Busy busy busy!

MUCH DONE! It's all about the details. I've added all sorts of things, to much to type out, just check the pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37745793@N03/sets/72157625057598947/

The cockpit is pretty much done. There's a few finishing touches yet. I need to straighten out all the wires and secure them with cable clamps. Paint a few brackets to match their surroundings. Add some lettering to the electrical boxes. I haven't trimmed out the door yet, waiting till I have the walls done in the airlock so I can do it all at once. And I'm sure I'll be adding little touches here and there for ever. But for the most part its done, and I've started moving in the electronics.
I'll add a few more pics when I get it all set up.

The latest

I've done some more work. The cockpit is built, now its down to detailing. I still need to do trim around the door, and a few other odd pieces, but I've started adding the winky/blinky lights in their electrical boxes and conduit.This stuff is really fun, because the bright spots of red, blue, and green make the ship feel more alive.

I'm really excited about the windows. I took large pieces of black fabric and laid them out flat on the driveway. Then I mixed up a solution of water and Rit whitener and Brightner. (It's a chemical brightener that you can add to you washing machine to make your laundry really bright.) With an old toothbrush I sprinkled the solution on the fabric. After it was dry I used a heavy duty staple gun to suspend the fabric outside the ships windows.
Then I put a Black light, out of sight, above the window so that it shines on the fabric and makes the spots of chemical glow bluish white. Instant Stars! (The stars don't show up well in the pictures, Its an old cheap camera, sorry). Now I just have to run the cords from the black lights to a switch in the cockpit, and add the plexiglass windows.

Here's the link to my Flickr page, with some new pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37745793@N03/sets/72157625057598947/

It's been a while...

But I'm back at it again. All the counter tops are painted, (2 coats, everything takes 2 coats).
I've put in shelves just below the windshields, cut, painted and installed a bunch of pieces of molding, but still a few yet to do...all the angle cuts. Installed a vinyl tile floor, cut and painted all the base board pieces, (paint still wet on those, so maybe get them in tomorrow.) Hung the cockpit pocket door. I had installed all the electrical boxes to hold winky/blinky lights, but then I decided to paint them, so had to take them out again. In the old ship, I just left them their natural gray color, but I'm going to go with the gold metallic this time.

I came up with an idea for some support strut looking pieces, so I bought a bag full of plastic plumbing fittings and some 1 1/4" pipe. I've primed and painted some of the parts silver, letting the pipe its natural black plastic for now. I need to make some bracket/mounting pieces out of 1/2" MDF, but I think its going to look cool when they're done.

Oh, I bought 2 nice office chairs. They're still in their boxes, but I plan to sci fi them up when I assemble them. I bought new casters for them, with hard rubber wheels, to replace the plastic ones. I'm hoping these will be easier on my shiny black floor.

Heres the link to my image shack photo collection: http://my.imageshack.us/v_images.php

Still lots to do, but at least for the cockpit, there is now light at the end of the tunnel. I don't think the air lock and living quarters will take near as long to do, they are much simpler in design, without all the electrical and other details that have gone into the cockpit.

After taking some time off...

I'm back at it again.
I cut and installed the last pieces of the soffet. I installed a dryer vent outlet next to the window air conditioner. (There's a piece that fits on the end of the soffet, where the computer vent duct comes out, but I want to paint that before I install it, after that I just connect the duct and its done.)
I finished all the desk tops and installed them. I built the legs for the bit in the center with a trapazoidal shape, around the old box for the "warp core" light fixture. The Sub woofer will fit underneath it, just like in the old ship. lastly, I cleaned all the tools and supplies out of the boxes that will serve as the computer and printer cabinets, and everything has been primed.

http://img839.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos035.jpg/

http://img192.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos038.jpg/

http://img269.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos037.jpg/

For the desktops I bought a metallic gold paint. I'm hoping it will work out. I want a light color to balance against the other dark colors and a silver/steel metallic just seems to bland. I'll be using a glossy black tile for the floor. And when in use, the cockpit area lighting will be kept pretty low. The conduit/piping and electrical boxes with indicator lights will look kind of industrial-ish...
In my head, it all balances out, I just hope I can execute it well.

The latest

Much painting has been done. I'm quite pleased with the metallic colors. It took 2 coats, (over a coat of white primer), the second coat was done with a texture roller. It was like a shag terry cloth and gives a finish that looks like lightly hammered metal. The plastic was done in a steel grey. It's supposed to have a very slight purple tint, but its almost impossible to see:

http://img694.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos023.jpg/

the MDF panels are in a dark turquoise green:

http://img27.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos024.jpg/

Today I stapled black plastic poultry mesh, (chicken wire), to the backs of the truss work pieces, and installed them. I fixed the red rope lights to the undersides of the side shelves and installed them as well. I think I achieved the effect I was looking for with the red light reflecting out from under the shelf:

http://img580.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos020.jpg/

http://img801.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos018.jpg/

It's really exciting to see things coming together. I was planning to paint the shelves, and all the desk tops light grey, but I love the texture of the metallic paint, so I'm thinking now to go with that. Sweety suggested a light bronze-ish color. I think another trip to home depot is in order.

I'm very happy with how things are progressing.

Much done since last post...

As the title says...
The ship and the closet now have an outside wall and doors:

http://img814.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos012.jpg/

The electrician has started the ship part of our big upgrade the house electrical wiring job:

http://img299.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos013.jpg/

The cockpit ceiling is up, (Pic before last piece went in, but it IS done now):

http://img837.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos015.jpg/

But better then all that, My neighbor, across the street has a workshop with a computer controlled milling machine. He volunteered to make some parts for me, the first of which are 2, sort of truss looking, pieces that go under the counter tops on either side of the cockpit. I'll be installing red rope lights behind these, and hoping for a really cool effect.

http://img835.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos006.jpg/

http://img697.imageshack.us/i/shipphotos011.jpg/

High temperatures make it difficult to work outside through much of the day. And since I do all the cutting and otherwise dusty/dirty work out in the driveway, It means I can only work comfortably in the early morning and evening. Still, the work is progressing slowly but steadily, which suits me fine.

After a few days off...

A day at the water park, that was fun. A day at the hospital getting my Sweety's infected toe looked after, that was NOT fun. Another delay with the electrician. He'll be here Thursday, (hopefully). A few other assorted distractions.
But now I'm back at it.
Working inside today, because its like 95 degrees outside.