Monday 26 January 2015

Columbia & Challenger...the NX-Class Sisters UPDATE #3

Greetings!

This update should really be called 'Columbia...DONE!'  I've been working on Columbia vs. Challenger in great detail to finish the model.  With the 'wallpaper decals' it has taken longer than expected but the results are amazing!  I ended up scanning the upper nacelle decals and modified them to incorporate some additional markings (which are in the 1/350 version).  The wrinkled decals are wet decals with MircoScale Sol on it to conform the decals to the shape.  An extra step I do to ensure the decal sticks to the model, I use white glue mixed in with a bowl of warm water.  The glue dress clear and diluted.



This is a photocopy of the decal instructions from the 1/350s scale (the original 1/1000 scale instructions were HORRIBLE!).  I've added a few reprinted decals, scaled down from the larger model to help accurize this one.



Whatever decals I didn't use in the 1/1000 scale build I set aside for 'Challenger'.


The engine parts on these little models are very small.  I doubted I'd be able to paint it so I took the orthographic renderings of the Studio CG model an sized it down and printed it on decal paper.




FINAL ASSEMBLY OF NX-02

The Warp Nacelles of the Columbia have these 'reactor loops' (sort of the same thing on TOS Enterprise) which I was ready to glue onto each nacelle but with further study, I realized the they should be darker than the hull colour.  The hull colour is darker with the 'wallpaper' decals so I dusted the metallic loops with a metallic dark grey.



Again on further examination, I realized the deflector dish shape is wrong for Columbia while looking a screen caps.  There should be an inside bevel which I carved out of the dish I was working on vs. it being squared off.  I will have to do that with Challenger's dish as well.


Once the model was finally glued together, the last step was to 'paint' the windows.  I opted to use fine tip Sharpie Permanent marker.  Worked perfectly!


So here it is, Columbia NX-02 finally done! (when the Challenger NX-03 is complete, I will do a 'final reveal' update.)








CHALLENGER NX-03

Unlike Columbia, Challenger, with it's secondary hull, has more sub-assemblies: Primary hull with struts, Secondary Hull with neck, interconnecting struts, warp core and the Warp Nacelles.  The Primary Hull needs to be assembled, seamed, filled and sanded.  The struts are one piece on their own.  The secondary hull is done except for detail painting.  The Warp Nacelles need some tweaking and final painting.

What you see below is a picture of the deflector dish assembly getting 'flat sanded' to correct thickness.  For those who don't know, flat sanding is when you attach sandpaper to a flat surface to evenly sand joints down.  I have a piece of 60 grit sandpaper taped to my work bench now for about 3 years and despite a few chemical spills (and beer spills), it still does the job.  I digress...   I had to cast new parts as I lost a lot of parts from the Columbia build over the years.  Even with Challenger, I found I lost a few tiny parts, not to mention there were some parts missing from the kit, like the rod which holds the deflector dish for the Secondary Hull.  Not sure what I will do to repair that.  Good thing I have an extra 1/1000 TOS Enterprise Kit (which I'm going to kitbash into a Prime Universe Kelvin type model...that's down the road).


I used CA to glue the deflector housing at the front of the saucer.  I also removed most of the alignment posts on this model as it prevented me from achieving a seamless close.  The silver paint is actually 'mirror' paint (I bought it for a build to have a mirror finish - didn't work as planned, but I used it on my Klingon D7 for the chrome parts - anyways it is a backer for the sensor dome which will get painted pearl white on the outside.


Here is the underside mocked up with the secondary hull and struts.


Time to glue up the two hull segments...finally!  On Columbia, it took me almost a week to glue up the two halves as I kept finding places that weren't cemented properly.  This time, I take no chances.


That does it for this update.  Happy Model Building!!

Cheers!

Saturday 17 January 2015

Columbia & Challenger...the NX-Class Sisters UPDATE #2

Greetings!!  Happy New Year!

Back to work on the two NX-Class models as seen in 'Star Trek: Enterprise' with Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) which ended a decade ago.

NX-02 - COLUMBIA

My first step was to finish off the nacelles with the 'trim' paint.


Back in 2003, when the 1/350 model of the NX-01 was released, Polar Lights also released orthographic renderings (available online in a google search) of the digital studio model.  In referencing this, I realized there are some inaccuracies with it.  The 1/1000 version features 'heavy' gird lines and the 'cargo doors' on both the ventral and dorsal sides of the saucer should be filled in to at least match the sizing with the decals.



Once I was satisfied with the filling and sanding of the seams, I sprayed a base coat of Gloss Aluminum by Rustoleum as the base coat.





The next round of painting is gold sections which include the thrusters, bridge dome and engine components.




And for the the lower dome on the ventral side of the saucer, I dusted a coat of Tamiya Pearl White.


For the dark regions I airbrushed Testers MM Euro 1 Grey around the Deflector Dish housing and on sections on the saucer.



Now for the 'wall paper' decals!  This model has such an extensive 'aztec' patchwork, especially at this scale, it would be challenging to paint it.  That said, 'wallpaper decaling' offers it's challenges too, especially conforming to curves and compound curves.  This is where decal setting solution can help.




I couldn't resist adding the registry decal to the model; I always find that as soon as the name and number are on the ship (especially the upper saucer), the model takes on a life of it's own.


NX-03 - CHALLENGER

I haven't spent as much time on this ship (aside from the secondary hull - this is the refit) as I have to  work at finishing off 'Columbia'.  The colour palette is that of the 'Pilot TV version' of the USS Enterprise from both 'The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before" vs. the steel look.  I've been tempted to move forward the registry to NX-103 or NCC-103, or something like that but I figure this is a 're-fit' of the NX-Class ship vs. something new.  I digress...here are the nacelles:

The outboard nacelles have 'inserts' to fill in the cavity to closer resemble the TOS Enterprise.


All glued up, ready for filling, sanding, filing, rinse and repeat.


I have filled in the cargo hatch details, much like I did on 'Columbia'.


Anticipating the fit problems I had with 'Columbia', I cut off most of the 'snap together' posts.  I also painted the lower sensor dome with silver, like I did with 'Columbia'.


Now I await to cut out, sand down and fit the resin parts I cast as replacements which I lost over the years from Columbia. 

That wraps up this build for me for today.  Happy model building and see you soon!

Cheers!