Studio Half Scale TOS Enterprise Scratch build

[SteveNeill]

Well I'm uploading the last construction phase video as we speak. Now I still have a few minor things to do. Like fill the gaps in the shroud and move the anti collision lights down on the secondary haul. Lou is sending me new decals for the saucer that fit near the impulse engines. But that's about it.

Here are some pictures for now I'll get better ones soon. The brace is still in place until tomorrow while the epoxy gets 24 ours to cure all the way.

The pictures as usual seems to over expose the nacelles. The camera tries to pick the best match based on the total surface area of the model. I'll try manual exposures next.

And I'll move a few more things off the table I didn't see like the light. Drape a black BKG.

Tomorrow I start on the chair and get back to work on the CGI set. So the videos will continue but if your building this kit or considering building one about 30 of these videos show you how it's done. Now I can include them on DVD with the kits.

Video will be up in a hour or so.

Thanks guys,

Steve

 

[BTTFSpencer]

I've been following your video's on YouTube, You're build is very inspiring to me. Thanks for the memories, It's been incredible to see it come together so quickly in the last few weeks.

 

[Chrisisall]

'Tis a thing of grand beauty.:cool

 

[Mauiman]

eek :eek :eek :eek That looks SWEET!!!

Okay Final grading time you declared this one done.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * / * * * * * * * * * * 15/10 A++ work.
Very superb and rather quite BeauTiFuL looking and Can't wait to see the progress on the chair and your CG bridge.

All the best!
-Alex

 

[Calufrax]

Beautiful. I can almost hear a young Captain Kirk giving his first order.
"Thrusters ahead Mr. Sulu. Warp One as soon as we clear space dock."
"Course Keptin?"
"Thataway Mr Chekov!"

 

[space rat]

Steve, WOW!:love What else can be said? You have recreated the ship that started it all. She looks PERFECT. This is the way ENTERPRISE is supposed to look, not like that "OTHER" one. Thanks so much for all the videos showing your work. While I can't get your kit {yet}, I"ll be useing your videos as a guide for Polar Lights upcomeing kit. {NO grid lines:lol} I'm looking forward to what you have planned next.

 

[SteveNeill]

Thanks you guys!

Well here's the last construction video. But there will be more.

The Big E Story Part 46

 

[BTTFSpencer]

Just finished watching, Looks fantastic! Looking forward to the final video.

 

[TheWhiteGrail]

So. Beautiful.
Have watched every video, and have got to say that this is the most incredible piece of modelling work I've ever seen. I'm glad someone who has a superb eye for detail tackled this one and made it look just like what I remember seeing on the TV when I was a kid.

Wish I had a kit....Oh well, I'll pick up a 350 scale one next year and hope to make it half as good as yours, Steve.

Scott.

 

[trekman1017]

The nacelle effect is good but I remember reading somewhere that the inside of the frosted dome was painted transparent orange. It seams to make sense when looking at the production footage of the model.

 

[Daddyphat]

Wow what a fantastic build!

 

[robn1]

Beautiful, that is the Enterprise. Thank you so much Steve for sharing the build with us, it's been a privilege to follow along.

47 videos (part 44 being two parts), total run time 10:39:04, all HD vids saved from Youtube total size 13GB.

 

[feek61]

Steve,

Absolutely fabulous. She is breath-taking. I remember seeing that first photo of the saucer section that looked like a spider and thinking "this should be interesting." Little did I know I was looking at the beginning of something so stunning; my favorite spaceship of all time. Thanks for documenting and sharing your technique and putting up with all of us, lol.

 

[trekriffic]

Those bussards look great Steve. Sanding down the LEDs to diffuse the light was a great idea. My only concern is the direction of spin on the fan blades. From what I've seen and read they were meant to spin inwards like airplane propellers not outwards as you show in your video. My only other suggestion, and it may be overkill, would be to think about adding a row of always on amber colored LED's in a second row nearer the motor shaft; perhaps amber with a slight orange tint; this might give the engines that orangy glow without having to paint the inside of the domes orange. And adding mirror fragments would further enhance the effect. Just a thought. What you've done so far with a rather simplified setup is still the best representation I've seen to date of the original effect and it could get even better as none of us know what the bussards will look like once you have the final electronic circuits in place.

 

[DrMcoy]

well, sure, the build is ok...but how fast can you get her goin', steve?

from what i saw, looks like only warp 4 or 5 to me.

see if you can push it to warp 7 or 8, and then we'll talk.

what kind of dilithium crystals you using anyways?

t

 

[Commander Max]

Beautiful job Steve.

The nacelle effect is good but I remember reading somewhere that the inside of the frosted dome was painted transparent orange. It seams to make sense when looking at the production footage of the model.

So did I, but the original had 5 amber c7 bulbs(Christmas lights), in one bussard. Those suckers are very bright, it would create an illusion of the dome being orange.

 

[feek61]

I don't believe that the inner-dome was orange tinted because in certain scenes (mostly seen in the third season scenes) they had a white flasher and it appears completely white. Seems if the inner dome was tinted it would not only show the white bulb as orange but also effect the green and blue colors which is does not. I heard that there were a total of 10 bulds; 5 orange/amber always on and then 5 blinkers with random colors. I know when I did the effect for the shuttlecraft engine I used orange LEDs that stayed on and then some alternating colored LEDs and the effect looks very close and I only used clear frosted domes. I think the orange tint is folk-lore personally.

 

[Commander Max]

The colors used were- amber, pink, green, red and blue. I know this from what colors are available in Christmas lights. They would be the same today as back then, with a change in quality. The amber's were steady the rest were blinkies/twinkle.

By my figuring there were 12 lights in each bussard. That was from staring at a sequence for what seemed like forever. I think they changed things around as I've seen different patterns.

 

[SteveNeill]

Thanks guys for all the input on the nacelles. I'll play with them a bit and I have nearly matched Max's accounting of the colors however the video lies a bit and miss colors and over brightens the effect. Keep that in mine.

As for the rotation I for once get to correct you guys.

darkuboot's Channel - YouTube

Clearly they counter rotate to the outside. And I can make them turn any direction I want with ease.

Thanks again!

Steve

 

[trekriffic]

Interesting. I just watched the start of The Tholian Web and they spin the opposite way rotating to inwards. Did a double check viewing the start of Let That Be Your Last Battlefield and they spin outwards like you show it. Then about 19 minutes in there's a shot of the port bussard rotating inwards!
So it appears the techs reversed the spin not only from one episode to the next, but even within the same epsiode.