Plates in Space Challenge - the PFT Phaeton

[Scotaidh]

1 September 2016 saw the kick-off of the Plates In Space Challenge over on Starship Modeller.  It was my fault, I guess - I wanted a new challenge build, and John (owner of SSM) said I should just go ahead and do one.  I called that bluff.
My entry was called the PFT (Plate Far Trader) Phaeton, and what follows are some of the construction pictures.  I must admit that the contest deadline was 1 Sept 2017 - and I missed it.  I'm still not finished with this, my main entry.  I did manage to finish my two additional entries - the Fae craft I posted here last year. 

Here's how it started:

[Scotaidh]

Early construction steps:






Engines

[Scotaidh]

Hull construcion

[kerick]

I remember this! Looking great, keep up the progress!

[NARSES2]

Ingenious 

[Scotaidh]

More Hull construction





Turrets



an attempt that didn't work out - turned out to be not-square.  :/


turret hard-points - from an energy-drink six-pack


Cargo Doors




Landing gear




General Hull


Engine Installation




Engine Detail




Paint-work - ventral view


Paint work - Dorsal view


And that's the work to date. 

I'm still working the man-doors in the main cargo doors, and there's sensor panels to affix here and there.

[zenrat]

 

[Dizzyfugu]

Lovely. 

[nighthunter]

A stunning scratch-build! I can't wait to see how you finish this!

[NARSES2]

A stunning scratch-build! I can't wait to see how you finish this!

Absolutely 

[Scotaidh]

I remember this! Looking great, keep up the progress!

Hi, Kerick!    Since all of the previous was posted last year on SSM, I hope you're not bored.  Fear not - I've decided I need to complete this - I need the space on my work-bench for other projects.

Thanks, chaps.  Important note - I absolutely suck at painting things like parallel lines, and anything other than free-form stuff.  Also, this is supposed to be a 'working' craft, similar in use/age to the Millenium Falcon or the Serenity.

The business end of the main battery:


Stbd cannon:


Port cannon:


Iin order to do the painting the easiest way, I set the model down on one of the cargo doors.  On switching sides I discovered that the "down" side was all scratched up.  This would not do, so I found a green scrubby and put that between the ship and my workbench (lazy-susan, actually, so I can spin it and more easily damage ... er, access all sides without getting paint on my fingers.

[Scotaidh]

PFT Phaéton 099 The Upper Engine Cuff is finally in place. It's just a dollar-store 'champagne glass', suitably trimmed and painted only on the inside. Its placement had to wait until all the touch-up daubing was complete, or it'd have been ... daubed up, and I wanted to keep the glossy exterior. The other engine cuffs are old K-cups - mostly the Hot Chocolate ones, because those cups don't contain anything other than powdered cocoa - because the local dollar store ran out of these 'champagne glasses'...


PFT Phaéton 100 More of the Upper Engine Cuff


PFT Phaéton 101 There will be more greeblies added to the upper shelf, but I wanted to have the UEC in place first, so I didn't have any fit problems.


PFT Phaéton 102 I've been looking for something to put on the circular face behind the copper Aux. Thruster, but so far haven't found anything suitable. The search continues ...


PFT Phaéton 103 My latest attempt to correct the paint lines on the forward hull ... :/ Have I mentioned that I suck at painting?


PFT Phaéton 104 Greelies in prep ... The red and green - more properly, the crimson and Brunswick Green - objects will be the man-doors set into the cargo doors. The Linen hexagons have other purposes that will be revealed in time.
The thing is, this morning I gently scrubbed the doors with some steel wool, wet-wiped them, and applied a fresh coat of paint. Then the wee Humbrol tin of Brunswick Green vanished. I have searched my work-bench, the floor under it and nearby, checked adjacent surfaces and even my pockets - nothing. It is as if it had never been here. Do aliens use Humbrol paints? Was it desperately need on the Enterprize, so they beamed it up?

[Rick Lowe]

Good, imaginative use of 'General Stuff' there - nice to see Inhaler bodies can be used for things!

The paint can has probably scooted off into some other dimension - I blame Quantum, but then I usually do...
You could have knocked it away across the floor with your chair, maybe?

[Scotaidh]

Good, imaginative use of 'General Stuff' there - nice to see Inhaler bodies can be used for things!

The paint can has probably scooted off into some other dimension - I blame Quantum, but then I usually do...
You could have knocked it away across the floor with your chair, maybe?

thanks, Rick.    I have so many of the doggone things lying about I just had to figure out how to use them - I have much the same quest for deoderent empties.   
I'm embarrassed to admit it, but my workbench area is rather a tip - very cluttered.  I'm sure the paint tin is somewhere in the "refuge-rich" environment that is my work area.   

Problem is, you see, that when I'm in the mood to build, I seldom have the patience to wait for glue/paint to dry.  I either duff up my current - ie, still wet - project, or I start another.  I've got 5 minor and two major projects on the shelves now ... I think many of us here are in similar straits.   

[Rick Lowe]

"Very cluttered"? I prefer the term 'free-form' or 'organic' - better than saying 'I'm too bone idle and disorganized to tidy up'... 
Or 'Organized so that everything is close at hand.' maybe?