Reworking AMT-Ertl's U.S.S. Enterprise Kit, chapter 9

ALANOODLE'S SCALE MODEL PORTFOLIO

Prior to repainting, there were a couple of minor details that would be added to further improve the accuracy of the model. The piece on the forward secondary hull which was missing from the studio model when I first photographed it was made with Evergreen scribed sheet styrene. (Below, left) This piece was originally represented on this model by a striped decal. Probably the most obvious change was that the Rear Engine Caps were given balls! The new domes were from leftover vacuforms for the inner diffusers from the engine lights. (Below, right)

Repainting the Enterprise turned out to be a more difficult job than anticipated. The evil concoction of acrylic paints with incompatible overcoat had a lasting effect on the plastic beneath. Every coat of automotive primer I sprayed on cracked as it dried. I tried to spray several mist coats but that didn't work either. When the third or fourth coat was misted on, the primer would crack again. This happened even when spraying onto bare plastic.

It was obvious that the automotive primer I was using was too "hot," that its solvent base was reacting too aggressively with whatever the original paint left behind. Something in the original coat may have left some kind of residual by-product which penetrated the plastic and two years later, was reacting with the new layer of paint. Even Tamiya acrylic, lightly sprayed on reacted. A "milder" primer was needed.

What did work was Tamiya paint mixed with their Flat Base, a paste used to "flatten" the color, thinned with a 50/50 mixture of denatured alcohol and water. There was enough alcohol in the mix for the paint to adhere to the plastic and the water mellowed it out enough that it wouldn't react with whatever was lurking in the plastic underneath. I used the color "Light Sea Gray" (XF25) which would also be used for the darker colored details on the model.

When it was time to once again match the color of the Enterprise, I was much more experienced and prepared than I was the first time around. I had the good fortune to meet Ed Miarecki in his shop shortly after he completed the restoration of the big model. One little "souvenir" I left with was a color chip of the paint Mr. Miarecki used to re-paint the big one. Regardless of which auto maker produced the paint, the color on the chip closely matched the Federal Standard color #36492. Having learned from experience, I managed to get a good match with a 1:4 mix of Light Sea Grey and White (X2).

I thinned the main color with the mix of alcohol and water and added a little Flat Base, like I did the primer coat. The model was given several very light coats of the color with a Badger 250 spray gun. All of the darker grey details, the illuminated domes and the main sensor were masked off prior to re-spraying.

The re-painted model with the color chip from the big one's restoration.

It was then time to decide if I wanted to give my model the heavy gridwork that Mr. Miarecki added to the studio model. Those grid-lines look very interesting on the big model but is that the Enterprise I remember seeing on TV? The grid lines are just not visible on the model when viewing any of the original episodes. If they existed at all, they were probably a lot fainter than depicted in Ed's restoration. I decided to include the full gridwork but make it much less prominent than the gridwork that currently appears on the big model.

Once the final base coat was fully dry, grid lines were drawn using a #2H drafting pencil. On the saucer top and bottom they were drawn radially at 15 degree intervals and concentrically at half-inch intervals. Lines were also drawn on the secondary hull, engines and pylons. Post-it tape made a steady straight-edge.

Saucer grid lines before they were toned down with
another coat of the base color.

The grid lines are barely visible in this shot, taken after the last color coat

The base color was lightly sprayed on again with a Badger 200 airbrush to tone down the grid lines and to protect them from smudging. Clear Blue and Clear Green were mixed 2:1 and airbrushed on to highlight the saucer. 100% Light Sea Gray highlighted the dorsal connector and the warp engines. Post-it tape was used again, this time as a secure, low-tack mask. After applying the final coat, the grid lines are very faint and barely show up in photographs.

The model was then weathered with shades of blue, gray and reddish brown to simulate the effects of warp speed on a spaceship hull. The grids on the inboard engine slots were covered with Bare Metal Foil. Tamiya clear was then sprayed on to provide a glossy surface for decals.

on to chapter 10:
FINISHING UP

intro

chapter 9