[MadCap Romanian]

This is a start to my model of the Bridge of a Constitution Class starship from TOS Star Trek.

This kit was purchaced in 1991 on a trip I took as a kid to California.

I had glued the floor sections together some time in the 1990's and painted the carpet to match the red/brown on the box art. I also painted the figures with the old Testor's Flat black that never dried. (Some chemical problem from Testor's at the time.)

I've since stripped the paint off the figures and re-glued the sections as well as added the railings. The grey wall pieces are awaiting a re-paint and so are the figures.

I'll probably build this bridge right from the box with the possible exception of changing the Turbo elevator doors to include the door frame top and to give the wall a better shape.

 

[Fozzie]

I have one of these that I intend to start in the first quarter of 2010, so I'll be watching this thread with interest. I built one of these as a teen and it was one of my favorite kits.

 

[SUNGOD]

Nice. I wouldn't mind getting this kit so it would be interesting to see more pics. I've never really seen any good pics of it built up.

 

[MadCap Romanian]

@ SUNGOD -

There's a few great video's on Youtube, some even have lighting and such. I'm not going to get that specific as mine will be built for a display at the local public library on January 4th, 2010.

Now to continue....

Here's the 6 chairs with their coat of Tremclad Frost Blue. I chose this colour because it was a lighter grey/blue than the other computer console walls and would stand out against them. Also, the TV Enterprise had bluish grey chairs.

Here's all the bridge pieces as well as the saucer/secondary hull pieces for the U.S.S. Farragut from Scotspen and the bottom of the U.S.S. Constitution from Mark McGovern. Sulu's Console is siting on the clothespin. It's painted Tremclad Gloss Black.

Close-up of some of the grey brigde pieces. When the paint dries, I will apply a coat of darker grey to the upper computer monitor screens and gloss black to the computer keyboard tops. Finally, the same gloss red as on the railings will be added to the edges of the computer walls where the bridge crew's knees will be.

Here's the bridge sub-floor mapped out in pencil prior to cutting. I am making this lower floor because it is missing from the kit. This is a thick piece of Evergreen Sheet Styrene.

Here's the finished floor cut out and ready for primer.

To save myself the trouble of scraping paint away from the lower bridge floor when I glued the upper floor to it, I covered the areas with tape.

Here's the kit supplied turbo elevator door piece. Notice how each door can fit a person through? This is too wide for the actual TV bridge piece.

I need to make a door frame using Evergreen Sheet Styrene, cut at 1 cm in width for the two sides and header piece.

The little line below their feet is where this piece hits the floor of the bridge.

 

[MadCap Romanian]

Here's the enhanced turbo elevator door as seen on the bridge. Notice how MR. Spock now fits the smaller door. This is how it should look.

I used a mitre box to cut the 45% angle into the side pieces and top piece of the new door frame.

A close-up of Spock in the door. Now I will make a top for the turbo elevator enclave using scrap styrene sheet from the floor piece.

Here's the new top piece for the enclave. Kirk approves!

The figures of Kirk, Sulu and Spock were assembled @1991and painted with a bad sample of Testor's Flat Black that never really dried. I since have attempted to strip the paint using Easy-Off Oven Cleaner. Soon, they will get a new paint job and Sulu's head will get put back on Kirk's sitting body. (I made the change because I reasoned that Sulu wouldn't be standing at his post with his arms crossed.)

Here's the same door with the first coat of Testor's Light Grey spray paint added. Notice how nicely everything fit together.

When this dries, I can paint the doors red. I can't wait!



I'm not planning to go "Full Circle" with this kit. In fact, this one will be on display at the local public library on January 4th, so I was simply going to build it AMT OOB style with the exception of modifying the Turbo Elevator Door and adding the lower floor, just because it doesn't look right without the changes....and it irritates me. Spock's station will not get the viewfinder and double computer monitor on this kit either.

 

[MadCap Romanian]

Does anyone like my door?

 

[MonsterModelMan]

Looks GREAT! I can't wait to see the finished product!

MMM

 

[MadCap Romanian]

Hopefully tonight I can do some more. It depends on the paint being dry.

 

[Fozzie]

Does anyone like my door?

Was watching Season 2 on blu-ray this afternoon and I couldn't keep my eyes off of the bridge elevator thanks to you! Kept comparing what I saw on screen to your pictures. I think your "fix" is spot on.

I want to make the same modification to my kit. How wide are the strips you added on either side of the door?

 

[MadCap Romanian]

The strips I cut are 1 cm wide.

I also bought the Remastered season 1 and 3 on DVD and noticed a few more things.

There's a black pinstripe on either side of the door posts that run from floor to ceiling and there are actually two 1/4 round edges to finish off the edge of the door frame.

Kirk's chair also seems to change grey intensity between episodes. Might just be lighting though. It also has wood arm rests.

There's remnants of those chrome "War of the Worlds" lamp monitors and the Helm console is entirely red in Where No Man Has Gone Before". Also, some of those upper TV monitors are singular (Meaning one per panel) as in The Cage and some are paired (Two per panel) as in the Production series. Main viewscreen is still the Cage style with some red paint added.
I also noticed that the door butts up so tightly that you can't see the opening line between the two doors.
Technically, this bridge set can be built into 4 different variants - The Cage, Where No Man Has Gone Before, and The Production Enterprise style. The fourth is like the U.S.S. Lexington where there was the High Back Captain's Chair.

That red helm in in a few earily episodes ... up to Mudd's Women, so far as I am seeing in the Remastered set I bought.

 

[Trek Ace]

Somewhere, I still have the color callouts for the bridge up through the second season.

There was actually a very narrow color palette used throughout the Enterprise standing sets. I can't recall the exact shades used off the top of my head, but I will give it my best shot.

Bridge colors:

The bridge floor. Two colors of carpet used on bridge. Dark gray for the upper level (console level) and light gray (a slightly warm gray, like camouflage gray) for the lower level, helm and captain's chair riser, and steps. These are the same colors used in the transporter room (light gray, floor; dark gray, steps to transporter chamber). The light gray carpet was also used in the corridors. The turbolift has green carpet.

Neutral (Primer) Gray (satin): All angled console panel surfaces - upper and lower, elevator cove, upper lighting cove, main viewscreen surround and accompanying side panels, hooded viewers (second season onward), helm pedestal and astrogator, captain's chair and pedestal, steps.

Black (satin): Console control panels and status readouts, helm console. chair backrests and cushions, Spock's hooded viewer (1st season only).

Dark gray: Upper consoles' viewing screen insets.

Pale Light blue: Viewing screen frames, chairs, intercoms.

Charcoal: Chair pedestals, bridge railing posts and floor trim under rails, perimeter edge of helm/captain's chair riser, step supports.

Red: Console control panel edge trim, upper light cove trim, elevator doors, bridge railing, helm console trim panels.

Dark Blue: Vertical inset strips in elevator door moulding.

Hope this helps.

 

[MadCap Romanian]

ThanX Trek Ace!

Well, I'm going to go home and hopefully start adding in the other colours tonight!

 

[MadCap Romanian]

Here's two quick WIP shots of my painting so far :

Here's MR. Sulu standing infront of the modified Turbolift elevator doors. I just finished painting the red on the doors.

The computer consoles with a coat of Artist's One Shot Gloss Black applied. This paint usually takes 2 days to dry because of it's slow drying rate.

 

[MadCap Romanian]

Some more updates :

Here's the chairs with their Flat Black upholstery painted on.

Plotting out the carpet for the lower bridge floor. This carpet will be painted in Primer Grey.

Here's all the computer consoles with their Gloss Black, Gloss Dark Grey and Gloss Red parts painted on. Last colour to paint is the Gloss Light Blue that surrounds the overhead computer monitors.

 

[MadCap Romanian]

Here's three more progress pictures!

Here's the computer console after I painted the final sky blue colour. This is Testor's 1108 Blue, if you're wondering.

Next step is to add the decals once the paint has dried.

The entire bridge is painted with gloss paint and tends to reflect a lot of light, henceforth the "Jagged Edges" look.

The finished chairs with gloss black feet.

The Helm and Navigations board. The piece was first spray painted with two coats of Tremclad Gloss Black and then the red Artist's One Shot paint was pinstriped onto the sides and front.

Next up are the decals and painted buttons.

 

[deadmanincfan]

Lookin' good, Trevor!

 

[MadCap Romanian]

ThanX James! It will be so nice to finally put those decals on the panels. Too bad I have to wait for the paint to dry!

 

[MadCap Romanian]

Finally got to put down some decals today. There's a lot! Probably the most decals I ever placed on any model.

...here's 4 out of the 5 bridge consoles. One of them had so much dust on the "Keyboard" that I attempted to sand down the surface with my automotive sandpapers. I accidently cut through the paint in a few places, right down to the grey plastic. Sadly, I had to repaint the black keyboard a second time. Luckily, it's not as dusty this time around, although there is some dust. I can't seem to get my brushes clean enough these days. Must be winter. Anyway, it should be dry and ready for decals by tommorrow night.

Now, onto the finished pieces!

The completed Communications Station. - complete with the "Pepsi" planet!

The completed Science Station. (Command Intellegence Station - Franz Joseph Tech Manual)

The completed Assistant Navigational Station. (Navigation Station - Franz Joseph Tech Manual)

The completed Weapons Control Station. (Defense Sub Systems Monitor - Franz Joseph Tech Manual)

Now, onto the Main View Screen panel, Main View Screen Side Panel and Turbo Elevator Panel, Helm & Navigational Console, Navigational Control Board and Command Chair.

 

[Mark_6478]

Man... this is looking excellent so far! I reallly love threads like these that
detail the work being done.

I'm not much of a hardware modeler and more of a figure guy but I'm really
starting to get interested in the harware side of things, so threads like these
are very helpful and informative for me...

Thanks for taking the time to shoot the photos and post the details about
them... :wave:

 

[MadCap Romanian]

No problem! I just hope I can meet my deadline of January 4th for the Library display that this thing's suppose to be in.