ACES_HIGH's plastic models

[ACES_HIGH]

actually I know a couple websites that sell escape pod decals pre-printed.  The hobby shop I go to does sell decal paper, but it's clear, so you can't use it for white decals.

[eclipse74569]

Hmmm...that's odd, the decal paper I get usually has white and clear...

[ACES_HIGH]

I don't know how much that would help, my inkjet can't print white, so either I'd have to get white paper and cut very carefully around each decal, or get clear paper, and paint the white in under it, right?

[eclipse74569]

Or...

this

[ACES_HIGH]

I've never seen that stuff before, the decal paper at my hobbyshop is a different brand.  How does it work?  Don't you still have to cut out the excess white from the decals?

[eclipse74569]

I've never seen that stuff before, the decal paper at my hobbyshop is a different brand.  How does it work?  Don't you still have to cut out the excess white from the decals?

well...I just cut the escape pods out individually LOL Trim them to fit the model, and boom...so I never really had to trim excess white.

OTHER than that yes you do (Like if you're doing NCC-(insert registry number here))

[King Class Scout]

didn't figure you could print your own.  does the decal sheets "waterproof" the ink?  cause I only remember the "soak off" kind, and our own printer uses water based inks.

[ACES_HIGH]

it should those are waterslide decals.  I have heard that the printable ones are a little more fragile than kit ones though, you have to spray them with a lacquer after you print them to fix that.

[eclipse74569]

it should those are waterslide decals.  I have heard that the printable ones are a little more fragile than kit ones though, you have to spray them with a lacquer after you print them to fix that.

What he said LOL Same thing for this, although they do sell the lacquer seperately

[ACES_HIGH]

due to the weather, I haven't gotten much more done on the Enterprise-D, I've been waiting to put a final coat on the stand, and I haven't done decals in a while so I got a little mini model that I'm building to practice those, but I need to paint it first.  Meanwhile, I picked up the ST VI edition of the Enterprise-A model, and a lot of really cool stuff to go with it, like a special accurate-ized deflector dish and sensor dome and stuff, even some fancy super accurate decals and a latex painting mask.  I haven't been able to find an accurate painting guide for it though, what I have seen did say to ignore the included one, so I thought I'd ask some of the TMP experts here on the forums, what colors to use.  I was thinking about using flat and gloss white for the aztecing on the body, and light and dark aircraft gray for the aztecing on the strongback.

[WileyCoyote]

I picked up the ST VI edition of the Enterprise-A model, and a lot of really cool stuff to go with it, like a special accurate-ized deflector dish and sensor dome and stuff, even some fancy super accurate decals and a latex painting mask.

Did you buy that off of someone from Starshipmodeler.com?

[ACES_HIGH]

I found it on Ebay, I ended up only paying $80.  It's got all sorts of stuff, resin deflector, bridge, sensor dome, torpedo tubes, copper photo-etched docking ports, new window panels, it has enough decals to make four kits, in all about $300 worth of stuff.

[Viper]

The question is, what are you guys using?  I've always used Testors plastic cement, just about every hobby shop I've ever been to carries it, Are you guys trying to put yours together with crazy glue or something?

Although this was a couple pages ago, I figureed I'd throw my two cents in.  I use ambroid Pro- Weld almost exclusively. Its a plastic welded, so it actually melts, bonds, and re-solidifies the plastic. All very fast. I use a syringe to control the placement of it. If I need something slower to work with, Tamiya liquid cement.

I think I can manage, besides I just heard a rumor that AMT will be re-releasing the whole line.

This is a yes/no situation.  AMT/Ertl is gone.  BUT, the molds were purchased by a company called Round2. I've done a little work for them.  they are re-releasing SOME of the stuff, mostly the smaller scale models. Only this time, with all new aztec decals so no masking!! [If ya can't tell, I have an edge on the modeling world having done work for some of the companies]


On the decal subject, I make a lot of my own. The decal paper comes in two types. One for laser and one for inkjet.  You then have to coat the decals to seal the ink. The best is from a company called Microscale. they have a decal film. You spray on a thin layer, then brush on a thin layer. they are much thinner and more fragile than kit decals, but often look better.  As stated, no white unless you get whats called an ALPS dye-sublimation printer. MD5000 is the only one I can think of, and its no longer on the market. They can print white, as well as metallics.


I have an entire workshop devoted to model making. I'm also a member of two local clubs, 4 websites, and the international organization [where I am an Asst. Webmaster and Reviewer]. I also know most of the guys that did the box models for AMT.  In fact I have a couple "test shot" models in my collection.  Including an Ent-D that is smooth. No lines.

[ACES_HIGH]

I picked up the latest issue of Fine Scale Modeler at a local bookstore today, and I wish I'd gotten it a month ago when I was doing all that masking.  The issue had a whole article about proper masking techniques, even a few tips that would have made my masking look alot better.

[eclipse74569]

Tis usually trial and error.  However, when I get mine ready for paint (I plan on lighting her up) I'm definitely gonna invest in Don's Light And Magic paint masks...seems only logical .

Viper:  Yeah...to me though, having aztec decals instead of painting only makes it less fun for me...don't know why.  Only exception I'm gonna make is for the Enterprise E....just gonna take too long to mask every single aztec pattern on the darned thing

[ACES_HIGH]

the reason I painted instead of decal aztecing was because I was worried that those huge decal sheets would be hard to place and I'd have problems with creases and ripples.  I ended up repurposing an aztec decal pattern for the masking and I'm glad I went with that instead, it would have been hell placing those decals.  One tip in FSM that I would have found useful was painting the base coat over the mask before the second color to seal the mask down, I wish I'd done that, it would have helped with some drips that soaked through the mask and left some ugly splotches on the hull.

[Vanguard]

A lot of the AMT line is being released, you can see a number of the models being re-released here:

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4_1165_7123&sort=20a&page=2#activePage=search&searchTerm=star+trek+model&searchCat=&searchMode=term&pagerPage=1&pagerTotalItems=21

There are others like the Excelsior being done too... Not sure about the Defiant...

[ACES_HIGH]

I know I haven't updated this project in a while, my mom had repossessed my workbench as her sewing table, and I've been pretty busy at work.  The Ent-D is still waiting to be decaled and in the meantime, I'm still struggling to find an appropriate color scheme for my Ent-A model, I've settled on a few colors, but since I've been hard pressed to find any references for colors, I still haven't been able to decide what to use.

the best I can figure so far on the main hull color is a mix of gloss and matte panels in one of these colors:
Testors White:

Testors Light Aircraft Gray:

Testor's Modelmaster Light Gray:

or
Testor's Modelmaster Light Ghost Gray: