Timothy S. Johnston Builds AMT 1428 Klingon D-7 “Alien” Battle Cruiser
Since I recently reconnected with this former hobby, I have realized that it is a wonderful method to express my creativity while also doing something that significantly lowers stress levels.
I rediscovered this hobby first with my build of the TOS NCC-1701, a model kit also from AMT: #1296. I wrote about it, with pictures detailing my progress, struggles, and failures, here:
Building Enterprise Part 1
Building Enterprise Part 2
Building Enterprise Part 3
Building Enterprise Part 4
I considered it a success, and afterward, I immediately set to work on my newest acquisition, the Klingon D-7 Battle Cruiser. My goal was to create the three iconic models from Star Trek: The Original Series: The Enterprise, the D-7 Klingon Battle Cruiser, and the Romulan Bird of Prey.
Here is the box for the AMT Klingon model, along with the contents. I immediately detected a minor issue, which you can see in the picture of the engine pod:
I had never had to deal with a warping (see what I did there?) issue before. Before I glued the two halves together, one of the sides was off by nearly a centimeter over just a tiny span. Once I glued them together, the curve lessened, but it was still there.
First came the gluing of the various pieces. Note there were also chrome elements to this model, which I decided I would leave to the side until the model was nearly complete with just one final clearcoat to do.
Then, as I’d learned while doing Enterprise, I had to fill any gaps/cracks with modeler’s putty, then sand it down. I also had to sand any sharp edges left after removing the pieces from the sprues.
Then came the priming. I used a rattle can for this (a small can of grey priming paint purchased from my local hobby store, Hobby and Toy Central in London, Ontario). Here is another example of a gap to fill and sand before priming:
The issue of the warped engine pod was improved once it was glued to the half that was not warped. I then tried a hair dryer to warm the entire pod up and hopefully remove some of the flex. It worked, but not totally. I think if I didn’t point it out, no one would really notice. Take a look at the finished model; you tell me.
Then came the painting. The colour scheme is grey and green. For the grey, I used the same colour as I did for Enterprise: Neutral Grey. For the green, I chose a beautiful Tamiyah colour used for aircraft in the RAF. I think the combination is striking. Check it out.
I also decided to use the same “Metallic Red” for the bussard collector at the front of the engineering structure, and for the impulse engines at the stern.
Now that all the painting was finished, I had to clear coat the entire vessel. I used Tamiyah’s TS-13, a glossy clear coat. The purpose is to make everything smooth for the decals. In my previous model, Enterprise, I quickly learned that the dust and debris from sanding causes major issues with a flat hull, and this in turn causes issues with the decal application. I was much more careful about it this time. Here it is after the clearcoat, and then a few pictures of the decals as I applied them.
I have to say, this model was very enjoyable to build. The decals were nowhere near as challenging as on NCC-1701. Once these were done, it was time to add those chrome pieces. Here’s the final model, after the decals and then a few more layers of clear coat to give it a nice, finished look:
All in all, it was a marvelous model from AMT that I really enjoyed building. The nostalgia with TOS (I grew up watching it during the 1970s and 80s) is a huge factor in my creative development, so doing these models has been so rewarding. My next one will also be a model from TOS; keep watching the blog for the next post about my model-building hobby.
— TSJ, 10 July 2024
“Fans of Clive Cussler’s NUMA Files will be delighted with Timothy S. Johnston’s undersea novels. Truman McClusky and Dirk Pitt are cut from the same adventurer’s cloth.” — Nick Cutter, author of The Deep and The Troop
A BLANKET OF STEEL is out now!
WATCH THE GRIPPING BOOK TRAILER HERE.
FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE
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A Blanket of Steel from Timothy S. Johnston and Fitzhenry & Whiteside, Ltd.
“Read the book and prepare to be blown away by one of the best writers I have ever had the pleasure to read. Timothy S. Johnston is simply amazing.” — FIVE Stars from Readers’ Favorite
“Innovative technology, Mac taking risks no one else would dare and thinking his way through to brilliant solutions … But the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been before. This is it. The countdown to the final battle … Johnston does an excellent job of keeping the tension taut as he plays with the reader’s perceptions of characters we thought we knew and trusted …” — SFcrowsnest
“Expect to be left breathless. Trust me here. Please. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN.” — Michael Libling, author of The Serial Killer’s Son Takes A Wife and Hollywood North: A Novel in Six Reels
Book Cover & Jacket Copy:
AN UNSTOPPABLE THREAT!
A mysterious assassin has murdered Cliff Sim, Chief Security Officer of the underwater colony, Trieste. Cliff was a mountain of a man, highly trained, and impossible to defeat in combat. And yet …
Someone brutally beat him and left his broken body in a secret Chinese facility at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
And included a calling card for Truman McClusky, Mayor of Trieste.
Taunting him.
Mac has led the underwater colonies in their fight against the world’s superpowers. Climate change has devastated the surface; nations suffer famine, drought, rebellion, rising waters, and apocalyptic coastal flooding. But now, as Mac leads the underwater colonies to freedom and independence, he’s faced with the gravest threat of his life: a Russian assassin, hellbent on killing Mac and everyone he cares for. Now Mac must uncover the identity of the killer, face him in combat, and at the same time lead people in battle against the largest underwater force ever assembled. It’s Mac’s final test, and to win the war, he must use every tool at his disposal, including the most surprising and devastating underwater weapons ever invented.
If Mac fails, all hope is lost for the future of human colonization on the ocean floors.
But the assassin could be anyone …
Watch your back, Mac.
A Blanket of Steel is the most gripping thriller yet in The Rise of Oceania.
FOR PURCHASE OPTIONS CLICK HERE
The other books in The Rise of Oceania series by Timothy S Johnston:
The War Beneath 9781771484718
The Savage Deeps 9781771485067
Fatal Depth 9781554555574
An Island of Light 9781554555819
The Shadow of War 9781554556007
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TSJ’s Awards
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THE WAR BENEATH: FIRST PLACE 2018 GLOBAL THRILLER Action / Adventure Category Winner, 2019 Silver Falchion Award Finalist, 2018 CLUE Award Semi-Finalist, 2019 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist, & 2019 CYGNUS Award Shortlister
THE SAVAGE DEEPS: FIRST PLACE 2020 CYGNUS Award Winner, 2019 GLOBAL THRILLER Awards Finalist, 2022 Kindle Book Awards Semi-Finalist; 2019 CLUE Award Shortlister
FATAL DEPTH: FIRST PLACE 2021 GLOBAL THRILLER Award Winner, 2022 Silver Falchion Award Finalist (Best Action Adventure), 2021 CYGNUS Award Semi-Finalist
Praise for THE WAR BENEATH
“If you’re looking for a techno-thriller combining Ian Fleming, Tom Clancy and John Le Carré, The War Beneath will satisfy … a ripping good yarn, a genuine page-turner.” — Amazing Stories
“One very riveting, intelligent read!” — Readers’ Favorite
“If you like novels like The Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising,
you will certainly enjoy The War Beneath.” — A Thrill A Week
“If you’re here for thrills, the book will deliver.” — The Cambridge Geek
“… an engaging world that is highly believable …” — The Future Fire
“This is a tense, gripping science fiction/thriller of which Tom Clancy might well be proud . . . When I say it is gripping, that is the simple truth.” — Ardath Mayhar
“… a thrill ride from beginning to end …” — SFcrowsnest
“… if you like Clancy and le Carré with a hint of Forsyth thrown in,
you’ll love The War Beneath.” — Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee (RET),
2017 Nebula Award & 2018 Dragon Award Finalist
“Fast-paced, good old-fashioned Cold War espionage … a great escape!” — The Minerva Reader
