KIRK BALLASH'S SCRATCHBUILT MODELS

ARAPAHO Scratchbuild, 1/72 scale.– Using a bunch of MPC Star Wars model bits, stuff from my spare parts box and a seat tub from an old dragster kit I made the AH-83D Arapaho in 1985.

ARAPAHO II Scratchbuild, 1/72 scale.– I liked the idea of using the TIE Interceptor wing but wanted a space ship instead of a helicopter style ship.  My skills had advanced by 1988 and I was able to create a bass wood cockpit to vacuform over, allowing me to include a full interior.  The back half of the ship still used many Star Wars kit spare parts.

PLATSV Scratchbuild, 1/12 scale.– I decided to build a quick space craft.  The result is the Planetary Land and Atmospheric Technical Survey Vehicle.  Using ping pong balls, mom’s curlers, a radio knob, candy containers and a lot of Evergreen plastic I built a fun little model.

SPACE TUG WITH CANISTERS Scratchbuild, 1/700 scale.– I had an old Esci SdKfz. 251 halftrack that really wasn’t what I wanted to build, but looked really cool when turned upside down.  Add a new front to mimic a horse (years before Firefly… had I only known), fill the hull with fiddly-bits and you’ve got a space tug.  I scratch built and cast a bunch of canister ends and connectors and along with some adding machine rolls created the shipping containers.  Wanting to give it a “historic” feeling I used current railroad emblems.

SONIC SCREWDRIVER Scratchbuild, 1/2 scale.– I found the scale drawings from the Dr. Who Technical Manual and built it out of Evergreen tube, a button and a bomb front.  I waited years to paint it because, as many do, I hate metallic paint schemes.  When Alclad came around I used it and was sold on the product.

VOID-SPIDER LAND SPEEDER Scratchbuild, 1/48 scale.– I wanted to scratch build something from Star Wars and after sifting through my reference materials I settled on the Star Wars Blueprints Void-Spider Land Speeder.  The exterior hull is all sheet styrene, with my first ever resin casting to duplicate the four lower hull vent bars and seats (originally from a 1/43 Lancia Beta race car).  The interior got loads of bits from railroad detail sets, a headphone ear piece, Pentel lead container, and push buttons from an old game.  It was a lot of fun and after all these years I’m still very happy with this model.