# Lighted PL TOS progress shots



## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

Still have some finishing work to do, and have to make a stand for it, but I thought I'd post some progress shots. The pics are kind of shakey, a model in one hand and camera in the other ... (and yes I know, it's not exactly canon). This kit turned out to be more difficult then I expected. Besides the small size, it seemed like the snap together feature was a pain at every turn. Had to cut most of the stuff off.


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)




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## capt Locknar (Dec 29, 2002)

You got more courage than I do to light one of them thar mini's

Looks great though


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## JadesDarkHeart (Dec 8, 2003)

How in the name of all that is holy did you get power to the nacelles. You must have had a paper thin wall on the nacelle supports to run the wires through. Do tell?


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## falcondesigns (Oct 30, 2002)

Very Well Done,Kudos!!!!


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

Thanks guys. The nacelle power was done by cutting two small channels up the inside portions of one of the strut halves, and CA'ing 30 AWG enameled wire in the channels. When the two strut halves are assembled, the wires are effectively concealed and protected.


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## JadesDarkHeart (Dec 8, 2003)

If you dont mind my asking other than the two nacelles, how many LEDs are used in the main hull and saucer sections? I am very impressed with the way it looks.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

BOOOtiful! :thumbsup: 

The snap together feature is actually very cleverly engineered, and one of the better I've ever seen. The thing is, you have to snap it together in _exactly the right order_, BUT the instructions don't TELL you the right order! There was some major lack of communication between the designer and whoever drew up the instrux sheet.

After putting three or four of them together, you can see the order, and it works fine.

Or, you can cut the snaps of and glue it. That works too.


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

Thanks for the info John. Problem with lighting is that you can't always follow the prescribed order on the instruction sheet, so I guess it would have been a pain either way. 

LED count: Main Hull = 6 Saucer = 15 (a real stuff fit in that narrow of a space)


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## fluke (Feb 27, 2001)

*Willickers!*

Very cool! :thumbsup:


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## ChrisDoll (Sep 2, 1999)

Very nice indeed!


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## Admiral Nelson (Feb 28, 2002)

*Paint color?*

Very nice. What color paint and brand did you use? I'd say it was pretty close.


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

I used Model Masters "French Dark Blue Gray" for the main hull color, and mixed a little black in to darken it a shade for the accents on the nacelles and other areas. I don't believe those are the colors the actual prop was painted, but it does sort of present as the "mood" of the ship sometimes did in the show.


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## Trek Ace (Jul 8, 2001)

Canon or no - that's beautiful work!


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## Eric K (Jul 15, 2001)

That is sooooo good!! 

Eric


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## saturn5tony (Dec 8, 2003)

Awesome work :thumbsup: :thumbsup: 

Did you still have to thin the walls for the lights, or was the small size of the kit thin enough?

--Tony


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

Thanks guys. I did thin the walls a little in the secondary hull, but the plastice the kit's made from had such a "gummy" quality to it, and the kit itself is so small, I abandoned the effort for fear of "punching through" and ruining a piece.


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## bludden (Jun 6, 2001)

that is sweeeeet!


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

Most excellent Enterprise!

Yeah, all the "snap together" kits I've put together with my son, it was not possible for him to snap it; required adult hands. Glue kits are easier. But that's what the market wants I guess...

Seeing the thing perched atop your hand reminds me just how damn small it is!

More pics please!


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## heiki (Aug 8, 1999)

Steve CultTVman Iverson said:


> I'm impressed!
> 
> Steve



Like Steve said!!


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## NUM11BLADE (Feb 16, 2002)

Really fantastic looking. Very nice.


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## Admiral Nelson (Feb 28, 2002)

What did you use for a templet and how did you get the holes so square?


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## JadesDarkHeart (Dec 8, 2003)

Yes squares how did you do the squares?


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## Nova Designs (Oct 10, 2000)

Man, that is a lot of work, but just look at the results!


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

You did this in that tiny model?

Magic! Simply magic!


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

I used the self adhesive stickers that came with the kit as a template. Drilled holes with a pinvise and tiny bit. Connected two holes to form a rough rectangle with a #11 blade, and finished "squaring them" with a small flat/pointy jewelers file. Needless to say very tedious work.

Steve, here's a few more shots, including a couple of "gut" shots taken during construction.


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## JadesDarkHeart (Dec 8, 2003)

Renegade did you fill the window holes with anything, clear resin, etc......... Or did you leave them open?

JDH


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

The window holes are filled with clear 5 minute epoxy. The short set time keeps it from flowing out while curing. In theory it may yellow over time, but I have a kit bashed D-7 variant made five years ago which shows no signs of yellowing as of yet.


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## JadesDarkHeart (Dec 8, 2003)

Coolio thanks again!

JDH


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

The blobs of white light the red wires disappear into, I guess there are LED's there. Did you surround them with something or are they just over-exposing themselves in the shot?

(I like interiors! Especially stuffed!)


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

The blobs of light the wires disappear into are clear epoxy that hold the LEDs in place. When clear epoxy "bonds" to the LED, it becomes an extension of the LEDs lens, effectively behaving as a light pipe. In short, the whole epoxy mass glows with the light of the LED.


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## bccanfield (Nov 17, 2002)

I like it!


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## Jeff Pryor (Jul 27, 1999)

Ahem, Darth Vader's voice'

Impressive.....Most Impressive.

Can we get a how-to article?


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## saturn5tony (Dec 8, 2003)

Hi Renegade!
Awesome lighting work. :thumbsup: What kind of clear 5 minute epoxy do you use. I've used Radio Shacks clear epoxy and it ended up a little yellow after curing. I was fortunate that I could also remove it from my model. Either I mixed it wrong or its just junk.

--Tony


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

The epoxy is the 5 minute clear stuff that's commonly found in hobbystores. I think you can also get it from McMaster-Carr, and even Wal-Mart may carry it on occasion. There's no brand name on it, but it does give the manufacturer as "ITW Performance Polymers". One thing that can cause accelerated yellowing in epoxy is the presence of other chemicals while the epoxy is curing (e.g. uncured paint). That may have been an issue with the Rat Shack epoxy, or as you speculate, it may have just been junk. 

Never thought of doing a "How To" article in modeling, hmmm ...


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## charonjr (Mar 27, 2000)

Your Bussard's are blue.... Is this LED or Lightsheet? It looks nice. Why did you choose blue over the traditional red?


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## Deltavega33 (Sep 17, 2003)

*LED Color and Specs*

:thumbsup: Great job on this project!!! I have been fooling around with
lighting a few years now but with only with inodcdesent lights. Tell me What colors are the leds? used or did you use a translocent blue paint on the dried epoxcy. I built the Enterprise Incedent the 3 ships I know how tidious this can be drilling windows out!! but squares ones I never attemped to do. I would like to. Again A beatulful peice of work!!!!!

Deltavega


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

The camera actually didn't capture the color of the bussards very accurately. Partly due to the brightness, but mainly due to the spectral distribution of the light. UV LEDs were used as the main light source, and faint flourescent yellow filaments were painted around the "turbine" ridges. Along with dark tint on the inside of the outer domes, the flouresent filaments take on a ghostly yellow-greenish plasma finger look wrapping around the inner turbine pieces againt a blacklight background appearance. Looking into the front of the bussards, there's definitely the sense of a very high energy reaction occurring down inside the engines. When I was experimenting with lighting the engines, I did a lot of messing around with different colors and effects on engine parts taken from a second kit, and decided I preferred this appearance for the build. I know it's not canon, but the constitution class has been around for over 35 years, and been seen and built countless times. In fact the first model kit I ever built as a kid was the original two-light AMT release of the Enterprise. At the outset of this build I decided to re-visit my childhood and do it as a constitution class build, as opposed to a kit bash of some type, but in an effort to try to minimize the "boldly going where everyman has gone before" factor, decided to leave paint and lighting colors an open option. Since it's not a canon build, I elected to go with the ISS designation as opposed to the federation one, the idea being that one could possibly justify the non-canon look as a covert experiment by the Earth Empire into developing faster ships (maybe an early attempt at transwarp technology or similar). 

Most of the LEDs are white, though white LEDs do come with various tints to them, to which I used to advantage. The window color differences seen in the photos are real differences in the LED light sources themselves. The two side markers on either side of the saucer each have a white LED, and an appropriate color one, illuminating them. By proportioning the current between the white and color LED, I was able to control the color saturation of the side marker lights, and give them a bit more of a scale'd look.


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## mactrek (Mar 30, 2004)

*Done yet??*

I've seen the wonderful work you've done so far ... I'm Just wondering if you were done with the TOS "E" lighted model yet ... I'd love to see some pics!!


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## roosterfish (Jul 27, 2002)

I haven't lit TOS E...but I know a guy that is almost done lighting a ISS E. I'm in CA and he is in NJ and we are corresponding across the continent. He has flashing warp domes and the windows are glowing with the use of LEDs and belly button lights. It is about 98% complete and it could be finished today.

He'd love to show you pictures of it. Ralph is very proud of it. Ask him for picture and I know he would love to share them. He really is a nice guy.

Ask him for pictures. You'll like them. PM me and I'll have him send some pictures.

Or send me your email address and I'll have him shoot some shots to you. 

Even better yet. Get ahold of the member named "DeltaVega33" (look up on the thread), THAT IS HIM.


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

I took a hiatus to re-organize my garage and work space. Doing the windows was a real burn-out job too. I've started up again, and just completed the stand. The decals silvered, so I need to strip them and re-do, as well as clean up the lower saucer dome edge (masking isn't a good way to go there, better to cut off the mounting flange on the dome and insert it from the outside after everything's done).


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## roosterfish (Jul 27, 2002)

Verrrry sweet looking! That looks better than anything I every saw orbiting a planet.


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## Jupiter (Aug 24, 2002)

Very cool, nice job Renegade I am inspired to do mine now.

Jupiter


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## Nighteagle2001 (Jan 11, 2001)

Wow.......Awesome !!!!


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## Warped9 (Sep 12, 2003)

Very nice, sir. But just how in hell did you manage to cut all those little windows so neatly? That looks like a nevous breakdown in the making. I love it, but I don't know if I'd have that kind of dtermination and patience. Very well done.


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## Capt. Krik (May 26, 2001)

And they said this kit was to small to light, BAH! That is one awesome looking Enterprise.


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## mactrek (Mar 30, 2004)

OUTSTANDING JOB!!

I only hope that I can do as good of a job on all those windows when I finally get going on mine.

I know just painting them on the Ertl 1701-D just about drove me crazy :freak:

Thanks for the update, Renegade ... and please continue!!


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## Deltavega33 (Sep 17, 2003)

*ISS Enterprise*

Hi Renagade
Your ship is looking great!! Like Rootserfish said. Iam about almost their with mine. Sill working on some finishing touches my stand. Its custom made. As you well know the stalk for the PL E are wabbler's so I bolted mine to a square platform. It will not fall over. The top is the base. inside the cube is were the electronic's and photos will go.I will post some pics as soon as I get the settings correct on the camera. Deltavega33 :thumbsup:


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## Steve244 (Jul 22, 2001)

Renegade said:


> I took a hiatus to re-organize my garage and work space. Doing the windows was a real burn-out job too.


Soo, let's see your new garage windows...

Ahem. You're gonna make a trek fan outta me yet.


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## Deltavega33 (Sep 17, 2003)

*Iss Pics in Progress*

Renagade, 
hear are a few new shots taken on 11/12/04 all comments welcom :wave:


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

Whoa! What color is that you're finishing it in? I've thought about trying a metal finish before, but couldn't quite picture the look on the TOS E. I love the sword through the earth icon by the stand, from scratch I assume??


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## Deltavega33 (Sep 17, 2003)

*ISS in Progress {Colors}*

Renagade,
The paint is ALCAD II Aluminum with a touch of flat black mixed in.
It was applied with a Iwata HP-C set at 12 PSi. This is my first experince with an AB. I most admit the bursh is wonderful. Aluminum is a tough color to work
with as you will know.Some of my other projects were done in aluminum with Tester's spray cans. They did not compair. The ISS symbole is a pin thats been modifided to fit on the stand housing.
Delata :wave:


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## Jabbs (Oct 14, 2003)

I decided to try and light one but the windows scared the hell out of me. I finally got around to cutting and sanding and realised I was getting nowhere with tricks used on the 18" TOS versions I'd worked on before.
I got a sanding disk and my dremel and cut the hell out of this thing. I figure I have a few to spare so, no time like the present.
The Port side I'm doing in the likeness of the older version window scheme. The large holes will be filled with acrylic epoxy after two or three coats of paint. Then I'll fill them in, paint another layer and sand to get a nice flush look.
I'm far from done but in about three days of cutting, filling with JB weld and cutting and fileing and filling and fileing, (about ten hours) I'm close to decent looking windows. I won't stop till I'm there and then I can try and light it.
I am thinking about doing a shuttle bay. anyone interested in selling a shuttle that's to scale? I don't even care if it looks great or fair. I shake too much to paint it by hand. Perfect for sanding little windows though.
I'll beginf thinking about lighting as soon as I'm done with your help.
Keep it up guys. I'm still a ways away from getting to the point where I'm done squareing off the corners but I just wanted to show you how you guys inspire.


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## Deltavega33 (Sep 17, 2003)

:thumbsup: Hey, Not bad your getting there. Ahh the hole drilling squares. This takes alot of time to get right. I used a pin vise drilling two windows at a time and then squaring the off with a jewlers file. Hang in their. Your missioin will be complete. Keep it stright and steady.


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## resinhead (Apr 20, 2003)

It's easy to drill square holes, just use a square drill bit. Seriously, I don't know why this technique isn't being used. I use thinner acrylic epoxy these days and it works like a dream.
http://www.culttvman.com/clear_windows_by_dave_hackett.html


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## pagni (Mar 20, 1999)

ohhhh dat purty! Renegade


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## Thall10000 (Mar 31, 2004)

*How To...*



Renegade said:


> The epoxy is the 5 minute clear stuff that's commonly found in hobbystores. I think you can also get it from McMaster-Carr, and even Wal-Mart may carry it on occasion. There's no brand name on it, but it does give the manufacturer as "ITW Performance Polymers". One thing that can cause accelerated yellowing in epoxy is the presence of other chemicals while the epoxy is curing (e.g. uncured paint). That may have been an issue with the Rat Shack epoxy, or as you speculate, it may have just been junk.
> 
> Never thought of doing a "How To" article in modeling, hmmm ...


So have you thought about the article yet? 

Tim


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## MJB (Aug 3, 2001)

Two things:

1. What IS the proper order to assemble the the snap-kit? Has anyone posted one on here?

2. Renegade, will you be putting out a "How to Light" manual including the type of lights, how you got the wires through the nacelle struts, color you used for the hull, ect?

Michael


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## morbius (Jun 10, 2004)

I was only going to stick with the D7s but that's sold me - I HAVE to get at least one PL Enterprise!


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

_"So have you thought about the article yet?"_ 

It's still a possibility, but I have some things coming up that's going to be putting everything on hold for a while. I'm hoping to be able to get back to modeling by late August/ early September.


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## Jabbs (Oct 14, 2003)

Anymore finished pics? I still want more!


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## ham1963 (May 4, 2001)

Yea, I would like to see the back end of the ship. What was your cost on the lighting??


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## Jabbs (Oct 14, 2003)

I want the whole thing. Shots from every view. I can't wait to see it done.


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## Jabbs (Oct 14, 2003)

Hello?


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## Renegade (Sep 16, 2001)

Wow, lots of changes going on around here. Thanks for the link, I signed in over at Cult's new board. 

"Yea, I would like to see the back end of the ship. What was your cost on the lighting??"

I never actually added up the cost, though if I had to guess, I'd say four or five times the value of the kit itself (which is why I usually don't add things up, seeing the numbers takes the fun out of it). Sorry about the late reply, couldn't be helped though. I'll try to get a back end shot to post some time, though I haven't been able to do any work on it since the last posting. Now the question is, can one post photos on Cult's new site ...


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## FoxTrot (Jan 27, 2000)

A very late post, for what it's worth. Renegade, you deserve a medal and a half... that's great work and artistry. FT


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## Steven Coffey (Jan 5, 2005)

Very Nice !!!!!!!!


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## Deltavega33 (Sep 17, 2003)

*Lighted ISS Enterprise*

:wave: Hay Steven Don't get mine confused with Renagade's
My Iss is completed. its on the cubbial stand with pics of Mirrior Mirrior.
I hope you were looking at my project. Thanks for the complament I could post more pics soon. I been having camera problems. Thanks again :thumbsup:


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## Jabbs (Oct 14, 2003)

Did I miss the finished pics!?!?!??
I'm dying to finish mine but wouldn't mind a nudge of inspiration from yours Renegade.


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

Man THAT IS NICE!!!!!!! :thumbsup:


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## Deltavega33 (Sep 17, 2003)

*Iss Pics*

Hay Guys hear are some more pics! I am currently work on a lighted PL Klingon D-7


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## JGG1701 (Nov 9, 2004)

Pretty neat , pretty neat !!! :thumbsup:


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