Why Weather Your TOS Enterprise?

[Southern OR]

I made the revell USS Consitution when I was around 10 or so. It looks terrible and the paint job isn't that great, but I was 10 and that was a skill level 5 (or 6?) kit. We all start somewhere.

As for barnacles, most navies were pretty good about ship care. If I was to attempt old iron sides again I'd make the water line to keel green since it has copper plating to prevent barnacles. Space is different though. I was thinking and if the hulls of sf ships are a dirivitive of titanium, then wouldn't they be immune to most corrosion? If you look at the SR-71s, they only seemed to get atmospheric weathering-then being military aircraft got a bath. I've got photos of the one in the Evergreen Avation Museum and it looks pretty good for being 40 or so years old. Much better then it's counterparts from that time anyways.

 

[Albertese]

I made the revell USS Consitution when I was around 10 or so. It looks terrible and the paint job isn't that great, but I was 10 and that was a skill level 5 (or 6?) kit. We all start somewhere.

Nice! That was my first kit too! But I was 8. After that was the 18" Enterprise followed by another sailing ship, the Santa Maria and on and on from there.

As for barnacles, most navies were pretty good about ship care. If I was to attempt old iron sides again I'd make the water line to keel green since it has copper plating to prevent barnacles. Space is different though. I was thinking and if the hulls of sf ships are a dirivitive of titanium, then wouldn't they be immune to most corrosion? If you look at the SR-71s, they only seemed to get atmospheric weathering-then being military aircraft got a bath. I've got photos of the one in the Evergreen Avation Museum and it looks pretty good for being 40 or so years old. Much better then it's counterparts from that time anyways.

The Evergreen Aviation Museum is awesome. Great resource to see how things really are weathered.

--Alex

 

[NAZGÛL]

First I thought the easy answer for me would be to weather pretty much any model. It brings it to life and gives character and scale. Then I started to think of TIE fighters. For me a TIE "should" not look weathered and to me it looks "wrong" otherwise. Its totally out of logic, and I guess I got stuck in the image I got in my head after painting a few. Therefore I can see if someone would want to have their models clean. The main thing is to get as close as possible to what your vision was when you started.

 

[CaptainDave1701]

I get bashed on these boards as well as others and I do not like it. I do not understand as to why and sometimes I feel like not trying to contribute at all. That being said my love for this stuff would seem to far out weigh the bashing as I always come back. I enjoy these boards to get ideas and to learn. As for being able to buy a BIG E right now so that I could build her and fret as to why I should weather her or not.....After being unemployed for the last 2 months I wish that I could afford her.
Anyway....I enjoy your works here and again I hate the bashing that I see.

 

[CessnaDriver]

First I thought the easy answer for me would be to weather pretty much any model. It brings it to life and gives character and scale. Then I started to think of TIE fighters. For me a TIE "should" not look weathered and to me it looks "wrong" otherwise. Its totally out of logic, and I guess I got stuck in the image I got in my head after painting a few. Therefore I can see if someone would want to have their models clean. The main thing is to get as close as possible to what your vision was when you started.

And that is why I love the Empire as a modeling subject. Most spacecraft were very clean, I think only the Imperial Shuttle was dirtied up a bit.

 

[CessnaDriver]

I'll submit the Enterprise's shields could have caused self weathering. A powerful field around the ship could have caused cosmetic changes.

 

[pengbuzz]

I have kept coming back to this thread over the last couple of days. Debating if I should make this post or not.

After calming down and thinking it through, I felt I should say something about model building and personnel choices.
Just so its clear. What I am going to post had nothing to do with the RPF. And did not happen here.

My Grandson just completed his first Star Trek build and posted a picture on the web…. Where he was immediately attacked by a 40 year old Know it all smart ass. For a grow man to rip apart a 15 year olds build because it was not what HE felt was a true representation of the Enterprise is very disturbing. To say that I am disappointed in some of these so called “experts” is an understatement.

This is a hobby for most people. Why is it that some people feel they have to take it to extremes?
To see the disappointment in he’s eyes is heart breaking. I have spoken to him about how some people are. And that this should not discourage him on building models.

Its all a matter of personnel choice. He could have built the thing inside out and painted it purple. I still would be proud that he stuck to it and completed it.

This is my personnel opinion and I have not posted this to offend anyone.
End of rant.

Rick, I'm glad you made this post.

Folks can be particularly cruel on the web; I've run into that myself. I really feel bad for your grandson, that someone bashed him on his first Trek build. So what if it wasn't what the 40 year old "expert" would have considered "a true representation"? What, does the guy work for Paramount or something? Did he buy the model and commission it to be built?

No on both counts.

Let your grandson know from us here that it's perfectly okay to build the ship the way he wants. As long as he has fun with it and it comes out the way he likes it, THAT'S what matters.


And I wish I knew what forum this happened on... some folks really need to learn when their piehole should remain closed.

Anyways Rick, I hope your grandson doesn't let this deter him or keep him from doing more models.


-Robert