Kitbashed/scratchbuilt Klingon model from ST: Legacy
Posted: 2007-01-26 04:20pm
All,
I found a few of the Klingon and Romulan ship classes created for "ST: Legacy" very attractive and suitably "canon-looking." For instance, the Romulan Harpy truly looks like something we might've seen escorting a Warbird in TNG.
But the ship that really blew my sweaty socks off was the Klingon Death Rite. FASA did a pretty nifty ship by that name years ago; you can see it here: FASA Death Rite.
Legacy's version is significantly different, though, as you can see in this screengrab (generously taken and donated by Kamakazie Sith: New Death Rite (hereafter DR).
Enough preamble I'm an avid, if not very prolific, sci-fi modeler. My favorite ships and vehicles to build are Klingon, Cardassian and Galactic Imperial. I don't see intriguing non-canon designs often, but this DR flipped my switch. I knew I could build a good likeness of her; all I needed were parts from existing kits, tons of scrap styrene for the scratchbuilt components and a lot of patience
So, here we go! If the final result is as good as I think it'll be, I hope to sell the original or heavily modified parts as a limited run conversion kit for the AMT/Ertl Vor'cha model kit.
Step one: here's what an unmodified Vor'cha looks like. Its aft-dorsal pod/disruptor mount/shuttlebay piece was taken off so's to get a somewhat better scan:
Step two: time to tear that bitch a new one! (Note: I actually cut up an old, crappy kit.)
As you can see, I cut out the kit's existing baffles and the area in between. I glued a sturdy piece of styrene beneath the hole -- see the white area and that ugly piece of green tape?
Step 3
I didn't hack into the sucker willy-nilly; the reason I did this was -- you guessed it! -- to accomodate new baffles and a new shuttlebay-type piece.
I built up a curved baffle part from styrene (left, below), made a silicone rubber mold of that sucker (middle) and cast it in resin (right):
Step 4
Next I tackled the shuttlebay thingie. Master on left, copy on right:
Rear of the same, though the original piece is to the right now:
These pics are deceptively crude-looking. I heavily coated the latter resin piece with Mr. Surfacer 500, a lacquer paint that's good for filling tiny gaps, pinholes, scratchmarks, etc., and I've simply yet to sand it smooth. There are also gaps and such that I've not even touched yet. I'll get to 'em
Step 5
The final piece for my show-and-tell is the K'Tinga nacelle I modified. I added a simplistic grille to the inboard area, but I trust it'll look decent once I get to it with white paint, clearcoat it with transparent orange, etc., etc.
Next, I'll work on the command module and the sides of the engineering section. Thank Fek'lhr, the bottom of the main hull will be all but-identical to the Vor'cha's, so that'll save me a ton of work.
Suggestions, comments, stock tips and anything else are welcome! And please, stay on me about finishing this sucker. I'm terrible to build a model and not fully paint it
I found a few of the Klingon and Romulan ship classes created for "ST: Legacy" very attractive and suitably "canon-looking." For instance, the Romulan Harpy truly looks like something we might've seen escorting a Warbird in TNG.
But the ship that really blew my sweaty socks off was the Klingon Death Rite. FASA did a pretty nifty ship by that name years ago; you can see it here: FASA Death Rite.
Legacy's version is significantly different, though, as you can see in this screengrab (generously taken and donated by Kamakazie Sith: New Death Rite (hereafter DR).
Enough preamble I'm an avid, if not very prolific, sci-fi modeler. My favorite ships and vehicles to build are Klingon, Cardassian and Galactic Imperial. I don't see intriguing non-canon designs often, but this DR flipped my switch. I knew I could build a good likeness of her; all I needed were parts from existing kits, tons of scrap styrene for the scratchbuilt components and a lot of patience
So, here we go! If the final result is as good as I think it'll be, I hope to sell the original or heavily modified parts as a limited run conversion kit for the AMT/Ertl Vor'cha model kit.
Step one: here's what an unmodified Vor'cha looks like. Its aft-dorsal pod/disruptor mount/shuttlebay piece was taken off so's to get a somewhat better scan:
Step two: time to tear that bitch a new one! (Note: I actually cut up an old, crappy kit.)
As you can see, I cut out the kit's existing baffles and the area in between. I glued a sturdy piece of styrene beneath the hole -- see the white area and that ugly piece of green tape?
Step 3
I didn't hack into the sucker willy-nilly; the reason I did this was -- you guessed it! -- to accomodate new baffles and a new shuttlebay-type piece.
I built up a curved baffle part from styrene (left, below), made a silicone rubber mold of that sucker (middle) and cast it in resin (right):
Step 4
Next I tackled the shuttlebay thingie. Master on left, copy on right:
Rear of the same, though the original piece is to the right now:
These pics are deceptively crude-looking. I heavily coated the latter resin piece with Mr. Surfacer 500, a lacquer paint that's good for filling tiny gaps, pinholes, scratchmarks, etc., and I've simply yet to sand it smooth. There are also gaps and such that I've not even touched yet. I'll get to 'em
Step 5
The final piece for my show-and-tell is the K'Tinga nacelle I modified. I added a simplistic grille to the inboard area, but I trust it'll look decent once I get to it with white paint, clearcoat it with transparent orange, etc., etc.
Next, I'll work on the command module and the sides of the engineering section. Thank Fek'lhr, the bottom of the main hull will be all but-identical to the Vor'cha's, so that'll save me a ton of work.
Suggestions, comments, stock tips and anything else are welcome! And please, stay on me about finishing this sucker. I'm terrible to build a model and not fully paint it