Studio Half Scale TOS Enterprise Scratch build

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Hey Steve,
Thanks so much for your sharing your hard work in pictures and video.
As far as the color of the Enterprise. I understood that it was Ghost Grey with a touch of green added (perhaps to make it stand out against the blue screen) If you look at the top of the saucer section (untouched by the Miarecki restoration) it definitely has a greenish hue to it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/spockboy/bluescreen12-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/spockboy/kg_star-trek_tos_1701_studio_mod-3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/spockboy/kg_star-trek_tos_1701_studio_model-.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/spockboy/kg_star-trek_tos_1701_studio_mod-1.jpg
Even the Master Replicas one followed that train of thought.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v617/spockboy/masterreplicas-33inch3.jpg

Keep up the great work Steve!
:)SPOCKBOY
 
Steve, you indicate that you're using Light Ghost Gray and White at a 1:1 ratio. You've mentioned to me in the past that you prefer Model Master Acryl brand paints. Is that what you're using on this build? If so, how are you obtaining them in volume for this huge model? I can't see you standing at the table mixing 100 little 1/2 fluid oz bottles just to shoot the engineering hull... :lol

THANK YOU for explaining your work, step-by-step including paint colors. Although we can all argue about colors and never agree, I REALLY appreciate your transparency on this build. It's been quite an education. I'll be sorry to see it completed.
 
You could buy a gallon of paint from your local hardware or automotive paint store of course. They have oil based paints in various shades of grey. But I'm sure Steve already knows this. Not sure who sells acrylics in quart or gallon sizes though as I use mostly enamels in bottles myself.
 
I have a strong feeling if we are seeing 'green' on the hull , there's a good chance it's from whatever finish is on the miniature 'yellowing'.

My 2.2 cents CDN.

Steve , I've been watching and taking copious notes. There are no words to describe what you've accomplished. Truly brilliant and inspired by the eye of a true artist. Bravo , sir!

Owning and detailing the Connie at a size this large has been a dream of mine since I can remember
I'm in complete awe and so jealous ;) .

+1 no freaking grid lines ...

Robert.
 
Thanks Robert and thanks all you guys. As for paint it only took two bottles thinned out to do the engineering hull. So you just never know until you try.

As for the color I was really close and right on the money as we speak thanks to Doug Drexler sending me this link today:

What Color Is The TOS Enterprise? «

Back to work for me I'm going late tonight.

Steve
 
Awesome link Steve, thanx for sharing that!

I'll even post it on the SSM boards. Thank the maker the GM Gray is in the forefront. For those of you that didn't know, the GM Gray color was discovered by the restoration team back in '90. The secondary hull had been stripped down to its original medium for the first time ever, since it was painted back in '64. On the wood turned secondary hull written in pencile was the before mentioned GM 4538L.

The model as you see it now IS painted GM 4538L - save the weathering. The restoration team had a special batch mixed at an auto supply/paint store. If you want to see an example painted with GM 4538L, just check out Sean Sides CR build. I'll be doing the same thing when I build mine. Sean and I go back a long way. He use to fix the flight sims I broke when I flew in the Navy. ;-)

1/2 Studio Scale Enterprise NCC-1701 built by Sean Sides

Tracy
 
That's a really nice build.
Steve, you really made a good decision using the soft white LED's. The bluish tone of the ones on the other build just don't mesh well with the overall look of the ship.
 
I second that! Steve's lighting is so much nicer. I wonder how much it would cost to replace the blue toned LEDs with what Steve is using.

Tracy
 
When Sean built that I doubt that they had soft warm white Straw Hat LEDs as they do today. This is a more recent development I told. He did an outstanding job on his build of th Custom Replicas E.

Anyone that builds this ship whether mine or CR has a long road ahead of them but it's well worth it to own the ultimate Star Trek Toy.

I suppose I could have got a CR kit. But I just had to make it myself from scratch.

Today's video is almost uploaded.

Steve
 
Steve I went back to your first post on this thread 64 pages down Lol, and in 11 days it will be a year that you went on this 1 year journey, and in reality you completed this project within a year fabricating the masters, molding them and laying them up and shipping a few out already and soon, I say just in a matter of hours at the speed you work Lol, we will see a finished model I think thats a pretty big deal. :thumbsup
 
"What Color is the TOS Enterprise" is a great little analysis. Unfortunately WalMart has since renumbered and renamed their ColorPlace paint range. So unless someone has a conversion, getting swatches is tough. Fortunately the article suggested mix ratios for the popular model paint ranges, so we can still go by them.
 
Looks like a great choice on the paint color Steve. One question regarding the screws to attach the deflector housing to the secondary hull, have you considered perhaps slotting the holes in the housing so you could just twist-lock it? That would eliminate the need to reach down into the outer groove with a screwdriver and possibly mar the copper paint.
 
I can't find anything on GM 4538L. I even went to a local NAPA store and he searched for quite awhile and couldn't find it in his system. Does anyone know of anywhere else this might be able to be mixed? I'm wondering if 4538 is the wrong code since I can't find any information or paint chips of it.

I'll likely do what Steve did, but I was curious as to how much more the auto paint would cost and now I feel like I have to solve this mystery for my own satisfaction.
 
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I'm eager to see how Steve tackles painting the saucer. It would seem to be very difficult to get an even coat using a typical airbrush.

I've seen folks use a touchup gun to paint big jobs, but I wonder how that would work with testor's paints.

My thoughts on the color is don't go by the studio model's color unles you plan on displaying it under studio lights. Go for the finished perceptual effect.

Model oun, Steve!
 
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