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 AModelMan |
Re: thingys | ||
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Posts: 306 (11/16/07 16:18:38) |
Welp, I've come across two sources for the proper 'thingy' name. They are actually 'Running Lights'.
The two sources are: www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/book-of-klingon-plans.php and the direction sheet from the AMT kit. I will scan that and put in the AMT kit thread. -t
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JWLaRue |
Re: thingys | ||
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Posts: 48 (11/16/07 19:19:29) |
Tom,
Excellent find! I've got a set of those McMaster plans from way back when......was trying to figure out how to get them scanned in as one piece images. This takes care of that. Now I can build some assembly jigs for the engine pylons to make sure I get the angle correct.  -many thanks, Jeff |
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AModelMan |
Re: The Jig is up | ||
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Posts: 306 (11/16/07 19:50:41) |
I suppose these are about as canon as one can get -considering they were made well after the series ended and they are clearly innaccurate to the Studio model.
Consider that they do not show the final buttress in the pylon at the nacelle. No diagram I have ever seen has, but clearly in the show they are there -as well as on our model. Also in the diagram, the 'Pod Running Lights' are parallel with the nacelle, not offset. However, if you look at the front/rear diagram, you will see that if we offset them by the amount we think is correct, they sit flat to a 'floor', instead of angled. This also, for me, proves that they are offset to the nacelle. There are other details that are not accurate to the Studio model as well (disruptors and phaser banks?) Though they are certainly more accurate than the drawings found in the AMT directions (now posted in the AMT kit thread.) -t
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scotthm |
Re: The Jig is up | ||
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Posts: 44 (11/16/07 20:19:03) |
Quote:I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this. I happen to believe that the joint between the pylon and the nacelle is somewhat incorrect on the CC D-7, because I believe this area is similar on both the filming model and the 'Roddenberry' model. Take a look at the photo below:  This is one of several photos I found of the 'Roddenberry' model on this page. --------------- |
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AModelMan |
Re: The Jig is up | ||
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Posts: 306 (11/16/07 20:29:52) |
Nice find! If you look very carefully, you will see a subtle gradation in the original that I have outlined below. There are no corroborating photos on that site offhand.
 edit: Looking at additional photos of the area, it is still tough to tell. At this point, I don't know what's going on with this ship! Every time I look at it, I see another ship than the one I thought I was looking at!  Perhaps the only way to tell will be with a Smithsonian excursion specifically to shoot the original for our purposes. -t
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scotthm |
Re: Major surgery | ||
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Posts: 44 (12/08/07 15:47:18) |
It's been a while since my last update, and the bulk of the work I've done on my D-7 has been on the nacelle/pylon joint.
As I've said earlier, I believe that photographic evidence shows that modifications are in order to this part of the CC D-7. I began by thinning down the lower edge of the pylon by grinding away the lowest part to about half its initial width. You can see the difference between one I've modified on the left, and one on the right I've not. After thinning this edge, I re-contoured the curved portion that mates with the nacelle to allow me to rotate the nacelle to the desired angle.  The initial angle formed between the pylons and the nacells was not exactly the same for both sides of my D-7. One formed an angle of about 121 deg and the other of about 124 deg. After consulting photos, and figuring out what I wanted to do, I decided to change the angle to about 128 deg on each side. In order to help everything work, I made a little jig out of basswood.  After a lot of grinding and sanding, I got the fit I wanted between the pylons and nacells and clamped them onto the jig while the glue dried. I used J-B Weld to glue these joints together.  Once the glue was dried (and this took about a day per nacelle) I filled gaps with bondo, sanded, filled, sanded, and primed and sanded. Below are a few pictures of the mostly finished results. A little sanding is still needed, and possibly another bit of primer.      I'm relatively pleased with the results, and am hopeful that this is a somewhat better replica of the filming model in this respect. I'm at least confident that it's pretty close to the 'Roddenberry' model in this regard. --------------- |
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JWLaRue |
D-7 assembly jig | ||
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Posts: 48 (12/09/07 14:57:33) |
...that's very nicely done! I like the way your assembly jig came out. I've been worried about those angles as well.......I'm going to borrow your idea for my D-7!
-Jeff |
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scotthm |
Re: D-7 assembly jig | ||
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Posts: 44 (12/10/07 11:08:07) |
Thanks.
I have to tell you, it was a bit nerve-wracking when I started attacking this thing with a sheet of 100 grit sandpaper. --------------- |
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AModelMan |
Re: D-7 assembly jig | ||
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Posts: 306 (12/10/07 11:26:38) |
Wow! Those look like they are molded as single pieces, not three! Nice job!!!
Best Regards,
-t |
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Unregistered(d) |
Updated pics | ||
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Posts: 0 (12/10/07 11:27:09) |
Hey Gang,
I just posted a report and new pics of the noob-ectomy and new noob-plasty www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/sh...074&page=3 enjoy, lou |
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starmanmm |
Re: Updated pics | ||
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Posts: 160 (12/11/07 06:01:39) |
Seeing that it was pointed out that there is some sort of trianglular button under the bulb area...is anyone going to put that on their kit?
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scotthm |
Re: Updated pics | ||
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Posts: 44 (12/11/07 09:46:09) |
If you mean that tiny little knob on the underside of the bulb then I'm not sure, because I'm not sure what it is. It's not on the 'Roddenberry' model, and it looks suspiciously like one of the little wire-hanger knobs you can see on the top of the model.
If it can be determined that it's a running light, or beacon, then I'll probably try and add it. Until then, I plan on passing. --------------- |
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AModelMan |
Re: Updated pics | ||
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Posts: 306 (12/11/07 12:45:37) |
It is on the Polar Lights model. However, that also has the grating in the 'scoops'... I'm going to post pix of the PL under the AMT Kit thread when I've got my computer going again, hopefully next week.
Best Regards,
-t |
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Jay Barnes |
Re: Updated pics | ||
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Posts: 2 (12/11/07 13:28:42) |
The bump or beacon is also very visible in that screengrab from "The Enterprise Incident", so that would confirm that it is indeed on the studio version of the D7. While it looks like those bumps are placed correctly on the PL D7, I would recommend caution when using it as a reference, it's got some serious accuracy issues. Still a neat kit though.
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starmanmm |
Re: Updated pics | ||
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Posts: 160 (12/12/07 17:53:11) |
Hummm, if I can find a better view of this... to get an idea if it is a triangle or just a rounded bit.... I think that I will put it on this kit.
Never did open the PL Klingon. So if it is there... that maybe where I should start first. |
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dsscse |
Re: Updated pics | ||
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Posts: 48 (12/13/07 20:12:34) |
I just rewatched ST TMP directors cut yesterday and in that during the 3 D-7 attack on V'ger at the start of the film, the lump on the bottom of the bulb section is a strobe light.
Just to help keep things confused  Dave PS Good Luck Chaps! |
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scotthm |
Re: Major surgery | ||
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Posts: 44 (12/30/07 18:33:28) |
I'm back from vacation and decided it's time to get started on my D-7 again.
In my last update I had joined the nacelles to the pylons, and in the process decided to change the default angles. One of the nacelle/pylon angles was about 121 deg and the other was about 124 deg. During my research, I decided to make both angles about 128 deg, to better match what I thought I saw in various photos. My next step is to attach the pylons to the engineering hull of the D-7. Using masking tape, I temporarily attached the pylons and got them adjusted to a pretty tight and straight fit. Then I made some measurements of the angle between the body and pylon and found that these, too, differed by about 3 deg. The one on the starboard side measured about 140 deg and the one on the port side measured about 137 deg. I suppose that on the unaltered model these angles all balanced themselves out, but since I had 'corrected' the angles of the nacelle/pylon joint, I would have to do so for the engineering hull/pylon joint as well, to maintain symmetry. I decided to keep the 137 deg angle and to modify the 140 deg angle to match. There were two reasons for this, one being that I had already increased the nacelle/pylon angle from the default, and the other being that the joint between the pylon and the engineering hull on the starboard side doesn't fit quite right, as we'll see in a moment. Here is the little tool that I used to measure my angles. Due to the fact that the 'wings' on the hull aren't quite flat, it was difficult to get an exact measurement, but by measuring both sides the same way I was able to determine that the difference between the two sides was about 3 deg.  Once again, I decided to use JB Weld to glue these joints, because it sets slowly to give me plenty of time to set the joint like I want it, and because it seems to be quite strong. The pylon didn't have a very flat outer surface, especially at the top, so it took a bit of bondo to get things evened out. I still need to go through a couple of priming, sanding, and filling iterations.    As you can see on the starboard side, the 'wing' is quite a bit narrower (at the back) than the pylon.  I believe that when I alter the angle at the 'wing' that it will fit just a little bit better. It will still probably take a good bit of filling though. I'm even wondering if it would be prudent to thin down the starboard pylon a little. It wouldn't take too much. Any opinions about how to tackle this area?  --------------- |
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starmanmm |
Re: Major surgery | ||
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Posts: 160 (12/31/07 15:34:38) |
Me.... I would try avies either after or before the cut you proposed.
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JWLaRue |
Re: Major surgery | ||
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Posts: 48 (01/01/08 14:29:32) |
I've noticed the same 'thickness' problem as well...and decided to thin down the pylon to match the other one.
The bulge in the outer wing portions of the main hull do pose a bit of a challenge, I used a file to get mine flat....which I believe slightly altered how the pylons fit. -Jeff |
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scotthm |
Re: Major surgery | ||
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Posts: 44 (01/03/08 14:54:48) |
I decided that I'm going to build up the thickness of the 'wing' at the rear corner, to better match the port side. I may regret this before it's all over with, but I hope to have something to show in a day or two.
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