Here Goes Something Awesome!

I want to get a start on my Polar Lights Enterprise before sending it to be completed and lit and painted. I'm still looking for anyone who wants the job, by the way.
In the mean time, I'm going to have some fun and do the hanger bay and arboretum. They seem pretty easy and if I make a mess, they are hard to see anyway.
The kit is molded in white plastic. What should I use to prime the parts first?

 

um ... primer?

 

Many modelers I know swear by Plastikote grey primer which you can get just about anywhere. The key is to warm the can slightly (by placing it a bowl of hot water -- but not TOO hot.) and shake the heck out of it to get a good mix.

 

i can paint but not light. Something like this?? Pardon my colors, but the flash just brightens those panels right up.. I prime with a light grey, then ivory/off white.

 

That looks AWESOME...

PLease lets us know how you achieved that paint job so far.

Is it painted by hand, or with masked with friskit paper and painted by an airbrush?

What colors did you use besides the ones you mentioned? are they your choice or what the instuctions recommend?

Please post more pics of this bad boy..

I just ordered mine from the a hobby shop on tues. and I hope to get mine in a couple weeks.

Lynn

 

Beautiful. Would you ever consider doing a build-up? PEOPLE, I'M THROWING MONEY AROUND HERE......

 

I use Plastikote religiously. I swear by it. Any area that may go on too thick can be easily sanded down. On this model I think priming will be necessary. For all the masking you will need to do, the base coat needs something to bite into, especially if you are using acryllics.

JDH

 

Wow, guys thanks for the compliments. Here's what I use and that has never let me down.
Starshipmodelers reference shots. They are awesome and very detailed.
Acrylic paint from walmart...yes i typed it. This stuff is cheap and is easily fixed if it gets screwed up, it can be thinned and sent through and airbrush, and brushed very well. It also drys quick for insant handling, and really give the color that "powder aztec" look so many trek ships have. The lines were done with a light pencil first, then some water color pencils. these help alot. i refuse to airbrush all those panels on something this big. it would make me cry like a little girl.

Again, thanks for the compliments. I can't wait to see yours..

And yes, I'll do your build up. PM me and we'll talk..

I'll be doing the engineering hull tonight(not building the interior). B)

 

PM Sent.

 

Are you painting this free hand or are you masking it off???

What kind of acrylics from Walmart? the cheapy craft .75 kind? What colors exactly?

I'm not sure I follow you on the pencils and water color pencils. Are using the pencils to draw the lines and then paint in the detail with the acrylic paint?

Are the water color pencils used to do the same or used as actuall color for the model?

If the water color pencils are used for color, how do they hold up to clear sealers once the decals are in place?

Sorry for all the questions, I just need to figure out what your doing so I can do the same.

Thanks,
Lynn

 

Hiya lynn . . isn't this froum all about questions? You were right on the money, i use the pencils to draw on the line, and then hand paint the panels in. now truthfully, when i get to the saucer, i'll be frisketing the aztec pattern, but as fot the hull, she's always looked a bit packworked to me. the sealer(tamaiya clear) holds just fine. and yea, the cheap kind. I buy a few colors that look good and then mix from there. Here's the hull . . . B)

 

Dude, I'm going to have to retitle this thread.

 

In the annuals of the RPF, please note to new members that when you are welcomed with the responses like the ones I've been getting for my quick paintjob, you not only go to a dreary job witha smile on your face, but you come home with a desire to do more for everybody . . .and you feel like you're doin sumpin right... Can't wait to do this Bryan...

 

Lookin good, Hotshot. :thumbsup

You guys will have to get CRAZY nuts about the micro-detail on that Refit, the PL kit is HUGE.

To get the juices going here are some great photo studies on Phil Broad's site. Note how the paint scheme changes between TMP and the miniature's "retirement".

http://www.cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STM...terpriseTop.htm

 

LOL. You're the best, Karl. I have all of those printed up here on my desk.

 

Thanks for the link -- fogot that site still existed.

 

How do you suppose the original model makers achieved the finish?

What techniques were used?

Were I to guess, I'd swear it was a form of pre-shading, with an overall top coat of white.

 

By your command:

http://www.olsenart.com/strek.html

You're gonna love this article.

Mike, Oz.

 

THAT was awesome. Thanks.

 

Yes, that was awesome...i think you saved me about three weeks work... YIPPEE. B)

 

Stop typing and keep working...

 

It's more than just painting too... start looking for model railroad bulbs to do the self-lighting system.

http://www.culttvman.com/kyu-woong_lee_s_movie_enterpri.html

(this isn't the studio miniature... this is the old AMT kit. Think of what the new 3-foot Polar kit is gonna look like...   )

 

Vinyl painting templates in case you want to do accurate Aztek panels.

http://www.culttvman.net/refit_painting_masks.html

 

Also don't miss Ron Eccles' paint guides on Starshipmodeler

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/trek/enta_paint_guide.htm

 

More photo reference here

http://employees.csbsju.edu/rsorensen/mode...n/index.html#c5

 

yes sir . . .D'oh...



and thanks for all the reference photos phase pistol...
i'm done typing now . . .

 

Good grief... I wish I'd seen these painting/detailing threads and pics before I bought mine... there's no way I can ever do this model kit justice.

 

I just got mine in today...

Oh... my... god...

This thing is GIGANTIC. I temp assembled it and put it on my Entertainment Center in the living room just to gawk at its awesomeness...

I have no idea where to start. I do know I'm going to make a couple of changes so far.

A new VIP lounge based on TMP and Mr Scott's guide to the enterprise. That thing actually makes more sense than that Directors Cut nonsense and PLs solution with the Decals... bleeech.

I also need to come up with a better solution than that stand... I may even want to hang this, but I doubt it.

I'm also going to make a warp sled for one of those cute little TMP shuttlewedges...

-Gary

 

hang it from the wall off the base with posts in one side at the docking ports(all 3) B)

 

Yeah, I hear the Lounge is not even see-able (new word) through the windows, so don't kill yourself working on it.

 

Here are some frame grabs from TMP... despite the fact that the Enterprise miniature herself is exquisitely detailed and finished, for most of the picture she's photographed so darkly and murkily, you can't make much out. :unsure

http://homepage.mac.com/ktate/extra/TMP-1701_pix/index.htm





I boosted color and contrast where I could in these.. sacrificing detail in the spotlight areas for better overall balance (IMHO).

One thing you might note is how the lighting changes on the exterior... in drydock she's lit (pretty consistently) by dock spots, but when she goes to internal illumination she looks different in practically every shot. Note how the registry illumination on the lower primary hull changes shape and size, for example.

Also the deflector SEEMS to be bronze when OFF (ship at rest) and lit BLUE when at warp (but sometimes when ABOUT to go to warp).

Also the inside cutouts on the warp nacelles themselves are dark when at rest, lit BLUE when at warp... but sometimes lit blue also when at rest in or near V'Ger.

- K

 

Thanks for the tips Hotshot..

Great reference pics Phase pistol..
These will help immensly.

I ordered my kit through my local hobby shop last week, I hope to get it in a week or two.

I see the Aztech Vinyl painting templates are out of stock on CultTVman, I hope they don't go out of stock again when they get them back.

Lynn

 

I'd heard it suggested to use thinner clear styrene for the lounge... Don't know if that will make it more visible or not - but read it somewhere...

 

Yeah, there are a couple areas where I'd use a thinner plastic. The VIP Lounge and Botanical Gardens are two top choices.

I was playing around with some dry fitting last night and this thing is amazing. The Shuttle bay is very cool, but I'll be damned if you could even see half of it installed in the ship...

I'm debating about building it OUTSIDE the ship. That would give me more room for electronics and what-not in the secondary hull...

Also, I made some progress on the warp sled to go with those wedge shuttles... I just couldn't help myself after thinking about it more

-Gary

 

I do believe that the shuttle bay will need to be sacrificed on mine as well. It is a * cool feature, but I just don't see myself building it.

JDH

 

I'm gonna put a post out on SSM for anyone planning to do a Reliant Conversion. I should be able to score and extra secondary hull that way. Then I can build the Shuttle bay in a nice cutaway secondary and even put in more detail - perhaps engineering and the warp core?

-Gary

 

The kit already comes with an extra secondary hull.

 

IIRC its just the bottom of the secondary hull to replicate the paneling between the refit and the A version. The sides and top are the same and there is only enough for one ship...

-Gary

 

OK here are some caps from "Wrath of Khan" for ya., both Enterprise and Reliant... note the changes from TMP (the hull has been dulled down, the configuration of self-illumination areas is different, etc.

Several FX shots lifted from TMP are reused here however... notably the flyover when Enterprise leaves drydock is much longer in WOK, so I capped the extra footage.

http://homepage.mac.com/ktate/extra/WOK-1701_pix/index.htm







Note also that there's an enlarged section of Enterprise used when closeups of the neck and photon torpedo launcher area are shown (ie when Reliant's phasers open the hull like a can opener)... this parital model does not match the full miniature in every detail.



The travel pod sequence from the first movie (recycled in WOK) also uses an enlarged partial miniature section of the secondary hull.



Also the secondary hull in WOK looks really grungy... there seem to be inscribed panel lines or scratches or something all over the secondary hull and warp pylons. Compare this ugly mess to the smooth unmarked hull in TMP. :unsure (and no this is not battle damage).



You can see a raised area stuck-on to the side of the secondary hull as well in that shot (fwd of the docking port)... I seem to recall they had to open up the model to change or repair the electical wiring, perhaps all that is to camouflage where they had to operate.

- k

 

Hi, my name is Karl and I am completely out of my tree. Graet stuff.

 

You might say I've been waiting for this refit kit since 1979.

 

Ditto PP.
Ditto Karl.
I'm blown away by the work you guys are doing.

When I got mine all I could think,"This is huge".
I do like all the interiors, and the provisions to install a lighting system.

Now PL needs to build a TOS version of the "Big-E".

 

I need a nap . . .

Guys, watch out for warping (pardon the pun) of the engineering hull walls. I had a heck of a time getting them to stay put, and as you can see, I still have a bit of miracle working to do.
Also watch for how the pylons and the hull fit, it's a little weird. Onto the bondo...


Thanks for all the hosting wackychimp. B)

 

Beautiful. I read over at CultTVMan's site the secondary hull fitting was a little off and required some patching. Also, when you attach the nacelles, they may have a propensity to bow out a little and may need a wee bit of shim

Everyone check out htis thread over at Starship Modeler. This guy may be on to a great source for lighting this:
http://www.starshipmodeler.net/cgi-bin/php...9919e790c43ebb4

 

Stay tuned, folks. The real work is about to start. B)

 

Yeah...on mine. PM sent.

Great update here:
http://www.culttvman.com/bench_209__marc_king_s_refit_p.html

 

That is looking really AWESOME Hotshot....

How are the seams on it and how are you dealing with them before and after painting?

I was reading the artical above and it made it sound like they seams were pretty bad and needed attention and some rework of detail, but then I have heard they were pretty good.

Lynn

 

Yeeknow, I think it's a individual kit warping thing. Truly, it's nothing a little smart test fitting and hot water can't handle. most seams really match well, with little to no filling req. but do remeber, the "seams" on the main hull are also supossed to be there.

 

Thats what I figured, I think the builder may have been going over board.

Are going to light yours?

I ordered the Aztech templets the other day, I hope my kit arrives at the hobby shop next week.

Lynn

 

Well, here we go. I got Byrans kit and his Aztec-dummy templates. The templates look great, and are very accurate(creepy accurate) but there's no metion of the fact they stick like hell. I've peeled and repainted more paint today than I can care to stop crying over(these were tested on my kit, not Bryans). So...here's the first shots of Bryan's TMP build-up. We started with a white coat, with ivory accents, then a tight dull coat. Then it was on to the aztec. I'm going to be honest: this stuff isn't going near the saucer section. While the sharpness and attention to detail is astounding, it is much to thin and sticky. Two light coats of paint held these guys right down, and even with a light coat of moisture, they still stuck like vinyl on a truck. But, in fairness, I'm gonna keep trying, cause these guys put some love into the templates. Here's the first shots, including the pearl panelling on two of the pylons(sorry Bryan, I couldn't resist.) the paneling was accomplished with the same process discussed in the link that dealt with the real paint job. I let the first three coats dry, the laid on the aztec, and then radomly used some green, blue, red and silver pearl, then laid down a thin coat of pearl, then a coat of white. Then I let them dry a few hours, then a dull coat to prep the peice for decals. Now your wondering, "What about the gloss and flat panels hotshot?" Well, after those shiny, shiny decals are on and the colored pieces are on, I've precut some friskets for the gloss paneling, so as your eyes move over the model, it wil sparkle.. Check it out.


Just finished up the pylons, top coats on all.. Here ya go(and a teaser photo for you falcon fans)