# 1701 Club update 7



## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Includes photos of the assembled test shot and extensive information on the light kit. The shape of the ship looks perfect to me. A little worried about the grid lines, but the author says those are being tweaked some more. All in all, the old girl looks fantastic!


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

It is looking better and better to me with each update. Nice to hear Gary confirm what I have always said about the extra shading and colors on the ship, that it was just there to enhance to contours so they could stand up to repeated copying for the process shots and the small low res TV's of the '60's!! :thumbsup:


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## RMC (Aug 11, 2004)

*big E*

*I didnt get my update yet....... *


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## cbear (Aug 15, 2000)

I just signed up recently and got my first update a few minutes ago. Good info!

Chuck


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## Edge (Sep 5, 2003)

They definitely need to work on the canyons that pass as grid lines. 

Very happy to see the alignment of the nacelles.


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## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

It looks fantastic, but agree on the grid lines. If they can be much more subtle this kit will be perfect. Looks like they got the nacelles to fit with no sag.


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## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

Can't wait to see it at Wonderfest.

Although bummed that my shirt never arrived.


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## kenlee (Feb 11, 2010)

RMC said:


> *I didnt get my update yet....... *


Check your spam folder, for some reason mine was there even though none of the other updates were sent there.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

I guess it'll be there when I get home!


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

I'd be interested in Gary's take on Miarecki's paint job, compared to what is theorized to have been there originally.


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

Yep, the kit looks great. Overall, it has just the right shape, with no compromises. 

Except for ... you know.


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

Captain April said:


> I'd be interested in Gary's take on Miarecki's paint job, compared to what is theorized to have been there originally.


Gary was not "theorizing" about the original paint, his comments were about the paint on the top of the Primary Hull wich has never been changed since the '60's and also based on what I presume are photo references he has seen from prior restorations at the Smithsonian. :thumbsup:


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

I'm falling in love with the Enterprise all over again. It looks *fantastic! * :thumbsup:


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

RSN said:


> Gary was not "theorizing" about the original paint, his comments were about the paint on the top of the Primary Hull wich has never been changed since the '60's and also based on what I presume are photo references he has seen from prior restorations at the Smithsonian. :thumbsup:


I'm pretty sure he can speak for himself, and probably will shortly.

As for my use of the word "theorized", like he said, the only pictures we have of the ol' girl back in the day are either inconsistent in color or in black & white, and we have no way of knowing how faded the upper saucer is, if at all, so making any conclusion as to what the model looked like, in person, under normal lighting conditions, in essence, guesswork. It may be incredibly informed guesswork, with tons of corroborating evidence, but without access to a TARDIS and a properly white balanced high definition digital camera to go back and take pics of the freshly painted model, it still comes down to "best guess."

_MY_ theory is that the ship wasn't any more weathered than the upper saucer, and while Gary's points about the multiple passes through the optical printer necessitated some exaggeration in the detailing, it didn't require the godawful paintjob Miarecki foisted on that poor ship.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

I got my newsletter as well. The ship looks great! I hope they tone down the grid lines as well, but I can live with them. I'm not putting off buying this kit because of them. The bigger question is do you build it when it comes out or wait a year and stockpile up on all the aftermarket stuff that will be out for it?

A clear bridge!!!!!! Yahooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

Captain April said:


> I'm pretty sure he can speak for himself, and probably will shortly.
> 
> As for my use of the word "theorized", like he said, the only pictures we have of the ol' girl back in the day are either inconsistent in color or in black & white, and we have no way of knowing how faded the upper saucer is, if at all, so making any conclusion as to what the model looked like, in person, under normal lighting conditions, in essence, guesswork. It may be incredibly informed guesswork, with tons of corroborating evidence, but without access to a TARDIS and a properly white balanced high definition digital camera to go back and take pics of the freshly painted model, it still comes down to "best guess."
> 
> _MY_ theory is that the ship wasn't any more weathered than the upper saucer, and while Gary's points about the multiple passes through the optical printer necessitated some exaggeration in the detailing, it didn't require the godawful paintjob Miarecki foisted on that poor ship.


You got that right. My sister came back from the Smithsonian after the last restoration, all proud of the picture she took of the Old Girl on display at the souvenir shop. It was hard to say thank you when I saw what they had done to her! 

It looks as if they should have gone back with a light coay of gray to at least soften what they had done. It is sad what passes for "Restored", just look at the colors the Sci-Fi Museum in Seattle wanted for the Robot from "Lost in Space"......................


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## SFCOM1 (Sep 3, 2002)

The pics of the _Enterprise_ look awesome. I too can live with those gridlines, (Nothing some putty and hard work to maintain the fine details can not fix, in the long run) though confident they will be "toned down" a bunch more before it is all done. 

The profile looks awesome, and the nacelles look dead on in alignment (Might need some calipers, and one of Spock's card "computers" to get much closer! 

Looks like a winner here.

A can not wait! :woohoo:


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## scifimodelfan (Aug 3, 2006)

Just revived the update, beautiful pics and so glad the warp engines are not droopy. Great work.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

It's that side profile shot that really does it for me. That looks soooooooooooo spot on!

What do you guys think of the preliminary light kit?


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

If you want to get rid of the gridlines putty is not the way to go - a shot or two of automotive primer and some flexigrit should take care of them much faster than trying to deal with putty. Then you can prime with your favorite primer to even out the color and hit it with whatever color you decide to use.

As for the "theorizing" on the color, Gary stated where and when he got the paint chips. Most, if not all, of them were before the restorations AND were taken straight from the filming miniature. Therefore, I think it's safe to say that there was no "theorizing" taking place.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Automotive primer is a good idea but if the gridlines are fairly deep I'd go with Tamiya Basic Type polyester putty. It's smooth creamy consistency goes on like butter with a Squadron spatula tool, dries in a half hour and sands extremely well. Then, after sanding the crap out of it, I'd hit it with the primer coat... and then sand some more... repeat as necessary...


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## Prologic9 (Dec 4, 2009)

Captain April said:


> _MY_ theory is that the ship wasn't any more weathered than the upper saucer, and while Gary's points about the multiple passes through the optical printer necessitated some exaggeration in the detailing, it didn't require the godawful paintjob Miarecki foisted on that poor ship.


But the top of the saucer has always had extensive weathering, far more than the rest of the ship did. It's actually pretty hard to balance. 

Honestly what Miarecki tried to do was match the rest of the ship with the saucer. I think most of the complaints stem not from the accuracy issues, but the execution. You could weather the whole ship extensively and have it look great, but it has to be painted like a super model--not bozo the clown.


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## Gary K (Aug 26, 2002)

I'm extremely short on time, but here's some additional info that wasn't in the 1701 Club update:

1. Never, ever trust the colors you see in photos. Even if the white balance was set perfectly when the photo was taken, the monitor you're viewing the digitally compressed image on probably isn't calibrated. This & a host of other factors mean that you're only getting an approximation of the actual color. In the 1710 Club photo of a bunch of paint chips, my 18" AMT Enterprise, which I used as a test bed for all the colors, came out far greener than it looks in real life, even after I tried to tweak the color balance to make the colors of the chips more representative of their actual colors. 

2. I mixed the hull color using info from a number of sources, including Richard Datin and my own observations of the 11-footer that I made in 1991. At Ed's shop I matched the gray on the unrestored upper saucer against my Fed. Std. deck, and after we removed the saucer I checked the virginal paint on the underside of the saucer, which had been covered by the dorsal - and it matched the paint on the topside. The actual hull color is quite deceptive: in daylight it looks like plain old primer gray, but it takes on a definite greenish hue under incandescent & CFL lights.

3. There's no real need to lighten the colors for scale effect since the PL kit is a quarter the size of the 11-footer. Any scale effect would be negligible - and there's no atmospheric haze in space.

4. When I was commenting on the original weathering on the model I was referring to its intensity, not to the amount or location of weathering. For example, they sprayed dark green paint around the base of the bridge & teardrop section, but it photographed as gray shadows. If the blood red markings on the 11-footer often appear as a muddled reddish gray color onscreen, you can look at the weathering that's visible and extraopolate backwards that in person the color must have been much more intense. It seems that the saucer received more weathering than the rest of the ship since it got more of the close-up shots. Even the upper saucer of the 1st Pilot Enterprise was weathered for the zoom-in shot at the beginning of "The Cage".

My article on the 8-window Seaview is in the current issue of Sci-Fi & Fantasy Modeller, and the next issue (Vol 26) will detail my adventures over the years as I accumulated data on the Enterprise. In Vol 27 (or Vol 28, too, if I get long-winded) I'll talk about everything related to the PL kit, including the laborious process of deriving the color schemes of the 3 versions of the Enterprise. If I can make Wonderfest this year I'll bring along my color chips; otherwise, Jamie can bring his - if you ask him real nice.

Gary


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## Gregatron (Mar 29, 2008)

Gary K said:


> I'm extremely short on time, but here's some additional info that wasn't in the 1701 Club update:
> 
> 
> 4. When I was commenting on the original weathering on the model I was referring to its intensity, not to the amount or location of weathering. For example, they sprayed dark green paint around the base of the bridge & teardrop section, but it photographed as gray shadows. If the blood red markings on the 11-footer often appear as a muddled reddish gray color onscreen, you can look at the weathering that's visible and extraopolate backwards that in person the color must have been much more intense. It seems that the saucer received more weathering than the rest of the ship since it got more of the close-up shots. Even the upper saucer of the 1st Pilot Enterprise was weathered for the zoom-in shot at the beginning of "The Cage".
> ...



And, as I noted some time back, the upper saucer weathering, in particular, seems different--and much heavier (with much more green) in the first pilot. I still think there was a full--or at least partial--repaint when they switched to decals for the registry markings in the second pilot, necessitating all-new weathering (and the added gridlines) for the production version. 

The second pilot version seems to have had minimal weathering on the saucer--if any at all--,although some first pilot weathering clearly remained on the secondary hull and nacelles.


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## Prologic9 (Dec 4, 2009)

The giveaway in the pilot weathering is that it's radial. The streaks and patterns slop down from the center of the saucer, as if it had been sitting still out in the rain. You can see this pretty clearly in the very opening "Bridge Zoom" shot. 

Very different from the aerodynamic look they eventually went with.


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

Okay, so this nixes the theory that the upper saucer had faded over time.


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

*slide show*

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, maybe a slide show and comments on the 11 foot TV prop at Wonderfest ? :thumbsup:

I learned a lot since RC decided to do a 1/350 TOS ship, keep the trivia coming. the smallest detail might come in handy. Many Thanks


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

They definitely need to get the grid finer. I've been a supporter of the engraved grid, but in my mind the lines were no bigger than the recessed panel lines on a modern Tamiya/Hasegawa/Eduard military airplane kit. We all know it's possible.


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## liskorea317 (Mar 27, 2009)

Trekkriffic said:


> Automotive primer is a good idea but if the gridlines are fairly deep I'd go with Tamiya Basic Type polyester putty. It's smooth creamy consistency goes on like butter with a Squadron spatula tool, dries in a half hour and sands extremely well. Then, after sanding the crap out of it, I'd hit it with the primer coat... and then sand some more... repeat as necessary...


Now I want a bagel...


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

John P said:


> They definitely need to get the grid finer. I've been a supporter of the engraved grid, but in my mind the lines were no bigger than the recessed panel lines on a modern Tamiya/Hasegawa/Eduard military airplane kit. We all know it's possible.


From the update they clearly indicate that one of the first things they saw that they didn't like on the test shot was the scale of the grid lines. They know what builders want and seem to be trying to get them as fine as they can, but with a language and distance barrier, it is a slow process. I have faith that they will look just right on the final product! :thumbsup:


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

I wish the grid lines on the 1/1000 refit were as fine as a 1/72 modern airplane kit. I guess I'm wishing for the same thing on this kit.
On the other hand, this is such a dream-come-true kit, I'll take it as it is now and really like it!!!!


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

I'm still thinking the best overall hull color for this puppy'll be plain old gray primer.

But that's just me, I s'pose.


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## robiwon (Oct 20, 2006)

Captain April said:


> I'm still thinking the best overall hull color for this puppy'll be plain old gray primer.
> 
> But that's just me, I s'pose.


I am not going to spend months and months trying to replicate a color we don't really know how it looked in person. Nope, good old grey primer for me as well!


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

Captain April said:


> I'm still thinking the best overall hull color for this puppy'll be plain old gray primer.
> 
> But that's just me, I s'pose.


Rustoleum makes a very fine substitute for the original "concrete" color called " stone grey" . I 'm thinking that'll be a good start


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

Studying those photos in the update makes my heart ache. I can't believe the precision and care going into this. It's outstanding. And assuming they get the line work down to the fineness they want I'll be perfectly happy with that.

I'm also reminded of how and why this remains my favourite _Star Trek_ ship and my absolute favourite science fiction vehicle in any medium.


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Warped9 said:


> I'm also reminded of how and why this remains my favourite _Star Trek_ ship and my absolute favourite science fiction vehicle in any medium.


*AMEN* to that*!* Everything else is just spilled coffee.


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## woof359 (Apr 27, 2003)

*light grayesssssssssss*

gonna do my TOS in light gray, kinda......sitting next to my refit I think the most important detail well be that NON Trekers well notice there not both *WHITE*


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## onigiri (May 27, 2009)

I know this may sound like blasphemy but Im going to do her up in a TMP paint scheme with lit nacelle grills. I still think JJ, inc couldve gone truer to the original and still had it look impressive.


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## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

woof359 said:


> gonna do my TOS in light gray, kinda......sitting next to my refit I think the most important detail well be that NON Trekers well notice there not both *WHITE*


Even Trekkers will notice that they're not both white.


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

Lou Dalmaso said:


> Rustoleum makes a very fine substitute for the original "concrete" color called " stone grey" . I 'm thinking that'll be a good start


Plus, it's a helluva lot cheaper than model paints, especially when you consider how much you're gonna need to cover this monster. Gonna need at least two big rattle cans to be safe (I can just see the first can running out with one nacelle to go).

And frankly, after all the trips through the optical printer, it generally came out looking, to me at least, like a standard Navy issue battleship gray, so that's what I'm gonna go with. It's all great trivia to know what the actual color of the model, but since a major part of the choice was what would separate best from the bluescreen, the actual color is pretty irrelevant to the final product (unless you're gonna do the dream project of so many of us, a diorama of the Anderson Company shooting stage).


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

One thing I'm gonna love and it all has to do with scale. Done nicely this model should photograph well because you'll be able to get those perspective shots that evoke the 11 footer onscreen. Not so easy to do with smaller 11-18in. models.


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## CLBrown (Sep 8, 2010)

I plan to use automotive lacquer to paint mine. They're much much harder when fully cured than most other paints, and thus should bear up much better over time.

It's going to cost a bit more, as some folks have noted above, but I think it would be preferable to having my lifetime prize model getting scuffed up, chipped, etc, over time.

The gridlines on the test shot are what I always feared we'd see. I realize that these are going to be "toned down" a bit. But no matter what, they'll still stand out, in a way which didn't happen on the original model.

I'm actually leaning towards using white (super-fine) epoxy putty to fill the gridlines. I want my model to be able to stand up to inspection at exceptionally close viewing distances. That's part of why I've always been so strongly "anti-grid" on the model. That putty, if carefully applied and sanded, will be the only thing I can imagine which might actually TOTALLY hide the lines, even at a very close viewing.

I'll use, as I mentioned before, 9H ("super-hard") drafter's lead, in a lead-pointer, using either a drafting compass or a "flexible ruler," to make the markings on the hull. I intend for them to be so light that they won't even be visible unless you're very close, or if the light hits the hull "just right."

Basically, I'll be treating them as if they're roughly 1/2" to 1" shallow grooves... which, at 1:350 scale, would be the equivalent of 0.002" +/- 0.001" on the kit. The "grid" on the test shot is easily 0.025" wide, by comparison (which would equate to about 9" wide on the "real" ship).

I'm having a very hard time envisioning this being "tweaked" down sufficiently to be acceptable to me. Especially since the tool has been finished and has gone through the hardening processes already.

But who knows, maybe I'll get a pleasant surprise, and won't have to spend weeks correcting this on my own build-up.


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

Seeing how this is progressing I'm pretty sure they'll get the fineness of those lines down.

On my TV the ship appeared almost white in some shots and grey in others. In my mind's eye I always envisioned the ship as a light grey, which of course would look like darker grey depending on the lighting. To paint it any darker would make it look quite dark indeed in certain lighting.

One of the things thats bugged me about TOS-R is how dark the ship often looks.


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## Carson Dyle (May 7, 2003)

onigiri said:


> I know this may sound like blasphemy but Im going to do her up in a TMP paint scheme with lit nacelle grills.


On the contrary, I think that's a great idea. 

Although I quite enjoyed Abrams' film, I'm among those who wish he'd had stuck with a more texturally detailed version of the TOS design. 

I'd love to see a well executed "what if" version utilizing the Abrams paint scheme (i.e. a subtly paneled white hull) with the original Jeffries design. Done correctly, this could be a really winning stylistic combo IMO.

BTW, for those of you planning to putty in the panel lines, I strongly advise using Evercoat auto putty. It dries fast, won't shrink, and (used properly) won't react adversely with the primer topcoat. The combination of Evercoat putty, Tamiya fine grey primer, and wet-sanding with 400/600/1000 grit should make quick work of those pesky panel lines.


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## Nektu (Aug 15, 2001)

Completely agree with that. The design was the only thing I really didn't care for at all with the JJ film.

K


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## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

I hope we hear word soon on one of these updates as to what the photo etched kit will include.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I got a hole quart of this stuff for 10 bucks. It's based on Paul Newitt's Enterprise hull color article. I used it on my 1/1000 build and will use it on the 1/350th.


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Nektu said:


> Completely agree with that. The design was the only thing I really didn't care for at all with the JJ film.
> 
> K


This is what I was hoping for with the JJprise: http://gabekoerner.deviantart.com/art/My-Starship-Enterprise-143582075


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

Paulbo said:


> This is what I was hoping for with the JJprise: http://gabekoerner.deviantart.com/art/My-Starship-Enterprise-143582075


Better...but not by much. In that lighting it has something of a Tim Burtonesque look to it.




Trekkriffic said:


> I got a hole quart of this stuff for 10 bucks. It's based on Paul Newitt's Enterprise hull color article. I used it on my 1/1000 build and will use it on the 1/350th.


On my monitor that colour looks pretty damned good.


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## Prologic9 (Dec 4, 2009)

Trekkriffic said:


> I got a hole quart of this stuff for 10 bucks. It's based on Paul Newitt's Enterprise hull color article. I used it on my 1/1000 build and will use it on the 1/350th.


Coincidentally I had planned on checking that out today and forgot. Could you describe the paint a little? Does it go on flat/ dry well/ clean your house/ etc. ?


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## jheilman (Aug 30, 2001)

Says gloss on the lid. I'm guessing gloss finish, add decals, then clear coat to final finish.


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## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

What type of paint is that? Can it be used in an airbrush?


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## BolianAdmiral (Feb 24, 2009)

CLBrown said:


> The gridlines on the test shot are what I always feared we'd see. I realize that these are going to be "toned down" a bit. But no matter what, they'll still stand out, in a way which didn't happen on the original model.


Exactly, which only drives home my point that all this back-and-forth to get the lines "toned down" right could be avoided by simply giving us a smoothie, which is what would be 100% accurate.


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

^^ The jury isn't finally in yet.


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## SFCOM1 (Sep 3, 2002)

> On my monitor that colour looks pretty damned good.


That is a very nice color. I might go with that myself, or get a good grey primer. Either way the model will look sweet!


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## CLBrown (Sep 8, 2010)

Opus Penguin said:


> What type of paint is that? Can it be used in an airbrush?


The problem with most "House paints" of that sort is that they have very large particulate sizes. They're great for large-area coverage, but they'll cover up detail if painted on "as intended" and will appear grainy if applied in this coats.

I think that the color itself is just about perfect... at least as it appears on my (calibrated) monitor. But pigment grain size is very likely going to be a problem if you're using "house paint" (like this appears to be).

I want my build-up to have a flawless, almost "glassy" (if matte) surface finish. I don't want any pigment grain to show through at all.

It's gonna cost me to do it this way, though... I know that. But this is my "dream model" and I'm going to spare no expense or effort. 

(Unless, of course, the world ends before I can get it built!)


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

Light Gull Gray from a spray can is my fallback color on most of my recent Enterprise builds, within the last 20 years or so. I am always pleased with the results and color and should suit me well on this build. :thumbsup:


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

Opus Penguin said:


> What type of paint is that? Can it be used in an airbrush?


It's gloss enamel. It's pretty thick in the can. One of it's intended uses is as a paint for tractors. 

This is how it looked airbrushed onto my 1/1000 model after thinning with airbrush thinner. 

Once I was done decaling and gloss clearcoating I hit it with a final coat of Dullcote to give it a matte finish.


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

Trekkriffic said:


> It's gloss enamel. It's pretty thick in the can. One of it's intended uses is as a paint for tractors.
> 
> This is how it looked airbrushed onto my 1/1000 model after thinning with airbrush thinner.
> 
> Once I was done decaling and gloss clearcoating I hit it with a final coat of Dullcote to give it a matte finish.


WOW! If it looks that smooth on the 1/1000, it should look even better on the Big Girl!! Can't see any bumps or imperfections!!! :thumbsup:


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## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

I gotta get me a can of this to be ready.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

RSN said:


> WOW! If it looks that smooth on the 1/1000, it should look even better on the Big Girl!! Can't see any bumps or imperfections!!! :thumbsup:


No. And another benefit is it's "rust stop" oil-based enamel so your starship will never rust! Nor any of your orbiting farm equipment either. Tough stuff.
Here's an outdoor pic and one in my garage of how it looked after Dullcoting.


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## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

Hey, will Lou be doing the window masks for this model for painting?


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

CLBrown, do you think if the grid lines remain sufficiently wide, that a brass etch set could be laid into them?


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

Opus Penguin said:


> Hey, will Lou be doing the window masks for this model for painting?


you betcha! and if I win one of the test shots (or can borrow it from the winner), I can have them ready by time the ship hits the fans!


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## RSN (Jul 29, 2008)

Trekkriffic said:


> No. And another benefit is it's "rust stop" oil-based enamel so your starship will never rust! Nor any of your orbiting farm equipment either. Tough stuff.
> Here's an outdoor pic and one in my garage of how it looked after Dullcoting.


Very, very nice. Your gridlines are amazing. They really bring it to life!! :thumbsup:


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

1/1000? Wow!


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## Opus Penguin (Apr 19, 2004)

I am sold on that paint now with how good it looks on the 1/1000.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

charonjr said:


> 1/1000? Wow!


Thanks man. This pic fools a lot of people into thinking it's half studio scale.

I better not post any more pics or the moderator will slap my hand for derailing the thread although my intent was to show what you can do with "tractor" paint. :jest:


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## hal9001 (May 28, 2008)

Lou Dalmaso said:


> ... ready by time the ship hits the fans!


Good one Lou! :lol:

hal9001-


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## pagni (Mar 20, 1999)

Has anyone brought up the existence of internegative footage/clips of the Enterprise studio scale model ?


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

It would be nice if the original Enterprise bluescreen negatives still existed! I would have preferred those to have been re-composited with new effects for the DVD/BD series, than use a not so greatly done CGI model.


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## flyingfrets (Oct 19, 2001)

What ever your final color choice, make sure you buy enough, all at the same time and all at the same place. Got a much better shot at getting it all from the same batch that way. Learned that the hard way on a 1/32 X15 build (you'd think matte black is matte black, but the variance between what went on the fuselage as opposed to the shade that ended up on the wings was definitely noticable).

As long as we've waited for the ol' girl, not worth botching it at the "finish" line!

And yes, I'm aware that some companies can color match, or claim their colors are exactly the same from one batch to the next, but they're pricey and I'm not taking ANY chances on this one!


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

flyingfrets said:


> What ever your final color choice, make sure you buy enough, all at the same time and all at the same place. Got a much better shot at getting it all from the same batch that way. Learned that the hard way on a 1/32 X15 build (you'd think matte black is matte black, but the variance between what went on the fuselage as opposed to the shade that ended up on the wings was definitely noticable).
> 
> As long as we've waited for the ol' girl, not worth botching it at the "finish" line!
> 
> And yes, I'm aware that some companies can color match, or claim their colors are exactly the same from one batch to the next, but they're pricey and I'm not taking ANY chances on this one!


Sound advice.


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## Captain April (May 1, 2004)

Okay, so three cans of Rustoleum gray primer it is...


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## CLBrown (Sep 8, 2010)

flyingfrets said:


> What ever your final color choice, make sure you buy enough, all at the same time and all at the same place. Got a much better shot at getting it all from the same batch that way. Learned that the hard way on a 1/32 X15 build (you'd think matte black is matte black, but the variance between what went on the fuselage as opposed to the shade that ended up on the wings was definitely noticable).
> 
> As long as we've waited for the ol' girl, not worth botching it at the "finish" line!
> 
> And yes, I'm aware that some companies can color match, or claim their colors are exactly the same from one batch to the next, but they're pricey and I'm not taking ANY chances on this one!


Absolutely true... but there are times that this sort of thing can actually be a GOOD thing.

There are few ways to achieve the subtle panel variations between different sections on an aircraft, for example, which are more effective than using multiple batches of what are supposed to be the same color! (Which, by the way, is the reason that the aircraft themselves show those same subtle issues... in theory, they're supposed to be totally uniform, of course!)


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## SteveR (Aug 7, 2005)

CLBrown said:


> Absolutely true... but there are times that this sort of thing can actually be a GOOD thing.


So ... it might make sense to paint the ship _expecting_ a slight variation in the paint. Rather than paint the left side then the right side, you might paint the major components first (primary hull, then the nacelles, then the secondary), then the connecting parts such as the pylons and dorsal ...? 

You might get the whole ship in one go, but this process might be the most prudent in case you have to change cans/bottles mid-process?


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