TMP Enterprise study model

[Shaw]

This is a long project that I'm attempting to finish. I started it back in 2014 using the leftover parts from my Phase II Enterprise build. I made modifications to those parts and started in on putting together the graphics for the decals in the intervening years. Recently I bought the Round 2 reissue of the old AMT refit kit to supply the missing parts I needed and I'm now at the stage of applying decals.

I'm hoping to print out the decals in the next few days, but there are going to be a ton of them. I have files for 10 sheets (by comparison, my Phase II Enterprise used a single sheet), so this is pretty much going to be a wallpapering of the model.

To date only two people have seen this model, but I figured I'd share it with you guys.

- WARNING -

I am not a fan of the refit Enterprise. While this is a study of the studio model's original configuration, this does not represent the same type of exhaustive research I've devoted to other subjects that I'm very passionate about. I had the extra parts and was curious. I don't even have all the data on this version of the Enterprise I had back in 2014/2015, so I'll be going mostly from memory.



With that said, here is the model as she currently stands (waiting for the decals)...

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And a quick comparison with the Phase II Enterprise...

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[scifidude79]

Looks great, Shaw. I am a fan of the refit. Those old AMT kits always looked weird to me, though, with all of that extra modeled paneling (it was painted on the studio model.)

[scifieric]

I am thrilled that you are sharing this project here.  Thank you!

Also, this is spectacular work!  I love seeing what you build.

[Shaw]

Thanks guys!

Well, I figure that with priming, painting and decals (a few layers in some places), those engrave panel lines should be muted quite a bit. Plus I removed all the windows (except those that I recall representing screws) which also muted those lines.

Of course if I was super serious about this I would have started over from scratch with one of the 1/350 refit models. And at this point I don't even have all the references (or the resources) I once had to warrant that level of effort or expense. Like I said, I started this with the Phase II Project's leftovers and I'm just wanting to scratch it off my bucket list.

Here are a couple shots of the primary hull as I start the application of the decals.

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I've never done aztec decals before, if I was to make them again in the future I might lighten them up a bit more. As it was, I was guessing at what I figured might work when I put them together.

[scifieric]

Well, from the standpoint of a guy looking at a superior model builder's work, I this this looks sensational!

[scifidude79]

Looking good. The Aztec isn't too strong, especially for the first film. It looks like the model when it had a lot of lights hitting it at once.

[Shaw]

Thanks a ton guys!

One more shot while I have this internet connection...

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I should get more than a couple minutes here and there next week.

[scifidude79]

That looks great with the signage on it.

[scifieric]

That is beautiful!

[Shaw]

Thanks guys!

A little more progress (I still have more than 30 decals to apply to the primary hull)...

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[scifieric]

Oh man, that's just BEAUTIFUL!

30 MORE?  Wow!  I'm extremely curious to know how you are doing this!

[scifidude79]

Looks good. That's a lot of decals.

[Freak]

She really coming tighter.

[Shaw]

Thanks a ton guys!

I'm extremely curious to know how you are doing this!

Well, a lot of the decals are based on rubbings of the model's surface, which I can scan into my computer to get the best shapes. But I still broke up a ton of elements to make sure that each worked right. The decals are mostly transparent, so layering isn't much of a problem.

The name and registry graphics are taken from the decals for the original studio model. I had high res scans of the original sheet which I brought into Photoshop to clean up and then scaled them to my model. So these aren't like my TOS decal graphics which were a complete redrawing of everything (this isn't that deep a study).

I made some more progress. The primary hull has most of its windows now, but it wasn't different enough to make it worth more photos. But here is some progress on the secondary hull...

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I also put together one of the spare nacelles to test how my decals for them would work (again, these are based on rubbings from the model).

[Freak]

That is freaking awesome!