Shadow Crab

Every modeler knows it. Every modeler fears it. You start a model and then inexplicably lose all interest in it. Then it gets worse – you lose interest in modeling all together. Models languish on the workbench collecting dust while some book or TV or drink sucks away your life. Though all have their place, the modeler’s soul rots in unspent creative juices. 

I had two projects on my bench when this dreaded affliction hit me last year. One was this simple yet elegant Shadow Battle Crab. It was nearly finished, all the hard work was done, but it sat neglected for nearly 5 months while I lost myself in other things. 

This is actually the first resin model I ever purchased. I bought it back around 1997. When I got it, I took one look at it and knew that I had to improve my modeling skills before I could touch it. It wasn’t that it was hard; I just didn’t know how to approach a model that wasn’t on sprues; one that came with flash and pits. In short, I’d never made a garage kit before. 

Seven years later, I wonder why I was ever afraid of it. Kip Hart, who made this kit, did a fine job of recreating this very scary and very recognizable ship. 

Assembly was a little tricky but nothing I couldn't handle. I had lost the instructions somehow over the years and had to figure out which spine went to what arm. Having figured that out, I marked them for drilling and pinned them together. I filled the gaps and air holes with Magic-Sculpt and re-textured the seams later with a Dremel tool. 

I researched the ship on Starship Modeler. My spines didn’t slope properly. I boiled water, dipped the pieces and bent the softened resin into shape. 

I drilled a hold through the center piece of the model. I lined up the hole and drilled the lower and upper sections so they’d match up later. I painted the model in the three parts, waiting to assemble it after the intricate painting was done. 

I primed it black and then attacked the veining. On my previous shadow model, I freehanded all the veining with a concoction of silver/blue. It was tedious but spectacular. I tried to repeat the process, but couldn’t do it. My patience was waning (see next paragraph). Instead I used a silver pen I picked up a craft store and drew the veins on with that. 

The model then sat around for seven months to let everything cure just right. 

When I returned to the project, I had to tone down the silver. Using my Sotar 20/20, I misted black over it. I didn’t like the dull silver so, at Michelle’s suggestion, I mixed up a Tamiya clear blue with plain clear and misted the veins with that. The blue disappeared in the black background so I was free to airbrush without masking. I then coated the entire model with several coats Future floor wax for a nice slimy shine. 

The model is impressive, more for Kip’s sculpting than my painting. But I’ll take full credit for the base. 

Months after I finished the model, I realized it deserved better than just being balanced on a beer can. I had a great shadow font I picked up on the net and a Babylon 5 wingding font that had a shadow crab character. I figured I could incorporate the these into a base with some custom made decals. I found some reasonably priced decal paper on the net and made my decal. 

The space picture I painted with my Sotar 20/20 airbrush. It was fun. I got lucky with the halo. I wish I’d intended it, but I created it by accident when I went to wipe off a mistake. The edges of the paint had dried already and the center came clear leaving the halo edge I kept. 

The post was painted by hand to suggest the violet shadow beam weapon.