# My first post - PL Enterprise Reft complete



## usna2k (Jan 11, 2004)

Well really my 6th post since I couldn't link photos until I made 5 posts...

Hello all - I have lurked here for several years, admiring the amazing Enterprise refit models that have been posted here. I spent 2 years off and on working on mine and just finished it, and wanted to share it with you all here. 

This is going to be pretty photo heavy, but I have been so eager to share it! I am not the best photographer, but I tried to play with my wife's DSLR camera.

Anyway - hope you like.

Complete!









Exterior Stbd Quarter









High Res Overhead









High Res Lighted









High Res Ventral Stbd Quarter









Warp Mode









Deflector and Torpedo Launcher









Aft, Ready for Warp Speed


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## shadowwolf (Dec 24, 2011)

This ranks up there as one of the best buildups of this kit.Beautiful job.


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## usna2k (Jan 11, 2004)

Just realized I had a typo in the post title...grrr.


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## barrydancer (Aug 28, 2009)

Looks great. I love the purple shot at the end.

It looks like you managed to keep to engraved sensor bands on the saucer sidewalls. Can I ask how you managed it? I'm still scratching my head on that one.


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## 1701ALover (Apr 29, 2004)

She looks fantastic!! Great work, sir! Paint and detail work is amazing, and great lighting effects! My only comment - and I've noticed this on other refit build-ups I've seen - is that the deflector dish seems overly bright. Is that just in the camera (I know digital cameras sometimes make light sources appear significantly brighter than they actually are), or is it really that bright in person?


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## usna2k (Jan 11, 2004)

barrydancer said:


> Looks great. I love the purple shot at the end.
> 
> It looks like you managed to keep to engraved sensor bands on the saucer sidewalls. Can I ask how you managed it? I'm still scratching my head on that one.


They are only *somewhat* still there...those that aren't succumbed to filling and sanding, unfortunately. Because of that, I ended up using the sensor decals PL provided, which have seemed to do a decent job filling in the areas where the bands got worn down.


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

*WOW!!!*

Where had you been all this time?


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

Clean, jellybean! :thumbsup:


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## colhero (May 18, 2006)

Nice job - especially on the colors! She does look a bit over-lit, but very nicely done overall. :thumbsup:


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## usna2k (Jan 11, 2004)

colhero said:


> Nice job - especially on the colors! She does look a bit over-lit, but very nicely done overall. :thumbsup:


I think that may be my own photography skills (or lack thereof) - I was using my wife's DSLR camera and it was taking very long-exposure shots. I think that's why the lights are so intense. They really are not like that in reality. I used Trekmodeler's awesome light kit. But cool photo effect though.


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## kdaracal (Jan 24, 2009)

Yea. One of the top builds I've seen. Thanks for posting.


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## stryker (May 29, 2012)

Great work! Well done Sir!


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## Garbaron (Apr 23, 2004)

Looks GREAT!
Nice take on the infamous "engineering green".
It looks like you painted all of the Aztec or are some decals involved?


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## usna2k (Jan 11, 2004)

Garbaron said:


> Looks GREAT!
> Nice take on the infamous "engineering green".
> It looks like you painted all of the Aztec or are some decals involved?


All of the aztec is painted EXCEPT for the strongback green - I made use of the Acreation green decal set for that. They proved to be a bit fragile...after I set them and then sprayed them with dullcote, I masked them so I could finish the rest of the ship in satin clear...even with the overcoat they pulled up in a few places, forcing me to try to colormatch the green with some paint...didn't work 100% well but unless you are right up next to it, it's not that noticeable - I tried to make them look like additional hull panels since the green was slightly different. Oh well 

The main aztec was done in blue pearlescent with the Aztec Dummy templates...then the rest was hand masked for the green, red and gold. I did this:










Then, I covered up all of the exposed areas with additional pieces of tape marked with a black dot (so I knew which areas needed the red/gold/green). For each of the interference colors, I removed about 1/3 of the "dotted" tape pieces, painted...then masked those with unmarked tape...and continued until all three colors were done. Finally I unmasked everything - seemed to work well. 

But it was insanity! I burned out from doing this masking - I actually stepped away from the ship for several months because it was getting so tedious.

I did lose some of the iridescence effect when I used my clear satin overcoat to protect the decals, but it's still there, just a tad muted.


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## Garbaron (Apr 23, 2004)

Hahah ... I hear you on burning out on the Aztec. Same happened to me and I guess all of us who did the Aztec pearl paint job. It is insanity to do this and it WILL drive you nuts at one point or the other.


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## colhero (May 18, 2006)

You did what?? you masked all those little aztecs... INSANE!! :freak: meticulous work tho - and well worth it :dude: - I cheated and used stencils which were much easier and worked great - highly recommended...


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## colhero (May 18, 2006)

Did you use grays for the secondary hull or gray/green? And as a matter of accuracy, did Olsen originally use grays or greens...? Im not an expert on the Refit...


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

colhero said:


> Did you use grays for the secondary hull or gray/green? And as a matter of accuracy, did Olsen originally use grays or greens...?


Olsen's recollection was that somebody else painted the strongback, with (among others) a Floquil Railroad colour that resembled "sage green."


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## harristotle (Aug 7, 2008)

Awesome job and beautiful pics! 

What's the background on your screen name?


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## Bernard Guignar (Sep 9, 2006)

Nicely done :thumbsup:


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## Garbaron (Apr 23, 2004)

Paul Olsen really only was responsible for the interference color Aztec. All detail work such as the pylon / nacelle leading edges, nacelle fins and strongback where painted by Ron Gress and his coworkers. 
As a matter of fact some of Olsens’ work was re done after he left to help with the V’Ger FX team.

For example his secondary belly pattern was a repeating arrow head pattern with the tip pointing forward. The fantail sported a rainbow pattern which Olsen free hand painted on to it and was supposed to give the image of flowing energy. All this was removed and replaced with patterns that more matched the rest of the secondary hull Aztec. The fantail was left blank and is just the basic hull color.Paul does not remember this happening but if you compare some of his “paint booth” shots to stills of TMP you can see that his original secondary hull pattern are NOT there. 

As for the strongback. A couple of years back when doing research on the TMP strongback I asked Andrew Porbert about it and he send me this picture:



It is part of an Artwork he had done and according to him the original TMP “engineering green” was very close to what you see in this picture. Very green indeed.


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## usna2k (Jan 11, 2004)

harristotle said:


> Awesome job and beautiful pics!
> 
> What's the background on your screen name?


usna2k = United States Naval Academy class of 2000


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## harristotle (Aug 7, 2008)

usna2k said:


> usna2k = United States Naval Academy class of 2000


I thought so Sir haha, usafa 2011


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## colhero (May 18, 2006)

Interesting background on the strongback colors... but blue/gray look greenish in certain light/angles... hmmm


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## Guns Akimbo (Nov 4, 2013)

Garbaron said:


> As for the strongback. A couple of years back when doing research on the TMP strongback I asked Andrew Porbert about it and he send me this picture:
> 
> 
> 
> It is part of an Artwork he had done and according to him the original TMP “engineering green” was very close to what you see in this picture. Very green indeed.


Yes, that's quite...green.


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

He masked the entire enterprise... with tape... mmmmm:freak::freak:


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## colhero (May 18, 2006)

Yes...tape... I shudder to imagine the amount of work involved - and then to remove all the glue residue and built-up lines! :freak:


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## usna2k (Jan 11, 2004)

Fernando Mureb said:


> He masked the entire enterprise... with tape... mmmmm:freak::freak:


All except the base blue Aztec, which was done with the Aztec Dummy templates...but everything else, yup, thousands of little pieces of Tamiya tape.


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## spawndude (Nov 28, 2007)

Heck ya!!

A 1/350 refit, several roles of Tamiya tape, a comfy recliner, and a Trek movie/TV Blu-ray marathon and I'm there!!!

Nice job!!


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## hubert (May 3, 2008)

*Amazing...*

Some real artisans on this site! 

I love this beautiful work but when I see all of that tape I only imagine the persevering you've been through. Surely, the patience of Job. 

Incredible! 

So, the question is - would you go through this again? This almost looks like a bucket list item -- LOL. Did you know what was going to be involved before you started?


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## usna2k (Jan 11, 2004)

hubert said:


> So, the question is - would you go through this again? This almost looks like a bucket list item -- LOL. Did you know what was going to be involved before you started?


So sorry, hubert - I was away and didn't realize you'd asked me a question...

Would I do this again? I can tell you, I learned a lot of lessons as I trudged through this build. I'd never attempted anything so complex before, and that, coupled with the fact that this was the first model I've built in about 14 years really made for a lot of lessons. I know where the "problem" areas are now, and that would certainly make it more polished the next time around. 

It is fun looking at it next to my 1:350 battleship New Jersey model (built in 1999) and seeing just how big the ship really IS, when you have something real-world to compare it to. 

But would I do it again? I think so. But not for a good long while. I would be happy if I don't see another roll of Tamiya tape for some time 

My wife was trying to convince me to sell it, but after you put so much of your time and care into one of these, you almost become attached to it. I think I might like to enter it into a contest locally, though, just for the experience of doing it.

One last note - in the photos the stand looks really rough - It's Trekmodeler's integrated stand that works with his light kit, and he really took great care of me - when I noted that the connection point for the ship was structurally weak, he offered to repair it for me. So that was the true end of the story, and now she's sitting proud in my living room.


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