Rotating B-Wing - my simple mod

By Buckaroo, in X-Wing

I love the B-Wing but can't stand the vertical orientation, I love the B-wing for it's asymmetrical weirdness and mounting it vertical defeats this. (Yes, drove me crazy in the old X Wing game too)

So here's quick mod to get the B-Wing looking a little more dynamic

Check it out on my blog, All Miniatures Great and Small

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Where do you get the magnets you used for this?

Nice. I was planning the same thing as far as the magnets but the cockpit is a nice touch!

You can get the magnets from radio Shack for about $2 per 2 magnets. Or buy from K&J and get stringer ones for far less.

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/categories.asp

Nice tip, think I might try it once I get more sets of B-Wings!

Nice!

I was considering doing something similar, so it's good to see it works. The one difference was I was considering cutting the back of the cockpit off too. Then gluing the pin to the front, running it all the way through the rings then gluing the back onto it, so there is no way the cockpit can come out (and the front and back turn together)

Did you lose any material and therefore shortening the cockpit when you sawed it off?

This is a great solution!

I asked myself if it would not have been possible to carve a shallow hole into cockpit and back to magnetize this as well. But those holes would have needed to be very precise if you don't want to see it afterwards

Very nice! Might just have to try this myself, if the tools are affordable...

Thats awesome!

I was considering doing something similar, so it's good to see it works. The one difference was I was considering cutting the back of the cockpit off too. Then gluing the pin to the front, running it all the way through the rings then gluing the back onto it, so there is no way the cockpit can come out (and the front and back turn together)

That's a great idea. The paperclips I've been using aren't long enough but I could try it with some metal rod of the same width from the hobby store.

Did you lose any material and therefore shortening the cockpit when you sawed it off?

Not much, the width of the saw perhaps. If it's a concern you could add some thin pasticard and trim to match the cockpit before drilling. Honestly though I can't tell any difference between a modified and unmodified cockpit.

This is a great solution!

I asked myself if it would not have been possible to carve a shallow hole into cockpit and back to magnetize this as well. But those holes would have needed to be very precise if you don't want to see it afterwards

I though about a very small magnet but didn't trust my own ability to line it all up straight. Just a little off and it would be pretty obvious. The Pin method isn't as sophisticated a solution but a little more forgiving of alignment.

-Buck

Thats really cool, I'm going to have to try that too. Love the spinny ness of the b wing :D

Very cool. Will be copying...

Thanks for the demo

Looks really good. I think I will give it a try

I've gone basically the same way with my B-Wing, I just used magnets both in the cockpit and in the rear attachement. also I found out that the actual cockpit is mounted/glued onto the fuselage via a small peg, so one can pry it off with an exactoblade. Then I drilled space for the magnets and glued´them on. Worked like a charm :-)

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That's a good solution there. If i modify mine i will do it exactly like that!

I've gone basically the same way with my B-Wing, I just used magnets both in the cockpit and in the rear attachement. also I found out that the actual cockpit is mounted/glued onto the fuselage via a small peg, so one can pry it off with an exactoblade. Then I drilled space for the magnets and glued´them on. Worked like a charm :-)

Awesome sauce. FWIW I couldn't , not matter how much I pried get the cockpit off the ship. Sawing was my only option. It's good to know not all ships are as glued down as mine.

I joined the crowd. Magnets on hull and cockpit. Thinking of taking another Bwing and collapsing the foils.

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hehehe mod will be done when mine arrives (23rd shipping date :( )

though i suspect if stock allows i may be getting another B pretty soon, thankfully i have tons of magnets :)

awsome jobs guys.

Just did with all four of my B-wings. Not as hard as it looks. First took about 25 minutes (being really careful!), the rest about 10 minutes each. Thanks for the wonderful idea. I'll use these magnets to assemble the Skipray Blastboat I picked up at shapeways.

Next item on the To Do List: Managing to (somehow) stuff in some kind of gyro to have the cockpit upright itself when rotating the hul......hmmmmmm, might be tricky ^_^

Edited by Forensicus

What magnets are you using? I used some rare earth ones I picked up, and they stick to each other like nuts, but still have a hard time supporting the weight of the B-Wing without it rotating back down right side up. I mean it's not going to fall off with those magnets, but they're also doing a lousy job of holding the ship horizontal.

I'm using 5mm rare earths, but I've drilled quite far in so part of my stem adds resistance

FWIW I use 3mm rare earth magnets and haven't had issues.. I do countersink them flush with the engines, and on other ships flush with the fuselage of the model. Seems to work fine. I did pick up some thinner 3mm magnets and they are working fine as well.. maybe its the type... not sure really..