saberdance
New Member
I’m sure it will be amazing!
STAR TREK- TMP wrist communicators (...and now with more TMP goodies!)
- Thread starter Gregatron
- Start date
Thanks!
As it happens, my dummy wrist communicator (the one with the “7” label) suffered from a bit of paint chipping. I decided to remove the decals in order to properly repaint it.
This provides an opportunity to upgrade it, as well. For my initial build, the elliptical markings on the body were printed in a flat gray color, which somehow came out with a reddish/brownish tint that I was never happy with. However, upon doing more research, it appears that many of the screenused props actually used the same metallic silver decals as were used on the Perscan belt buckle pieces.
And, fortunately, I still have leftover decals from my Perscan build. I’ve also decided to go with the variant which has the white rectangles with the little black triangles, rather than the plain black rectangles of my original build. The majority of screenused props to surface over the years feature this extra detailing, and it also ties the comm together with the Perscan.
I also have the opportunity to rethink which letter/number to put on the face of the comm, although I may just stick with lucky “7”.
Update to follow, soon.
And I still need to get back to the tricorder.
This provides an opportunity to upgrade it, as well. For my initial build, the elliptical markings on the body were printed in a flat gray color, which somehow came out with a reddish/brownish tint that I was never happy with. However, upon doing more research, it appears that many of the screenused props actually used the same metallic silver decals as were used on the Perscan belt buckle pieces.
And, fortunately, I still have leftover decals from my Perscan build. I’ve also decided to go with the variant which has the white rectangles with the little black triangles, rather than the plain black rectangles of my original build. The majority of screenused props to surface over the years feature this extra detailing, and it also ties the comm together with the Perscan.
I also have the opportunity to rethink which letter/number to put on the face of the comm, although I may just stick with lucky “7”.
Update to follow, soon.
And I still need to get back to the tricorder.
And they'll look better, yet. The paint is curing on the dummy comm. I'll soon give it a coat of Future to gloss it up, then apply the new decals.
I may also tweak the hero version, too.
I'm glad to have returned to this project. While I'm pleased with how it turned out, I kinda think I could have designed my own model to 3D print, rather than modding an existing model. Just to get the shapes and details up to my high standards.
Of course, the resin and vacuformed comms used in the film varied pretty wildly in how they were trimmed. Some are very slim, and others are chunky. Mine are on the chunky side, which would lend themselves better to electronics.
Speaking of which, I dunno if everyone's aware of this rare NASA promo that Nichelle Nichols did in-character, featuring the hero comm's electronics in action:
…and we’re back to a blank version. I’ll apply Future, then the decals after that. And then accent the panel lines in black.
I printed up some nice new “7” decals, too.
For the record, while it would be nice to replicate a specific comm worn by a specific character in the film, they really seemed to mix and match the comms from shot to shot. For example, Shatner is often seen wearing that unusual variant with the markings seen on no other version—
—but he can also be seen at times wearing what appears to be a standard dummy comm (with what appears to be an “R” marking on the face).
And, of course, you have things like the PropStore comm, said to be an Ilia hero, which was auctioned off (which has a “4” marking with a white border around the number).
But, it’s near-impossible to screen-match any of the comms, because, due to how they’re worn, their faces rarely appear on camera…
…unless you’re Shatner at the end of filming, posing for a cast publicity shot, and you decide to wear your dummy comm (which might be that “R” comm, again) backwards.
So, I guess I’ll stick with my homage to the Brick Price studio show-off photo, with the borderless “7”. Although, as noted, I’m going with the more detailed decal on the lower right side, and, unlike the comms pictured below, accenting the panel lines instead of using black pinstriping tape.
I printed up some nice new “7” decals, too.
For the record, while it would be nice to replicate a specific comm worn by a specific character in the film, they really seemed to mix and match the comms from shot to shot. For example, Shatner is often seen wearing that unusual variant with the markings seen on no other version—
—but he can also be seen at times wearing what appears to be a standard dummy comm (with what appears to be an “R” marking on the face).
And, of course, you have things like the PropStore comm, said to be an Ilia hero, which was auctioned off (which has a “4” marking with a white border around the number).
But, it’s near-impossible to screen-match any of the comms, because, due to how they’re worn, their faces rarely appear on camera…
…unless you’re Shatner at the end of filming, posing for a cast publicity shot, and you decide to wear your dummy comm (which might be that “R” comm, again) backwards.
So, I guess I’ll stick with my homage to the Brick Price studio show-off photo, with the borderless “7”. Although, as noted, I’m going with the more detailed decal on the lower right side, and, unlike the comms pictured below, accenting the panel lines instead of using black pinstriping tape.
…because I just can’t help myself, I began modeling a more accurate version of the communicator. The existing model I modified for my builds was quite reasonable, but the shapes and proportions are a bit off.
For this new, built-from-scratch version, I looked at the reference images of authentic props sold at auction and/or in private collections. Thankfully, some of those include profile views, so I could get the overall shape right (keeping in mind the variations in trimming, as noted upthread). Combined with the measurements I’d previous used to rescale the original model, and I think I have something pretty darn close.
Mind you, I don’t even know if I’ll even do anything with this model. Is it really worth the time and effort to build a few more, just for an uptick in accuracy? I dunno. We’ll see.
The tweaked model used for my initial builds (left) vs.my scratch-made, more accurate model (right):
For this new, built-from-scratch version, I looked at the reference images of authentic props sold at auction and/or in private collections. Thankfully, some of those include profile views, so I could get the overall shape right (keeping in mind the variations in trimming, as noted upthread). Combined with the measurements I’d previous used to rescale the original model, and I think I have something pretty darn close.
Mind you, I don’t even know if I’ll even do anything with this model. Is it really worth the time and effort to build a few more, just for an uptick in accuracy? I dunno. We’ll see.
The tweaked model used for my initial builds (left) vs.my scratch-made, more accurate model (right):
More tweaks. I used images of various auction comms and screencaps from the film to create an idealized rear undercut section (the part which attaches to the wristband).
As noted, there’s a lot of variation in how the bodies were trimmed. Some were resin casts, others were vacuformed plastic shells. Some had sharper edges, others more rounded. Some were trimmed very thin, others were chunkier. The upper body could be rather thin and tapered, and sometimes thick.
This version skews more toward the look of the PropStore Ilia hero and the screencaps of the unique-markings Kirk hero.
The curvature of the undercut is also refined, so that the curve is a little more uniform, and the body doesn’t look “pinched” near the horizontal panel line that runs across the face. It’s a delicate balance. The profile views of several surviving props indicate that the undercut isn’t just one, smooth arc. The bottom of the body In profile is pretty much symmetrical/straight, and then it flares out as it curves upward.
As noted, there are variations in the props, but, as a general rule, most replicas are quite oversized and chunky. The actual props tend to be rather thin and sleek.
New on left, old on right.
As noted, there’s a lot of variation in how the bodies were trimmed. Some were resin casts, others were vacuformed plastic shells. Some had sharper edges, others more rounded. Some were trimmed very thin, others were chunkier. The upper body could be rather thin and tapered, and sometimes thick.
This version skews more toward the look of the PropStore Ilia hero and the screencaps of the unique-markings Kirk hero.
The curvature of the undercut is also refined, so that the curve is a little more uniform, and the body doesn’t look “pinched” near the horizontal panel line that runs across the face. It’s a delicate balance. The profile views of several surviving props indicate that the undercut isn’t just one, smooth arc. The bottom of the body In profile is pretty much symmetrical/straight, and then it flares out as it curves upward.
As noted, there are variations in the props, but, as a general rule, most replicas are quite oversized and chunky. The actual props tend to be rather thin and sleek.
New on left, old on right.
Sealed the decals with Future, then a shot of dullcoat after drying. After that’s dry, I’ll buff it and call it done. Again.
Meanwhile, I may just have to get this new model resin-printed, and start the build process all over again. Then back to the tricorder. And the phaser.
Meanwhile, I may just have to get this new model resin-printed, and start the build process all over again. Then back to the tricorder. And the phaser.
WinstonWolf359
Sr Member
Agreed! That looks fantastic!
Still working on refining the 3D model. On the original props, it looks like the black screen thingy was just molded into the body and then painted black, with panel lines above and below it. Most replicas miss this detail. Making it a separate piece is easier for painting, of course.
I'm also working on getting the width, depth, and placement of the panel lines just right.
As noted, there were several classes of props:
1. Super Hero, with blinking lights (as seen in the NASA video). Doesn't appear onscreen in the film, as far as I know.
2. Dummy hero, with the detailing of the Super Hero, but no electronics. This version can only be seen in the film when Decker keys in the final transmission code for Voyager 6, and then only in the close-ups.
3. Resin dummies. The most widely-known and used, with the letters/numbers on the face, and variations in detail decals. Some have painted panel lines, others had black pinstriping tape laid over them. Metal wristbands.
4. Vacuformed dummies. Quick and crude versions for extras/crowd shots, with basic detailing. Some have strips of graphic tape mimicking the painted black screens and the decals of the resin versions, and have plastic pipe wristbands.
I'm also working on getting the width, depth, and placement of the panel lines just right.
As noted, there were several classes of props:
1. Super Hero, with blinking lights (as seen in the NASA video). Doesn't appear onscreen in the film, as far as I know.
2. Dummy hero, with the detailing of the Super Hero, but no electronics. This version can only be seen in the film when Decker keys in the final transmission code for Voyager 6, and then only in the close-ups.
3. Resin dummies. The most widely-known and used, with the letters/numbers on the face, and variations in detail decals. Some have painted panel lines, others had black pinstriping tape laid over them. Metal wristbands.
4. Vacuformed dummies. Quick and crude versions for extras/crowd shots, with basic detailing. Some have strips of graphic tape mimicking the painted black screens and the decals of the resin versions, and have plastic pipe wristbands.
As far as I can tell.
Insert shots of the Super Hero may well have been filmed, but left unused. The NASA promo film with Nichelle Nichols is literally the only known footage of the comm in action. You can also see the cable (leading to the battery pack) coming out of it.
The Dummy Hero (which has unpainted panel lines and different spacing for the brass buttons, compared to the Super Hero) only appears to pop up once in the film, in the close-ups of Decker reconnecting V’Ger’s antenna…
…but the wider shots show him wearing a standard dummy.
The standard resin dummies appear all throughout the film, and were mixed and matched seemingly at random.
For example, some scenes show Shatner wearing the version with unique markings (including what appears to be a blue UFP logo on the lower right section of the face)…
…while others feature him wearing dummies with standard markings.
And then there are the cheapie vacuformed versions, with the Rec Deck scene most likely being their biggest use.
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