FINISHED PRODUCT:
OK, After assembling the stand - nothing to it - it just slides together easily and the pieces lock. (NOTE: This stand on this issue of the kit is a
MEGA advance over the first issue - I remember it and it was a flimsy thing that would bend under the weight of the model.) It was then taken out to the paint table and just painted a standard satin black. The stand comes with a very nice decal and plate to put on the front of it - but I left it off and just mailed it to CK so he could put it on if he chose to. Nice shot of the decal below:
For the final work on the model - I made sure I was happy with the weathering and painting any details I wanted to stand out from the standard color of the fuselage and hull - you can pick out a few of these items in the pics. Then out to the paint table again for several coats of TESTORS DULLCOAT on both sides. This comes in both spray cans and in bottles for use by airbrush and IMHO, is one of the modelers BEST friends ever made.
ONE NOTE: wear rubber gloves when you are handling the model for this final process because if you manage to get a finger print from the natural oil on your hands on the model before you do this, once you put the coating on it will show right up and ruin the finish on your model.
Prepare the can of Dullcoat just like you did the can of spray paint as described above - soak in a pan of warm water for awhile to make it where it will spray more evenly and then just spray the coats on in long sweeping - back and forth motions. I put about three coats each top and bottom - letting them dry completely between coats. You can see by the pic below of the finished model how this brings both the weathering and decals all together to make it look like one finish.
Now you are ready to go out and sweep the vile Colonials from the Stars! I have already mailed it to CK and he is working on the "Beauty Shots" as we speak so they should be up shortly. (I got a sneak peak and I have to say they are down right SEXY!!!
Hope you enjoy them.
Now all I got to do is talk to the Cat about getting the Cylon Attackstar & Basestar models on my shelf finished!