So, a while back I managed to obtain one of those TNG Shuttlecraft CD holder display models, as shown here --> Shuttlecraft "Magellan" CD Holder (pic borrowed from an eBay auction).
I'd begun making some slight alterations to the body to make it more screen-accurate (puttied/sanded things a bit), and afterward planned on repainting it to match what was seen on screen, shown below:
Type-VI Shuttlecraft -- Pic 01
Type-VI Shuttlecraft -- Pic 02
I even found some Krylon Almond spray paint here which appears to be a close match (and works great for my TMP Wrist Comms), but after I first worked on it back in May of last year, like so many of my own projects it kind of fell to the wayside and got forgotten, simply accumulating dust in my workshop.
While multi-tasking like crazy earlier this week on several different projects, I noticed it sitting off to the side and decided it was time to revive it. Here's a few pics showing my efforts:
I managed to primer, paint and even clear coat the bottom half of the hull, so I'm already about half way through the build, lol.
Before that though, I carefully removed the stickers on the top half and lightly stuck those to a piece of wax paper, then went about sanding it down to prepare it for the first coat of primer. The windows had been masked off when I first worked on this, so that was one less thing I needed to worry about this time around.
I finished sanding the putty I'd applied to the nacelles, then gave those a shot of primer as well. A few areas immediately jumped out at me that will require further work, but it shouldn't take much to remove those pesky seams. The screw holes covered up nicely, though.
I then marked off on the top half where surface details need to be added, and in some cases relocated (ie. nacelles) in order to be accurate to the screen-used model. Unlike a lot of my other projects, the amount of work remaining to be done on this particular build is simple by comparison:
Everything in white is the new details I added. Helps that I primered it before this step, to easily show what's been put on, lol. For starters, I added a 3/8" wide strip of styrene to shorten the main viewport, as I noted it goes a little too far back compared to the screen-used model.
Next, I carefully measured, cut and glued in place the parts for the impulse engine housing on the sides. Not quite sure what I'm going to use for the intake grill yet, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
I then got to measuring and cutting out all the little panels that are seen below the side viewports, at the back end of the impulse engine housings and on the box-like device on top.
Here's a shot taken at the same angle as the screen-used model beneath it, to compare:
Of course, upon closer inspection I saw yet more details that could be tweaked to make my desktop model more accurate, but thought maybe that was taking thing a little too far, lol. With the modifications I've made it'll already be a far-more accurate depiction of the screen-used model.
Not surprisingly though, my anal-retentiveness toward detaile and accuracy won out, lol, so I went back to the model and marked off where I needed to make further changes:
Additional modifications include trimming the angle of the impulse engine housings at the rear, relocating the associated small panel details at the back as a result.
I also began thickening the impulse engine housings on top to better match the profile of the screen-used model, and added a bit of styrene to the side viewports and trimming the panels behind those so the number of notches (five, not six) corresponds with the screen-used model.
One other thing I started fiddling around with was the detailing on the access hatch at the rear. Don't know if I'll actually tackle that part of it though, as I would have to cut out the existing hatch and make an entirely new one, and I could risk not putting the hinges back in the right place so that it'll open properly.
The reason why I'm keeping the hinged feature is so I can hide stuff away in there should I want to, lol. Don't know what (if anything) that would be, but I think it would be kewl to have my own little cubbyhole of sorts.
Anyway, here's a few new WiP pics showing the work I did late last night after my wife went to bed:
Although I'm doing this one up to simply be a static desktop model I've been thinking about buying another one of these at some point and going all out with that one.
That would mean cutting off the display base on the bottom, cutting out the viewports and replacing them with smoked plastic sheeting and aside from the same exterior accurizations as I'm doing this one, scratch-building a full interior possibly with lighting.
Of course, that one won't be until sometime later down the road. I'm just looking forward to having a funky desktop model for now
I'd begun making some slight alterations to the body to make it more screen-accurate (puttied/sanded things a bit), and afterward planned on repainting it to match what was seen on screen, shown below:
Type-VI Shuttlecraft -- Pic 01
Type-VI Shuttlecraft -- Pic 02
I even found some Krylon Almond spray paint here which appears to be a close match (and works great for my TMP Wrist Comms), but after I first worked on it back in May of last year, like so many of my own projects it kind of fell to the wayside and got forgotten, simply accumulating dust in my workshop.
While multi-tasking like crazy earlier this week on several different projects, I noticed it sitting off to the side and decided it was time to revive it. Here's a few pics showing my efforts:
I managed to primer, paint and even clear coat the bottom half of the hull, so I'm already about half way through the build, lol.
Before that though, I carefully removed the stickers on the top half and lightly stuck those to a piece of wax paper, then went about sanding it down to prepare it for the first coat of primer. The windows had been masked off when I first worked on this, so that was one less thing I needed to worry about this time around.
I finished sanding the putty I'd applied to the nacelles, then gave those a shot of primer as well. A few areas immediately jumped out at me that will require further work, but it shouldn't take much to remove those pesky seams. The screw holes covered up nicely, though.
I then marked off on the top half where surface details need to be added, and in some cases relocated (ie. nacelles) in order to be accurate to the screen-used model. Unlike a lot of my other projects, the amount of work remaining to be done on this particular build is simple by comparison:
Everything in white is the new details I added. Helps that I primered it before this step, to easily show what's been put on, lol. For starters, I added a 3/8" wide strip of styrene to shorten the main viewport, as I noted it goes a little too far back compared to the screen-used model.
Next, I carefully measured, cut and glued in place the parts for the impulse engine housing on the sides. Not quite sure what I'm going to use for the intake grill yet, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
I then got to measuring and cutting out all the little panels that are seen below the side viewports, at the back end of the impulse engine housings and on the box-like device on top.
Here's a shot taken at the same angle as the screen-used model beneath it, to compare:
Of course, upon closer inspection I saw yet more details that could be tweaked to make my desktop model more accurate, but thought maybe that was taking thing a little too far, lol. With the modifications I've made it'll already be a far-more accurate depiction of the screen-used model.
Not surprisingly though, my anal-retentiveness toward detaile and accuracy won out, lol, so I went back to the model and marked off where I needed to make further changes:
Additional modifications include trimming the angle of the impulse engine housings at the rear, relocating the associated small panel details at the back as a result.
I also began thickening the impulse engine housings on top to better match the profile of the screen-used model, and added a bit of styrene to the side viewports and trimming the panels behind those so the number of notches (five, not six) corresponds with the screen-used model.
One other thing I started fiddling around with was the detailing on the access hatch at the rear. Don't know if I'll actually tackle that part of it though, as I would have to cut out the existing hatch and make an entirely new one, and I could risk not putting the hinges back in the right place so that it'll open properly.
The reason why I'm keeping the hinged feature is so I can hide stuff away in there should I want to, lol. Don't know what (if anything) that would be, but I think it would be kewl to have my own little cubbyhole of sorts.
Anyway, here's a few new WiP pics showing the work I did late last night after my wife went to bed:
Although I'm doing this one up to simply be a static desktop model I've been thinking about buying another one of these at some point and going all out with that one.
That would mean cutting off the display base on the bottom, cutting out the viewports and replacing them with smoked plastic sheeting and aside from the same exterior accurizations as I'm doing this one, scratch-building a full interior possibly with lighting.
Of course, that one won't be until sometime later down the road. I'm just looking forward to having a funky desktop model for now
Last edited:
