Polar Lights 1:1000 Scale Star Trek USS Enterprise Refit

Polar Lights 1:1000 scale Enterprise Refit with custom lighting.
My first attempt at building a lighted starship model.
Lights sourced from hdamodelworx.com/
Warp grille decals from www.modular-models.com
Vinyl sticker for stand from www.cafepress.com/
Techniques learned from / trekworks
Music track - Star Trek II Soundtrack "Enterprise Clears Moorings"

[@ralphreinhardt6020]

There she is ! There she is !!!

[@DragoonMS]

"Not so wounded as we were led to believe..."

[@KJOSCOT]

Yess

[@adamgriffiths1703]

Work of art

[@KJOSCOT]

That is a challenge to build in the lighting on such a small kit! Kudos for your patience and passion to detail

[@clubtepes2046]

Love how 'efficient' your video was. Pictures with labels that can be paused. Perfect.

[@js_models]

Thanks!

[@governmentninja]

"Take me out of orbit Mr Sulu..." "Aye Captain"

[@robertbeard8207]

Doing my Enterprise 1:1000 now. Just finished the 1:1000 Reliant which was fun to build and light. Though I used fiber optics which I will not use for Enterprise. As I lost the strobes on the nacelles. Good work!

[@joe51261]

You truly have a spectacular build and I love the video and music! Well done!

[@js_models]

Thanks Joseph, I'm glad you liked it.

[@escos0410]

My next project this is Just come across your vid and I’m going to light it as well best starship design, timeless is the old girl

[@sonofaredshirt8329]

Absolutely beautiful! Great job very well done!

[@js_models]

Thanks!

[@Innuendoh]

Outstanding!!! Thank you for making and posting this.

[@andrewsartscalemodels]

Nice build mate

[@js_models]

Thanks!

[@jagger35]

Just ordered this kit. Planning on doing it lighted like this. I just finished the 500 scale version and it turned out pretty good except it is very fragile due to the bad connection of the struts and nacelles. This looks fantastic and much sturdier than the one I did. Keep these coming. I just subscribed. Looking forward to new videos.

[@js_models]

Thanks! The struts have a good connection to the hull, but the nacelles can be a bit tricky to click on especially when feeding wires through. All the best with your build.

[@robdcollector2808]

This was really amazing to see rhe step by step process...really! I wish I had the time or talent to build these ships. I collect the Star Trek ships from Eaglemoss and Diamond Select but these light up models are outstanding in the right model hands! Should you ever sell them let me know!!!

[@js_models]

Thanks for the nice feedback! These are the first models I've made since childhood (25 years ago). After seeing similar videos on KZbin I had to try it myself. Besides time, the main ingredients are patience and relatively steady hands. Everything else can be learned.

[@sefy76]

@@js_models Would you actually be willing to sell a model you already done? my eyes are not so good and hands aren't as steady, and couple that with the lack of time or patience, i'd prefer a ready build like what you did!

[@js_models]

@@sefy76 Not as yet. All of my builds have been one-offs so far. I don't think I'd trust myself to do a commissioned build. There are too many opportunities for one mistake to ruin the whole thing.

[@321ghi]

😍🤩

[@peterharoldjanakjr2078]

Very Cool. But I would say that the LED's are too powerful given the ships scale. I'm thinking they should be 50% lumens of the LEDS used in a larger scall Refit. Like Polar Lights 1/350th Refit.

[@js_models]

Thanks Peter. For the record, the lights do look a bit brighter on video than in person.

[@wolfchacer0139]

Where did you get the light kit and the control for the blinking nav lights? Amazing build!!! I have this model haven't built it yet now I want to lol

[@js_models]

Thanks! I didn't use a kit. I just purchased a bunch of LED's and installed them where they would fit. I also made the blink/strobe circuit myself. For this I used a NE556 integrated circuit (IC) chip which has two 555 timers on it. There are many tutorials online about how to make 555-based blinking LED circuits. Perhaps one day I should do a video on it. You'll need some basic soldering skills but it works out a lot cheaper than buying a kit.

[@johnbockelie3899]

I read in one of.my old Starlog magazines that when ILM got put in charge of the Star Trek films, they had.to do some.re.wire work on the Enterprise model. ILM stated that it was wired.so.much( from TMP ) that it looked like.a fire hazard. So they had to re wire the model their way. 1982.

[@andrewsartscalemodels]

Nice work. Did you make the lighting board yourself?

[@js_models]

Andrews Art & Scale models Thanks. Yes, I used an NE556 chip which has two 555 timers in it. I might do a video on it sometime.

[@brtv9909]

Paint blocking question. It looks like you painted right to the edge. Did you use epoxy to glue the hull together, or did you go back and sand off or clean off the mating edges with some cleaner of sorts so glue would bond? Thanks.

[@js_models]

I glued the parts with Tamiya cement after scraping the paint off with a modelling knife.

[@brtv9909]

@@js_models Thanks!

[@Graftanker98]

What whit was used? And was that masking or decals?

[@js_models]

Tamiya TS26 white and then a coat of TS45 pearl white on top. I used decals for the Aztec pattern.

[@colinmontgomery1956]

I had heard about what a terrific model this was and when I finally got one, I was disappointed. The panel lines are way out of scale.

[@brtv9909]

It looks like you sanded of the molded navigation lights and drilled further in? Awesome job BTW.

[@js_models]

Thanks! Yes I did, to clear the side wall of the saucer.

[@brtv9909]

@@js_models I just opened and washed the parts today for this kit. It's smaller than I expected. OMG what you did with this!

[@js_models]

@@brtv9909 Yeah, it's a challenging size for sure. Getting the hull together with all the wiring in it was a big relief.

[@JarretGibson]

On the warp nacelles at 1:00 you listed "No paint here". I've primered mine, but that is all. Is it to get intentional light leak? Wondering if I should get something and go remove the primer. Should it be paint free on both sides?

[@js_models]

Yes, it’s to get intentional light leak. The bare plastic helps diffuse the light. Primer is probably ok if it’s a light colour. You can test it with the LED’s and see if it looks ok. Otherwise just rub the primer off with some sandpaper.

[@JarretGibson]

@@js_models So there are "regular" windows that I drill with my pin vise, but then there are these "oval" windows. Did you do anything different on those, or did you just put in the same size hole for those? Appreciate your guidance! This is my first lit model

[@js_models]

For the oval holes I just used the same drill bit and elongated the hole by poking the drill bit in and out while applying some light sideways pressure. You need to be a bit delicate so as not to break the drill bit though. If the window is long enough you can drill a hole at each end which speeds this process up.

[@starfleetaviation5725]

Did you need to paint it ?

[@js_models]

Yes, firstly on the inside to help block light leaks through the plastic. The outside was painted using Tamiya white and pearl white spray cans. (I don't have an airbrush.)

[@starfleetaviation5725]

@@js_models ok thanks

[@Qc4073]

RTSC Your the second person I’ve read say you were using spray cans. That makes me feel better about painting. The only issue I really have is not having steady hands. Nerve damage has messed my hands up

[@brtv9909]

@@Qc4073 Make sure the spray can is warm and shake it well. Then do straight passes over the model starting just before and ending after the model in complete passes.

[@KJOSCOT]

That is a challenge to build in the lighting on such a small kit! Kudos for your patience and passion to detail