Amok Time

Carrying on my love for Star Trek and the 90’s Playmates figures. For my this project I will be reproducing the fight scene between Kirk and Spock on Vulcan from the classic episode Amok Time.

Center platform
Creating the scene
Development of the scene
Painting the scene
Laying the sand
Final Touches
Final Pictures

I have started with the centre structure in the middle of the arena, this is made with a small 10mm foam board platform and then a smaller 5mm step surrounding the front as a step. Two strips of foam board cut and glued together to act as the plinth to sit the boulder on top. A smaller foam pillar was cut to stand at the front of the platform.

A 5mm foam circle was cut and placed on the platform, which will be coal pit of the platform. The centre of pit had the top card layer removed and parts of the foam dug out to look like coal.

The boulder I made up using scrolled up tin foil which will be coated using either filler or modroc. The surrounding rock wall is done the same way as the central boulder. The 4 pillars rising up from the rock border are made up from 2 pieces of foam board strips glued together and another layer of tin foil laid on top which will be treated as the boulder

I got to work on the scenery by taking a pot of filler I coated the rock that sits on the shrine with filler. Once covered I did the same with the lower wall, making sure to encase the pillars.

Next will be to do same with the tin foil that is sat on top of the pillars and add a second coat to lower section.

This afternoon I set to work on the rock columns. Using modroc plaster of Paris strips to cover the kitchen foil and joining them onto the top of each pillar. The steps were also covered as well to add texture to the stone steps.

Since I finished the lower wall the other day, I was not happy about the height of it. This evening I added another layer of tin foil and then laid a layer of modroc over it, doubling the wall in height. I now feel it is more in proportion with Kirk and Spock.

I glued a layer of black foam board to the foam base, this will strengthen the overall base.

When this is dry I can start working on the arena floor and cutting the base to size. ??

First coat of paint has been applied, wanted to get the arena wall and plinth painted before I added the sand base.

Mixing up a light grey and burnt umber I applied a second coat of paint to the arena wall in order to lighten both sides up, making them match. The boulder for the plinth was also given its second coat to match the walls.

While this was drying a lighter grey was applied to fire edges of the fire pit, the coals were given a coat of black. Dots of red were added in between the to indicate heat and a wash of light grey over the coals as if they were white hot.

The four pillars embedded into the walls I sanded down each of them, removing all excess plaster, in order to make each on as smooth as they were on the show. All four including the center column was given an initial coat of the the grey and umber mix. The center platform was given a second coat of a lighter grey than the first and a dry wash of the grey/umber mix, this was to weather the platform.

Researching what the planet Vulcan looked like, which meant watching this episode a few times and also watching a lot of Star Trek. Vulcan is a reddish planet so I needed to redden the arena wall. Mixing up burnt umber with crimson red, I dry brushed all the stone work including centre platform. Then mixed up crimson with burnt umber (crimson being the dominant of the mix) I went back round dry brushing all the stone. Then each of the five pillars had a coat of this latest mix.

I recently purchased a The Next Generation Sarek figure to customise and to my delight he came with the gong and the mallet from this episode. I have base coated them with gun metal grey and left it to dry over night.

The past couple of days I’ve been busy. Mixing a tub of sand with a PVA/water solution (4:1) then adding in both white with a touch of orange paint. The sand was spread around the arena floor and surrounding area behind the arena wall and left to set.

I dry brushed gold over the five pillars to texture them.

The gong and mallet were both dry brushed with black to weather both pieces. The rope of the gong and mallet handle were painted a reddish brown.

Taking a knife I trimmed the base at the back of the diorama, curving the edges so they run parallel with the arena wall. Taking my sander and neatening the surrounding edges. Once completed I took my paint brush with some black acrylic paint and painted a border along the edges of the base.

After gluing a couple of pieces of fishing wire to the gong, the other ends where glued to boulder, making it able to hang freely over the fire pit. The boulder was then glued into place at the top of the central column.