Dick Montgomery Posted November 14, 2008 Report Posted November 14, 2008 And here we go again. I like to restore old models and this is definately old. Got this one in an estate sale....see a few "before" images here. http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z295/dm...%20Strombecker/
papasmurf Posted November 14, 2008 Report Posted November 14, 2008 Indeed! Vintage SF kit, very rare, nicely done!!
Dick Montgomery Posted November 14, 2008 Author Report Posted November 14, 2008 Last night I disassembled some of the parts. The original builder did not glue the two boom arms in place so they simply slipped off the center section. One of the big issues with this restoration will be seams. All of those cylinders making up the center section have seam lines that will need to be filled. And the manner in which the assembly goes together will make it very difficult to get a sanding tool in such a small and confined space. On restoration I like to honor the original intent of the kit by not adding any detail...otherwise I'd be lighting this project with some fiber optics and LEDs. It appears the original builder used a Sharpie to add some black lines. I'll need to take those off as well as remove the decals. That's easy. There is no surface detail to worry about so other than massive amounts of seam work the basic "build" ought to go rapidly.
Dick Montgomery Posted November 23, 2008 Author Report Posted November 23, 2008 I've been working on the seams on this beastie. While the reissued Glencoe kit was re-engineered and the seams aren't as nasty, the orginal Strombecker kit is loaded with seams. Anyway, I'm well into the process to make the seams go away and should be able to get the subassemblies reassembled very soon. You can view a short slide show of images here: http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z295/dm...nt=7a72ae62.pbw
Dick Montgomery Posted November 30, 2008 Author Report Posted November 30, 2008 At the end of seventeen days the restoration of this 50 year old kit is almost done. The only remaining work is to add some color in the two "cockpit" areas and then coat the whole smash with Future. Figured I'd share it now... Lots of fun to restore models but the seams on this one were a bear. The model is 24" long and thus too big for my small photo booth. The pics in the slide show (URL below) don't really do it justice. The base is a small Magic 8 Ball and I'll have to find an enclosed storage space to repel dust and keep the model safe. http://s192.photobucket.com/albums/z295/dm...nt=cd613e31.pbw
papasmurf Posted November 30, 2008 Report Posted November 30, 2008 Very nice!!! You did a great job on the restoration, looks like a brand new display, outstanding!!
Mike Lindsey Posted November 30, 2008 Report Posted November 30, 2008 Another amazing build from "Mr. Restoration" . . . Mike
Dick Montgomery Posted November 30, 2008 Author Report Posted November 30, 2008 Gracias Amigo! I'll be working on "comtemporary" stuff for a while.... a couple of 1/48 B-29s. Those models are only 20-25 years old and only one kit had any work done on it. Please don't tell the Restoration Society that I'm straying...
noelsmith Posted December 13, 2010 Report Posted December 13, 2010 (edited) I can remember building some of the Strombecker kits way back when they were current. A smallish range. Was Werner Von Braun's Rocket to the Moon one of the kits as well as a space ship in TWA markings? Also I seem to remember a spacecraft with a circular array of boosters at the rear of the fuselage and a circular space station that had to be threaded like the spokes of a cycle wheel. I do remember that the decals were rubbish and fell apart like a vampire doused in holy water when I tried to apply them! Edited December 13, 2010 by noelsmith
Dick Montgomery Posted December 13, 2010 Author Report Posted December 13, 2010 The circular array of boosters is the Retriever Rocket most recently released by Glencoe. Its easy to find in hobby shops and i vendor areas at events. The TWA craft is the Disneyland (?) Rocket to the Moon. It has also been re-released by Glencoe. The Nuclear Station is the one with the "spokes" and it also has been re-released. They are still a bit crude and require some work to assemble to "today's standards" but they are still as much fun as when they first became available.
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