Return to the BUILD
“In this stage, your battle section power switch finds a discreet home in the ventral neck section, and another segment of the saucer comes together.“
Contents
Parts
Materials: The Deck Panel U2-01 is metal, but the rest of the non-electrical parts are plastic.
Magazine – Issue 10
- Assembly Instructions: Building the Model
- Episode Guide 2.15: Pen Pals
- Episode Guide 2.16: Q Who
- Episode Guide 2.17: Samaritan Snare
- Episode Guide 2.18: Up the Long Ladder
- Episode Guide 2.19: Manhunt
Build
Housing the Battle Section Switch
Step A
Retrieve your Battle Section Neck assembly from the previous stage. Fit the ON/OFF switch of the Battery Box into the matching slot on the underside of the Right Ventral Neck Panel as shown, and secure it into place with two (2) BP screws.
This ON/OFF switch has a very tall, black slider post on it. Since this sticks out of the hull for ease of use, I wanted to make it a bit less visible. Therefore, I first sanded the plastic switch post down until it barely stuck out of the Right Ventral Neck Panel, but could still be easily operated:
Then, I painted the switch post with some Citadel Administratum Grey Air acrylic paint. I had to make sure NOT to get any paint down inside the switch mechanism itself:
Finally, I mounted the switch to the Right Ventral Neck Panel per the instructions. I mounted this switch so the ON position is towards the front of the starship:
Now, this switch nicely blends into the surrounding panels and is not as obvious:
Assembling Deck Panel U2-01
Step B
Carefully remove four (4) Escape Pod Covers, three (3) Clear Windows and four (4) Dark Windows from their sprues and fit them into the back of Deck Panel U2-01, as shown.
Reminder: I sanded all of these windows down already. See The Windows page for more details:
As before, I used pieces of black electrical tape behind the Escape Pod Covers and Dark Windows to reduce light leak:
I also colored the backs of a couple Clear Windows with my Turquoise Brush Sharpie to add a little color variety:
Retrieve your Deck Panel U3-02 assembly from Stage 33. Fit this panel over the windows of the Deck Panel U2-01 we just completed, aligning the upper screw holes as shown:
Slide the LED on the white/yellow wires of the Deck Panel Light into this slot of the Deck Panel U3-02 assembly, as shown:
Secure Deck Panel U3-02 to Deck Panel U2-01 with two (2) EM screws.
This is your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:
Fitting Deck Panel U3-03
Step C
Retrieve your Upper Skeleton assembly that we last worked on in Stage 31 and your Deck Panel U3-03 assembly from the previous stage. Thread the Deck Panel Lights of this Deck Panel through this opening at the right rear of the Upper Skeleton:
I prefer to add these Deck Panels with everything upside down. It seems to make it easier to route wires and secure the panels into place:
Thread the loose LED on the white/yellow wires of the Deck Panel Lights back down through the Upper Skeleton through this opening:
Fit this loose LED into this slot of the Deck Panel U3-03 reflector, as shown.
You may need to temporarily loosen the BP screws holding the reflector to the panel to get this LED into place:
Fit Deck Panel U3-03 to your Upper Skeleton, as shown.
To get this panel to fit into the skeleton better, I gently bent the leads of this LED alongside the edge of the panel:
Secure Deck Panel U3-03 into place with two (2) DP screws:
Fitting Deck Panels U2-01 and U3-02
Step D
Take the Deck Panel assembly we built in Step B and thread the upper Deck Panel Lights cable through this opening of the Upper Skeleton:
Fit this Deck Panel assembly to the Upper Skeleton as shown.
I loosely installed one (1) BM screw here to temporarily hold the Deck Panel assembly in place:
Fit the loose LED of the same Deck Panel Lights cable into this top slot of the Deck Panel U3-03 reflector, as shown:
Begin securing this Deck Panel assembly to the Upper Skeleton with six (6) BM screws.
This is the first time I’ve noticed it, but in order for the lower Deck Panels to sit flush, the edge of Deck Panel U3-03 needs to fit under the reflector of the neighboring Deck Panel U3-02, as shown:
Then, I tightened the first BM screw I installed earlier and added the five remaining screws:
Continue securing this Deck Panel assembly with two (2) DP screws here:
Finish securing this Deck Panel assembly with four (4) EM screws, as shown:
We can test these new window lights by connecting the three Deck Panel Lights cables to the PCB and Battery Box:
Thoughts
We have now installed our first Deck Panels at the rear half of the upper saucer. The more panels we add, the more this Enterprise D model is looking like it should. While it will not be finished until Issue 15, I am excited to see the upper saucer hull approaching completion!
Next Up
Stage 36 – Deck Panel U1-01, Windows/Reflectors/Lights, Transporter Emitter Pad, Docking Alignment Light