Model Sculpt
1:2500 Scale Olympic Class Starship
Here is a brief description of how and what materials I used to sculpt the pattern pieces for one of my retired resin model kits.
This is the Olympic Class Starship from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Primary Hull
1:2500 scale
First, I cut and re-shaped a plastic fishing bobber, then drew on the deflector grid lines. I covered the lines and windows with 1/64” wide graphics tape. Raised details, like escape pods, were cut from tape to be left in-place.
Secondary Hull
1:2500 scale
Constructed from sheet styrene. Grid lines were drawn on, then covered with 1/64” wide tape strips. After several layers of primer are sprayed on, the tape is removed, resulting in recessed lines.
Pylons
1:2500 scale
The curved supports were cut from sheet styrene, then softened by dipping in boiling water and slowly coaxing them into shape. The center structure was made from stacked styrene that was filed and sanded into shape. The tiny running light was a micro rivet from a model railroad car.
Warp Engines
1:2500 scale
I used square styrene tubing and strips for the warp engine. The bussard collector was made from layers of styrene strips and putty. It was slid into the front opening of the engine for molding then removed and flipped for molding the opposite engine.
Tips & Tricks:
The tape-and-primer method can be an easy way to add recessed or even raised details to the surface of a model, whether they are pattern pieces intended for molding or for a finished models.
Finished Model
1:2500 scale
The final assembled and painted model with photoshopped lighting effect.