U.S.S. Defiant - Tholian Web Version

[bgt01]

Hello all. I managed to make another addition to the fleet this weekend. This is my U.S.S. Defiant - Tholian Web version. I wanted it to look like the CGI version from the remastered episode, which I much prefer over the original "blinky" version. My first plan to make the green cast was to add a green filter over the original Defiant art, but that just made everything look muddy. So, I then did it the right way by erasing all the hull coloring and replacing it with a green background. I made it in Photoshop using multiple green and yellow gradients in linear and starburst patterns. This one is a little dark and obscures the ship detail more than I wanted, so I've created a lighter version. Also, all the windows were changed to murky white so they'd show up. This one will serve as my test ship.

Warp Drive

All parts were scored as needed. I started with the warp drive assembly in the usual manner: rolled the engines using a wood dowel and glued together, attached the ends and added the detail parts. The rear ports were curled slightly before gluing. The rectangles at the front and rear (flux tuners and restoration coils) were glued to 1mm chipboard and edge colored. Bottom tabs were cut off the bussard collectors for a more flush mount.

[bgt01]

Saucer

Like my earlier Reliant build, I glued the flat saucer parts to 1mm chipboard to prevent waves in the saucer. I had to be careful to not glue the inner tabs down. Bridge parts were cut, curled and glued as needed. Again, all bottom tabs were cut off for flush mounting. Saucer parts were joined with paper strips glued from behind.

[bgt01]

Saucer

I cut all the tabs off the saucer edge and curled it. I edge glued it to the saucer top first using small dabs of Super Glue gel and a sharpened toothpick. I cut a small hole in the center of the bottom saucer's chipboard so I could position it, then repeated the same gluing process. I did wind up with a small gap at the saucer rear on the bottom, but the stiffness of the chipboard makes it a non issues as far as stability. Still, it looks bad and I'm not sure if I'll keep using this method.

All other parts were glued in place, including the neck, which was locked into position using Super Glue gel around the outside edge.

[bgt01]

Secondary Hull

All parts were curled and and glued as normal. Again, all bottom tabs were cut off the navigational deflector parts for flush mounting, as were the tabs on the fantail. The shuttle bay and pylons were glued using regular paper craft glue. This let me nudge the pylons into the correct position once the engines were attached. The entire secondary hull was attached to the neck and locked in place with a very small seam of Super Glue gel.

[bgt01]

Commissioning

The engines were glued to the pylons with regular paper craft glue. Once everything was in its final position, the pylons and engines were given Super Glue gel at the seams to lock it all in place. The last touch was to add some 12mm Glamour Glitz rhinestones on the upper hull at the navigation lights. I used the regular green on the starboard side. In place of the port red one, I used a yellow one to mimic the onscreen look. That bright red would have really been out of place.

I'm pleased with the final product. The camera washed out some of the detail, but it does look like Defiant has some interphase happening. I think the lighter green one will look better. I have an idea for a diorama display to show it off.

[blake7]

Looks Great! Too bad they don't make ink that glows in the dark!

[pdmccool]

What a COOL idea, bgt01. I wish I had known you were working on this, as I could have saved you some work. I have all of Rawen's TOS ships, and all of my later mods, redrawn and saved as bitmaps, where you could have just chosen the shades of green and clicked it in over the grey. Your finished model looks fantastic.

[spaceagent-9]

its made of green cheese! GREAT WORK!! keep those cool dioramas coming!! have you thought about a uss constitution going into a planet killer?

[bgt01]

Thanks guys. Glad you like it.

Pdmccool: That's essentially what I did. I opened the originals in Photoshop and completely dropped out the hull color. Trying to select the gray and recolor didn't work because I needed to add gradients to get the "interphase" effect anywhere near what was onscreen. However, if you want to help me come up with a TOS-style Excelsior I'm all ears!

Spaceagent9: I have a Constellation ready to assemble and destroy in a most creative way. I just have to finally decide how to greeble out the damaged areas.

[pdmccool]

I'm archaic. I do all of my gradients in MS Paint, basically like a painter would mix paints. As for the TOS Excelsior, let me think on it.