Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Hey Everyone, I understand that when building your electronics for your starships, it is best to insulate electrical connections using heat shrink tubing. I've picked up a package at Radio Shack, and I have a question: What temperature is needed? I'm going to have to get a heat gun, but I don't need...

Hey SJM, The book "Famous Spaceships of Fact and Fantasy, 2nd Edition" has a great article on lighting the Enterprise D. http://www.amazon.com/Famous-Spaceships-Fantasy-Kalmbach-Publishing/dp/0890245630 But at the time the book was written, CCFLs weren't avaiable, so the author used small ...

Hey SJM, Actually, I hadn't considered that route. But looking on Evilbay, it seems as though you can get 2x 6" tubes for $5 + shipping. The Miller Engineering kit uses a 4.5V circuit. By using LEDs, it looks like you can keep the voltage fairly low, instead of using a 12V power supply. Why do ...

I'm still putting together the lighting plan for my Enterprise D, but here's what I have planned so far: 4 - 5mm Red leds for the bussard collectors 1 - 5mm Red led for the main impulse engine 8 - 1.8mm Red leds for the port running lights. 8 - 1.8mm Green leds for the starboard running lights. 1 - ...

It looks like the experimenter's kits from Miller Engineering runs off of a 4.5V power supply. I want to use a 9V power supply to run a 555 blinking light circuit and power multiple LEDs for a starship lighting project. Is there a way of stepping down the current so that only one wall wart can be us...

Hey Everyone, I'm looking for a thick tape that can be used as an edge for scribing panel lines. I was watching a video of a pro model builder building the Yamato, and he used some type of thick edged tape when rescribing the panel lines. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuDk28a2dho&feature=PlayLi...

Get a pin vise.

http://www.micromark.com/MICRO-HAND-DRILL,7045.html

It's one of the best $10 I've spent on tools.

-Tchail

Has anyone heard of wire glue?

Does anyone have an opinion of this?

(It would seem to be a safe way of dealing with those tiny surface mount LEDs...)

http://www.wireglue.us/

http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-st ... ./-/1.html

I see that no one's replied, so I thought I'd offer a few suggestions. The first tip I can offer is to learn something about basic electronics. While the concepts are not necessarily difficult, you will need to know something about the difference between wiring components in series and in parallel, ...

Looks like he has a pack of 100 3mm white leds available for $16.00.

Seems too good to be true.

And shipping is free, too.

-Tchail

Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

By far, the best deal seems to be through Ebay dealer cwithk.

NNYGamer,

What has your experience with with that seller?

-Tchail

Does anyone know of a cheaper source for 3mm white leds?

I've been buying mine from Fiber Optic Products, but they're $1.25 a piece.

Thanks in advance,

-Tchail

Can anyone recommend a method for cutting 1mm plastic fiber optic?

I used modeling snips, but they're pinching the ends.

Does anyone have another suggestion?

Thanks,

-Tchail

I'm told that before applying decals, it's best to apply a clear coat to your model in order for decals to set better.

But what about the clear parts on your kit?

Should you mask off all clear parts before applying a clear coat?

Thanks in advance,

-Tchail

I'll second Sparky's recommendation of Fiber Optic Products.

http://www.fiberopticproducts.com/

I've placed a few orders with them, and they've always been very quick to ship.

-Tchail

I'm planning on taking a 3mm led and filing it down to fit in a 1mm hole.

Has anyone done this before?

Do you have any pictures to share?

Thanks in advance,

-Tchail

Thanks John!

Out of curiosity, how much do you charge for just the cable?

-Tchail

Does anyone know of a source for 6v AC Adaptors? I'm doing some kit lighting, and the Radio Shack 273-1454D used to be a good, cheap (under $10) AC adaptor. But Radio Shack no longer seems to be making them, and I really haven't been able to find anything comperable on the internet. Any help would b...

Has anyone tried taking two (or more) fiber optic strands and lensing them together?

Is it possible to get a "ribbon" effect in this manner?

Something that I've been wondering about..

Thanks in advance,

-Tchail

I finally made an order with fiberopticproducts.com On the whole, I was very impressed. I placed an order on Thursday morning, and had the package in my hand by Friday. They even changed their base shipping charge to reflect the actual cost. As part of my order, I purchased 3 feet of their LG64-25 j...

There's a place out there called Fiber Optic Products:

http://www.fiberopticproducts.com/

Has anyone dealt with them?

I can't seem to find any contact info.

-Tchail

Does anyone remember the jacketed fiber optic cable that AMT used to sell with their Star Trek kits? (Such as the Enterprise-D and DS9). Can anyone suggest where to get equivalent fiber optic cable? There used to be a place called Todd's House of Fiber, but it doesn't seem to be around any more. I h...