Federation Commander

If you do detail the DDF, which two forward phasers are you going to grind off: the top pair or the bottom pair?

Also, I like the compromise you were forced into with the DDF engine. Normally, the "open stuff" on the engine of a DD points down, which requires you to use the center engine of a DN. For the "fast" engines, I imagine you only had the CF to work with. What made you choose right instead of left? Just the first one you grabbed?

Glad you pointed that out. I completely overlooked the phasers.
Probably will remove the upper pair, just to give it a sleeker look...

As to the engine:
This was one ofhte early resin jobs and the engine castings were poor quality at best. I chose the right as it had much less visible mold slippage than the left.
I had originally wanted to cho the engine into three pieces and roatate the ceter protion to properly align the radiators and vents... but htere was two much overlap at the front end. I could cut it there without cutting/rotating half the details at the front... which would have looked even worse, in my opinion.

[deleted, because Mike is right]

Yeah... I hate it when I make a silly mistake like that.

But it was late and I was in a hurry to bethe first one to get a DDF completed.
I totally dropped the ball on reference materials...

BTW, please understand that I am not trying to bust chops or cry foul or anything. Honestly, if you were just going to do a quick spray, then call it even, I figured the phasers were intentionally skipped. And on the engine, I was just interested in the design decisions, not picking nits.

I was trying to pick your brains, not beat them in.

I'm not crying foul. I appreciate the catch.

I got in a hurry and missedthe obvious. I would much rather catch it and fix it now...
Then have someone point it out after I get it painted.

After all, do you honestly think I'd be happy with just a quick spray???

Just to be different, when I do my DD kitbash builds (hopefully starting in the next couple of weeks), I will be cutting the engines and rotating the "grilles and reactor loop" 90-degrees.

This may involve so much work that I only do it once, then make cast copies of the result. I won't know until I take a razor saw to engines and find out.

I am happy that I have a decentish stock of resin minis to hack on. Much easier to do major surgery on resin than pewter.

My original intention was to cut the engines and rotate the grills, etc... but it would have involved so much work... I chose to forgo the effort.

Unfortunately, in the Starline scale...
over 50% of the length of the pre-stage flux tuners (the raised pads located behind the Bussard Collector assembly and the radial cooling radiator grid) overlaps the forward portion of the main stage flux tuner (located at the forward portion of the interior depression).

Cutting to save either of these will involve completely rebuilding the other part.

Now what I should have done was "borrowed" one of the DN nacelles and cast copies of that... silly me - now I think of it!

You see through my "trick".

I'll be using two sacrificial engines, to make one modified engine from. I can make cuts as-needed and preserving relevant detail. What is lost I can keep on the adjoining piece. The cuts won't be simple chops - I'm going to have to stair-step the one at the front, almost certainly.

Once I've made a normal 15-box engine with the "greeblies" on the bottom (and an 18-point fast one just like it), I'll cast myself a small number of copies to allow conversion of my excess BC saucers into destroyers.

Will:
I've been thinking about how to do this easily(working with a DDF, a DDL, 6x DDG, 4x DD, 1x SC, and 2x TUG will do that to you...).

After much pondering [visions of Pinky and the Brain attack my sub-conscious... ], I've come up with the method I intend to attempt next.

I have an extra BCH (don't we all...). Since it has two engines, those will be my basis.
Even though there is a bit of overlap begin the Pre-Stage Flux Tuners (located underneath the nacelle) and the Main-Stage Flux Tuners / Warp Radiators (located inside the recess... there is a bit of extra room between the Main stage recess and the rear nacelle cap.

That being the case... the first engine will have the Main stage recess completely filled in with green-stuff. Any parts protuding above the nacelle will be removed, anthing below will be filled. Ideally, this will give me a smooth round nacelle from pre-stage tuners to exhaust vents.

On the second engine, the entire Main-Stage recess will be removed intact by sawing the necelle longitudinally underneath the recess. The ends will be trimmed close tothe recess and squared off.
Next, a corresponding flat spot will be filed on the underside of the first nacelle... aft of the pre-stage tuners, but before the end cap.
The new recess will them be pinned into place, gaps filled/sanded... and then the whole thing will be sealed and a mold cast for future castings....

Thoughts... suggestions... ideas???

Scoutdad wrote:After much pondering [visions of Pinky and the Brain attack my sub-conscious... ], ...

"Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"I think so Brain, but where are we going to find rubber pants our size?"

Finished the Fed destroyer fleet assembly tonight.
11 Federation Destroyers
1 DDF (Fast Destroyer), 1 DDL (Plasma Armed Destroyer), 6x DDG (Drone armed Destroyer), and 3 DDs (standard, under-powered, 4-photo variant).
Now to paint and detail them.

great job, looks great.

Nice fleet. Those are going to look great!

nice one my friend i await the release of the models from mongoose