Thanks, mc, Gamera and mach71.
Great project, mach. I remember seeing that episode when it first aired. It was the talk of the school bus the next day. And that’s a tiny, little Enterprise!
And back to the refit Enterprise
First decal on the upper saucer
The Aztec decals were too long to fit the rear of the saucer, and ran into the bridge structure. Unfortunately, they were also too short for the front of the saucer, and don’t quite reach the bridge structure. When you trim the over-long decals, be sure to use a sharp knife.
A view of the under saucer; directions were to paint those green panels with a bright Testors color. Too bright, I thought, so I used Colourcoats RAF Sky Type S. Come to think of it, I don’t remember there being any green on the film Enterprise, so I don’t know that this is even correct.
And now, we pause for a brief rant about the kit’s decals.
From earlier posts in the GB, I learned some builders have had issues with the decals in various Polar Lights Star Trek kits—and I don’t doubt it for a minute.
On the one hand, the aztec decals are thick and uncooperative. I used MicroSet; MicroSol and finally the quantum torpedo: Walther’s Solvaset (which is known to dissolve decals with all the corrosive enthusiasm of a Horta). No way those decals were going to settle and snuggle into the engraved panel lines (which have all the petite finesse of a Western Front trench anyway). I soaked them repeatedly, and ended up using a full one-third of a whole bottle of Solvaset. Rather than “melting” the decal film, the Solvaset beaded up and just sat there on top of the decal, in little bunches like nesting tribbles.
I resorted to drawing a slit with a sharp knife along each panel line, and only then did those Aztec decals remotely behave themselves. And these tough decals actually dulled the blade! I changed blades three times before I was done with the top and bottom of the saucer—whenever the blade started to pull at the decal, rather than slicing through it.
The warp engine decals were not much better, but the insignia decals went on more satisfactorily.
Also, were I to build this kit again, I would remove all the bumps: like the phaser turrets and the protrusions located in four places around the circumference of the saucer. Decals are provided for them, but the moldings are excessively large, and the decals won’t settle over them without wrinkling and distorting. I followed the directions and used a q-tip to press the decals, but that only made the little bumps break through the decals and leave a nice white spot staring back. I used some acrylic craft paints to touch up those spots.
But in addition to being tough and Solvaset-resistent, the decals are also prone to cracking and splitting.
So: rant over, and I really must learn to govern my passions; they will be my undoing.
All I have left to do now is take some photos of the finished model. And when everything is said and done, at least from a normal viewing distance, Polar Lights’ Enterprise does look pretty good and impressive, resting on its display stand.