# Theres Klingons on the starboard bow



## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

hey gang,
Some people drag out vacation slides, I drag out the latest model build shots.
This is CC's D-7 kit. I went with the traditional 2-tone paint scheme. Jade Satin and Gloss Gray. Chrome Silver accents. The colors _are_ a bit intense, but I chalk it up to studio lights washing out the colors a bit (like the gray Enterprise is white under the lights)

its still in progess, and the neck/boom isn't attached yet, but I thought you might get a kick out of seeing it at this stage. the 1000 scale is sitting on the neck of the biggun to give a scale.

enjoy, dissect. discuss


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## dgtrekker (Jul 23, 2001)

Very cool.


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## Prince of Styrene II (Feb 28, 2000)

Dear Lord, that's huge!!! :freak: Looks great so far! Keep it up!


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

Lou, she is beautiful! I like the color choices. Is it 1/350 scale?


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## Griffworks (Jun 24, 2002)

The CC D-7 is right around 1/300 scale, IIRC. 

Excellent work thus far, Lou! Is this for you or a client?


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## mikephys (Mar 16, 2005)

Holy Cow! Do Klingons live and work on that thing?!
I agree with the comment above about color choices. I'm using this as a reference on my little Klingon Battlecruiser.


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

Time to make a stand.

I'm playing with different metallic finish vinyls over the copper ( a hint at the next project). The rod I will end up painting black and there will be smaller, slightly bigger rod attached to the ship so that I can rotate the ship when I want.

Griff, Nah this baby's all mine. Mostly because I can't get anyone to pay me to build for them. What I don't keep usually goes out as b-day or christmas gifts. but this one is destined for my "350" shelf. (I know in this case it's more the spirit of the 350, not the letter...)


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## Raist3001 (Oct 23, 2003)

Awesome Lou....Just awesome.


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

We share the same work bench! 
Nice work! Add more pix!!!

I'm still catching up to where yer at with mine, but closing in on the finish line! 

Now I have to get the original AMT kit to see how bad they deliberately mangled their own design for consumers. (Why do the companies do this? They know we want accuracy, they go out of their way to to give us slop!)

Here's Scott's TOS / AMT TPM side-by-side for ref as well!


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

Model Man,
I saw your pictures and I had the same thought about the work table. 
Do we time share and not know it? :wave: 

anyway, I finished the D-7 this weekend. The insignias are the decals over ivory paint. the windows went on surprisingly well. I'm hoping the film between the windows will eventually disappear. I trimmed pretty closely, but not between them. 

for you non-believers out there... there is no violet on this ship! but as soon as sunlight hit the gloss gray, it took on a violet hue


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## lizzybus (Jun 18, 2005)

Stunning, Lou!

Rich


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## saiyagohan (Aug 4, 2006)

WOW!!!! :woohoo: 

GLOURIOUS,JUST GLORIOUS!

LOU,EXCELLENT WORK!!


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

Your work, are now my reference photos, when I build all of my kits! Just Awesome!!


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

Wow, I feel so validated.

thanks guys!


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## Griffworks (Jun 24, 2002)

Beautiful work, Lou! A winner at WonderFest '08, to be sure!


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## Capt_L_Hogthrob (Apr 28, 2005)

That's just to Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!! Great work!!! :thumbsup:


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2007)

Exceedingly cool piece there Lou !
Top notch build and paint , the head on shot is the kicker for me  

Very slick Lou and she is rather photogenic i have to say, congrats mate :thumbsup: 

Go easy


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## Nova Designs (Oct 10, 2000)

That's *awesome* Lou!

Hey did you use decals or paint on the insignias?

edit.... nm/ I reread your post... old eyes and all that. :wave:


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

*Great Shots!*

The Head shot is superb! The windows look utterly convincing! I can't wait to get mine to that stage -hopefully this weekend!!! 

I like the nuclear throw rug under there -heh! 

All those shots kick ass and give me a good feeling about mine! I just need to get some wrinkles out of the bottom paint and I'm done with that! On to touchups thereafter!
:thumbsup: 
-Tom


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## mikephys (Mar 16, 2005)

Qapla! (...or something like that)
Great work!


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Model Man said:


> Now I have to get the original AMT kit to see how bad they deliberately mangled their own design for consumers. (Why do the companies do this? They know we want accuracy, they go out of their way to to give us slop!)


Actually the AMT classic original Klingon Battle Cruiser kit is pretty accurate. The tooling was pantographed directly from the filming model at 50% size. The only major difference is the addition of the "washboard" detail on the recessed areas in the leading edges of the engineering hull.


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

there was also those grill looking thingys on the top of the body along the "seam" of the wing. Weird, cuz they exist nowhere else. 

and there were the little chrome elongated "U" details that attached to the sides of the boom about 2/3 back from the head.


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## goose814 (Feb 26, 2002)

Actually, the details on the AMT kit that aren't on the filming model or AMT prototype were originally on Jefferies drawings of the battlecruiser.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/goose814/FinalDrawing.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/goose814/3-View-3.jpg

Why these details were not included on the filming model or AMT prototype but are on the AMT model is unknown. Another mystery is the detail on the aft ends of the nacelles. The AMT prototype and model kit are similar to Jefferies drawings while the filming model was changed. And the small detail on the side of the upper bridge structure is on filming model and 3-view drawing but not the AMT Prototype or model kit.

I've always wondered about the contruction process of the two models. Were they built at the same time or one after the other, which one was completed first, were they built by the same people or was one built by one person or group and the other by another person or group, how many people were involved with their construction? A lot of questions to something we will probably never know.

Anyway, if you wanted to build a Klingon Battlecruiser as Jefferies originally designed, you would build the AMT kit straight from the box and just add the little detail to the bridge structure.

Gus


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

Lou, how did the new engine nobs go for you? I put them inner-edge-to-nacelle-centerline and they came out perfectly perpindicular! Beautiful! That validated the whole notion of them being offest for me. Any new 'final' pix lately?


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

I'm up to my elbows in a Raptor kit right now. 
My D-7 is so pretty and so done that I'm hesitating tearing back into it. 

I've got it sitting out and it calls to me. But I promise to get to it soon. perhaps this weekend. then I promise new pics.


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

I hemmed and hawed a few days myself and was greatly pleased by the ease of replacement! I sliced across the old nobs (will use them for greeblies someday!) with a grinding wheel on my dremel as close to the nacelle as I could, then used the flat of it to buff away the remainder. Too easy! Scott cast the replacements perfectly. No filler or putty work at all in my case. Very nice. Some easy masking for the green and done! I still gotta do some proper beauty shots of mine when I rehang it at a more flattering angle (perhaps this weekend too) and will post @ AC.


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

Goose,
I can't find where I posted my long winded thoughts on the order of the original builds, but basically it's this:

The studio model and prototype were likely started at the same time (same basic mold shape), but the studio needed to film by a particular day, so they picked one and that got all the attention to beat the deadline. Whatever condition in what is in when it was due in front of the cameras was all there was to it. Jefferies threw a new paint job on and it was under the lights with cameras rolling.

Having dealt with that, AMT turned its attention to the prototype and made some basic mods they didn't have the time to do for the studio ship. They took the protoype to a level that was good enough for them pantograph down and then detailed the rest on kit master directly -as the kit now had a production/marketing deadline. For the kit master, they added all the fine detail and made some further alterations. Thus same ship, three different architectures. 

What really, happened? Someone (or group of people) somewhere knows. Barring their input, I think this is the most plausible explanation -given my modest experience with hollywood deadlines to date. IMO.


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## Raist3001 (Oct 23, 2003)

Stunning Lou.


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## fluke (Feb 27, 2001)

*OK...now THAT! is cool... Very nice work!* :thumbsup:


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## Jim NCC1701A (Nov 6, 2000)

That's a good looking model you've got there Lou.
Look forward to seeing your progress 

Cheers!


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

*do-hickey update*

Hey gang,
here's the update I promised. 

First thing I did was to cut off then sand down the old nobby things. That went surprisingly well and (since I had the rest of the ship wrapped like a mummy and sitting on a bed of foam ) came off very cleanly. When I got close to the final stage, I filed the remaining resin down to the finished profile with a small flat file and gave it a light sanding with some 600 grit wet/dry paper. 

I had primed and put one coat of the finished color on the replacement pieces before I attached them to minimize the amount I'd have to put on them when they were in place and hence minimize the paint build up.

You can see just how little the new pieces needed to be moved to get them in the correct spots. I laid a piece of balsa across the bottom of both nacelles and using a small torpedo level, built up the foam under the ship until it was level. I then put the new pieces in place. I moved the balsa piece and rested it on the flat areas of the new pieces. I leveled them up and marked their positions. a little CA glue and a little paint and Voila! 

Thanks to Scott again for going the extra parsec and making these replacements

Cheers,
Lou


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## Model Man (Oct 1, 2007)

Nice and Easy!


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## mb1k (May 6, 2002)

I think you may be on to something with the super-deformed Japanimation Klingon look?


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## Daikaiju1 (Apr 26, 2005)

Good Lord, what are those ships doing??!


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## Prince of Styrene II (Feb 28, 2000)

Well, what do think?! That's how they get baby starships!


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

^^^well, if your shield is compromised, that is...


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## mb1k (May 6, 2002)

I was talking more the "small body, huge head" look ...wait, that's just wrong too :freak:


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