USS Antares - Freighter from Star Trek episode "Charlie X"

[Trekkriffic]

Another longer bench shot. I tried overspraying a too fresh layer of Duplicolor lacquer so the enamel orange peeled on me.
Yikes! I quickly wiped off the offending Japanese Navy Imperial Grey enamel.
That's the color the 1/350 Enterprise kit instructions said to paint the hull of the big Polar Lights Enterprise.
Anyway, I then did some light spit sanding before re-priming.
So this image is basically a filler until I finish the hull basecoats; although, you do get to see my immaculate workbench!


Longshot Workbench by trekriffic, on Flickr

[Warped Speed]

Anyone with a bench that neat must not be from earth! I've got that kit too so I hope we get to see some good pics, hint, hint.

At least the kit is resin and easy to remove paint. But we all have our bad days!

Carl-

[Trekkriffic]

Here are the pics before I had the enamel snaffu...



USS Antares - Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr


USS Antares - Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr


USS Antares - Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr


USS Antares - Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr


USS Antares - Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr


USS Antares - Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr

This one reminds me of a tricorder for some reason:


USS Antares - Primed by trekriffic, on Flickr

She's a tad darker now after another go round with the primer.
Got to get the deflector dish spike sorted out next.
I may just make a new dish to stand proud a teenie bit from the dish as molded.
Maybe paint it light fluorescent blue underneath the dish, like a blue glow...
Maybe not.

[Warped Speed]

The simulated blue light isn't a bad idea, would add a lot to the look. Thanks for the good pics! I've never seen this kit built.

Carl-

[Trekkriffic]

The simulated blue light isn't a bad idea, would add a lot to the look. Thanks for the good pics! I've never seen this kit built.

Carl-

This would be something similar to the blue glow from behind the dish of my lit NX-01 Refit:


IMG_6652 by trekriffic, on Flickr

[Trekkriffic]

After letting the primer dry for a few days I brushed the underside with Model Master Flat Gull Grey using a mop brush:


USS Antares - Gull Grey Half Done by trekriffic, on Flickr


USS Antares - Gull Grey Brushed by trekriffic, on Flickr


USS Antares - Gull Grey Half Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

I'll let the underside dry a day before I brush the top. The enamel went on fine over the primer this time. Once the top is done and dries a few days I'll seal with Future before adding some paneling in a slightly darker shade. Once the panels are all done I'll overspray with a thinned coat of Neutral grey lightened up a bit with white. When I'm done I want the paneling to barely show under the overall medium grey of the final hull coat.

[Trekkriffic]

So did some work on the deflector dish.
After combing thru my greeblie stashes I came up empty so resolved to make the dish from scratch using .040 styrene sheet and music wire...

The punch, the pinvise, and the router bit used to make the deflector dish shown.
I also used a sanding stick:


USS Antares - Deflector Dish Tools by trekriffic, on Flickr

After hollowing out the lightly punched disc I punched it out from some .040 thick sheet using a punch tool and a hammer.
Before that I drilled the center hole using a pinvise:


USS Antares - Concave Dish by trekriffic, on Flickr

After punching and hollowing out some .040 styreene using a round router bit in my handheld battery powered "dremel" tool I glued the blank to a short piece of music wire using Plastic Surgery CA glue:


USS Antares - Styrene Disc Glued by trekriffic, on Flickr

The backside was shaped with a diamond file and sanding stick to get the right curvature:


USS Antares - Deflector Dish Shaped by trekriffic, on Flickr

Deflector dish recess on lower hull.
White will be over painted with transparent blue acrylic:


USS Antares - Deflector Dish Work by trekriffic, on Flickr

Need to lightly sand with 400 grit or lighter:


USS Antares - All Brushed Gull Grey by trekriffic, on Flickr

I've found some leftover decal material with panels from what I think was an Absolute Models set of aztec decals for the 1/2500 scale Enterprise D kit
so plenty of small light grey panels to mix and match.
They should work well over the flat gull grey hull.
Of course being decals I'll need to gloss coat the hull first:


USS Antares - All Brushed Gull Grey by trekriffic, on Flickr


USS Antares - All Brushed Gull Grey by trekriffic, on Flickr


USS Antares - Gull Grey - Deflector Dish White Underpaint by trekriffic, on Flickr

[kevtk135]

I'm not up to snuff on my ST ships, but thats a good looking ship.
Sux about the orange peeling. (I had that happen to me not to long ago). Glad you were able to get to it before you had a ton of sanding to do.
Cool idea about the OSL. You don't see nearly at all on vehicles.