# Classic AMT 1/650 USS Enterprise from 1997



## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Found this a few weeks ago in an antique shop for just $5. It was complete except for the impulse engine part which is easy enough to scractcbuild. I Started assembly, I am building this pretty much out of the box with only aftermarket decals to replace the original 24 year old decal sheet in the kit.










One thing I am adding to the model is a stiff wire brace in the warp engine and pylons. I used clothes hanger wire inside of 1/8 inch styrene tubing. this will prevent the nacelle droop that tends to happen with this model.










The warp engines in place, very solid with no indication of twisting or flexing. I added two .010x .060 strips of styrene to the mounting tab of each pylon, this provides a very snug fit into the sockets molded into the secondary hull.










A close look at the added .010x .060 strips. these will prevent any chance of misalignment when installing the engines.










The only other thing I may do to this model is eliminate the molded in grid on the saucer.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I'm sure you can get a replacement impulse engine at Federation Models or Shapeways or some such place. It'll cost more than you paid for the model, tho!


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Decided not to use the wonky sawhorse stand that comes with the kit. I added a piece of styrene tubing inside the secondary hull to serve as a mount point for a custom stand.










After filing away the seam lines I did a dry fit of the sub assemblies. I added the .010x .060 strips to the dorsal connection to provide a snug fit to the saucer.










Since I am not doing any accurizing to this model I decided to leave the saucer grid in place. I will eliminate the three dimple on the underside of the saucer, those always bothered me, even as a kid.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

If you want you can get a replacement impulse engine from R2. If it was not there fault ( missing) they charge $5, just what you paid for the kit!


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I modified a Round 2 dome base to work with this model.










Scratchbuilt impulse engine taking shape.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I started filling in the dimples on the bottom of the saucer. I used finely chopped pieces of sprue and a liquid cement called Styrene Tack-it, a chemically identical replacement for Tenax-7R.










While the dimples were drying on the saucer I finished the impulse engine part, not perfect but close enough.









After the filled dimples dried for a few hours I sanded it smooth, the repair is almost completely invisible since I used the kit's sprue as filler. I will let them dry for a few days to make sure that there is no shrinkage. or dimpling in the filled reas before I re-scribe the circles on the saucer.


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## jkirk (Feb 19, 2020)

You can have all the variations of 1701 you want, but this lady is my first love!


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Great work on the classic kit!


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I added two of the three rings back to the saucer underside, the third ring will run through the dimples that I repaired and I need to add some more plastic into them to complete the repair.










I will use pieces of this excessive flash from these parts to finish the repair. I will use a hole punch and punch out three discs.









These will be glued in over the repair to finish filling it in.









I will let the glue dry for a couple of days, sand them flush and the repair should be as strong as the plastic around it, I can then add the third ring.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Final repair on depressions sanded smooth and third ring carved. I also added the raised detail that goes at the base of the triangle details.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Looking very nice!


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Getting close on this one, I have a few small details to add to the engines, the dome over the hangar bay and the small domes for the saucer lights. I am thinking about making a new deflector dish since the kit part is too small. I may also build up the first inner ring of the deflector housing to more accurately represent the original. 
My original plan was to do a quick, out of the box build but I could not resist making a few alterations to make it a little more accurate. I am still resisting the urge to do away with the saucer grid.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Looks great!  How did you add the rings back on the bottom of the saucer?


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> Looks great!  How did you add the rings back on the bottom of the saucer?


I used my compass with two points to score the lines. I have used this compass set up like this for over 40 years now.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

One more minor addition that will improve the look of the model, I extended the first inner ring of the deflector housing. This now looks like the original Enterprise model I built in the early 1970's.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Glued a ring of .060 styrene to the original kit deflector dish and used my moto tool to turn it to get a slightly larger dish. not screen accurate but it will look better than the undersized dish in the kit.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

The finished deflector dish, it is larger than the one on the studio model but it closely reflects the one in the original AMT kit, which is what I was going for.









Almost finished, I will remake the lower sensor dome, not really happy with the look of it.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

krlee said:


> I used my compass with two points to score the lines. I have used this compass set up like this for over 40 years now.
> View attachment 314211


Excellent! Thanks! I like that better than what I've done in the past.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I decided to remove the deflector grid on the upper primary hull. I am leaving just a trace of it behind to give the illusion that there is something there. I used a curved #10 xacto blade which was perfect for removing just the grid without marring the hull. I have wet sanded the area where the grid was removed to even it out and will finish it off with a wet sanding with 1000 grit paper. I think I am going to slightly re-work the bridge and dome to be slightly more accurate. this was going to be a straight out of the box build but I just can't stop myself from trying to make it a little better.


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## aussiemuscle308 (Dec 2, 2014)

krlee said:


> I used my compass with two points to score the lines. I have used this compass set up like this for over 40 years now.


They are known as Dividing Compass. originally designed to measure on a map, they are good for circle scribing. If you get one with bendable legs, you can go around spheres.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Finished removing the grid from the saucer, leaving just a hint of it behind and started altering the look of the bridge dome. I used a .060 disc of styrene to build it up and filler to help blend it in. It should look okay once I sand it. I also created a new bridge top dome.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Finished the alterations to the bridge and dome, it is not perfect but I am satisfied with it.


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

It's line a 3D painting you're working on here. Vintage-style!


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

aussiemuscle308 said:


> They are known as Dividing Compass. originally designed to measure on a map, they are good for circle scribing. If you get one with bendable legs, you can go around spheres.


We called them "dividers" back in the days when I used to plot courses for the submarine I served on.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

krlee said:


> Finished the alterations to the bridge and dome, it is not perfect but I am satisfied with it.


Much better!  The bridge itself is the most offensive of the shapes on the AMT model, IMHO, though it comes close to matching Jefferies' original blueprints for the production version ship. If it weren't for the low dome on top of the model kit, I think it'd be a very close match with the drawings.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I was not happy with my alteration of the kit deflector dish so I started from scratch. It is still not perfect but I am happy with it. Again, I am not striving for perfection on this model, just a happy medium between the original kit and the onscreen appearance of the ship. I always liked the larger pilot deflector and this dish is a compromise, slightly smaller than the pilot version and larger than the production dish.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Beautiful work--great compromise on the dish


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Painted the new dish:


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I got the model painted today, a little buffing after the paint dries and it will be perfect.









I got the effect I was after on the saucer top, after removing most of the kit grid and a light sanding there is just a hint of the original grid left.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I painted the deflector dish housing, it is beginning to look like the Enterprise.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Nice! I like that grid effect on the saucer top. What color did you paint it? Looks good


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> Nice! I like that grid effect on the saucer top. What color did you paint it? Looks good


I used a paint that I have had around for about ten years, Krylon Fusion River Rock, a quick check of krylon's website shows it is still available:


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

krlee said:


> I used a paint that I have had around for about ten years, Krylon Fusion River Rock, a quick check of krylon's website shows it is still available:
> View attachment 314658


Thanks! I'll look for it.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

First decals on the upper hull, I still have to add the window decals.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Wow! Quite a transformation.


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## LGFugate (Sep 11, 2000)

Beautiful! So you used Krylon Gloss River Rock on the entire model? Your photos don't match the color sample at all. I love the color it appears to be in your photos, and would like to use it on some of my Enterprises.

Larry


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

We probably need to see some daylight exposures to see a truer color rendition. Especially since each of our monitors will look different. This is the only image I can see the biege tones in. Everything else is blueish grey to even lighter white grey on my monitor.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Milton Fox Racing said:


> We probably need to see some daylight exposures to see a truer color rendition. Especially since each of our monitors will look different. This is the only image I can see the biege tones in. Everything else is blueish grey to even lighter white grey on my monitor.
> 
> View attachment 314699


The color I used definitely has a light beige tone to it, almost like concrete.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Primary hull top nearly finished, I just have to work out the best way to do the "rust" ring on the forward half of the saucer. I also need to work out the best way to do the nacelle domes.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Milton Fox Racing said:


> We probably need to see some daylight exposures to see a truer color rendition. Especially since each of our monitors will look different. This is the only image I can see the biege tones in. Everything else is blueish grey to even lighter white grey on my monitor.


This is the best image I was able to get in natural sunlight, it comes close to showing the true color of the paint that I used. I really need to replace my old computer that died a month ago so I can get my photo editing software back, not much I can do on a 4 year old chromebook.


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## whiskeyrat (May 7, 2012)

I like your solution for the gridlines well done


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

LGFugate said:


> Beautiful! So you used Krylon Gloss River Rock on the entire model? Your photos don't match the color sample at all. I love the color it appears to be in your photos, and would like to use it on some of my Enterprises.
> 
> Larry


The color sample on the Krylon website is very dark compared to the actual paint. The actual color is a light gray with a bit of beige mixed in. I used Tamiya AS-2 light gray on the impulse engine, the section on top of the saucer over the impulse deck and the nacelle end caps. I will also use the same color for the pattern on the bottoms of the nacelles.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Decals done on the bottom of the saucer, I slightly messed up the "01" on one of the decals "port side" but it is not really noticeable from this angle. I really wish that there had been some spares on the decal sheet. Once I get a working computer again I will fix it. I am not really worried about perfection, this was going to be a quick, out of the box build but I just had to fix some things.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Dorsal and secondary hull starboard side decals done.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I started painting the dome base as a planet last night and realized this morning that I had accidentally created a "Ghost" planet! I will leave the shape as is but it will look more terrestrial when I finish.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

After a quick painting of greens, browns tans as well as some rivers and waterways the "ghost" is not as noticeable. After this dries I will add some light clouds to complete my world.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

krlee said:


> I started painting the dome base as a planet last night and realized this morning that I had accidentally created a "Ghost" planet! I will leave the shape as is but it will look more terrestrial when I finish.
> View attachment 314849


I was thinking more along the lines of the "Heat Thing" from _Space Ghost_.


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

A size comparison of the current project as compared to a future project. The almost finished Enterprise is 18 inches long, the new one will be almost double that.


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Beautiful work


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

I could not resist doing a quick test fit of the 1/350 Enterprise main sub assemblies, only a few small parts are actually glued in at this point, it is just held together mainly by rubber bands and friction. This thing dwarfs the 1/650 AMT model. This model will take a while since I am waiting on the lighting kit for it. After this photo it was disassembled and placed back in the box. I would also like to find an original issue of the saucer that has the etched grid lines.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Wonderful work! 

I probably missed it in the build thread, What's your plan for the Bussard domes?


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

mach7 said:


> Wonderful work!
> 
> I probably missed it in the build thread, What's your plan for the Bussard domes?


I am experimenting with ways of painting them, I am thinking multiple layers of dry brushing various colors coated over with a clear orange, I am hoping that I can make it look fairly accurate.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Hmmm,

I wonder if you can get a good effect with a background of light orange, then irregular dots of red/green/blue/yellow for the christmas tree lights, then some black "fan blades" painted on, then top coated with Tamiya clear yellow or red?

I'm sure whatever you come up with will look great!


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

Last of the decals in place, all hat is left is some small detail painting and painting the bussard domes.








My first attempt with the domes, this is close to the look I want.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

The dome looks good!


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## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

krlee said:


> I could not resist doing a quick test fit of the 1/350 Enterprise main sub assemblies, only a few small parts are actually glued in at this point, it is just held together mainly by rubber bands and friction. This thing dwarfs the 1/650 AMT model. This model will take a while since I am waiting on the lighting kit for it. After this photo it was disassembled and placed back in the box. I would also like to find an original issue of the saucer that has the etched grid lines.
> View attachment 315164


I believe I have a saucer with grid lines. Would you want me to check?
Jeff


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## NTRPRZ (Feb 23, 1999)

NTRPRZ said:


> I believe I have a saucer with grid lines. Would you want me to check?
> Jeff


You'll have to email [email protected]


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## krlee (Oct 23, 2016)

After getting sidetracked by other projects I am calling this one done. It started as a quick build of a vintage kit that I found in an antique shop and I turned it into my ultimate take on the classic AMT kit. It is not perfect, I could have done better but I wanted to recapture the fun of just building a model without obsessing over small details, I am saving that for the 1/350 Enterprise.









and a few classic style images:


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## garyseven (12 mo ago)

Just joined and been looking thru the threads on the TOS Enterprise. That looks very good. I remember building the original big box when it first came out, had lighted bussards and saucer domes. Wish I still had it. I still have a small box kit packed up out in the garage. Going to give the 1/350 kit a go.


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Welcome to the boards @garyseven 

Keep us updated on the build! 🤙


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## Alien (Sep 5, 2001)

Great work on your build.
It reminds me of my build, that I was so pleased with, until the day a bookcase upright fell on to it after a house move, and squashed it like a pancake. 
I only have the warp engine domes, that I had cast in clear resin, and the electronics left. Everything else was a right off. Sigh!


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