daltman1967
Active Member
Thanks, Steve! I'm enjoying the build. There's a LONG way to go before she's space-ready, but...
Kitbashing the U.S.S. Cavalier, NCC-1967-B
- Thread starter daltman1967
- Start date
daltman1967
Active Member
Thanks. Wait until you see it finished. The raised lines are going to be red, plus I'll have the labels in Gold & Blue denoting which switch does what. The switches were a real pain in the butt, but how else am I going to control the darn thing? I also plan to "weather" the base a bit, so it's not "perfect," as if it's been adrift in space awhile.
daltman1967
Active Member
If anyone ever tries to tell you that modeling is an easy, inexpensive hobby, give 'em a good kick in the teeth.
It just KEEPS adding up. I'm a very careful shopper, buying nothing I do not need, yet this project has cost nearly $1,500.
I'm currently working on the foreward part of the secondary hull - that transition between the secondary hull and the deflector dish. As soon as I have something recognizeable, I'll post pictures. This transitional section - which isn't represented properly in the drawing - has been a sticky point for a long while.
As soon as I had finished building the secondary section, I knew that the transition would be a very difficult undertaking. I was right. I've since cut a rectangular notch in the top of the hull - where the two hulls intersect - and added the transition itself. I just finished the shaping today, so I'll take pictures tomorrow.
It just KEEPS adding up. I'm a very careful shopper, buying nothing I do not need, yet this project has cost nearly $1,500.
I'm currently working on the foreward part of the secondary hull - that transition between the secondary hull and the deflector dish. As soon as I have something recognizeable, I'll post pictures. This transitional section - which isn't represented properly in the drawing - has been a sticky point for a long while.
As soon as I had finished building the secondary section, I knew that the transition would be a very difficult undertaking. I was right. I've since cut a rectangular notch in the top of the hull - where the two hulls intersect - and added the transition itself. I just finished the shaping today, so I'll take pictures tomorrow.
daltman1967
Active Member
Just a quick note for anyone following this blog: I won't be posting for the next two to three weeks, while I shift gears (enormously) to begin work on my TOS model for the kitbash kontest. Oh, wait 'til you see it!! Until my return, happy modeling all!
daltman1967
Active Member
Well, now that the Kontest is over, I'm back to working on the Cavalier. I really had a good time making my ship. As soon as voting is over, I'll post my mini-blog on the build.
I'm at the last stage of work on the secondary hull. I finally dug out the "scoop" (that curved section at the aft, beneath the shuttlebay) and got THAT shaped right; I found a slight imbalance between the port and starboard "cheeks" to either side of the deflector dish; I'm currently building up the one to match the other.
I still have a few pits to fill in and smooth out, but the major work is done. I'm still working on the shuttlebay fantail, trying to get the shape symmetrical.
What's the last step? I think that it's going to be a reasonably difficult one: Putting on the deflector grid lines and adding windows, thrusters, and other physical details.
The grid lines themselves will be a challenge because again, it's a matter of turning the 2-D into 3-D; the one side may be easy, but getting the other side to match...? Hmm.
"Damage control is easy. Reading Klingon... that's hard." Scotty, Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home
The windows will be physically drilled into the plaster about 1/8" deep - a single hole for the round window, and three consecutive holes for the oblong windows.
I'm really looking forward to FINISHING this piece of the build, as it's the biggest part. Once I'm done with this, I can go back to working on the saucer, which has a lot of problems that need to be dealt with. One thing that's holding me up is my Dremel tool stopped charging! I'm going to have to send it to the manufacturer to have it repaired! (Grr!)
I also thought I might take a side tour and assemble the nacelles. I've already masked out the "trenches" on all the clear plastic parts. The rest will be gray. Once I have all the parts painted, I'll be inserting the various LED's associated with the nacelles, along with the wiring.
The biggest part will be locating and mounting the mini fluorescent bulbs (8" long) inside the nacelles. When finished, these bulbs should give off a REALLY impressive glow.
The other (and most depressing part) of the things holding me up is a lack of cash! I just moved into a new apartment, and the landlord wanted first, last, AND deposit - a total of $1,1950.00. I'm now totally broke. I have a little cash for gas, but not much else; I have some supplies I need to buy ($8 worth), but can't afford yet; I'm hoping I can get them NEXT week, since this week's money is already spent.
Well, that's all for now. Once again, if you're monitoring this build, a note now and again would be very much appreciated.
I'm at the last stage of work on the secondary hull. I finally dug out the "scoop" (that curved section at the aft, beneath the shuttlebay) and got THAT shaped right; I found a slight imbalance between the port and starboard "cheeks" to either side of the deflector dish; I'm currently building up the one to match the other.
I still have a few pits to fill in and smooth out, but the major work is done. I'm still working on the shuttlebay fantail, trying to get the shape symmetrical.
What's the last step? I think that it's going to be a reasonably difficult one: Putting on the deflector grid lines and adding windows, thrusters, and other physical details.
The grid lines themselves will be a challenge because again, it's a matter of turning the 2-D into 3-D; the one side may be easy, but getting the other side to match...? Hmm.
"Damage control is easy. Reading Klingon... that's hard." Scotty, Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home
The windows will be physically drilled into the plaster about 1/8" deep - a single hole for the round window, and three consecutive holes for the oblong windows.
I'm really looking forward to FINISHING this piece of the build, as it's the biggest part. Once I'm done with this, I can go back to working on the saucer, which has a lot of problems that need to be dealt with. One thing that's holding me up is my Dremel tool stopped charging! I'm going to have to send it to the manufacturer to have it repaired! (Grr!)
I also thought I might take a side tour and assemble the nacelles. I've already masked out the "trenches" on all the clear plastic parts. The rest will be gray. Once I have all the parts painted, I'll be inserting the various LED's associated with the nacelles, along with the wiring.
The biggest part will be locating and mounting the mini fluorescent bulbs (8" long) inside the nacelles. When finished, these bulbs should give off a REALLY impressive glow.
The other (and most depressing part) of the things holding me up is a lack of cash! I just moved into a new apartment, and the landlord wanted first, last, AND deposit - a total of $1,1950.00. I'm now totally broke. I have a little cash for gas, but not much else; I have some supplies I need to buy ($8 worth), but can't afford yet; I'm hoping I can get them NEXT week, since this week's money is already spent.
Well, that's all for now. Once again, if you're monitoring this build, a note now and again would be very much appreciated.
trekman1017
Well-Known Member
haw have you spent so much on the model so far? I have so far spent about $20 on my 33 inch enterprise
daltman1967
Active Member
Actually, it was quite easy.
$ 68 for the model
$ 85 for the Dremel tool
$175 for the lights
$ 96 on paint
$200 or so on building materials
$ 14 for trees
$ 8 for 1:350 scale people
$ 10 on glue
$100 airbrush pump
$ 45 airbrush
===================
$801 total
Actually, the grand total is much more. This list does not include the mini fluorescent lights, the voltmeter, helping hands base with magnifying glass, nor what I've spent on shipping charges and gasoline.
However: When you consider the scale involved, you begin to see where the cost is going. The original secondary hull is about 10" long on this model, and 2 1/2" around. *MY* secondary hull measures about 24" by 12" by 8". It weighs about 20 pounds.
Most of the costs were one-time unavoidable equipment costs - such as the airbrush and dremel tool. Also unavoidable is the cost of the model and paint. There are a few places where I could have saved money by simplifying things, but early on I committed myself to a quality of model which would be at or near studio quality.
Hope this answers your question!
$ 68 for the model
$ 85 for the Dremel tool
$175 for the lights
$ 96 on paint
$200 or so on building materials
$ 14 for trees
$ 8 for 1:350 scale people
$ 10 on glue
$100 airbrush pump
$ 45 airbrush
===================
$801 total
Actually, the grand total is much more. This list does not include the mini fluorescent lights, the voltmeter, helping hands base with magnifying glass, nor what I've spent on shipping charges and gasoline.
However: When you consider the scale involved, you begin to see where the cost is going. The original secondary hull is about 10" long on this model, and 2 1/2" around. *MY* secondary hull measures about 24" by 12" by 8". It weighs about 20 pounds.
Most of the costs were one-time unavoidable equipment costs - such as the airbrush and dremel tool. Also unavoidable is the cost of the model and paint. There are a few places where I could have saved money by simplifying things, but early on I committed myself to a quality of model which would be at or near studio quality.
Hope this answers your question!
daltman1967
Active Member
Wow, those nacelles are a lot of work! Getting the LED's in just right is a real pain. I'm also very unhappy with the paint job on the clear section, so I'll end up redoing it.
I have the nacelles fully assembled, and have put my first coat of paint on. It's called Canadian Voodoo Gray, and it's not as blue as the light duck egg, nor too dark. It's much better than plain white. It's a very soft gray, which I think is a good undercoat.
I've also been working on the secondary hull, filling in some of the gaps and building up the starboard (as you're facing it) shoulder, which wasn't even. The wall compound I found has the consistency of thin cake frosting, which makes it VERY easy to spread.
I'll put up some pictures soon.
I have the nacelles fully assembled, and have put my first coat of paint on. It's called Canadian Voodoo Gray, and it's not as blue as the light duck egg, nor too dark. It's much better than plain white. It's a very soft gray, which I think is a good undercoat.
I've also been working on the secondary hull, filling in some of the gaps and building up the starboard (as you're facing it) shoulder, which wasn't even. The wall compound I found has the consistency of thin cake frosting, which makes it VERY easy to spread.
I'll put up some pictures soon.
daltman1967
Active Member
Thanks! I'm looking forward to posting some new pictures, as a LOT has happened since the last set. I'm also looking forward to FINISHING this section and moving on.
daltman1967
Active Member
As you can see from picture #25, the “scoop” is now properly shaped. The secondary hull just didn’t look right until I made this feature. Picture #26 shows the “shoulders” at the fore section of the secondary hull where the transition occurs between the hull and the deflector dish. If you look carefully, you’ll see on the right-hand side where the shoulders are uneven.
Picture #27 shows the assembled and nearly complete nacelles. I’ve been working to fill in the gaps and smooth out the surface. Now that I’m done with that, I can finish assembly and work on the paint.
Picture #28 shows how I’m building up the nacelle strut base on the secondary hull. I cut off the strut bases from the original model, dug a hole, and planted the pieces in the hole. Pictures #29 and 30 show how I’ve built it up and nearly finished the shape. I plan to put a layer of styrene inside the strut base to make a rectangular socket to receive the struts.
In picture #31, you can see the details on the rear of the nacelle struts. These details are simply cut styrene. Picture #32 shows the front side. Picture #33 shows the flush vents painted. However, I’m not happy with the “flatness” of these struts, so I’m building up a curvature on the front side. Pictures of that will come next post.
While it's difficult to see ALL the work I've done (some is on a scale that won't appear on camera), I've been diligently working on this nearly every day for two weeks. A lot of fitting, sanding, bulding up, trying new things. There's also a lot of work filling in some of the gaps.
Keep on Trekkin'!
Picture #27 shows the assembled and nearly complete nacelles. I’ve been working to fill in the gaps and smooth out the surface. Now that I’m done with that, I can finish assembly and work on the paint.
Picture #28 shows how I’m building up the nacelle strut base on the secondary hull. I cut off the strut bases from the original model, dug a hole, and planted the pieces in the hole. Pictures #29 and 30 show how I’ve built it up and nearly finished the shape. I plan to put a layer of styrene inside the strut base to make a rectangular socket to receive the struts.
In picture #31, you can see the details on the rear of the nacelle struts. These details are simply cut styrene. Picture #32 shows the front side. Picture #33 shows the flush vents painted. However, I’m not happy with the “flatness” of these struts, so I’m building up a curvature on the front side. Pictures of that will come next post.
While it's difficult to see ALL the work I've done (some is on a scale that won't appear on camera), I've been diligently working on this nearly every day for two weeks. A lot of fitting, sanding, bulding up, trying new things. There's also a lot of work filling in some of the gaps.
Keep on Trekkin'!
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daltman1967
Active Member
Well, after weeks of filling, sanding, and filling again, I’ve finally completed the secondary hull. No more bumps or pits! The right shoulder is as even as it’s ever going to be; visually, at least, it’s an exact match for the left. The hardest detail was the shuttlebay and fantail. Building this section took a LOT of work.
Now that all this is FINALLY done (champagne celebration, anyone?), I can begin to work out the sensor grid. What I’m going to do is start by laying out the center line on the top and bottom, and then start penciling in suggested lines on one side to see how they look. Although I have the computer image, the secondary hull in that drawing no longer matches what I’ve built in reality. What I have to do is take a couple of pictures of the secondary hull and work to convert those pictures into drawings, so I can get the drawing correct.
With sensor grids laid out on both the bottom half and top half of the hull, adding details such as the small windows, arboretum windows, airlock ports and reaction control thrusters should be relatively easy; the main thing I’ll have to keep in mind is the old adage “measure twice, cut once.” I want to ensure that the ship is bisymmetrically identical.
Now that all this is FINALLY done (champagne celebration, anyone?), I can begin to work out the sensor grid. What I’m going to do is start by laying out the center line on the top and bottom, and then start penciling in suggested lines on one side to see how they look. Although I have the computer image, the secondary hull in that drawing no longer matches what I’ve built in reality. What I have to do is take a couple of pictures of the secondary hull and work to convert those pictures into drawings, so I can get the drawing correct.
With sensor grids laid out on both the bottom half and top half of the hull, adding details such as the small windows, arboretum windows, airlock ports and reaction control thrusters should be relatively easy; the main thing I’ll have to keep in mind is the old adage “measure twice, cut once.” I want to ensure that the ship is bisymmetrically identical.
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daltman1967
Active Member
Once I finished all the sanding, drawing the deflector grid lines turned out to be pretty easy. I added the ridge along the spine of the dorsal side of the hull, and decided I'd modify the upper bridge section of the 1:1000 Polar Lights TOS Enterprise (Parts left over from the official Kitbash Kontest) as a greeblie to adorn the ventral side of the shuttle deck. It worked out even better than I'd planned.
Cutting the deflector grid lines turned out to be a lot more difficult than it looked. I started by using an X-acto knife (try a million year venture), then turned to my dremel tool's router bit, but it was too unsteady by far, even when lined up against a plastic ruler.
Then I saw my circular cutting disk, and thought that would work well. It did. There were a couple of times the line got crooked or went over, but I just filled in those mistakes and went on.
Drilling all the windows took some real effort, especially the oblong ones; they just didn't want to hold their shape properly. The hole for the support pole / electronics connection went easily, as did the arboretum windows. For the arboretum, I took twenty minutes making a template so I'd get the shape just right.
As I was working on the finishing touches, I began to think about the casting process. I suddenly realized that liquid plastic will flow very nicely around shapes - but also THROUGH holes! I'd have my model full of plastic! So I began the painstaking process of filling EVERY window with my putty, then tamping it down so that the "window" shape still looked good, while providing a solid surface to flow the plastic against. Dang, that was a close one!
I'm putting a medium gray coat of paint over the whole thing (even though this isn't the model itself) just so I can get an idea of how everything will look when completed. I'll post pictures soon.
Cutting the deflector grid lines turned out to be a lot more difficult than it looked. I started by using an X-acto knife (try a million year venture), then turned to my dremel tool's router bit, but it was too unsteady by far, even when lined up against a plastic ruler.
Then I saw my circular cutting disk, and thought that would work well. It did. There were a couple of times the line got crooked or went over, but I just filled in those mistakes and went on.
Drilling all the windows took some real effort, especially the oblong ones; they just didn't want to hold their shape properly. The hole for the support pole / electronics connection went easily, as did the arboretum windows. For the arboretum, I took twenty minutes making a template so I'd get the shape just right.
As I was working on the finishing touches, I began to think about the casting process. I suddenly realized that liquid plastic will flow very nicely around shapes - but also THROUGH holes! I'd have my model full of plastic! So I began the painstaking process of filling EVERY window with my putty, then tamping it down so that the "window" shape still looked good, while providing a solid surface to flow the plastic against. Dang, that was a close one!
I'm putting a medium gray coat of paint over the whole thing (even though this isn't the model itself) just so I can get an idea of how everything will look when completed. I'll post pictures soon.
trekman1017
Well-Known Member
any pictures?
daltman1967
Active Member
Here's some pictures as promised. Picture #33 shows the deflector grid lines on the dorsal side of the secondary hull, while Picture #34 shows the grid on the ventral side.
Picture #35 shows some of the windows, including the arboretum. Just above the third window of the arboretum you can make out the docking port. This piece was culled from the model itself, shaped to a circle, then dropped into a hole on the side. It's nearly impossible to see the seam.
You can also see the nacelle strut base. Hard to believe that this is half plastic, half putty.
In Picture #36, you can make out the ventral side of the fantail under the shuttlebay. That greeblie looks great!
Unfortunately, my lighting stinks. It's all orangey. Additionally, my camera has no autofocus, so I'm at its mercy when it comes to focus. I'll eventually have to get a better camera.
In the mean time, I've put away the secondary hull. It's finished. While it's not as letter-perfect as I could have hoped for, it's more than adequate for me. It looks pretty darned good, even with some of the details that didn't come out just right.
I brought out the saucer section today and began to take a good look at what needed to be done. Immediately obvious was the lower deck where the curved hull meets my flat pieces; my transition piece was too high by about 1/8 inch.
Additionally, the upper section, where the bridge area meets the flat part of the upper deck, the piece simply didn't lay flat. I've glued it down in hopes that it will stay that way. I've also begun the painstaking process of putting on the putty that'll cover the structure underneath.
However, I've learned a few things during the secondary hull build. The first is that I don't want to use the plaster of paris - neither the strips nor the powder. It's just too much thickness to have to cut through when it gets a part too wide. Besides, on the primary hull, I have a MUCH sturdier surface to work with from the start.
Over the course of the next few days, I'll be working to correct some of the obvious defects and get everything right. The saucer section is much more important (to me, that is) than the secondary hull; the details here reflect the "character" of the ship more.
Until next time, keep on Trekkin'.
Picture #35 shows some of the windows, including the arboretum. Just above the third window of the arboretum you can make out the docking port. This piece was culled from the model itself, shaped to a circle, then dropped into a hole on the side. It's nearly impossible to see the seam.
You can also see the nacelle strut base. Hard to believe that this is half plastic, half putty.
In Picture #36, you can make out the ventral side of the fantail under the shuttlebay. That greeblie looks great!
Unfortunately, my lighting stinks. It's all orangey. Additionally, my camera has no autofocus, so I'm at its mercy when it comes to focus. I'll eventually have to get a better camera.
In the mean time, I've put away the secondary hull. It's finished. While it's not as letter-perfect as I could have hoped for, it's more than adequate for me. It looks pretty darned good, even with some of the details that didn't come out just right.
I brought out the saucer section today and began to take a good look at what needed to be done. Immediately obvious was the lower deck where the curved hull meets my flat pieces; my transition piece was too high by about 1/8 inch.
Additionally, the upper section, where the bridge area meets the flat part of the upper deck, the piece simply didn't lay flat. I've glued it down in hopes that it will stay that way. I've also begun the painstaking process of putting on the putty that'll cover the structure underneath.
However, I've learned a few things during the secondary hull build. The first is that I don't want to use the plaster of paris - neither the strips nor the powder. It's just too much thickness to have to cut through when it gets a part too wide. Besides, on the primary hull, I have a MUCH sturdier surface to work with from the start.
Over the course of the next few days, I'll be working to correct some of the obvious defects and get everything right. The saucer section is much more important (to me, that is) than the secondary hull; the details here reflect the "character" of the ship more.
Until next time, keep on Trekkin'.
daltman1967
Active Member
The saucer section is taking shape nicely. There's a lot of structural work being done, while at the same time I'm getting my surfaces smoothed with putty.
I ended up replacing a section of my cardboard with styrene. Not only does it make the area thinner (which makes it look better), it's also a better fit.
I should have enough done by Tuesday/Wednesday to take the first pictures. Once the upper section smoothing is complete, I'll tackle the underside. Once the smoothing is done, this part of the project will be all but finished.
I'll be doing a test run with my greeblies to see how they look. I may also decide to build up my back end another level or two. I haven't decided yet. However, my early look at this area makes me think it's too close to the upper deck section, and I wanted a definitive rise.
That's all for now!
I ended up replacing a section of my cardboard with styrene. Not only does it make the area thinner (which makes it look better), it's also a better fit.
I should have enough done by Tuesday/Wednesday to take the first pictures. Once the upper section smoothing is complete, I'll tackle the underside. Once the smoothing is done, this part of the project will be all but finished.
I'll be doing a test run with my greeblies to see how they look. I may also decide to build up my back end another level or two. I haven't decided yet. However, my early look at this area makes me think it's too close to the upper deck section, and I wanted a definitive rise.
That's all for now!
daltman1967
Active Member
Here's your first look at the primary hull: The saucer section. Picture #34 shows the ventral side of the saucer, with the upper deck clearly visible. You can also see the forward section where the bridge will be located. The bridge goes right where it always has; the new upper deck simply interfaces with it.
Photo #35 shows the drawing up close. You can see what details need to be added yet - the officer's lounge, warp cores, impulse deck, and photon launchers, along with the greeblies. I'm still planning to add a greeblie on each side based upon the "wood tie" I won from Draphin in the Kitbash Kontest. This detail is not reflected on this drawing, as it is still in the planning stage.
Photo #36 shows the dorsal side of the saucer. As you can see, the dorsal side is mostly unchanged. It's hard to see in the picture, but the base of the curve goes up at an angle to meet the flat section of the lower deck.
Photo #37 shows the ventral side from another angle. Here you can see that the forward side of the upper deck goes up in a curve from the rear side. This was NOT planned. I was having trouble getting this piece of cardboard to sit flat on the saucer, so I decided to cut it. I got the piece flat against the saucer, but with the unintended effect of the curve. Since I couldn't flatten the curve, I decided to integrate it into the design.
Photo #38 is a close up of where the bridge will sit. The officer's lounge is to be seamlessly integrated into the bridge section. I'm planning to use a combination of materials to construct this complex shape.
Now that I'm basically finished with the saucer, I'm going to start laying out the greeblies - making sure my spacing looks good - and sketching out the various deflector grid lines and other features you see in Photo #35. Once all that is done, I'll start placing windows.
That's all for now.
Photo #35 shows the drawing up close. You can see what details need to be added yet - the officer's lounge, warp cores, impulse deck, and photon launchers, along with the greeblies. I'm still planning to add a greeblie on each side based upon the "wood tie" I won from Draphin in the Kitbash Kontest. This detail is not reflected on this drawing, as it is still in the planning stage.
Photo #36 shows the dorsal side of the saucer. As you can see, the dorsal side is mostly unchanged. It's hard to see in the picture, but the base of the curve goes up at an angle to meet the flat section of the lower deck.
Photo #37 shows the ventral side from another angle. Here you can see that the forward side of the upper deck goes up in a curve from the rear side. This was NOT planned. I was having trouble getting this piece of cardboard to sit flat on the saucer, so I decided to cut it. I got the piece flat against the saucer, but with the unintended effect of the curve. Since I couldn't flatten the curve, I decided to integrate it into the design.
Photo #38 is a close up of where the bridge will sit. The officer's lounge is to be seamlessly integrated into the bridge section. I'm planning to use a combination of materials to construct this complex shape.
Now that I'm basically finished with the saucer, I'm going to start laying out the greeblies - making sure my spacing looks good - and sketching out the various deflector grid lines and other features you see in Photo #35. Once all that is done, I'll start placing windows.
That's all for now.
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daltman1967
Active Member
Boy, the difference a couple of days can make!! Photo #39 shows the greeblies temporarily placed, to see how the spacing looks. Photo #40 shows the power distribution line - this will have "v" shaped grooves on it. The power distribution line is the greeblie I mentioned which was inspired by Draphin's "wood tie." You can also see the deflector grid lines and raised panels.
Photo #41 is an up close shot of the port side photon launcher; these were culled directly from the original model, and shaped to fit here.
Photo #42 shows a better view of the impulse deck. The warp core crystal is visible on the port. I have yet to cast a duplicate for the starboard side - RTV casting, silicone pouring - it's gonna take some effort.
Finally, photo #43 shows the bridge and officer's lounge. All the officer's lounge needs is its windows to be complete. You can just make out the notches where the cutout on the bridge section transitions off the lounge section.
The only greeblie I'm really unhappy with is the small, rectangular object on the outside edge; I wish it were three times the size.
All that's really left to do is finalizing the grooves on the power distribution lines and adding the other windows. Once all that is done, I'm going to "assemble" the parts to take a picture of what the completed ship may look like.
However:
It's going to be several months, at best, before I can do the next step of this project: Casting. The casting materials are going to cost me nearly $400.00, simply because of the size of the casting project. Until I can get that money together, this project will be on hold. Until that time, just be patient - I'm doing the same. Keep on trekkin'!
Photo #41 is an up close shot of the port side photon launcher; these were culled directly from the original model, and shaped to fit here.
Photo #42 shows a better view of the impulse deck. The warp core crystal is visible on the port. I have yet to cast a duplicate for the starboard side - RTV casting, silicone pouring - it's gonna take some effort.
Finally, photo #43 shows the bridge and officer's lounge. All the officer's lounge needs is its windows to be complete. You can just make out the notches where the cutout on the bridge section transitions off the lounge section.
The only greeblie I'm really unhappy with is the small, rectangular object on the outside edge; I wish it were three times the size.
All that's really left to do is finalizing the grooves on the power distribution lines and adding the other windows. Once all that is done, I'm going to "assemble" the parts to take a picture of what the completed ship may look like.
However:
It's going to be several months, at best, before I can do the next step of this project: Casting. The casting materials are going to cost me nearly $400.00, simply because of the size of the casting project. Until I can get that money together, this project will be on hold. Until that time, just be patient - I'm doing the same. Keep on trekkin'!
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daltman1967
Active Member
Well, I'm done. Photo #44 shows the windows up front; Photo #45 shows the windows on the side, and Photo #46 shows the windows on the aft portion.
Photo #47 is a bit blurry (sorry), but you can just make out the officer's lounge windows and how they wrap around the curve of the lounge ceiling. Photo #48 shows the completed power conduit. The line in the center is just a temporary drawing line. Once again, thanks to Draphin for the inspiration -- and for the tie.
Photo #49 shows the complete ship from an overhead view. I temporarily assembled everything to show how the completed ship may look. There's a few details that aren't exactly right, but overall, you can get a very clear idea.
Photos #50 and #51 are other angles of the ship, giving you an overall view. In photo #52, I've given you a close up of the connection between the primary hull and the secondary hull. You can see how the two parts just interlink perfectly.
Well, as I said, that's all for now. I've found a cheaper casting medium, so it'll make buying it easier, but I still have to wait for the money. I've got to cut a notch in the nacelles for the nacelle struts, and close off the original opening on the underside of the nacelles. I may even work on the arboretum.
Other than that, there's nothing to do but wait.
Photo #47 is a bit blurry (sorry), but you can just make out the officer's lounge windows and how they wrap around the curve of the lounge ceiling. Photo #48 shows the completed power conduit. The line in the center is just a temporary drawing line. Once again, thanks to Draphin for the inspiration -- and for the tie.
Photo #49 shows the complete ship from an overhead view. I temporarily assembled everything to show how the completed ship may look. There's a few details that aren't exactly right, but overall, you can get a very clear idea.
Photos #50 and #51 are other angles of the ship, giving you an overall view. In photo #52, I've given you a close up of the connection between the primary hull and the secondary hull. You can see how the two parts just interlink perfectly.
Well, as I said, that's all for now. I've found a cheaper casting medium, so it'll make buying it easier, but I still have to wait for the money. I've got to cut a notch in the nacelles for the nacelle struts, and close off the original opening on the underside of the nacelles. I may even work on the arboretum.
Other than that, there's nothing to do but wait.
