U.S.S. Excelsior Model Build series Pt 1 How to Install The LED Lighting

This video shows Pt 1 of my AMT 1/1000 scale U.S.S. Excelsior model kit buildup. It is a bit long but it has lot's of step by step details about modifying the kit parts and installing the lighting. There is a complete parts guide in the end credits which list's all of the lighting components used in detail along with the specific spot they were installed into the model.

[@coreyg2177]

I tried applying the window decals on the hull, but as soon as I started to drill the decal flaked off. I tried taping them down next but the bit still walked a little. I then cut out the decal and used tape to stick it to the model and it seemed like the extra thickness from the decal backing seemed to help stabilize it and i could get the window drilled without too much trouble.

[@beltofbelt]

I'm actually working on a custom Excelsior class ship and this video series has been a total godsend. Thank you for this!

[@toddbarker3774]

Thank for the great videos. I watch them before I buy the model so I know what I need and know what to expect when I build them. Helps a lot .

[@TrekWorks]

Glad to know the videos are a help.

[@MichaelJShaffer]

I am so glad you're back to building Trek ships. Happy to see you return to your Trek Works roots. Thank you for your continued lessons and artistry, Boyd. 🖖

[@ammosophobia]

THANK YOU for getting the deflector right!!! Seriously, I don't know why people ignore it like they do. EXCELLENT

[@wraith20072007]

This is looking great Boyd, all I can say is thank the maker for SMD's.

[@georgevalkosky7451]

Wow! Totally awesome Boyd. Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze me. Who would have thought you could pack so much in a small kit.

[@MrChief101]

An extraordinary effort, Boyd. It's small but a rather pretty silhouette and lighting it up really brings it to life. One of my standard mini-rants is about people using automotive wire for models-- I have always said 30 or 32 gauge-- I believe that 30GA, for example can take 1/2 an amp! Which of course is 500 milliAmps. Best of the season!

[@TrekWorks]

Thanks Eliot, you are spot on about the wire size. I'm not sure I would have been able to pack in all of wiring in that tiny hull for all the lighting details I wanted to build in using thicker wire than the 30 ga stuff. The magnet wire was plenty to carry the load as well but I found it to be springy and apt to grab onto anything within it's reach. I'm really liking this vinyl covered wire much more.

[@kurk1701a]

FANTASTIC TUTORIAL BOYD, GLAD TO SEE YOU DOING TREK AGAIN BEAUTIFUL WORK GREAT STEP BY STEP AND GOING THE EXTRA STEP TO ADD PARTS LIST. THANKS BOYD👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@IainHamilton]

That look awesome Boyd. I am of course going to have to "borrow" all your ideas when I get around to building mine.

[@federationshipyard4073]

Looks great Boyd. I think half the fun with models is figuring out how to run the lighting and wires.

[@emmettrowe5164]

Excellent work as usual my good friend and it's been awhile since I've looked at your Channel..and was wondering if they ever made a larger Excelsior model kit..because it's supposed to be bigger then the Enterprise..

[@michaelkovach7973]

A great start on the Excelsior Boyd! A lot of great info on lighting her up.

[@WadeDorrell]

I see in the credits "double density" LED strip mentioned - to get specific you mean 0805 strip, 120 per meter, white on the cool side, right? Thanks for this series, fantastic work!

[@_Apop_]

Love the effort you put into explaining all the details going into lighting this one. Also like the list of what you used at the end. Boyd.... Talent on loan from GOD!! good stuff man!!!

[@DoughnutsInspace]

Fantastic how too Boyd! I will building the same ship next year so will be following this build.

[@ebt12]

The warp engines were lit in the Voyager episode "Flashback". A new model of the Excelsior was made for the episode.

[@chrisdavis4805]

Great vid Boyd. Those items in the front of the neck dorsal are the foreword tractor beam emitters.

[@Tony196180]

This is by far the best build series I have seen. Super Job ! Great Idea's ! :)

[@jhunt5440]

The nacelles look amazing!

[@salc9593]

Great video Boyd... thanks for posting it... It is and will be a great aid.. Thanks again

[@AussieTrekkie]

Thanks for the video Boyd! It's going to be a big help for when I build mine.

[@schuhmansmodelshop8657]

Looking great such fine detail.

[@Davelazenby]

great job Boyd! looks amazing! I really want to try out some of these SMD'S in future builds!

[@trek60]

your explanations are outstanding

[@gearhead762]

nice Boyd! lookin exquisite!

[@SkyrayModels]

Great work Boyd.

[@HobbyLinkInternational]

Nice work so far Boyd.

[@TrekWorks]

Thanks Kenny, it's a fun kit to work on.

[@Dragon_Werks]

Boyd, the shuttle bay at the rear, the one you opened, is supposedly the cargo shuttle hangar. The one you call the cargo bay is the primary shuttle hangar, at least according to the official schematics. Those bits on the neck that you couldn't identify, those are supposed to be photon torpedo launchers.

[@Custerd1]

White paper yellows over time. I used it as a light diffuser for a kit I built in the 1980s. Looked great for a while, but not so much now. Might want to use sheet styrene?

[@TrekWorks]

I ended up removing the paper because I decided on painting a light coat of gun metal over the grills after I saw it on the studio model. That took care of the hot spots.

[@rover213]

amaizing job has usual

[@UpDownLeft11]

Question as well I may have missed it, but what size tubing did you use? Been trying to find the correct size. Build looks awesome so far!

[@TrekWorks]

I used a 13/62" piece for the bushing insert and 3/16" for the extension tube.

[@UpDownLeft11]

Thanks!

[@p.j.c.2.0]

hey Boyd Philip angin I got a other question would using a adjustable flashing blinking light circuit board give a pretty good photon torpedo fireing effect let me know what you think?

[@p.j.c.2.0]

Hey Boyd I've got a question if I paint the outside of Chiller grills black let it dry and sanded them a bit with some very fine sandpaper would it still leave some black paint and still let the blue light through ?

[@TrekWorks]

Phillip after looking at the studio model again I see that the chiller grills are a gun metal grey color. So I went back and lightly dusted that color on the grills with my airbrush. It worked great. The blue still comes through just fine, no sanding needed.

[@p.j.c.2.0]

TrekWorks thanks Boyd that's a real good thing to know I'll try that out on my Excelsior build well whenever I can actually got around to it I have to Finish the model's I'm already working on.

[@silvereagle2061]

I don't believe in coincidences but I thought out interesting it was that you're working on the very same model that Mercs is working on. lol

[@acela2030]

would the canopy glue i saw you use on the vor'cha klingon ship work for the windows in place of crystal clear?

[@Zeus-se9pv]

Is there a way I could buy finished kits with decals and lighting? Because I really love these but I'm not really good at building models.

[@valkyrie013]

Hi Boyd! Great build, However some Information. In Star Trek 3 and 6 the Warp Nacelles were NOT I repeat NOT Lighted! They stayed grey/metal. They started to be lighted in that Voyager Flashback episode with Tuvok. and the DS9 CGI had them lit incorrectly. Just letting you know!

[@TrekWorks]

Yep, they weren't lighted in any of the movie scenes but I figured they should be lighted and I chose to do them the way they appeared later in TNG and the other shows where this class of ship appeared.

[@Graftanker98]

Im going to try and duplicate this

[@Barbariandisks]

which version of the excelsior did you do, the NX or the other one?

[@TrekWorks]

I built it as the NCC-2000 version.

[@UpDownLeft11]

Someone recently posted a ton of reference photos to imgur, not sure if a link will work m.imgur.com/a/V98w5 and you can see some detail shots of the windows.

[@TrekWorks]

Thanks for the link, some really good reference photos for sure!

[@knowles217]

how the U.S.S. Excelsior fit on 1/1000 Boyd easy kit to do for me

[@TrekWorks]

It goes together easily Brian. A really nice kit.

[@knowles217]

it look all parts are free of slash Boyd talk one of guys on model shop Yesterday he say on Warp nacelle on old kit where blend I was not sure if round 2 redue the Warp nacelle on new kit do Warp nacelle on Excelsior unlike the enterprise b you did years ago Boyd

[@gregorylopez9060]

Gregory Lopez again I just want to let any happy model Builders if they can help me out the Starship Enterprise classy the lights went out on me and I was wanting to know if somebody can help me fix it

[@robertjensen1438]

Just a comment for the algorithm

[@UKGtrotter2k]

look online for COB LEDS as you can get them in various colours and sizes

[@poopyzander]

Do you mask off the smd nav lights for painting? Or do you paint first then add the smd nav lights?