Round 2 TOS Enterprise model build!

[Bryancd]

As you know, there are some great kits out there for lighting both this and the refit.

[WillEagle]

Love that pic of all your models, Bryancd! I couldn't put one of those together if I tried. You guys that do this have some talent.

[jedijeff]

That is great that Primer looks good for a color, as that is certainly easy to come by :) . How does the model fit together? Do you need to do any seam filling at all, or the to the pieces go together good?

[Bryancd]

That is great that Primer looks good for a color, as that is certainly easy to come by :) . How does the model fit together? Do you need to do any seam filling at all, or the to the pieces go together good?

So far fit is very good..but I haven't done anything to challenging yet. The bridge dome fit onto the top of the saucer perfectly, I didn't even need glue. The sprue's the parts are attached to are a bear to cut and trim, though. Very thick and stiff. Good question Jeff and stay tuned for more on that as I move along.

[Bryancd]

I popped on the clear bridge dome and it looks great. They offer a white and black opaque option for this part but since I did some paint detail on the bridge you might as well see it. For those who build these with full bore lighting, the bridge and hanger deck detail will really set it apart from the MR Enterprise. I can't wait to see what some folks do with these!

[Rico]

Just ordered my kit!  Thanks for the encouragement Bryan.  Time to get building soon on at least one of these babies.

[Bryancd]

Do this kit first, it's way easier, you really can't mess it up as the paint and decal work is simple and straight forward, and they are still similar enough to give you some practice for when you want to tackle the refit.

[jedijeff]

Actually, go buy a cheap model and do that first, or even a small Polar Lights or AMT Enterprise. Get all your mistakes out of the way before taking this on. Believe me, if it has been awhile since you have done a model, get some practice. The model I am working on right now, I made a ton of mistakes, some I could correct, others I could not.

[Rico]

I have built a TON of models in the past.  Even developed my own lighting schemes and circuits for them.  Got my own airbrush and have mixed my own custom paint colors for a long time.  I built the refit Enterprise smaller kit and lit it myself with a custom stand and so on.  In recent years my time has just been limited to get back to doing this.  But I have a bookshelf with a lot of unbuilt kits sitting on it too so I'll probably tackle one or two of those for some fun first.  The Christmas holiday should allow me some time to get going on that I hope.

[jedijeff]

This is a good Video on mixing paints, Mainly talks about the Green Colour for the Klingon D7, but he touches on the Colour for the Original Series Enterprise.
From TrekWorks Mixing Paint Colors and Soldering LED Tape

I am defintely interested in following both your and Bryans builds on this, as I am considering this for a larger model build

[Bryancd]

I have built a TON of models in the past.  Even developed my own lighting schemes and circuits for them.  Got my own airbrush and have mixed my own custom paint colors for a long time.  I built the refit Enterprise smaller kit and lit it myself with a custom stand and so on.  In recent years my time has just been limited to get back to doing this.  But I have a bookshelf with a lot of unbuilt kits sitting on it too so I'll probably tackle one or two of those for some fun first.  The Christmas holiday should allow me some time to get going on that I hope.

My understanding is that the lighting kit for this model is pretty much plug and play. That's why I think this would be a good opportunity to try it. The refit is much more involved and more of a custom job.

[Rico]

Which lighting kit are you referring to for the TOS E?  Link me.  :)

[Bryancd]

Which lighting kit are you referring to for the TOS E?  Link me.  :)

It was being discussed in the RPF thread about the kit, I don't recall who is making it though. An RPF'er posted in my mirror build thread I have running over there along with this one that it was a pre-made set up for this kit.

[Bryancd]

OK, about face! Change of plans. While I was working on the lower saucer I noticed the nav beacons were white on the model but the parts were clear. So I just hit them with some gloss white paint. Once I glued them in, I really liked how they looked and realized if I hit all the opaque white window parts with gloss white spray, I could get them to really stand out better. So I popped off the bridge and replaces the black windows for these new ones and did the entire lower saucer as well. They look so much better, they really pop out now as opposed to looking kind of lost against the grey hull in the opaque white they come in. So that's how I will do the neck dorsal and secondary hull as well. Relly pleased with how they look.

[Bryancd]

Easier to post another comment then resize images. :)