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USS Enterprise NCC-1701D - Utopia Planitia Refurbishment Program


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This is going to be a long term and potentially tricky refurbishment program.

 

Around 24 years ago, I received the AMT Ertl 1/1400 USS Enterprise kit as a present for my 16th birthday. I was eager to get going and to build the iconic Enterprise D, ad with limited tools and paints I set about it.

 

Roughly 8 years later it was very carefully placed into storage until recently where I decided that my home needed something spectacular, something to fill a corner above the TV and to be a talking point perhaps....? To my surprise I was given permission by the lady of the house. So a recent visit to to the folks place to drag out the kit in question. Considering it had been in storage for the past 16  years, its fared pretty well.

 

As you can see, my attempts at hand painting the Aztec patterns was not too bad at the time, though it certainly could be better.

 

DSC_3373

 

DSC_3374 DSC_3375

 

The base parts were in OK condition with everything still there.

 

DSC_3376

 

I was even surprised to see that the 1/1400 scale Runabout shuttle was still there - Though this has no gone missing.........hmm..

 

DSC_3377

 

The instructions were still in the box too, and in good condition too

 

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Just in case you didn't know already?

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With everything in place, I set about very very carefully taking apart the components with a few house each into the freeze to release the glued sections. All parts came apart well with a few issues with the rear of the neck section where it refused to separate. however the split is fixable and once everything is reassembled all will be OK.

 

the next 3 days was spent in a 1:1 "dettol" solution in both a bucket and the commandeering of the kitchen sink to release the paint from the polystyrene. With some finer working of the details with Q-tips and acetone free nail polish remover.....a superb idea from my good lady, who even spent 2 evenings volunteering to help in the clean up. I am indeed a VERY luck chap :)

 

This is the result....The clear sections are not too bad, but this is the best I could do. The clear sections for nacelles and bussard collectors will be painted with a clear blue & red, so I am not overly fussed by these. The rest of the drive section is as clean as I am going to get it.

 

 

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Primary Hull sections

 

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Upper primary hull

 

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Lower primary hull

 

DSC_3388

 

 

The next step in the plans is to use a rotary tool and a very fine drill bit to carefully drill out a select number of windows to then back illuminate. How the lighting will be done as yet, I do not know?

 

I don't have the expertise to include the flashing nav lights, so a static light show may be as good as it gets for the moment. Lighting the warp nacelle's will be tricky as a trench along the drive section supports will need to be dug and then back filled once the power cables are installed. Finding the right gauge will be tricky too.

 

Replacement decals have been sourced from an American company called JT Graphics - JT Graphics which should be on their way in the next few weeks.

 

I am also looking to source the Polar Lights aztec decals for the 1/1400 scale Enterprise, though they are increasingly difficult to locate.

 

If anyone knows of a reputable supplier of them, I would be most appreciative.

 

Thats it so far with the refurbishments. Much more to follow over the coming months I feel?

 

250px-Utopia_Planitia.png    426?cb=20151202084514 

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On 8/28/2020 at 5:49 AM, Mikey-1980 said:

I am also looking to source the Polar Lights aztec decals for the 1/1400 scale Enterprise, though they are increasingly difficult to locate.

Hobbylinc.com in the US -- an excellent vendor I have dealt with repeatedly through the years -- shows them as currently 'In Stock.' Here's the link, if you'd like to take a look:

https://www.hobbylinc.com/polar-lights-star-trek-uss-enterprise-1701d-aztec-decals-science-fiction-plastic-model-1:1400-mka19

 

Looks like a great project. I'm curious to see how it turns out!

Cheers

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Thanks all!

 

It is most certainly going to be an interesting refurbishment program for the kit.

 

Thanks for the link @thorfinn I did look at them as an option, and on the face of it the decal are in stock, if you click add to basket it comes up with a window saying that they are discontinued. I also got in touch with Round2 / Polar Lights yesterday and they confirmed that the decals are very much discontinued and they have no plans to re-issue them at all. I was however very impressed by how quickly they replied to inquiries through their website, so kudos to them for that.  

 

So it would look like I am back to the paint brush and to hand paint the aztec patterns. No issue, just a massive pain. I have seen some reviews and videos though that suggest the Citadel paints from Games Workshop are very close to those used on the 6ft model that was auctioned off.

 

From initial observations, it would seem that a light grey base coat and at least 2 further shade of grey or a blue/grey shade will be needed to bring out the pattern. With the parts having raised panel lines, following the aztec pattern shouldn't be all that bad, just VERY time consuming.

 

Any assistance on suggesting possible colors, please feel free to let me know :)

 

 

I've also been looking into how I can open up the windows to allow the light to shine through. The best option I appear to have is using a pin-vice drill bit and a rotary tool. Carefully selecting the right windows to open up with a VERY steady hand. First hurdle I fall down at....I have a rotary tool but no means to attach a 0.3mm drill bit to it......B&A to the "rescue" and their dremel range....only to find out that my generic rotary tool has a different head diameter that a standard Dremel.....theres me thinking it would be universal...nope! £12 lighter and I resort to eBay....measure the head outer diameter for the thread...7mm.....I find a chuck head tool like this - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Multi-Chuck-Quick-Change-Adapter-Drill-Bit-For-Dremel-Rotary-Accessory-Kit-Tool/184337223611?hash=item2aeb5acfbb:g:hHsAAOSwv0pe8IVP 

 

Does not fit!

 

So, next step...buy a proper dremel tool.......

 

Thats where we are at at the moment

 

worf-better-than-yar-star-trek-the-next-

 

 

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2 hours ago, Mikey-1980 said:

 

Thanks for the link @thorfinn I did look at them as an option, and on the face of it the decal are in stock, if you click add to basket it comes up with a window saying that they are discontinued. I also got in touch with Round2 / Polar Lights yesterday and they confirmed that the decals are very much discontinued and they have no plans to re-issue them at all. I was however very impressed by how quickly they replied to inquiries through their website, so kudos to them for that.  

Sorry for the 'bum steer,' so to speak.

As a 'Plan B' (or 'D,' as appropriate)...do you have the ability to print your own decals?

Years ago, a modeler named Carlos Zangrando posted a set of patterns for the 1/1400 kit, ready to print out. They're still on the Starship Modeler site, if that might be useful. (Scroll down a bit, it's well down the page.)

http://www.starshipmodeler.com/tech/cz_mask.htm

Either way, good luck!

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I had thought about doing this, though I wonder if there is any special treatment needed for the post printing process?

 

Need to look into this a little more though I think?

 

thanks for the link though :)

 

Edit:

 

OK, so I've looked at clear A4 decal printing paper on eBay and this seems to be suitable -

 

Decal Printing Paper

 

Is this OK, or is there a better grade of paper to use for this please?

 

Any guidance would be a massive help

 

 

Edited by Mikey-1980
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Hi Mikey, I'm not all that much into Startrek (blasphemy!!) but perhaps I can give you a few small tips: for flashing lights you might want to check out the model railway scene, there are vendors who sell such things for use in railway crossings and the like. The other thing I would recommend is that you paint the inside of the model black if you go with lighting, because otherwise it will be somewhat translucent which will spoil the effect. To be absolutely sure I would give it two coats.

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4 hours ago, Mikey-1980 said:

OK, so I've looked at clear A4 decal printing paper on eBay and this seems to be suitable -

 

Decal Printing Paper

 

Is this OK, or is there a better grade of paper to use for this please?

 

Any guidance would be a massive help

Do you have a laser printer or an inkjet? Whichever you have, make sure the decal paper matches -- they're not interchangeable.

As far as brands, the best by far I've used (and I've been home-printing my own decals for nearly two decades now) is one called Kodiak, available (among other places, one presumes) from Amazon US. Second place would be Expert's Choice, carried by the BareMetalFoil company. Both give excellent results with my trusty old HP printer.

For my clear sealer -- a requirement for inkjet decals, the only variety I have any experience with -- I use Testors Decal Bonder spray, which produces little or no smearing or running.

If you're new to home decal printing, I might suggest starting a separate thread under the appropriate forum section, to get a broader feedback on materials and methods other modelers have had success with. Inkjet printers in particular can be a challenge, in that some manufacturers' ink formulas just don't lend themselves to decal printing. Unfortunately, I know of no way to predict that...it doesn't break down conveniently by vendor or printer model, just sort of a random thing that only shows up through trial and error.

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14 hours ago, Jur said:

Hi Mikey, I'm not all that much into Startrek (blasphemy!!) but perhaps I can give you a few small tips: for flashing lights you might want to check out the model railway scene, there are vendors who sell such things for use in railway crossings and the like. The other thing I would recommend is that you paint the inside of the model black if you go with lighting, because otherwise it will be somewhat translucent which will spoil the effect. To be absolutely sure I would give it two coats.

Cheers Jur!

 

We have a model railway store in town, so I'll pay them a visit for some of the smaller LED's Painting the inside a flat black and then a silver colour will also help the luminescence increase within the hull too :)

 

Thanks for your tips too @thorfinn I do have a HP Inkjet printer so selecting the right printer and sealer will be a challenge of trial and error. Decalling is a long way off yet so I have some time.

 

In the mean time, I bit the bullet and forked our some cash for a new Dremel Stylo+ tool

 

Comes fitted with a chuck tool and ergonomically far nicer to handle. Should be just right to drill out all of those windows 😕

 

31j+nLy4qWL._AC_SY400_.jpg

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So, it has begun........randomly selected windows have been carefully drilled out and I have tried to be as neat as I possibly can for the upper secondary hull. You can probably tell which are my first attempts and they have gradually gotten better

 

DSC_3394

 

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They still need tidying up and the edges straightened with a sharp blade and a bit of light sanding, but generally they are looking OK so far.

 

The light is shining through OK, so I'm reasonably happy with this first attempt.

 

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I dint want to go over the top with the drilling, more to simulate perhaps 3rd shift on the Enterprise and most crew members are not active.

 

I did notice from watched Redemption pt II (S5: Ep1) that there are a series of circular windows at the top of the upper secondary hull , just before it meets the neck section. These will be drilled out too.

 

Also tried this as well....courtesy of Beer52, If you like sour beers, that taste like Harribo tangtastics....crack on!

 

DSC_3399

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

Refurbishment update.......Some further work has been made on the windows for the secondary hull drive section. 

 

The plan is that the ship will represent 3rd shift, with most of the crew asleep. With only a few windows exposed on the underside, it should limit the amount of visibility of any of the circuitry within the hull section. There will be extensive clean up prior to painting the inside of the hull sections too.

 

DSC_3400

 

Next were the neck sections, which were particularly difficult as the windows were pretty small and the smallest drill bit I could use is 0.3mm in size. You can see on the port side of the rear neck section that the separation process caused a slight issue. This shouldn't be much of an issue when re-assembling the parts.

 

DSC_3399

 

Work on the upper primary hull section has now started, though this really will take a while due the high visibility of the windows and the thickness of the polymer.

 

DSC_3401

 

This is progress so far........

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  • 5 weeks later...

Small update....progress is slow, but getting there.

 

The upper primary hull windows are trickier than I thought and needs a little more care when drilling them out. I'm about 1/4 way round the upper hull.

 

Pics to follow soon :)

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Morning All,

 

As promised, a small(ish) update for you all. Progress of the upper primary hull is slow going. Finding the time in between work, the impending new arrival to the home (just a few weeks away now) an other aspects of life admin, here is where we are at as of today.

 

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Some windows are better than others in their appearance, bt they do look reasonably OK when held up to the light

 

DSC_3440

 

 

It's not going to be the prettiest, and certainly wont win any awards, but its looking OK so far.

 

My main concern at the moment will be the lighting behind the main shuttle bay for the Arboretum. Lighting it up shouldnt be an issue I dont think, it is just the delicate nature of the sections needing to drilled out.

 

 

OG6sHkf.jpg

 

 

Edited by Mikey-1980
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Unfortunately work has stopped on this for a few days as the 0.3mm drill bits are causing issues with the smaller windows.

 

Hopefully the newly ordered 0.2mm bits will help solve the issue.

 

 

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  • 2 months later...

I had the same kit about the same age, a present as well, I made a mash of it and never finished, sold it on eBay a while back as I lack the patience to do what your doing, looks like your on the way to making something that'll be quite a stand out example, 

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Struggling to find the time at the moment though.

 

A 9 week old will do that! Haha! 

 

The wiring of the nacelles and the mounting will be the biggest challenge though

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I'm afraid this particular project has been shelved for the moment. 

 

Not quite in the right frame of mind to keep it going. It will definitely happen, just not quite just yet. 

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Cheers buddy 

 

One of the major challenges for this build was finding the Aztec decals that AMT/Round 2 once produced for the 1/1400 scale Enterprise.

 

When the kit was reissued in Clear PS, the were included, finding them as a separate set is impossible. 

 

They're discontinued and no website has them listed as available. 

 

If you know of someone who has a set, and are prepared to sell them, I would be very interested 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi, 

 

Decided to join up and follow this thread as I’m doing exactly the same - I built a 1701-D many years ago, probably in the mid 90s .. but have built up a reasonable extensive skill set in models. I’m actually planning to build a new 1701-E that I picked up on eBay recently, but decided to use the D as practice as never drilled out windows or fitted LED lighting.

 

I bought a few upgrade parts to replace the bustard collectors and have just ordered some new decals fro. JT Graphics. Looks like there are not many sources of new old stock parts or aftermarket mods :)

 

good luck with your build

Jon

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On 1/29/2021 at 11:54 PM, HerrUther said:

Have you seen these would they be suitable? 
 

http://jt-graphics.com/D_1400.html
 

I take it it’s the Galaxy Class Ent D second one down at $26

 

Hi @HerrUther I have already purchased these decals :) its the Aztec ones that Round 2 / AMT supplied with the clear 1/1400 kit. For a period you could buy them seperately but they has since been discontinued. :(

 

Thats some fantastic progress there @Jonathan Jones what gauge drill bit did you use for the windows please?

 

I'm just over half way round the upper primary hull at the moment with 0.3mm drill bit, and its causing issues with creating a bigger hole for the winder than I want. Meh!!

 

 

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I’m using a 0.7mm bit for the saucer windows, and a 0.5mm for the ‘neck’ windows. Tbh, it’s hard to get a clean edge, but at the distance I will be from the model when it’s lit.. it think it will not be noticeable. I try to drill as much out with holes, and have as little material left to chew out.

 

 I’m using some Tamiya extra thin cement to burn off the swarf from each window. The other thing that I tried and am pleased with was filling each window with a blob of PVA glue that dries clear. I think it helps soften the edges a bit more.

 

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50929989132_32bb4079e4_b.jpg

 

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