Just picked this kit up.
Oh my...
I'm planning to light it, although the build itself looks challenging enough!
Wish me luck - any hits or tips would be appreciated from anyone else who has built the kit, also trying to stockpile as many hi-res images of the refit enterprise as I can for reference, so if you have any links or images you can share that would be great.
Al
Last edited by ob1al; May 24, 2012 at 3:47 AM.
Just got one about a week ago myself.
I figured since I'm on the preorder for the TOS version I should have both.
Are you going with the TMP version or one of the later versions?
From what i have read after TMP the pearlesent finish was dulled down or painted over.
I'm going for the TMP version.
The TOS version should be great, it's due later this year isn't it?
I believe so.
I've been doing the google search thing but have mainly found pix of the ST6 UDC version.
I did come across some B/W images from TMP that had the lower hatch open.
The lower hatch comes on the aftermarket PE set for the model.
I think we are all in the same boat,I bought the 350 refit end of last year, but first the Galactica hast to be finished and then I want to do the 350 NX-01 before I start on the "Crown Jewel". Would like to say it will stop there, but I just don't see a way around eventually geting the 350 TOS.
there are alot of really nice documented builds of the Refit out there to get ideas from. Regarding the open lower hatch plates, if memory serves me correctly, I think NemVia did something to that effect on his enterprise / DryDock combo.
Really looking forward to your build.
I put up my archive of shots of the 6-foot Refit which I took at Christies' in 2006
https://www.box.com/s/c25d6f58e9142b09a3c4
Help yourself but please credit me if you use them in any context, thanks.
Also keep in mind that you're seeing her in her post-Trek 6 configuration, so if you're replicating her appearance in TMP (or any previous movie, really) there will be big changes you'll have to study up on.
k
Thanks. It's a superb kit, just been dry-fitting all the main parts tonight and the kit's engineering is just a thing of beauty. I'm really looking forward to making some progress on it.
"If my calculations are correct" I'd like to have this all spruced up and out of space dock in plenty good time for the TOS release. A PL TOS 1/350 Enterprise will be a "must build" for me too. I imagine that the build and paint job on TOS will be a little less complex than the refit?
PS thanks phase pistol, perfect!
Brilliant reference pics of the A, thanks again.
The Cloudster site (which had been gone for awhile but now it's back) has got a lot of shots of the miniature in its TMP era as well as post Trek6
U.S.S. Enterprise NCC 1701A (STMP)
Harvested those last week.
What's interesting is some of the sites I found have the same pictures as other sites but in color or in better res.
Thanks for the pics, they will be very handy when I get to mine. So much detail!phase pistol said:
I hope the new owner restored it to its peak of perfection - it looks like it may have lost a few battles.
Hi Phase Pistol,
just looked though your pictures, thanks again, they are very helpful. I saw alot of things that I never knew were there before. Never saw inside the Impulse vents before, what were they using there, the tubes look like the the tips of a of those small energy-saver lights.
A good bit of progress after work tonight.
I've finished the top and bottom saucer sections (not cemented yet as I need to make and add the lighting system later), the neck and the cargo bay door and the front reflector section, as well as loosely assembling the arboretum:
Quite pleased with my progress so far. Tomorrow night will be dedicated building the cargo bay.
The diffuser material seems to be missing there.. you're seeing down into the model, which you would not be able to do normally.opal1970 said:
I think those are in fact bent glass neon light tubes.
Here's the USS Excelsior miniature with the "hood up", you can see that it has bent neon tubing all over in there for illumination. Enterprise is probably similar?
Looking down into 6-ft Enterprise's impulse vents at Christies
Last edited by phase pistol; May 8, 2012 at 5:34 PM.
Here's a shot with the grill in place, and a couple caps from ST:TMP. As Karl says, the ship had neon tube lighting for the interior lights.
Thanks Phase Pistol
Thanks Robin,
Neon, never thought of that. Makes sense though, less problems with LED "Hotspots" I suppose. It has been quite a long time since I saw a neon sign close up... or rather said took the time to look at it close up, but don't Neons usually have a light "flimmer" to them? I guess that effect would work rather good though, as engines are a happening place.
BTW Ob1al,
just a couple tips from my workbench...
unless you are not planning on opening your shuttlebay and/or not using the included shuttles and pods, I can really recommend looking at Federation Models and getting some of his shuttles etc. the overall form is closer to the real thing and the detail is much much better than those in the kit. Only drawback is that they are not hollow, so if you are planning on lighting a shuttle you will either have to hollow one out yourself or use one of the kit shuttles.
there are also two Photoetch kits out there that are very nice to have one from PNT Models and one from Paragrafix. I bought both kits, both kits have very nice pieces that are not found in the other kit but there are quite a few doubled pieces, never-the-less, I find that some of the doubled things are better on the PNT kit and others are better on the Paragrafix kit. I believe both are availible though Starship Modeler. If you are only going to get one, then I would say the Paragrafix kit would be the one to get. (not because it is better, but because you have the dorsel-ring and most of the most needed pieces tend to be in this kit)
I also bought the Aztec decals from Acreation quite a while ago (still waiting for their arrival, partly due to my own unavailability in January), unfortunatly, Rob at Acreation is having some delivery problems, so if you do decide to oder these allow for a possibly LONG waiting time. Since I have heard that others are having similar problems.
hope that helps
Last edited by opal1970; May 9, 2012 at 8:40 AM.
The PNT photoetch seems to be perma out of stock
They were out of stock most of last year till about 2 months ago, I had my pre-order for about a year at Starship Modeler. I think they only got 6 or 7 of them in and they were gone in a couple of weeks.
Well all the major substructures are dry-fitted or partially cemented, the windows are all fitted and it's time to start thinking about the lighting system, which needs to be fitted before the substructures can be joined.
In a brave (or possibly very foolish) move, I've decided to try to make the lighting system from scratch, including flashing LED's etc.
Bought all the LED's, resistors and so on today from my local electronics store. I hope I've planned this out properly. It won't be 100% screen accurate, but as close as I can get with my limited electronics skills. In shock at the amount of soldering ahead of me, the thought of which is already giving me palpitations:
Once again, I say - Oh my!
She is a big'un! Looking forward to your build. I have one stashed in the closet, but I want to make sure I'm not moving for a LONG time before I build it.
will you be handling the blinking etc. with the 555 alone?
I still have a long time before I get started, but I will probably be using an ATtiny85 or an ATtiny 2313 to handle the nav lights. For the Shuttlebay, i want to do a landing / takeoff sequence which may need more that what a ATtiny can do. otherwise I may use a tlc5940 to handle all the LEDs. I am trying stuff out right now on my Galactica so that I have all options covered by the time I start on the big E .
Last edited by opal1970; May 11, 2012 at 1:22 PM.
I've bought some blinking LED's to hopefully handle that element of the lighting. I haven't tested them yet, I'll let you know how they work out.
Reply with Quote
