Polar lights USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Star Trek The Motion Picture Refit 1/350th Scale
Page Number
Waddya know...
Even More Secondary Hull Sodding About!
Welcome back to what is THE longest WIP on on my site. And that's both in time and bloody pages worth.
Jesus pogo-dancing Christ on a Segway...
Onward!
Okedoke, last time we had about half of the secondary hull and neck painting done so got the belly stuff sorted but it's bloody hard to photograph. But one did one's best and got this shot
So that sorted as much as it's going to get, on to the neck. Had a little bit of a problem in that the masks would not stick by the transfer tape method.
As I noted last time, that's the downside with matt paint. So therefore, aztec laid on via the Orbital Drydock masks one bit at a time until covered and more than a little airbrush waving about via yours truly.
Same as most of the masks, lay on, remove bits for certain colour, airbrush, put bits back, repeat for next colour ad absurdum.
So the bottom of the neck and the top, where it meets saucer connection. That's the long thing with ribs all along it...
Does that sound like a line from a cheaply made Durex commercial to you?
So the masks for the top bit looked like this.
Ok not bad by any means, but looking at the ref It looks a bit more complex that that to me.
The Trekmodeler paint guide for the refit also has a fairly complex pattern layout for that area and the base of the neck where it meets the torpedo launcher bit.
More than good enough for me so a fair bit of sliced up masking tape, frisket masks and airbrush waving did happen.
That'll do it for me.
So to the top bit where it meets the saucer and related blue painted area. Panel at the front of the neck likewise got some colour stuff plastered on.
Whatever this is supposed to be at the back of the neck. Done in Vallejo German grey as a base with some dry brushing, same colour with some light sea grey mixed in. Likewise with the torpedo launchers.
Then the two shades of green bit that runs down the side of the neck. Easily done, mix of Vallejo pastel green, grey green and white airbrushed, masks laid on, pastel green neat applied and masks removed.
The other side got the same treatment so a quick pearl paint look see with lighting check.
Nice!
And so we get to the strongback silliness and deflector housing hoo-ha.
Quadruple shade of pale grey greens for the Refit on this deal.
The trick here is subtle colours that should not be too stark a contrast to each other.
Noticeable but not too glaringly so if one gets my drift.
My first attempt was a complete shambles to put it mildly.
The colours were so subtle it looked near all the same.
See what I mean?
Well that crap was immediately up for a repaint and this is what occurred.
Started with a mix of Vallejo pastel green with some light sea grey and white. Once cured, time to pick up the masking tape, what parts of the Orbital Drydock masking set that apply in this case, cross ref with the Trekmodeler paint guide, adjust pattern as I saw fit and have at it!
A scrap piece of styrene was also given a quick brush paint.
Reason being to check the shade of the next colors. Or to put it another way, what I should have bloody well done in the first place!
I think i'm getting old.
Add white to the mix, test on a said scrap untill happy and airbrush on.
Add more masking, add more white, test and airbrush etc.
Repeat twice more with masking tape and Orbital Drydock masks where required.
Final run with the OD masks and a bit of tape here and there for all the tiny dark detail bits and the like. Last mix up of one off pastel green/grey/white deal, airbrush on then rip all masking off and take a good look.
And that's what I wanted in the first place.
So final little bits of paintwork to get done. Some edging in/clean up stuff, the RCS bits, phaser banks and so on, decals and then on to the pylons.
That's for the next update so i'll see you merry lot then! Go easy out there gang.
Captain Slog: Additional Stardate 06082016 Point Zip
Just uploaded the standard Shaky-Cam vid to YouTube so enjoy!
