mercs32118
Simon "Papa Smurf" Mercs in the Studio
- Joined
- May 6, 2011
- Messages
- 165
Well, Scott finally filled me in on the great stuff I won for the contest, a Badger Sotar Airbrush, COOL! And, my choice of a weathering set for it. Looked up specs on the airbrush, sweet Jesus palomino!
What an excellent prize!! Thanks SMA! ;D
I wanted to just show a bit more data and images on my entry this year. Made from the PL 32 inch Star Trek Enterprise Refit, or "A", if you prefer, Star Ship kit. This is still a very popular kit, and in my book, quite nice. At a big 1/350th scale, and designed with lighting in mind, some really nice results can be obtained by novices, all the way to pro's.
Depending how far you want to take it, and that's usually determined by interior cavity space, technology available, your budget, and so on...........
My entry was a build done for a client a few years ago. Would very much like to partake in the "timed event", but as I work on commission builds, for long term projects, I doubt it could be done. It's still nice that you can enter in the "All Open" however.
The build featured a lot of add-ons, PNT's after market kit, nice brass goodies there. Specialty decals, and transfers, about 300 LEDS, various colors, wavelenghts, and emission angles. Fiber Optic stuff for the very teeny illuminations, like the Docking Ports. Several modules for functions like the Navigation and Strobe lighting. Don's (DLM) after-market Shuttle Bay kit, very nice by the way. Lou Dalmaso's "Aztec Dummy" masking, really makes it much easier. Lou's my bud.
Now, at the moment, on my website page named "Featured Build", there is a very brief synopsis of the build. The file folder of the documented build is 3 gigs big, so I try to show just the highlights.
That page is located at http://www.simonmercs.biz/featured_build so you can see a few images of this project.
The coolest feature was the 2 blue Lasers. At the time, the Blue lasers were quite new, were talking about 2 or 3 years ago. The client was extremely interested in those. Although the Red "Phasers" were used in the Refit, he wanted to have a bit of an "homage" to the original Enterprise, and chose blue.
At the time, these 2 units cost around 1200.00 each! They were quite powerful, about half a watt, and very visible, even in daylight conditions. At about 3/4 inch diameter, and 3 inches long, they were a tight fit, but eventually a good angle was reached, and a Apoxy cradle was built around them, to lock everything in. Alignment is a difficult, and somewhat dangerous process. I was supplied with the special glasses that allow this process. A direct hit to the retina, for less than a second, can be very harmful. Never take these gizmo's for granted.
The entire build took around 8 months (roughly 2000 hours), and included the very cool display case shown. The "Wrath of Khan" tactical display was fully functional. Like the film version, it surrounded the graphic laser etched Refit with the "Shield" wrap effect. Nice electronics there, and in the 2 to 3 thousand dollar range with R & D. I believe this was the first to be developed, and other versions can now can be found around the net. When the display was lighted, a very cool blue lighting effect was seen underneath the primary hull. I also added several blinking red LEDS, to the inside of the graphic outline of the Ship, indicating "Damage" taken by Phaser fire. A simple, but very effective way to make the display look even more functional. There are films of this display on U Tube, my channel is called "mercs32118".
A lot of time was spent on the paint detailing, interior and exterior, the Aztec tile details really define a Star Ship. Although the paint scheme on the prop was a tad more subtle, the client wanted it more "defined", I build to order, you gotta make the client happy. It's all a matter of taste. I draw the line at "Barney the Dinosaur" images all over the outside though, nope,.....ain't gonna happen.
I spoke to a few guys, who are members here, after the wins were posted, and several stated they voted for this entry, I was very happy to hear that! Although I was very impressed with the entries, you guys can build, it was gratifying to see that my work still gets some attention.
This project was the front page article in the IPMS Journal May/Jun 2008, Volume 20, Issue 3, and they did a marvelous job on the layout.
The commemorative plaque on the other side, was also a laser etched piece, lighted with white LEDS.
What was not easily seen was a wedge on the support section, in a dark blue, that was lighted as well.
The functions were controlled form the front buttons, and included things like "Photon Torpedo" launch effect, Lasers, which were done with a momentary switch, and the many other lighting systems installed.
Here's some images
At the time, this was the biggest Trek ship built here, but now, the current Enterprise E project, which will be completed within a few weeks, will take the title, at 42 inches long. I will post images of that build when it's completed.
But not for long. The De Boers Refit follows this project, at nearly 50 inches long, and armed with those nifty Lasers, it will be the "Biggest and Baddest" one yet!
Thanks for the voters who chose my entry, and I look forward to the next big contest next year!
What an excellent prize!! Thanks SMA! ;D
I wanted to just show a bit more data and images on my entry this year. Made from the PL 32 inch Star Trek Enterprise Refit, or "A", if you prefer, Star Ship kit. This is still a very popular kit, and in my book, quite nice. At a big 1/350th scale, and designed with lighting in mind, some really nice results can be obtained by novices, all the way to pro's.
Depending how far you want to take it, and that's usually determined by interior cavity space, technology available, your budget, and so on...........
My entry was a build done for a client a few years ago. Would very much like to partake in the "timed event", but as I work on commission builds, for long term projects, I doubt it could be done. It's still nice that you can enter in the "All Open" however.
The build featured a lot of add-ons, PNT's after market kit, nice brass goodies there. Specialty decals, and transfers, about 300 LEDS, various colors, wavelenghts, and emission angles. Fiber Optic stuff for the very teeny illuminations, like the Docking Ports. Several modules for functions like the Navigation and Strobe lighting. Don's (DLM) after-market Shuttle Bay kit, very nice by the way. Lou Dalmaso's "Aztec Dummy" masking, really makes it much easier. Lou's my bud.
Now, at the moment, on my website page named "Featured Build", there is a very brief synopsis of the build. The file folder of the documented build is 3 gigs big, so I try to show just the highlights.
That page is located at http://www.simonmercs.biz/featured_build so you can see a few images of this project.
The coolest feature was the 2 blue Lasers. At the time, the Blue lasers were quite new, were talking about 2 or 3 years ago. The client was extremely interested in those. Although the Red "Phasers" were used in the Refit, he wanted to have a bit of an "homage" to the original Enterprise, and chose blue.
At the time, these 2 units cost around 1200.00 each! They were quite powerful, about half a watt, and very visible, even in daylight conditions. At about 3/4 inch diameter, and 3 inches long, they were a tight fit, but eventually a good angle was reached, and a Apoxy cradle was built around them, to lock everything in. Alignment is a difficult, and somewhat dangerous process. I was supplied with the special glasses that allow this process. A direct hit to the retina, for less than a second, can be very harmful. Never take these gizmo's for granted.
The entire build took around 8 months (roughly 2000 hours), and included the very cool display case shown. The "Wrath of Khan" tactical display was fully functional. Like the film version, it surrounded the graphic laser etched Refit with the "Shield" wrap effect. Nice electronics there, and in the 2 to 3 thousand dollar range with R & D. I believe this was the first to be developed, and other versions can now can be found around the net. When the display was lighted, a very cool blue lighting effect was seen underneath the primary hull. I also added several blinking red LEDS, to the inside of the graphic outline of the Ship, indicating "Damage" taken by Phaser fire. A simple, but very effective way to make the display look even more functional. There are films of this display on U Tube, my channel is called "mercs32118".
A lot of time was spent on the paint detailing, interior and exterior, the Aztec tile details really define a Star Ship. Although the paint scheme on the prop was a tad more subtle, the client wanted it more "defined", I build to order, you gotta make the client happy. It's all a matter of taste. I draw the line at "Barney the Dinosaur" images all over the outside though, nope,.....ain't gonna happen.
I spoke to a few guys, who are members here, after the wins were posted, and several stated they voted for this entry, I was very happy to hear that! Although I was very impressed with the entries, you guys can build, it was gratifying to see that my work still gets some attention.
This project was the front page article in the IPMS Journal May/Jun 2008, Volume 20, Issue 3, and they did a marvelous job on the layout.
The commemorative plaque on the other side, was also a laser etched piece, lighted with white LEDS.
What was not easily seen was a wedge on the support section, in a dark blue, that was lighted as well.
The functions were controlled form the front buttons, and included things like "Photon Torpedo" launch effect, Lasers, which were done with a momentary switch, and the many other lighting systems installed.
Here's some images
At the time, this was the biggest Trek ship built here, but now, the current Enterprise E project, which will be completed within a few weeks, will take the title, at 42 inches long. I will post images of that build when it's completed.
But not for long. The De Boers Refit follows this project, at nearly 50 inches long, and armed with those nifty Lasers, it will be the "Biggest and Baddest" one yet!
Thanks for the voters who chose my entry, and I look forward to the next big contest next year!
