Ron Gross’s Jupiter 2 Tips part 1

These notes were first sent out by Ron Gross on the Lost in Space Mail list and are reprinted here with his kind permission. Please note that this information is copyrighted to Ron Gross and may not be reprinted without his permission.

A good Preface to this section can be found on Ron Gross’s Jupiter 2 Blueprints Page

A list like the one that follows will have a tendency to imply that there are a lot of problems with the kit. This is really not the case, as you must remember that it was Playing Mantis’ job to interpret my prototype into a cost effective production model. While tooling considerations did necessitate some compromises, there are actually few errors which are not so-related. The overall look of this kit and the all-important hull contour accuracy are excellent.

I think that Playing Mantis is to be commended for the user/builder-friendly nature of this kit. Many parts simply snap together so effortlessly that you have to remind yoursely that this is indeed a plastic assembly kit. It took less than five minutes for me to see this thing standing on its landing legs with full exterior integrity. By contrast, it took over two years for my scratch built prototype to reach that same level. Having said all of the above, here we go…

SUGGESTION #1 — Top Dome

Take the clear dome which is used for the top bubble and shave it at the base so that you wind up with 85% of a hemisphere. As the part exists, it is actually more than a full hemisphere, and it will upset the delicate balance and overall “look” of the finished product if used as-is. A pleasant surprise is that it seems to fit into the top socket a little better after this is done. Simply prepare a flat surface to support a medium-to-fine grit sandpaper sheet, and begin the task. While this is a very easy modification, it is absolutely necessary if your goal is to capture the character of the series’ primary miniature during those classic landing shots. That was my intention when I began this whole thing, which was sometime in the ’80’s, if you can believe it!

SUGGESTION #2 — ribbed landing pads

The foot pads sections of the landing gear do not contain the “ribbed” detail which tend to add a lot of character. While you can try simply gluing tiny plastic stripping onto the surfaces, there is a better and more controlled method. Go to your local hobby store and purchase a package of small saw blades that are designed for a standard x-acto knife handle. Proceed to make tiny slits through the plastic at each point where a raised rib effect should be evident, but be careful not to extend your cuts to the point of actually splitting the part into individual segments. Insert small pieces of thin gauge plastic sheet into these cut areas which can later be trimmed with a file, and secure the assembly from the underside with a fast-curing glue. For those of you who read my article last year, you will notice that I took many of these same steps when I put the finishing touches on my master footpad pattern.

SUGGESTION #3 — landing gear support

The landing gear for this model had to be designed with structural support in mind while utilizing all-plastic parts. The enterprising modeler will want to separate the footpads from the side-wall assemblies and reconstruct the clevis pin arrangement which attaches the strut to the flat, vertical front surface of each leg structure. Do this only if you are willing to purge the existing plastic struts and replace them with dual sections of standard brass tubing (available at most hobby stores). The rigidity of the brass will also enable you to select thinner tubing sections, which will further enhance the accuracy in this area.

SUGGESTION #4 — reactor core detail

The interpretation of the bottom “reactor core” section necessitated some compromises due to the type of solid molds that are utilized in mass-production, and the desire to represent this area as a single piece. Please note that the top “lip” of this section is actually attached to the bottom of the lower hull. In order to recreate the individual lens surfaces around the angled perimeter, it will be necessary to purchase thin, clear plastic sheet from a hobby shop, cut these sections to size, and fit them individually. While this may seem like a lot of work, consider the fact that it may also preclude having to mask each individual lens before painting (if you plan the detailing of this part carefully), which can also be a big job. Lesson to be learned: there is usually an offsetting “plus” to any challenge, and in this case, you don’t have to look very far. You will also notice that each side dividing wall section contains a small groove to accommodate a protruding fin. If you choose to define the fins, cut them from the thinnest gauge plastic sheet you can find, and also cut small notches in the upper corners so that these surfaces will eventually rest on the upper lip portion that is contained within the lower hull. For those of you who simply choose to use this part as-is, I think that Playing Mantis’ design of this part is well-thought-out, as it tends to create a very general fin-like appearance just as it is (although the result will be one of appearing slightly small in diameter).

SUGGESTION #5 — repositioning port hole

Jupiter 2 port details

There is an issue with the positioning of the porthole beside the hatch. It is represented as being directly below the top “scanner hole,” when, in fact, it should be moved about 1/8″ to the right. Take a look at the shot of my prototype on the Priplanus site which I set up to emulate “Blast-off into Space.” It shows the scanner hole directly in line with the dome, and the lower side porthole slightly offset. Before you make a decision to modify this relatively unannoying flaw, remember that at this point you will commit yourself to a full refinishing and painting job. Otherwise, the finish on this model is almost good enough to be left alone. While you can use any of the established modeling putties to plug the hole, I have found that a simple vinyl spackling compound, available at most hardware stores, is much easier to work with. It applies more smoothly, cures faster, and sands very well. Durability is a consideration, so you would not want to use this material in an area which would involve thin edges. Its porous nature is such that it can be reinforced with cyanoacrylate (super glue) to a degree. Once the recessed area is plugged, find the proper center of the new location, and drill a small pilot hole. Then proceed to reestablish the full area by drilling out a 1/2″ hole. The diameter of the porthole should be 9/16″, so proceed to enlarge it to the proper size and simultaneously provide edge finishing by surrounding a small cone-shaped object with fine grit sandpaper, and routing it out. At that point, you might consider friction-fitting the hole with a disc cut from clear styrene sheet to emulate an open window. If you simply back it with a clear material from behind, you will find that the thickness of the plastic will create an unnatural look. Do not use super glue to secure clear parts, or a “frosting” effect may occur. There are glues available just for this type of application.

SUGGESTION #6 — tether hook/switch detail

The extra space provided by moving the porthole will now permit easier definition of the tether hook/ switch area beside the hatch. On the prototype, I actually went to the extent of defining three vertical oval-shaped openings, and within each one I affixed a tiny loop of horizontal 24 gauge wire. Take a look at a close-up shot from either of the first two episodes (during the space walk) to get a clear picture of what I am talking about. I you decide to go to this extreme rather than merely scribe in a suggestion, friction fit the loop assemblies, then reinforce with super glue from behind. For the switch assembly immediately below, I secured a small square plastic panel, and proceeded to drill two tiny vertical holes within it. I then inserted small pieces of 18 gauge wire, glued from behind, and trimmed the wires in the front so that only a slight raised effect was evident. After final finishing, if you decide to go this route, these newly established tips will readily accept small dots of yellow and red paint to create a very detailed and dramatic look.

SUGGESTION #7 — hatch window detail

The trapezoid-shaped window on the hatch is a little too high, as is the line definition below it (which, incidentally, should be curved downward rather than upward). I would consider filling these scribed areas with with epoxy, and sanding smooth. Vinyl spackling is probably not a good idea in this area, since it may not be durable enough to withstand re-scribing without chipping. The line below the window was actually raised on the studio hatch, and I represented it on my prototype with a small piece of strip stock appropriately curved and glued in place.

SUGGESTION #8 — landing leg wells

Jupiter 2 landing gear wells

The landing leg wells are currently defined as shallow indentations due to the fact that the placement of lower level detailing would interfere with properly defined side wall structures. For those who wish to define the wells and forgo the lower level detailing, begin by drilling a pilot hole into each of the indented areas. The sole purpose for this is to create a starting point for a small X-acto-type hobby saw. Using the established recessed areas as guide lines, proceed to saw out the three areas in their entirety. If you do not have access to an assortment of hobby files, secure some self-stick medium-to-fine grit sandpaper sheets or strips at your local hardware store. Laminate a small wooden block or short section of lattice stripping with this material to create the necessary tool. Standard sandpaper applied with Scotch double-stick tape will also work fine. Proceed to clean up all the edges as crisply as possible.

At this point you have two choices. You may sand or file only to the established parting lines and secure your future well assemblies entirely to the inside surfaces, or you may extend the trimming to compensate for the thickness of the plastic sheet. This second (and preferable) choice will allow your future side wall structures to be inserted from the outside, and you will gain the added structural support of the thickness of the original styrene hull as well. Some puttying and surface finishing may be necessary in order to obtain completely flush and seamless edges. This is the method that I employed when I built the prototype.

The side wall structures (or well assemblies) themselves will have to be constructed from individual sections of plastic sheet. Part no. 32 from the kit, labeled “lower level support wall,” will provide a reasonably accurate template for the longer, tapered side walls. Draw the necessary dimensions of the top of each well assembly onto separate sections of plastic sheet, and proceed to secure the four walls of each assembly to them with super glue, using the pencil outlines as guides. Also secure all adjacent walls sections to each other for added support. Trim the excess plastic from each assembly to reveal three complete box-like structures ready to be fine -sanded and installed into the cut out areas of the lower hull. Proceed as per the preceding paragraph.

There is an additional detail on the inner side walls that you may want to consider defining. Many publicity stills as well the an original LIS gumcard (#10, “Who goes there?”) reveal a row of five circular designs on each inner side wall near the base of the lower contour. They appear to be merely painted on in a darker hue on the full scale mockup, but I chose to define these details as slightly recessed areas by adding layers of paper-thin .01″ trimmed plastic sheet containing properly cut-out holes.

Please note that the ceilings of each of the newly seated leg well assemblies will now also serve as support for the flooring and upper deck. Mark the joint locations for each of the three struts in the ceiling sections, and drill holes to accommodate them. You will now most likely have to replace the struts as well, as additional length will be necessary. Thinner sections of brass or copper tubing will work quite well.

SUGGESTION #9 — “in flight” version

There are those of you who may choose to build the model without the landing legs at all, suggesting an “in flight” condition. I recommend that you simply plug the main bodies of the leg indentations with equally sized sections of .02″ plastic sheet. This will create a slightly raised effect which is true to that of the miniature. Consider leaving the footpad indentations alone, as they were actually small sliding doors in the primary studio miniature, which opened to release the footpad sections housed within.

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