ENTERPRISE Wall Com Lenticular Screen

[Petseal]

Hello all,
I am here to befuddle and confuse the masses again!
PS: If this topic has been done before please point me in the right direction!
This time I was wondering if anyone knows what the screen material is on the larger Wall Communicators spread around the walls of the NX-01 Enterprise!
I have talked to Matt and he is of the opinion that it is a fine metal with very tiny holes! If I remember correctly he said it reminded him of the TOS Hand Held Communicator cover/antenna but much, much finer!
I found a site that is "Providing the highest quality SCREEN ACCURATE PROPS To the Masses"! So I figure they should know but will they share information with someone who is not planning to buy anything!
Well yes they did, sort of! The person who answered seemed a little peeved that anyone would suggest that they would use metal "anywhere" on the set! They did however suggest "lenticular", that's it no explanation!
I responded with a "what a minute isn't that what they make those 3-D cards out of"?
There response to that was even more vague then the first but they did give me this pearl "the search is the fun part"! Which if you do actually have access to an original prop and had the opportunity to look it over and feel the textures then yes the fun is in the search! If your trying to figure out what something is from grainy pictures and other peoples interpretations then no it's a pain in the rear! I looked up lenticular on the internet where I found I could buy sheets of it for thousands of dollars or a small sheet 10" x 12" for $15, minimum order $50! I have no ides what any of this stuff is!
So please if anyone out there knows anything about the uses of this stuff other then 3-D cards let me know! Then maybe I can make an informed decision and not buy something I can never use!
Later all, Petseal

 

[sector 7G]

petseal, this is the place you want to look for the lenticular, they did in fact use lenticular material in the wall comms on the Enterprise set.

http://www.sommers.com/item121648.ctlg

 

[MattMunson]

I still to this day don't understand why being on set and seeing these coms in person doesn't seem to hold any weight. I was six inches from the thing, looking at it, studying it, poking it with my finger. It's NOT lenticular.

I've heard a million explanations as to why it IS. Screen caps, "obviously", my uncle told me so, they changed them in later seasons.

Whatever. Believe what you want. I understand how frustrating it must be for the HMS folks who sometimes post here, only to be told that they've got it wrong. Very weird.

 

[SgtFang]

Well, I don't know about the wall comms, but I did see what, if I remember right, was a PADD type screen a month or so back that "was" lenticular. I don't remember if it was from ENT or Nemesis, (I'm not really up on props from either) but it was basically an Okudagram type thing that appeared to sequence when the angle changed. So the lenticular plastic was used for at least some items.

Very cool little thing!

-Sarge

 

[MustangGTR1]

Well, I don't know about the wall comms, but I did see what, if I remember right, was a PADD type screen a month or so back that "was" lenticular. I don't remember if it was from ENT or Nemesis, (I'm not really up on props from either) but it was basically an Okudagram type thing that appeared to sequence when the angle changed. So the lenticular plastic was used for at least some items.

Very cool little thing!

-Sarge

It is 60's style drum covering. It looks like the 3-D card stuff and comes in many colors. A good friend of mine has one from the show off the wall. It is the covering....Kev :cool

 

[SgtFang]

Hey Matt, It occurs to me this might just be a timely thing- When were you on set? If you were there early on, they might have been using non-lenticular stuff, but could have switched over to the lenticular stuff by the time Sector7 got there.

Thoughts?

-Sarge

 

[sector 7G]

I went by what I was told at the time, I walked by dozen of these dozens of times at different seasons of the show.

I was also told that the transporter ceiling tiles (the round ones) on TNG and later shows/movies were the original sereis standing tiles from the transporter from TOS, that info could be wrong but its what I was told at the time.

It wouldn't be the first time someone who worked there told me something that wasn't quite right, I was told the conduit piece i needed to finish my transponder rod was packaging material for flourescent lights and later from someone else who told me that it was for industrial paint mixing.

So if you have information on what it is why not help the guy out. after all it was only what i was trying to do.

I still to this day don't understand why being on set and seeing these coms in person doesn't seem to hold any weight. I was six inches from the thing, looking at it, studying it, poking it with my finger. It's NOT lenticular.

I've heard a million explanations as to why it IS. Screen caps, "obviously", my uncle told me so, they changed them in later seasons.

Whatever. Believe what you want. I understand how frustrating it must be for the HMS folks who sometimes post here, only to be told that they've got it wrong. Very weird.

 

[Petseal]

Well I seem to have started a small ruckus!
Sorry, that was not my intention! As someone who would never have the opportunity to wander any type of set yet alone a Star Trek set I have to rely on the words of people who have!
Nor do I think I will ever have the funds needed to bid on an actual screen used prop should one become available!
So please understand when I get conflicting answers it just makes it that much harder for me to figure out what to do!
It would be so much easier if someone like me could just email one of the guys from the art department who actually built these props! But if that information was available the poor sods would be inundated with requests and buried under tons of emails and might not remember exactly what material was used anyway!
Matt, I look to you mostly because I first meet you on line outside this BB so I have "known" you the longest!
I have no doubt that what you saw was a metal covering and not lenticular! What I don't know is what happened after you left the set! There may have been a reason to change from the metal, possibly for safety!
You've got actors constantly using these drops and the last thing you need is for one of them to get a cut "answering" a call!
Being fairly new to the prop aspect I'm not sure who or what the HMS refers too! Other then Her Majesties Ships which I am sure is not your reference!
Too everyone else who chimed in many thanks for your input, it is appreciated!
Not sure what I can do with the information yet but I will figure something out!
Sector 7G, interesting web site but they do not appear to have caught up with the rest of us! I do not seem to be able to locate an email address! I was hoping to send them a screen cap to show them what I am looking for! I will try there 1-800 number and see what happens!
There is always the hope that even though Enterprise was not the hit it's predecessors were that information books will be published anyway! And that in these volumes will be information of a behind-the-scenes nature and this question may be answered once and for all!
Many thanks to all, Petseal

 

[sector 7G]

HMS are the initials for the three guys who founded the prop house that made props for Trek (Horch, Moore Sims)

HMS did not create the wall comms, the art department did, i'll call and ask someone i know that worked in the art department to explain the entire prop to me and I'll post his response here. OH and I'm not saying that neither Steve, Mike or Alan don't know what the material is, you'll never find a more knowledgeable wealth of information then those three.

And as for Matt, I'll curb-stomp his ass next time I see him, j/king Matt's a nice guy I attended his prop party a few years ago in LA. and If i remember right he dated someone that knew someone that was related to a brother's uncle that worked on the show :lol

 

[Petseal]

HMS are the initials for the three guys who founded the prop house that made props for Trek (Horch, Moore Sims)

HMS did not create the wall comms, the art department did, i'll call and ask someone i know that worked in the art department to explain the entire prop to me and I'll post his response here. OH and I'm not saying that neither Steve, Mike or Alan don't know what the material is, you'll never find a more knowledgeable wealth of information then those three.

And as for Matt, I'll curb-stomp his ass next time I see him, j/king Matt's a nice guy I attended his prop party a few years ago in LA. and If i remember right he dated someone that knew someone that was related to a brother's uncle that worked on the show :lol

That sound great sector 7G, (except for the "I'll curb-stomp his ass" part) I await whatever you can learn with great anticipation!
Thanks for the scoop on the HMS! I always like to learn something new every day! Trouble is I'm getting to the age were I can learn it again tomorrow, for the first time! :wacko
I also called Sommer, they have a 1-800 number! Talked to this nice lady who told me that they do indeed have an email address so I sent them a couple screen caps! She told me the address over the phone and afterwards I went looking for it as she said it was on the site! Finally found it under the heading "sommers locations", of course where else would it be :confused! Hopefully they will get back to me with some sort of answer!
I am truly sorry if this post of mine has caused any negative feelings between any members! My intention is information only with the end result being a passable, at least, prop! So remember were all here for the props! :cool
And by the way sector 7G when TNG first came on I also heard the story about the floor to ceiling tiles, with pictures! It was supposed to be a "tip-of-the-hat" to the original series! So as far as I know that is true! And I'm sure if I look through enough of my magazines I could find the story!
Till next time, Petseal

 

[comm510]

I have to clear something up here - I must apologize if I sounded "Peaved" at the suggestion that there was metal screen on those. I believe I said that I don't know how that mistake could have been made or something to that effect. I also said that they didn't use metal on the comms - I should have said that they didn't use it on the white part that was viewable to be 100% safe.

I guess it's possible that there were both. We were told by Matt that they used those Night-Lights for door comms all over the ship. I have since found that they made most of them out of routed PVC sheeting due to the dwindling supply of them in the consumer market at the time. I have one and was shocked to find it was PVC and not the found part. So he is totally right and I wouldn't have required him to check all of the door panels to make sure.

Matt has tons of info that's dead-on and when he tells you what he's heard or seen you can hang your hat on it. He doesn't knowingly mislead in his descriptions and I've spoken with him about this exact screen that he saw during his visit. That said, I've since seen numerous pieces from the set and they have all had the lenticular white material on them where he saw screen. No disrespect intended.