LSP_Kevin Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 OK, I've been chipping away at this one in the background, and making some slow progress. I've got to the point where I can start applying the decals: Quite a lot more to apply yet! The decals themselves are well printed, but a bit thick, and they also have a tendency to tear. My "ENTERPRISE" is a bit wonky due to having to piece it back together. And you can really see in the photo above that the base grey I've chosen is indeed too dark. Oh well. Here are the nacelles: I just need to add the towel racks and they're done. Here's a close-up of one of the bussard thingies: You can't see it in the photos, but to the naked eye the carrier film on the decals is very noticeable, so I'm planning to lay down a number of coats of a clear satin finish to try to even out the surface reflectivity. The photos in this post represent the first time I've ever shot anything in RAW mode, and the difference is immediately obvious. The colours are much closer to the real thing, and the lighting appears more even and natural - even after I've converted them to JPEG so I can post them. The main downside to shooting in RAW with my current camera is that there's virtually no software support on the Mac for it, so I'm not sure if I'll persist. I had to use Photoshop and the Adobe RAW converter to import and open them, and while this works well, it's represents significantly more hassle than my usual quick'n'dirty workflow with iPhoto. The results may just be worth it though, and I'll continue to experiment. And before I go, I'd just like to thank Larry Johnson for sending me the missing part for this kit, which arrived safe'n'sound today - and just in the nick of time. Many thanks Larry! Kev Lee White, Out2gtcha and BiggTim 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kahunaminor Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Nice work Kev, It will make an interesting addition. Regards, LSP_Kevin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KUROK Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Kev, Looks great. From where I'm sitting the grey looks really good! LSP_Kevin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyZeit Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 this is awesome LSP_Kevin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Kev, Looks great. From where I'm sitting the grey looks really good! Thanks dude. It certainly looks darker than any of the online builds I've checked out, but I'm not stressing about it. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Is that a brass part on the bussard thingy, Kev, or did you just paint it like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Is that a brass part on the bussard thingy, Kev, or did you just paint it like that? The instructions call for 'copper', but all I had was Mr. Metal Color brass, so I used that. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Looks great, Kev. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SciFi58 Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 I like what you did with the bussard collectors. I painted the inner pieces of mine copper with chrome silver ridge thingies and then clear orange for the nacelle caps. I like the colors you went with but if I had seen this earlier, I could have related how my sci-fi friends going back and forth for what adds up to days on ends about the color of the Enterprise. One quotes studio colors, another quotes screen appearance, another quotes Starfleet manual colors. I go with what I have that looks good. I even might do one in duck egg blue like the plastic color of the original AMT Enterprise so long ago. And don't get them started on the difference between Klingon foreheads. It's amazing how little imagination these imaginative modelers have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Thanks Larry. It's probably my favourite element of the build so far. No new photos yet, but I've got decalling largely finished, and the saucer top glued in place. I'm just dealing with the seam between the two saucer halves, and then I can apply the decals to its perimeter. The only part I'm concerned about is fitting the nacelles, and I'm not far off from that! More photos in the next update. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 OK folks, some photos as promised, though they're not very exciting I'm afraid. The main assembly is finished, except for a final clear satin coat to seal in all the decals and even out the finish: Here you can see the decals applied to the hull: This hasn't been clear-coated at all yet, and a little bit of carrier film is still visible. And finally, the decals on the bottom of the saucer: I've push-fit the stand into place, and it fits tightly enough that I see no need to glue it. Once the final clear coats are on, I can attach the nacelles and dish assembly, and call it done! Kev Kahunaminor and SciFi58 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Just thought I'd bump this one back to the top, as with the Mavis build done, I can bring it back to the bench and finish it off. I'd set it aside to let the clear coats cure fully, as for satin finishes I've been using Humbrol's Satin Cote, and it seems to take days to fully harden. So I just ignored it while I finished off the little Trumpeter kit. Now comes the trickiest part of the build though, which is getting the nacelles attached, securely and evenly! There's a bit of play at the attachment points, and no way to clamp or secure them easily. We'll find out once I get home from work! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee White Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 For someone that doesn't have a lot of modeling time, you sure are prodigious! I wish i had half of your yearly output! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 For someone that doesn't have a lot of modeling time, you sure are prodigious! I wish i had half of your yearly output! Thanks Lee! One of the casualties of me trying to claw back some modelling time is the What's New update - it used to occur 3-4 times per week; now it happens basically only once a week, with the odd bonus round depending on time and available material. Even so, this and the Trumpeter Mavis are relatively small projects that might have taken only a week each if I'd had more time on a daily basis. I expect my Corsair challenge build (about to resume shortly) to take the rest of the year, if not longer. Kev Lee White 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 So, this makes two models finished in two days! Oddly, the Humbrol Satin Cote is still tacky to the touch, but I persevered anyway. I lack Peter's magical touch when it comes to post-processing images, so I apologise for any grunginess that has crept in. In any case, here ends my tribute to the late, great Leonard Nimoy. Live Long and Prosper! Kev Lee White, D Bellis, HL-10 and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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