WIP - TNG Isolinear Chips

I've not posted for a while as i've been busy sorting out props for a convention.

I'm now back on track with my next project, which is the isolinear data chip from TNG.

These are just test chips to see if it was possible to do. I know it's been done before, but as i've only been messing around with props for a few years. I still feel very much like the nuubie I've never attempted these before, so hopefully i'm on the right track.

Eventually I'll make three or four different graphics with different numbers. So there is some variety. If I can nail the chips, the next project, will be to return to my laser cut PADD's and possible make one that comes apart

Except for some pervy seller on eBay from who I refuse to buy one of these, I honestly know of no-one else who makes them at the moment.

I am therefore very, very interested in your build, and here's praying that if they turn out OK, you would be kind enough to share them (read JY thread eventually ) in the future.

Another thread to add to my follow list

Hi Alan

Well at the moment it's a case of getting them right. I dont know which i prefer. White painted circuit or etched. The latter is easier, but i'm still not sure which i prefer.

If anyone has some good grabs of a TNG Iso chips, please post them up. I keep looking but i think i'm only finding remakes and i want accurate looking chips.

As for selling some. IF I can get this to a level i like, then yes I'd be happy to produce some for other people to enjoy.

JY thread?

Hiddenevil said:

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JY thread?

Oh, please do

I'm afraid these are the best pics I have. A screencap, and some of the originals that were sold by Christies.

I'm certain other members have better pics though.

Well that is interesting to say the least! Thank you for posting this. None of those look like they where painted. As in the circuits where filled with white...This might prove to be a good thing, as painting them is a pain in the butt.

Found another screencap at the bottom of the folder

Oh the more of these I look at the more I'm beginning to think I dont need to paint the inner lines with white. If you look at the end label under his thumb, the white is very sharp in contrast to the ciruits. Makes me wonder if they didn't laser cut the iso chips later on in the show. This looks to be a later episode. I know the early 1st season, they used microscope slides and silk screening.

I stand to be corrected, but I believe the best and most accurate way to go for these is laser etching and a decal for the top part.

The one i'm holding in my hand is etched, however the acrylic is frosted and not glossed. Which is something that could be corrected

Frosted would be correct I assume, especially due to any unwanted pesky reflections for filming.

my screen used ones - note the diffrent TNG (blue) and the VOY (red) circuitry.

Yen thank you for posting these! Can you tell me the following.

Is the circuit the same on both sides? Is the circuit silver or white? also if the acyrlic gloss or frosted?

Looking at the far right one, the image looks like it is designed to look the same both sides when you look through it. So i would need to reverse the image, when etching the opposide side. I've just realised the template i have is for the voyager chips. As this was a test to see how they would look, i wasn't to bothered on the image.

YCL, you da man !

Thanks - I like to help, I know virtually anything that is to know about Isochips

Thanks for the info and the templates YCL. Can't believed they painted the chips, so they are not actually see through?

Now armed with the TNG template, i will wire them down to the laser cutters and hopefully get a result. The guy is doing me a favour by keeping the costs down, using bits of coloured acrylic he has laying around. So I'm really not to fussy about the UV, so long as it looks good. If I can source some and send it down to him, might give it a try.

Thanks again!

I'm sure I read somewhere that some of the original Iso chips just had a paper label.
I'd say either silkscreen or painted would look good, but that's just me.

Nice work so far.

Yeah that's right BUT: The very first ones are cut from floppy disk labels and are dotted with marking dots on plain acrylic plates. Later they were brown with circuitries, but they were'n't very visible. The known ones you can see in the Interactive Technical Manual were cut from UV fluoresent plates, silk screened chips in the corresponding colors (since they are made in huge batches, so silk screening was the cheapest way). The labels were adhesive paper labels with numbers in Helvectica Ultra Compressed BT (aka Swiss911 Ultra Compressed BT), there were blue, yellow and green. DSN had them printed on side sometimes and VOY introduced the red ones - they also changed the circuitry from TNG a bit as you can see and used Compacta BT for the numbers as well as vinyl labels. FC introduced larger chips in the 2x4 inches and the middle and large version. First done with a rectangular, vinly printed (?) number labels with a black stripe, they later rounded the corners for INS and NEM and completely silk screened them. JMD was the artist proof (John M. Dwyer) John M. Dwyer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John M. Dwyer interview at Star Trek The Tour - YouTube, he was the set decorator, I had contact with him on AOL back then about 2000's, he retired in FLA…

Thanks for the information

I really hope I can get somewhere with this project, if successful and people are wishing to buy some of these. This will be the first prop I'll have sold on the RPF

As this was only a project of fancy, because I love my trek props. I'm trying to keep the costs down. I think the guy on ebay is asking more then he should for his chips, so we shall see what the laser cutter quotes me for 10.

Looking forward to watching this one! Otherwise I'll have to give it a go with my laser engraver.

Thanks Orange_Blend! I'm pretty hopeful, will be nice to have a set of these

Orange_Blend said:

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Looking forward to watching this one! Otherwise I'll have to give it a go with my laser engraver.

I got blanks here all cut up and ready to go Mike!

Been wanting a set of these for the longest time!

-Skyler101

Now with the label attached

Skyler101 said:

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I got blanks here all cut up and ready to go Mike!

Been wanting a set of these for the longest time!

-Skyler101

Always room to make our own too.

Hiddenevil said:

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Now with the label attached

That looks FANTASTIC! Count me in if you do a run.