My Enterprise D ‣ STAGE 65

Return to the BUILD

“Add two more deck panels to your expanding lower saucer assembly and see their supersized windows light up for the first time.“

NOTE: I will be presenting TWO different paths to build this Enterprise D partwork model. This is because after Stage 58, I completely tore my own model down and started on my Model Remodel journey. However, I have access to a second Enterprise D partwork that is being built in stock form, so I can show both methods here.

The normal BUILD section below will show the ‘stock’ way of installing the parts with any tips and tricks I find along the way.
The new MODEL REMODEL section will describe the changes I made during this stage including any painting, lighting, electronics, wiring, etc.

Parts

Materials: All of the non-electrical parts in this stage are plastic.

Build

Assembling Deck Panel L2-05

Step A

Carefully remove seven (7) Clear Windows and ten (10) Dark Windows from their sprues and fit them into matching openings on the back of Deck Panel L2-05, as shown.

Reminder: The longer ‘lip’ of each Window (arrows below) should face the wider end of the panel:

While not shown here, I still recommend using pieces of black electrical tape or aluminum tape to seal in the Dark Windows to prevent light leak:

Fit Reflector Panel L2-05-A onto the back of Deck Panel L1-05 covering the windows as shown, then secure the Panel into place with one (1) BP screw at this location:

Connecting the Lights

Step B

Retrieve your Saucer assembly from Stage 61 and place it upside down on a soft surface. Connect the plugs of the two Deck Panel Lights to these sockets marked ‘A’ on Saucer PCB 1:

Route each LED of your first Deck Panel Lights cable out through these two separate openings of the Lower Skeleton.

The LED on the red/black wires will be needed in this stage and the LED on the green/yellow wires will be fitted in a later stage. Just for visibility purposes, I have removed the color from these pictures to highlight the wires we are working with:

Route both LEDs of the second Deck Panel Lights out through this opening in the Lower Skeleton:

With your Deck Panel L2-05 assembly upside down, slide the two LEDs of the second Deck Panel Lights cable into the matching notches of the Reflector Panel L2-05-A as shown.

Be sure these LEDs are fully inserted and catch on the small pin inside each notch. You can lift the Reflector away from the Panel, if needed:

Finish securing the Reflector Panel L2-05-A to the Deck Panel with two (2) BP screws.

This should now hold the two LEDs in place:

Fitting the Deck Panels

Step C

Fit this Deck Panel L2-05 to the Lower Skeleton Frames, aligning it to the adjoining center panels as shown.

To make a bit more room for this LED wiring, I gently bent their leads down and underneath the panel:

Next, slide this Deck Panel under the edge of the nearby panel:

There is a locating pin on the side of this Deck Panel that should be pressed fully into this alignment hole:

If needed, you can loosely install one (1) FM screw to hold this panel into place:

Now, fit the single LED (red/black wires) of the first Deck Panel Lights into this matching notch of the Reflector Panel, as shown.

If necessary, you can use a small piece of thin clear tape across the top of this LED to hold it in place:

Retrieve your Deck Panel L1-05 assembly from the previous stage. Fit this Panel to the Lower Skeleton, sliding the wider outer lip of this Panel under the first Deck Panel.

I first slid the lower lip of this Deck Panel L1-05 under the upper edge of the Deck Panel L2-05 we just installed (yellow arrow), then slightly angled Panel L1-05 so its two tabs could slide under the panel to the left (red arrows), as shown:

Align the three mounting tabs of Deck Panel L1-05 and Deck Panel L2-05 to the Lower Skeleton holes and secure them into place with three (3) FM screws.

This is your friendly reminder to try using 3-in-One Oil on all screws going into metal:

If desired, slide the Saucer Switch to the ‘ON’ position to test these new lights.

That step ends this stage of the stock build. Below you will find the details on what I changed in this stage as part of my Model Remodel.