# Klingon D7 Battle Cruiser by AMT -1/650 scale



## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

So the other day I got the bug and cleaned up my work bench...










And my airbrush and spray can station...










And broke out this bad boy...


















Yes! Those dastardly Klingons! 
I always loved the predatory shape of the Battle Cruiser; still the most badass Trek villain ship in my opinion, maybe not the most powerful, but no ship conveyed a feeling of bad intentions quite so well as the D7. 
I must have built a half dozen Enterprises as a lad but only built one of these as a kid and that one included grain-of-wheat bulbs which this reissue does not. The box says it comes with improved parts. Couldn't tell by me. I think the main thing is they got rid of the chrome piece that fit behind the impulse deck grill on top of the engineering section. And there are no clear green bits for lighting the command "bulb" anymore. Other than that it's pretty much the same kit as I grew up with. 

First thing was to lay out the parts. Yep. Everything is here...










The decal sheet now includes windows which is nice...










I don't like the look of chrome plating so much so I soaked the parts overnight in Super Clean to remove it...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The chrome parts after soaking overnight... all clean!










Next I removed the parts from the trees and tackled some helacious pour stubs on the engineering hull pieces. 
A few passes with my scribing tool did the trick...










Not bad. Just need a little touch up with a sanding stick...










This screen printing on the inside of the lower hull should sand off pretty easily...










All the parts cleaned up and ready for more...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The first thing I wanted to do concerned the inside of the deflector tunnel; you now, the "mouth" at the bow of the ship. 
Now I know some out there may say, "Deflector tunnel? No way! That was a torepedo launcher!" 
Well that's fine if you want it that way but I never saw the Klingons ever fire a torepdo from it when the original series aired back in the day so, 
for me and this build, it's a deflector tunnel. 

Anyway, the kit part has a tapered spike in the center which is OK but not particularly accurate to what I see in this photo:










So I cut off a piece of 3/32" round brass rod and turned it in my dremel using needle files to shape it...










The result was pretty close. Good enough for government work anyway...










Here's the new antenna next to the deflector housing. You can just see the conical spike in the center...
alas poor spike, I knew you well... well, not THAT well...










More to come. Thanks for reading!


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## BOXIE (Apr 5, 2011)

Nice work are.I look forward to further updates.Live long and prosper.


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

I think I might get one of these bad boys. It's been decades since I built one.


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## GT350R_Modeler (Sep 6, 2005)

Awesome!


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

zenomorp said:


> Awesome!


Heartilly seconded.:thumbsup:


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

I don't know why they chromed the parts, the kit I have from 1991 does not have chromed parts, but do have the green clear parts.


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## Steve H (Feb 8, 2009)

Well, 'F' me, I have NEVER seen a pic of the deflector tunnel in such close detail before!

Seems to me that's some potential aftermarket there, a new back piece for the tunnel with the correct spike and a plant-on box. Or something. 

Man, looking at the parts laid out brings back so many memories. 

Also, nice work area! Seems compact but adaptive.


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## Tiberious (Nov 20, 2001)

I absolutely love what you're doing here. I had a ball (and pulled out a lot of hair) with this kit. For the first time I did the two-toned treatment and I'm pretty happy with it despite a few jaggies. I look forward to watching this build.

Tib


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Trekkriffic said:


> The box says it comes with improved parts. Couldn't tell by me.


Starship Modeler's review of the kit has a comprehensive list of the tooling improvements. Some of the details are now more accurate to the filming model.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Trekkriffic said:


> ...I always loved the predatory shape of the Battle Cruiser; still the most badass Trek villain ship in my opinion, maybe not the most powerful, but no ship conveyed a feeling of bad intentions quite so well as the D7.


I concur. I love the design of the Romulan Bird of Prey, but it doesn't evoke the same sense of menace as the D7. I'm looking forward to seeing your continued progress!


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

Can you still here that music when the D-7 appeared?

duh...Duh...DUH,DUH,DUH...duuuuh....


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Lloyd Collins said:


> I don't know why they chromed the parts, the kit I have from 1991 does not have chromed parts, but do have the green clear parts.


I built the kit in the mid 70s and it had chrome parts and the clear green "eyes". I guess the current kit is "more accurate" but I was disappointed to see it retooled. The biggest change I can see aside from the loss of the eyes, is the large screen on the front box on the hull top (I don't know the parts of the ship). The original kit had an open grill and a chrome plastic insert that went behind it. The detail was pretty sharp. The current kit has this all molded together and IMHO the detail is blobby and not as good as the old parts.


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

KUROK said:


> Can you still here that music when the D-7 appeared?
> 
> duh...Duh...DUH,DUH,DUH...duuuuh....


:thumbsup:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

scotpens said:


> Starship Modeler's review of the kit has a comprehensive list of the tooling improvements. Some of the details are now more accurate to the filming model.


Thanks for the link scotpens. Yes. I can see where the underside "bumps" on the command eck show more detail now. Harder edges. IIRC the old kit "bumps" were much softer. And the "stairsteps" on the sides of the deck do look more accurate. As far as the detailing onthe rear of the nacelles, I thought the old kits had chrome bits for the raised lines? It's fuzzy in my memory though. 
Regardless, I like what I see with this reissue.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Steve H said:


> Well, 'F' me, I have NEVER seen a pic of the deflector tunnel in such close detail before!
> 
> Seems to me that's some potential aftermarket there, a new back piece for the tunnel with the correct spike and a plant-on box. Or something.
> 
> ...


You can thank Gary Kerr for that pic. I have several images from different angles that he took. 

And yes, "adaptive" is a good term to describe my work area! :thumbsup:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

BOXIE said:


> Nice work are.I look forward to further updates.Live long and prosper.


Thank you sir!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

zenomorp said:


> Awesome!


Thanks a lot!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> Heartilly seconded.:thumbsup:


I'm blushing!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Tiberious said:


> I absolutely love what you're doing here. I had a ball (and pulled out a lot of hair) with this kit. For the first time I did the two-toned treatment and I'm pretty happy with it despite a few jaggies. I look forward to watching this build.
> 
> Tib


Yep. I'm definitely going for the multi-tone look with this one. 
I'll finally be able to use that spray can of Krylon "Celery" enamel I bought last year. The first KBC I built as a kid was box plastic grey.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

scotpens said:


> Starship Modeler's review of the kit has a comprehensive list of the tooling improvements. Some of the details are now more accurate to the filming model.


A couple of things that article does not mention is that R2 eliminated the molded in windows on the bulb and replaced them with decals and second R2 made the 'intakes' more acurate by eliminating the grill detail on the kit.
Look forward to following this thread.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

irishtrek said:


> A couple of things that article does not mention is that R2 eliminated the molded in windows on the bulb and replaced them with decals and second R2 made the 'intakes' more acurate by eliminating the grill detail on the kit.
> Look forward to following this thread.


Yeah. Funny thing is R2 included window frame outlines on the front of the command deck above the bulb but no window frame details on the bulb itself. 
I don't mind the lack of detail on the impulse grill as I'm not lighting it; otherwise, I'd have to drill out the recessed gaps and put some kind of tinted clear plastic behind it. If they had done that on the K't'inga that would be a problem since it needs to be lit to be accurate.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Today's progress...

So I was looking at this screen grab of the original D7...

http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/_.../en/images/5/52/D7_battlecruiser,_profile.jpg

And I kept thinking, "The nacelles sure do look longer in the pic than the ones in the kit." So I pulled out a triangle square and taking some measurements off Agatha Chamberlain's blueprints drew a line from the top point of the wing in the diagram at right angles to the slope of the wing and determined that the kit part was about 1/8" too short. 

So I cut off the back angular part of the nacelle from the long straight section and added two pieces of .060 Evergreen sheet stryrene stacked together and glued to the ends of the nacelles. I didn't have 1/8" thick styrene so had to stack 'em...


























After it's good and dry I'll shape the plugs with file and sanding sticks followed by surface putty and more sanding until you can't tell I added them.

Here are the parts I worked on today:










The "jelly bean" bridge module was glued together after I first drilled out the holes where the little "knobs" went and filled them with red acrylic rod turned down in my dremel to fit the holes.
For the deflector antenna assembly I cut a piece of round .060 Evergreen to the diameter of the back of the deflector tunnel and drilled a 3/32" hole in the center. The brass antenna was glued in place with CA and brushed with Mr Surfacer. I also drilled out and removed the old kit spike from inside the tunnel itself.

Later this evening I'll take a stab at shaping the nacelle plugs. It's about 72 degrees in the garage so it should be dry by 5. 
It's actually warmer out there than in the house with the big windows in the garage door letting in lots of sun today.


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

They are KLINGON! They have inaccuracies? LET THEM!!

heh


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Excellent info and work there! :thumbsup:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> They are KLINGON! They have inaccuracies? LET THEM!!
> 
> heh


Yes. The Klingons are very touchy on the subject. I have to do all my work when they are passed out from drinking too much blood wine! 
It's amazing I can even hear myself think with the racket their snoring makes.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> Excellent info and work there! :thumbsup:


Thanks PC! :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

djnick66 said:


> I guess the current kit is "more accurate" but I was disappointed to see it retooled. The biggest change I can see aside from the loss of the eyes, is the large screen on the front box on the hull top (I don't know the parts of the ship). The original kit had an open grill and a chrome plastic insert that went behind it. The detail was pretty sharp. The current kit has this all molded together and IMHO the detail is blobby and not as good as the old parts.


All I remember is that the "grill" piece on the old AMT kit always had lots of flash in the openings between the slats that had to be tediously filed and sanded away. Also, there were too many slats. The new piece matches the filming models.


Link


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

The 'intakes' I was reffering to are located on the leading edge of the main body wings, sorry about that.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Today's report...

Nothing too sexy as I'm at the glue, putty, and sand stage.

The nacellee extensions were filed and sanded to shape then covered with Tamiya Basic polyester putty...










The antenna was installed in the back of the deflector tunnel. I also added the little rectangular bit above the antenna in the tunnel that you can see in the studio model photo...










The tunnel was glued into the starboard half of the command bulb...










The nacelles were sanded then given a good brushing of Mr Surfacer 1000 before more sanding...










The command boom halves were glued together with Testors cement (the black squeeze bottle). I used my seam scraper to clean up the glue that squeezed out between the seams before applying Tamiya putty...










The bulb after sanding, adding a little AVES Apoxy Sculpt around the rim of the tunnel to toughen it, letting dry overnight, sanding, applying Mr Surfacer, and sanding some more...










Even though I'm not lighting this model I still sprayed black lacquer to the inside of the "manta ray" engineeering hull halves to block any external light from shining thru from the opposite side; this is especially important for photography if you are backlighting a subject. Not photographed but I did the same to the inside of the command boom...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The command deck was light blocked and glued together. I used Tamiya putty on the front, sides, and back edges then sanded smooth before applying Mr Surfacer. Then I sanded some more...



















The stair steps along the front sides of the command deck had a noticeable gap along the top edge so I filled with AVES and smoothed with a sculpting tool. Little, if any, sanding should be needed...










The kit included some parts left over from the previous release of the kit that are no longer required for this more screen accurate version. 
Most notable are piece 100 which was the chromed insert that fit behind the impulse deck grill vents and part number 105 (4 pieces),the power pod inserts...










The port nacelle after the rear angular bit was glued back on and end cap was glued on the back...










Next thing is to glue the engineering hull halves together but first I want to attach the command boom to the front of it and reinforce the glue joint from the inside with some brass rod; some type of locking retainer clip thingy; and some epoxy putty maybe for good measure. 

Thanks for reading!


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## GT350R_Modeler (Sep 6, 2005)

Looks great! :thumbsup:


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

There is much honour in this thread!


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

Is it done yet?


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

So yesterday I glued the command deck and bridge dome to the top of the command bulb. Then I puttied any gaps with AVES. I also glued the ridged louver bits and "surfboard to the base of the boom. Then I glued the boom's neck to the engineering hull with added reinforcement of the boom joint (as mentioned previously) before gluing the top and bottom of the engineering hull together. I also built the impulse engine/hangar deck housing and puttied it. Then I took my scribing tool and an xacto saw and cut off one of the engine nacelles from the winglet. More details and pics later.


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

It's later.....


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Lloyd Collins said:


> It's later.....


Troublemaker!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

PerfesserCoffee said:


> Troublemaker!


Lloyd didn't get his nap time today. And he got no snack or juice box either!


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Trekkriffic, I apologize for not seeing this build sooner but lately I've been a bit obsessed with Enterprises. :lol:

You are doing an amazing job making this one look more accurate! When it's finished it'll, no doubt, look like the studio model. I can't wait to see it painted.

Mike.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

crowe-t said:


> Trekkriffic, I apologize for not seeing this build sooner but lately I've been a bit obsessed with Enterprises. :lol:
> 
> You are doing an amazing job making this one look more accurate! When it's finished it'll, no doubt, look like the studio model. I can't wait to see it painted.
> 
> Mike.


Thanks a lot Mike. What you're doing with your 1/650 TOS Enterprise is amazing.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

*Here are the latest updates...* 

I glued the command pod parts together:










The boom was puttied and sanded then glued to the front of the engineering hull with Testors:










The boom neck was reinforced with brass rod and a locking key assembly:










The neck to hull joint is extremely strong now. 

The hangar deck/impulse engine housing was glued together and puttied with Tamiya and AVES putties:


















After gluing the upper and lower main hull halves together I added a tube in the stern:










The brass rod inserted in the tube will allow me a second support option for photographic purposes:










I mentioned before I had cut the port nacelle from its pylon. I had planned on repositioning the nacelle to slant more inward but after comparing the untouched starboard nacelle with this picture:










I discovered that the angle of the kit part was actually correct!

Doh!

So I spent part of this evening gluing the nacelle and pylon back together. It now sits on my bench after being puttied with AVES. By tomorrow I can go back and sand, fill any remaining imperfections with Tamiya putty and sand some more.


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## whiskeyrat (May 7, 2012)

Man, lookin' great! Love the locking tab for the boom, awesome idea... Gonna steal it for my TMP Klingon Cruiser, if you don't mind!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

whiskeyrat said:


> Man, lookin' great! Love the locking tab for the boom, awesome idea... Gonna steal it for my TMP Klingon Cruiser, if you don't mind!


Feel free man! The boom came with a 1/8" diameter hole in the center of the polygonal tab that mated with the polygonal hole in the hull. I cut three pieces of .060 thick styrene sheet and stacked two of them underneath the main reinforcing "bulkhead" as spacers. The bulkhead had a 1/8" diameter hole drilled thru it. The brass rod was glued into the neck with CA, Testors cement was liberally applied to the back of the neck where it butts up against the front of the hull, then the neck was attached with the brass rod sliding thru the hole in the bulkhead. A piece of 1/8" inner diameter Evergreen tubing was glued to the end of the brass rod with CA leaving a small gap between it and the bulkhead. A slotted key was then forced down around the brass rod like a shim between the bulkhead and the Evergreen tube to tighten the whole assembly down. Afterward, I brushed the whole thing with Tenax so it will never move.


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

I remember building this kit as a kid. Sure is taking you a long time to finish it ! Only took me about 3 hours,.....but then maybe you are a little more picky than I was back then. And aren't planning to put firecrackers in it, like I did mine. LOL. All jokes aside,...Great build. I love following all your builds. Full of information and great ideas. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

Firecrackers...those were fun times, but, I miss the model I blew up.

Trekriffic can't build totally out of the box, and it is more fun to watch because of it.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Trekkriffic said:


> I mentioned before I had cut the port nacelle from its pylon. I had planned on repositioning the nacelle to slant more inward but after comparing the untouched starboard nacelle with this picture:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well, shoot, any of us long-time Trek modelers could have told you that!

The tooling for the original 1968 AMT kit was pantographed directly from the filming miniature, so the overall shapes and proportions were spot-on. Well, except for those slightly too-short nacelles, maybe (which I never took the time to notice).


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

scotpens said:


> Well, shoot, any of us long-time Trek modelers could have told you that!
> 
> The tooling for the original 1968 AMT kit was pantographed directly from the filming miniature, so the overall shapes and proportions were spot-on. Well, except for those slightly too-short nacelles, maybe (which I never took the time to notice).


Yes. I'd known that the kit was pretty accurate. As far as extending the nacelles, it was a pretty easy fix and, although it's only 1/8" longer, I think it does look more like that side shot of the studio model now. It's pretty subtle though.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

1/8 of an inch difference comes out to just over 6 feet when you do the math. If anyone's interested that is.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Trekkriffic said:


> Yes. I'd known that the kit was pretty accurate. As far as extending the nacelles, it was a pretty easy fix and, although it's only 1/8" longer, I think it does look more like that side shot of the studio model now. It's pretty subtle though.


Taking scale into account, even 1/8" can make a big difference on one of these kits. I think I extended the secondary hull on my AMT Enterprise about 1/16" and it made a difference.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

crowe-t said:


> Taking scale into account, even 1/8" can make a big difference on one of these kits. I think I extended the secondary hull on my AMT Enterprise about 1/16" and it made a difference.


I extended the fantail lip on my 18" TOS Enterprise by about that amount and reshaped the cowling and it was a big improvement.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Last night and today's progress...

The port engine after reattachment to the winglet, puttying, and sanding:










Tamiya putty was applied to the stern with a spatula tool:










Same thing for the neck and front of the engineering hull:










After sanding, some gap filling was done using AVES. The "surfboard" ridges were extended to the hull. AVES is an amazing product for sculpting.:










The stern after sanding:










Top of the neck after sanding:










The hangar/impulse deck housing was glued on and gaps filled with AVES:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The port nacelle and winglet were glued to the main hull and gaps filled with AVES:










The starboard winglet to hull gap after filling and sanding:










The neck after a coat of Mr Surfacer. Pretty darn smooth IIDSSM:










The current state of the model. Mostly assembled; I still have to attach the slanted side panels to the housing on top but that can wait until I paint the housing. 










That's it for the moment. I have to go rouse the Klingons and fire up the barbeque. They shot a Targ yesterday so that's on the menu for this evening. Yummmm!


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

Looks good, as always.

Be sure to have some bloodline with your Targ!


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

mach7 said:


> Looks good, as always.
> 
> Be sure to have some bloodline with your Targ!


That's _bloodwine_ by the way.:wave:


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

irishtrek said:


> That's _bloodwine_ by the way.:wave:


They're Klingons. They drink the blood of their slain enemies.


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## Prowler901 (Jun 27, 2005)

That's some mighty beautiful work there. :thumbsup:


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

I still don't understand why the bridge stair stepping on the sides are five, when they should be six. Still it is a nice kit.


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## mach7 (Mar 25, 2002)

irishtrek said:


> That's _bloodwine_ by the way.:wave:


Auto correct strikes again.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

charonjr said:


> I still don't understand why the bridge stair stepping on the sides are five, when they should be six. Still it is a nice kit.


By golly you're right! Oh well, it's at the point where it's ready for priming now and trying to fix the stairsteps is not that big a deal for me so I'm leaving well enough alone.

On another note, I think my model is actually tighter on the seam work than the studio model was. Looking at that almost straight on shot you can see faint seam lines on the fronts of the nacelles.


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

mach7 said:


> irishtrek said:
> 
> 
> > mach7 said:
> ...


That's what happens when spellcheck dictionaries aren't written by Star Trek geeks. :freak:


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Trekkriffic said:


> ...On another note, I think my model is actually tighter on the seam work than the studio model was. Looking at that almost straight on shot you can see faint seam lines on the fronts of the nacelles.


Then you goofed by removing them. 

I did the same thing years ago when I built Polar Lights' Robby the Robot kit for a friend. I made the seam between the upper and lower torso halves disappear, and subsequently watched the movie for a color reference. There was a shot of Robby from the back and, sure enough, visible line across his back _right_ where Polar Lights put it. :lol:


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

love your aft mount!


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## scotpens (Sep 6, 2003)

Zombie_61 said:


> I did the same thing years ago when I built Polar Lights' Robby the Robot kit for a friend. I made the seam between the upper and lower torso halves disappear, and subsequently watched the movie for a color reference. There was a shot of Robby from the back and, sure enough, visible line across his back _right_ where Polar Lights put it. :lol:


Not surprising, since the Robby suit was largely made of vacuformed plastic. Almost like a 1:1 scale model kit!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Well yesterday I got her sanded and ready for her grey primer coats. Would have gotten more done today if not for needing to run over to Urgent Care with the wife to wheel my father-in-law over across the way to the Emergency room to look at this swollen leg...










Here she is after her first grey primer coat. I used Tamiya Fine Surface Primer...


















She only needed about a half dozen spots touched up with sanding, Mr Surfacer and/or Tamiya putty, followed by more fine grit sanding. And I kept finding these little stray specks of AVES putty here and there that needed to be picked off and sanded so as not to leave a tiny divot behind. This process is what I have heard people like Steve Neill call "pointing up" I think. 

Anyway, here she is cleaned up after her second coat of grey primer:


































The next step is to shoot the undersides with white primer before mixing up the color coats. 

Tomorrow I have to go back to hospital though to see how my father-in-law is doing after a night of blood thinners to help keep any more blood clots from forming in his upper leg. The doctors want to keep him at the hospital few nights since it's possible for a blood clot to break loose and go to his lungs which could be fatal. So until his condition improves I'm afraid you won't be seeing many progress pics for a few days. I'm sure you all understand.

Take care of each other and I'll be back soon guys!


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Trekkriffic, You've made excellent progress on this so far and fast too! I'm looking forward to seeing it with paint.

I'll keep your father-in-law in my prayers.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Trekkriffic said:


> Tomorrow I have to go back to hospital though to see how my father-in-law is doing...So until his condition improves I'm afraid you won't be seeing many progress pics for a few days. I'm sure you all understand.


Clearly your father-in-law's health takes priority. Do whatever you need to do, we'll still be here.

Or, maybe not. If I keep reading this thread and seeing how good you've made this kit look I'm going to end up buying one, and I already have too many kits as it is. :lol:


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Trekkriffic, how were you able to get the seam taken care of in the "shuttle bay" or impulse vent or whatever it is on top of the ventral intake vent? That is a very tight area to work in! I love what you are doing with this Battlecruiser.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

This is a great build and has inspired me to do my own.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

charonjr said:


> Trekkriffic, how were you able to get the seam taken care of in the "shuttle bay" or impulse vent or whatever it is on top of the ventral intake vent? That is a very tight area to work in! I love what you are doing with this Battlecruiser.


I probably spent an hour working on that slot where most modellers consider the hangar bay to be. There was a sizeable gap running horizontally between the lower part, the impulse/hangar bay backplate, and the upper roof piece that attaches to the top of the main housing. Just another example of the poor fit on most AMT kits. Anyway, I filled the gap with AVES, smoothing it out as best I could using a microbrush and cotton swab with a little alcohol. I also had to reconstruct the right side of the side wall of the doorframe where it slants inward at the top. That took AVES, needle files, xacto knives, a seam scraper, and sanding sticks to get right. I pretty much did the same with the door seam. I'd work on it until I thought I had it smooth then brush on some Mr Surfacer which would help with any minor imperfections and tell me if more work needed to be done. What really helped on the door seam though was my flat needle file. I have about 3 sizes and the smallest set is no longer sold anymore. Don't know what I'd do without them.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

crowe-t said:


> Trekkriffic, You've made excellent progress on this so far and fast too! I'm looking forward to seeing it with paint.
> 
> I'll keep your father-in-law in my prayers.


Thanks for the compliment and I appreciate prayers for the old man.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Zombie_61 said:


> Clearly your father-in-law's health takes priority. Do whatever you need to do, we'll still be here.
> 
> Or, maybe not. If I keep reading this thread and seeing how good you've made this kit look I'm going to end up buying one, and I already have too many kits as it is. :lol:


Thank you. My father-in-law is 87 years old and on top of the swelling in his leg he has a malignant bladder tumor but he rarely shows signs of the pain he's in. His only thought as we left his hospital room last night was for my mother-in-law. "Just make sure she's locked in" when we got her home, that was his main concern. They've been married 60 years. He's the best man I know.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Back at it last night and at lunchtime today...

I masked the upper engineering hull and the top of the command deck with Tamiya tape:










For the upper command deck I took some measurements and drew out the shapes in pencil:










Then I cut the mask with my xacto knife and stuck it down. It was prettyy close. Only a few extra tape bits added to cover little gaps:










I'm using the color scheme favored by Custom Replicas. I used their mixing chart as my guide:










Demarcations were drawn on a piece of tape and stuck to the side of the paint bottle to denote mixing ratios:










The recipe called for 50% flat white, 40% pale green, and 10% bright blue but it seemed too dark to me so I added more flat white until I got the tone I thoght looked right

After masking the ship was sprayed with Testors flat white. This is the base for the pale blue-green colors:










Here's the ship after it's first coat of what I'll call palest blue-green. This is the color of the bulb, upper command deck structures, and flared side blocks on either side at the base of the neck:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

The rest of the paler blue-green was airbrushed on the lower hull and warp engines:










The bulb was completely masked as well as the flared bits at the base of the neck and the hull was sprayed with a slightly darker shade of the pale blue-green:



















The color is very close to that shown in this photo:










Close up of the bow deflector tunnel. The photo showed me a little speck at the base of the port disruptor blister I needed to clean up. It has since been scraped off and retouched:










Next step is to remove the rest of the masking tape from the upper hull surfaces and mix up the dorsal color. This will be a 50/50 mix of Model Master Intermediate Blue and Flat White enamel. 

Thanks for reading along. 

P.S. For those wondering about my father-in-law, he is doing better but is still in the hospital. 
Hopefully he'll be discharged before the weekend. The swelling in his leg has gone down quite a bit.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Trek, You nailed the color! It looks just like it did on screen.

You are closer to completion then I am on my 18" TOS Enterprise but I'm slowly making progress. 

I'm happy to hear your father-in-law is doing better. Thanks for the update.

Mike.


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

This is officially an awesome thread.


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## Landru (May 25, 2009)

Awesome work!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks guys. I really like the color. Funny thing is though, when I hold up a piece of the original sprue next to it, it's almost a dead match for the color of the command pod. 
Yesterday I peeled off the masking tape from the upper surfaces. Then I masked around the vented panels on the outer sides of the nacelle winglets and sprayed them with Tamiya Bare Metal Silver. They look nice. Today I'll apply new masks to the green areas in preparation for airbrushing the intermediate blue/white mixture.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Today's update...

I mixed up some Testors Flat White with ModelMaster Intermediate Blue and aiirbrushed the upper surfaces. 
I still hadn't attached the upper slanted panels to the sides of the hangar/impulse deck housing since I wanted to spray some of the final color on the backside of those pieces and the sides of the housing before gluing them on. 
I placed pieces of Tamiya tape on the backs of the panels and the sides of the housing beforehand so no paint would cover where I needed to apply the glue.

After the paint had dried a few hours (while I went to COSTCO and grazed the sample stations) I glued the panels in place. 
I expected some gaps and wasn't disappointed by good ol' AMT! 
I used a syringe filled with Perfect Plastic Putty, a water based fine surface filler, to inject the putty into the gaps:










Then I cleaned up any residue using a q-tip and a microbrush.
The result was so clean and neat I didn't bother with sanding:










After waiting about 30 minutes for the putty to dry I gave her a quick once over with 600 grit sanding film and shot her with another slightly darker mix of the intermediate blue/white enamel. 
I also added 2-3 drops of purple to the mix this time although the effect of the purple isn't really noticeable:










She was dry to the touch after an hour. 

Thanks for reading!


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Wow, you really are a fan of Star Trek, it seems...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> Wow, you really are a fan of Star Trek, it seems...


Really? What gave me away?


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

The custom nickel-plated wrist communicator there.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Awesome work there Trek!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> The custom nickel-plated wrist communicator there.


Oh you noticed it eh? Got it at JCPenney in their new Trek themed "Away Team" section.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

crowe-t said:


> Awesome work there Trek!


Thanks a lot!


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

Looking better! 

I notice your Vulcan Death Grip on the neck of the model.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Looking real good there.
By the way where can one get the Perfect Plastic Putty and seeing as it's water based is it acrylic as well??? And how much can one expect to spend on a tube???


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

irishtrek said:


> Looking real good there.
> By the way where can one get the Perfect Plastic Putty and seeing as it's water based is it acrylic as well??? And how much can one expect to spend on a tube???


You can find it using a search on Google. Amazon has it. eBay has it. I found it at my LHS. Price on the bag is $6.95 for a 40 ml tube which is in line with the online price. 
As far as what it's made of, I have no idea. The tube does not list the ingredients.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Easter update...

Peeled off all the masking tape last evening. Today I glued on the silver vents on the sides of the impulse/hangar deck housing. I also painted the stairsteps on the sides of the command deck. I also went back over the whole ship with a keen eye and pointed up any spots that needed it with a brush and some of the thinned basecoat colors. 
Then, after much thought, I decided I wanted it to look a little more like what was seen on screen so I mixed up a batch of Light Ghost Grey, Flat White, Floquil Flat Base, and about 70% thinner and gave the entire hull an airbrushing with the mix. It served to mute the colors and impart a grey cast to the ship so I have something in between the two toned pale green, blue-grey look and the monotone grey seen on TV. It also helped to blend and unify the whole look of the ship without obliterating the two tone scheme.

Here are some pics:


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

Just looking at those pics I can hear the Klingon music from "Elaan Of Troyius."


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Did I mention this thread was awesome?


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Why, yes, I believe you have. I concur.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

Chrisisall said:


> Did I mention this thread was awesome?


Why yes you did indeed, in fact it was the very first post on page number six. So does that answer your question???:tongue:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thank you all for your expressions regarding the awesomeness of this thread. It is always nice to know such talented modellers appreciate the time and effort I put into my builds. 

Anyway, I am at the point where, with a dead flat finsih, I need to anwer the age old question... to weather...or not to weather. 
The original studio model had no weathering but I keep thinking even a little weathering to darken the recesses woud help to suggest deep shadows and add to the sense of scale. 
Opinions on this question from the membership would be much appreciated.


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Weathering is always good, just keep it so subtle that it only registers subconsciously is my advice.


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

Trekkriffic said:


> Thank you all for your expressions regarding the awesomeness of this thread. It is always nice to know such talented modellers appreciate the time and effort I put into my builds.
> 
> Anyway, I am at the point where, with a dead flat finsih, I need to anwer the age old question... to weather...or not to weather.
> The original studio model had no weathering but I keep thinking even a little weathering to darken the recesses woud help to suggest deep shadows and add to the sense of scale.
> Opinions on this question from the membership would be much appreciated.


I've seen some of the weathering you have done on other models. And IMO, it really brought them to life, and set them apart from other builds. And even though the studio model had no weathering. I think it would make the model more realistic. Let's face it,....This is a Klingon ship. And being the warrior race that they are, it makes sense that there would at least be a few scuff marks here and there.
But then again, it depends on what you want the model to represent. Is this model meant to be a perfect reproduction of the studio model ? Or possibly a brand new vessel right out of the Klingon ship yards ? Or is this a vessel that has seen some combat and time in space ?


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

DCH10664 said:


> I've seen some of the weathering you have done on other models. And IMO, it really brought them to life, and set them apart from other builds. And even though the studio model had no weathering. I think it would make the model more realistic. Let's face it,....This is a Klingon ship. And being the warrior race that they are, it makes sense that there would at least be a few scuff marks here and there.
> But then again, it depends on what you want the model to represent. Is this model meant to be a perfect reproduction of the studio model ? Or possibly a brand new vessel right out of the Klingon ship yards ? Or is this a vessel that has seen some combat and time in space ?


Thanks for the compliment. I'm going more for a screen accurate look so there won't be any "battle scars" so to speak. Any no "space soot" streaks either. If I do decide to weather it will be very subtle, a suggestion of shadows really. So in that sense I guess it really won't be "weathered" if all I'm adding are shadows.


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

Trekkriffic said:


> Thanks for the compliment. I'm going more for a screen accurate look so there won't be any "battle scars" so to speak. Any no "space soot" streaks either. If I do decide to weather it will be very subtle, a suggestion of shadows really. So in that sense I guess it really won't be "weathered" if all I'm adding are shadows.


Even subtle shadows can do a great deal to bring a model to life. I look forward to seeing the end results.


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## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Man, you've got this thing smooth as a babies butt! Nice job on all of the bodywork! I'm currently doing a client build of this thing with full lighting, etc; and the seams look to be a bit of a bugger! 

I think you hit the colors spot on of this version, just really looks outstanding! Thanks for sharing your build with us. Really nice! :thumbsup:


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

Actually the studio model was had a subtle variation in the paint. It was mentioned in some photos of it that were taken when it arrived at the Smithsonian. I'll try to find them and post a link.

However, the "cloud" effect was very subtle and it did make it look less like a model by breaking up the surface tones.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

KUROK said:


> Actually the studio model was had a subtle variation in the paint. It was mentioned in some photos of it that were taken when it arrived at the Smithsonian. I'll try to find them and post a link.
> 
> However, the "cloud" effect was very subtle and it did make it look less like a model by breaking up the surface tones.


I would be very interested in reading that article if you happen to find it KUROK. The model as it stands now actually does have some subtle variations in tone as well since I was using an airbrush. The use of the Floquil Flat Base and adding a little white to the ghost grey makes it almost look "ghostly" from certain angles, mainly from the front and back and in profile looking up from below the midline.

The Ghost Ship...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Warped9 said:


> Just looking at those pics I can hear the Klingon music from "Elaan Of Troyius."


Then here's a little treat for you. It's the remastered version but the music is the same. The Klingon theme starts about 25 seconds in...


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Trekkriffic said:


> ...I'm going more for a screen accurate look so there won't be any "battle scars" so to speak. Any no "space soot" streaks either. If I do decide to weather it will be very subtle, a suggestion of shadows really. So in that sense I guess it really won't be "weathered" if all I'm adding are shadows.


This sounds like the right approach. I don't know how it looks in person, but in the photo you included in post #101 it looks a bit too monotone and "flat". In my opinion (based solely on the photos, so take it for what it's worth) some subtle shading would help to define the contours and make it a little more interesting visually.


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

I had posted the pics a while back on capt cardboards forum

http://atomiccity.yuku.com/topic/535/Paint-Formulas#.UVpljWt5mK0


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## Lloyd Collins (Sep 25, 2004)

No weathering! It ain't canon.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Just finishing mine up this week. I did Testors light purple like it shows on the box, over the recommended Krylon green. I don't like the purple. Should have gone with gray.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

A good color might be Luftwaffe Grauviolet. Grauviolet/Grey Violet is, as its name implies, a purple-grey. I will just mix some Testors Purple with Gloss Grey, but may investigate some other colors too.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks for your input guys. I've elected to add some light weathering. No major streaking or space rust or anything like that. Mostly just something to add a little surface texture and a sense of scale. My plan is to make it subtle enough as to be almost unnoticeable from more than 3-5 feet away or such that, if it had been flmed using the same cameras and compositing techniques as were used in filming the original studio model back in the 60's, it would look virtually the same.


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## irishtrek (Sep 17, 2005)

The KBOP filming model was weathered, and yes I am aware this is a different ship and what not.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

*Update on my weathering adventure... or how to turn a mess into something perhaps better...*

So I broke out the Tamiya pastel chalks, a sponge applicator, microbrushes, cotton swabs, and a cloth for wiping and got to work:










I scraped the gunmetal colored chalk in the container with the edge of my xacto blade and rubbed the powder into the finish with the sponge applicator. I found moistening the tip of the applicator helped the chalk to stick better:










For narrow spaces I used a fine tipped microbrush to get the chalk in there:










Using a cloth I rubbed the chalk into the finish. In the case of too much weathering I moistened the cloth and swiped the surface to remove the chalk. You can also use the same technique to create streaks:










Here's where the mess started...

After I got the weathering to where I liked it I shot the model with Dullcote to seal it. 
Unfortunately, I didn't have any fresh cans so I used a can about 1/3 full. While spraying I held the can too close and over the model (again if I'd had a fresh can I could have held it back further from the model) and the Dullcote puddled on the tip and a big drop of it fell onto the wing of the secondary hull!
I saw it pretty quick and brushed it out with a wide artists brush as best I could but you could still see brush strokes after it dried. 
So I tried sanding it out but that removed too much of the weathering and it looked like a big blotch on the wing. 
Crap! 
So I decided to repaint the upper wing using what was left of the intermediate blue/white paint leftover from airbrushing. 
One thing led to another and I ended up repainting everything (including the lower surfaces and engines with the pale jade green) but the command bulb using 1" wide and 1/2" wide flat brushes. 
I was cognizant to try and not to leave any brush strokes as I went by mixing in a little thinner with the paint as I applied it. 
After it dried I wet sanded using 320 and 600 grit sanding films until I had gotten rid of most of the remaining brush strokes while giving the surface of the model a little more texture than it had before which was a nice result. 
Unfortunately, this also eliminated most of the weathering underneath so last night I went back and re-weathered the entire hull (except for the command bulb). 

Then I got an idea.

Using what was left of the enamel ghost grey and adding a little voodoo grey to it I mixed up a thinned down batch of paint and airbrushed it over the top of the weathering like I had done once before to mute the contrast between the grey-blue and blue-green colors. I let that dry and this morning went back and wet sanded it using the grey and red sanding films. This allowed more of the original colors to show thru as well as some of the weathering. It also imparted a worn, distressed look to the hull finish similar to what I've seen done with antique furniture. Overall, I like the look I ended up with. It's still fairly subtle but it definitely looks like this ship has seen some hard years of service to the Empire...


































Cont'd...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

*Next up... sealing with Glosscote and mylar tape...*


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

THAT'S what I'm talkin' 'bout!!


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Really gorgeous!!


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## whiskeyrat (May 7, 2012)

The Empire would be proud of this ship! Nice work!


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

Trek, Excellent work on the weathering! I'm glad you were able to fix it.


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

I like it! Your choice of color is very authentic.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Thanks for the kind words folks. 

Well I finished applying mylar strips to the vanes at the base of the neck. I was going to place thin strips between in the recesses of the impulse deck grill but I just couldn't get the tape to go in and stick without a LOT of effort. And then I would have had to use CA to get the tape to stay down. After laying about 4 strips down it looked like Klingon crap so I ripped out the tape, cleaned out the CA from the slots, masked the grill in between the slots, and painted then chrome silver. Muuuuuuch bettter! 
I then masked around the trapezoids on the outboard winglet grills and painted them a mix of aluminum and gold. 

Next up will be decals.


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## BolianAdmiral (Feb 24, 2009)

Nice work on this. I have one I got myself for Christmas that is still waiting to be built. I bought a rattle can of the Krylon Celery for the green areas, but am considering trying another color I saw at my LHS that may actually be closer to the original model's color. Also deciding which gray to get for those parts.


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## Hunch (Apr 6, 2003)

Trekkriffic said:


> By golly you're right! Oh well, it's at the point where it's ready for priming now and trying to fix the stairsteps is not that big a deal for me so I'm leaving well enough alone.
> 
> On another note, I think my model is actually tighter on the seam work than the studio model was. Looking at that almost straight on shot you can see faint seam lines on the fronts of the nacelles.


If the pic you are talking about is the one I'm thinking of, that is just a trick of the light, a shadow. I think you are safe removing the seam as there would not be a seam I would think on the original. Of course, you are probably just kidding.
I wish polar would just up the size of this kit (with the mods dscussed here) and crank out a 1/350 scale bird we could all pose next to our 1/350 TOS "E" !
Seems to me to be a safe bet as most of the model is very accurate to start with. I'd much rather have an origibnal series D7 than a K'tinga. To me the K'tinga looks like they took the original and just stuck a bunch of greeblies on her (I know there is much more going on there, just sayin") and in doing so lost all of the sleek beauty of the ship.
IMHO this is the second sharpest design of the entire franchise and if stepped over to do a K'tinga, it would be criminal. Well, I guess I should just cross my fingers that the sales of the 1/350 TOS "E" are strong enough to justify another model in this scale.
Jim


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

Looking Great ! Love following your builds,.....always something to be learned.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Well I shot her with Glosscote Sunday evening to seal the decals. 
Went on a little too heavy and I noticed a small puddle in the port wing recess. Argggggh! 
I swear you'd think I'd never, ever sprayed a model with clearcoat lacquers before. 
Took some lacquer thinner to smooth it out and that of course removed the underlying weathering taking one small spot back down to the clean basecoat color. 
Retouched both port and starboard recesses with some more of the basecoat using a brush so they matched.Let the slots dry overnight and lightly sanded them to remove any telltale brushstrokes; then I went back in with Tamiya pastel chalk to darken the recesses on both sides so they matched. 
Looked good, maybe better than before. 
Sealed the whole thing with Dullcote and FINALLY she is ready for her photo shoot. 
Stay tuned!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Here are some pics I took on my lunch hour today using my space backdrop. I'll take more against a neutral backdrop this weekend as you really can't see much of the weathering in these pics...


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

EXTREMELY pretty!!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Chrisisall said:


> EXTREMELY pretty!!


PRETTY!!??? Ouch! To a Klingon, them's fightin' words Chris!


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Trekkriffic said:


> PRETTY!!??? To a Klingon them's fightin' words Chris!


Sorry, I meant, er, *BATTLE READY!!*!


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## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Looks great! :thumbsup: I like the more subtle approach than usual to the two-toned paint job. It really works as demonstrated by the "in space" shots you posted.


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## Shado1980 (Jul 15, 2009)

Excellent! I thought the last photo was a screencap for a minute! Great job, really makes me want to do one of these now.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

WOW Trek, Excellent job on this!!!

Some of those pictures you posted do look like they are screen shots.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Trekkriffic said:


> Here are some pics I took on my lunch hour today using my space backdrop. I'll take more against a neutral backdrop this weekend as you really can't see much of the weathering in these pics...


I saw these same photos in your thread at The Clubhouse, but for some reason the colors stand out more when I view them here. 

_Seriously_ strong work there Trekkriffic! If I didn't know better I'd think I was looking at photos of the studio model. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

That is a great model. It has really inspired me on my own build. I must admit I was worried when you started the weathering but it all came out great !


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

djnick66 said:


> That is a great model. It has really inspired me on my own build. I must admit I was worried when you started the weathering but it all came out great !


Yeah. You woudln't know it from these pics but there's, like, 3 layers of weathering on this thing. The fact that it's mostly underneath the final paint coats kept it very understated. Mostly enhancing areas that would normally be in shadow. 

On your own build, I'm really looking forward to seeing it completed. Especially all lit up. Should be a real treat!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

crowe-t said:


> WOW Trek, Excellent job on this!!!
> 
> Some of those pictures you posted do look like they are screen shots.


Thanks! That was the idea!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Shado1980 said:


> Excellent! I thought the last photo was a screencap for a minute! Great job, really makes me want to do one of these now.


Thanks a lot! I actually was looking at screen caps I'd printed off the internet when I composed the first and last photos.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Zombie_61 said:


> I saw these same photos in your thread at The Clubhouse, but for some reason the colors stand out more when I view them here.
> 
> _Seriously_ strong work there Trekkriffic! If I didn't know better I'd think I was looking at photos of the studio model. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


Thank you Zombie sir! Much appreciate the compliment!


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Here are some of the finished pics...


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Closeup of the "mouth"...



You can see the rest of the pics here in my PhotoBucket album:

http://s146.photobucket.com/user/Trekriffic/library/#/user/Trekriffic/library/Klingon%20D7%20by%20AMT?sort=3&page=1&_suid=136578832948007927923368820877

I hope you all enjoyed this chronicle of my build of this model of one of the most, if not THE most, iconic villain ships in all of sci-fi. Thanks for the comments!


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

Lovely.

As an aside, I've never gotten why so many people place that insignia decal on top of the hangar structure. It was clearly intended for those who wanted to display an open hangar on the 1/1000 kit. Those markings are for the floor of the hangar deck, not the top of the outer hangar structure.

Not to say that it doesn't look good, or anything, but it seems like a lot of people make that "mistake". I see that John P also did the same thing on his recent build.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Gregatron said:


> Lovely.
> 
> As an aside, I've never gotten why so many people place that insignia decal on top of the hangar structure. It was clearly intended for those who wanted to display an open hangar on the 1/1000 kit. Those markings are for the floor of the hangar deck, not the top of the outer hangar structure.
> 
> Not to say that it doesn't look good, or anything, but it seems like a lot of people make that "mistake". I see that John P also did the same thing on his recent build.


I was aware that some think the decal belongs inside the hangar bay but the instructions call for it to go on top and I think it looks neat there so I chose to put it there. As far as being screen accurate I don't think we ever saw a shot of the top rear of the original studio model in any of the original episodes so who's to say if it is or isn't canon.


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## crowe-t (Jul 30, 2010)

You did a really wonderful job on this! It looks like it's ready to go head on with the Federation.


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

Trekkriffic said:


> I was aware that some think the decal belongs inside the hangar bay but the instructions call for it to go on top and I think it looks neat there so I chose to put it there. As far as being screen accurate I don't think we ever saw a shot of the top rear of the original studio model in any of the original episodes so who's to say if it is or isn't canon.


I just double-checked the 1/1000 instructions-- they show the decal in place on the hangar floor, since the outer part is shown to be "removed for clarity" in the placement diagram. It's easy to see how that can be confusing, since it's not all that clear! Of course, the 1/650 kit doesn't have the option for an open hangar, but they still included the decal.


A moot point, of course, since you're happy with it. That's the important thing! Congrats on another fine build!


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## Chrisisall (May 12, 2011)

Yes, incredible.


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## Zombie_61 (Apr 21, 2004)

Wow! The weathering/shading you did wasn't nearly as obvious in the previous photos you posted. Are you _sure_ this isn't the filming model?


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Gregatron said:


> I just double-checked the 1/1000 instructions-- they show the decal in place on the hangar floor, since the outer part is shown to be "removed for clarity" in the placement diagram. It's easy to see how that can be confusing, since it's not all that clear! Of course, the 1/650 kit doesn't have the option for an open hangar, but they still included the decal.
> 
> 
> A moot point, of course, since you're happy with it. That's the important thing! Congrats on another fine build!


Thanks for the compliment Greg. I hope I didn't sound too petulant in my previous post. I'm sure you're right about the decal belonging on the hangar floor. I could always sand it off and repaint the top of the hangar someday but, for now, I can live with it.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Zombie_61 said:


> Wow! The weathering/shading you did wasn't nearly as obvious in the previous photos you posted. Are you _sure_ this isn't the filming model?


When I took the space pics I was using the Aperture Priority setting on the camera for greater depth of field. It lengthened the exposure time which tended to overexpose the image and wash out the weathering even though the only light came from sunlight coming thru the garage door windows. For the second set of pics I used an automatic exposure setting with three light sources, one from each side and another from above pointing at the backdrop so the weathering was more apparent.


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

Trekkriffic said:


> Thanks for the compliment Greg. I hope I didn't sound too petulant in my previous post. I'm sure you're right about the decal belonging on the hangar floor. I could always sand it off and repaint the top of the hangar someday but, for now, I can live with it.


No worries at all. I'm just pointing out a fact, not complaining about how it "should" be. This fact may help people decide what to do with their own builds. Not intended to be a criticism in any way.


The important thing is that you're happy with your model. And you certainly should be!


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