1/350 U.S.S. Enterprise Refit: done & done! (pic heavy)

[CrowTRobot]

I finally completed this Polar Lights 1/350 U.S.S. Enterprise Refit from Star Trek. I started this project over 2.5 years ago, and it's the most complex model I've ever built. I normally build 1/48 aircraft models, so this was quite a departure for me. The lighting was a new experience, but the paint job was the real challenge. The complex patterns of the strongback & deflector and the "aztec" panels cover nearly every square inch of the ship, and I painted them all. The aztecs were particularly difficult due to the chameleonic nature of the iridescent paints. They constantly change appearance as the lighting & viewing angle change.  I wouldn't have attempted it without the aid of the excellent Orbital Drydock masking set.

The animated lighting effects are provided by 2 different lighting kits:

• Tenacontrols kit for the strobes, navs, deflector, impulse crystal/engine, and warp engines
• Starling kit for the photon torpedoes

Both circuit boards are installed behind the deflector housing which is attached by magnets. This allows me to access the boards should repair or replacement become necessary. The only other aftermarket I used was the Paragrafix photetch set and 1/350 Tamiya crew figures.

I modified the kit to mount it on an 8-pin microphone connector installed just forward of the belly phasers. This provides electrical power and switching signals while allowing me to detach the model from the base. The connector fits inside a brass tube which in turn fits into a PVC pipe sleeve attached to the kit base. I knew this would cause the model to be nose heavy, and sure enough it had a very pronounced nose-down tilt when mounted. I wasn't happy with this, so I added a styrene tube to the base to prop the model back up into a more acceptable stance. I'm still not very happy with the kit base, so I'll look into custom bases later.

All of the porthole windows are filled with water-clear Evirotex resin. I highly recommend this because each window completely fills the frame and is perfectly flush with the hull. The transparencies for the rec. deck, arboretum, and VIP lounge windows were provided by very thin Evergreen clear sheet styrene.

I used Polytranspar Shimmering Gold, Green, Blue and Red lacquers for the aztecs. All other details were painted with a mix of Tamiya, Testor's Model Master, and Alclad metalizer paints. The entire model is clear-coated with a custom mix of Future + Tamiya Flat Base to give a satin sheen.

Thanks to everyone who commented on this build while it was still in progress. It provided much needed encouragement at times when I felt most like shelving the thing. I'd especially like to thank the many other talented folks who built this kit before me (Boyd, DannyK, Garbaron, jwood314, MattA, et. al.- you know who you are) because I learned much from the experiences you shared. There has been an explosion of Refit builds posted in the WIP forum over the last few weeks, and I hope my work can provide similar encouragement.

IMG_7093 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7211 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7215 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7218 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7217 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7285 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7229 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7244 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7232 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7221 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7236 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2583 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7260 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7268 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7283 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7274 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7276 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7281 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_7279 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2597 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2571 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2638 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2633 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2695 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2663 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2721 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2727 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2741 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2749 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2756 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2753 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2764 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2800 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2798 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2793 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2771 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2802 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr
IMG_2804 by Marshall Blythe, on Flickr

[MSgtUSAFRet]

Crow,

Wow! Just WOW! If I didn't know any better, I would say I was looking at the filming model! Excellent work, Sir, Excellent work!

I love the iridescent colors and paint job you have done and the lighting is spot on!

This piece could truly be considered your Master Work!

Congratulations!

Steve

[USSBonchune]

I just... I can't...
No words. My words have failed me.
She is BEAUTIFUL!

[MattA]

Bravo!  What a beautiful build!

I still can't get over your mask lines.  Everything is so crisp!  You'll have to share your tips for that, as I would love to know more about it.  Your bridge looks fantastic!

This is truly one of the great Enterprise builds!  Nicely done!

[Tiburon]

[karve]

Truly one of the most outstanding refits I have ever seen. As far as I can see it's virtually flawless!
  Congrats on joining the 'completed refit club'....you're definitely one of the team leaders!

[AlW]

A beautiful build!  Display her proudly:)

[Lestatdelc]

Just chiming in to second what others have said, fantastic job,and looks very very good.

Well done.

[gene1138]

Really fantastic!  Just a beautiful build.  Your aztecs have a great brilliance to them. 

[Lestatdelc]

All of the porthole windows are filled with water-clear Evirotex resin.

I may have missed it in one of your WIP build threads on this project, but how exactly did you go about applying and filling them with the Evirotex resin?

Also, is there any distortion looking through the porthole windows, and/or can you make out interior details throughout he portholes?

[starsiegeplayer]

She's beautiful!!!

[CrowTRobot]

I may have missed it in one of your WIP build threads on this project, but how exactly did you go about applying and filling them with the Evirotex resin?

First I masked the exterior of each window with Scotch tape and burnished it down to prevent leaks. Then I dabbed the resin into each window from the inner side of the hull. I dipped a small piece of stretched sprue into a container of mixed resin so as to collect a droplet on the tip. I then transferred the droplets into the windows until each was filled going slowly in order to avoid bubbles.  Once the resin cured I removed the tape from the outer hull and voila: perfectly smooth and flush windows. The only place I had any trouble with this was on the saucer rim windows. Some of those window edges are right along the grooved sensor bands, and I couldn't get a good tape seal in some cases. This allowed the resin to wick out into the grooves. I had to wait for it to cure before I could scribe it out.

Also, is there any distortion looking through the porthole windows, and/or can you make out interior details throughout he portholes?

There is distortion, but it works to your advantage because it diffuses the light nicely. You can't see any wires or direct LEDs shooting out blinding rays of light.

[Macupar]

Wow. Absolute perfection. Great job!

[dannyk]

Congratulations Crow, she's beautiful.  Your paint work is just flawless. 

And welcome to the front-heavy club, too.  I like your solution! 

[malleman]

That is a masterpiece!