Studio Half Scale TOS Enterprise Scratch build

[SteveNeill]

Thanks a bunch. CAD I never learned it was enough to learn how to build and wire frame and animate it for film use.

Back to the matter at hand here's a few more pics of it together somewhat. I just proped up the pieces.

Steve

 

[KUROK]

Maybe I'm not seeing this in the images... but how are you accounting for the nacelle taper or the fact that the supports don't intersect the nacelles perpendicular to the surface?

Steve, I think he is referring to the fact that the pylons do not go directly into the nacelles. They go in a little lower to the bottom. This was messed up on the cut-away kit from amt.

 

[SteveNeill]

Got it thanks. I'm just following the plans and the direction from Doug Drexler. Hard to mess up that way.

Steve

 

[SteveNeill]

Well if no body objects I think I can move on to the warp nacelles. I only have some minor scribing to do on the pylons, a bit of preening over all on the saucer and secondary hull and I'm ready to mold.

I'll be doing a bit of lathe work next week. Deflector and some of the nacelle parts. I have access to a good lathe. Metal lath at that.

Here's some pictures from today and another video report.

Steve

And here's the video:

YouTube - TOS SCRATCH BUILT ENTERPRISE REPORT 4.wmv

 

[Shizman]

Are you going to include the lighting system for the nacelles, like the motor, lights, cage, etc or is that an exercise left up the customer?

 

[SteveNeill]

It's just a hull kit with instructions, list of materials, and places to acquire them. There's another kit out there (or there was) that was 3100 with everything included.
That's why this kit will be less than half that cost.

I don't know about you guys, but being a person who likes to buy and build kits too, I prefer just the model and like doing all the other stuff myself.

I will also offer them built. Not sure what that price will be until I build two of them. First one is for me and the instructions-photos. Second will be offered for sale.

Steve

 

[Shizman]

It's not a problem to find parts to do that myself. I enjoy that part as much as constructing the parts themselves.

I just wanted to know so I can start thinking about what I'm going to use for lighting various parts of the ship.

Great job of course so far. Can't wait for the molding process. This interests me a great deal and I'm curious about the techniques you'll use for that part of the build.

 

[SteveNeill]

Thanks so much. Molding is not so difficult of a process just time consuming and expensive. I will document it step by step to be sure.

Thanks again Shizman.

Steve

 

[Shizman]

I take it you'll post another thread once you build up your personal kit? I'm interested in what you're going to use to support this thing on its stand and how that'll interconnect with the rest of the ship's structure.

 

[GeorgeC]

Nice model render! It looks a bit "cartoonish" (better looking than the Filmation animated Enterprise, though) to me but the proportions and details of the CG ship otherwise look right on. Gotta be something with a filter or surface detail... It looks a bit too smooth. The shooting model always kind of looked used in the series. For all the complaints about the matte lines and state of compositing in the 1960s, the 11-foot model itself always looked real to me.

*********

I've got a question, though. For anybody who can possibly answer this.

Has ANYONE attempted a hypothetical 'End of the Five Year Mission' Enterprise? This has been depicted in comics but those are about as canon as anything else outside of the movies...

I ask this because even the Bird himself wrote in the Star Trek: TMP novelization looked battered when it came back to Earth prior to its refit.

I can't ever recall anybody doing a model that depicts its final appearance in the 'original' Constitution Class configuration.

 

[Calufrax]

*********

I've got a question, though. For anybody who can possibly answer this.

Has ANYONE attempted a hypothetical 'End of the Five Year Mission' Enterprise? This has been depicted in comics but those are about as canon as anything else outside of the movies...

I ask this because even the Bird himself wrote in the Star Trek: TMP novelization looked battered when it came back to Earth prior to its refit.

I can't ever recall anybody doing a model that depicts its final appearance in the 'original' Constitution Class configuration.

For the life of me I can't find it here among my paperbacks and I've looked recently, but there was a great book, at least I remember it as a great book years ago that told the story of the Enterprise's final mission. In it Kirk to save the ship had them go to warp as they were falling into a planet's atmosphere and it destroyed the nacelles and crippled the ship. IIRC, I think Kirk gets relieved of command and discharged from Star Fleet for it and the crew has to go get him to come back and clear his name. I'm pretty sure it was written after ST:TMP and meant to tie it the tv series and movie time period together. I can't even remember the title anymore, "Final Mission" maybe?

If anyone knows the title, I'd breakdown and buy it again if I could find it.

 

[DB537]

If anyone knows the title, I'd breakdown and buy it again if I could find it.

"Prime Directive" is the book you're looking for.

 

[SteveNeill]

George thanks. Well I still have to finish texturing the CGI model so you hit the nail on the head for sure.

Shizman. Me too but I have a basic idea on that. Mounted much like the refit 1/350. Time will tell.

Steve

 

[Calufrax]

"Prime Directive" is the book you're looking for.

Thanks a bunch. Yes, looking on Amazon this seems to be the book I had in mind, but looks like I will need to go digging to see if I still have a copy. Had put together some new bookshelves recently and though I had all the Star Trek stuff in them, but I still have more stuff in boxes awaiting further shelf space. This book must still be in there. I was shocked at how many Trek novels I have acquired over the decades. Have all those James Blish adaptations from the 70's when I was in high school. Man I'm old!

Looking at the cover art of some of those old 70's books puts one heck of a spin on what the classic Enterprise looked like! Some of the Enterprises painted for them look like they must have been extemporized from some really fuzzy pictures.

Some would have some crazy mods for the model Steve is making here! I assume you have seen some of these Steve?

 

[SteveNeill]

No I sure don't but yes it would be cool. I'm sure some of the builders will do such things with my model.

On to the nacelles today.

Steve

 

[Calufrax]

No I sure don't but yes it would be cool. I'm sure some of the builders will do such things with my model.

On to the nacelles today.

Steve

I'd wish you luck with those nacelles, but clearly you don't need any. This project has been such a joy to watch.

These are two examples of what I mean from those pre-movie days of the 1970's when Star Trek book covers were the only sources of new images of the Big E. These two James Blish covers amused me turning the nacelles into rocket engines, not to mention the option of Shuttle Bay rocket booster!

Scotty clearly was giving the Cap'n 'all she's got!' and then some!:lol

 

[SteveNeill]

Thanks. Sitting at the PCs sizing up and printing out plans sections. Cutting starts soon.

I remember those books but I bet the real details are in the writing.

Thanks,

Steve

 

[SteveNeill]

So it took most of the day on the computers to get things sized up and printed. Got a game plan to build the nacelles. Talked to Doug Drexler a bunch and he helped me with pictures and much needed information.

Then I got to the building table and started. Got late. Got tired. Raising a puppy is wearing me out but worth it.

So here's some pictures. There will be lots more done tomorrow.

Steve

 

[brandomack]

COOL!

Do you use any special program for layout, or just plain old MS Paint?

 

[SteveNeill]

Hi Brandon. I use Adobe Illustrator and PhotoShop. If you don't have these two, get em!

Steve