Polar lights USS Enterprise NCC-1701
Star Trek The Motion Picture Refit
1/350th Scale
Page Number
Like that long lost relative you wish would stay that way...
IT'S BAAAAACKK!!
Yes friends and friendettes...
From the grave it rises again like the 19th installment
of that bad horror movie you had forgotten about.
Well now, if you are sitting comfortably, then i'll begin.
This beast has been through a lot...just like the builder.
To cut a long story short, several re-workings of things already done,
much head scratching, things going 'FOOM!'
and a near scrapping due to damage.
Just like her namesake though, bent and battered but still with it.
Unlike it's builder..
So then, after a discovery of a once thought lost data storage thingy,
it's back so let's be a getting to it!
Last time we were messing about with engine nacelles and we not done yet.
Just like a bad script from some hack Hollywood writer,
ignore the large time gap between updates and you'll be okedoke.
Time to pay attention to the lighting.
Now one problem that did crop up is that with the addition of the cargo/hangar bay,
there was bugger all room for light boxes.
Namely those that lit the pennant on the secondary hull.
Well nothing new there so time to use some nacelle light points to help out.
Now controlling the light is the thing.
This is where a lathe, LEDs, some aluminium tube and
scrap resin nuggets come in handy.
After some faffing about, we ended up with this kinda thing...
and fitted thusly...
The putty get's cleared up, honest!
Now there was still some fiddling about to go through at this point
but with the lights off/lights on pic below,
you get the general idea for the pennant area
on the secondary hull I think
The diameter and length of the the hole controls the light nicely,
just a few adjustments and we will be winnin' & grinnin'
So onward and outward.
Warp grilles I say!
Now to get the lighting just right is a damn nuisance to say the least.
CCFL tubes can be a nuisance power and inverter wise.
Light sheet is pretty much the spot on stuff but the inverters can be a bit of
a problem if you run out of room to fit them.
So LEDs are pretty much the only option but there's the 'hotspot' problem.
It's not easy to get a area of light without it showing up
as coming from many individual points.
A fix required and one arrived I am happy to say.
It's all about cheating with what ya have gang!
So then, we got the kit parts assembled and foil taped up.
Now a long while ago, I tried out something just
on the off chance it might work.
Using some old backing sheet from them DIY inkjet dry rubdown things,
the stuff you usually throw away.
Now for some reason, at diffusing the light, it's pretty good stuff.
Shiny one side and matt the other.
Looks like this.
Now don't me ask why it works as it does
but it seems that if you have something like this,
placing the matt side toward the light rather than the shiny side seems to help no end.
But it also appears that if you matt down the shiny side,
the effect is somehow diminished.
Nope, no idea why meself.
All I know is with this stuff it seems
to work so i'll take it and not ask why it works.
Sometimes the why is not that important...
Anyways, a strip of this was applied and a light box built for the LED strip.
Now you'll not the end section shape of said light box.
Two reasons, one i'll get to later but the main one
is so the light from the LEDs hits the back angled wall first, spreading
it out a bit and the flat bottom just helps diffuse the hotspot thing.
So the clear kit piece grille given the matt black treatment and I
for one now have a personal hero in 0.75mm masking tape!
So the light boxes, wiring, LEDs, insulation, glue and the kitchen sink were wedged into their appropriate places.
And with that, the black box o' 12 volts was applied.
Aye, that'll about do it.
So the other reason for the angled light box was so there
would be room for things to be shoved in there.
One of the amendments to this bad motor scooter was to make the
nacelles separate as it would make it easier for the brave soul who would be
taking the airbrush to this piece of work...
Not me by the way, someone else far, far better skilled with the air
assisted paint chuckers than I.
Plug and socket fitting time then.
Just paint, plug in, glue on and your done.
Simples!
So time out for a bit of kit part adjustment to mention
long after it was actually done.
On the top of the saucer on the impulse deck,
there are four rectangular panels.
Well the kit part has those too far forward so some
filling in and re-scribing took place.
Sorted.
Also the replacement DLM clear impulse engine was fitted into the
saucer as that was coming together,
First cleared out and fitted with two sunset orange LEDs.
This was later upgraded to four.
Again...that'll about do it there methinks.
So to that base stand thingy.
Decided to keep it simple so a timber frame, styrene clad with a dc adapter socket,
battery boxes for...special things...and a frame for the switch box.
Speaking of switch boxes....
Some 2mm clear plastic sheet, a home brew decal print thing,
some semi-gloss black and we get this.
And of course, not forgetting the switches,
wiring up and sticking it where it's supposed to go.
So done and done,
Next bit, sorting out this mess 'o wiring.
The resolution of which...next update.
You merry lot go easy out there now.
Page Number