Does anybody still make physical models anymore?

[Roboturner913]

I dabbled in modeling for a while back in the late 90's. I was never really great, but I think that had more to do with lack of the proper equipment and facilities than not having the talent.

I'm thinking it might be something to get back into. Looking at some of the 3D art like Madman's Constellation and Defiant have really inspired me to try and create my own originals. Especially now that I have a good workspace and some expendable income to blow on it.

Anybody know of any good resources for model builders?

 

[Captain Robert April]

Your local hobby shop, for starters.

 

[Ziz]

Forbin, Warped9, Q2unMe and I are the resident physical modelers around here. Might be a couple of others, their names are the only ones that come immediately to mind.

Unless you have some decent engineering and design skills, start with building straight kits and save the scratchbuilding for later on, especially if you haven't done it in 10-15 years like you said.

That being said, Round2 has been re-popping a lot of the AMT Trek kits, most of them with fixes and improvements over the original issues. They've also produced a line of 1/1000 scale and a couple of 1/350 scale kits that are all new toolings.

Also check out the Trek sections of StarshipModeler.com, as well as their forums. We're all members over there too along with a ton of other Trek modelers. You'll get more opinions than you could ever possibly need!

What subject in particular were you thinking of starting with?

 

[Shaw]

I'm thinking it might be something to get back into...

I say go for it!

I took nearly 14 years off from model building and started in with scratch building large sections of my models because it was the only way to get what I wanted.

It wasn't hard, I started out with foam core board sections of what I wanted and built up the shapes from there. Here are some of the steps as I built my model...

Some shots of the final model can be seen here. And I put together a quick demo of the process I used here.

I believe that if you can think of it, you can build it!

 

[Roboturner913]

Forbin, Warped9, Q2unMe and I are the resident physical modelers around here. Might be a couple of others, their names are the only ones that come immediately to mind.

Unless you have some decent engineering and design skills, start with building straight kits and save the scratchbuilding for later on, especially if you haven't done it in 10-15 years like you said.

That being said, Round2 has been re-popping a lot of the AMT Trek kits, most of them with fixes and improvements over the original issues. They've also produced a line of 1/1000 scale and a couple of 1/350 scale kits that are all new toolings.

Also check out the Trek sections of StarshipModeler.com, as well as their forums. We're all members over there too along with a ton of other Trek modelers. You'll get more opinions than you could ever possibly need!

What subject in particular were you thinking of starting with?

Yeah, I'll probably start with some kits. I was just looking at the Round 2 website. I think I'll probably start with an Enterprise-C, I remember that one being pretty good.

 

[Forbin]

Go to www.starshipmodeler.com, www.federationmodels.com and www.culttvman.com. They all have online stores for sci fi modelers.

For paint and supplies, there are places like www.squadron.com and www.megahobby.com. They also stock plenty of models, but they don't specialize in sci fi.

As for the thread title question, oh hells yeah! I spend about an hour a night at the workbench, usually finishing about a model a month.
http://www.inpayne.com/models/models.html

 

[Nero's Shadow]

Yeah I'm a big fan of trek models. I started doing some last year I've been collecting the TOS shuttles going to do all four shuttles including warped9 type H shuttle. I built this last year.

Also doing the type H as well here it is at the moment.

I still love building these kits hopefully more pics soon. Just to finish off here is the USS Reliant that I buit about 15 years ago still looking good.

 

[brandomack]

I'm working on an Enterprise-C for a client, so feel free to PM me with any questions.

I have tons of reference material.

 

[Captain Robert April]

The only reason I'm not building some models right now is, under my current circumstances, I have no place to display them, so the kits I do have are currently slumbering in their boxes.

But one day, ooooh, one day....

 

[Forbin]

I'm actually running OUT of display space!

 

[SD70ACe]

I'm starting to get back into model building, too. I built the Polar Lights TOS Enterprise a few years back (made it into the Defiant), and I've got the 1701 refit, 1701-D, and NX-01 refit on the docket. I also want to build an Oberth, but I've having trouble finding decals for the 1/2500 scale kits.

 

[FrontLine]

I started the PL TMP Enterprise a few months ago. So far all I have managed to do was to put down the first coat of light blocking paint down, primer gray. The next coat will be a flat black, followed by several coats of gloss white. My plan is to light the interior using parts from two ST VI kits I have laying around as well as some battery powered LED lights.

 

[Captain Robert April]

Paint the interior of the model flat white. Not only will you block a lot of the light from coming through the hull, it'll reflect it brilliantly and make those lights seem a lot brighter than they actually are.

 

[Orne]

Currently tearing apart and rebuilding almost from scratch the re-popped Romulan Bird of Prey. Aside from that, have been building Trek models since I first saw the promo for the show in '66 and scrapped together an Enterprise from balsa and Bic pens.

www.rebellioncreations.com

(click 'view all' above thumbnails at bottom of main page for the rest)

http://infinityreach.multiply.com/photos/album/2/Infinity_Reach_Galleries

http://infinityreach.multiply.com/photos/album/12/USS_Enterprise

http://infinityreach.multiply.com/photos/album/14/Starship_Discovery

 

[JarodRussell]

I have a bunch of models that I have all assembled, but none of them painted. Don't know why, just never got around the painting part.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

The only reason I'm not building some models right now is, under my current circumstances, I have no place to display them, so the kits I do have are currently slumbering in their boxes.

But one day, ooooh, one day....

I know. I have every large ST ship kit except another E-E. All but a few still shrinkwrapped.

Currently tearing apart and rebuilding almost from scratch the re-popped Romulan Bird of Prey. Aside from that, have been building Trek models since I first saw the promo for the show in '66 and scrapped together an Enterprise from balsa and Bic pens.

www.rebellioncreations.com

(click 'view all' above thumbnails at bottom of main page for the rest)

http://infinityreach.multiply.com/photos/album/2/Infinity_Reach_Galleries

http://infinityreach.multiply.com/photos/album/12/USS_Enterprise

http://infinityreach.multiply.com/photos/album/14/Starship_Discovery

Firstly, I love the silver/blue color scheme on that 1701. Similar to how I went blue/blue on my Nebula, close to the Excelsior.

Which Bird Of Prey was reissued?

 

[Forbin]

Paint the interior of the model flat white. Not only will you block a lot of the light from coming through the hull, it'll reflect it brilliantly and make those lights seem a lot brighter than they actually are.

They used to say paint it silver on the inside, but you're right, white id better. Silver reflects spots and highlights from the lights, but white creates a sort of an even glow inside.

 

[Albertese]

Which Bird Of Prey was reissued?

Both of 'em.

--Alex

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Did they do any work on the original? It had some major inaccuracies.

I had an original release and had to do a lot of work on the rim edge, to get the angle and the "lip". Haven't finished it yet though.

 

[Captain Robert April]

The 18" E that was reissued was the same as the last version before the weasels bought out AMT and shut it down. The original molds are apparently long gone, or at least unusable.