Model kit advice sought - decals

[captain nemo1701]

Hi to all modellers out there. As you can see, the Enterprise is coming along. I'm now fixing the decals to the hull. There's quite a few sheets intended to give it the 'hull plating' look. One problem I have encountered is that they tear easily and can chip. This morning, I lightly touched part of it and the damn stuff stuck to my finger, tearing itself despite having been applied last week so I thought it was ok ( 7am this morning, emergency repairs to the secondary hull - Scotty would have been proud).

The (US) instructions suggest you use 'Clear Kote' which is some kind of decal setting solution but I did buy some 'decalfix' from my local hobby shop that can be used when applying and after.

Trouble is, apart from smelling of ammonia, is you have to paint it on and it's difficult to get an even coating. I was wondering if there's some kind of decal setting spray out there?. Any suggestions?.

 

[NormanD]

What you need is a smooth surface for the decals to adhere too, Buy some Johnsons Klear / Pledge multi-surface wax, it's the same stuff, (can be bought at your local supermarket) and give he model a couple of coats,(it can be brush painted or airbrushed from the bottle), it dries pretty quick and gives a smooth even surface.

decalfix is fine, but I prefer Microsol and Microset to adhere the decals to the model (bought from model shops)

 

[classic33]

Amerang kit by any chance?

Clear Coat, here is Humbrols and not the same item.

 

[Licramite]

you can aply decal fix with an airbrush.
I just use warhammer purity seal as my son left a can of it when he moved out.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Thanks, I'll try these suggestions. The smaller parts are okay, but the large saucer section is difficult. Maybe I should have invested in an air brush before the local model shop closed down - they were selling those ones powered by compressed air cans for about £30.

It is an American kit, by Polar Lights and a friend bought it for me for a birthday gift a few years back. He bid for it on ebay for £60 inc postage - good deal considering it retails over here for about £100. It's a big kit too - about 36 inches when finished. Still, not the biggest. Another firm in the US will do a 48 inch Enterprise kit that's 'studio scale' miniature. However, it's resin, made to order and about $1500.

It's taken me 3 years to get this far, target is completed by Xmas. I was wondering what kit to move onto next. Either a satrun V rocket (I made several of the old airfix ones in the 70's) or a Space 1999 Eagle?. The firm that made the Enterprise kit is apparently releasing a large version soon. I also used to have the old classic Sci Fi kits by Aurora. Anyone remember the Seaview, flying sub etc?.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Thanks, I'll try these suggestions. The smaller parts are okay, but the large saucer section is difficult. Maybe I should have invested in an air brush before the local model shop closed down - they were selling those ones powered by compressed air cans for about £30.

It is an American kit, by Polar Lights and a friend bought it for me for a birthday gift a few years back. He bid for it on ebay for £60 inc postage - good deal considering it retails over here for about £100. It's a big kit too - about 36 inches when finished. Still, not the biggest. Another firm in the US will do a 48 inch Enterprise kit that's 'studio scale' miniature. However, it's resin, made to order and about $1500.

It's taken me 3 years to get this far, target is completed by Xmas. I was wondering what kit to move onto next. Either a satrun V rocket (I made several of the old airfix ones in the 70's) or a Space 1999 Eagle?. The firm that made the Enterprise kit is apparently releasing a large version soon. I also used to have the old classic Sci Fi kits by Aurora. Anyone remember the Seaview, flying sub etc?.

 

[midlife]

Richard Baseheart and David Hedison

Shaun

 

[captain nemo1701]

Richard Baseheart and David Hedison

Shaun

Full series available on DVD. Season 1 the best, like most Irwin Allen shows it quickly degenerated into farce. There are some impressive kits of the Seaview around:
http://www.starshipmodeler.com/other/sl_seaview.htm

Now that 39 incher looks soooo good!.

i also used to have the Spindrift from Land of the Giants. One bit of SF trivia: To sell LOTG to the studio, Allen made a short promo and apparently, The Flying Sub stood in for the ship. I reckon the FS is probably one of the sexiest subs ever designed. Our firm has just invested in a jack-up barge for water drilling and it's called..The Proteus:
http://www.foresight.org/Nanomedicine/Gallery/Images/fan15.jpg
Made me smile

 

[midlife]

Proteus, wasn't that home to the cheapest special effect ever on Raquel Welsh ... The foam antibodies. Good fun taking them off lol. The background sound on the Seaview was brilliant, sonar ish . The same stock footage of the flying sub taking off and landing on the water went on for years.

Shaun

 

[classic33]

Thanks, I'll try these suggestions. The smaller parts are okay, but the large saucer section is difficult. Maybe I should have invested in an air brush before the local model shop closed down - they were selling those ones powered by compressed air cans for about £30.

It is an American kit, by Polar Lights and a friend bought it for me for a birthday gift a few years back. He bid for it on ebay for £60 inc postage - good deal considering it retails over here for about £100. It's a big kit too - about 36 inches when finished. Still, not the biggest. Another firm in the US will do a 48 inch Enterprise kit that's 'studio scale' miniature. However, it's resin, made to order and about $1500.

It's taken me 3 years to get this far, target is completed by Xmas. I was wondering what kit to move onto next. Either a satrun V rocket (I made several of the old airfix ones in the 70's) or a Space 1999 Eagle?. The firm that made the Enterprise kit is apparently releasing a large version soon. I also used to have the old classic Sci Fi kits by Aurora. Anyone remember the Seaview, flying sub etc?.

If you're thinking of a Saturn V next. Consider Revells 1/96 kit. Better moulding than the Airfix kit. They were also the only manufacturer to offer the Command Module and Lunar Module in the same scale.
Picture of the internet of the actual box size

 

[captain nemo1701]

Proteus, wasn't that home to the cheapest special effect ever on Raquel Welsh ... The foam antibodies. Good fun taking them off lol. The background sound on the Seaview was brilliant, sonar ish . The same stock footage of the flying sub taking off and landing on the water went on for years.

Shaun

Allen made a failed tv pilot in 1970 called something like 'City Under the Sea' which reused same stock footage and in one scene, the Seaview can be seen in the background. And I also heard over the years that the full size fibre glass Proteus set was to be re-used in The Poseidon Adventure as a rescue sub. But it was abandoned and the set destroyed.

It's not the first time he used Fantastic Voyage things. An episode of Voyage saw the diving bell swallowed by a giant whale. When Capt Crane & co enter the monster to rescue the Admiral, the 'body' sets of the whale were actually the sets from Fatastic Voyage which was being made at the same time. Apparently, Fantastic Voyage shot during the day, with the VTTBOTS crew filming after midnight. Talk about a loong day!.

 

[captain nemo1701]

If you're thinking of a Saturn V next. Consider Revells 1/96 kit. Better moulding than the Airfix kit. They were also the only manufacturer to offer the Command Module and Lunar Module in the same scale.
Picture of the internet of the actual box size
View attachment 91261

Ooooooh, that's some kit. Looks like an anniversary special, so maybe hard to get today. Dragon models make a 1:72 scale version, but it's expensive and lacks detail.

 

[classic33]

Ooooooh, that's some kit. Looks like an anniversary special, so maybe hard to get today. Dragon models make a 1:72 scale version, but it's expensive and lacks detail.

Available at only £115.00. Less than when it was released.

Just short of Four feet in height.

 

[midlife]

Can't you buy most of moonbase Alpha in kit form? Moonbase, eagle and interceptor . Just need a model of Barbarah Bain

 

[ufkacbln]

That Saturn 5 is tiny!

A few years ago whilst touring we came across this model for sale:

It was the model used for the "Hornblower" TV Series

Tempted, but at about 18 " long, would not fit on the Carry Freedom