Star Trek: Season 3 “Leatherette” Tricorder Build

[Captain Dunsel]

OK…I’m committed to another Star Trek build (yikes)…

This time, I’m aiming for a Star Trek “Leatherette” Tricorder, similar to the one recently auctioned:

Propstore "screen matched" TOS Tricorder

Didn't see this anywhere yet... https://propstoreauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/397/lot/138322?url=%2Fauctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F397%3Fpage%3D1%26view%3Dgrid%26items%3D100%26catm%3Dany%26order%3Dorder_num%26xclosed%3Dyes%26featured%3Dno%26key%3DStar%2BTrek

www.therpf.com

As far as we know, there are two of these models, built in the (very mixed) third season of the show:

Before diving in, I wanted to tackle the worst portions of the build.

The “first of the worst” was replicating the elusive watch crowns for the build. After experimenting for a few days, I think I am satisfied with my results, though I will be weathering the crowns, a bit more, as I move the build forward. This is a small detail, but one that could “throw” the whole look of the build.

An original set of crowns and cabochons:

My in-progress replica:

More to come.

Next on the list of the worst: constructing the hood…

 

[Apollo]

The “Ferrari” of trics!

Nothing like rich Italian leather for that oh so luxurious “feel” on landing partys

 

[Captain Dunsel]

The “Ferrari” of trics!

Nothing like rich Italian leather for that oh so luxurious “feel” on landing partys

More like the “Chrysler Cordoba of Tricorders”…with “Fine Corinthian Leather”:

Also available in “Rich Crushed Velour”…

 

[finalfrontier]

Looking nice! I'm following closely because I am going to "leathorize" my Marco tric and hoping for tips and tricks here to help me along the way.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Looking nice! I'm following closely because I am going to "leathorize" my Marco tric and hoping for tips and tricks here to help me along the way.

Stay tuned on the hood…if I can’t tackle that next, this build ain’t happening.

The hood will involve some metal and soldering work and will likely involve a few aborted attempts before getting right, if at all.

 

[finalfrontier]

I have faith that you will knock it out of the park, you have some mad skills!

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I have faith that you will knock it out of the park, you have some mad skills!

Well, and then there’s the additional challenge of wrapping the hood…a few experiments I have done have failed, around the corners. I think I know how they did it, with one piece of leatherette, but I have yet to be able to duplicate it, exactly.

 

[finalfrontier]

Well, and then there’s the additional challenge of wrapping the hood…a few experiments I have done have failed, around the corners. I think I know how they did it, with one piece of leatherette, but I have yet to be able to duplicate it, exactly.

View attachment 1856061
View attachment 1856062

That's the challenge I am not knowing where or how to start.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

The speaker grille appears to possibly be vintage cloth speaker mesh…

…similar to this:

…or, brass mesh, like this:

Thoughts?

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Ok there is a definitely a brassy “metal sheen” to the grille.

I’m going with a vintage brass mesh:

 

[Nicksdad]

I'm really looking forward to seeing how you do the hood, we all get the benefit of your trial and error when we attempt the same.
Also, while looking at the pics, is it possible that the middle and lower door are also sheet metal.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I'm really looking forward to seeing how you do the hood, we all get the benefit of your trial and error when we attempt the same.
Also, while looking at the pics, is it possible that the middle and lower door are also sheet metal.

Hmmmm…I hope not, but could be..

With the cast block (complete with air bubbles) I am leaning towards cast resin copies of the original Wah Hero panels, with leatherette covering the front.

 

[Nicksdad]

The block has bubbles but not the flat plate. If you are going to cast the two doors then why not the hood. This of course is my own opinion
but I feel that the air bubble block was necessary to add to the metal plate to get the depth on the front for the finger tab.
These two leatherette tricorders have always confused me. I mean, why were they built this way when they obviously knew how to make
more fiberglass trics if the old ones were not repaintable. The fiberglass trics had pinheads and wood (maybe) slot hubs and these had machined
hubs and faux watch crowns. It feels like a different person or people worked on these.

 

[Tosfan1]

The block has bubbles but not the flat plate. If you are going to cast the two doors then why not the hood. This of course is my own opinion
but I feel that the air bubble block was necessary to add to the metal plate to get the depth on the front for the finger tab.
These two leatherette tricorders have always confused me. I mean, why were they built this way when they obviously knew how to make
more fiberglass trics if the old ones were not repaintable. The fiberglass trics had pinheads and wood (maybe) slot hubs and these had machined
hubs and faux watch crowns. It feels like a different person or people worked on these.

I used to think that the leatherette tricorders were merely soft Kydex pulls, which would look similar to the leatherette version not fully contouring the finger pull areas.

I agree with you - It strikes me as way too much work to completely cover these tricorders in leatherette, compared to the simpler Kydex or fiberglass variations.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Hmmmmm…I’ll have it “marinade” on the metal doors theory, for a while.

I’m not sure how the finger pull indents and other details were accomplished if these doors were metal…

 

[knight1705]

Hello, I am new to this thread and have a Marco kit to build. I see your notes on wrapping the leatherette and I wonder... in leathercrafting such things as a knife case, gun holster or even a pair of boots, the leather is often first stretched over a block or form to match the shape they want. So, in the case of the hood... did they just stretch leather over a box so there would be no folds or overlapping seams, with only the edges to wrap and glue/secure?

If so, are all the pieces "fitted" with leather or leatherette this way?

 

[Captain Dunsel]

Hello, I am new to this thread and have a Marco kit to build. I see your notes on wrapping the leatherette and I wonder... in leathercrafting such things as a knife case, gun holster or even a pair of boots, the leather is often first stretched over a block or form to match the shape they want. So, in the case of the hood... did they just stretch leather over a box so there would be no folds or overlapping seams, with only the edges to wrap and glue/secure?

If so, are all the pieces "fitted" with leather or leatherette this way?

Likely similar to the techniques demonstrated here:

There would seem to be a seam here:

 

[WinstonWolf359]

I'm loving this thread, and the detective work it involves, because I've always found the idea, let alone the existence of the leatherette tricorders to be SO weird. Their existence raises SO many questions. Not the least of which is WHY. But were they really SO short of tricorder props that they needed more, and why not just make more fiberglass tricorders, since they a) already had before, and b) were a $#!t ton easier to make.

 

[Captain Dunsel]

I'm loving this thread, and the detective work it involves, because I've always found the idea, let alone the existence of the leatherette tricorders to be SO weird. Their existence raises SO many questions. Not the least of which is WHY. But were they really SO short of tricorder props that they needed more, and why not just make more fiberglass tricorders, since they a) already had before, and b) were a $#!t ton easier to make.

The “why” is a great question since the original Wah Heroes were not simply “replaced” by the leatherettes…look closely and you will see the original Wah Heroes popping up all over the place in Season 3 (including one being re-worked as the “Geo-Tricorder”). The shape of the unique Wah Hero hood is easy to spot.

With the arrival of the” leatherettes”, the “fiberglass midgrades” were seen far less frequently than they were in seasons 1 and 2, so maybe the “leatherettes” were intended as new “midgrade” inventory vs, replacing the Wah Heroes?