Sovereign Replicas USS Enterprise NCC 1701-E
1/650th Scale



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Starting the lighting prep...

More Windows Than A Double Glazing Salesman's Convention.

Now the fun stuff really starts to happen.

Ok, you may recall on page 1 I mentioned the windows?...yes?..
well if ya don't go check and i'll wait...



Welcome back!
So here we are and it's the very beginning of the lighting prep.
Thing is that a kit like this, well it's no vac-form or injection moulded so a
few compromises are going to have to be struck along the way and this could well be
the first of many so here we go.

Now the material this is made from makes it a little difficult to pick out
surface detail like windows.

So out with a pencil, a pencil sharpener and a few hours worth
of time to find and mark all the windows in pencil.
For the sake of example and to save more pics than needed,
we'll concentrate on the top saucer section only.






Well I did say there was more than a few of them didn't I.
Now they are not all that easy to see as the recess is about the
same depth as a thick coat of paint so NOT SANDING the surface would be
a real good idea unless you have a penchant for marking in all the windows yourself.
And if you do then who am I to tell ya otherwise.

Now here be where things get interesting,
here's a shot of the top saucer section from the inside...


Okedoke, you can see where all the windows are supposed to be so lovely so far.
Next bit should be to do some interior stuff
with some foil tape as I would usually do...
well sorta yea and sorta nay.

Take a look at the pic below...


Looks nice and you can see all the windows so no harm no foul untill you run a pencil over the area...


What this all means is that there's about 7 to 10mm of solid resin laying along
there so the usual trick I pull with the PL Refit saucer lighting can't be done here.
Not unless I decide to grind it all out, which is possible but rather time
consuming and it will have to be done with extreme care...we'll see.

This is how it is sometimes with fiberglass moulding and I think anyone who's done it in
this fashion will agree that even thickness over the whole part
is very difficult and time consuming. I know this myself.

That usually costs money and most likely would have ended up with the basic price
of this kit leaping heavily into the 4 figure range so things like this are the norm.
So, no wailing and gnashing of teeth needed just external masking and paint
will do the light hiding and there's enough space inside
for mucho foil tape to be laid on.

Meanwhile, on the flatter parts of the saucer, time for a test of sorts.

Using the pencil marks as a guide, start applying foil.


When that wee test bit was done, clean the outer surface with some
alcohol to get rid of the pencil graphite in that area.


One quick look to check light outfall.


Well that pretty much adds up to a decent start for me,
the windows at the saucer top edge are another thing
as is the 'how many to light and how many to leave black ?' question.
I'll sort that out as we go along like pretty much all the rest.
How well this works out will only become apparent after the paintwork on the exterior is complete,
I have my theories but we'll see how it all works out.

As my old Dad used to say "S'only got two chances...chance of working and a chance of not working".

For the great majority of the windows, this is going to be the way it'll be done...
and it will take a fair time to get all that sorted.
So for now I will bow out and more hellhole happenings next update...
wishing me luck and/or an intact sanity at the very least would be appreciated.

Go easy troops and troopettes !




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