Opening Windows - 1/1000 Polar Lights Enterprise

About the best way I have found is to drill a hole in the center of your opening, then work a square miniature file into the hole until it squares the edges. The files are tapered so the father in you go, the larger the opening gets. It's just tedious! I think for your Enterprise, it would be easier and more effective to back light the entire area, depending upon how many windows you have opened.

Can you get the tip of a fresh #11 blade in there?  I have squared off holes using the X-acto knife.

I have a set of needle files, but they are too big for the holes.  I can get.  Maybe the first millimeter or two into the hole, but not enough of the file to really be able to clear it out.  Are there files available that are smaller than a set of regular needle files?  If so, where would I get a set of them?

That's the way that I'm working on them, but you really can't get much of the blade into the window hole.  It's very tedious, but unless there is something smaller than a needle file, I figure that's the way that I'm going to have to end up doing it.

I used a dental drill bit to open the slot windows on AMT/ERTL's Enterprise D.  Those slots weren't much wider than one milimeter.  You can either order some, or ask your dentist for some used that he/she doesn't need anymore.  Then, clean up and square the edges with a sharp xacto blade.

Do you chuck the dental drill bit into a pin vice or do you put it into a dremel?

I used my dremel.  Use a really low speed, if it gets too hot, it will melt the surrounding plastic and make a bigger hole than you want.  Test the speed on some parts tree first.

After you get the hole drilled, flip the part over and remove some of the plastic around the window to widen the opeing.  It will make the hull wall look thinner (to look more in scale), and allow more light to exit the hull.

You should never open windows on a spaceship.  Same goes for a submarine!