ALL SCI-FI

Bud Brewster · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 6:19 pm Post subject:

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Awecome work, Steve!

It's easy to appreciate the model and it's detail from the great pictures you post. While looking at them I had a funny mental image of myself standing in your workshop, carefully holding the elegant model and saying it, "Gee, I thought it was a lot bigger!" Shocked

You know, sort of the way some actors look taller in their movies! Laughing

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

trekriffic · Starship Navigator Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 593

Kremin over on AST asked for photos of the 1/1000 scale Antares next to the 1/1000 scale Enterprise so... They ain't fancy seein' as I took'em in my dinin' room but here they are...

USS Antares and Enterprise by trekriffic, on Flickr

trekriffic · Starship Navigator Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 593

USS Antares after some more aztec decaling this afternoon...

V

USS Antares by trekriffic, on Flickr

Gord Green · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:22 pm Post subject:

Wonderful work!
Really great detail of such a minuture piece!
You can be proud.
_________________
There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

trekriffic · Starship Navigator Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 593

Gord Green · Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 10:55 pm Post subject:

Your attention to the details is great!
Real model makers can understand this.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
_________________
There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

trekriffic · Starship Navigator Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 593

So I'm 99% done with the panel decaling and have painted the bussards, saucer domes, deflector, and running lights white. That makes a good base for the final colors later on. I also painted some of the accent colors with MM European Grey and Medium Grey or a mix of the two.

Once the paint has dried I'll coat with Future before applying the window, insignia and registration decals.

USS Antares - Aztec Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

trekriffic · Starship Navigator Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 593

So getting down to the detail painting all with a fine tipped brush. Painted the domes and bussards white previously as a basis for what is to come so now I've painted the upper crew module dome with a mix of three colors: Light Sea Gray, Flat White, and Flat Tan to make it sort of a muddy grey-ish light tan...

USS Antares - Paints+ by trekriffic, on Flickr

Upper dome brushed with mix of Light Sea Gray, Flat White, and Flat Tan.

Bussard domes painted Flat Yellow. After that dries I'll mix up some creamy orange to paint spokes:

USS Antares - Dome Details by trekriffic, on Flickr

So will paint the lower dome next and the next layer of the bussard domes. More Medium Grey accents have been added:

USS Antares - Still a WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

I gave some of the paneling a light dry brush with Light Sea Gray. It turned out well; especially with the bands on the nacelles:

USS Antares - Still a WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

Bussards will eventually be a peachy orange cream with yellow between the spokes:

USS Antares - Still a WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

I made the lower hull "screen-like" panel Medium Grey to help balance out some of the Medium Grey accents up above. Plus it helps break up a lot of light grey:

USS Antares - Still a WIP by trekriffic, on Flickr

I painted the back of the deflector dish light blue to mimic how it would appear reflecting the light blue "light" that comes from the light blue enamel painted "booster ring" behind it:

USS Antares - Dish back by trekriffic, on Flickr

More to come...

Bud Brewster · Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 7:38 pm Post subject:

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We all continue to be impressed by the work you're doing and the amazing photographs you've treated us to which document this fine project. Very Happy

Please continue to honor All Sci-Fi with your remarkable creation. Cool

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

trekriffic · Starship Navigator Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 593

Finished all the detail painting.
I decided to go with the yellow-orange bussard domes like the Antares had in the remastered episode rather than try to do the spokes.
I also finished some odds and ends related to the aztec paneling.
Then I clipped the music wire to the desired length and glued the deflector dish in place.

I'll give her a flat coat before applying Tamiya pastel powders to give her a more metallic look.
Then another flat coat before coating with Future before applying the ship's windows, registry and insignia decals.
Then a gloss coat to seal the decals followed by another flat coat or two. Anything I want glossy (like windows, running and formation lights, and the bussards) I can then gloss up with a brush and some Future...

USS Antares - Final Paint by trekriffic, on Flickr

Bud Brewster · Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 11:40 am Post subject:

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A complete novice to the world of model building (like me) would look at your finished project and say something stupid like, "Gosh, I'll bet making this took several hours!"

The skilled and meticulous work you've put into this wouldn't be be fully understood by someone who didn't know just how complex the process is.

Again, we thank you for taking the time to share the details with us. Very Happy

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Gord Green · Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 2:30 pm Post subject:

I really love how your coloring finish gives "weight" and depth of field when photographed. Beautiful little piece!
_________________
There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.

trekriffic · Starship Navigator Joined: 19 Feb 2015 Posts: 593

Thanks Gord. Once the "weathering is done" she'll really look "real"!

Got the decals done! I managed to mangle the ship's name and registry decal though so had to come up with a workaround using old leftover decals from my stash.
Piecing together such small numbers and letters was intricate work using an exacto knife, tweezers and a magnifier but, all in all, it turned out very well.
I am quite satisfied with the results...

It took three pieces from my leftover decal stash to replace the bow registry decal:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

Hmmmm... Not bad at all:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

For the ship's name on the bow I repurposed the kit decal meant for the fantail:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

To replace the kit decal, I sliced letters off the leftover decal sheet from the 1/1000 scale USS Phobos kit:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

Altogether it took 5 pieces of decal material to make the ship's name on the stern:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

I kept thinking that the large ovoid shaped panel on the forward face of the upper hull needed something and found this leftover 1/2500 Enterprise D decal from Absolute Models.
The fan shaped section was the perfect size to fit:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

Here it is freshly applied and brushed with MicroSOL decal setting solution:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

Here are some teaser photos taken in my driveway in natural light:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

I added red and green running lights to the top of the secondary hull on either side of the oval upper hull section.
I figured the ship needed an extra set for when the bow crew module is detached and she's running in
robotic mode:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

I added some "purge vents" panels to the inside face of the nacelle struts:

USS Antares Decals Done by trekriffic, on Flickr

I've sealed all decals with Future now and am going to spray her with Dullcote before applying some Tamiya pastel chalks to give her a more metallic look like in the remastered episode.
Then she'll get a final flat coat before she's all done.

Then I'll take the "good" pics.

Bud Brewster · Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 9:14 pm Post subject:

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Steve, I swear it looks more beautiful every time you show us an update! The details you're adding are magnificent. I can't image what the finished product will look like, but we're all eager to see it! Very Happy

_________________
____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

Gord Green · Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2019 10:32 pm Post subject:

Love it!
Delicate work looks beautiful!
_________________
There comes a time, thief, when gold loses its lustre, and the gems cease to sparkle, and the throne room becomes a prison; and all that is left is a father's love for his child.