of ecmo47's Neb-B build, I just finished the sand green pod and installed it. It was a tad tricky and I had to remove a few parts to get it slipped in-between the frame. In the process, I discovered that the DGB pod above it was a 1/2 stud off so I had to adjust that which wasn't too hard. The pod build was very straight forward with no issues. My only note here is that there were many buried sand green parts. When I made that discovery, I took that part(s) out and replaced them with LBG or DBG parts since those buggers are more expensive than gold! This brings me to another unmentioned tip: order plenty of extra plates in these sizes: 1x1, 1x2, 1x2, 2x3 1x4, I've used MANY extra plates to strengthen weak areas so that my model will be reasonable sturdy for transportation to shows (hopefully). One part that I have found extremely useful is the 3x3 plate (#11212). Mortesv has only 2 on the parts list (one DBG and one LBG) but get at least 20 LBG and you will find plenty of places for them to go.

I just peeked at step 702: installing the last two black 1x15 lift arms in the frame. NOT looking forward to that! Lots of pre-installed pins in the way that will have to be removed. (How Cjd223 broke down this model into coherent steps is beyond me!)

Edited September 19, 2016 by ecmo47

[Cjd223]

Welp, in the continuing saga of ecmo47's Neb-B build, I just finished the sand green pod and installed it. It was a tad tricky and I had to remove a few parts to get it slipped in-between the frame. In the process, I discovered that the DGB pod above it was a 1/2 stud off so I had to adjust that which wasn't too hard. The pod build was very straight forward with no issues. My only note here is that there were many buried sand green parts. When I made that discovery, I took that part(s) out and replaced them with LBG or DBG parts since those buggers are more expensive than gold! This brings me to another unmentioned tip: order plenty of extra plates in these sizes: 1x1, 1x2, 1x2, 2x3 1x4, I've used MANY extra plates to strengthen weak areas so that my model will be reasonable sturdy for transportation to shows (hopefully). One part that I have found extremely useful is the 3x3 plate (#11212). Mortesv has only 2 on the parts list (one DBG and one LBG) but get at least 20 LBG and you will find plenty of places for them to go.

I just peaked at step 702: installing the last two black 1x15 lift arms in the frame. NOT looking forward to that! Lots of pre-installed pins in the way that will have to be removed. (How Cjd223 broke down this model into coherent steps is beyond me!)

Great to hear the progress from you ecmo! Indeed attaching those liftarms is very scary, but don't sweat it too much, I had no issues with it.

[Azrielsc]

I finally managed to get the Nebulon on the transparent stands and I am blown away at the size of it!

Am a bit worried about the balance of the Nebulon on the stands though.

Oh well, time to knuckle down and build them pods and the plates to cover up the skeleton! :)

[Hunter003]

Last order in at Bricklink!

Got about 12 packages en route from all over the globe.

Looking forward to the build but also a little scared with the amount of comments highlighting various issues.....

Edited September 24, 2016 by Hunter003
spelling mistake

[ecmo47]

Im not going to make my 1 Oct goal. I was feeling pretty optimistic last weekend when everything was done except panel installation. As I was working on installing one of the big panels on the back section that from the "V", I knocked it off the stand(s).   While the frame stayed intact, greeble went flying. So back to figuring out where it all goes back to. I will have to say the the frame is very sturdy and can take a lot of abuse!

So while re-installing parts and pieces, my mind got to considering a more stable stand, particularly one that was attached to the bottom of the lower fin. Here is my first attempt that did not require any changes the basic construction. Unfortunately, the four single points of contact did not prove to be stable enough. 

DSC01688 by Scott Roys, on Flickr

One thing to point out in this picture is the change to the ends of the DGB pod. I used a 1x3 plate across the ends and then added a 3x3 dish to cap it off. The plate ties the ends together nicely.

So back to the drawing board on the stand and here is the new idea:

Neb st

Trans-Clear lift arms only come to types: #32278 (1x15) and #32009 (1x11.5 Double bent). (In the picture, I have colored the trans pieces a little darker then normal so you can see them better.) The basic mod here is that the four bottom 1x9 liftarms, (one pictured here in green) are replaced by four 1x15 trans lift-arms (only one pictured here). This will give you five hole to choose from to hook on the four bent lift-arms. The blue pin is barely covered by the outer fin panel but you do not want to fill the other 4 holes with pins as it will ruin the illusion of transparency. Anyway this looks like it should be nice and stable. I haven't built it yet, as I am waiting for the trans parts to come in before I rip apart the fin frame to make the change. I'm hoping that the wide base will eliminate the need for at least the nose support.  I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Why am I wasting so much time on these mods? I hope that it will be stable enough to survive a brush or two with Princess here who loves to "help" out!

DSC01690 by Scott Roys, on Flickr

Edited September 30, 2016 by ecmo47

[LiLmeFromDaFuture]

Your cat seems to be enjoying the progress 

[Hold0511]

Cats are so good at supervising lego builds...and chewing on any hose pieces you leave around..

[mortesv]

Great work on the stand ecmo!

My initial design for the first version of the frigate was to let the stalactite end in a stand - much like your design. I never got around to making it, but it seem you might be able to do without the front trans-clear stand now?