Enterprise D - from "Generations"

[Often wrong Soong]

Hey everyone, i'm brand new here - found the site after seeing one of Papa Smurf's Enterprise E build vids, loved the place so decided to mOve in...hope there's room for a little one!

Anywho, i'm currently working on a 1/1400 amt Enterprise D and trying to get it to resemble the 6' miniature from "Generations." Been on it for a while now and it'd take forever to post a full catch-up so here's a few highlights and a link to the full photobucket album (if you're interested!)

Thanks for looking and i'll see you all on the boards

 

[Often wrong Soong]

Here's the full album, feel free to browse:

http://s546.photobucket.com/albums/hh420/OftenwrongSoong/Enterprise%20D%20-%20Generations/

Soong

 

[NecronautDrummer]

Looking very nice and clean, so far! Even the wiring inside the saucer

 

[Igard]

Welcome to SMA, Often Wrong! Good to have you here.

Sharp work on the lighting. Looks stunning!

 

[ronrod62]

welcome to sma. great looking build

 

[Quaralane]

Definitely looking good, Soong.
Glad to have you with us

 

[Grendels]

I built the fiber optic version of this in the distant past. The part I didn't like was making channels in the engineering section to run wires up to the nacelles.

Looks good so far!

 

[smusno]

was that modellers brand LED tape in the engines and saucer?

 

[Solander]

Remarkable job here, she is going to be a show - stopper!
P.S: also enjoyed watching through your photobuclet: excellent work with all the models, I especially enjoyed how You've dealt with the Galactica. Very well done!

 

[ModelMakerMike]

That ship is looking good so far!
Can't wait to see her finished and all alight.
;D;D;D

 

[Often wrong Soong]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone

She's into paint mode right now, the first base coat is down and i'm working on the first stage of masking the lightest aztec pattern...wish me luck, I need it :

Soong

 

[dazed1]

Welcome to SMA. I recognize your name from Starship Modeler. I know the black paint is for lighting purposes but the ship looks really knarly in black. I almost think they should have made the Mirror Universe ships black. Keep up the great work on this D.

 

[Jamaicanmodels69]

;D That looks Jazzy great job
with the lighting so far!

 

[Often wrong Soong]

Let the mayhem commence...!!!

Well and truly into paint territory now, very slow going and not exactly easy on the old eyeballs...! Not much to show picture wise, but i'll post what I've got so far.

I'm starting with the lightest grey “accent” aztec layer as the base coat, which means the panel masks have to be cut and positioned quite carefully so they match up with the darker grey panels that will come later. The hardest part about this technique is getting the masks in the right spot when there's no panel lines or any other “datum” mark to tell you where to start, so I'm taking my time with this step because if the positioning of this first layer of masks is off, the other 3 aztec patterns will be affected and the whole pattern will be thrown out of whack.

Starting with the nacelles, I made a kind of alignment jig out of clear frisket by measuring and cutting out “landmark” shapes â€" in this case the triangle and “man” type shapes around the recesses at the back. Then, using the jig to guide me, the lightest panels were masked off according to the reference pics:

The underside of the nacelles were a but easier to deal with now I had something to guide me on top:

On to the secondary hull. Starting at the back and working forward seemed logical, so I used the panel lines scribed into the pylon base to guide me, measured, cut and masked as per ref pics. For the forward part of the hull I layed out tape over a spare kit part and marked out the panel lines, peeled of the tape and stuck it back down onto the cutting mat. Then, after some more sub-dividing and marking, I worked my way up and down each segment, all the way to the front, cutting out and positioning masks as accurately as possible as per the reference...which has taken AGES:

This is gonna be a long slog, but hopefully worth it. Thanks for looking, any questions/comments are more than welcome. I'm off now, got a lower secondary hull to crack on with....!

Soong

 

[Igard]

Eek, that's alot of work going into the masking. Great job. It'll all be worth it in the end.

 

[Quaralane]

Yoiks.
A LOT of masking there.

Reminds me of why I started using aztecing decals

 

[fubar]

Looking real grand so far mate

I just got my first Star Trek model, Voyager, and have to say this Aztec pattern sounds like its a monster to have to do but you seem to have things well in hand....keep up the great work and pics.

TTFN Matt

 

[Jamaicanmodels69]

;D Your tenacious with the masking i love that.....
good stuff!

 

[ModelMakerMike]

That looks like some slooooowwww and tedious work, but the end results will be well worth it!
;D

 

[Often wrong Soong]

Cheers guys, it's going better than I thought actually so thanks to all of ya for the encouragement

8)