NCC-1701 Refit... 1/350

[Wonvertu]

Chris suggested that I should do a build thread on this model, but I will admit that I'd like to know if there's good interest for it before I clutter up Quark's with it.

I've been running up to this project with the 1/1000 scale models I did of the original Enterprise and 1701-B from Generations. (See my "Something Different" thread for those.)


Here's the good.

NCC-1701 Enterprise from the Motion Picture in 1/350 from Polar Lights is THE best model of this starship in production ever. Bar none.

Completed, it will be nearly a meter long. I intend to do a full light system in the ship. Polar Lights has saved me a ton of trouble on that score by having all of the lighting locations drilled out and ready.

It has a full hanger deck. The arboretum is visible from outside the model. So is the ready room off the bridge.

If I don't screw up, it should be absolutely amazing when finished. It will also probably cap and end kit model building as a hobby for me. Best to go out with a bang.

Here's the bad:

It's going to take a while. As in months. If I'm finished by Christmas and did a good job I will be amazed.

The thread might go dead for a while between updates if I hit a sticky spot that takes extra work to make right. Or worse, real life intrudes.... (EGADS!)

You guys tell me how much of this insane project you want to see and I'll post it. I'll grant, the encouragement will help!

Here's a phone shot of the upper part of the primary hull. Full updates will be done properly with a real camera.

There's a laptop under this thing, but the piece is so large, it hides the laptop completely.

   

[Wonvertu]

Sounds like an EPIC construction project, I look forward to hearing about it as you progress!

Looks like I will be taking quite a few pictures along the way then. I did start paint work this morning. All of the plastic parts MUST be opaque or the effect will come off extremely cheesy. That being said, the warp nacelles and the saucer section both got the first coats if dark grey on the inside this morning.

The saucer will get a third internal coat of white simply to keep things bright for the windows around the edges. Once the internal painting is done, then a full coat of white primer will hit the outside surfaces. After that, I'll mask off areas that need specific colors and shoot those. The paint wrap up will come with all of the remaining white surfaces getting a pearlescent white coating so as to match the surface of the 1701 refit in the Motion Picture.

Whew! My house is going to smell like drying/curing paint for a while.

[Wonvertu]

And here we go! Ya'll keep me motivated and I'll do a better job, promise!

So you know what the project is already from the starting posts. Progress begins to be made.

To start with, this is a huge kit. There are three interior spaces to do in addition to all of the details on the outside. You have the bridge lounge, the arboretum, and the shuttle bay/main engineering spaces to detail. Of the three, it appears that the bridge lounge will be the one that's hardest to see from outside the ship. The window for it is somewhat small and thick. Still it will be properly done.

Here's the parts layout. I have plenty to work with.

P1000590 by Wulfgar28, on Flickr

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Nothing ruins a starship model like like bad paint or light leakage if you are doing an illuminated project. So the first stage is to get the plastic opaque. For this, a dark grey primer will do nicely.

P1000591 by Wulfgar28, on Flickr

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Also got the transparent parts started this weekend.
P1000592 by Wulfgar28, on Flickr

[Wonvertu]

Some of today's work.
DSCF1827 by Wulfgar28, on Flickr

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Primary hull lower side.

DSCF1829 by Wulfgar28, on Flickr

[Wonvertu]

Wow, looks like it's coming together nicely.

Will you use decals on this one, I can't recall if you were complaining about the decals of the specific manufacturer, or decals in general-

Chris

Just a specific manufacturer. 1701-B's decals were a nightmare. The aztecs with this ship are FAR and away better to work with.

[Wonvertu]

Upper primary hull aztecs are completed. Many more to go all over the ship.

DSCF1833 by Wulfgar28, on Flickr

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Warp engine nacelles are base painted, pearl coated and have the transparencies in. Still a lot of details to add to these and additional painting.

DSCF1832 by Wulfgar28, on Flickr

[Wonvertu]

Nice work, but it looks larger then your car!

Chris

It's a forced perspective.

[Wonvertu]

Upper primary hull is completed.

DSCF1834 by Wulfgar28, on Flickr

[Wonvertu]

This week's process is to get the lower primary hull aztecs all in place. I've also blacked out the inside of the secondary hull and the neck of the ship.

It's slowly starting to loose that "What have I gotten myself into" feeling and looking more and more like a project that I might actually succeed with.

Once the lower primary is done, then I'm going to shift over to setting up the three interior locations so they will be ready for installation in the model.

More pictures when I get another sunny day.  I may reshoot that picture of the upper primary as it looks pretty dull.

[Wonvertu]

Better light...

DSCF1835 by Wulfgar28, on Flickr