My PL 1/350 TOS Enterprise

[RossW]

It's been a loooong 10+ yrs since Polar Lights released the incredible 1/350 TOS Enterprise kit, but I finally completed mine late last year. She ain't perfect - far from it - but I'm pretty happy with it considering all the custom work I put into this:

• Lighting + stepper motor control boards, including:All blinkies board that handles saucer running lights, engineering hull strobe and warp engine lights. All use PWM to fade up/down to better simulate incandescent bulbs. The warp engine lights fade up in time to the stepper motor start up.
• Constant speed stepper motor controller with speed adjust via IR remote or onboard rotary encoder
• 12 individual LED strip brightness controller which allows for balancing the brightness of all the LED tapes/SMDs (adjustable via IR remote or onboard rotary encoder)
• IR remote control board (on/off, stepper motor speed control, LED strip light window brightness control)
• Custom 3D printed base designed by Steven Burns based on my sketches & requirements
• All markings painted on using my own vinyl masks cut on my Silhouette Cameo 4
• Top saucer rust ring created using a custom vinyl mask and pastels oversprayed with hull colour (same for all weathering).
• Custom paint mixes using Mr Color lacquer paints

Gary Kerr's help was a godsend, especially when it came to creating my custom paint masks (I make too many mistakes to use purchased ones). I took it to WonderFest this year but unfortunately he wasn't able to attend. Daren Dochterman and Kirk Thatcher dropped by my Canadian Embassy room and saw it - Darren felt the window lights were not warm enough. Fair comment.

There's a few things I'm not thrilled with on it, so I do plan on doing another one after I finish the 1/350 TMP Refit.

Full album of in progress work

 

[modelerdave]

That is a superb build! You really nailed the window light brightness. I'm not overly fond of builds where they're too bright. Great work.

 

[RossW]

That is a superb build! You really nailed the window light brightness. I'm not overly fond of builds where they're too bright. Great work.

Thanks! I feel the same about model lighting where the windows are too bright, so I worked really hard on that aspect (the board design & code is the most complicated thing I’ve ever made).

LED Strip Brightness Controller

 

[Captain Dunsel]

It's been a loooong 10+ yrs since Polar Lights released the incredible 1/350 TOS Enterprise kit, but I finally completed mine late last year. She ain't perfect - far from it - but I'm pretty happy with it considering all the custom work I put into this:

• Lighting + stepper motor control boards, including:All blinkies board that handles saucer running lights, engineering hull strobe and warp engine lights. All use PWM to fade up/down to better simulate incandescent bulbs. The warp engine lights fade up in time to the stepper motor start up.
• Constant speed stepper motor controller with speed adjust via IR remote or onboard rotary encoder
• 12 individual LED strip brightness controller which allows for balancing the brightness of all the LED tapes/SMDs (adjustable via IR remote or onboard rotary encoder)
• IR remote control board (on/off, stepper motor speed control, LED strip light window brightness control)
• Custom 3D printed base designed by Steven Burns based on my sketches & requirements
• All markings painted on using my own vinyl masks cut on my Silhouette Cameo 4
• Top saucer rust ring created using a custom vinyl mask and pastels oversprayed with hull colour (same for all weathering).
• Custom paint mixes using Mr Color lacquer paints

Gary Kerr's help was a godsend, especially when it came to creating my custom paint masks (I make too many mistakes to use purchased ones). I took it to WonderFest this year but unfortunately he wasn't able to attend. Daren Dochterman and Kirk Thatcher dropped by my Canadian Embassy room and saw it - Darren felt the window lights were not warm enough. Fair comment.

There's a few things I'm not thrilled with on it, so I do plan on doing another one after I finish the 1/350 TMP Refit.

Full album of in progress work

Outstanding work!

 

[RossW]

Outstanding work!

Thank you!

 

[Chrisisall]

Gorgeous, man.

 

[RossW]

Gorgeous, man.

Thank you! Since I was a teenager I’ve wanted a large-scale model of my favourite starship, and Polar Lights really delivered. It was truly a labour of love.

 

[Chrisisall]

Thank you! Since I was a teenager I’ve wanted a large-scale model of my favourite starship, and Polar Lights really delivered. It was truly a labour of love.

Looking back at this I have to say I am SO impressed with your total eradication of seam lines. It's really an amazing piece of work, bro.

 

[RossW]

Looking back at this I have to say I am SO impressed with your total eradication of seam lines. It's really an amazing piece of work, bro.

Thank you! That’s high praise indeed.

 

[DocLykins]

It's been a loooong 10+ yrs since Polar Lights released the incredible 1/350 TOS Enterprise kit, but I finally completed mine late last year. She ain't perfect - far from it - but I'm pretty happy with it considering all the custom work I put into this:

• Lighting + stepper motor control boards, including:All blinkies board that handles saucer running lights, engineering hull strobe and warp engine lights. All use PWM to fade up/down to better simulate incandescent bulbs. The warp engine lights fade up in time to the stepper motor start up.
• Constant speed stepper motor controller with speed adjust via IR remote or onboard rotary encoder
• 12 individual LED strip brightness controller which allows for balancing the brightness of all the LED tapes/SMDs (adjustable via IR remote or onboard rotary encoder)
• IR remote control board (on/off, stepper motor speed control, LED strip light window brightness control)
• Custom 3D printed base designed by Steven Burns based on my sketches & requirements
• All markings painted on using my own vinyl masks cut on my Silhouette Cameo 4
• Top saucer rust ring created using a custom vinyl mask and pastels oversprayed with hull colour (same for all weathering).
• Custom paint mixes using Mr Color lacquer paints

Gary Kerr's help was a godsend, especially when it came to creating my custom paint masks (I make too many mistakes to use purchased ones). I took it to WonderFest this year but unfortunately he wasn't able to attend. Daren Dochterman and Kirk Thatcher dropped by my Canadian Embassy room and saw it - Darren felt the window lights were not warm enough. Fair comment.

There's a few things I'm not thrilled with on it, so I do plan on doing another one after I finish the 1/350 TMP Refit.

Full album of in progress work

 

[DocLykins]

Impressive! Darn good job!

 

[RossW]

Impressive! Darn good job!

Thanks!