Federation Battlegroup

Darren · Post by **Darren** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 11:42 pm

I've posted pictures of my finished Feddies complete with Litko bases:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31396370@N ... 279283318/

I'd appreciate any comments...

Rick Smith · Post by **Rick Smith** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:04 am

It's funny...I found this via your Flickr account before you posted them here; I was about to comment on that site.

These are amazing man! Nice work!!!

Explain to me again how your incise the deflector shield detail. I really need to try that!

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:37 am

Wow!
I'll say it again, "Wow!!!"

toastie · Post by **toastie** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 2:27 am

Very nice! I'm curious about your technique. I see the work in progress on the DNL, and in pictures 6 and 7, it looks like you're polishing or buffing the metal. Also, did you cut off and re-attach the engines on the FF?

Evil Goatee · Post by **Evil Goatee** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:20 am

Darren, those minis are absolutely gorgeous! Very inspiring. You did a top notch job on all of those. Always look forward to you updating the flickr site with more goodness.

I wondering what kind of prep you're doing on your minis? The nacelles are so clean and the molds crisp. Some of the other pics show clear plastic or something for the parts. I'm confused. Are you making your own re-molds or something?

Anyways. Great work! Would love to see you do some non-Fed ships sometime.

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 3:25 am

Gorgeous. Your scribing work is amazing. I have much to learn.
Great photography too - they look like catalog photos. I know I certainly want to buy them after seeing those!

Scoutdad · Post by **Scoutdad** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 4:14 am

Evil Goatee wrote:...Some of the other pics show clear plastic or something for the parts...

The original "Zocchi" models [The Fed Dreadnought, Heavy Cruiser, Tug, Scout, and Destroyer] were injection molded plastic models. The came in white (well, it was tan, actually), "glow-in-the-dark" (which was a luminous green), and "cloaked" which was a clear plastic.

The DNL you're looking at appears to have sarted life as a "cloaked: Federation Dreadnought, hence the clear plastic parts.

shauneroo · Post by **shauneroo** » Mon Jan 19, 2009 12:31 pm

That's fantastic work!

Wolverin61 · Post by **Wolverin61** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 12:00 am

I love those, especially the DNL. Unfortunately, the ships in my universe aren't nearly that perfect. Not even close.

mjwest · Post by **mjwest** » Tue Jan 20, 2009 2:45 am

Those miniatures are absolutely stunning. The paint lines are just ruler straight, and the details are amazing. (And I don't mean the decals; the paint details are just phenomenal!)

Darren · Post by **Darren** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:21 am

toastie wrote:Very nice! I'm curious about your technique. I see the work in progress on the DNL, and in pictures 6 and 7, it looks like you're polishing or buffing the metal. Also, did you cut off and re-attach the engines on the FF?

You're spot on. All metal areas are heavily filed. sanded and polished using a brass brush on a dremel or good ol' steel wool.

For info on similar techniques, Google "Working with White Metal," or you're welcome to ask me specifics.

As for the FF:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31396370@N ... 279283318/

The nacelles were carved from plastic sprue and detailed with bits of styrene.

Hope that helps.

Darren · Post by **Darren** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:34 am

Scoutdad wrote:
Evil Goatee wrote:...Some of the other pics show clear plastic or something for the parts...
The original "Zocchi" models [The Fed Dreadnought, Heavy Cruiser, Tug, Scout, and Destroyer] were injection molded plastic models. The came in white (well, it was tan, actually), "glow-in-the-dark" (which was a luminous green), and "cloaked" which was a clear plastic.

The DNL you're looking at appears to have sarted life as a "cloaked: Federation Dreadnought, hence the clear plastic parts.

Scoutdad is absolutely right. I kit-bash a lot as I am often very displeased with the poor sculpts of some of the ships. In the case of the DNL, the model is the original DNL mini with all nacelles and secondary hull replaced with those of a Zocchi "cloaked" DN. The DN secondary hull was cut in two a lengthend with a chunk of styrene. The lower nacelles were cut off the DN angled pylons and reattached at the proper flat angle.

I seem to use Zocchi DNs alot...my SCS also got engines from one...and my new BB:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31396370@N ... 279283318/

Hope that helps!

djdood · Post by **djdood** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:04 am

Just to pick nits (your work is gorgeous, I'm just talking semantics) but the Zocchi DD and DN are two different ship minis. The DD (Destroyer) is a saucer and nacelle and pretty much just that. All the parts you are using seem to come exclusively from DN (Dreadnought)'s. I'm assuming this is just a typo, but you might confuse new people.

Darren · Post by **Darren** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:56 am

djdood wrote:Just to pick nits (your work is gorgeous, I'm just talking semantics) but the Zocchi DD and DN are two different ship minis. The DD (Destroyer) is a saucer and nacelle and pretty much just that. All the parts you are using seem to come exclusively from DN (Dreadnought)'s. I'm assuming this is just a typo, but you might confuse new people.

He he, my bad.

I just chalk that one up to a looong day. Thanks for the heads-up.

John Schneder II · Post by **John Schneder II** » Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:24 pm

John wrote:

Scoutdad is absolutely right. I kit-bash a lot as I am often very displeased with the poor sculpts of some of the ships.

Darren,

As one of the sculptors I would be interested in which of the designs you have problems with. (This is not meant as an argument starter, I just want to see what I can do to improve my craft). If we have dissatisfied customers (and if any of the designs are mine) I want to do all I can to make sure my mistakes are corrected on the next sculpt. Or once I find out what the minis/flaws are determine if its the casting process or the sculptor.

Feel free to PM or e-mail me direct (my e-mail address is in my profile).
Thanks!!

--John