# 1/1000 Romulan BOP



## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I'm building this for a group build over at the FSM forums.

It's a simple kit but very well engineered. The fit is outstanding.


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

:smile2:*Beauty!*
-Jim G.G.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I was going to light it, but the wings have no room for wires. 



















Some here could do it, but I figured this one will be straight OOB.

This is the wings just snapped into place. As I said the fit is fantastic!


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## larskseme (Sep 2, 2014)

mach7 said:


> As I said the fit is fantastic!


You are right, this is a great kit. Easy to put together, as you said incredible fit. You can obviously go crazy like Trekkriffic did this spring and light, panel, etc, but looks great right OOB with no necessary add ons. It's also a great entry point for a kid or someone looking to get back into the hobby.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Yah, I just went back and reread Trekkriffic's build. Incredible what he did with this kit.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I sanded the seams today. Not too much to do as the fit is so good.
Then I got a coat of primer on it.

Here it is at the edge of our galaxy!



















The instructions call for the main body to be painted silver. It always 
looked grey to me.


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## edge10 (Oct 19, 2013)

That really comes together nice. You may have shamed me in to finally building mine.

They are cheap anyway, I can always buy another.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

mach7 said:


> ...The instructions call for the main body to be painted silver. It always looked grey to me.


When I was younger I thought it was white, but watching the reruns as I grew older I realized it looked more grey than white. And in the remastered episodes it looks silver. So paint it whichever color you think looks best. After all, it's your kit and the only person you have to ultimately please is you.

But I'd go with grey.


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## GSaum (May 26, 2005)

I painted my BOP a metallic gray. I painted the warp domes a light peach color. I really liked how it turned out. My only minor complaint with this kit is one I have with every Romulan BOP kit: the bird decal is too orange IMHO. I prefer a look that is more screen accurate, and the original BOP had a bird that was a much softer orange. Either way, I went with the decal that came with the model and it still looks great.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Thanks. 

I don't really consider the remastered effects accurate, but thats me.

The original looked light grey to me, so in I'll probably go with that color.
I have some light camo grey that might end up the final color.

I had to clean up a few seams. I did that and put a coat of grey primer
on it today. I'll give it a light sanding tomorrow and see where I stand.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

This is from Trekcore. Original effects, it does look a little metallic

And this from the Bird of the Galaxy site.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

mach7 said:


> The original looked light grey to me, so in I'll probably go with that color. I have some light camo grey that might end up the final color.
> 
> I had to clean up a few seams. I did that and put a coat of grey primer
> on it today. I'll give it a light sanding tomorrow and see where I stand.


After thinking about it some more I seem to remember reading somewhere years ago that Wah Chang delivered the Romulan Bird of Prey filming model to the studio coated only in grey primer, and that the studio added the bird graphic but otherwise left it as it was. Does anyone else remember that?

Great photos, and they illustrate the point GSaum made about the color of the bird graphic being softer/lighter/more pale than the decals that have been issued with these kits over the years.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Zombie, I never heard that story but it makes sense. 

And yes, You can see the softer orange in those photo's.

I sanded the ship today. I think it is ready for the first topcoat.


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## edge10 (Oct 19, 2013)

It looks like the exhaust pipes are silver but the rest is perhaps the grey primer.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I was walking through ACE hardware today and I saw a Rustolium titanium paint. I figure titanium would work, a dull grey metal. I gave it a try.

It came out terrible. Shiny with flecks in it. 



















I'll re prime it tomorrow.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

mach7 said:


> I was walking through ACE hardware today and I saw a Rustolium titanium paint. I figure titanium would work, a dull grey metal. I gave it a try.
> 
> It came out terrible. Shiny with flecks in it...


That does look more like the "remastered" Bird of Prey than the original, but if you think it might work for the silver "exhaust pipes" as Edge10 mentioned above you could mask them off before you re-primer it. Or is it too dark in person for that?


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Back to square one. Re primed.



















I did not like the silver for the exhaust tubes so I painted over the 
whole ship.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I used aluminum tubing on mine for the nozzles, I even used my dremel and a rat tail file to thin the walls as they were a little too thick. Bit of a chore to do but it was worth it in my opinion. Also though, I was lighting it so didn't want any light showing thru a seam in the kit nozzles. 
Since you aren't lighting yours that's not such as issue.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I reviewed your build before starting mine. How you fit everything in was amazing!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks! I started out wanting to do a nice, simple OOTB build but one thing led to another and I ended doing a lot more work than I'd planned on. Seems to happen that way a lot for me.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

This thing is fighting me!



















I picked up some Tamiya silver leaf today and you see the results.

I figures sanding the Krylon and then re priming would be enough. 
I was wrong. the crazing is bad.

Back to square 1.

I'll sand tomorrow then re-prime. Then sand and prime again.
Hopefully that will work.


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

I'd give it an overnight soak in something like Purple Power, that will remove everything down to bare plastic.


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## RossW (Jan 12, 2000)

What primer are you using? Seems like Tamiya paint is reacting to it.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

robn1, thats a good idea. I never thought to use purple power. 

RossW, I'm using Tamiya primer.

I've run into this before with Krylon, I should be ok with a sanding and another coat of primer.
This one a little thicker. The last coat was just a thin coat.

If not I'll be looking for the purple power!


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Sanded and washed again.


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## RossW (Jan 12, 2000)

If you're using Tamiya primer (great stuff), what's the Krylon for? It's probably the Krylon that's the problem.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

RossW said:


> If you're using Tamiya primer (great stuff), what's the Krylon for? It's probably the Krylon that's the problem.


go back and re read post 15.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

The repriming did not help. Still has crazing. 

I'll pick up some purple power Tuedsay and give it a good soak. Then I can start over with clean plastic.


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## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

mach7 said:


> The repriming did not help. Still has crazing.
> 
> I'll pick up some purple power Tuedsay and give it a good soak. Then I can start over with clean plastic.



I've used purple power before and it works great on enamels.

I've never used on Tamiya primer (or other lacquers) before.

Hope it works (I'm not being sarcastic).


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

ClubTepes said:


> I've used purple power before and it works great on enamels.


On "fresh" enamels, maybe. I tried to strip a kit with 45-year-old enamel paint on it a few years ago, and it barely made a dent. I switched to Easy-Off and got better results after several applications, but some of that thick hand-brushed enamel still wouldn't budge. No one will ever be able to convince me enamel paint isn't durable stuff!

On a semi-related note, Purple Power is great for stripping chrome-plated parts.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Well that did not work at all!

I could not find purple power anywhere.
I soaked it in full strength simple green for 48 hours, Nothing.
The paint is just as strong as ever.










plan B, oven cleaner. 

I'll let this dry for a few days first.


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## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

Have you tried using brake fluid or Castrol Super Clean?


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## Rahn (Jun 2, 2009)

I've had good results with Testor's Easy Lift Off (ELO).

It seems very similar to brake fluid.


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

Simple Green is another product I've heard being used for this. I've only ever used Easy Off oven cleaner, on Testors enamels, and it worked. But be careful and wear rubber gloves, that stuff ate my fingerprints off. Also in my case Easy Off only took a few minutes to soften the paint, and it softened the plastic a bit too. It hardened back up after a while so it was fine, but if it was left to soak longer it could have been bad.


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## Owen E Oulton (Jan 6, 2012)

robn1 said:


> Simple Green is another product I've heard being used for this. I've only ever used Easy Off oven cleaner, on Testors enamels, and it worked. But be careful and wear rubber gloves, that stuff ate my fingerprints off. Also in my case Easy Off only took a few minutes to soften the paint, and it softened the plastic a bit too. It hardened back up after a while so it was fine, but if it was left to soak longer it could have been bad.


He says he tried Simple Green and it did nothing.


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## publiusr (Jul 27, 2006)

A good franken-ship might be to use parts of this ship in-laid into the larger original AMT BoP, to make that as a larger USS Vengeance type version with the 1/1000 detail atop the raised section of the original kit.


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## robn1 (Nov 17, 2012)

Owen E Oulton said:


> He says he tried Simple Green and it did nothing.


Yes, I can read :wink2: Which is what prompted me to point out that SG usually works.


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## GSaum (May 26, 2005)

At this point, maybe you should scratch this kit and purchase another copy? It sucks to have to fork out money on another kit, but eventually you'll spend that money in chemical removers. At that point, use might as well just buy another kit and keep this one around for spare parts or kit bashing. Just a thought.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

GSaum said:


> At this point, maybe you should scratch this kit and purchase another copy? It sucks to have to fork out money on another kit, but eventually you'll spend that money in chemical removers. At that point, use might as well just buy another kit and keep this one around for spare parts or kit bashing. Just a thought.


Your exactly correct, but I can be stubborn.

In all likelihood thats probably what I'll end up doing, but I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

I'm going to call this frustrating build done.

I ended up going with a light grey color. It covered well enough.

This finished as just ok, the kit itself is very nice. My goofs painting it
caused all the issues.

The decals while better than R2 decals in the past, were still delicate and broke
in a few places.


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## edge10 (Oct 19, 2013)

A long journey but she did finish up nice!


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## larskseme (Sep 2, 2014)

I know it was frustrating at time, but she looks great. I especially like your nacelle bussards and exhaust.


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## MartyS (Mar 11, 2014)

Very nice, are those the black windows decals or did you drill holes? I added raised windows to mine and it took soo many hours.


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## Milton Fox Racing (May 27, 2014)

Did you ever find any Purple Power? If not I highly recommend Super Clean for tampo, decal, or paint removal. It doesnt even leave detrius - I have no ideal where the removed stuff goes, but it didnt damage plastic or metal - after even a week in the soaking test containers! :cheers2:


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Thanks everyone.





MartyS said:


> Very nice, are those the black windows decals or did you drill holes? I added raised windows to mine and it took soo many hours.



Decals. They give 2 versions.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Milton Fox Racing said:


> Did you ever find any Purple Power? If not I highly recommend Super Clean for tampo, decal, or paint removal. It doesnt even leave detrius - I have no ideal where the removed stuff goes, but it didnt damage plastic or metal - after even a week in the soaking test containers! :cheers2:


No I never found it. Amazon has it.

I just kept priming sanding and painting until I got an acceptable surface.
It took a while.


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