1/1400 AMT Enterprise-C (So it begins)

[novahobbies]

Simply beautiful!

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Thanks guys for the great comments! They keep pushing me forward!

Just so this isn't an all writing post, in between filling holes and defects with putty, I started cutting out the badge/insignia that's gonna go on the display stand. I am using 0.40mm flat sheet styrene as the source material. I hope to paint it tomorrow and assemble it soon.

Here's the cut outs:

For the EC display stand.

This will be a nice distraction while the putty sets.

Lemme know what you think!

Steve

[MSgtUSAFRet]

And now, with color (or paint - your choice! )

For the display stand.

Steve

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Hello Fellow Modelers!

Sorry it's been a minute since I last posted but RL has me hopping and not hopping to the bench!

Nonetheless, I have made some progress and have taken some pics to show you!

I decided it was time to place the Impulse Engines on the secondary hull. The red spacer is a bit of coffee stirrer I used to maintain alignment of the seams. I'll have to fill
the seams and sand them, but this is one piece closer to final!

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I am noticing that it seems to take me a year to build a model start to finish. If so, then, considering the amount of models in my stash, I should be finished by the time I'm 90 y.o.!


I seated the Main Engines as well and masked them out, too. I still have to fill the gaps with putty and sand them indiscernable, but at least they are on!

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The thing/step/process that had kept me busy and not posting is the choosing of the colors. As I have written before, I wasn't too thrilled with the egg-shell colors others have painted the ship. Their builds are beautiful in the final form and their processes are inspirational and are ultimately the artist's form of expression unique to themselves. However, I feel Star Fleet is, at worst, a para-military organization
and at best, military organization much like the combined braches of the US Armed Forces. And, other than the most famous and notable exception of the USS Lexington (CV-16), The Blue Ghost, the ships do not have egg-shell colors painted on them; much less "cartoony-type" colors. This is my opinion and that and 50 cents won't even get you a cup of coffee. But as the builder, I will follow a more monochromatic paint
scheme which I feel lends more gravitas to the ships when they roll up on an opponent.

So I spent a considerable amount of time trying to find "my" colors. Man, I must have annoyed the patience out of my artist family (5 in the family) with texts and phone calls asking them what they
thought of the schema. I finally got us all to agree on a scheme and I started mixing paint. I am using acrylic for the colors as I am trying to avoid issues with the paint overs. The following shots are
showing my attempts to visualize the colors on a ship!

There are better builders than me on here who can immediately visualize the colors of a ship from a swatch of color on a piece of paper. I am not so gifted. So I painted spares that I had on hand
with some of my color tests.

Paint Test Dorsal
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Paint test compare Ventral
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At first, I was trying to go with a bluish/grey tint of color but that proved very problematic. So I decided, especially after comparing the colors against my TOS E, That I should
go with more of a grey color pallet.

I ran out of spare models and made my own Paint test disc. At least I could better see how the colors would look on a ship.
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Once I had narrowed down the choices, I pulled out a spare C saucer I had and painted it to see the final color. (Also, because it was even begun yet, I can still immerse it in stripper
and get it back to original plastic without any issues.)

Paint test spare 1
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Final Paint Test spare 2
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Once I had all the colors mixed and ready, I painted the model with the base color. It may look white or very light in the shots but the camera, despite my best intentions and interventions
seems to want to wash it out, but it is actually a nice shade of light grey. The second color is a darker grey, closer to the TOS E I showed earlier, and the final third color will be a dark blue as
shown on the test spare saucer.

Masking for second color
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Painting Second Color
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I still have a ways to go on the ship, sanding and painting, but I hope to get the saucer completed, mostly, so I can put it away and try to prevent any more damage to it from handling.

Thanks for tuning in and following along! Your comments and support would be greatly appreciated!

Till next time,

Keep you paint on the model and your glue in the seams!

Steve

[Griffworks]

Looking good. I'm not ambitious enough to light anything. At least not at present.

Love that insignia badge. Very nicely done scratchbuild!

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Looking good. I'm not ambitious enough to light anything. At least not at present.

Love that insignia badge. Very nicely done scratchbuild!

Thanks, Griff!

I am quite chuffed the insignia turned out so well. My Son thinks I should make one for Cosplay to a Comicon! I'm seriously thinking about it!

It's been a while since I last posted, but I have been a bit busy with masking and painting - like many others here!

I added more tape to paint the blue highlights (third color). It almost seems like "Why show masking?! We all do it!" Yeah, but it's really tough work! I was almost getting flash
backs of my Protector work! I probably will when I finally get to the secondary hull and warp nacelles!

Masking Dorsal - blue
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I finally got the blue painted on both sides. Then came the tedious chore of adding MORE masking to paint the lifepods. Woohoo!

Masking pods Ventral
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2 minutes of painting later...

Paint pods ventral
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Painting pods Dorsal
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And here is the unmasking. Yeah, I have some touchups to do, including the B/C deck lifepods, but this is still a milestone to getting this done!

Reveal Ventral
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Reveal Dorsal
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I am happy with the colors, but I am concerned about the "flat" look of it. I will be adding a clear sealant on it, which should help, but, for now, I am just happy to get a majority of the paint for the saucer on the saucer!

Thanks as always for looking! Comments and constructive critisims are always appreciated!

Steady as she goes!

Steve

[MEATLOAFr]

Looks real nice- please continue

[ProfArturo]

Thanks for posting your masking stages, it's really interesting to see each step of the process.

Think your colour scheme is a lot more realistic than the full blue one too.

[KevinHoggard]

Turning out absolutely beautiful

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Thanks, Gents!

RL has been keeping me from the bench but I am working up the free time to get back to it!

Your comments fuel that so thanks a bunch!

I'll have more to post soon!

Steve