Star Trek Comm Badges; what paints?
- Thread starter Sumatra
- Start date
spcglider@aol.com
Sr Member
From the mouth of R.P., who was one fo the owners of the company that made the original TNG badges:
"We cut a wedge out of a Sharpie marker and used it to run around the edge of the badge to put the black line on."
-G
"We cut a wedge out of a Sharpie marker and used it to run around the edge of the badge to put the black line on."
-G
trekker670
Well-Known Member
I've been looking for some of the bright gold with no luck. Where are you guys able to find it?
I have an old com that made a multi tone (not chirping) sound which housed the electronics on a very deep housing so was not feasible for a costume piece, but the actual com has all of the relief of the screen used unlike the metal pins. My question is what are the dimensions of the com badge? This is a little over 1 3/4 inches wide by 2 inches tall, but seems a little smaller than what I see on the screen
TheWhiteGrail
Active Member
Do you have any information on whether there were any variations of the TNG badge from during the 7 year run of the show?
To me, aside from the paint job there are some dimensional differences with the badges when comparing the earlier sesons ones (S1-4/5) and the latter ones (S5-7).
One dead give away is firstly the thickness of the badge, as the earlier ones are quite thin. I have a copy of the latter season thicker one, but I like the look of the thinner-earlier ones and I'm trying to track one down.
Sounds silly but I notice stuff like this, and it's even annoying to me!:lol
As a side note, the Future Imperfect arrowhead seems to be taken from a mold of the earlier badge. To me the arrowhead looks quite different in later seasons.
TheWhiteGrail
Active Member
yep, that could be true. I have no doubt that the prop makers belt sanded the backs of them down to clean them up. But that doesn't explain the different dimensions of the arrowhead.
This is what I think resembles and early badge
http://cdn3.iofferphoto.com/img/item/468/350/91/g_0cfc_1.JPG
and my later one
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/props/IMG_3470.jpg
Angular differences
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/props/IMG_3471.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/props/IMG_3472.jpg
I'm comparing these two because it seems to me like the arrowhead on the future badge is a resuse of the same arrowhead used for the earlier season verison.
My one below is the same as a later one, and to my eye the arrowhead on the Future Imperfect one seems to look a lot like the earlier season TNG one. While the arrowhead on the later season badge seems to be more angular and not soo smooth. This due to sanding? I don't think so, that's why they have molds, so they can have an exacting copy each time. What would be the point in having something made in that way only to have it corrected by hand?
Does anyone else see it?
This is what I think resembles and early badge
http://cdn3.iofferphoto.com/img/item/468/350/91/g_0cfc_1.JPG
and my later one
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/props/IMG_3470.jpg
Angular differences
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/props/IMG_3471.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/props/IMG_3472.jpg
I'm comparing these two because it seems to me like the arrowhead on the future badge is a resuse of the same arrowhead used for the earlier season verison.
My one below is the same as a later one, and to my eye the arrowhead on the Future Imperfect one seems to look a lot like the earlier season TNG one. While the arrowhead on the later season badge seems to be more angular and not soo smooth. This due to sanding? I don't think so, that's why they have molds, so they can have an exacting copy each time. What would be the point in having something made in that way only to have it corrected by hand?
Does anyone else see it?
I have the same question. The comm badge that I have looks alright to me, but a friend of mine claims that all the comm badges he's bought look too small to him.
Does anyone know the overall height and width of the screen accurate Generations/DS9/Voyager comm badge, and the dimensions of its delta and its wings?
TheWhiteGrail
Active Member
I agree, mine looks small compared to what I see on the show.
On mine, the oval is 41mm across. The arrow head is about 7 or 8 mms thick and the oval is 6mms thick. The two bottom tips of the arrowhead are just 30mms across. Hope this helps
TheWhiteGrail
Active Member
Ah yes sorry I was talking about the TNG version. I also have a VOYMovies style one, I'll give you my measurements...
The bottom two arrowhead tips on my casting are 29mms apart. The gold bars, at their longest points are 45mms across.
Do you have any measurements that you'd like to share?:lol
Hope this helps!
I can't find the comm badge that I have and that bothers me. I've actually been looking for it today to compare its size with the mobile holo-emitter I made this week.
Since my question was about the dimensions of the screen used comm badges, I should ask you if you know how close yours is to being screen accurate. You say it's a casting? Do you know what it was molded from? A screen-used prop or maybe just someone's sculpt?
Since my question was about the dimensions of the screen used comm badges, I should ask you if you know how close yours is to being screen accurate. You say it's a casting? Do you know what it was molded from? A screen-used prop or maybe just someone's sculpt?
TheWhiteGrail
Active Member
The guy I bought it from (ebay) said it was a casting from a screen used prop. I tend to believe this because the back is not flat but curved. This is a characteristic which matches the sceen used props.
As far as I know all my badges come from screen used parents.
Sorry for the crappy quality pics, I just took em fast to show you what I mean
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/props/IMG_3504.jpg
http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff206/Scotty701/props/IMG_3509.jpg
StarTrek101
Member
You can buy these on Entertainment Earth.
Not right now you can't. "Temporarily out of stock" on several Star Trek prop replicas listed on that site.
QuasiOdo
Well-Known Member
Badges?! My specialty for years...
Here goes: The most common colors for both "oval-backed" and "wing-backed" badges were Krylon Bright Gold and Krylon Dull Aluminum.
The Sharpie method mentioned above is valid.
Heat the paint cans and the badge for a nice coat.
There was NEVER a dimensional lip on the badges, BUT the earlier ones had a larger oval and a slightly different proportioned arrowhead. Totally different originals. (I own screen used of both.) A light overspray of Krylon clear or satin will set the Sharpie and gold but the gold will be knocked down in brightness. Use a 00 brush to get in close to the oval with some Tamiya gloss black, or whatever- you won't be able to get in there neatly with the Sharpie. (They ALL had the black edges, overlapping onto the front. It's just that they wore off unevenly, tricking the eye!)
NOW- the season 1-2 TNG badges were painted with different paints- phase pistol is correct at the beginning of the thread, but the Krylon colors I mentioned were the most common and used on ALL the "wing-backed" versions.
Bajoran? Krylon Brass (some argue gold- so I MAY be wrong... chime in if anyone has conclusive proof, please) with a black overspray, with all side edges BLACK. Again, Sharpie and a fine brush.
Oh yeah- use a nice filler primer to smooth things out first.
On the wing-backed, spray the silver, mask the center with blue tape, and shoot the gold. With the oval-backed, it's gold first, mask the oval, and hit with silver. Then, Sharpie time.
Have fun!
Here goes: The most common colors for both "oval-backed" and "wing-backed" badges were Krylon Bright Gold and Krylon Dull Aluminum.
The Sharpie method mentioned above is valid.
Heat the paint cans and the badge for a nice coat.
There was NEVER a dimensional lip on the badges, BUT the earlier ones had a larger oval and a slightly different proportioned arrowhead. Totally different originals. (I own screen used of both.) A light overspray of Krylon clear or satin will set the Sharpie and gold but the gold will be knocked down in brightness. Use a 00 brush to get in close to the oval with some Tamiya gloss black, or whatever- you won't be able to get in there neatly with the Sharpie. (They ALL had the black edges, overlapping onto the front. It's just that they wore off unevenly, tricking the eye!)
NOW- the season 1-2 TNG badges were painted with different paints- phase pistol is correct at the beginning of the thread, but the Krylon colors I mentioned were the most common and used on ALL the "wing-backed" versions.
Bajoran? Krylon Brass (some argue gold- so I MAY be wrong... chime in if anyone has conclusive proof, please) with a black overspray, with all side edges BLACK. Again, Sharpie and a fine brush.
Oh yeah- use a nice filler primer to smooth things out first.
On the wing-backed, spray the silver, mask the center with blue tape, and shoot the gold. With the oval-backed, it's gold first, mask the oval, and hit with silver. Then, Sharpie time.
Have fun!
QuasiOdo
Well-Known Member
No problemo! (Gotta dig 'em out.)
I also had replicated my own sculpt of the wing back from photos back BEFORE they were available anywhere. I used a fairly crummy knockoff as a base. It ended up ONE millimeter larger at each delta point, and it's almost impossible to tell it from a "real one." Think I still have a bunch for sale... hmm.
I also had replicated my own sculpt of the wing back from photos back BEFORE they were available anywhere. I used a fairly crummy knockoff as a base. It ended up ONE millimeter larger at each delta point, and it's almost impossible to tell it from a "real one." Think I still have a bunch for sale... hmm.
modernboy
Well-Known Member
I’m trying to make myself a magnetic badge out of resin formy Darmok Jacket and I can not for the life of me get Krylon Bright Gold to stick to resin or primer. Any tips? What did you do to heat the can and the badge? I’m losing my mind with this
