Topic: USS Enterprise Refit

[Storvick_XC]

Here is the starting pics of the 34 inch Enterprise refit model kit (will be fully lighted also)

here is a pic of the shuttlebay wall. ( the shuttle bay will be done as a seperate model outside of the Enterprise)


This pic shows how the spotlights on the saucer section will be done. (back lit)


Here is a pic of the shuttlebay floor

[Fallen_Warrior]

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[Anthony Scott]

I had an Enterprise A model from ERTL once...before my little one got ahold of it...should never have let him play with that NX toy starship...

Good work!

Semper Fi, Carry On

[Storvick_XC]

I had an Enterprise A model from ERTL once...before my little one got ahold of it...should never have let him play with that NX toy starship...

Good work!

Semper Fi, Carry On

Anthony, this Enterprise model is the Polar Lights one that is 34 inches when built and the price is cheap enough at under $50.

[CC22]

Nice, I have this kit myself - haven't got anywhere remotely big enough to put the darn thing though lol. Might I suggest you check some reference pics of the Enterprise/A about the light - it is much more tapered that you have it - yours would look just like it is lit - backlit with no possible light source;

Yours:                                            How it should be:
                                                                                  /   \
            /          \                                                        /      \
           /            \                                                      /        \

Anyway hoe you get the idea! On the actual model itself the whole of the reg is not lit up by the light beam - brighter in middle and diffuse around the edge. Just thought I'd draw attention to it before its all stuck together and you may not like it lol.

Cheers.

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

I just took delivery of one from ebay, $32 in a bit of a beat up, box but all is good inside. My question is does anyone have any ideas on reinforcing the saucer-dorsal to secondary hull? I don't want to have it on display with those two supports connected to the underside of the saucer. (I'll have to putty up those two holes) I would prefer to just sit it on a brass rod through the bottom of the secondary hull. Any thoughta are welcome. It's been about 15 years since I last built a model.

[Storvick_XC]

Dax, The PL Enterprise kit isn't like the old AMT/ERTL ones. I know the guy that made the master molds for the kit and he made it so that you can glue it togather with model glue and not worry about the nacelles or the saucer section dropping or snapping off. but if ya want to put a brass rod in there, ya would still have plenty of room for lights in the neck if you wanted to light the model. Another idea ya might want to do is after you glue the bottom saucer to the neck, melt the tabs that stick through the holes so that they would not fit through the holes anymore.

I glued a test one togather and the saucer stayed glued to the neck even after falling off my desk onto the floor.

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

Nice, I have this kit myself - haven't got anywhere remotely big enough to put the darn thing though lol. Might I suggest you check some reference pics of the Enterprise/A about the light - it is much more tapered that you have it - yours would look just like it is lit - backlit with no possible light source;

Yours:                                            How it should be:
                                                                                  /   \
            /          \                                                        /      \
           /            \                                                      /        \

Anyway hoe you get the idea! On the actual model itself the whole of the reg is not lit up by the light beam - brighter in middle and diffuse around the edge. Just thought I'd draw attention to it before its all stuck together and you may not like it lol.

Cheers.

I just watched star trek 6 and the enterprise is so constantly bright that the self illumination is hard to see. The light spill does look pretty wide though covering all of the NCC number.

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

Dax, The PL Enterprise kit isn't like the old AMT/ERTL ones. I know the guy that made the master molds for the kit and he made it so that you can glue it togather with model glue and not worry about the nacelles or the saucer section dropping or snapping off. but if ya want to put a brass rod in there, ya would still have plenty of room for lights in the neck if you wanted to light the model. Another idea ya might want to do is after you glue the bottom saucer to the neck, melt the tabs that stick through the holes so that they would not fit through the holes anymore.

I glued a test one togather and the saucer stayed glued to the neck even after falling off my desk onto the floor.

Melting the tabs sounds like a great idea. Thanks!   

Would I be correct in that your friend is the guy who runs the Thomas modelling forum?  I signed up there a few days ago, but it seems pretty quiet. He's also the guy behind PNT models and custom decal graphics?

From what I have found it looks like I'll be buying a 556 timer for the nav and strobes, but I'm wondering about the size of the LEDs. The amt 1/537 special edition uses 3mm LEDs which are way out of scale and I note the supplied opening in the polar lights 1/350 is about 1mm.  I have found some 2mm LEDs online, but they are not dome shaped.  At least on the 1/350, 3mm won't look so badly out of scale, but the red ring / circle decals for around the nav lights won't be useable.

[Storvick_XC]

Dax, The PL Enterprise kit isn't like the old AMT/ERTL ones. I know the guy that made the master molds for the kit and he made it so that you can glue it togather with model glue and not worry about the nacelles or the saucer section dropping or snapping off. but if ya want to put a brass rod in there, ya would still have plenty of room for lights in the neck if you wanted to light the model. Another idea ya might want to do is after you glue the bottom saucer to the neck, melt the tabs that stick through the holes so that they would not fit through the holes anymore.

I glued a test one togather and the saucer stayed glued to the neck even after falling off my desk onto the floor.

Melting the tabs sounds like a great idea. Thanks!   

Would I be correct in that your friend is the guy who runs the Thomas modelling forum?  I signed up there a few days ago, but it seems pretty quiet. He's also the guy behind PNT models and custom decal graphics?

From what I have found it looks like I'll be buying a 556 timer for the nav and strobes, but I'm wondering about the size of the LEDs. The amt 1/537 special edition uses 3mm LEDs which are way out of scale and I note the supplied opening in the polar lights 1/350 is about 1mm.  I have found some 2mm LEDs online, but they are not dome shaped.  At least on the 1/350, 3mm won't look so badly out of scale, but the red ring / circle decals for around the nav lights won't be useable.

Thats the one and the same guy. He did the master molds for all the PL kits.

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

I've ordered a set of 24cm blue LED flex strips for lighting the warp engines. The insert for lighting is 9 inches long and 24 cms equals 9&1/2 inches so that's just about perfect.  Runs on 12 volts with resistors built into the strip and long leads.

[Storvick_XC]

Dax it looks like I am going to have to get your help in lighting mine since I don't know a thing about wireing LEDs. mine is sitting on my desk right now gathering dust cause I don't know how to do the wireing for the LEDs.

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

It's going to be spring before I get to wiring, probably in may.  I haven't soldered anything since 1990.  I've been trying to clean the basement and find my books from the electronics program I took back then.  I have an engineering friend as well if I hit a wall.  We can post here or exchange PMs as needed if you like. 

It looks like this thing is going to need some juice to run if we're going to light this model well.  It's going to need a 12 volt power supply for starters. Which leg is the anode and which is the cathode on an LED is important or you'll fry it if it's hooked up wrong.

I just ordered some wide angled LEDs (120 degrees) off ebay, a bunch in white for general lighting, just a few in blue for the deflector dish and impulse crystal and then the same in red for the impulse engine.

I picked up a few 555 & 556 timers on ebay as well.  The 555s I want to use on the old TOS ships for nav lights.  The tmp ships need 2 555s or  a 556 which is a dual timer, to run both nav and strobes.  I don't live in a big city so ebay works rather well for me.

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

Update on warp engine lighting. I got a few 9 inch blue hyper ledz strips and they are almost a perfect fit for the 1/350. diameter is fine but it's about a 1/4 inch too long to fit without a bit of surgery. It looks like one of the pins will have to go or perhaps I can take a bit off the strip housing.

[FPF-Tobin Dax]

It lights up there on a 9 volt battery but is rated for 12 volts.