Bandai's 1/850 Enterprise (1701)

Ooops, forgot to ask: most people recommend gluing some parts together to prevent light leakage - what's the best type of glue to use on this kit?

Thanks

Having not seen the kit yet, this is the only question I can answer.

If the kit does come with bulbs, then yes, it's worth replacing them with LEDs. First, LEDs last longer than bulbs do, meaning you won't have to take the kit apart as often to replace lights. Second, LEDs glow at a cooler temperature than bulbs, meaning the plastic around them won't get as much thermal stress. (This is a small consideration at the scale we're discussing, but every little bit adds up.) Finally, LEDs use less electricity than bulbs do, meaning either your electricity bill will be slightly lower (if you're running the lighting off the household power main) or you won't have to replace batteries as often (if you're running the lighting off batteries) - either way, you save money in the long run.

Thanks for the info Rob - now all I need is for someone to post here and say that the 'bulbs' in the kit are in fact LEDs! ;)

Anyone care to confirm/deny please?

Thanks

Nope - they are filament-type bulbs. You will need a teeny bit of wiring skill to replace them with LEDs - LEDs only work when the current is flowing the proper direction. The other thing to watch out for is the fact that the light from LEDs is much more directional than bulbs - the light mostly comes out of the top. You'd need to fiddle around with some practice LEDs to find a way around this. IIRC, the "greenish" color of the nacelles is due to the somewhat yellowish light passing through the blue plastic, so a white LED would fix that. As for gluing, it's regular styrene. The problem is that with the pre-painted parts, it would be easy to get some on the outside, thus messing up the nice paint. Obviously, sanding seams is right out unless you want to re-do the whole thing. Over on Starshipmodeler.com there is a pretty extensive set of hints and such about the kit, and there is a forum section where you could ask further questions.

also has both forum for questions and reviews/buildups. Bopth sites are great sources for this kind of thing, and all of your questions have been hashed out there.

To send mail, delete kevbo3 and replace with kekker1 at the same sorry provider.

Check out this link for the colors of the Enterprise!

The reason the flux chillers (inboard parts of the warp nacelles) look "green" is because the light bulb (not an LED) is in position at the aft end of the nacelle. The light is brighter aft than it is forward. The chiller is a transluscent blue, but with the light on it diffuses as it moves forward so it looks green.

I really don't think you can fix this with an blue LED. (The light would still diffuse) You probably could with Lightsheet- but I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to mount it in there. Interior space is *extremely* limited.

No, they're wheat bulbs. Incandescent- filament type that is. I'm fairly happy with them, I wouldn't replace em with LEDs. Sure, the bulbs have a shorter life, and once they burn out you're basically SOL. Taking apart an assembled "mashed-together" kit like the Bandai Refit E would be very tricky. I had to mash those parts together building it and it's really tightly held together. But I'm not turning the lights on that much- bulb life is the least of my concerns. My biggest issues with the kit are:

-light leaks and gaps

-the stickers that cover the wire trenches on the nacelle pylons

-the lit deflector dish being too bright and clear.

*Federation Models sells a blue resin insert for the main deflector. I simply sanded the inside of the deflector and darkened the light housing behind it with a Sharpie marker

That's a lot of blue to fix- and I wouldn't want to risk damaging the Aztec patterns (best thing about the model) surrounding it. I'd leave it the way it is.

CA and liquid cements *will* attack the finish if you're not careful. The styrene is molded in black. If you flub it, you will have a VERY obvious black scar once the finish rubs off.

If you want to do the Refit right- wait for the 3-foot version Polar Lights will release next year. The Bandai Refit E is a nice, no brainer, fun kit...but "knocking out" the kit is more trouble than it's worth.

Oh, as mentioned before, I'd visit the boards at Starship Modeler.

There are hoards more folks that have better knowledge of the Refit E than I- and it's a nice community for sci-fi builders.

-- Sat aka Calculon @ SM

Thanks very much Kev, most helpful. :-)

Excellent stuff Sat, I really appreciate the advice. Very many thanks. :-)