How to re-scale an existing item used in S.S?

[jpolacchi]

So, this might sound weird.It's certainly an odd subject so I'll get right to it. So, what I'm going to attempt to do is re-scale and hopefully scratch build something used on multiple S.S miniatures. Koolshade. Yes the window screen louver material used to cover the S.S Tie Fighter, but it was used on many other miniatures throughout all three films. I want to re- scale and try to scratch built (replicate) the Koolshade best I can. MPC unfortunately never really scaled their kits at the time, the scales
are all over the place. While the Falcon was a close 1/72 (although I believe it was bigger) the Slave I kit was around 1/50 scale, the A- Wing was a rough 1/72 I think?) and the Tydirium shuttle is supposed to be 1/89 scale, so you get my point. I want to re-scale the Koolshade piece/ part for the Shuttle Tydirium, so how do I re- scale Koolshade that was used on the studio model to make it look at least close to scale on the MPC kit? I've a couple ideas and materials attempts for making the actual piece/part. Ideally I'd like to make a photo etch part out of it but I don't t really know what to or how to do that, so I think I may stick with using bristol paper. I just need a little assistance in being able to re-scale it. If I can't draw it, I can make it and I've already got a small sample piece of the Koolshade to follow, get measurements and make the parts from it after I re-scale it.

[Bellerophon]

I would do what I did with other greeblies, make a 3D scale drawing, and print it. But it either requires taking measurements from a sample (easy for parts from kits that were already in my stash) or having photographs that include a reference, preferably a ruler. Koolshade is delicate stuff, really thin aluminum, right? so some compromises would be necessary for a 3D printed version.

Since you have a sample of the stuff, could I see photos of it? I know some things about it from the RPF, but I don't know what angle the louvers are set at, etc.

[jpolacchi]

Yeah, I can send you a photo. I'm not sure if I will be able to upload the picture in here or not? Maybe if I send it to your e-mail if you want to PM that to me? I think the Koolshade is laid flat anyway when it was used to fit on the studio models, so no angle unless you need the angle? It is aluminum(super thin, almost paper thin) as you said. I think it is anodized black, not painted. It has a difficult sheen to replicate when painting. It is not flat, gloss or semi-gloss finish really. Hard to describe. I was thinking I might be able to to have it made into photo etch, maybe even into "large sheets"(which may be pricey?) I am not sure? However, if that can be done successfully and scaled accordingly, the Koolshade can be replicated for any number of scale kits and reproduced for S.S for a fraction of the cost since Koolshade is now obsolete. The only way to get "NOS Koolshade" is to know someone who stock piled it before it disappeared.

[Bellerophon]

PM sent.

I can imagine how it would be simulated with PE, if you insisted on it looking like the real thing and not flat like the MF photoetch, but all those bends! You'd need a special tool - likely one that's 3D printed.

For TIE fighter panels, I would make the 3D printed version with a solid back, otherwise it would have no structural integrity. Once installed it would look the same. But I seriously doubt the see-through panels on the Millennium Falcon engine deck could be 3D printed.

Anyhow, the angle I wonder about is the tilt of each louver. Unlike Venetian blinds, the Koolshade louvers are locked in place at a fixed angle. I also don't know how wide each louver is, and would like to check the spacing. I remember someone on the RPF saying there are 23 louvers per inch and the braided support wires are at 1/2 inch intervals. Also something about later versions of Koolshade that are similar but not identical.

[TAC]

Use a profile image and then scale it from a known size, or simply pick your largest size, eg width of whole ship and see how many pixels it takes up. Compare that to the size you want to build.

Here is an example I used for estimating the Bridge on the River Kwai. Once I knew how many pixels Alex Guinness height used up then I could work out what 1 pixel was worth in distance. From this I found out some width measurements for the bridge.

If I wanted my model to be 300 mm wide, and the photo profile (square on, not in perspective / angled) used 614 pixels, then 1 pixel is 300/614 = 0.489 mm. Then take other pixel measurements from that photo, working from the next largest down.