33 inch TOS Enterprise - Studio Scale Replica

Shaw

Well-Known Member
33_inch_e-requiem.jpg

This is a project that I've spent a ton of time and effort researching. I started by drawing up an early version of my plans for this model back in 2007, and followed it up with two study models (here and here) at two-thirds scale to help refine my plans (and improve my model building abilities). Originally I had wanted to build this model out of the same materials as the original (which was mostly made out of kiln-dried sugar pine), but I don't have any of the equipment or experience to deal in wood, so I'll stick with what I know I can do.

For a bit of history on the original model, you can check out this page I put together.


Where to start?

I decided that I'd begin with the secondary hull. The series of images below show the steps I've taken to build a master (more of a pre-master).

1701_33in_001.jpg

It started with cutting out pieces of foamcore board and building a base structure. Because this will be the master for both sides, I've included holes and alignment channels for both sides for the nacelle support pylons to slide into. It is easier to build the parts with both holes and fill in the extra later than to build it without any and add them later or build two of these. I'll be doing this exact same thing when I build the inboard nacelle master so I only have to build it once.

Next I put blocks of styrofoam in to the openings and used a hot wire to cut them to the general shapes I needed. And then with them glued into place, I used a template of the secondary hull shape to lay out a surface made of hydrocal. I let that dry/cure and then filled in any gaps that showed up.

That is about where I'm at right now. This isn't all that different from how I made my primary hull for my one-sixth studio scale 11 foot TOS Enterprise (here), but I figured I'd show how these same steps could also be used to make a little more complex shape... so here is the start of the (pre-)master to the secondary hull of my Phase II Enterprise kit.

p2_1701-2_001.jpg

It was made the exact same way, just requiring a different template for the shape and the alignment channels for the nacelle support pylons are at a different angle. And this is them together...

1701_33in_002.jpg

And no, this model is not going to become a kit... nor could it's parts be used to convert the Round 2 1/350 TOS Enterprise (which is smaller than this model by more than an inch... 32.4 inches compared to 33.75 inches).

So now I'm waiting a while for the hydrocal to completely dry/cure before I add on a surface that I can work to a smoother finish. When I'm all done, I'll make a mold and cast two parts. Hopefully this won't take as long as my Phase II Enterprise to build (which was two years) because I have most of the research already done.
 
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Thanks guys!

Hopefully I've ironed out most of the issues with the first two study models. Now it is just working with this stuff on a larger scale.

I'm still getting together the materials I'll need, but I did take some time to start in on the nacelle masters. Below are shots of the inboard and outboard nacelle masters, first together and then separate.

1701_33in_003.jpg

There isn't a lot of stuff going on with the outboard master. The inboard master has the channel (which I've started) and the attachment points for the nacelle support pylons. So there is going to be a bit of work needed to engineer all that before I get anywhere close to making molds.

A lot of this is going to look like the 11 foot model, but I'll point out where the 33 inch model differs as it becomes easier to see. One thing that is different here is that the inboard channel extends further back (running into the rectangular box features). I think this was a result of the channels originally facing downwards. Datin seemed to have changed the orientation while building this model, and then carried the changes over to the 11 foot model (making adjustments) when they started it a few weeks later.

jefferies-datin_1964.jpg

The main reason that I believe this is the case is that had the channel originally been on the inboard side of the nacelle, the nacelle supports would run into them. And I don't think this was the only change as the top of the support pylons need to be fitted to the attachment point, so I believe that they were also swapped at the same time... which is why I believe that the inboard vents on the pylons were originally supposed to be pointing outwards (like in many of Jefferies drawings and how he went back to this configuration when designing the Phase II Enterprise).

nacelle_support_attachment.jpg
 
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Small update...

I've continued to make some more progress on the nacelle master, mainly gluing many of the inboard nacelle parts together. Here is how they stand currently...

1701_33in_004.jpg
 
I cut the openings and started the channels for the nacelle support pylons attachment points. These channels are intended to help align the parts and are the same size as those on the secondary hull master. I cut out a piece of foamcore board that fit into those channels and tested the nacelle masters together with the secondary hull master to see how things are working.

1701_33in_005.jpg

The secondary hull master is on it's side, but the main thing I was looking for was the center line of the masters to be parallel to each other... which it looked like it was when I tested it (for both sets of channels).

I've left myself enough maneuvering room to make adjustments with the final parts later on, but I wanted to have the masters (and molds) be as close to a perfect fit as I could (specially given that all this is hand made... but then again, so was the original model).

I'm hoping to finish off the rest of the interior parts of the inboard nacelle this weekend and then I'll close up the ends and hit both nacelle masters with primer to see where I'm at with them.
 
I've been plugging away at this, but most of what I've been doing is essentially the same things I did on my one-sixth studio scale 11 foot model. I'm not sure that it is all that interesting to show the same things over again.

Here are some progress shots...

1701_33in_006.jpg

I included a test pull of my Enterprise name plaque (which I kept to try out painting/aging ideas on). There has been some more work on the inner nacelle channel, mostly sculpting the ends.

I started making the forward rings (which are currently just four disks). Building those is pretty straight forward... cut out a disk of thin styrene and a smaller disk of thick styrene, glue them together and fill in the stair step between. It doesn't take much effort and when I put all four together I get what I needed.

Because it took longer to do, I did take a series of images of the rear nacelle cap being constructed. For this I cut three disks... two were annulus, with holes large enough for the rear cap's sphere. I cut the annulus into two parts off center which gave me a total of five structural pieces to help hold the ribbed outer styrene sheet in the form of a cylinder. I later added a few more pieces of styrene to close up some openings and then use Aves apoxie sculpt to fill in the remaining open face... being sure to keep the hole needed for the sphere.

It still needs work, but you can get the idea where it is at.

And again, these are all masters... none of these parts are going to actually be on the final model.
 
Thanks!

I thought I'd throw up some progress shots... I've done some work on the nacelles and started on the primary hull masters. The nacelle halves and secondary hull half will be mounted to wood boards before I make the molds (though they aren't mounted just yet).

1701_33in_007.jpg

I'm using 18 inch circular table tops as the bases for the upper and lower primary hull masters. I'll most likely start laying in the hydrocal on those in the next day or two, though I'm expecting to have to do it in a number of steps over the next week to get the primary shapes I need.
 
WOW, just went through your web page research. Very impressive. Love your old school techniques.
 
Thanks guys!

Love your old school techniques.
Thanks, I only wish I could be building this exactly like the original model (which was solid wood). This is actually more like how the 11 foot model was built. Still, I think it helps to build this like this because it helps me get into the minds of the original builders of the models.

I've made a little progress on the lower primary hull master, but there is still a lot of work to be done.

1701_33in_008.jpg
 
I saw his build page when it was available... beautiful work.

But being in a one-bedroom apartment, I think my wife would put a stop to me turning the place into a woodshop. I'm lucky enough that she lets me do all this stuff now.


Update...

I realized I needed to fix a flaw in the pattern piece, and I noticed that one of the boards I was using warped, so I decided to build two lower primary hull masters and see which one turned out the best.

1701_33in_009.jpg

The top primary hull master is now at about 95% done in that shot. Right now (since that last photo) both lower primary hull masters are looking very good (though I'm most likely not going to use the one on the warped board).

I've drawn on the underside rings to make sure that they match up with all my research. The best thing is that the NCC-1701 decals that go between the engraved rings and flat edge fit perfectly compared to photos of the original model, so I'm happy with them.

In this set of progress shots I've included the start of the B/C deck structure on the top primary hull master to get a feel for how it is progressing.

1701_33in_010.jpg

And this is a test placement of the decals on the masters.

1701_33in_011.jpg
 
I'll be making silicon rubber molds of these once I've finished with them. The steps I took with my one-sixth studio scale study model of the 11 foot Enterprise were intended as a test run for this model...

1701-11-build_steps.jpg


The primary hull of that model has a 10" diameter, this one has a 15" diameter, so I'm just scaling up the process by a small amount.

The larger parts will be made mostly of TC-1630 A/B UltraCast and I'll be using Alumilite White for the smaller ones.

The nacelle support pylons and dorsal pylon will be built directly. These aren't hard components to build (because they don't have a lot of details), but I need to make sure that they are able to handle the loads. I'm not too worried though, I'll be making the larger parts pretty thin so they shouldn't weigh much. The only solid parts will be the nacelle domes.
 
Thanks guys!


Recently I've been puttying, sanding, primering and then repeating the process... attempting to get the surfaces to the best state I can.

1701_33in_012.jpg

I also added in the engraved rings on the lower primary hull.
 
I've started in on the bridge and done some more work on the secondary hull master. I included a shot of the original model for comparison in the series of images below. Both the bridge and the B/C deck structure are riding a little high, they'll sit lower and flush to each other (and later the upper primary hull with the actual parts) as I get closer to finishing them.

The biggest thing is that I pulled my first parts for the model... the nacelle domes.

1701_33in_013.jpg

These are the main references I've been using for the domes...

nacelle_domes.jpg
 
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