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

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Greetings Starfighter!

No, no. That's the wrong one!

Hailing Frequencies open! (There! That's better!)

Since my NSEA Protector is pretty much done, I've decided to begin another build - the 1-1400 AMT Enterprise-C!



I am going to try and enter my Protector in the IPMS Region 6 ModelFiesta 37 in February. I'm gonna push myself to try and get The Enterprise-C done in time to enter it into the IPMS Houston Modelmania 2018 on 28 April 2018.

Setting deadlines for myself will also help me get more than one model a year done. At least that's the plan. ;D

This model is a gift from my daughter, the same one that found and gifted me my first build (TOS 1/650 Enterprise), so this one has some memories attached to it as well.

I bought the extra parts for the warp Engines and the Deflector from Don's Light and Magic as I want to do right by the build, but neither do I want to do extensive modifications to the build like I did for the TOS Romulan BoP and the NSEA Protector. I am trying to stay as OOB as I can. We will see.

20161013_162938 DLM Parts

I plan to light it, of course, and drill out a majority of the windows. I also want to paint it more in keeping with the traditional Federation paint schema. I KNOW it is canon, but just can't see painting a Starship Duck-egg Blue and white; even if the Federation is trying out a "kinder, gentler" theme. So I will be going with a grey scale theme.

I also want to put blinking running lights on it and will be trying my hand at designing and making a 555 timer circuit. A fellow builder made and gave me the one for my Protector but I am trying to push myself to learn how to build my own. I also have an idea about the switching over of the impulse engines to Warp, but I may have to post a few questions on the site before that happens.

So far I've wash the parts so they would take the primer and paint well.

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I decided to follow angyscifimodeler's lead and do something about the edge of the saucer. (If you look him up, be aware he is called "angry" for a reason!") He filed the edge of his. I am using Perfect Plastic Putty (PPP) to fill in the troughs around the rim. I was trying to fill in the troughs without filling in the windows, but it looks like I just made more work for myself.

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I may have jumped the gun and have put primer and flight blocking on the insides. In spraying the primer on the saucer, I have lost some definition of where the rim windows are. Again, something to work out.

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I probably should have cut the windows before spraying the primer, but it's already done so I will deal with it. I marked the "off" windows with a permanent marker and then started drilling out windows on the secondary hull.

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I read where some builders drill two holes, top and then bottom, and then use an xacto blade to cut out the rest. I tried that, but am not entirely happy with the results.

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I am gonna try something with a fissure bur and my Dremel. I have a few left over dental burs I can try. If not successful, I may have to pose another question for alternative in the questions section.

Anyway, that's where I am for now. May not get as much done during the holidays as I would hope, but I will post what I can when I can!

Thanks for your comments and for following along with me on another build!

May the wind be at our backs!

Steve

[Gidiot]

looking good! I can't wait to see her as she moves along!

[MadManMUC]

Good start, I'd say!

As for not being happy with the windows: are you going to fill them? With what, something like dental or nail acrylic? I ask, because you can — of course — ultimately clean up the shapes and sizes by masking them for the final paint job, so I wouldn't worry too much about them not being 100% yet, at this stage in the build.

It would be fiddly of course. But do-able.

[trekriffic]

Good start, I'd say!

As for not being happy with the windows: are you going to fill them? With what, something like dental or nail acrylic? I ask, because you can — of course — ultimately clean up the shapes and sizes by masking them for the final paint job, so I wouldn't worry too about them not being 100% yet, at this stage in the build.

It would be fiddly of course. But do-able.

What he said Steve. You can fill the windows with resin to a level slightly proud of the exterior then sand smooth. Fill any gaps with PPP then sand again. Take some brass tubing of the right diameter to make a punch, squeezing it with a pair of smooth jawed pliers until it matches the shape of the oblong windows. It would help if you had some brass rod whose diameter matches the width of the windows. Cut some short lengths of rod, enough to span the length of your window slots when placed side by side, and insert them into the brass tube as you squeeze it, lining them up next to each other as you go. The brass rods will force the tubing into the right shape to fit into the recessed window slots. You only need to do this once. After you have the right shape file the edges of your punch with a diamond needle file to sharpen them. Now you can lay down some Tamiya tape on a vinly cutting matt and use a small hobby hammer to punch out uniformly shaped paint masks to fit the windows perfectly. After painting you should have perfectly shaped windows after removing the masks. I did this to make oval masks for the windows on my Leif Ericson and it worked really well.

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Good Day, Follow Modelers!

looking good! I can't wait to see her as she moves along!

Thanks! I can't either! She is gonna be my final model before I work on what I hope will be the centerpiece of my collection - 350 TOS-E! But I wanna do right by her so, yeah, I'm excited. TBH, I like the Ent-C better than the TNG-E, so this should be fun!

Good start, I'd say!

As for not being happy with the windows: are you going to fill them? With what, something like dental or nail acrylic? I ask, because you can — of course — ultimately clean up the shapes and sizes by masking them for the final paint job, so I wouldn't worry too much about them not being 100% yet, at this stage in the build.

It would be fiddly of course. But do-able.

Thanks for the encouragement, MadManMUC! As for your question, on my last two lighted builds, I cut the windows, placed thin (0.01mm Styrene) on the inside and then filled the windows with Micro Kristal Klear. I've never thought about masking the windows like you suggest. After my Protector build, I wasn't looking to do any more masking than was required for the paint scheme. I'll have to ponder on it a while.

Steve (trekriffic), nice write-up on the creation and use of a custom masking punch! I may end up doing that for the Port side secondary hull I have already cut; so thanks for the tip and technique. For the Starboard-side, I had thought of using a Dental Carbide Bur ( FG # 701 Tapered Fissure CrossCut High HP) to try and even up the windows.

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As you can see, it has a slight taper to it and could cause a bit of over finishing if countersunk too far into the windows.

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Hopefully, if I can keep my hands steady, I should be able to clean up the windows a bit. I may end up using the bur to clean up, and in some cases widen, straighten, the opening and then follow MadManMUC's and trekriffic's suggestion to fill and mask the windows.

The plan is to practice on the secondary hull and perfect a technique before I move to the saucer.

Thanks, as always, for your interest in my build and for the wonderful tips and techniques!

Keep 'em coming!

Steve

[MadManMUC]

Admittedly, the fact that the windows have rounded ends complicates matters a bit, as far as masking goes. If they were simply rectangular, it would just be a matter of straight-edge cutting in masking tape, and could be done in bulk relatively quickly.

Another matter to consider is cost. How much MKK did you use on your last build? My experiences so far with nail acryclic are that you don't need a hell of a lot to fill in a window, even on something as big as a 537 kit. I expect I'll have enough powder and monomer to last me the rest of my 537 Reliant, as well as the 677 Voyager and 537 Enterprise refit that will come after ... and then I'll probably still have some left over.

My point was that for the €20 I invested in the nail kit (three different powders, monomer, and other stuff I won't need or use), it will go a looooooooong way, and give me nice, flush windows every time.

I'll have to keep trekriffic's punch method in mind for my Reliant build, though!

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Happy New Year, Modelers!!

After driving 32 hours roundtrip to see the family, I didn't have a lot of free time to model. But I do know, Kansas is FAAH-LAAAAT!

But I did get some time to do the mind numbing work of drilling some windows. More on that in a bit.

Admittedly, the fact that the windows have rounded ends complicates matters a bit, as far as masking goes. If they were simply rectangular, it would just be a matter of straight-edge cutting in masking tape, and could be done in bulk relatively quickly.

My point was that for the €20 I invested in the nail kit (three different powders, monomer, and other stuff I won't need or use), it will go a looooooooong way, and give me nice, flush windows every time.

I'll have to keep trekriffic's punch method in mind for my Reliant build, though!

@MadManMUC - yeah, I like trekriffic's suggestion, too. I'd never thought about using the polymer and monomer to make the window fillings. As you may have seen on my previous builds, most notably on the Protector build, I am very familiar with the nail acrylic but hadn't thought of using it in that way. So...THANKS!

I did mange to get the STBD side window drilled out before a crippling blow was dealt. I know I need to do some clean up but I had to show some progress.

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I was planning to get going on the ventral saucer when I broke my one and only 0.70mm pin vice drill bit, so I will have to work on something else for a bit - probably the lighting scheme.

I ordered some more drill bits and I took another builder's advice and ordered these:
https://www.micromark.com/12-piece-Micr ... gI5pPD_BwE

I hope they are smaller than the microfiles I already have. The ones I have are too large. We'll see.

Till then, thanks for following and commenting! All comments and constructive criticisms are appreciated!

Steve

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Good Monday, Fellow Modelers!

I finally got the dental burs in the mail Friday and found they wouldn't fit in my pin vice - the shank was too big. So I put it in my Dremel and tried it out on the ventral saucer at very slow speed. It worked like a champ! About an hour later I was done with it and I think it turned out very well!

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The dorsal saucer has ALOT more windows on it, so I sectioned it off in quarters and started in on it too. I only got one section done before my hand gave out from holding the Dremel. (If any one knows of a smaller handpiece, lemme know as I could certainly use it instead of that five pound Dremel!)

Here's a pic of the upper saucer:

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I am hoping to get the saucer done this week and then I might be able to start in on the electronics and masking.

Thanks for following and commenting!

Steady as she goes!

Steve

[trekriffic]

I only got one section done before my hand gave out from holding the Dremel. (If any one knows of a smaller handpiece, lemme know as I could certainly use it instead of that five pound Dremel!)

Get yourself a flex shaft attachment like the one in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ByDVSOTPc

I've used one for years with my Dremel and it's one of the best investments I've ever made.

[MadManMUC]

I only got one section done before my hand gave out from holding the Dremel. (If any one knows of a smaller handpiece, lemme know as I could certainly use it instead of that five pound Dremel!)

Get yourself a flex shaft attachment like the one in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ByDVSOTPc

I've used one for years with my Dremel and it's one of the best investments I've ever made.

Oooooh, I've never eard of this. Thanks for sharing, I deffo need one!