El Gato's entry: TOS Constellation Class - DONE!

[trekriffic]

Congratulations on a great model! Love the double thick saucer. I'm a fan of double thick saucers.

[slawton]

Great build! Very creative and well done!

Since I have been focused on TOS subjects and ran into issues, I've been scrutinizing the final pics. I've noticed that you do not appear to have any of the cloudiness on the clear areas of your decals that I have experienced. How did you accomplish this? Technique? Tight trimming? Specific decals used?

6 hangar bays?? I had never noticed this for the Stargazer, but it seems to be at least that (there was some large rectangular thing on the front). I'm always looking for touches of detail/extras. To me, the top of the saucer looks a little bare -- including the 4 rectangular windows on the diagonal corners plus adding port/starboard navigation beacons would be a "cherry on top".

I have some central nacelle ships which require butchering of the kits nacelles. I'd be curious on how you created/added the extra bits onto yours. In general, I used two identical halves and glued them together. I would at least need to sand off 1 of the "bars" and rectangles.

Lastly, what colors did you use?

Again, fantastic job especially for these tiny "sacred scale" kits. Quite a unique gem!

[el gato]

Cool, when you doing one 1:350?

Seriously though nice build

Awwwwwww hell yeah! That is a hell of a finished model you got there Gato. Well done!

Thank you very much!

Congratulations on a great model! Love the double thick saucer. I'm a fan of double thick saucers.

WHOA! TMI, trekriffic (seriously, thank you!)

Great build! Very creative and well done!

Thanks!

Since I have been focused on TOS subjects and ran into issues, I've been scrutinizing the final pics. I've noticed that you do not appear to have any of the cloudiness on the clear areas of your decals that I have experienced. How did you accomplish this? Technique? Tight trimming? Specific decals used?

Honestly, I don't know if I'm doing anything more special than what you do. I do a couple of coats of gloss to seal the color in and give the decals a nice surface to adhere to on the model. Serious modelers recommend you use warm water for getting the decals wet. I'm not a seriously modeler and I'm very lazy, so I may start with warm water at first, but I can guarantee you that it's mighty cold by the time I'm ready to call it quits with decals. I do tight trimming, within reason. If it's a cluster of windows or the name/registry, I will only trim around the group of decals as close to the edge as I can get. I am not going to cut out each window or letter (e.g. I'm lazy).

In terms of the type of decals that I use, in this specific case they are custom that I create. Custom decals I have Justin Leighty (JDecals) print them for me. I've seen some nice ones printed from MEATLOAFr, so I'll start spreading the love around soon. I've contract with Fallout for other custom ones because I need the white toner underlay, but I haven't received them so I have no opinion. For pre-printed ones I've used Absolute Models and they're a gem. Same with the decals that come from MVM with his kits. I have JTGraphics, PNT, and Acreation in my stash but I haven't used them yet. Honestly, the only bad experience that I've had were with a set of decals from Gizmotron, but that's because I didn't realize he didn't/doesn't seal them.

6 hangar bays?? I had never noticed this for the Stargazer, but it seems to be at least that (there was some large rectangular thing on the front).

Believe it! The canon Constellation Class has 7: The six on mine and the large one in the front that you've noticed.



Since I wanted to retro mine I decided to go with one fewer

I'm always looking for touches of detail/extras. To me, the top of the saucer looks a little bare -- including the 4 rectangular windows on the diagonal corners plus adding port/starboard navigation beacons would be a "cherry on top".

You are observant my friend. I thought about how I would do the four rectangular windows since they're there on a Connie. Problem was that I don't have white decals or white decal paper to replicate them (most of my 2500 Connies are from the old 3-ship set so they don't have the newer R2 decal sheet, which means I hoard those sheets tighter than Gollum with the ring). Ultimately, I decided that the rectangular windows were a feature on a true Constitution Class and not on a retro Constellation. That's how I decided it.

I wanted to put the navigation beacons but couldn't decide whether I wanted them on the saucer or on the body. You can make an argument that either one was the appropriate site. I let paralysis be the deciding factor, though I may add them later.

I have some central nacelle ships which require butchering of the kits nacelles. I'd be curious on how you created/added the extra bits onto yours. In general, I used two identical halves and glued them together. I would at least need to sand off 1 of the "bars" and rectangles.

Depending on what you wanted to do and how you wanted to orient the nacelle (I use the interior grill as my orientation face since I assume the grills have to face each other to generate the warp field), you could get by with only sanding off one of the long thingies. I thought about doing it that way, but I just knew that I wasn't going to be able to replicate the ones that came with the kit. I was better off cutting out all four of them and rebuilding them

Lastly, what colors did you use?

True white (Tamiya X-2) for the balls at the end of the nacelle caps and the planetary sensors on top and below the saucer, Tamiya Light Grey XF-66 for the darker greys (linear accelerators, impulse engines, those bands near the Bussards and nacelle end caps) and for the base coat I used Tamiya Light Blue (Luftwaffe) AS-5 spray can. I'm lame with/scared of my airtbrush, so I still use a combo of rattle cans and handbrush on my models.

For the Bussards I first paint them black (Tamiya X-1), then copper (Tamiya XF-6) then clear red (Tamiya X-27). This will give you a ruby-red effect. There are some really nice Bussard techniques that I have yet to try. DefiantClient has a tutorial in one of his threads on his technique and I want to say either trekriffic, novahobbies or Scotchyn has a really nice painted technique as well.

[Drop_Bear]

This ship is all kinds of awesome. Well done!

[Julien]

Beautiful build !

[RogueWolf]

Excellent work El Gato! Bravo!!

[nova1972x]

Great job El Gato. Your TOS Constellation looks a lot better than the original!

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Excellent job, El Gato!

I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but you have done a fantastic job and have done yourself proud!

The decals and clear coat are well placed and well done!

A fine entry and finish!

Outstanding!

Steve

[el gato]

Thanks again, everybody. Glad that I was able to contribute to the eye candy around here