Robert Elnicky’s Lost in Space Robot

I don’t think you have to be a fan of Lost in Space to enjoy building the new  Moebius Models Robot B9 model kit.  Depending on how many of your own ideas you want to put into it, the scale, the details and the flexibility of the kit offers a modeler the opportunity to get more done in less time. It also is a model that when completed you can really admire close up.

Modeling Lost in space is unique. If you are or were ever a fan of Lost in Space the B9 and J2 kits are in my opinion the best made replica quality merchandising of that show ever made. An exact 1:6 replica of the Robot from Lost in Space as a model kit are you kidding, I feel like I have waited for this kit all my life, there have been others but not like these.

There are two complaints I have.  The first is regarding the fit of the left and right tread segments. The parts themselves are “off” they are off badly. It took a Ton of sanding to get them to look passable and that was before using filler. Even if you are an expert seam filler, by comparison to the rest of the kit you will find this area more work than should be necessary.

The second complaint I have is regarding the decals. It was a bummer to find them curled on the surface of the model and half of them laying on the desktop within 24 hours.

I pre-painted every piece and assembly, I recommend using an air brush over spray paint mainly because you can start with your choice of metallic paint and add black as you go. I was letting the metallic paint mix with the black intentionally to give the black a muted look. For some parts I found by adding a little bit of thinner the silver would separate or collect to the outer ridges on it’s own. This helped with the tightly ribbed robot arms and collar under the bubble dome. The entire robot is either aluminum or black muted with aluminum.

It would be cool to engineer magnetic connections for the arms and wrists so they would be interchangeable. I choose the recoiled arms because I like the look of the robot better that way.

Once the exterior is painted you cannot handle those surfaces hardly at all. With all the handling just for wiring I had to redcoat the shell twice to cover the nicks, finger prints and scratches I caused. Some of them are evident in the assembly photos posted here. The only reason I did not strip the paint and start over was the fact that the build up of paint gave the torso’s surface a familiar almost “pig-iron” look that simulates a heavy Iron texture in other words I decided to live with it.

I really don’t mind a clean seam here and there I’d rather preserve the integrity of the model than turn it into a sanding project.

I hand painted the smallest parts first, including the smaller “brain” pieces, the twirling antennas, inner brain antennas, claws and the treads and the power pack I painted that first.

After assembling the soil sampler I re-thought the part and decided to make a  modification.   Not only was it an opportunity to add more light but really the Robinson’s always used a laser drill why shouldn’t the robot?  I cut an aluminum pipe and inserted a red laser, then I sawed the drill tip off the part I had already assembled and glued it to the end of the pipe.

This model was fun to build it goes together quickly compared to most models.

I have left key areas accessible just in case more after market parts or lighting effects become available. I’d like to see a lighted version of the mouth area  and I would not ignore an illuminated brain assembly.

The R2B9 and the light saber pictures I made For fun perhaps they could inspire JJ Abrahams to take a look at Lost in Space…

Robert Elnicky