Kitbashed/scratchbuilt Klingon model from ST: Legacy

seanrobertson · Post by **seanrobertson** » 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

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2007-01-26 09:12pm

Typically, as I struggle through filling the seams, gaps, and truing the lines and sanding various lumps and shit out of Polar Light's D7 kit in order to provide an escort for an upcoming scratchbuilt TOS era Klink battleship project of my own, someone scoops me and posts their own scratchbuilt Klingon fun.

Not like I have a camera, anyways...

Keep us updated, Sean, looks sweet.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2007-01-27 12:27am

With Sean's and Frank's Klingon projects combined together, this would be a superior thread.

Post by **Dalton** » 2007-01-27 03:28pm

Dude, sweet!

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2007-01-27 05:10pm

Thag · Post by **Thag** » 2007-01-27 09:31pm

If you do set it up as a conversion kit, I'll definitley take one. Of course, then I've gotta find a Vor'cha kit, but hey......

Kamakazie Sith · Post by **Kamakazie Sith** » 2007-01-28 12:02am

Very nice, Sean. I'm looking forward to seeing pics of the finished model.

seanrobertson · Post by **seanrobertson** » 2007-01-30 02:37pm

Thanks, all!

I think your idea's superb, Chris. And I'm really curious to know more about your Klink battlewagon now, Frank! Please describe her. I've toyed around with kitbashing a Polar Lights D7 into some kind of destroyer. (I know someone at Starshipmodeler was working on a D-10 conversion kit, but I've not heard anything about that in months.)

Apropos your frustration: I can certainly relate about the puttying and sanding. And puttying some more, and sanding that, and ...

It's a horribly tedious process. I get bored with it very quickly. I've got a built-up and primered D7 that must've taken me 2 months to get seam and bleamish-free; I had to force myself to work on that fucker to get it done

Praytell, what kind of putty are you using? I've had fantastic results from Bondo lately. It beats any kind of toulene-based modeling putty I've ever tried (e.g., Squadron Green and Testor's Modeling Putty). I also use a black glue called IC-2000 -- kind of a rubber/glue mix used for R/C airplane tires. That stuff is incredible filler. It dries about as hard as styrene, so sanding it flush with the surface is fairly easy.

Here's hoping I'll have some new images by the end of the day! *crosses fingers*

seanrobertson · Post by **seanrobertson** » 2007-01-30 02:44pm

Thag wrote:If you do set it up as a conversion kit, I'll definitley take one. Of course, then I've gotta find a Vor'cha kit, but hey......

Thanks, Thag!

Vor'chas go pretty cheap on E-Bay; I was actually thinking about snatching up a few so I could cast the main hull and just sell this sucker as a full-blown model kit. Skyhook Models did something similar when they made their [excellent] Negh'Var model.

The only trouble with me casting all of the parts needed for the kit's simple: cost. Mold-making is especially expensive. You have to fill a relatively large box with silicone to mold a tiny part. The AMT Vor'cha model's main hull pieces are both a good 9-10" long and over half that wide.

As I pull this thing together, I'll see what I can figure out. Right now I'm just dying to start assembly and primering!

seanrobertson · Post by **seanrobertson** » 2007-01-30 06:44pm

Update:

As you can see, the shuttlebay/rear disruptor pod has two ... uhh ... attachments to either side, much like the D7 and K'Tinga (in the green box):

Here's my take on it. I'd actually prepped these before I started the thread, but I forgot all about 'em!

I can see why I forgot the pieces now; that, the worst of the castings I've made to-date, looks like a sick dog's shit!

It'll take primer to smooth out the lines I scribed, and I've yet to remove some of the casting jizzum.

But no biggie

Those pieces will be the very last to go on the model anyway, so let's move onto prettier things.

Know how the Vor'cha's main hull looks from the front?

The Death Rite differs slightly. As you can see in this image, the V'C's grille is replaced with a strip that's got a bunch o' holes punched through it. And as you move closer to amidship, you can see a dark recessed strip (with a six-fingered handful of windows above/below).

I hate drilling holes, but I drilled probably 250 for each of the front and back of the baffle pieces, so what the fuck, eh? Why not drill a few more?

This is what I have thus far:

It looks pretty half-assed, too, but it's quite early yet

When most of the main hull comes together*, it's had a nice primer coat, is wet-sanded with 2,000 grain and finer sandpapers, etc., etc., it'll start to look suitably nasty and Klingon.

*Stay dead on my ass about this, gents, I beg ya!

I'm starting to get a bit bored with the project but this is one that, deep down, I'd really like to see through!

Deathstalker · Post by **Deathstalker** » 2007-01-30 07:05pm

Get some sean! It looks like the Robertson Shipyards are building a quality warship/

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2007-01-30 10:41pm

seanrobertson wrote:Thanks, all!

I think your idea's superb, Chris. And I'm really curious to know more about your Klink battlewagon now, Frank! Please describe her. I've toyed around with kitbashing a Polar Lights D7 into some kind of destroyer. (I know someone at Starshipmodeler was working on a D-10 conversion kit, but I've not heard anything about that in months.)

The basic inspiration I've had floating around in my head for some twenty years is the disappointment I've had with every canon Klingon ship aside from the D7/K'T'inga.

FASA came close to what *I* idealise with many of their designs; their Death Rite was a winner, they had an assault ship that was very cool, but their D4 made me go all goofy. A firm family relationship to the D7, but different lines, dimensions...it's those same reasons why the Republic Cruiser in TPM is a favorite ship of mine.

What I want to do would be closest to the Starfleet Battles B-10 battleship, but without the grossly non-canonical warp nacelle layout, or the mega deflector dish ruining the command pod. Not too mention a less boxy look.

When I eventually (next year, most likely, see below

) get back to the D7, and begin the scratchbuild, I'll be hitting up craft stores and perusing photo-etch previews at the various modeling sites in search of basic structural elements and greeblies, but the battleship will more than likely end up being mostly Evergreen cardstock.

Apropos your frustration: I can certainly relate about the puttying and sanding. And puttying some more, and sanding that, and ... It's a horribly tedious process. I get bored with it very quickly. I've got a built-up and primered D7 that must've taken me 2 months to get seam and bleamish-free; I had to force myself to work on that fucker to get it done

In all honesty, it went back in the box last night; just one low spot too many, and the half-assed way they molded the connecting structures to the nacelles is almost driving me to drink.

That, and I began the D7 kit as a "fun", an "easy" project to give me a break from Roden's 1/72 SE5a kit...making a Roden kit appear the lesser of two frustrations is one hell of an accomplishment: bravo, Polar Lights!

Praytell, what kind of putty are you using? I've had fantastic results from Bondo lately. It beats any kind of toulene-based modeling putty I've ever tried (e.g., Squadron Green and Testor's Modeling Putty). I also use a black glue called IC-2000 -- kind of a rubber/glue mix used for R/C airplane tires. That stuff is incredible filler. It dries about as hard as styrene, so sanding it flush with the surface is fairly easy.

Squadron Green, CA gel-type glue, and an extraordinarily cheap artist's acrylic paint.
I use the CA to reinforce some of the sharper and more vulnerable edges, and the acrylic paint makes for a nice surfacer, and quick drying spot filler. It was 99 cents and sands beautifully.

Many people swear by bondo for modeling, I'll have to check it out one of these days.

BTW, hat's off to you for casting this ($$$!), all I can say is sweet!

seanrobertson · Post by **seanrobertson** » 2007-02-27 07:03pm

Frank Hipper wrote:The basic inspiration I've had floating around in my head for some twenty years is the disappointment I've had with every canon Klingon ship aside from the D7/K'T'inga.

I gotcha

FASA came close to what *I* idealise with many of their designs; their Death Rite was a winner, they had an assault ship that was very cool, but their D4 made me go all goofy. A firm family relationship to the D7, but different lines, dimensions...it's those same reasons why the Republic Cruiser in TPM is a favorite ship of mine.

I'm with you again; and FWIW, a pal of mine and regular poster at Starshipmodeler.com is marketing a 1/2500th-scale FASA D4.

It's a cute little model, but far too small to make for an imposing battleship opposite your Polar Lights D7 and Connie

What I want to do would be closest to the Starfleet Battles B-10 battleship, but without the grossly non-canonical warp nacelle layout, or the mega deflector dish ruining the command pod. Not too mention a less boxy look.

*nods* Yeah. That sucker is a bit boxy-looking for my tastes.

When I eventually (next year, most likely, see below ) get back to the D7, and begin the scratchbuild, I'll be hitting up craft stores and perusing photo-etch previews at the various modeling sites in search of basic structural elements and greeblies, but the battleship will more than likely end up being mostly Evergreen cardstock.

That's as good as any way to start!

But about your time-table, for some weeks now I've been meaning to say...

In all honesty, it went back in the box last night; just one low spot too many, and the half-assed way they molded the connecting structures to the nacelles is almost driving me to drink.

Oh, I can relate to that -- only too well!

That, and I began the D7 kit as a "fun", an "easy" project to give me a break from Roden's 1/72 SE5a kit...making a Roden kit appear the lesser of two frustrations is one hell of an accomplishment: bravo, Polar Lights!

I know

I laugh, but all kidding aside, the PL Trek offerings can be some real hair-pullers. I'm at best modestly acquainted with the fellow who mastered them, Thomas Sasser; however, from everything that's come down the grapevine, Polar's shoddy quality control isn't his fault. The D7's ridiculously poor-aligning boom, for example, is supposedly due to fuck-ups at the production facilities.

Whomever dropped the ball -- and to stop digressing

-- hell, yeah: these easy side-line projects quickly become monsters. I've actually not build Polar's Connie yet, but I've done a few D7's, so I'm intimately acquainted with that bastard of a kit's problems:

*aforementioned boom fit
*seams, seams, everywhere
*the inset pieces' laughably poor fit. (You know the optionally flat or ribbed grille area on the engineering hull's leading ventral edges? That's what I mean.)

But all's not lost

Apropos:

Squadron Green, CA gel-type glue, and an extraordinarily cheap artist's acrylic paint.
I use the CA to reinforce some of the sharper and more vulnerable edges, and the acrylic paint makes for a nice surfacer, and quick drying spot filler. It was 99 cents and sands beautifully.

Many people swear by bondo for modeling, I'll have to check it out one of these days.

Please do. Once you try it, you'll never want to mess with Squadron again. Squad. Green is OK if and only if the area that requires putty:

*is allowed to cure over a week (Squadron putties take upwards of a week to set up)

*will look good even if the amount of putty applied in the offending seam shrinks upwards of 50% (which air-dry putties typically do).

*is already glued so solid as to allow the mating parts zero flexibility -- that is, at least, below said parts' melting points

(Point being, Squadron putties crack very easily. If you've perfectly puttied, say, the D7's boom where it meets the engineering hull, that flawless job could easily be turned to broken-up junk should someone handle the model by its neck, if the model spends any length of time in humid and/or 90 degree Farenheit environment, etc.

BTW, hat's off to you for casting this ($$$!), all I can say is sweet!

You're all far too kind to me

It's good to be among friends.

I've been terribly lapse in tracking my progress thus far. Truth be told, I got bored with the "Legacy" model and branched out in different directions. But I did finally mock up this cuss:

From the side (bleh! The bottom's yet to be trimmed of its resin, so it looks lopsided

):

With the command section complete, this "Legacy" Death Rite is all but ready to go. I still need to work up one minor piece, do lots of filling/sanding and painting, but I consider this one tamed. I only hope I have the time and energy to get off my ass and finish her!

I suppose it's been good that I've tried to keep my hand in the cookie-jar with other Klingon subjects, though. My focus as of late has been this, the Fek'lhr of ST: Armada and Starfleet Command III "fame"

:

The main reason I picked this subject was because its nacelles and aft pod are easy steals from AMT/Ertl Vor'cha leftover parts. The rest I've scratchbuilt rather nilly-willy these past couple of weeks ... I'm somewhat happy with what I have now, but I seriously doubt she'll ever be a marketable kit!

Eh, anyway, pics forthcoming on all that (and whatever else you'd like to see). Jab me with a hot poker periodically to keep me on task, all!

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2007-02-28 12:19pm

seanrobertson wrote:I laugh, but all kidding aside, the PL Trek offerings can be some real hair-pullers. I'm at best modestly acquainted with the fellow who mastered them, Thomas Sasser; however, from everything that's come down the grapevine, Polar's shoddy quality control isn't his fault.

I believe it, the flaws are 100% the tooling department's molds, and not the master model..at least as far as I can tell.
I know guys that have turned down $60+ an hour injection mold-making jobs, though; I've never done it myself but the difficulty of it's apparently crazy-making. "Replicate this, carved by hand, in metal, with a .003" contour tolerance, and make it a female mold to the male model.."

Yikes...

Please keep up us all updated on your projects, when you can (

), they're inspirational and a hell of a lot of fun.