K7 Space Station AMT Star Trek Kit - Terrible Seams

This old kit is causing problems. The three sections that attach to the main hub consist of three long cylinders. Not a snowball's chance these pieces will ever line up straight enough to offer fixable seams.
Anyone start this kit? I was considering cutting them off and finding some kind of cheap, light replacement tubing and go for there.
The three sections are around 6 inches long. Ideas as to what medium would work? Dowels would be the easiest but not sure if I could hide the wood grain.
thx - Craig

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Did it years ago. Can you replicate the tubing with PVC water pipe from the local hardware store? The ones around here usually have smaller stubs for sale.

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that would work. dang, another reason to go to a hardware store. :) there is a garden irrigation store nearby too. someone should have a 1/2 inch? pipe.
any special primer needed for pvc?
Craig

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I'd say to sand it lightly overall and prime it with a good flat white primer or even a Krylon primer.

Or you might check our an acrylic/plexiglass fabricator to see if they carry rods in the needed size....
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On Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:51:15 -0800 (PST), The Old Man
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Also: Plastic electrical conduit piping? 1"OD. Might be a little heavy?

rfranklin wrote:
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That's a point: if the tubes are held by the holes in the center section, you're definitely looking at a case of "droop-itus." I'm picturing a nut & bolt clamping together two disks of hard plastic with the tubes sandwiched inbetween to keep them oriented with respect to up/down. (You can depend on the holes to keep them oriented 120 degrees horizontally.)

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thx for that tip! will find some way to make the three tubes a single unit before joining the center section.
Craig

On 12/23/2010 7:49 PM, snipped-for-privacy@ripnet.com wrote:
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Weighs nothing in deep space.
PD