Great! sound good to me will let you know when i get start on it but ofc i have to finish up my projects before i get start on my star trek so its easier for me to focus.
i already order the absolute model decals thur the federation model for 3 ships. what do u mean by tricky with the absolute decals? same conpect using water like normal decals? since i look on the pictures of the absolute decals, its looks like its in one part for each side. but ill have to wait them to arrive in mail.
Glad to hear you ordered the Absolute Models decals. Yes, these are waterslide decals. When I said they were tricky to apply I was referring to the fact that the decals I received were a little oversized in some areas; it seemed like the resolution was off just a tiny bit when they were printed. They are also fairly thin so you need to handle them gently or they will tear. For all the ship saucers, I recommend starting from the centerline and working your way outwards one section at a time until you reach the neck at the back of the saucer. The upper saucer decals for the D in particular will need to be trimmed a bit at the edges unless the maker has fixed that problem in the ones they’re shipping now. Best to do a test fit before application. I also recommend cutting the larger decals up into smaller sections; it will make it easier to position them before they become stuck down. And cut the phaser strips out and apply them first. Once they are dry brush on a good coat of future acrylic floor polish so they don’t loosen when you apply the adjacent decals. Once you apply a section, tamp it down good and tight with a Q-tip and/or sponge using a pin to poke out any trapped air bubbles. I would apply one section at a time and let it dry 5-10 minutes before applying the next decal. Patience is key when applying these. Do you use MicroSETand MicroSOL ?
okay will check on it when i get the package, they wont ship it til this wednesday cuz of wonderfest. yes i do use mircoset and mircosol its helpful to me. and as for future u mention, to be honest i have no idea where to find it since i have hear alot of positive thing abt that floor polish and i have been looking and looking at hardware store such as home depot, walmart. i dont mind to try the future. but is dullcote same conpect as future or its different?
In late 2007, in the US, Future was rebranded as “Pledge with Future Shine”. This may be why you are having trouble finding it.
Basically, what it comes down to is that Future is simply a low cost alternative to Hobby branded clear gloss coats.
For best results when decalling, the decals must be applied to a gloss surface.
This is especially important when using setting solutions such as Micro Set/Sol. Although it may appear smooth, a “flat” surface is in fact covered with microscopic pits - these pits trap air between the surface and the decal, resulting in silvering of the decal.
When you apply a setting solution, you may notice that the decal will appear to shrivel and then will settle onto the surface as it dries. A gloss surface offers less resistance to the decal as it settles. A “flat” painted surface may cause drag, resulting in the decal “hanging up” and drying before it’s fully settled onto the surface, causing wrinkled decals.
Apply the Dullcote at the end of the job, but while applying decals, you need a gloss surface,
thanks phil_h
so u mean apply the glosscote or future coat first on the finished painted model before apply the decals with the sol/set. then after decals are set and dry then use dullcote for the final stage? just want to make sure that i understand [:)]
Once the decals are dry, you should seal with another coat of the same gloss coating you used underneath the decals. This seals them and should also make the edge of the decal disappear making the decals look as though they are painted on. Once that’s dry you can spray on as many layers of dullcote as you like depending on how flat you want the finish. Fewer coats will yield a semi-gloss “satin” finish.
The NX-01 from “Enterprise” can also be found at TRU
Yes. TRU had the 1/1000 PL NX-01 kit on the shelf on one of my visits. I built mine awhile ago using JDecals aztecing decals. Saved me a ton of masking time. They’re available at the SSM Store:
http://www.starshipmodeler.biz/index.cfm?currentpage=2&fuseaction=category.display&category_id=31
Turned out great IMO. Check it out:
stikpusher is right, the Polar Lights 1/350 is 1701-A. I just received my pre-order from MegaHobby last week and it is a BIG box.
i have seen the polar light of the 1701-A and it was in big box and cost around 80s bucks, i would love to buy it but i know i wont have any place to put it once its compete since i live in townhouse so i might need a big house for that model lol
okay just want to make it clear, when the model is finished (before decals applied) spray them with glosscote then put decals on it. then put other coat of glosscote on it. when it dry up spray with dullcote? if so how do i want to keep the lights (on the nanclleus (sp) and dish) shining? since i know dullcote will make them look flat and not shiny. that mistake i learned from doing my race car. oopies daisies. mask them up? and also do i paint the color inside or outside of the nanclleus and dish (sp) or doesnt matter? let me know too
and guess what i got the package that i order today. but i cant get start on it since i have to finish up my other projects. i might will contact you when i get start on mine.
nice looking NX-01 you got trekriffic!
You’ve got it. After you’ve finished decaling and gloss coating let it dry for a day before applying dullcote as, in my opinion, most Trek ships look best with a flat finish. They also photograph better as you get less reflection with a duller finish. As far as areas you want to keep glossy, you could mask them off but I would just go back in with a brush and apply a few coats of future to restore the shine. As far as painting the nacelles on the inside or outside, the 1/2500 kits are solid styrene (no clear parts) so you would paint the outside surface.
Thanks for the compliment ! Here’s a couple more pics of the NX-01:
You have the same space issues I have with the big kit. There’s a resin 1/1000 scale refit kit available but what I’m really waiting for is the styrene 1/1000 scale Round 2 kit due out in December. You can preorder it at the SSM Store:
http://www.starshipmodeler.biz/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1422
It’s only 12" long and includes the aztec decals !
Excellent jobs on the 1/2500 scales, trekriffic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that scale done so well without the use of all-over decals.
EDIT: Whoops! I missed the part where you said you used the Absolute Decals! Still looks great!
Couple of points to add on to the discussion:
There has been mention of Polar Lights being “no more” and Round 2 owning the master molds. This might be nitpicking a bit but that staement not quite accurate. R2 owns both the Polar Lights and AMT Brands (not Ertl) brands. I’m making the distinction because the kits aren’t repopped under the R2 banner, they are repopped under AMT and Polar Lights banners, depending on which brand initially produced them.
As far as the 1/1000 Refit and the Akira Class, those will be released under the Polar Lights banner, not the R2 banner.
For the record, I’m a R2 dealer as well so if you’re interested in any kits or want to preorder contact me through my site.
As far as Future is concerned, it is basically liquid acrylic. I’ve been using the same bottle for the last three years. Betwen that and the 33 cent 16 oz. container of salt I have for salt weathering, it’s probably the cheapest and most valuable investment on my bench (baking soda, rubbing alcohol and hardware store paint thinner are up there as well).
It’s a perfect product. It’s water soluble, it sprays perfectly right out of the bottle, if you want to thin it you can and you won’t hurt anything, if you make a mistake with it you can easily correct it. You can also use it to thicken paint that you’ve overly thinned by putting it in a cup and letting it dry to the point where it thickens up and then just pour it in to your jar of paint.
Thanks for posting the correct information on who’s coming out with these kits Captain Hawk. I must admit I sometimes get R2, Polar Lights, and AMT mixed up. As far as future is concerned, when you say you can add it to your paint mixture, I assume you are referring to acrylic paints rather than enamels or lacquers.
Pefectly understandable. The reason the R2 did this is brand name recognition and I don’t blame them. I mean, is the noob modeler going to know who R2 is? Doubtful.
The downside, though, is the confusion that it creates when trying to figure out who’s who. [;)]
Captain Hawk, what is ur website since u mention ur R2 dealer maybe i can look it up.
and umm im still confused abt polar light R2 and AMT which is which? since i know AMT/ERTL for long time until polar light and R2 comes out and not familar or hear abt them let me know thanks.
Round 2 (R2) is now the parent company of both AMT and Polar Lights. They bought both brands. Ertl is no longer associated with AMT.
My website is Las Vegas Shipyards Models(<---- click) however, I don’t have any kits listed for sale yet as I just became a dealer and my first order was just placed last Friday. I should get them within a week. Feel free, though, to check out my stuff. We do custom builds and sell Trek collectibles and we’ve recently expanded to better service the hobby market.
For a complete list of Round 2 brands and products, click here.