Introduction: How to Build a Millennium Falcon Wall Light

By Visit Haydn Automation!
About: Science Fiction. A precursor to science fact.

I've always admired the Millennium Falcon and wanted a novel way to display it.  The model can be mounted on the wall and the colours changed via remote control - guess who's lost the remote though!  Anyway, hopefully you'll enjoy my first Instructable.  Simon.

Step 1: Buy a Battered Millennium Falcon

I bought this one from eBay and it's seen better days.  It's a Kenner original from 1979 and they're a decent size and full of interesting detail.  This one was destined to be scrapped, but I thought I could give it a new lease of life.  All of the old stickers were removed using white spirit.

Step 2: Get Filing!

Using a Dremel and Black&Decker power file you'll need to strip out most of the interior to make way for the lighting system.  This includes removing the sunken sections, in both the top and bottom sections.  The battery compartment can also be removed too, but take care not to remove the support columns, that hold the top and bottom together.

Step 3: Fill the Gaps

On the base the sunken sections can be filled with flat plastic sheeting, which will give the rear legs somewhere to sit.  On the top section, I've filled all of the sunken sections with circuit boards cut down to shape, 1cm wider than the holes they're covering.  They were all mounted using spacers to allow light through.

The front leg will need to be cut down and set in its upright position. 

Step 4: Add New Legs

You will need to cut down the orginal rear legs and re-seat them, otherwise the model will sit too far from the wall and look odd.  To line up the legs I drew a central line, followed by marking out where the rear legs should sit.  The rear legs were then stuck to the aluminium plate using double-sided sticky tape and the Falcon was placed on top of the legs and glued in place using epoxy resin.

Step 5: Add the Lighting Kit

There's an additonal step, that I need to add pics for and that's the rear engine perspex cover.  The original engine bay plastic had to be removed, but the two central upright's were left in place.  I foolishly used super glue to keep the perspex panel in place, but it shattered within minutes of gluing!

Anyway, the lighting kit came from eBay, just search for LED 5050 strip.  The kit is semi-waterproof, runs off 12v and can be controlled via a small remote control, giving 16 different colours (as well as strobe and fade effects).  It's a metre in length and I used small pieces of wire to tie it down.  Additional lights have been added and I need to finish this part of the model off, but will all be connected to the mains adapter.  The IR sensor has been poked through the front leg and remains hidden from view.

Step 6: All Lit Up!

Not the best pics, but you get the idea.  Using the remote control you can choose 16 colours, strobe it or fade it slowly between the available colours.

Step 7: Super Detailing

The following steps will show you how to add some extra details to your Millennium Falcon, after all it needs to look like it's a rust bucket.  The pictures speak for the themselves and it's certainly worth doing, but feel free to ask any questions or offer me some tips in return.  Simon.