USS Enterprise NCC-1701D - Utopia Planitia Refurbishment Program

[Jonathan Jones]

Im very much using this D rebuild as practice for the techniques I want right for when I build my new 1701-E kit. I’m not going to Aztec the D either, but I will be aztec’ing the E

 

 

[Mikey-1980]

Looks great so far!

 

I put mine away for the moment as my head wasnt in the right space for it, plus with a baby to look after too, I couldn't dedicate the time to it.

 

Looking forward to seeing the results though.

 

How did you find drilling out the channels needed for the Warp nacelle wiring?

 

 

[Jonathan Jones]

Not too bad channeling them out, but filling and re-scribing it not a strength of mine. I had a round head burr bit for the dremel.. made light work of the plastic. I’ve also ordered a set of dental drill bits and burs from China - hopefully they will make channels easier on the 1701-E .. also hoping they will help me chew out the windows a bit neater than the 0.7mm drill bit. That has a tendency to wander.

[Jonathan Jones]

I feel like I’ve hijacked this thread but I think it’s ok to keep a rebuild project story alive ...!

 

My D is coming along, lighting fully installed and hull painted in base coat. Waiting on new deflector dish parts and decals from the US before I can continue 

Might look at masking and painting the phaser strips next.

 

Overall not too happy with my window neatness, but again.. this was my practice rebuild in readiness for other projects. One thing I do like and will do more of is fiber optic filament lighting for smaller hull lights, I think it looks so much neater and in scale than a 3mm LED

 

 

[Mikey-1980]

Looking really great so far there chap!

[Jonathan Jones]

Progress update ! Still waiting on parts but temporarily joined the saucer to the engineering section

 

 

 

[S-boat 55]

Looking good, very impressive really, making me wish i didn't sell my kit on a while back, 

[Jasonb13]

Well now, there must be something in the air @Mikey-1980 and @Jonathan Jones! I built the Enterprise D Fibre Optics kit back in 1995, and just bought it again and it arrived yesterday!  Am looking forward to seeing how I do it this time, compared to last time. Love the work you two have managed so far.

 

I've started searching for decals, ideally I'd like the Aztec ones, are they still available? If not, are there any masks sets out there? I'll also need the 'standard' decals as well, as the ones in the box look a little old and worn (much like myself).

 

 

[Mikey-1980]

On 3/24/2021 at 12:06 PM, Jasonb13 said:

Well now, there must be something in the air @Mikey-1980 and @Jonathan Jones! I built the Enterprise D Fibre Optics kit back in 1995, and just bought it again and it arrived yesterday!  Am looking forward to seeing how I do it this time, compared to last time. Love the work you two have managed so far.

 

I've started searching for decals, ideally I'd like the Aztec ones, are they still available? If not, are there any masks sets out there? I'll also need the 'standard' decals as well, as the ones in the box look a little old and worn (much like myself).

 

 

 

My gods!! which internal organ did you have to sell to get the fiber optic kit? 

 

Ideally I would do this build with the newer clear polymer hull sections and scratch out where the lights would be. drilling them out is aright kuffufle. The other bonus is that the clear hull kit comes with the Round2 Aztec decals included which are now no longer available.

 

The Aztec ones are still available, took me a while to get mine as the chap's printer was out of action for a while. The quality is superb, but the one niggle to them is that you will have to cut right up to the decal itself as each sheet is one massive decal.

 

Will be interesting to see your efforts with the D

[Jasonb13]

I actually got the Fibre Optics kit for €70, which while expensive for a model, is relatively cheap for this one I think. And apart from some Primer on some of the parts, the rest of it was barely touched, with drill bit and lights etc. never opened.

 

When I did it in '95 I just followed the instructions, so the windows were just pinpoints of light from the Fibre optics, and I was very happy with it at the time. This time I want the full length of the windows lit up, so like you say, a LOT of drilling and cleaning up to do. I'm not sure how I'll light it yet, it depends on how I 'glaze' it. One option is clear acetate sheets inside the saucer, another is Krystal Klear in each window. Ideally I'll like all windows drilled out, some blackened as the lights are off and some lit up, but not be a pin point of light.

 

As for the decals, where did you get the Aztec ones? I don't mind cutting up the the edge, I once did over 1100 decals on a Battlestar Galactica that were like that, it just takes time! Am I right in thinking that if I'm using the Aztec decals I bascially need to sand down the panel lines? The decals look very blue in pics I've seen, are they that blue in real life? I might prefer getting Aztec masks, if they still exist, and paint instead. I'll also need to find the kit decals, markings etc., as the ones I have look a little old, not surprisingly!

 

Anyhow, I'm not getting near this kit for a while, so I have time to plan!

[Mikey-1980]

The official Round2 aztec decals are now discontinued, but there are a few websites dotted around that you can print them off i think?

 

 

[Jonathan Jones]

Small update on my project - been at a standstill for a while now as waiting on decals a d spare parts from JT Graphics. Tbh getting quite hacked off with him, he quickly took my money in February and I still don’t have them. 

[Jonathan Jones]

Parts and decals  arrived ! Progress rapidly now advancing...! Finished the deflector and sealed up the entire ship, gloss coats on and decals going down. Need to add the krystal clear to each open window and dull coat.... but plenty of decals to add first !

 

 

 

 

[Mikey-1980]

Looks great!

 

How did you power the nacelles in the end?

[Jonathan Jones]

I cut a channel in the hull up to the pylons, added the wires then filled and re scribed the hull texture. Not perfect at all, will look at other options for next model. I think the D is the worst one to do, the E has two part pylons I think. 

[Jonathan Jones]

Oh, and from a lighting perspective, I used white LED strip and painted the warp grills clear blue. The bustards are opaque resin replacements from eBay drilled out inside and a red LED inside each one. 
 

 

Edited May 19, 2021 by Jonathan Jones

[Mikey-1980]

Done a great job there!!

 

When I eventually get round to doing mine I think this will be the same approach I'll take

[Jasonb13]

Looks excellent! I'll get to my one hopefully later in the year...

 

[Jonathan Jones]

Well, mine 'D is now complete! Here's a few pics of it .. very enjoyable rebuild, looking forward to the new 'E next to replace my old 'E. Had to wait a little while longer than anticipated for some parts but that also enabled me to build the majority of a Discoprise to take its place in the fleet too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Thom216]

One happy fleet!

[Jasonb13]

That looks excellent, well done!

[Jasonb13]

Where does the time go?

 

Over a year later, and I might just be getting close to starting my Enterprise D Project. Current "plan" (for want of a better word) is to use the Fibre Optic Kit (which I built once in the mid 90s, but hope to do a better job of now!) with the Aztec 4 Colour Masks (ordered and on their way from Federation Models) along with replacement Decals from JT-Graphics (not ordered yet) and the Green Strawberry PE set (also not ordered yet). That will easily bring the total cost up to my most expensive build ever.

 

I have to remove some primer from the plastic (I bought the kit second hand), sand down the panel lines (to make the Aztec masks easier to apply) and drill out the windows, in that awkward way of making them look like long rectangular windows, not points of light. I will probably only drill out the lit windows, and put black gloss in the dark windows to represent dark glass. Something like that anyhow. Don't know yet if I'll stick with the Kit's Fibre Optic lighting kit or get an LED light kit. And right now I'm thinking some Krystal Klear in each drilled window to make it look like glass. But already I'm wondering how to do that, the kit will have to be painted *before* I add the Klear!

 

Anyhow, that's the beginning of the plan, if I get near it soon I'll start a WIP!

 

Did you ever get yours finished @Mikey-1980?

[Mikey-1980]

Sadly not, it was relegated to the stash due to the introduction of the Airfix 1:1 scale human that arrived 23 months ago....

 

 

It may get revisited at some point though. 

 

Your plans sound great though! 

[Jasonb13]

2 hours ago, Mikey-1980 said:

Sadly not, it was relegated to the stash due to the introduction of the Airfix 1:1 scale human that arrived 23 months ago....

 

 

It may get revisited at some point though. 

 

Your plans sound great though! 

Fair play, those Airfix 1:1 kits are excellent, so realistic! They need a lot of work though, and go on for years! Well worth it though...

 

Hope you get back to the Ent-D soon...

[Rott]

Found this thread, I am also going to do a rehab on this same kit.  I've had it sitting for many years with just a minimal amount of bad paint on it never even finished it.  Reading your tips and also looking for the Aztec decals. I have the original decals never used for the other stuff.  Having trouble getting the old paint off, need to try the acetone free nail polish. 

I was thinking of trying the technique of painting it all with 2 coats of black then the gray over it.  Then scaping out the paint from the window and using LED lighting to shine thru the plastic instead of drilling out the windows?  First time doing a model in forever so I have no skills but kinda want to see if I can make it look decent.