Klingon Battlecrusier

If you are talking about the Movie version Battlecruiser as seen in the opening sequence of STTMP then a big hell yes is my answer. I do not think any part of that kit goes together without the need for filler.

Cheers, Max Bryant

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Max,

I'm talking about the TOS version AMT/Ertl Stock No. 6743. The number seams on it that NEEDED to be filled have WAY outnumbered the seams that didn't need filling of any kind. And I am still NOT to the stage of assembling the sub-sections, which I JUST know is/are going to present me with even MORE seams needing to be filled and sanded. . . IF nothing else I AM learning how to fill and sand seams so I guess I should be "grateful" for that "little" lesson. . .;-)

Digital_Cowboy

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I have built several of the TOS Klingon Battle Cruisers over the years, and I always found the fit to be way better that the fit of the TOS Enterprise (in any of its three different molds...). Very little filler was needed on the Klingon ship. The only weak joint (seem wise, and construction wise) is the attachment point of the boom, to the rear section.

And don't worry about have to "learn lessons"; as these TOS kits need to have the ol' sander taken to them anyway, to remove some of the inaccurate details (such as the raised grid/lines atop the saucer of the Enterprise).

That is *exactly* what I was going to suggest. I did it that way, using a "nut and bolt" combination. I embedded a bolt in the boom, before gluing the halves together. I then backed up the inner face of the front-wall of the rear-section (inner...front...rear...make sense?...lol), with some .60thou sheet plastic, to give it a bit more strength. I drilled a hole through the front of the rear section, threaded to bolt/boom through it, screweed on the nut, made sure everything was aligned...and then glued on the top half.

As Greg said, make sure everything is aligned. My own had a slight twist along the boom and didn't go together perfectly. I could line up the nose horizontally and end up with the attachment point off-kilter or line that up and have the ship look twisted. I lined up the nose and let the attachment point fall where it did. As far as the movie version goes, lots of filler will be needed.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Indeed they did! They also re-issued it for "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". It's the same size as the TOS battlecruiser, but with more surface detailing.

Mike (ODO)

"Digital_Cowboy" wrote in news:Xns9542AC3144F3Cnobodynobodycom@24.168.128.74:

I did exactly that on my battlecruiser rebuild. Check it out at:

I think it's called a "lag joint"? I don't know, but it worked very well to secure the boom to the hull. HTH.

TF

I attached the engines after I had assembled the upper and lower halves of the rear hull. Since I had assembled these upper and lower halves *after* attaching and ensuring alignment of the boom....I therefore attached the engines last.

Curious....what color is your kit molded in?

The first two I built (dating back to the mid-70's for the first one) were molded in white. But the last one I did (picked up at a show) was molded in black!!

Don't forget to lose the front-of-wing grillework in favor of recessed flat plastic. Loose the pipes running along the neck. That's about all it takes to accurise this kit. More details available at CulTVman's, at hobbytalk.com.

WinBear

If it were me, I would still use some sort of rod. I think I would prefer brass over styrene.

Two questions....

1) Have you attached yet, the little "impulse engine" section atop the rear hull assembly? If not....then I believe there is a pretty big hole there, on the top-half piece of the rear section. Is it big enough; to allow you to still reach inside, and pack something like epoxy putty up at the front of this section (inside); to give something for your added boom-inner-rod, to grab onto?

2) The rear of the boom, on the underside, has this ridged piece (shaped like a short, wide, tongue-depressor). Have you attached this yet? If not, could you drill a hole in the area where this attaches to; so that you could pack some sort of epoxy-putty in there (for the same reason as above)?