Building the AMT Refit Enterprise by Don Matthys part 11

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MASKING THE PANELS

Here are some brief notes on panel painting:

Warp Engines: For the most part vertical, stopping at all contour breaks. Horizontal stripes at the front. Diagonal at the aft end and in between the grills and flush intakes. Light blue access panels on the part that connect to the pylons.

Engine Pylons: A jagged pattern running parallel to the ship

Engineering Hull: Top aft vertical orientation, mid level horizontal random, lower levels vertical and random., bottom vertical and random aft bottom horizontal and random. Connecting dorsal is diagonal and random

Primary Hull: Outer rim vertical, inner of hull “Aztec” pattern. Inner section around sensor and Bridge A-B deck levels radiating and random. From the A-B deck levels and Sensor Array there are patterns as well. There are some panels that will remain still a solid white-blue at the planet fall landing pads and access hatches.

Materials:

  • Masking Tape (2 inch wide)
  • Sharp #11 Exacto blades
  • Straight Edge
  • French curves (drafting)
  • Chartpack DAFRPB8L-10 film

The masks of little bits of masking tape is applied piece by piece to the Warp Nacelles and Engineering Hull first. and all other areas Then the Aztec patterns go on the primary hull last. It took days of work. I used a Chartpack DDAF film with the pattern laser/photocopied on with one of my computer generated art programs.

My Aztec pattern mask is done with the Chartpack DAFRPB8L-10 film. It’s a low tack film so it won’t stick on permanent. (I have tried Avery label paper which can be disastrous with the adhesive residue and mineral spirit based paints.) Though intended for use with laser printers and photo copiers I was able to print it out on my Style Writer II ink jet printer. I had to wipe the residue off that did not set. The art is set up in a light-dark shade arrangement. I applied the dark shade in one pie slice than took the clear and applied on the next slice.

Painting:

When all the masking tapes and friskits in place I then airbrushed the Testers Model Master gloss white on to the model completely covering the white-blue. I let it dry for about 24 hours and then started to pull of the masks and friskits off the white areas only. Other repainted and masked areas are left in place*. The enamels are still a bit tacky so I kept the handling of the model by fingers to a minimum. At the edges of the masking tape and friscut films a raised line remains of paint buildup.

This is wet sanded down with fine grade 1000 grit sandpaper.

Areas that retains the blue-white color intact:

  • Access panels at Warp Engine connector to pylons
  • Fillet at Engineering hull to pylons
  • Landing Pads at bottom of primary hull
  • Areas at front of the A-B decks near the bridge
  • Small squares on top of the Primary Hull

After the overall wet sanding an even thinner mixture of gloss white was prepared and shot though my Badger 150 airbrush with a fine needle and tip.

This final coat of color mutes the stark edges of the panel patterns. The result is a smooth gloss surface with the subtle panel variations showing though the final gloss coat of white.

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