Tips for the 1/1000 TOS Enterprise

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Digger1

Tips for the 1/1000 TOS Enterprise

Post by Digger1 »

Tonight I had a couple of epiphanies (sp??? :? ) about my TOS Enterprise.

I took out my biggest, strongest clamp and clamped down the bridge to the saucer. I then applied the liquid tenax-like liquid cement to the underside of the upper saucer. This was to keep clear of any kind of gap between the B & C decks and the bridge dome and to keep excess glue from oozing out of the seam.

I also used the same clamp to hold the impulse engine thingy in place. It's not the impulse engine itself but the thing that lies atop the saucer and fits the pegs into the holes at the rear of the saucer. I clamped and let some cement seap down into the seam of the parts and a little underneath on the holes. A few minutes later, I took the clamp off and it was perfectly clean. No oozing, no gap. I applied the clamp so the edge was making full length contact with the part being cemented in place.

Found something I missed while installing the nacelles to the pylons. Make sure the slot where the tab will eventually go is trimmed enough to allow it to fit. I'm not talking about the rectangular hole exposing the nacelle interior to the pylon but the structure inside that's shaped like one of the structural "C"s on the inside of the nacelle. One of them is incomplete to allow you to insert the pylon tab and have it lock in place. Make sure its trimmed sufficiently to allow the tab to lock.

Also, on the same nacelle page. Don't try applying the pylon to only one half of the nacelle to get around having to lock it in place. That'll only (well, could) make the nacelle orientation somewhat skewed.

Don't join the saucer halves until you've secured the lower saucer to the neck. Once the lower saucer is in place and locked, apply thick, gap-filling CA glue to the seam around where the tabs of the neck enter the saucer...do this INSIDE the saucer half, not the outside. This will make sure the saucer stays in place. Even seemingly secure pieces have been known to pop off.
TheIrishAvenger
Posts: 341
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2004 2:04 pm
Location: Evans, CO-just south of the festering Greeley Mall gang-wars

Post by TheIrishAvenger »

"...Don't join the saucer halves until you've secured the lower saucer to the neck..."

"...Found something I missed while installing the nacelles to the pylons. Make sure the slot where the tab will eventually go is trimmed enough to allow it to fit. I'm not talking about the rectangular hole exposing the nacelle interior to the pylon but the structure inside that's shaped like one of the structural "C"s on the inside of the nacelle. One of them is incomplete to allow you to insert the pylon tab and have it lock in place. Make sure its trimmed sufficiently to allow the tab to lock.

Also, on the same nacelle page. Don't try applying the pylon to only one half of the nacelle to get around having to lock it in place. That'll only (well, could) make the nacelle orientation somewhat skewed..."


:roll: I wish you had posted this two nights ago :wink:

I'm right in the middle of one of these right now- my second model basically since high school. Forgot how much fun it could be! Thanks for the tips.

Chris
"Some say the alien didn't die in the crash. It survived and played poker and drank whiskey with the locals, until the Texas Rangers got wind of it and shot it dead."
TheIrishAvenger
Posts: 341
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2004 2:04 pm
Location: Evans, CO-just south of the festering Greeley Mall gang-wars

Post by TheIrishAvenger »

Hey Babaganoosh (or any reader for that matter) -another question?

I'm sanding and puttying away on this and I want to primer it so I can see how well my sanding's coming along. I have some Napa ColorCote flat gray rust preventative paint I was using on my truck as a primer, and I have some leftover. What do you think about using this on the model? Just wanted to avoid having to go out and buy more primer if this stuff would do. Maybe I'll do a little test run on something expendable to see how it does.

Thanks again,

Chris
"Some say the alien didn't die in the crash. It survived and played poker and drank whiskey with the locals, until the Texas Rangers got wind of it and shot it dead."
Andrew Gorman
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Location: Escaped from darkest suburbia!

Post by Andrew Gorman »

It should work just fine in a light coat- If you really want to goober it on, try it on the traditional "inconspicuous area" first. I buy all of my primers at the auto parts store.
Andrew
publiusr
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Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2002 1:47 pm
Location: Alabama

Post by publiusr »

Good advice.
Mikeym_us
Posts: 249
Joined: Sat Mar 26, 2005 3:12 pm
Location: Michigans Upper Penninsula

Post by Mikeym_us »

oh and make sure the primer your using isn't going to turn your model into a puddle of goo. not all primers are plastic friendly.
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