1/1000 Polar Lights TOS Enterprise

[ausf]

Not the the gorgeous 1/350, but it's much older, smaller cousin. After all the fabrication, I'm questioning my decision, but plod ahead I will.

First up was to fit the electronics and motor in the tiny nacelles. I found tiny motor/gearboxes on eBay to do the trick, two shipped from China were $9 total. Gotta love the internet these days. The motor turns the inner cap, the electronics drive 6 LEDs to blink at different rates.

I needed to make supports for the motor shaft so I can fit the gearbox behind the LEDs. I used stock styrene, a punch, a micrometer to determine the center and my ersatz lathe, AKA Dremel:

I used some copper and brass stock to fashion a shaft and bearings:

Installed with Aves, constantly had to be tested for alignment since any slight wobble will cause the inner cap to strike the outer cap while spinning.

Here's everything stuck in the nacelle before closing up. A lot of confusing wiring jammed in there. Two 555 timers, caps and a mess of resistors, with 6 LED in the nose under the inner cap. It's not pretty, but it works. I used hot glue to hold and insulate:

Assembled with outer caps in place:

And the bottom with the lights on. The caps and lights are blurry since everythings movin' and blinkin'. I'll grab some video after the camera batt charges. X-acto for scale:

Next up is a ton of seam filling and then trying to figure out what to do with the saucer. I have a lot of cutting and window making since there are none, just decals to represent. I also need to scribe lines, etc. Yikes.

 

[Hippy Ed]

:gogo betta stock up the :hmmm I have the 1/1000, the AMT 1/2500 & the PL 1/350. Gladta see anuther trekkie here :drinks

 

[moon puppy]

I hope you don't attempt to fly with that thing, you'd never make it through security!

 

[Sherman 18]

SWEET!

 

[Heavens Eagle]

Hope you have a little reinforcment on the nacell struts or you could end up with saggies. That is the biggest problem with those warp nacelles especially with all the stuff you added.

 

[SA Dave]

Awesome mate cant wayt to see the video

 

[lupanzer]

Fantastic ausf!

Luiz

 

[ausf]

Thanks guys.

Paul, I hear ya, I was planning on putting some steel wire in there, but didn't in the end for three reasons:

First, all the weight is in the motor and bearings, which if you see in the photos is perfectly balanced where the wire exits the nacelle (I'd love to claim foresight and credit for it, but it just worked out that way). The timers and caps have really no perceptible weight.

Second, since it's a snap together kit, there are so many huge gaps, plus the channel for the wire, the struts and connection will be chock full of Aves with the power wires acting as a core core. Aves with wire is a strong combo, all my sculpting is done with wire armatures and it can withstand considerable stress for it's size.

Third, the weak spot is where the nacelle meets the strut (which is puttied up solid now), but I couldn't figure out how get the steel wire into the nacelle that would anchor it and not interfere with the motor shaft. There's very little clearance and I couldn't afford chancing drag.

Considering the small diameter of the nacelle compared to the thickness of the wall (a ton had to be ground out to fit the gearboxes and wire channel), and the doubled thickness of the strut in how it connects, we're probably talking about 25% the diameter snadwiched together and I glued the hell out of it. I taped the assembly together and gave it the shake test pre-putty and it held up well, no flex or sag. I think this is one of the few areas on this build where it's small size is working in my favor. At least I hope so...

 

[Heavens Eagle]

WOW! Thanks for the nice explanation Ausf! I have a nimber of these kits in the stash with some aftermarket to change them into all the variants that were designed way back when.
All I know is when I saw the photo of what all was in the nacell, it was "Whoa! That thing is loaded!"

Keep up the good work it is going to look great!

 

[Gator]

Very cool!