Ron's 1701 build pic
- Thread starter spaceagent-9
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THE DC
Highly Esteemed Member
they are 3 chasing amber lights in a Halloween bling pumpkin necklace. I took it apart and tubed it all inside black paper. then I put a clear diamond end of that with a gold picnic plate made of plastic, push molded into a dome. I sanded the point of the diamond flat.
for some reason the glue didn't work right, and sealing the saucer was very hard, in fact I am giving up on this one. I will keep trying on it in my spare time but I am going to build another one I have had printed out for a while, with a different method for the lighting.
https://www.facebook.com/jim.sapp.902/videos/1812115595739501/
https://www.facebook.com/jim.sapp.902/videos/1812115595739501/
- Apr 5, 2013
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Looks pretty good. I can see where the glue gave you some problems, but that's still better than 90% of the ones I've see, add the lighting, Bussard Collectors, and that number goes way up! 
thanks! I am going to make 5-8 ecandles in the nacelles next one, separated by black paper sections with a clear or amber diamond on top and with a gold dome. I might print black on the back side of the sheet also, to reduce light leaking. then a big one. might even do some red lasers with phaser sounds... wish I could do blue beams. my big Ktinga burnt out, now I have an excuse to do the st6 nacelle grids and some layer platings!! I wont even try to move or get a job until after Christmas lol!
Yeah, sealing the saucer seems to be one of the more challenging portions of any saucer build of the various Enterprise designs.
I had build 5 or 6 of them in my testing and building to the final version. If I started at the front and alternated sides, gluing only 3 tabs at a time (waiting for it to set) then checking the rear to make sure it is lined up and then going to the opposite side seemed to work the best for me. Large areas like this are prone to misalignment and warping. Working slow and having a lot of patience waiting worked the best for me.
Best to you on future endeavors!
Your friend,
Ron Caudillo
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I think that a fundamental design approach should be considered. A outer ring should encompass the two saucer sides, as the norm, but these should be recessed the thickness of 110 lb. card stock, the inner ring should be thick, which would allow the fitting in sections for the final outside pieces. Done with care and research, panel lines could could be used as guidance, and these panel lines could be shaped such that instead of being perpendicular lines, the look like the pic below. The Green piece is the "inside glue it on who cares how it looks piece", and the outside ring is the "finished" outside. I did this in around 10 minutes, forgive the simplicity. The TOS Enterprise does have panel lines, though they are barely visible. You can see them on the original model used for the show. I would hate to see them fill them in and make smooth because in reality, it would be very hard to make a ship like that, which is why I believe (opinion here) on all other Star Trek ships they show segmented lines. Just an idea. I use spirals on wheels to make them go together easier. You would have to make a graduated spiral for what I showed but the Enterprise could use much smaller spirals, just enough to give rigidity.
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that's a very good idea!!! I also thought of expanding the upper saucer outside ring by 4cm , so there would be an overlap on the join, and then after gluing, trim off the excess and sand with a disposable nail file.
I'm curious; would Horizontal strips of Paper, set radially from the Center of the Disc to the outer edge, assist with stiffening & shaping the Contours of the Disc?
Sort of like an internal 'skeleton', but without as many Ribs?
Alan
Sort of like an internal 'skeleton', but without as many Ribs?
Alan
Ron has that as part of his structural support, however, it interfeirs with the lighting I do, so I left it out, but I think that strips layered horizontally on the rim, maybe 4-5 thick, might solve it, and having the edge of the plate extend and trim it off might be the answer im looking for. I would have to light box the edge windows, but that wont be a problem.
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I'm curious; would Horizontal strips of Paper, set radially from the Center of the Disc to the outer edge, assist with stiffening & shaping the Contours of the Disc?
Sort of like an internal 'skeleton', but without as many Ribs?
Alan
They stiffen the heck out of wheels. In all honesty, these should be built with formers set up from the center point in a polar Array, with pieces of card stock locating and supporting the formers.
Again, quick and dirty. A picture speaks 1000 words, this would be done properly with the formers being spaced equally around the center. I think the Spiral is better for very small things, like wheels, or small scale spaceships.:
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I think you have to have supports inside or the saucer will eventually warp on the top and bottom sides. The outside ring will keep, but you would have no rigidity. It's easy enough to cut holes, or place supports so they act as light conduits. Unseen, it need not be symmetric. This, done thoughtfully, would make for an excellent sound mount for the saucer to the support.
I believe that you are right on that. Ron has some circular supports and a cone in the middle included with the model. the large blow up has something like you designed for both the refit and the tos. im thinking a white or yellow led in a piece of Styrofoam where the rim windows are would light them up well, and with black paper glued to the outside, would minimize light leaks. printing the backside of the model page black will help, providing that all the seams are backed with foil or black paper.
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I think with your ring concept, and formers, you could play Frisbee with the saucer section. That would be cool, a saucer Frisbee that looked like the Federation Saucer Section.
Didn't Wham-O market a "Star Trek' Frisbee similar to the Saucer, with all of the Graphics, to boot?
Thanks for the Tips; they'll be quite helpful as I continue with my 'Saladin' Class Refit!
Alan
Thanks for the Tips; they'll be quite helpful as I continue with my 'Saladin' Class Refit!
Alan
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Flies like crap, but I have to admit, I never heard of that before!! Geeky Cool!!
(It gets horrible reviews by the way. I mean "really horrible". )
(It gets horrible reviews by the way. I mean "really horrible".
)
Found it...
Now back to our regularly scheduled Program...
Alan
Now back to our regularly scheduled Program...
Alan