Lighted RSD "Venator" project

S

Solander

Active Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Messages
1,407
Hi everyone and thank You for watching.
This is my first posting on this forum, and I would like to share with You my building of a Revell's Venator-class star destroyer.

First, a few words about my ideas on what it’s going finally to become. This kit is planned as a test for few new for me technics in washing, lighting models and will be provided with extra detailed hand-printed hull decals, created by mr. Carlos Zangrando (many thanks for his awesome work). These decals can be easily downloaded from starshipmodeler.com

By this day I have been working on the model for exactly 6 days, so, let’s take a look on how far did I get.

The first two days have been devoted to detailing the model with additional styrene parts (You can see them black on the photos) and drilling the holes throughout the ship to be lighted. While drilling them I’ve encountered one very stupid mistake. While drilling the side panels o the ship, I completely forgot that after gluing the two sides of te model together (the top and the bottom) there would be an additional layer of styrene behind those side panels, that will close the windows. So I had to commit a big part of the drilling process twice. Dont repeat my mistake if taking on that project!;)

http://i081.radikal.ru/1007/08/e8268b402a5c.jpg
http://s57.radikal.ru/i156/1007/1b/3182f56c4a2d.jpg
http://i064.radikal.ru/1007/62/f1cdbb9fc20d.jpg
http://s03.radikal.ru/i176/1007/8e/9134c9a7f16b.jpg
http://s45.radikal.ru/i108/1007/70/f0ad09d2a207.jpg
http://i060.radikal.ru/1007/d1/d0990eff7e6f.jpg
http://s59.radikal.ru/i166/1007/81/7439d700d9c4.jpg
http://s57.radikal.ru/i155/1007/1d/79ddd9ea61e1.jpg
http://s61.radikal.ru/i174/1007/79/2f40ab24e0ed.jpg

On the third day I colored all the inside of the ship with Acan gloss-white to achieve a good level of light dispersion in future, when I add optics there. After letting it dry I developed the gloss effect with 3 layers of ”Future”. I also gave the engine section and all the insides of the engine tubes a coat of silver with 3 layers of future upon them.

http://s49.radikal.ru/i126/1007/5e/40b99c77dbc2.jpg
http://i062.radikal.ru/1007/a6/75e5ececbe79.jpg
http://i049.radikal.ru/1007/77/19968a4d2fea.jpg
http://s14.radikal.ru/i187/1007/91/27f3234def0e.jpg

The fourth day I preshaded the engine section (silver circles in areas where engines will meet the wall were masked before that), the sides of the ship and some areas of the upper hull with matt-black. I have also colored the engines with same paint, and drybrushed them silver after they dried.

http://s001.radikal.ru/i193/1007/15/1f36bd28fa7f.jpg
http://s49.radikal.ru/i125/1007/c4/e8b5bc543967.jpg
http://s59.radikal.ru/i166/1007/0e/404857e80129.jpg
http://s57.radikal.ru/i158/1007/c0/4edaa8df5a01.jpg
http://s51.radikal.ru/i133/1007/fe/1510764f33df.jpg

It took me the last two days to color the rest of the ship and wash it. For washing I used black acrylics diluted with spirits with two drops of “Fairy” – washing liquid in it.

http://s58.radikal.ru/i161/1007/f3/0e064dee9b01.jpg
http://i056.radikal.ru/1007/28/0baaf161dc11.jpg
http://s48.radikal.ru/i119/1007/bf/a920822c1384.jpg
http://s47.radikal.ru/i117/1007/3a/9c63265fcb2a.jpg
http://i070.radikal.ru/1007/ca/087eb56b6277.jpg

That’s all for now.
I expect to finish this model by monday, so new photos are underway;)
Comments are strongly appreshiated.
P.S: sorry for the photos quallity - the camera is not with me for a little period of time, so I had to use one on the phone.
 
Looking really good there.
Makes me want to get mine out and get to work on it
 
Nice. I really love the Venator. And the more people build it, the more inspiration for me ;D Looks good so far. I am looking forward to the lit version.
 
I just bought one of these, so watching this build is like a preview what is to come.
 
That's a nice looking kit. Going to look a treat lit as well. ;D
 
Hi everyone and thank you for nice replyes!

After a 5 or so days of silence I can finally say that my expectations to finish this RSD by monday (passed already) were really from the field of science fiction :)

But not to be boring let ume get straight to business and show You how far I’ve got yet:

First of all 10 extra bright blue LEDs were installed into the back of engine-section for lighting all the engines. Te gray wire You can see on the picture bellow is for a big 10mm white LED, that is going to light a few windows in the roof of the hyperdrive section.

http://s50.radikal.ru/i128/1007/48/1d60562b255c.jpg

And here is the hyperdrive section itself, with the decals already applied:

http://s49.radikal.ru/i126/1007/70/e4d6aa100547.jpg

The side boards of the ship have sustained heavy washing and several coats of drybrushing before I’ve achieved the result, that satisfied me with its depth:

http://s48.radikal.ru/i119/1007/c0/84494d8dfd89.jpg

Along with that I managed several small modifications, as, for example, this custom lower deck heavy turbolaser, that replaced an original poorly looking one:

http://s40.radikal.ru/i089/1007/73/3baff1ca51ed.jpg

Finally I completed all the drive section, sealed it with matt finish and masked till the better times, drawing my attention to lighting the main hull windows and the bridge. Guess the next several pics are completely self – explanatory:

http://i056.radikal.ru/1007/b9/363287513e72.jpg

http://i068.radikal.ru/1007/5f/aad9834df8b4.jpg

http://s41.radikal.ru/i094/1007/44/67192f90dbfa.jpg

http://s006.radikal.ru/i214/1007/19/6e022859d6c4.jpg

http://s43.radikal.ru/i101/1007/19/b3c89a1032ab.jpg

http://s002.radikal.ru/i199/1007/26/cace439db1de.jpg

http://s002.radikal.ru/i197/1007/4b/c93f62f5cb38.jpg

As You can see, the upper part of the hull together with the bridge are complete too, except the paneling with decals.

I’ve decided to use a compact neon lamp for lighting the hull itself, and for small 6V – bulbs are used for better lighting the bridge. A lighting test has been already committed, but I’d prefer to make photos of it in action after I get all the wiring glued along the walls, for the wires not to be seen in windows.

Thanks everyone for Your attention!
 
Wow, that sure is a light source. :eek: Good luck in preventing light leaks. ;D Looks good, though.
 
Awesome lighting,how easy would it be to replace the tube light if or when it blows or is it just permanent thing.
 
Well, hope it would not be necessary for the next few years :)
Detouching the lamp is elementary - just desoldar the wires and pull it all out along with the selicon gell.
Same for bulbs. But, guess, tearing the upper and the lower parts of the hull are going to be some kind of a thread..
The easyest answer is simple: its best of all just not to let it stay powered up for hole night (no matter what a wonderfull table-lamp it would be :))

About the light leaks: in comparacent with my previously lighted Enterprase-A from AMT this kit's design is just a mirracle - the parts join just as if they were one. The only problem zone I am dealing with right now is the joint between the hull and the tower - this gonna take some... ah, don't know fo sure how this tip is called in english... epoxide [epoxy] resin made cotton wool.
 
Blimey, strip lighting and all! Looking gooooood so far, Solander. Look forward to seeing it all together and lit. :)
 
Ok, fellows, finally, the last decal is set, the last drop of finish is airbrushed and here we go with the result :)

http://s16.radikal.ru/i190/1007/7a/31c6fb25dca1.jpg
http://i047.radikal.ru/1007/a2/75b3bca86302.jpg
http://s61.radikal.ru/i171/1007/69/67e2268abdb9.jpg
http://i060.radikal.ru/1007/2d/0a93af830066.jpg
http://s004.radikal.ru/i208/1007/f6/5b1d42a7333f.jpg
http://s55.radikal.ru/i148/1007/a2/538289588090.jpg
http://s42.radikal.ru/i097/1007/3b/c1c8263dcf15.jpg
http://s61.radikal.ru/i174/1007/f7/4bcd8a62e2f1.jpg
http://i074.radikal.ru/1007/41/2804bb250b14.jpg
http://s60.radikal.ru/i169/1007/9b/a6c6ce1b2b2d.jpg
http://s59.radikal.ru/i165/1007/0e/95bd4c60c996.jpg
http://s003.radikal.ru/i201/1007/a8/6ad15e8f0305.jpg
http://s41.radikal.ru/i091/1007/de/6e090ffb1945.jpg
http://i074.radikal.ru/1007/15/30ffc0906ace.jpg
http://s54.radikal.ru/i143/1007/74/d8f7b162af33.jpg
http://s60.radikal.ru/i169/1007/7d/135af82b07d2.jpg

And a final comparacement shot with the one from a movie
http://s40.radikal.ru/i088/1007/3a/aac3035e2a46.jpg
 

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