ModelMakerMike
"It's Slobberin' time""
- Joined
- May 28, 2011
- Messages
- 1,838
Up to this time you all have only seen models that I have completed.
I am trying something new.
Here is an old AMT/ERTL release from 1983. I started this kit a couple years ago. Just around the time that Round 2 re-released it. Please excuse the clutter on and around my desk. This is kind of a "Hero" shot. I built and painted this thing in sub-assemblies. I had a mis-hap when I was gluing the saucer to the neck.
I used super glue (not the gel type which is what I would normally use) and apparently a little got on my finger and thumb, and you can see and you can see a bit of the result on the forward starboard side under the saucer near the edge.
In my mind from my childhood, the Enterprise was White, and so was the kit I built back in 1975, but I didn't want a stark white. I used Krylon's "Dover White" which is a warm off-white. However, with all the light I used in this pic, it looks really white.
As anyone who has ever built one these knows....It is very seam heavy, and a lot of work is involved to get the hull smooth. You can see some evidence of that around the sensor array housing where it meets the rest of the secondary hull. This was after hours of putty and sanding. even after primewring and more sanding. I think I reached a point where I said, that'll be good enough for me.
AMT/ERTL made some improvements to how this kit went together between the time I built my first one and this build. However, the nacelles still give some folks trouble, and I was expecting to have more trouble with these than I did. The model is fairly long, and I think I was a little too close with the camera, but the nacelles are nice and even, and centered.
This shot is just to show the intercoolers and other details on the nacelles. I used a mix of, "Steel" ,Graphite, and silver to paint the different parts.
As for the Bussard Scoops (the red semi-spherical front ends of the nacelles) I used a Krylon or Rustoleum Met. gold spray paint, and then the "X-Metals" translucent red over that. I am very pleased with how they look. Nice and rich, and have a good depth to them. I have found it a bit tricky to paint sub-assemblies in this way because there sometimes ends up being a variance in the coats between the multiple pieces. I got lucky, and these didn't turn out that way.
This photo shows the red of the Bussard scoops better. The top of the saucer section was a chore. I hand sanded away ALL of the too raised panel lines. If you see this kit in person, you get a hint of them, which I have read is the more correct way. BUT there are so many in-correct details in this kit vs. the filming models, that the detail concerning the raised lines is moot.
For the sensor domes (Planetary-underneath, and space-on top of the bridge) I used a glow in the dark spray paint. It actually looks kinda cool in the dark. I should have used that for some of the windows, Like I had done back in 1989. You can see that the space sensor had picked up some black smudge. I'll fix that later
You can see the evidence of the glue mis-hap on the top side of the saucer near the port side. I have done some light sanding, but am hesitant to do too much, and have to re-spray the whole saucer again. I am thinking about making it a bit of damage, after all, this is NOT the Enterprise.
Here's an over-head look. You can see how the camera made the nacelles look all wonky....they really aren't. You can also see that I need to paint the impulse thruster unit, and I want to paint the raised detail that is on top of the saucer opposite of where it connects to the neck of the ship. I am thinking maybe more steel.
You can still see a divot, that is a hint of the seam that used to be...Again, I had put a lot of work into seam removal, and this one was just way too stubborn for me, I think on my next build of this kit, I will try harder. Anywho, I hope you all enjoy these, and because of this forum, I feel inspired to finish this, and some others I have started, and to start and finish MORE!
I am trying something new.
Here is an old AMT/ERTL release from 1983. I started this kit a couple years ago. Just around the time that Round 2 re-released it. Please excuse the clutter on and around my desk.
This is kind of a "Hero" shot. I built and painted this thing in sub-assemblies. I had a mis-hap when I was gluing the saucer to the neck.I used super glue (not the gel type which is what I would normally use) and apparently a little got on my finger and thumb, and you can see and you can see a bit of the result on the forward starboard side under the saucer near the edge.
In my mind from my childhood, the Enterprise was White, and so was the kit I built back in 1975, but I didn't want a stark white. I used Krylon's "Dover White" which is a warm off-white. However, with all the light I used in this pic, it looks really white.
As anyone who has ever built one these knows....It is very seam heavy, and a lot of work is involved to get the hull smooth. You can see some evidence of that around the sensor array housing where it meets the rest of the secondary hull. This was after hours of putty and sanding. even after primewring and more sanding. I think I reached a point where I said, that'll be good enough for me.
AMT/ERTL made some improvements to how this kit went together between the time I built my first one and this build. However, the nacelles still give some folks trouble, and I was expecting to have more trouble with these than I did. The model is fairly long, and I think I was a little too close with the camera, but the nacelles are nice and even, and centered.
This shot is just to show the intercoolers and other details on the nacelles. I used a mix of, "Steel" ,Graphite, and silver to paint the different parts.
As for the Bussard Scoops (the red semi-spherical front ends of the nacelles) I used a Krylon or Rustoleum Met. gold spray paint, and then the "X-Metals" translucent red over that. I am very pleased with how they look. Nice and rich, and have a good depth to them. I have found it a bit tricky to paint sub-assemblies in this way because there sometimes ends up being a variance in the coats between the multiple pieces. I got lucky, and these didn't turn out that way.
This photo shows the red of the Bussard scoops better.
The top of the saucer section was a chore. I hand sanded away ALL of the too raised panel lines. If you see this kit in person, you get a hint of them, which I have read is the more correct way. BUT there are so many in-correct details in this kit vs. the filming models, that the detail concerning the raised lines is moot. For the sensor domes (Planetary-underneath, and space-on top of the bridge) I used a glow in the dark spray paint. It actually looks kinda cool in the dark. I should have used that for some of the windows, Like I had done back in 1989. You can see that the space sensor had picked up some black smudge.
I'll fix that later
You can see the evidence of the glue mis-hap on the top side of the saucer near the port side. I have done some light sanding, but am hesitant to do too much, and have to re-spray the whole saucer again. I am thinking about making it a bit of damage, after all, this is NOT the Enterprise.
Here's an over-head look. You can see how the camera made the nacelles look all wonky....they really aren't. You can also see that I need to paint the impulse thruster unit, and I want to paint the raised detail that is on top of the saucer opposite of where it connects to the neck of the ship. I am thinking maybe more steel.
You can still see a divot, that is a hint of the seam that used to be...Again, I had put a lot of work into seam removal, and this one was just way too stubborn for me, I think on my next build of this kit, I will try harder.
Anywho, I hope you all enjoy these, and because of this forum, I feel inspired to finish this, and some others I have started, and to start and finish MORE!
