Group Build "Star Trek Free For All" Early 2006

Woody, sign me up for the Group Build.  I'm working on two subjects:

1. Accurised AMT/Ertl Enterprise D

2. Starcrafts Oberth-Class, marked as the U.S.S. Tsiolkovski

Nice to see the step-by-step Lyran coming into shape.  Very cool.  Will really like to see how you use "artistic license" to trick it out and work over detail features.  I used to have a headache trying to figger out how those Star Fleet Battles ships might look way back when playing the game in the late 80s/early 90s.

QUESTION FOR THE EX-SPERTS!

In doing the 1/1000 Conny-prise, what would you suggest for getting the plate pattern effect on that "just-too-featureless surface?"

I have never used "CA". I primarily use Ambroid plastic weld or Tennax (both a little over $3 a bottle). Nasty stuff (so the bottle says) but much faster. Great for Gundams, it melts the plastic for a moment and rehardens it in about 10 seconds! Then all you do is sand off the excess no filling necessary! I also use both gel and liquid super glue which I hear is the same as CA. Is that true?

(Edit: Correct my post. Full of spelling errors. I post from work so i am often posting in a hurry!LOL)

More pics of progress: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/ussarcadia/LyranProgress.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/ussarcadia/LyranProgressFront.jpg

I had to install re-inforcing. A "beam" across and some bracing for the front as the bottom piece is thin and was flexing.

Same effects guys that shot the phasers out of the photon tube in "Darmok"!!

Can't wait to see your phaser strips. Yes specialty styrene is pricey, but what else can you do. Glue isn't cheap either. I spent about the same amount on two bottles of CA.

Hey Savion, do you have any pics of your Lyran?

Here I have my next "major move" now that the holidays are through.  Wired one nacelle for light, to see what it looks like.

I carved a channel into the nacelle arms, and notched the insert hole of the nacelle a bit for wire passage.  Everything's still rough, but after I tuck the wire a bit better, fill and smoothe the whole lot it should look fine.

Note the black coating of the inside.  For light-proofing as I plan to have bulbs mounted within the body when I decide the best way to make small square window holes.  Anyone got pointer on that? 

Also considering spotlight holes but really unsure of that working at all.

Gawd, look at them cracks in the model seams, eh?  More filler work for sure!

I am going to have to re-coat the inner surface of the outside nacelle dome because of a run in the paint, but otherwise I think it looks fair.  Once masked and all painted things should (I-hope-hope-hope-hope) look much better.

This photobucket's a pretty nifty thing!

I just started posting pics a little over a week ago. I use photobucket. Load your pic into a photobucket folder, like you would upload any file, and all you have to do is put a link in your post to the pic in photobucket. There are other sites that hold pics free of charge but I don't know who they are.

http://photobucket.com/

I have that Rommie Scout! Bought it back in the early '90s; it had some rather nasty bubbles here and there. It's been packed away for some time.

I like that Lyran Cruiser!! I started building one some years ago, finished it's construction about a year ago and gave it some basecoat painting. It still needs it's county colour, numbering/lettering, etc. I used the old mini plan sheets and photocopy enlarged it about 400%. Final length of the model is just a shade under 13" long. I sized it to the miniatures and I think I got close to the old TOS E/ Klingon D7 model, supposedly 1/650. That's what I am calling it. I had fallen out of practice for use of an airbrush and I replaced my air source this last fall, so I'm practicing once again. I'd post pics if I had any idea of how to do that here (I've just relogged back in and perusing the forums after a LONG hiatus.) but I hope to find out sooner or later.

Windows: mine has no windows at this point. I'm thinking decals of some sort but if they need to be white, that could be a problem.

I used to love Mr. Surfacer 1000, goes on like a dream, but I can't find it around here anymore.

The Rommie scout is a Fed Models kit. Out of production for a while, I noticed back in stock and grabbed one. Its supposedly in scale with the ERTL Ent. A(1/537?). Nice little kit, great detail. The nacelles had huge bubbles in fronts, but they replaced them ASAP.

Laying down side pieces around rim on the Lyran and ready to start building the front nose areas. One question though: should I drill portholes and them back them up with styrene or leave smooth? I'm going to try to build this as castable.

Welcome aboard to both MartianGundamModeler and Kevlar! 

Been outta da show a few days, but back looking in now.  Wow that is one nicely fried whatsit-ship, Kevlar! 

We have a nice spread of projects running, eh?  Am back on my ship, but very frustrated with wiring issues from the nacelles to the main body - how to run the wires discreetly and all is a pain without doing serious damage to the support struts. 

Also have decided to wait on painting the model until AFTER construction.

That scout is SWEET!! Is that scratch built or a kit? I ran across this site about a year or so ago. They have some cool designes on this site. I stumbled on it about a year ago. Many of them are waaaaay out there but I like the Davidoff design. It has some kit bash potential. The dual exhaust impulse drives on each side of the refit version doesn't appeal to me. PL TOS Constitution class kits are hard to come by in my area...

http://www.ussmiranda.com/frames.htm

http://www.ussmiranda.com/ships/davidoff.htm

http://www.ussmiranda.com/ships/davidoff2.htm

Nice start on the Lyran cruiser!  

What kit is the Rommie scout? Scale?

First pic of bottom cut out:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/ussarcadia/IMG_0377.jpg

Something else I've been working on:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/ussarcadia/IMG_0379.jpg

Another very interesting variant design, nice work so far(and welcome aboard). Sorry no class names hitting me at the moment.

Bought some pieces and glue at the local railroad shop, I'll be laying the keel, so to speek, for the Lyran Tiger tomorrow. I'll take pics as I go.

Ok, this looks like it could be fun, so I am gonna give it a shot, Im gonna just use the model I have already started on about 2 weeks ago, I am using the PL 1/1000 Conny model, with a few added parts and a whole new scratch built neck, the pylons have been moved to lay flat on the 2nd haul.....any way here a few photos.......

let me know what ya think so far...

http://www.imageuploading.com/ims/pic.php?u=7745kWfyH&i=50074

http://www.imageuploading.com/ims/pic.php?u=7745kWfyH&i=50075

http://www.imageuploading.com/ims/pic.php?u=7745kWfyH&i=50076

Still havent come up with a good name for it class and name wise.....any ideas?

Molding is a great idea but I have virtually no experience in molding . I have never seen half rounded styrene stock, but i will look for it. I also forgot to add that I shirtened the neck about a half inch as well. Any ideas on replasing the kit photorp launchers. I have tried to scratch some from sheet styrene and styrene "u" shaped strip bit it's hard going. I will probly have to use a single tube like the galaxie class.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c191/MartianGundamModeler/portprofilephotorp.jpg

Ravenstar Studios: http://www.ravenstarstudios.com/ Chris has alot of nice designs and is a great guy to boot. The phaser strips on the TNG Odin class have some nice strips, I'm sure he'd help ya out. I'd seriously try to find one of those circle cutters.

Om another note I upsized my Lyran plans so that the ship would scale out at 11", roughly same length as PL E. Next is to draw it on styrene. If I can get far enough on the Lyran, I may follow up with the Kzinti right away.