Another 1/2 studio scale 1701 TOS - SHE'S DONE!!!!!

Well I have to admire your sticktoitouvness. Remarkably nice job so far.

trooper
man your doing some darn fine work there.

Thanks trooper! Thought I saw you're waiting for one of steve's 1/2 SS 1701. I've had the pleasure of using a couple of his parts on this build. If they're any representation of the rest of the kit, all I can say is start getting excited!

IEDBOUNTYHUNTER
Looking good. Keep it coming. waiting for more.

Thanks IED! At your request Here are more pics. I'm still getting used to being able to show off progressive build shots. A lot of the work I've done in the past, I can't even show. Too many non-disclosure agreements have been signed. I'll just say Di$ney.

Gamera68
wow, such a HUGE project :O

It must be over 6 feet long, since the studio model was around 11-12 feet in length, IIRC.

I can not wait until she's all finished.

And I thought the 1/1000 scale was a lot of work, LOL.

Thanks Gamera! She's a big'n, weighing in at just under 6'.

KUROK
To take on a kit like this and do such a good job, I believe you should get builder of the year award! Your patience is amazing!!!!

WoW... Thanks Kurok! Belive me I didn't start out patient with this. After the first month of working on it & discovering all of it's eccentricities, I had to resign myself to a full re-design & the slow & thoughtful road.

trekriffic
Well I have to admire your sticktoitouvness. Remarkably nice job so far.

Thanks trekriffic! It's been a mission.


On to the art show!
I'll try to post at least every 2 days from here out. As the end is approaching, I have a pretty good plan on where it's going. So, more build time, less pulling out of hair & pacing. I hope.....
I'll also try to write more captions & explanations of what I'm up to.
Thanks again all, for the wonderful words of encouragement.
Enjoy!





when ever there is a structural load bearing seam, it's a good idea to epoxy some aluminum tabs in place. They increase rigidity substantially & help prevent separation, if there is excessive stress on the joint. The holes in the tabs allow for epoxy to flow behind the tab & help prevent internal slippage.


I'm a huge fan of blue tape, so many uses. There was a pretty decent gap between the neck & saucer. I use the tape to prevent seepage of epoxy on the body & as a shoring type mold. If it isn't pushed into the gap you wind up with a nice contoured fill that only requires a little flush sanding


Ah, the materials for a layup. When doing layups around sharp angles, I prefer using smaller strips of FG & triangle shapes. Also when cutting the FG, cut the pieces off axis. As you lay FG on the seam, the weave should look like X's not +'s. It will conform to the edge or contour better & make a much stronger structure.


Finally I add peel-ply. It is a polyester cloth with releasing agent. This is great stuff, similar to vacuum bagging it helps remove air from under layups & helps hold epoxy in place while setting. Also when removed provides a rough surface if you need to do another layup on top of the first. No extra sanding required.


Here she is supported by her own structure! I will still be adding an aluminum support for more strength & rigidity.

trust me, Ive got enough excitement to supply 10 people right now
i wish i had some of your skills, I am so impressed

you need to get a video recorder, it would be nice to see

really do need to get something to post videos with. Right now all I have is a phone for pics & vids, it's a bit frustrating to work with.

Thanks Ray, I plan to do a before & after pic series when finished. something to show the massive transformation side by side.
It's still hard for me to believe that paint is only days away!

no one would believe it's the same kit if you didnt have pics to prove it
simply amazing work you have done!

ready for paint huh? thats got to be exciting

Thanks T,
I even have a hard time believing it's the same kit!

Here are more pics, should have more up tonight
Enjoy!


saucer support & saucer rim lights installed


did a quick plate etch for leds. fewer wires = less weight


Yay, lower saucer lights done!


bridge section magnetically attached, made it removable for electronics access


Adding in the bridge from the 1992 franklin mint model. It's pretty dang close to the right scale






shuttle bay section almost done, just a little cleaning up & light blocking.
THANK YOU, STEVE NEILL FOR THE BAY DOORS!

were did you get the bridge? i did some searching and didn't find anything. i would love to steal that idea from you

are you going to build a landing bay? I'm seriously considering it, i need good reference pics though.

again, very nice work!!

Hey trooper, the bridge is from the 1992 franklin mint 18" die cast. They're pretty hard to find, but can be cheap if in poor condition. They can run from $50-$500. The person I'm building the kit for had one & wanted me to use the bridge in the build.

Shuttle bay is outside the scope of this build. Too much time on repair & reconstruction. Now if it had been Steve's kit, I'd have definitely done the shuttle bay & a whole lot more. Kinda sad I couldn't get this finished in time for Steve's run. Plan was to build this up, & use the cash to get one of his kits. Had big plans, bridge w/fiber optic lit control panels, shuttle bay with working turntable etc. More than a day late, more than a dollar short. C'est la vie.

Aren't you going to turn your bridge 26 degrees, or whatever it is?

That round thing on the bridge dome is the Turbo Lift. It goes in the back.

...or has the thinking changed? I haven't built an E in 25 years.

dont loose all hope yet on getting a kit, steve HAS mentioned a couple time that if he can find someone to make the molds and lay up the kits that he would sell em. i think it would be good to find some one that knows how to make vacumbag molds, they use less resin and there much less work.


any chance you can make a mold of that bridge lol ?

micdavis said:

---

Aren't you going to turn your bridge 26 degrees, or whatever it is?

That round thing on the bridge dome is the Turbo Lift. It goes in the back.

...or has the thinking changed? I haven't built an E in 25 years.

It will be rotated when permanent install is done, just kind slapped it in there for the pic to show the idea.

any chance you can make a mold of that bridge lol ?

Had thought about it, just to have a spare in case of accidents. Ran into problems separating the handrails & decided to stop before I had that accident. With parts that small, I'd want to spincast it, & thats one toy I don't have.... yet.

never heard of spin casting resin? you are talking about resin casting right? why not use a pressure chamber ?

yes resin, spincasting is using a cylindrical mold with fluid chambers that radiate from the center like spokes in a wheel. The part portion of the mold sits near the rim. The mold is mounted on a motor driven wheel & centrifugal force draws the fluid through the mold. It's more like injection molding, similar results, but no machine the size of a car.

many moons ago i used to work at a steal foundry, i know what spin casting is
i just never thought of doing it with resin

My God, you have a bridge, that is outstanding!!!

Love the bridge idea, good job!

trooper said:

---

many moons ago i used to work at a steal foundry, i know what spin casting is
i just never thought of doing it with resin

Right on, yep resin indeed! I think it can be done with any fast hardening liquid.

Back with more fun! It's finally on to painting.
Decided to paint all of the markings, instead of decals or vinyl. have a pretty decent vinyl cutter & use it for making the masks. So I've started the detail markings on the nacelles & put the first 2 coats of finish primer on the body & saucer.


Window masking











Again I'd like to thank steve neill, the concentric rings are his second contribution to this build. THANKS STEVE!










ALL PAINT, NO DECALS!

Wow! I am amazed.
When I saw how rough this kit was when it came out, I never thought anyone would be patient enough to build one. You have not only done that but way more. Ron will be proud to see this when it's done!!!

absolutely amazing very nice work!!

Awesome work

I love it, especially the painted on pinstriping