Category Archives: MODS

Model Remodel – Part One

Since we are held up by another shipping delay, it seems like a good time in my 1:900 scale U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D partwork adventure to do a few serious modifications. To document this, I have created a new Model Remodel series of articles around my journey to add more details, realism, and accuracy to my model. Fair warning though, I am going crazy with this one – including everything from resin windows to new lighting and sound effects!

On to the Remodel!

Window Sanding Fixture

If you read my Windows mod page, you know I have been sanding all of the saucer windows down to be more flush with the hull plating.

I was trying to put a ‘group buy’ together to get this little creation of mine into other builder’s hands. However, my CNC shop did not get back to me about it, so I decided it would be even better just to publish my 3D files to everyone. With these, you should be able to find a local CNC/Waterjet shop to have these made locally.

Check out the Windows page for more details, but here are the files. Enjoy!

DXF (AutoCAD Drawing Interchange Format)
STL (STereo Lithography)

Lifeboat Transfers

During the run of the Star Trek: The Next Generation television show, none of the Enterprise D model’s lifeboats (escape pods) on the outer hull were detailed. They were just painted squares as production did not expect them to be seen well on the small screen. However, when the ship appeared in the feature film Star Trek: Generations, the repainted six-foot shooting model was adorned with decals on each lifeboat as per the various blueprints created along the way:

Photo by Jim Pugliese

While I am building my model to represent the television show version, I do love the additional, accurate lifeboat details provided by this new Lifeboat Hatch Transfers mod I received from the infamous Mike Lane.

If this spacecraft were real, each lifeboat would surely be numbered individually to be readily identifiable. But, on the 6-foot model, they just used the same few numbers over and over again. Again, it was not expected that this detail would be noticed in the movie. This mod provides 500 incrementally numbered dry transfer decals that we can apply to each lifeboat on our model. He also offers a less expensive, sticker version of the same decals.

I will be adding these to my build once the top surface of the saucer is completed.