Paul Gilbert’s Moonbase Alpha

I’ve sent you a couple of shots of a recent kit I’ve modified for accuracy. Its the Mpc Alpha Moonbase kit from Space 1999.

I converted the base by firstly gluing the alpha buildings to a 2ft square sheet styrene base using liquid solvent. The launch platforms were scratchbuilt by cutting their circular shapes and sloping walls from thin sheet styrene, using a circle cutter device. A circle cutter is simply a compass like tool which features a point at one end and a cutting blade at the other end. The tubes that connect the launch platforms to the central buildings were constructed very simply using evergreen styrene tubes (square and round sectioned).

I tackled the lunar surface in and around the alpha buildings by using flat strips of air drying modelling clay. A lengthy process this, manipulating it around the multitude of various contours, but it worked out ok in the end. The surrounding mountains were made from supercast extra hard plaster. Forming their rough outlines in rolled up newspaper, I dipped tissue paper in the plaster and slowly built up the mountains to the desired contours.

I completed the model by airbrushing light grey enamel paint over the alpha buildings, and using a darker grey emulsion paint for the lunar surface. Weathering was acheived in the main using pencil graphite applied to the surfaces using a finger.

Paul Gilbert