The Star Trek: The Next Generation Type II Phaser Project (Cobrahead) – Complete

  • Finishing the Buttons

    October 24, 2005

    The two small buttons

    The two small buttons

    Well I found some paint for the buttons. Rodd.com’s instructions call for antique white or beige…neither of which I could locate in my area. So I went with Krylon’s Dover White (#2322). It’s an off-white color that captured, what I felt, was the same effect as an antique white. I gave the buttons three coats of Dover White and let dry. Once dry, I gave all the buttons an easy wetsanding with 1000 grit paper. This helps remove any slight imperfections in the top coat. Just be sure to go easy or you’ll sand the paint right off.

    Installing the buttons

    Installing the buttons

    Now that the buttons were finished I just had to install them. I gave them each a quick test fit to make sure they still fit in their respective spots given the additional thickness from the paint. This is where the markings on the buttons comes in handy, since each button has been marked for a specific recess and with a particular orientation. Each button fit fine, so I put a small drop of Zap glue in each recess, and then set the buttons in place, giving them each an easy squeeze to ensure proper adhesion with the glue. Almost finished…



  • Clear Coat and Done!

    October 31, 2005

    Clear coat

    Clear coat

    Last step was to get a clear coat on this puppy. I normally try to use the same clear coat as undercoat, but I was out of Krylon clear, and I didn’t have the energy to run to the store. I decided to go with Duplicolor’s clear coat. Duplicolor is an automotive-brand paint. The clear coat work out very nice as it has a nice gloss to it. After three coats of clear on the top and bottom of the kit, I gave the whole piece a very easy wetsanding using 2000 grit paper. I then finished it off with a coat of automotive polishing wax. The Duplicolor clear polished up very nicely giving the whole kit a nice shine. At this point the kit is pretty much finished. Look for a page dedicated to this finished piece on my prop page!