The construction was carried out over a three week period during which I reviewed many Lost in Space tapes to check on colors etc. For the  most part the colors suggested in the instructions were spot on. I found the Testors Model Master paints to be excellent.

For the hull I made a 50/50 blend of Aluminum and Titanium. The floor was a custom blend as well using Rust as the base coat and then adding  flat Black to this to obtain the right hue for the outer perimeter. This was then sealed with a gloss overcoat. (in hindsight I'd probably opt for a semi gloss)

Both the floor and the hull were airbrushed for the best results. (TIP: once the hull is sprayed seal it as soon as you can to avoid any  possibility of contaminating other paint surfaces with the metallic finish.) All other parts were painted while still in their original molding configuration.    

I pretty much kept to the original model specs as I think Ron Gross has done a terrific job in getting the accuracy of the model down. One  of the modifications I had to allow myself was the wire built liftcage. I think if I was to build another one I'd even go to the trouble of moving the lift tube back against the wall as it should be.

A magnifying glass and good daylight globe is a great help. For the detailed lights and other finishes I used a variety of different methods  including a single mustache hair.

The lower deck was completed at a later date. I made a few modifications and additions such as bunks for the staterooms and a few side tables. I got rid of the central support column filling the hole and painting the maglock lights onto the floor. Mattresses and pillows are made from FIMO modeling clay, baked in the oven and then painted. Quilts for the beds are aluminum foil scored to simulate the padding.

The last addition, and the thing that really brings the model to life is the fantastic lighting kit by D F Howard for the projector unit. Really easy to  fit and with two speed settings make the Jupiter complete! I'm looking at some way of fitting interior lights to the main deck. Haven't come up with a suitable solution as yet.

Cheers,
Graham Edwards

It is also worth noting that Graham was the Grand Prize winner of the Jupiter 2 contest on the QSFM website a couple years ago!