Polar lights USS Enterprise NCC-1701
Star Trek The Motion Picture Refit
1/350th Scale



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Make it glow!
Spotlights, Shadows And Some Foiling Up.
So then people, using the usual interior lighting for the upper saucer spotlights, foil was duly applied to the inside.

Now as per the effects model because of the lighting they used,
the phaser bank bumps cast no shadow.

Just doesn't look right so expanding on a previous idea,
some marking and material removal to the inside of the saucer.

This done with a small gouging chisel and a rounded end milling
bit then a light sand off.





Matt black paint liberally splashed on,
sanded down to leave the black lines and the foil trimmed away to
the very extremity of the spotlight footprint.
The inside and outside respectively.



Okedoke.
The inner spotlight area will get the same treatment as the
forward spotlight footprint on my Enterprise E.
So much internal masking and silver airbrushing fun to be had.
So that done, rear saucer top spotlight area foiled up and sliced out.

Now a bit of foiling up on the bottom interior.
Now one thing to mention here and it's always annoyed me just a wee bit.

Now my internal spotlighting technique generally works ok but the
ones on the bottom saucer doing it my usual way
involves the bottom saucer portholes being lit up only when the spotlights are on.
This being the case, I have decided to try a different approach.
the idea being that the spotlights can be off and the windows still lit.

Now I will only post the starting bit here,
namely the foil-up and whathaveyou but bear with me.

First up to fill the portholes and drill to smaller size
and remove the raised panel on the phaser banks so they sit flush.
Like the rest, the bumps will be replaced.
On the spotlight emitter points on the inside,
the plastic was milled out so there is a distinct step inside, like this...











Now then, getting LEDs to shine out at what I consider
to be the correct angle is a problem,
especially using 5mm LEDs.
So I will be using some of the splendid mirror coated plastic
to make reflectors so I can keep a tight reign on the light outfall.

Idea being that the spotlight emitters will be dull lit with a
resistor loaded 3mm LED when the window lighting is on so
said spotlight emitters will be noticeably on but dim.

Then the main spots can be kicked in or switched off at will.
Also I will be wiring these up so the two and four leaf clover
spotlight effect will be selectable by simple switching.

Well the result of that little experiment,
you'll have to wait untill the next update to see
if it works or not so for now, that's ya lot!

Go easy gang and i'll see thee next update time!



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