June 21, 2003

Here is the finished Neon Side flipped on it's back.

You can better see how the corners stick out and will fit perfectly with the Front Walls.

June 21, 2003

Here is a close up of what I am trying to explain :)

You can see how the straight angled Back Piece alligns with the Front Wall.

If you had a Rounded Curve on both sides, you would have a huge hole that would not connect with the Docking Bay Walls.

June 21, 2003

And here is what the piece looks like from top to bottom.

The Angles also help support it properly against the Wall.

Now we must repeat the procedure to create the Right Corner Neon as well as the Center Sections that will close up the Rectangle shape of the Force Field.

June 22, 2003

Here we are 4 hours later... I have completed both Neon Sides as well as 4 Box Center Neon Sections.

You could create just 2 Center Sections, I used 4 to save on Foamcore since I had pieces that fit perfectly for their size.

June 22, 2003

Before I join them together, I printed out the same Decal as I used for the Front Wall and cut out a circle and placed them on the Inside of the Back Piece.

This way, when we look at the Neon Force Field we do not see a big white shape. This will help blend the Back Piece with the Front Wall.

June 22, 2003

Here you can better see where the Decal fits onto the Back Support.

This photo also shows you the importance of painting along the edges of where the decal will be applied.

Do you see the tiny white gaps along the curve ?

June 22, 2003

Next up is supports for the joining Neon sections. I took 2 small rectangles from some scrap foamfore leftovers.

Size doesn't really matter, just make sure it is long enough to stick out on both ends of your beam. You can even just cut 1 piece if you have no scrap leftover.

June 22, 2003

I used the Hot Glue Gun to attach the scrap to the Inside Top of the Side Neons (the ones that have the curves on each end)

This will act as support for the Center Neon Boxes.

June 22, 2003

The Neon Boxes are on the floor so that I could take a better photo but imagine them upright in their correct position.

See how the Cenetr Neon Box will slip over the supports and lean against them so that the 2 sections will allign properly.

June 22, 2003

Here you go, both pieces pushed together. The supports cause the Neon Boxes to allign at the top. At this point you can even Hot Glue them together.

I will be using some White Paper later on to hide the joints and create the illusion of one perfect foamcore piece.

June 22, 2003

Here is a better picture to understand how the Neon Boxes fit together with the aid of the scrap supports.

This is the Backside that will face outwards of the Docking Bay.

June 22, 2003

And here is the Front Right Side. You can see the Decal that was applied earlier to match the Side Front Walls.

You want to see what the Neons look like in place?

June 22, 2003

Well here you go :) Pretty cool, even if the gaps are still visible. Once the paper will be in place it should look just like in the movie.

I LOVE how the Neon reflects in the floor. I was scared that it wouldn't show up as much as in the movie version because it's not a light source like in Jedi. But it really works well.

June 22, 2003

Here is an angled view to better see the Wall and Front Corner.

The Elevator is too much to the right, I placed the floor section in the wrong spot.

That's what's cool about making it sectional. I can switch pieces around until I get the best look possible.

June 22, 2003

And finally, one last Top View showing the Finished Side Wall Sections, Front Wall Sections, and the Neon entrance.

As you can see, there isn't much room left to move in my basement anymore - LOL.

I placed the order for the giant mirror (60 inches X 45 inchex) that should arrive next monday, June 30.