# Land of the Giants Spindrift by Polar Lights



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I bought this model soon after it's re-release in 2002 and it's been sitting up high on my garage shelf ever since begging me to build her. But first I needed to buy some accessory resin parts, aftermarket decals, and an engine grill/rear wall flasher kit to really jazz her up and make her look her very best. 
So... anyway... I finally got all the add on stuff and worked up the gumption to start working on her some weeks ago but I held off posting any pica until I had enough photos to make it interesting for you guys. 
So, having taken over 40 photos now, I figure it's time to begin my build log of the 2002 Polar Lights Spindrift spaceship which was a re-release of the old 1968 Aurora Models kit. 
But first, a quick synopsis of the show from Wikpedia...

_"Set fifteen years in the future, in the year 1983, the series tells the tale of the crew and passengers of a sub-orbital transport ship named Spindrift. In the pilot episode, the Spindrift is en route from Los Angeles to London, on an ultra fast sub-orbital flight. Just beyond Earth's boundary with space, the Spindrift encounters a magnetic space storm, and is dragged through a space warp to a mysterious planet where everything is twelve times larger than on Earth, whose inhabitants the Earthlings nickname "the Giants." The Spindrift crash-lands, and the damage renders it inoperable."_

Here's the trailer from 1968:






This link takes you to a fan video offering a guided tour of the "real" Spindrift which is stored in a top-secret, high-security storage facility:

Tour of the Spindrift

The tour is a lot of fun. Notice that the interior of the Spindrift is much larger than the exterior would seem to allow for; the same "TARDIS" effect seen in other Irwin Allen productions, like the Jupiter 2 in "Lost in Space", or the Seaview in "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea". 

Anyway, enough about the show, time for the model...

First off, the box cover. Very nice. Polar Lights used the same box art as the original Aurora kit. Dig that cool "Land of the Giants" logo:

Box Art by trekriffic, on Flickr

Kit parts. Two bags of white and light green plastic parts and one bag of clear parts. The Aurora kit had orange parts in place of the white. 

Kit Parts by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next up, the dome. I bought this more accurate vac-formed teardrop shaped dome for the upper hull some years ago. It was included as part of an accessory parts kit that also included a resin rear passenger cabin wall and engine intake and exhaust grills:

Dome by trekriffic, on Flickr

This accessory kit featured drilled out holes for lighting the grills along with transparent red and blue styrene sheet panels. There is quite a bit of flash to clean up but overall I'm quite pleased with these parts: 

Aftermarket Engine Grills by trekriffic, on Flickr

Decals! Love-em! JT Graphics sold these accessory decals in 2002 concurrent with the release of the model kit: 

Aftermarket Decals by trekriffic, on Flickr

Closeup of some of the cockpit console and door operating panels:

Decal Sheet Detail by trekriffic, on Flickr

Wall and Control Panel Decals:

Decal Details by trekriffic, on Flickr

Instruction sheet-page 1. The instruction sheet is very detailed and even includes steps for making the cockpit steering yokes from scratch using sprue pieces from the kit:

Decal Instruction Sheet - Page 1 by trekriffic, on Flickr

Page 2. More instructions on how to modify the kit cockpit walls to accommodate the instrument panel decals:

Decal Instruction Sheet - Page 2 by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Time to start the modifications...

The round opening on top would need to be modified to accept the aftermarket teardrop shaped dome:

Forward Top Hull Section by trekriffic, on Flickr

A template for modifying the top forward hull section was made from tamiya tape using the vacuum formed dome as a guide:

Template by trekriffic, on Flickr

My dremel made quick work of this:

Plastic Removal by trekriffic, on Flickr

After slicing the teardrop dome away from its flange I sanded the edge using a piece of 600 grit sandpaper:

Sanding the Dome by trekriffic, on Flickr

The modified opening fits the new dome almost perfectly:

Dome Test Fit by trekriffic, on Flickr

I mixed Tamiya white and transparent orange acrylic to paint the inside surface of the upper dome. Holding the dome upside down I poured the paint in and swirled it around the inside of the dome tilting it from front to back and side to side until I had achieved good coverage. Then I poured the remaining paint out, wicking any drips hanging off the rim of the dome with a paper towel. This process was repeated a couple of times until I was satisfied I had no thin spots in the coating:

Painting the Inside of the Dome by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Bulkhead walls, seats, and forward instrument panel. All these parts will be heavily modified before painting and decaling:

Bulkhead Walls, Seats, and Forward Instrument Panel by trekriffic, on Flickr

Floor, cabin walls, and crew figures. The crew figures are oversized for the scale of the ship. I calculated the crew were close to 1/62 scale while the Spindrift itself works out to somewhere between 1/72 and 1/76 scale:

Floor, Cabin Walls, and Crew Figures by trekriffic, on Flickr

Puttying the grooves. The incised lines were meant to serve as a painting guide but with the hull decals I had they were rendered superfluous so I filled them in with Perfect Plastic Putty. The decal instructions told me to do so as well:

Puttying the Upper Forward Hull by trekriffic, on Flickr

Sanding. After the initial sanding was done I could see I will need to repeat the filling and sanding process several times:

Sanding Upper Forward Hull by trekriffic, on Flickr


Mounting a brass tube in the bow for my scratch-built forward antenna to slide into meant adding some reinforcement to hold it in place. I used Tamiya epoxy putty for this purpose. You can also see the molded in oval shapes to either side which I would use as guides for the bow headlight openings:

Tamiya Putty in Bow of Lower Hull by trekriffic, on Flickr

Bow instrument probe or antenna mount. I drilled out the kit part and extended it a tad using brass tube before gluing it into the lower bow. The tube was then puttied using AVES and sanded to smoothness:

Bow Instrument Probe or Antenna Mount by trekriffic, on Flickr

Image of studio model doohicky. We were never told what the exact purpose was for this extended probe/antenna during the series but it almost seems to be intended for use as a towing arm. Note the loop at the tip - possibly to be used for hooking onto?:

Studio Model Probe or Antenna by trekriffic, on Flickr

Using styrene sheet and this carbon steel rod coated with white vinyl cladding I made my own bow probe/antenna arm:

Bow Probe (or Antenna) Scratch Build by trekriffic, on Flickr

I was even able to use a piece of styrene tubing to make the loop at the tip of the probe:

Tip of Probe by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Next up... making the passenger seats...

Spindrift Set 02 6-26-4 by trekriffic, on Flickr

Spindrift Set 04 6-26-4 by trekriffic, on Flickr

Spindrift Set 05 6-26-4 by trekriffic, on Flickr

Using brass wire and Evergreen styrene strip I started in with mods to acurize the passenger seats:

Passenger Seat Mods by trekriffic, on Flickr

It only took me about 2-1/2 hours to complete the first passenger seat. The new base replaces the molded on base molded into the passenger cabin floor which I had to remove:

Chair on Base by trekriffic, on Flickr

Five chairs in progress. The lower half of the seat was too short so it was extended using Evergreen strip. The upper backrest was too tall and needed to be shortened before adding a piece of round Evergreen rod for the headrest:

Five Chairs in Progress by trekriffic, on Flickr

Brass frame. Brass rod had to be bent precisely to shape using some fine tipped needle nose pliers:

New Seat with Brass Frame by trekriffic, on Flickr

The armrest support brackets were bent to shape and glued to the underside using CA glue:

Passenger Seat Armrest Brackets by trekriffic, on Flickr

Two down, four to go. I got each chair down to about an hour to finish with practice:

Two Down and Four To Go. by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Jumping around... got this in the mail from Ralph at Tenacontrols:

The Spindrift's engine grills would fade slowly up and down to signify the atomic reactor was fully charged. This board from Tenacontrols reproduces that effect and can power up to six red LEDs:

Tenacontrols Board for Engine Grills by trekriffic, on Flickr

Wiring diagram. The only connections I need to solder are the wires for the power supply and the the flashing LEDs:

Tenacontrols Wiring Diagram by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next I worked on the mounting point in the lower hull for the stand tube. Evergreen tubing was glued into a reinforcing plate made from .020 sheet styrene. AVES was then packet around the tubing for added strength:

Mounting Point in Lower Hull by trekriffic, on Flickr

The aluminum stand tube fit snugly into the plastic tubing mounted in the lower hull. The aluminum tube is hollow to allow for passage of wires from the base:

Stand Tube by trekriffic, on Flickr

Most of my work is done at a drafting table located to the left out of frame in this photo. I use this table to organize parts and set things aside to dry:

My Garage Work Table by trekriffic, on Flickr

Swerving back to the model...

I have some very tiny LEDs to mount in these openings for the bow lights:

Openings for Bow Headlights by trekriffic, on Flickr

Two tiny 1.8mm cool white LEDs will serve for the headlights in the bow:

1.8 MM LED by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next up... work on the pilot seats and the steering yokes...

The JT Graphics decal instructions said to carve the two steering yokes out of sprue so that's what I did:

Steering Yoke In Progress by trekriffic, on Flickr

After final shaping with a very small dremel bit and jeweller's files I drilled a hole straight across to insert a piece of brass rod thru for the handles:

Drilling a Hole thru the Yoke by trekriffic, on Flickr

The brass rod handles were bent to the proper curvature after insertion into the yoke to form the handles. I even filed their tops at an angle like the ones seen on the show. A short length of brass rod was inserted thru a sguare piece of Evergreen rod glued to the underside of the yoke:

Finished Yoke by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Finished yokes. I think I pretty much nailed the shape of these little guys:

Steering Yokes by trekriffic, on Flickr

Closeup of Finished Yokes by trekriffic, on Flickr

The brass rods I'm holding in my fingers will be trimmed before installation in the dashboard:

Steering Yokes Again by trekriffic, on Flickr

Jumping around...

The lower hull got a coat of matte black lacquer for light blocking followed by silver lacquer for light reflectance. :

Silver Spray Painitng by trekriffic, on Flickr

Modifications were made to the cockpit sidewalls and cabin walls...

The dremel made short work of removing the inaccurate kit control panel detailing from the cockpit side walls:

Mods to Cockpit Side Walls by trekriffic, on Flickr

Three sections of thin styrene sheet were cut and trimmed to fit the cockpit side walls per the JT Graphics decal instructions:

New Sidewall Control Panel by trekriffic, on Flickr

Cockpit walls primed. I also added pieces of styrene sheet to make the monitor screens more three dimensional:

Priming of Cockpit Sidewalls by trekriffic, on Flickr

Port Sidewall Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr

Buttons were removed from the panels above and to the right of the door opening on the cockpit rear wall. Also the triangular control panels (you can see one on the left) needed to be removed:

Mods to Cockpit Rear Wall by trekriffic, on Flickr

Rolling along...

I looked at lots of images of the passenger cabin to try and get the spacing correct for the seats. I think this is pretty close:

Passenger Seat Positioning in Cabin Floor by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Captain Han Solo (Apr 5, 2002)

That's freakin awesome!!! LOVE the Spindrift!!!!!!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

First coat of primer on aft upper hull and floor:

Primiing by trekriffic, on Flickr

I went back and drilled out some more indentations where I had removed the molded chair bases to match the texture of the rest of the carpeting:

Interior Floor Painted by trekriffic, on Flickr

Whirling all about the garage...

The rear passenger cabin wall and engine intake and exhaust grills were primed, sprayed matte black, and sprayed with Tamiya Bare Metal Silver. The cabin facing side of the rear wall would later be painted white in preparation for the final coat of interior wall paint:

Resin Replacment Parts Primed and Painted by trekriffic, on Flickr

The passenger seats were primed before being sprayed with with Tamiya Matte Black lacquer:

Passenger Seat Priming by trekriffic, on Flickr

I made a mix of Testors flat red and yellow enamel to paint the armrests and headrests. Still need to paint the silver chair frames and bases, and the black straps on the headrest and backs of the seats:

Painting the Seats by trekriffic, on Flickr

Lastly for now...

Dome redux. For the underside of the upper dome opening I cut an oval piece of transparent red styrene sheet. I then packed AVES around it. Two 2mm red flat top wide angle LEDs will illuminate the dome. They will fit up and thru the holes in the thin oval Evergreen styrene sheet which I covered with adhesive backed aluminum foil to help reflect the light upward into the dome:

Dome Work by trekriffic, on Flickr

The finished dome: 

Upper Dome Installed by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Captain Han Solo said:


> That's freakin awesome!!! LOVE the Spindrift!!!!!!


Thanks Captain! The Spindrift is a very distinctive design isn't it? Not practical in any sense but, who cares, it just looked cool on my folks old Zenith color TV! 
Anyway, I'm a bit behind in posting photos. At this point I've finished the passenger cabin, aside from installing lighting and attaching the rear wall. Also the cockpit instrument panel decals are done. 
I'm at work right now but have some more pics to download off my camera. Will post them later on.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

This is a great post. Thanks for sharing!


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## Dr. Brad (Oct 5, 1999)

Amazing work as always!


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Wow! Makes me want to haul out my 25 year old Lunar Models Spindrift and get back on it again! I was doing close what you are doing. You amaze me with your ability to make such tiny detailed objects....


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks guys! 

OK. Time for a Giant update I think...

The cockpit sidewalls were painted. I like the greenish gray tone of Light Sea Gray. It went on nice and smooth with a brush. Gotta love a fresh bottle of paint:

Cockpit Sidewalls Painted by trekriffic, on Flickr

Jumping about...

I taped the grills and windshield frame in place to see how the fit was:

Upper Forward to Lower Hull Test Fit by trekriffic, on Flickr

This is how I intend the bow profile to look when I'm done. 

Test Fit Bow Profile by trekriffic, on Flickr

Back to the upper dome lighting. Two red LEDs were wired in series. I did a light test to get the spacing just right so the dome is evenly lit then glued the panel in using epoxy:

Upper Dome LED Wiring by trekriffic, on Flickr

I covered up the dome wiring using a piece of styrene square tubing cut in half and glued with Plastic Surgery CA:

Cover for Dome Wiring by trekriffic, on Flickr

Main power trunks...

Two black wires and one white wire were fed thru the hole in the underside. One black wire with resistor was soldered to the negative leg of the starboard headlight before being wired in series to the port LED. The white wire was soldered to the positive leg of the port LED and extended to the back of the ship as it is is the common bus for both circuits. One circuit will light the engines and cabin lights while the other will only operate the bow headlights:

Power Wires by trekriffic, on Flickr

The passenger cabin window shelves were too thin so I thickened them using styrene strip glued to the underside:

Shelf Thickening by trekriffic, on Flickr

I used brown and rust enamels to simulate the wood grain look under the window shelves:

Painting Wood Grain by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Some delicate brushwork was needed to finish up the arms, silver chair frames and bases for the seats:

Brush Painting the Passenger Seats by trekriffic, on Flickr

Reddish orange, black, and aluminum enamels were used. Painting the narrow black straps on the headrest and on the backs of the seats took a steady hand. After the paint dried the seats got a coat of Future:

Finished Painting the Seats by trekriffic, on Flickr

Seat Back by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next up... making the passenger comm stations...

Passenger Comm Stations by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Great build report, lots of detail and good photos. Looking forward to the next installment.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Xenodyssey said:


> Great build report, lots of detail and good photos. Looking forward to the next installment.


Thanks sir! Ask and ye shall receive...

Here we go. On to the passenger comm stations....

I used styrene sheet and round tubing to scratch build the passenger communication stations. The discs are slightly oversized which was fine since I planned to sand them down to match the circumference of the little shrouds:

Making the Comm Stations by trekriffic, on Flickr

All finished...

I used black and reddish-orange enamels to brush paint these tiny comm stations. The white buttons were dotted onto some leftover clear decal material using a pointed toothpick. Once the paint dried the decals were sealed with Future before being soaked in warm water and floated into place on the consoles:

Finished Comm Stations by trekriffic, on Flickr

To the right in the above photo you can see the throttle joysticks for the pilot and copilot. These are made from brass rod and a teeny, tiny brick of polystrene. The brass rod is bent at an L angle and brushed with black Tulip fabric paint so they look more like handles.

The comm sttaions after gluing in place with epoxy. Overall I'm pretty happy with how these turned out. Funny, they remind me of ladybugs, the size is about right:

Passenger Chairs and Comm Stations by trekriffic, on Flickr

Mods to cokpit forward wall sections..,

The top of each forward cockpit side wall had to be ground down to allow the upper hull to mate up with the window frame and bow side grills:

Mods to Cockpit Forward Walls by trekriffic, on Flickr

Cockpit walls installed...

The aft angled walls still need their control panel decals. The brown triangular recessed panels would eventually get painted over with white enamel. I mistakenly went with rust brown at first based on the Lunar Models instruction sheet but in viewing the pilot episode again there was a certain shot where you could just barely see the side panels in the bow and they were either white or a very light gray, certainly not brown:

Cockpit Walls installed by trekriffic, on Flickr

Monitor and control console decals have been trimmed and placed on the sidewalls. The main dashboard shelf is also given a test fit:

Cockpit Control Panel Decals by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next we have the mysterious object at the rear of the passenger cabin. Is it an air conditioning unit or a storage chest/cabinet? 

Aft Passenger Cabin Wall “Cabinet” by trekriffic, on Flickr

Stowage Chest Positioned in Center of Rear Wall by trekriffic, on Flickr

I’ve seen the Lunar Models instruction sheet describe this as an air-conditioning unit but when watching the LOTG pilot I could definitely see wood grain panels on the front of whatever this box is. The panels do not appear to have any visible knobs so my thinking is this is a storage chest with a hinged upper lid, handy for stowing blankets and pillows or even carry on luggage.

Last thing for now... curtain and homemade decal...

This curtain hangs across the closet at the end the corridor between the cockpit and passenger cabin. The curtain has a leopard skin pattern (Irwin Allen seemed to like leopard skin patterns) which I am simulating using clear decal film with a painted on pattern:

Curtain and Homemade Decal by trekriffic, on Flickr


More to come... stay tuned...


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Amazing sir!


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## kimba32003 (Dec 17, 2008)

WOW, I've never read such a great thread before ! Your attention to detail and succinct story telling of your build is so appreciated !! Your pics are thorough and concise, please keep up the great work and keep posting your progress on this GREAT model !
I'm a BIG Irwin Allen fan, Jupiter 2 included.... 

Great stuff and THANKS

Wayne
Perth
Australia


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks mach7. Thanks Wayne. I appreciate the support! 

OK. Time for another update...

Not sure what this monitor is useful for but it flashes with a red glow while the engine is operating:

lotlg2 by trekriffic, on Flickr

I used strip styrene to make my own replica for installation between the forward window ports:

Main Pilot Engine Monitor by trekriffic, on Flickr

The monitor sits at an angle with a horizontal saddle connecting it to the bow window frames:

Another View of the Forward Engine Monitor by trekriffic, on Flickr

Not bad. A reasonable facsimile if I do say so myself. I measured carefully to make sure the saddle would slide in underneath the lower rim of the clear bow window insert once installed:

Scratched Forward Engine Monitor by trekriffic, on Flickr

Test Fit:

Engine Monitor Test Fit by trekriffic, on Flickr

Black and red enamels were used to paint the screen of the engine monitor. The housing itself was sprayed with Tamiya Bare Metal Silver over Tamiya Matte Black lacquer:

Engine Monitor Painted by trekriffic, on Flickr

View of the passenger compartment from aft: 

View of the Passenger Compartment from Aft by trekriffic, on Flickr

I painted the shelves under the windows using a mix of Testors Light Brown and Rust enamels. Since taking this photo I cleaned up the tiny splatter drops on the chairs:

Shelves Painted Brown by trekriffic, on Flickr

To correct an error I made painting the side panels brown I repainted them with Testors white enamel:

Sidewall Panels Re-Painted White by trekriffic, on Flickr

I scratched this center support girder using Evergreen strip. The support was built in place and turned out pretty well I think:

Center Window Support by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The center window girder was painted Testors aluminum:

Centwer Window Support Painted by trekriffic, on Flickr

Jumping over to the other table for some work on the display base...

The base was primed with white lacquer then painted red-orange. Letters were cut from yellow masking tape and stuck down. I'll seal the tape edges with Future then give her an overspray with ModelMaster flat black:

Masking Tape Lettering on Base by trekriffic, on Flickr

Stay tuned! More to come!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Will definitely be using this thread as a reference when I do my own build. This is a real treat to read. Incredible work. Thanks for sharing!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks Fozzie. Glad you are enjoying this build.

Brief update...

I've noticed in looking at interior stills of the pilots looking out the bow windows that the windows have frames around them. The clear kit window insert ; however, does not have any framing. 
So I decided to make a pair of frames myself from square styrene rod using a jig. The rod was laid into the grooves then gently warmed with a heatgun to set their shape. After cooling, the frames were popped out of the jig:

Jig and Bow Window Frame by trekriffic, on Flickr

The frames were sprayed with Tamiya Bare Metal Silver lacquer over Matte Black then glued in place using 5-minute epoxy. The windows are still masked on the outside in this pic:

Window Frames Installed by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next up I started in on the pilot seats...

Here's an image of one of the seats used in the series which was actually an ejector seat from a 1960's era fighter jet: 

Spindrift Pilot's Chair from Land of the Giants by trekriffic, on Flickr

Closeup detail of the area under the armrest:

Spindrift Pilot's Chair from Land of the Giants by trekriffic, on Flickr

So based on these images I began scratch building the pilot seats. You can see I used styrene sheet and strip for the basic structure:

Pilot Seat Components by trekriffic, on Flickr

Coming along pretty well. The seat on the left has had it's armrest brackets glued in place:

Pilot Seats In Progress by trekriffic, on Flickr

Almost done. Still need to add a few more details like armrests and the base:

Pilot Seat Almost Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

You can see how small these seats are. Too small to fit any of the figures included with the kit which are close to 1/64 scale whereas the ship itself is closer to 1/76 scale. Taking some measurements of the passenger and pilot seats a figure between 1/72 and OO (1/75) scale should be just about right. I may go more towards getting some 1/72 scale figures since I may need to remove some material in order to sculp them to the final shape of the cast members. 

I'll hold off completing the pilot seats until I can stop by my LHS tomorrow and get some figures. Then I'll do some test fitting and make any adjustments.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Neat trick making those window frames. Gotta remember that one.


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

This build is WOW!!! I still have mine from the 70's!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> This build is WOW!!! I still have mine from the 70's!


I remember my first Aurora Spindrift. Spend many times playing with it in my backyard as a kid. One time I got distracted and left it out overnight. Had to pick the snails off it the next morning; thankfully, the door was closed so none slimed their way inside.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Rolling right along...

Stopped off on Tuesday on the way home from work and bought this box of 42 1/72 scale figures at my LHS. 
I selected these "Modern Urban Resisters" since they were wearing civilian clothing (mostly) and they don't have helmets which I would have had to remove to make the Spindrift crew and passengers:

Modern Urban Resisters (aka Terrorists) by trekriffic, on Flickr

The kit provided crew figure behind one of the 1/72 scale figures:

Size Comparison by trekriffic, on Flickr

Note the significant size difference. As I've said previously, The kit figures are oversized when compared to the Spindrift itself. I tried standing this kit crewmember up in one of the open doorways and he was taller than the doorway. Captain Steve Burton would smack his forehead into the top of the doorway every time if he didn't duck. 

Working on one of the seated pilots. Unfortunately none of the 1/72 scale figures were in a seated pose but some were kneeling on one knee so just had to cut off one leg and reposition it. Then had to carve and sculpt the clothing to match the pilot's jump suit. The arms will be attached later once I have the pilot in seated position in the cockpit:

Modifications in Progress by trekriffic, on Flickr

Bouncing back to the pilot seats...

Leftover brass PE fret material was trimmed to make these brass mounting plates that the armrests will be glued to. The brass gives the arms added strength:

Armrest Mounting Plates by trekriffic, on Flickr

After gluing the styrene armrests on I added some additional detailing to the back of the seats using brass rod and more plastic strip. Here are a few pics of the finished seats. They look pretty decent I think considering they are so small:

Finished Pilot Seat by trekriffic, on Flickr

Finished Pilot Seat by trekriffic, on Flickr

I did a dry run just to see how they looked in the cockpit. I think they look pretty good don't you? 

Pilot Seat Test Fitting by trekriffic, on Flickr

Test fit with the seated figure. I think I kinda nailed it:

Test Fit with 1/72 Scale Figure by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Gave the seats a shot of Tamiya Fine Surface Primer. They will be painted Titanium and Black:

Pilot Seats in Primer by trekriffic, on Flickr

Primed Pilot Seat by trekriffic, on Flickr

Primed Pilot Seat Rear by trekriffic, on Flickr

Veering off...

Decals were applied to the main control console. After they dried I gave them a second sealing coat of Future clear acrylic floor wax. Next I'll install the steering yokes:

Main Control Panel Decals by trekriffic, on Flickr

Thanks for reading along. Take care and keep an eye out for any wayward giants stumbling around.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

That chair is incredible. I don't know how you guys work on things that small!


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Fozzie said:


> That chair is incredible. I don't know how you guys work on things that small!


Been there done that it's a careful balance between caffeine & Romulan Ale.... >


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Outstanding detail work on the chairs and the figure so far.


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## kimba32003 (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi again
Wayne here from "Down Under" in Perth, Western Australia. The only thing hotter than our weather at the moment is this thread !

I tune in daily and see what intricate details have been added !

Loving the window frames, the pilot seats and in-scale cabin crew you've configured !!

EXCELLENT work, I don't have this spindrift model, but I'm feeling compelled to purchase it and use your excellent instructional thread as a template / reference !

Keep up the good work Trekkriffic and Merry Christmas to you and all readers following this !

Happy Holidays to all from Australia !

Wayne


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Any idea what actual aircraft those pilot seats were from?

Pop culture archeologists over at TrekBBS.com have just discovered that the aft landing leg on the Galileo shuttlecraft prop was a scrapped one from an F-106.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

John P said:


> Any idea what actual aircraft those pilot seats were from?
> 
> Pop culture archeologists over at TrekBBS.com have just discovered that the aft landing leg on the Galileo shuttlecraft prop was a scrapped one from an F-106.


The Irwin Allen News Network only refers to it as being from a 1960's US Air Force fighter jet but in doing a Google search for "Ejector seats-1960's era" I found this one which appears to be very close to the Spindrift seat: 

https://www.f-106deltadart.com/piwigo/upload/2014/01/25/20140125172931-30e27960.jpg

Interestingly enough... it's from an F-106 Delta Dart:

http://www.strategic-air-command.com/aircraft/fighter/images/f106_delta_dart.jpg


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Apparently, not only the best interceptor ever built, but a great source of sci fi hardware! :O


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Fantastic work! :surprise:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> Fantastic work! :surprise:


Thanks Perfesser! :grin2:

Okay LOTG fans time for a post Christmas holiday update! 

The main contol panel was sorted out...
Steering yokes were added along with a pair of microphones made from bent 28 AWG black wire. 

Main Control Panel Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

The pilto serats were sprayed with Tamiya Bare Metal Silver, sprayed with Dullcote, then rubbed with Tamiya Titanium pastel chalk. Afterwards they were sealed with more Dullcote:

Silver Pilot Seats Getting Pastel Chalk Treatment by trekriffic, on Flickr

The cushions were brushed with Testors semi-gloss black:

Finished Pilot Seat by trekriffic, on Flickr

The seats were glued in using 5-minute epoxy:

Seats Installed in Cockpit by trekriffic, on Flickr

Pilot Seats in Cockpit from Rear by trekriffic, on Flickr

Looking forward from the passenger cabin into the cockpit. You can see the small panel located under the lip of the main control panel with the red, yellow, and green, indicator lights:

View Forward into Cockpit from Passenger Cabin by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next I started in on making the crew and passengers. Here's a photo of the cast from the show:

LOTG Cast by trekriffic, on Flickr

Captain Steve Burton figure in progress. The figure's arms were pinned in place using music wire to allow them to be moved into final position during test fitting in the pilot's seat. Once in position the arms were cemented with CA:

Steve Burton Figure In Progress by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I also started the Betty Hamilton figure using the "terrorist" figure on the left. After some mods to thin and shorten them a tad I also used the model kit provided Betty's arms and legs; the hands, though, were sliced off and replaced with hands from the donor figure:

Betty Hamilton Figure in Progress by trekriffic, on Flickr

Betty is primed. I'll wait until she's ready for final paint before attaching her arms but before that I'll do a test fit in the rear passenger seat to get them in the right pose on the armrests. 

Betty Hamilton Gets Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr

Finished Steve Burton and Betty Hamilton figures. Need to coat with Floquil matte varnish to get rid of the glossiness:

Finished Steve Burton and Bett Hamilton Figures by trekriffic, on Flickr

Two down and five to go (plus Chipper the dog) assuming my eyes hold out:

Pilot and Stewardess Figures Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next up... Dan Erickson, the ship's copilot. I'm having Dan stand next to his seat looking past Steve's shoulder. 

Dan Erickson Figure Up Next by trekriffic, on Flickr

After some cleanup the figure is brushed with Tamiya Surface Primer:

Dan Erickson Figure Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr

I dunno, after Dan is painted and these three are cemented into the ship, I may take a break from figures for awhile and work on the Spindrift herself. 

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday.


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Fantastic work!!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Your figure work is blowing my mind. Wow.


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

*Nice project. Personally I built my PL spindrift out of the box, and used the same decals you did, but left it as a piece of Aurora history


Z*


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## Voyager (Dec 30, 2017)

Hi! I am a total noob at all this. Dad was into modeling before he passed and I inherited a closet full of scifi kits! Awesome for me, because I am into all that old stuff. It's neat to see Land of the Giants here. My Dad has a 16 inch vacuum formed Spindrift that I want to build. Never done this kind of model before. Still getting my seams smooth enough to not feel it with a finger nail. And I am learning to use an Airbrush. I also bought this huge Juipter 2 from Lost in Sapce - sorry about bad typos. Anyway, it's imposing. I am thinking about learning lighting for these two models. 

Sorry, didn't mean to derail this - Spindrift! I got a set of DVDs of the show. It looks like things were in shades of green and some kind of wood. Carpet, walls, cockpit panels - all greens?Hard to tell without the color correction. Did they ever do this in Bluray?

Anywho, looking forward to starting all this. Before I do the Spindrift, I am going to see if anybody has done this kit before. LunarmOdels? Anyway, resin and plastic. Looks cool! Hope you don't mind if I use your build as a guide. I have never tried scratch building before, but this one is big enough, that I want to try. I guess thats gonna take a while. I usually glue and decal. No frills.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Good luck, Voyager! Welcome to the hobby. You're starting off with big dreams there, vacuform isn't easy!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Voyager said:


> It looks like things were in shades of green and some kind of wood. Carpet, walls, cockpit panels - all greens?Hard to tell without the color correction. Did they ever do this in Bluray?


The interior walls are painted a shade of light greenish grey. ModelMaster 2049 RAF Sky "Type S" (ANA 610) appears to be a close match. For the carpeting a dark green is recommended, I used ModelMaster Euro Dark Green FS34092. The doors have a woodgrain texture as do the top surfaces and the lower part of the wall underneath the counters in the passenger cabin. 

As far as the Lunar Models kit you have there are several build posts on Google- just search under Lunar Models Spindrift. The Irwin Allwn News Network has a good build by Mark Myers with a nice interior:

Lunar Models Spindrift


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## Voyager (Dec 30, 2017)

Thank you, Trekkriffic and John P. - I figure if you don't dream big you never accomplish the best you can do. I found this set of pencil drawn Spindrift drawings based on blueprints, it says. I think they are for the shooting stage? The windows and door are in different places. Anyone know these ones? They look rough, but seem like they got the right details?

Anywho, doing screen grabs to figure out how to do all of this. I don't know that I can do as good as you, Trekkriffic, but its neat to think I can push these limits. 

The vacuum pieces are thin. Is this what makes them hard to work with? not very detailed, but the ship is mostly smooth, right? Theres only one set of parts, so I better be careful. Wish there was a way to make copies of them in case I mess up.

Happy New Years! 2018!!!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Greeting fellow LOTG enthusiasts! Time for a post-holiday  update I think... 

Glued the aft cockpit wall in place. Ended up having to shave off the top and file a slot to allow the roof to sit level though:

Aft Cockpit Bulkhead Installed by trekriffic, on Flickr

Pretty much finished the Dan Erickson (copilot) figure. Added epaulets to his jacket later on:

Dan Erickson Front by trekriffic, on Flickr

Dan Erickson Rear by trekriffic, on Flickr

Mark Wilson, the impatient businessman character...

Like the others, this character needed a lot of modifications made to the Caesar Miniatures figure. I finally gave up and decided to make the arms from scratch using styrene rod. I'll attach hands from the Caesar Miniatures figures though. I'll also remove the beard:

Mark Wilson by trekriffic, on Flickr

I made a collar for his dress shirt and added his tie:

Mark Wilson Tie by trekriffic, on Flickr

Using AVES I molded a jacket with lapels:

Mark Wilson Suit Jacket by trekriffic, on Flickr

I like how Mark Wilson turned out in his business suit. He and Steve Burton have been Future coated; they will both get a shot of Dullcote soon prior to installation in their seats: 

Finished Mark Wilson and Steve Burton Figures by trekriffic, on Flickr

Dan and Betty. I added a wristwatch to Dan's left hand. They've been sealed with Future gloss acrylic floor wax. Need to give them a shot of Dullcote to get rid of the glossiness:

Dan Erickson and Betty Hamilton Figures by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Valerie Scott, the headstrong, jet-set heiress...

Here's Deanna Lund wearing her outfit from the first episode:

Deanna Lund as Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr

I started working on the Valerie Scott figure using the leftover head and torso from the Betty Hamilton figure included with the kit. Had to file and sand on the kit figure a bit to reduce the size to 1/72 scale. Used parts from the Caesar Miniatures figures for the arms, had to shave off the sleeves as Valerie had bare arms in the first episode. I'm scratch building the legs and boots:

Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr

So that's where I'm at so far. Had to take a break for a few days to let my stiff neck get better. Spent too many hours with my head bent down working on these little figures. My wife reminded me that, at 60 years old, I should remember to take a break now and then but, it's hard when you get into "the zone"; you modellers out there will understand what that's like.

More to come as my neck now feels much better!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Got some more work done on Valerie Scott today. I'm pretty satisfied with the hair, she sure has a lot of it, as you can see in this photo:

Deanna Lund with Spindrift Model by trekriffic, on Flickr

Anyway, Miss Lund was definitely well endowed with... hair.

Here's some pics of the figure after attaching the legs and applying some AVES putty to make her lioness-like mane:

Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr

Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr

Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr

Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr

Once the putty dries I'll do some minor touching up before priming.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Watch where you put that rod, buster.


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## aurora fan (Jan 18, 1999)

The best build thread I've followed in a long while. Thank you for the extra effort to bring it to us.


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## pob63 (Jan 2, 2008)

This is an absolutely phenomenal piece of work! Your commitment to detail and craftsmanship is amazing. I salute and greatly appreciate your thorough documentation of this inspirational build.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

John P said:


> Watch where you put that rod, buster.


Yikes! I could be accused of harrasment! 

:surprise:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

pob63 said:


> This is an absolutely phenomenal piece of work! Your commitment to detail and craftsmanship is amazing. I salute and greatly appreciate your thorough documentation of this inspirational build.


Thanks a lot! Your support is much appreciated!


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Trekkriffic said:


> Here's some pics of the figure after attaching the legs and applying some AVES putty to make her lioness-like mane:


Actually only male lions have manes.

Amazing job on those tiny figures! :thumbsup:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

scotpens said:


> Actually only male lions have manes.
> 
> Amazing job on those tiny figures! :thumbsup:


Thanks a lot, and yes, I realized my error about lionesses not having manes after I posted. Doh!

:laugh:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Well RL reached out and slapped me hard in the face last week but I persevered and managed to finish a few things...

The antenna atop the upper hull behind the dome needed some work. The kit part had three arms (two opposite each other on the sides of the ball and one on the top) with round knobs while the remaining two arms on the sides were conical with no round knobs. I assume the conical arms were made that way to allow the antenna to be popped from the mold as round knobs would get stuck. 

Anyway, I resolved to replace all the arms with music wire and add round knobs made from glass beads I found at my friendly neighborhood _Michael's_ craft store (40% off with coupon):

Antenna Modifications by trekriffic, on Flickr

The plastic knobs were cut off and holes drilled for inserting short pieces of music wire into the ball:

Knob Shaft Replacement by trekriffic, on Flickr

Dividers were used to make sure the knobs would all be the same length:

Measuring by trekriffic, on Flickr

The glass beads were slid onto the ends of the music wires and glued with CA to complete the modifications. The main support shaft was replaced with music wire as well. The only plastic left is the main ball. This makes the antenna much less likely to break off any of it's tiny bits when I'm handling the model: 

Completed Antenna by trekriffic, on Flickr

After a shot of gray Tamiya primer I gave her a coat of matte black lacquer. She will eventually be brushed with Testors brass enamel prior to installation atop the model:

Antenna Painted Black by trekriffic, on Flickr

On to the Valere Scott Figure...

For Valerie I wanted to simulate the lavender with violet plaid pattern of her dress. So I brushed metallic purple enamel onto a section of leftover clear decal film and then brushed a mix of white and purple to make a light lavender over the top. After it dries for 15 minutes or so I'll go back and make stripes by scribing lines thru the top layer to expose the darker layer:

Dress Material by trekriffic, on Flickr

I gave Valerie a brushing with the same light lavender color paint I'd used for the decals:

Valerie Scott Figure by trekriffic, on Flickr

The decal dress material made a passable version of plaid. The boots even matched her dress. I gave her hair a brushing with dark brown as an undercoat:

Valerie Scott with Clothing and Boots by trekriffic, on Flickr

I used a mix of Testors rust, red, and copper to finish painting Valerie's amber red hair:

Painting Valerie's Hair by trekriffic, on Flickr

The mix of red, rust, and copper enamel was dry brushed over the dark brown. She looks nice I think:

Valerie Scott Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Her boots are actually the reverse of the dress pattern. The dresss is lavender with purple stripes while the boots are purple with lavender stripes:

Valerie Scott Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

I left her underside mostly unfinished as I will be applying epoxy to that area to hold her in her seat:

Valerie Scott Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

I added a matching lavender banded wristwatch to her left arm like Deanna Lund wore on the show. At least, I think it was a wristwatch:

Valerie Scott Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

Painting the eyes and mouth was challenging but I am quite pleased with the outcome. She even has Danna's heart shaped face. I added some subtle blush to her cheeks for a finishing touch:

Valerie Scott Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next up... foolish, greedy, nervous, on-the-run bank robber Alexander Fitzhugh...

Fitzhugh by trekriffic, on Flickr

Pull yourself together man! Need to find a head. Will have to make him more portly using AVES Apoxy Sculpt:

Alexander Fitzhugh - Pull Yourself Together Man! by trekriffic, on Flickr

More to come and thanks for all your comments. 
Also, thanks for everyone's support and kindness in this sad time for me. 
Life goes on but I sure miss my little kitty.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

That Valerie figure is simply amazing. WOW!


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

I agree, great work on Valerie and a very informative description on how you did her plaid dress etc.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Amazing! :O


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## pob63 (Jan 2, 2008)

This just keeps getting better. Your methodical approach, profound attention to detail, and thorough documentation of this incredible build makes me wonder whether you’re an incredibly talented scale modeler or just some guy caught in the maddening grip of extreme micro-mania. Either way … great work.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks for the comments guys! pob63, the answer to your question is... a little of both I think.

Here's this morning's update after putting in a couple of hours on Sunday....

I added the decals to the rear cockpit wall for the speakers, passenger status indicator panel over the door, and the door controls. I also cemented Steve and Dan into position:

Cockpit with Pilots by trekriffic, on Flickr

I keep thinking Dan is just coming back from the restroom:

Dan Erickson Standing by trekriffic, on Flickr

I decided to have Dan Erickson standing with his seat at an angle so you could get a good view of the seat thru the bow windows:

Dan and Steve from Above by trekriffic, on Flickr

I positioned Steve Burton's hands as close as I could to the control yoke handles:

Steve Burton at the Controls by trekriffic, on Flickr

I glued the remaining ceiling girders in place with 5-minute expoy:

Support Girders by trekriffic, on Flickr

I laid a few strips of matte aluminum bare metal foil along the center of the accordion doors to the closet. In the pilot episode Fitzhugh goes into the closet to check his gun and you can see him grabbing the metal latching strip to close the accordion doors so they were not just curtains:

Closet Accordion Doors by trekriffic, on Flickr

The closet wall with the accordion doors was glued in place with epoxy. Still need to clean it up a bit and putty the seams along the sides:

Closet Wall by trekriffic, on Flickr

Lastly for the day, I attached Fitzhugh's legs and gave him a potbelly using AVES Apoxy Sculpt. I even added his tie which will be painted black. Need to finish adding his lapels before I glue the briefcase (seen on the right) onto his chest:

Fitzhugh and Briefcase in Progress by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next thing will be attaching Fitzhugh's arms (they will be clutching the briefcase tight) and his head. Then I'll give his shirt a collar. Then more putty for his corpulent face and hair. I'll also start work on the translucent ceiling panels and wiring up the LEDs for interior illumination.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Amazing work, Trekriffic! I wish I could do such precision work at that scale!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Moving right along...

Finished assembling Alexander Fitzhugh and puttying him with AVES to give him his girth and double chin:

Fitzhugh WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

Fitzhugh WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr


Finished painting Fitzhugh. Here he is clutching his valise filled with stolen cash just like like in the pilot episode. 
His epaulets were done using black decal film over which I painted gold stripes. He's been sealed with Future and sprayed with Dullcote:

Fitzhugh Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

Fitzhugh Clutches His Briefcase by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next up... a boy and his dog...

Chipper and Barry by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

I'm amazed at how much he looks like the character considering the tiny scale.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Fozzie, IIRC, didn't you do a Spindrift build from scratch at one time? Seeing how Trekkriffic is detailing this really small build, I am astonished! His hand and finger control must be really phenomenal! Really amazing work!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

charonjr said:


> Fozzie, IIRC, didn't you do a Spindrift build from scratch at one time? Seeing how Trekkriffic is detailing this really small build, I am astonished! His hand and finger control must be really phenomenal! Really amazing work!


No, that wasn't me. I've got a Spindrift in the closet though, waiting it's turn!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Fozzie said:


> I'm amazed at how much he looks like the character considering the tiny scale.


Thanks for noticing. I'm definitely trying to capture a decent likeness of the actors.

Not a lot to report for this update. Got sidetracked by RL. Refinishing upstairs and downstairs cabinets this past week. 

Anyway, I did manage to get Barry Lockridge (the boy) put together. The main challenge with Barry is his smaller size relative to the other passengers. Every part had to be shaved down a tad, all except for his head. A child's head is proportionally larger than an adult's :

Barry in Primer by trekriffic, on Flickr

Barry Lockridge by trekriffic, on Flickr

After brushing with Tamiya lacquer primer:

Barry Lockridge by trekriffic, on Flickr

I little rough looking to the DSLR's eye but he'll look fine after painting. 

Next up is Chipper, the dog. I think the easiest thing would be to make him out of epoxy putty; I'll probably break out the Tamiya epoxy putty, it's stiffer than AVES and will hold detail better. Found this good profile shot of him:

Chipper by trekriffic, on Flickr

Before I place him in Barry's lap though I'll paint Barry's shirt and tie, jacket, and pants. 

Saty tuned!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Got into a sculpting groove and made some good progress on Chipper. 
Still have some tweaking to do which these photos showed me...

Can you see the dog?

Barry Lockridge and Chipper WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

Barry Lockridge and Chipper WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

How about now?

Barry Lockridge and Chipper WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

Barry Lockridge and Chipper WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

Certainly by now:

Barry Lockridge and Chipper WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

Chipper WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

I've already done some more sculpting after these images were taken. Removed a fair sized chunk out of Chipper's mid-section (between Barry's knees) and did some more texturing on his hair. I may go back and add a bit more hair above his eyes using Tamiya epoxy putty again. Best stuff to work with for fine detail and it's still soft enough for me to add texturing even after curing overnight.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

You continue to amaze with this build. Barry & Chipper look great!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Fozzie said:


> You continue to amaze with this build. Barry & Chipper look great!


Thanks Fozzie. I added some more "hair" to Chipper's head and muzzle. May still add a bit more but he's nearly ready for paint.

Here are the other passengers taken with a better lighting setup on my workbench. I've been tweaking them a little adding shadows and highlights to their faces, hands., and arms. Valerie got a subtle mascara added to her cheekbones made by mixing metallic purple and cream with thinner. I also gave her dress and boots a light wash with purple. Fitzhugh got a light 5 o'clock shadow by mixing cream with a tiny bit of black and thinner. Same with Mark. Betty got a light pink wash and highlighting with cream mixed with a tiny bit of red on her cheekbones. 
She's had a few coats of future so her face has this luminosity to it. 
Looking at her and Valerie. their faces have this quality seen in old movies where the beautiful woman has a soft glow about her. 
I think that's called a soft filter. 
They used it a lot on TOS Trek too. 
Anyway, it's a neat effect seeing thru transparent layers on their faces gives their complexions depth...

First up, Valerie Scott, the headstrong jet-setting heiress:

Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr

Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr

Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr

Valerie Scott by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Here's Mark Wilson, the impatient millionaire engineer... Ready to leap up out of his seat... 

Mark Wilson by trekriffic, on Flickr

Mark Wilson by trekriffic, on Flickr

Mark Wilson by trekriffic, on Flickr

Mark Wilson by trekriffic, on Flickr

Mark Wilson by trekriffic, on Flickr

He looks rather monkey-like doesn't he? More from the side than from other angles maybe. 
I made his arms and legs slightly longer than normal to show his hands gripping the ends of the seat arms and have his feet on the floor; so that contributes a lot to the simian aspect I think. 
Well I still like the overall pose and he is sort of like a mixed media "art" sculpture to a minor degree so I think I'll just leave him as is. 
The only thing I might do is repaint his sideburns a little.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

So here's the boy and his dog after I reworked Chipper's head a bit more. I added a tiny strip of styrene down the bridge of the dog's nose as he was kind of flat. Then I used Tamiya epoxy putty to add more hair to his bangs and to his muzzle. I also created a little tiny ball of epoxy to make his button nose. Some filing and sculpting with my dental tools and a day later, Chipper was ready for final paint. First he was brush primed, then he was and painted with mixes of beige, grey, black, white, brown and mixes of all of the above. 
Here he is before painting or I think this was the first layer of white and black:

Barry and Chipper by trekriffic, on Flickr

Finally I'm done with figures! Time to jump into wiring and lighting the interior! Yeah!


Here's the LED wiring for the upper hull:

LED Wiring by trekriffic, on Flickr

A couple of light tests:

Light Test by trekriffic, on Flickr

Forward Light Test by trekriffic, on Flickr

More to come!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Having just seen a couple of episodes in the last week, I have to say that your Mark Wilson looks darned good. I think you got his body proportions just right.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks Fozzie!

Here are the finished pics of Barry and Chipper. I painted Chipper a mix of white, grey, black, and a little tan...

Barry and Chipper Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

Barry and Chipper Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

Barry and Chipper Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

Barry and Chipper Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr

Barry and Chipper Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

OK. Back to the Spindrift...

A basic ceiling grid pattern for the cockpit was made from strips of adhesive backed aluminum tape. I watched stills from the show to get the spacing right on the panels closest to the bow:

Roof of pilot's cabin by trekriffic, on Flickr

The ceiling fits into a slot in the widow frame in front. The fit is pretty good and test fitting showed no interference with the top of the hull:

Ceiling Test Fit by trekriffic, on Flickr

From watching the pilot episode I knew the corridor had lighting panels I so duplicated that look:

Light Panels in Corridor by trekriffic, on Flickr

Closeup showing the LEDs that will light up the corridor and pilot's cabin. The single LED is wired in parallel with the 12V LED strip using a 470 ohm resistor. :

Upper Hull Cabin LEDs by trekriffic, on Flickr

Here's a test of the main LED in the back of the pilot's cabin. With this LED and the two forward the cabin will be well lit:

Light Test - Pilot's Cabin by trekriffic, on Flickr

The corridor lights up well to reveal our lovely leopard print accordion closet doors:

Light Test - corridor by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Onward to wiring the passenger cabin lights. There will be three LEDs per side wired in series with a 150 ohm resistor:

Passenger Cabin LEDs by trekriffic, on Flickr

Prior to soldering I protected the styrene plastic using aluminum foil:

Strips of Foil by trekriffic, on Flickr

After soldering, Liquid electrical tape was brushed over the entire assembly. 

Insulating Solder Joints by trekriffic, on Flickr

2mm cool white flat head style LEDs were used. These will light up the passengers really well:

Passenger Cabin LEDs by trekriffic, on Flickr

Port Side Passenger Cabin Lights by trekriffic, on Flickr

Fitzhugh light test. Wanted to see how the light shined on one of the passengers:

Fitzhugh Light Test by trekriffic, on Flickr

Fitzhugh Light Test by trekriffic, on Flickr

More to come!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Glued the figures to their seats in the passenger cabin...

Mark Wilson, Valerie Scott, and Barry Lockridge. Glued in with 5-minute epoxy:

Passengers Glued into Seats by trekriffic, on Flickr

Passengers Overhead from Rear by trekriffic, on Flickr

Passengers Overhead from Rear by trekriffic, on Flickr

The observant LOTG fan will note that I switched Barry and Chipper from one side to the other side of the cabin. I did that because I wanted Chipper's face to be visible thru the window.

Betty Hamilton and Alexander Fitzhugh:

Stewardess and Passenger Glued into Seats by trekriffic, on Flickr

Betty and Fitzhugh by trekriffic, on Flickr

Betty and Fitzhugh by trekriffic, on Flickr

Window View by trekriffic, on Flickr

Nice overhead shot:

Barry and Chipper, Valerie, and Mark by trekriffic, on Flickr

More window shots:

Another Window View by trekriffic, on Flickr

Another Window View by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Nice view of Dan's backside:

View from Rear of Cabin by trekriffic, on Flickr

Overhead of the whole lower hull:

Overhead of Spindrift by trekriffic, on Flickr

Trouble Ahead!

Lit Cabins by trekriffic, on Flickr

Light Test by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Man, that is sweet!


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## pob63 (Jan 2, 2008)

Best Spindrift EVER!!! Your figures are just phenomenal and their likeness to the characters is simply amazing.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

pob63 said:


> Best Spindrift EVER!!! Your figures are just phenomenal and their likeness to the characters is simply amazing.


Thanks! I really wanted to suggest the appearance of the actual characters.


Light Test...

Light Test by trekriffic, on Flickr

Ceiling grid panels in place. These will be glued in place with epoxy:

Ceiling Grid Panels by trekriffic, on Flickr

I lit the center ceiling panel by holding it under my worklight but it will not actually be lit once the model is sealed up:

Passenger Cabin by trekriffic, on Flickr

The rear wall and storage cabinet/locker at the back of the passenger cabin were glued in place using epoxy and CA:

Rear Wall Installed by trekriffic, on Flickr

Back of Passenger Cabin Left Side by trekriffic, on Flickr

Back of Passenger Cabin Right Side by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

:surprise:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Somebody tell me if John's okay? Did he pass out? Oh worry...


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Trekkriffic said:


> Barry and Chipper Finished by trekriffic, on Flickr


Just don't bring up the topic of his sister.:surprise::freak:

Seriously, FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC WORK!!! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! :thumbsup:


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## edge10 (Oct 19, 2013)

Trekkriffic said:


> Somebody tell me if John's okay? Did he pass out? Oh worry...


He's just shocked that you miniaturized one of his beloved sheepdogs.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Mine was bigger!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

John P said:


> Mine was bigger!


Jeez John did you swipe your pooch from the ... Land of the Giants? 
Or maybe it's just that you are a tiny man? 
Hmmmmmm... 

Greetings again fellow LOTG fans. Got a lot done last week while I was off work. 
Not everything went so smoothly; I had to tear the top parts of the hull off and the lower half re-glue them after gluing them down. 

The first time was because the passenger cabin window insert on the starboard side broke free from the inside of the upper forward hull piece. I'd glued it in with epoxy but with the curvature of the hull and some flexing it experienced while I was gluing it down (with Testors cement and CA) to the lower hull the epoxy broke loose and the insert slid down into the hull. So I ripped the hull apart, found the rogue clear insert and glued both in with more epoxy followed by Gorilla Glue which is polyurethane based. It's their brown glue. That stuff foams up as it dries so you want to be careful and not get carried away with it. Once that dried I had a hard as rock bond and the inserts stayed put without further incident.

The second time I had to rip off the back upper hull after sealing everything up. I did a light test and half the engine flashers were out! Also, the lights at the front of the ship above the pilot's control console didn't work!??? So I pulled her back end apart and totally rewired the Tenacontrols board wires and the circuits for the pilot cabin lights, oh, and the dome on top of the ship would only stay on for about 5 seconds before going out! After re-wiring it stays on for about 30 seconds. Anyway, it always comes back on again when I first turn on the power. I think the problem is I forgot I had soldered a resistor onto the dome LED circuit early on during this build and mistakenly attached a second resistor further on down the line when I started soldering the wires to power. So the dome LEDs have twice the number of resistors than it should have. Still, 30 seconds gives me enough time to snap photos with the light on so not a total disaster. The pilot cabin circuit was intermittent due to a bad solder joint. It was fixed and the lights stayed on. Now the hull is glued back together and I am engaged with sanding the putty I needed to use to close some rather hideous seams. 

Anyway, here are some photos to bring you guys up to date...

The first test fit of the aft upper hull went well...

Aft Upper Hull Test Fit by trekriffic, on Flickr

Using .015 clear styrene sheet I cut a bulkhead to run down the center of the aft "engine bay". Holes were drilled in it for LED mounting. I left the anti-scratch film on it to act as a diffuser:

Center LED Wall by trekriffic, on Flickr

A rectangle of clear red styrene was trimmed to fit the aft passenger cabin light wall:

Red Transparent Styrene by trekriffic, on Flickr

Placing the clear red panel behind the wall and holding it up to the light makes for a nice red glow:

Passenger Engine Glow Wall Lit by trekriffic, on Flickr

Two Red LEDs will attach to Tenacontrols Board and slowly pulse up and down. Here is the underside of the panel after coating with liquid electical tape. The panel will mount low on the wall behind the long storage cabinet at the back of the passenger cabin:

LEDs for Aft Glow Wall by trekriffic, on Flickr

The panel was covered with aluminum tape and glued between the clear bulkhead and the engine glow wall:

Pair of LEDs in Place Behind Wall by trekriffic, on Flickr

Panels were cut from clear red styrene sheet using paper templates. Elmer's clear craft glue works well to glue them in place behind the engine exhaust vents:

Clear Red Panels for Engine Vents by trekriffic, on Flickr

Gorilla glue was used for added strength to hold the passenger cabin windows firmly in place. The glue expands like a foam and dries rock hard. Only a little is needed:

Windows Glued Into Upper Forward Hull by trekriffic, on Flickr

The passenger cabin windows were masked and the edges sealed with Future to protect them during the next steps. A fine black enamel paint pen was run along the inside of the frames to look like black weatherstripping:

Window Masking by trekriffic, on Flickr

Lots of wires to be soldered. Here I use "helping hands" to hold an LED up tight to the wire while I solder it to the positive leg:

Soldering by trekriffic, on Flickr

More to come...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I created a slanted shelf by bending the diffuser panel plastic at an angle. The panel was made from milk jug plastic and sits behind the red clear panel that attaches to the back of the wall at the rear of the passenger compartment:

Tenacontrols Board Placement by trekriffic, on Flickr

This is how the bow looks after you glue the back end of the forward upper hull to the lower hull. The upper hull needs to be forced down over the top of the window frame in the front to try and cover this large gap:

Upper Bow Window and Grill Seam by trekriffic, on Flickr

Engine lights...

Six LEDs wired in parallel - three on each circuit. The black wire is common while the Tencontrols flasher board has two white wires for each of the two circuits. This is actually the second set of 6 LEDs I soldered for the engine glow effect. The first time I used the red LEDs that came from Tenacontrols but a few burned out over the course of soldering all these wires so I ended up replacing all six LEDs using some high brightness clear white LEDs I had gotten at Radio Shack awhile back:

LEDs Wired for Engine Glow Effect by trekriffic, on Flickr

The LEDs in place in the "glow wall". The white LEDs will glow brighter than the original red LEDs:

LEDs Mounted in Wall by trekriffic, on Flickr

The two forward and two aft facing LEDs got semi-opaque Glide dental floss tubes slipped over them to even out their glow:

Floss Tubes for Diffusion of White LED light by trekriffic, on Flickr

I wasn't getting enough brightness in the engine compartment which prompted me to add two sections of white LED strip to the upper and lower hull halves at the aft end of the model. I tried to be careful not to overpower the pulsing LEDs with the strips:

Supplemental LED Strip by trekriffic, on Flickr

Additional LED Strips by trekriffic, on Flickr

After having to tear loose the glued upper hull due to issues with the engine and pilot cabin lights discovered after I had sealed up the hull (before redoing the wiring) then regluing the upper hull halves after the repairs/changes were made was not a pretty sight. I can see hours of puttying and sanding ahead for me:

Horendous Seams by trekriffic, on Flickr

More to come...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The saga continues...

The gap in the upper hull and window frame was closed about 75% using Plastic Surgery glue and holding for about 1 minute. More glue was then run along the seam for added strength. 
The next step is using putty to complete the contours:

Bow Under the Hood by trekriffic, on Flickr

Did I say there was putty in my future? Nice holes on view in these shotsght:

More Ugly Seams by trekriffic, on Flickr

Another Nice Hole to Fill by trekriffic, on Flickr

Engine exhaust vent masking:

Engine Exhaust Vent Masking by trekriffic, on Flickr

I used Tamiya Basic polyester putty to fill and gaps and re-sculpt contours. This dried and was sanded with a medium grit sanding stick:

Puttied and Sanded by trekriffic, on Flickr

More Purrty and Sannding by trekriffic, on Flickr

Still more sanding to do but I wanted her tailfin attached so I could putty some gaps at the front tip of it:

Spindrift Gets Her Tail by trekriffic, on Flickr

To fill in the area under the nose above the grills and window ports I used AVES. This is the first application of two to cover the seams and give this area the proper contours as seen in profile images of the Spindrift model and the blueprints:

First AVES Putty by trekriffic, on Flickr

Close by trekriffic, on Flickr

A thin styrene strip was glued to the AVES where it meets the window frames and grills. The last layer of AVES will be laid down over the strip leaving a nice clean edge:

Styrene Strip by trekriffic, on Flickr

More to come...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The second layer of AVES was laid down and feathered into the edge of the strip using dental tools:

Second Layer of AVES by trekriffic, on Flickr

The new nose profile. This closely matches the angle of the nose as seen in photos and some blueprints:

New Profile by trekriffic, on Flickr

AVES was also used to bridge the gap between the upper hull halves. The channel the fin slides into had to be bridged by sculpting the putty to match the channel:

Scupting the Tail by trekriffic, on Flickr 

That's it for now (did I hear a sigh of relief?). 
Just spending time sanding before applying some primer, then a coat of black for light blocking, then a shot (or two) of white primer then a few coats of yellow before applying finishing orange coats and decaling. 
Think I'll attach her to the stand first though. 

Stay tuned Giants followers!


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## Rcat (Nov 16, 2017)

I really wish MOEBIUS would do a 1/32 scale spindrift !


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Rcat said:


> I really wish MOEBIUS would do a 1/32 scale spindrift !


*Ducks and covers...*


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Decided to unmask the bow window ports in case any of the tape had come unsealed along the edges. Was planning a quick re-masking with fresh tape before priming when I noticed one of my worst fears.... Both windows had a tiny bit of "crap" on the inside surface??? It was quite clearly visible; and the model was now most truly and assuredly sealed up. 
No way to remove it.


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## MartyS (Mar 11, 2014)

Trekkriffic said:


> Decided to unmask the bow window ports in case any of the tape had come unsealed along the edges. Was planning a quick re-masking with fresh tape before priming when I noticed one of my worst fears.... Both windows had a tiny bit of "crap" on the inside surface??? It was quite clearly visible; and the model was now most truly and assuredly sealed up.
> No way to remove it.


Hate when that happens, had it happen on my big Eagle, only one little spot but right in the middle of the window. :crying:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Soooooo.... anyway, here's a photo of the funk on the windows:

Junk by trekriffic, on Flickr

I was not going to stand for that so...

I removed the clear window plastic using a scribing tool and Tamiya mini-photo-etch saws:

Window Removal by trekriffic, on Flickr

With the windows out I decided to take some photos of the cabin with the lights on:

Pilot's cabin roof by trekriffic, on Flickr

Pilot's Cabin Lit without Windows by trekriffic, on Flickr

Making replacement windows using Evergreen .015 clear styrene sheet. Have to be careful not to scratch them during installation:

Making New Windows by trekriffic, on Flickr

Stay tuned!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Update for today...

I used this technique in my Apollo 11 Eagle build to separate the two glass (?) panels in the upper docking window port of the LEM. Only that time I used red adhesive backed vinyl strips. I cut thin strips of black sticky backed vinyl thin enough to fit along the back edge of the bow window rims, leaving enough room for the clear styrene window plastic to fit inside the rim up against the vinyl gasket:

Adhesive Backed Vinyl Paper Makes Gaskets by trekriffic, on Flickr

Starboard window install...

The inside of the frame was coated with Elmer's clear craft glue. Then I removed the tape on the backside of the clear plastic pane and cleaned it with alcohol and a clean cotton shirt. I left the masking tape in place on the outside of the window to protect during installation:

Starboard Window Installed by trekriffic, on Flickr

Satisfied it was clean I gently placed the window pane into the frame; then over a few minutes I adjusted its position inside the rim. I also gently held down the edges as the glue dried:

Starboard Window In Place by trekriffic, on Flickr

Both bow windows glued in place:

Both Bow Windows Glued In Place by trekriffic, on Flickr

Masks removed...

I'll lay in some more of the clear craft glue. That stuff is great for windows being water based and clear:

Mask Removal by trekriffic, on Flickr

Need to remask the bow windows after the putty dries around the frames then she'll get a shot of black to hide any remaining light leaks., then grey primer, followed by white primer, followed by yellow, followed by orange. Think I'll airbrush all of these layers to avoid many thick layers from a rattle can:

Spindrift So Far by trekriffic, on Flickr

Dorsal fin detail...

I was happy with how this turned out; extending the sidewalls of the channel the fin slides into so it continues on in a smooth line where the hull breaks:

Dorsal Fin Detail by trekriffic, on Flickr

One more gratuitous profile shot...

Spindrift So Far by trekriffic, on Flickr

Oh God... I still, need to finish the stand...


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## kimba32003 (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi Trekkrific
I've been keenly following your updates and have been so impressed with your work to date.
I'm in awe with your attention to detail on such a miniature model, so accurate and succinct to your finest abilities as everyone has attested to !

You've been a bit quiet lately though with no recent posts, I hope all is well and it's just a matter of "life/ reality/ real world matters" that have impeded your regular posts ?

I think we all know what that's like !!!!!! REAL life / daily scenarios, can clog us down from conducting our dream hobbies and "time" is always an instrumental tool that can elude us.

I, myself, am working on a VERY ACCURATE model of the Sydney Opera House at the moment, but haven't touched it in over a month !!!!

I've been keeping a photo "dialogue" of it's progress and will start a new thread to display my work on this BRILLIANT building and model !
I am biased with this project, I was born and raised in Sydney,(now living in Perth, Western Australia, for over 30 yrs), but have always been in awe of this iconic building which is so globally recognised !.... but I digress...………

Looking fwd to many more of your posts when you are able !

Cheers
Wayne
Perth, WA


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## fluke (Feb 27, 2001)

This build is simply amazing! BRAVO!! :thumbsup:


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## AJ-1701 (May 10, 2008)

fluke said:


> This build is simply amazing! BRAVO!! :thumbsup:


Yep I concur to the power of 10. Nice tip on making the windows too.:thumbsup:


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## Bubba 123 (Sep 10, 2010)

Trekkriffik,

Try; the "Canned-Air" Duster, w/ wand.. used on computers. electronics, ect..
You Might get Lucky on getting the crud off inside of windows... (??)


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Bubba 123 said:


> Trekkriffik,
> 
> Try; the "Canned-Air" Duster, w/ wand.. used on computers. electronics, ect..
> You Might get Lucky on getting the crud off inside of windows... (??)


Thanks Bubba but I already replaced the bow windows with new clear styrene plastic.

Anyway, it's been almost two months since my last post and not much progress to report. 
Most of my time has been devoted to coordinating improvements to my house. 
So dealing with a lot of upheaval with new flooring, new countertops in the kitchen and baths, 
and new interior wall paint. 
Thankfully we're in the home stretch so hope to see a return to normalcy in the near future. 

In the meantime here are the last set of pics showing the Spindrift in various stages of priming, 
puttying and sanding, more priming, and more sanding, she's got a coat of white primer on her now.
Anyway, here goes...

I masked the windows with Tamiya masking tape and brushed on some Future to seal around 
the edges to keep paint from bleeding under the tape:


Bow Windows by trekriffic, on Flickr

I brushed on some liquid Tamiya grey primer then sanded smooth again:


More Primer by trekriffic, on Flickr

The grills and window frames got another brushing with Tamiya primer after puttying:


Brush Primed Windows by trekriffic, on Flickr

She got a shot of flat black Testors enamel for light blocking:


Black Spindrift by trekriffic, on Flickr

Testors silver points out any remaining flaws that need to be addressed:


Silver Spindrift by trekriffic, on Flickr

Here she is just after spraying with Testors matte white enamel. 
After this she gets a coat of yellow followed by Italian red:


White Spindrift by trekriffic, on Flickr 


Closeup of Bow by trekriffic, on Flickr

More to come... soon I hope...


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Looking good! :thumbsup:


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## Radiodugger (Sep 27, 2011)

Great job!

Doug


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks guys. Hope to get back to this soon. My wife bought me an airbrush paint booth, this one:

https://www.amazon.com/OPHIR-Portab...41695&sr=1-3-spons&keywords=spray+booth&psc=1

But it arrived with a bad LED light strip on the left side so we sent it back. She wants to be sure we get our credit before re-ordering so this project is on hold until then. Once the replacement booth arrives I plan on shooting her with Insignia Yellow followed by Italian Red. Then some light sanding to remove any rough spots or drips before she gets her final coat of paint.

In the meantime, I've been spending time working on my graphic novel, "The Battle of Sherman's Planet" which features my USS Abaddon dreadnought. It's turning into quite the story- sort of like a lost TOS episode. 

Anyway, I want to thank everyone for their patience and for hanging in there with me. 

I hope to complete this build before we get our new cat. I have a feeling I may need to spend some more time in the house rather than in the garage working on models for awhile, at least until he/she settles in.


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

Your build is priceless! You've inspired me to dig out my Trylon Productions Spindrift Detail Sets for the cockpit and passenger cabins (long out of production) and am currently finishing painting those for assembly during the winter months. I look forwards to your next entry and am following closely.
Incidentally, I was the illustrator for the Lunar Models Interior Instruction sheets, and only guessed that the oblong box in the back of the passenger cabin was an Air Conditioning unit. I have come to realize that it was, indeed, a luggage compartment.
Thanks for the inspiration!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Seaview said:


> Your build is priceless! You've inspired me to dig out my Trylon Productions Spindrift Detail Sets for the cockpit and passenger cabins (long out of production) and am currently finishing painting those for assembly during the winter months. I look forwards to your next entry and am following closely.
> Incidentally, I was the illustrator for the Lunar Models Interior Instruction sheets, and only guessed that the oblong box in the back of the passenger cabin was an Air Conditioning unit. I have come to realize that it was, indeed, a luggage compartment.
> Thanks for the inspiration!


Thanks Seaview. I would have gotten that Trylon detail set myself if it had still been available; would have saved me a lot of scratch building work, although I'm quite happy with how my seats turned out. Nice to know someone is still following this thread after so much time. The new airbrush booth should be arriving early next week so I'll be getting back to this build soon. 
Thanks for staying tuned in!


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## kimba32003 (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi Trekkriffic

Don't worry about people hanging in there for you updates please ! I'm "Down Under" here in Perth, Australia and you are the only reason, for months, that I keep logging on Daily …. hoping for more articulate, detailed, photo-journalistic, progressive updates of your brilliant model making of such a great kit !

I've waited so long for your latest progressions, and am still amazed with your precision and attention to detail, I'm truly blown away with your progress and so thankful for your narrative as you recreate such a perfect specimen of such a great organically shaped ship from the stores of Irwin Allen.

I'm so looking forward to your closing chapters and pictorial diary of one of my favourite space craft, the Spindrift, please keep up your attention to detail and pictorial diary. It's a base and an obvious reference I will use in future when I get around to doing my own version. Love your work so much and have gained so much knowledge and invaluable information on tooling, adhesives, masks, and so much more, as I'm sure others have too !

Love your work and still await to see more !

So much thanks to date for the experience so far and with more to come, I'm so looking fwd to seeing it through to the end as you share your journey, progress and knowledge of the build ! Thank You so much from "Down Under", Wayne, in Australia !


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks Wayne. Glad to know you appreciate the time and effort I put into my builds...

Well the airbrush booth arrived a few days early so I assembled it this morning:


New Airbrush Booth by trekriffic, on Flickr

This is a portable booth and folds up into a case which I can't foresee me doing anytime soon so after unfolding it I snapped the LED bars into place and lined the interior surfaces with heavy bond watercolor paper which I taped to the walls and ceiling. Should make cleanup a lot easier:


Airbrush Booth Front by trekriffic, on Flickr

I gave the Spindrift a quick going over with canned air and, now satisfied it was free of dust, placed it onto the painting stage. I also got a set of these yellow triangular blocks to lift the model up:


The Spindrift Ready for Yellow Coat by trekriffic, on Flickr

Here she is after spraying the upper hull with Testors Flat Yellow. I'll give it a day to dry before spraying the underside:


Yellow Spindrift by trekriffic, on Flickr

After the yellow coats have dried and been lightly sanded she'll get her final coats of Italian Red. 

Thanks for reading and sticking with me for all these months everyone!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Flipped over and preparing to spray with Testors Flat Yellow enamel:


Preparing to Spray Yellow by trekriffic, on Flickr

The underside oversprayed with Testors Flat Yellow:


Spindrift Underside in Yellow by trekriffic, on Flickr

Spindrift Canary:


Spindrift Canary - Middle Color by trekriffic, on Flickr

Canary on her nest:


Canary On Her Nest by trekriffic, on Flickr

Spindrift Tweety Bird:


Spindrift Canary by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next...

Final (?) Coats


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Here are the other photos from yesterday...

When my Italian Red "enamel" turned out to be acrylic (?) I went to plan B and used Testors Grapefruit, at least for the first "final coat". This has a slight brick red aspect to it so may need to lighten her up a bit. But a nice orangy-red I think:


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr 


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr

Reversed vertical and horizontal-wise. Top to do next. Grapefruit dreams...


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

It looks very 60's psychedelic at present! Groovy!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks Seaview. I always thought they should have had a lava lamp in the restroom. Hey maybe they did! We never saw it after all. 

Anyway...

Flipped her over and sprayed the top Grapefruit:


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr

Dried a day then wet polished with 8000 grit sanding film:


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr

Thinned the Grapefruit a little more to get a final smooth, even coat:


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Final Coats by trekriffic, on Flickr

Next she gets gloss coated then I remove the masking tape.


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## lunadude (Oct 21, 2006)

How are you liking those tetrahedron paint standoffs?


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

lunadude said:


> How are you liking those tetrahedron paint standoffs?


They are great! Painter's Pyramids they're called. I got them from Amazon when I bought the booth. 

I found this image of the packaging online. You get a pack of 10 for around 5 bucks from Walmart. 


Painters Pyramids by trekriffic, on Flickr

You can also buy them in a pack of 4 with Grabbers to keep the pyramids from sliding off the turntable or work surface:

https://www.simplygoodstuff.com/pyr...y_vmtrnKfZooH957Q4VY1Ee-cpp0jx0RoCg90QAvD_BwE

I just taped mine down to the paper I afixed to the top of the turntable in my booth.


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## RetiredMSgt1701 (Nov 17, 2015)

*Huge fan!*

Hey Steve,

Been a bit since I posted here, but I wanted to let you know I am a huge fan of your work - I even stalk you on multiple forums! (Is that a good thing or not?!:grin2

Anyway, I learn so much from you and your techniques; especially from a classically trained artist's POV.

Keep going and posting on this build and any others you may have on the bench. Once I get my "C" done, I will be following your lead and posts on the 350 TOS E.

Hang in there and keep up the great work!

The Other Steve

BTW, thanks for the post on the painters pyramids. I will probably pick some up. Just a thought - how would they fair, do you think, if they were bonded to a lazy susan of some sort? (Assuming I dont' get the paint booth with a turntable in it.  )

Me again.


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Great work, man!!!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

RetiredMSgt1701 said:


> BTW, thanks for the post on the painters pyramids. I will probably pick some up. Just a thought - how would they fair, do you think, if they were bonded to a lazy susan of some sort? (Assuming I dont' get the paint booth with a turntable in it.  )
> 
> Me again.


Hey Steve. I think the pyramids would work well on a Lazy Susan. You'd definitely want to stick them down somehow. I just used scotch tape myself. Two-sided tape would work too. Or you could use a hot glue gun. Not sure abotu bonding them. They are a vinyl plastic so most glues won't stick.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> Great work, man!!!


Thanks Chris. Thanks for hanging in there.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Well she's finally out of glosscote phase after unmasking and cleanup. Next will be applying the stripe and logo decals and attaching the antenna and bow "sensor probe/tow rod". Then final clearcoats. Then I wire her to the stand. Not too much longer... heh-heh ...

Gave her her first shot of Model Master Glosscote:


Spindrift Unmasking by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Unmasking by trekriffic, on Flickr

Yipee! I had tested all the lights and they all worked before I masked the model but there is always that moment of trepidation when you unmask months later:


Spindrift Dome Light Test by trekriffic, on Flickr

Front Grills Unmasked. I'll leave the windows masked until the decals are done and the final finish coats are applied:


Spindrift Unmasking by trekriffic, on Flickr

Engine Intake Grills Unmasked and Cleaned up. Glosscoted:

Spindrift Unmasked by trekriffic, on Flickr

Rear engine grills needed minimal cleanup and just some light touchup with Testors Flat Steel and Flat Grapefruit enamels:


Spindrift Unmasked by trekriffic, on Flickr

I wrapped tape on the end of the sensor/towing boom neck and the ends of the tail fin to keep from abrading them while I remove the masking tape and film. Took me over an hour to remove it all what with all the layers of paint:


Spindrift Unmasked by trekriffic, on Flickr

She has a shark-like aspect doesn't she?


Spindrift Unmasked by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

So far, so good. is there any readily available screen-like item that can be used for scratch-building the grid work inside the dome? I tried using the garage kit decal on a flat piece of clear plastic, but it dissolved and shredded when sliding off the paper backing.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Seaview said:


> So far, so good. is there any readily available screen-like item that can be used for scratch-building the grid work inside the dome? I tried using the garage kit decal on a flat piece of clear plastic, but it dissolved and shredded when sliding off the paper backing.


I couldn't find anything that looked like the engine grills so I tried cutting an oblong section from a retired splatter screen used to cover skillets; you know, to keep hot grease droplets off your stove. But it created a crosshatch pattern under the dome when lit from underneath, sorta cool but not really screen accurate, so I abandoned that idea. 
Whatever you use it should to match the hole pattern of the engine grills. You might just take one of the engine grill parts down to your local hardware store and see what they have in screen material. Another possibility would be some type of air/furnace filter but the pattern would have to be pretty small to fit the scale of the model.


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

Thanks, I'm thinking of doing that this afternoon. Stay indoors today; as the crow flies, I'm about 50 miles to your south, and the air quality is as bad here in the Santa Cruz mountains as it is in Fremont.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Seaview said:


> Thanks, I'm thinking of doing that this afternoon. Stay indoors today; as the crow flies, I'm about 50 miles to your south, and the air quality is as bad here in the Santa Cruz mountains as it is in Fremont.


Yep. Trying to stay indoors as much as possible. It's so hazy you can't even see the East Bay hills.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

After more thought I decided to unmask the windows in order to do any touchup work around the frames before doing the decaling. All in all it went pretty well. Just some minor touchup was needed with the Grapefruit hull color. Also retouched the grills flanking the bow windows and the window frames with steel enamel. 

Of course, with the tape removed, I powered her up and took some quick photos of the passengers and crew with the cabin lights on...

The kit passenger cabin window plastic causes some distortion but you can see the figures clearly if you look at the right angle. If I ever built this kit again I'd go with thin clear styrene like I ended up using for the cockpit.

Fitzhugh and Betty:


Fitz and Betty by trekriffic, on Flickr

Valerie, Barry, and Chipper:


Valerie, Barry, and Chipper by trekriffic, on Flickr

Valerie's arm and better view of Chipper the dog:


Valerie's Arm and Chipper by trekriffic, on Flickr


The much thinner clear styrene plastic I replaced the kit windows with for the pilot's cabin gives a clear undistorted view into the cockpit.

Steve Burton:


Steve Burton by trekriffic, on Flickr


Steve Burton at the Helm by trekriffic, on Flickr


Steve and Dan Lit by trekriffic, on Flickr


Steve Burton by trekriffic, on Flickr

Dan Erickson:

Dan Erickson by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Nice draws on the focal points. :thumbsup:


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## Captain Han Solo (Apr 5, 2002)

Beautiful work!!!!


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Amazing work! How you did this at this scale is frankly hard to fathom. Congratulations on a job I could not have done!!


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Just... wow!


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## pob63 (Jan 2, 2008)

Best Spindrift EVER!


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

pob63 said:


> Best Spindrift EVER!


Absolutely!


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## aussiemuscle308 (Dec 2, 2014)

awesome work. that's some amazing detailing that makes this build stand out.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Decaling in progress...


Decal Bits by trekriffic, on Flickr


Tailfin Decal by trekriffic, on Flickr


Dome Decal by trekriffic, on Flickr


Taifin Decal by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Dorsal by trekriffic, on Flickr


Nice Arse!

Spindrift Stern by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## kimba32003 (Dec 17, 2008)

STUNNING !!!!!! What more can I say !


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

You got a perfect finish on that paint job. :thumbsup:


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

I am in awe of the results so far of this project! I'm very curious, did you scratch-build a cover for the eave of the bow to cover the seam between the main view port and the point, or did you putty it in?


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Seaview said:


> I am in awe of the results so far of this project! I'm very curious, did you scratch-build a cover for the eave of the bow to cover the seam between the main view port and the point, or did you putty it in?


I puttied the seam with AVES. Then after it dried I glued a thin styrene strip along the edge along the top of the window frame and the grills one each side. Then I applied more AVES until I had the nose profile I wanted. Then I sanded smooth.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The decaling is almost done. I had a few spots where the stripes needed touching up; fortunately, I had another set of the decals I'd ruined 
by spraying with too much decal bonder. They had wrinkled. 
Still, they were suitable for cutting up into bits and applying as patches on the decal stripes on the model. 
Once overlaying the stripe I lightly brushed with Solvaset to get them to blend together. 
All in all the big chevron stripe on the hull went on without much incident; I took my time between Mikro Set and SOL brushings before 
tamping it down tight using a sponge and cotton swab. 
Last she got a brushing with Solvaset. 
Once it's dry I can go back and do the final "C" insignia decals on each site above the passenger windows. 
Then a day or two to dry before spraying with a fresh can of Glosscote to seal. 

Applying Solvaset with the brush in the top. Best stuff for tightening decals down. 
Just leave it alone for at least 15 minutes before touching the model:


Spindrift Decaling by trekriffic, on Flickr

A passable job I think...


Spindrift Decaling by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Masking the window ports before making sure she was clean and dust free I readied her for her final gloss coats to seal the decals...


Spindrift Decal Sealing by trekriffic, on Flickr

Nice stern glossiness:


Spindrift Decal Sealing by trekriffic, on Flickr

And the beauty shot:


Spindrift Decal Sealing by trekriffic, on Flickr

I'm after more of a satin finish though so she'll get a single shot of Dullcote to bring down the shine.


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## kimba32003 (Dec 17, 2008)

Brilliant !


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Hm. maybe it's time for a repop of this kit, with some tweaks for fit, include the correct dome and some other stuff. I mean since we're unlikely to ever get that larger scale kit that is often demanded


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## Larvinator59 (Jul 3, 2016)

Beautiful build! 

I wouldn't mind a remastered Spindrift the same scale as the Aurora/Polar Lights, but with corrected hull shape, dome, and accurized interior. The Spindrift shape is enigmatic and wonderfully retro.


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## Hunk A Junk (Jan 28, 2013)

I agree. A re-pop with just a corrected top bubble wouldn't quite cut it for me, I'm afraid. (And no disrespect intended to the awesome work in this thread) The Spindrift is like the 5-footer Falcon in that it's proportions are the key to it's visual appeal (for me). I'd get an accurate retooled Aurora-sized kit in a heartbeat if one was offered.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

It is indeed a beautiful build. the paint work looks spectacular!

Isn't there supposed to be some thingamajig sticking up between the dome and fin root? 


I guess that leads to my foolish question: Just what is wrong with the old Aurora kit? I know about the incorrect dome (and how did THAT happen?) and the interior is pretty much a lost cause, but (as stated) is the kit off, proportion and shape-wise? It seems OK to my eyes but then again I thought the old Seaview and Flying Sub kits were pretty good until I 'learned up'


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## Hunk A Junk (Jan 28, 2013)

I'm no Spindrift expert by any means, but generally the studio model has more graceful curves from the front window "mouth" (for lack of a better term) across back under the door and windows to the engine section. I believe the Aurora kit (and now the Polar Lights) is based on the live action set that has a flatter line underneath the door and windows. The Aurora kit builds up beautifully (as we've seen) but there are some subtle difference to the studio model. These pictures, I think, show it.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Thanks, Hunk! It's always been a fascinating design, completely counter-intuitive to it's stated purpose yet manages to 'sell' as a functioning craft. The constraints of the stage and (I think) being a shell for the interior sets informed some of the choices, I'm sure. I wonder how we'd think about it if they had gone forward with repurposing the Jupiter II sets and model (per the sales promo sizzle reel). OTOH maybe Aurora would have made that Jupiter II (nee Spindrift) kit and we'd be doing endless builds 'backdating' the model 

There was a rumor long, long ago that the front, or at least the central part, of the Spindrift was the external piece from the Flying Sub set, and that's why the 'Aquafoil' in City Beneath the Sea had red window frames. It seems logical but I'm sure there's an obvious reason why that couldn't be true.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Steve H said:


> It is indeed a beautiful build. the paint work looks spectacular!
> 
> Isn't there supposed to be some thingamajig sticking up between the dome and fin root?


You mean this guy? I remade the antenna back on Page 2. 

Antenna Painted Black by trekriffic, on Flickr

Thanks for the compliments guys. I'd heard about that curvature difference between the Aurora kit and the studio model. Personally I like the look of the kit better.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Actually I think puttying and feathering the upper hull cowling into the lower hull at the edges of the front grills imparts a tad more curvature to the lines of my Spindrift:

Spindrift Canary - Middle Color by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I always thought the Moebius Spindrift was more accurate than the old PL/Aurora kit, mostly because Moebius got the dome right and added the towing boom at the front , but in comparing it to the Polar Lights kit it appears Moebius is no more accurate then the Polar Lights kit: 

IMG_2062-1 Starboard Profile by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Hunk A Junk (Jan 28, 2013)

Since the studio model doesn't match the full-size set -- and the Aurora seems based more on the full-sized set -- the Aurora's curves aren't "wrong." The Aurora is just slightly boxier, to my eye. Tastes may vary.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Yes, the kit is a combo of the set and the shooting model. The boom in front is not for towing. It is a radar ball according to the Fox blueprints. Given the model was shown a handful of times throughout the series, it is understandable that the "knuckle", the outer edge of ship wasn't that noticeable. Rare to see edge on. She looks great from all the different angles.


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

It is important to note that the Studio Miniature made no allowance for the door to slide open without intruding into the forward passenger window. This is why the Aurora artists used the full-sized set as their basis, although the full set piece did NOT have a full tail fin, but only a small "dorsal fin" behind the dome and antennae.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Seaview said:


> It is important to note that the Studio Miniature made no allowance for the door to slide open without intruding into the forward passenger window. This is why the Aurora artists used the full-sized set as their basis, although the full set piece did NOT have a full tail fin, but only a small "dorsal fin" behind the dome and antennae.


That's interesting and I hadn't even really noticed until I looked back at the pic of the miniature. Huh. So what did Aurora do, add a quarter inch or something to the hull length? 

It looks like the design got boxed in. Is there a chance that, like the Gemini 12 the door was an afterthought on the miniature? It appears there's no provision to have an open hatch and I don't recall any good pics of the entire crash/camp site (with canopy and tables and so on) where an open hatch would be logical, just the inevitable "giant stumbles over the ship in the woods and bends down or picks up" scenes where it's just the miniature sitting on the stage floor.


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## Hunk A Junk (Jan 28, 2013)

I'm shocked -- SHOCKED! -- that the designers created a sci-fi spaceship with moving parts and internal arrangements that couldn't possibly work in the real world. :laugh:

I'd happily sacrifice the playability of a workable door for studio model accuracy on a larger Spindrift kit, but I might be in the minority on that.


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

The funny thing is Aurora did duplicate the hatch spacing so that it also ran into the passenger window, just like on the model. The full size one made an allowance to let the hatch open completely, out of necessity. I can just imagine the door being stuck, about 4/5ths open, after the crash. Forcing our characters to squeeze sideways through the hatch opening!

I just watched the tour video at the beginning of the thread. Interesting that the narrator hazarded the scanner ball to be a towing rig. Especially, since the Spindrift was designed without landing gear. I suppose if the story called for it, they would have added a set, like on the Flying Sub. I imagined the ship hovered at the airport and landed on a cradle of some sort. At least, I used to. Looking at commercial jet development, it's amazing how much was packed into a 727 or 737 in order to make them capable of landing on short strips anywhere in the world. Almost self-sufficient, excepting the need for fuel.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

So after applying a few shots of Model Master Semi-Gloss Clear, I let the model cure for a day; then I attached the Spindrift to her aluminum display tube...

First I fed the electrical wires from the hole in the underside of the ship thru the mounting tube:


Feeding the Wires by trekriffic, on Flickr

The hole in the underside is actually composed of a short piece of Evergreen plastic tubing glued into the hole flush to the surface of the model. The styrene tube collar glued with CA to the top of the metal tube will glue to the styrene tube in the model using Testors model cement. 

After smearing Testors tube glue inside the model's ventral mounting tube I slid the display tube into the opening nice and snug before placing the assembly into my Panavise for the glue to cure:


Spindrift with Aluminum Display Tube by trekriffic, on Flickr

Anyone notice I re-masked the windows? I didn't want any of the clearcoats getting on the clear window plastic you see.

Here I am holding my little beauty in hand after the glue has dried. I gave her a few stress tests to make sure the glue was holding. No problems were encountered as this was basically a styrene to styrene weld joint. Rock solid :


Spindrift in Hand by trekriffic, on Flickr 

Next step is feeding the wires into the wooden base then epoxying the tube in the model onto the next smaller diameter tube in the base.Then it will be time to solder the wires to the power jack and the two slide switches.


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

A masterful build! This is a fiberglass Spindrift in Studio scale, about 35" long. It was patterened after the full sized set, not the hero miniature.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Seaview said:


> A masterful build! This is a fiberglass Spindrift in Studio scale, about 35" long. It was patterened after the full sized set, not the hero miniature.


Wow! What a beautiful model!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Update... 

Two switches soldered to a common M series power jack. One switch operates engine and cabin lights and the other operates the bow headlights:


Wiring the Base by trekriffic, on Flickr

I'll take some better pictures later as she isn't quite done yet. Still need to touch up around the sides of the base where I attached the wooden bottom panel to it with wood glue.
Anyway, just thought I'd post these almost done pics for now...


Spindrift Powered Down by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Powered Down by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Powered Down by trekriffic, on Flickr

Left switch operates cabin lights, right switch operates bow headlights. M series power jack in center for 12V DC power:


Spindrift Base Power Jack and Switches by trekriffic, on Flickr

Upper antenna in place. Fits nice and snug without glue:


Spindrift Upper Antenna by trekriffic, on Flickr

Bow antenna probe:


Spindrift Bow Antenna Probe by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Lights On!


Spindrift Light Test by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Light Test by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Interior and Bow Headlights Lit by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Pilots Lit Up by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Passengers by trekriffic, on Flickr


Spindrift Fitzhugh and Betty Windows by trekriffic, on Flickr


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Beautiful work, man! :thumbsup: Your model could be shown on the program and be more realistic than the model they used.


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## kimba32003 (Dec 17, 2008)

Brilliant work, have been following this thread for months and have never been disappointed. Just brilliant, looks so seamless and perfect, an inspiration and setting a challenge for us all to match your attention to detail, patience and professional approach to any and all models we tackle ! Thank you so much for your photographic, detailed diary build of such a great model !
Wayne
Perth 
Western Australia !


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## Seaview (Feb 18, 2004)

Bravo, Trekkriffic! Your craftsmanship is every bit as inspiring as *************'s work on his Seaviews!
Job very well done! Congratulations!!!
-Peter C.
Ben Lomond, CA


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