LSP_Kevin Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 With today's announcement that Leonard Nimoy has died, I thought I might pull out my Polar Lights Enterprise kit and build it as a tribute. I don't really have the room on my bench or the time in my life right now for another build, but it just somehow felt like an appropriate time to make a start on this one. As you can see in the photo, I've actually got two of them...but not really. The kit on the right I bought off eBay as a parts kit, hoping it would have enough going for it to be salvageable as a full build. It didn't. What it did have, however, was a resin saucer section that looked to be part of some conversion set for this kit. When I enquired about it online, a very generous fellow on ARC offered to swap me a full kit for the resin bits in this kit. This is where the kit on the left comes from. It has in fact already been started, but as far as I can tell, everything is there: If not, I can probably salvage what I need from the parts kit. Check out those chunky sprues! Definitely not what we're used to with modern aircraft kits. I've found this a common theme with sci-fi kits - even relatively modern ones; they're mostly quite crude. This series of kits is in fact designed to snap together without glue, and actually includes a set of stickers alongside traditional waterslide decals: And the instructions are about what you'd expect for this type of kit: I'll still have to examine them quite carefully though, as alternate parts abound to make subtly different versions of NCC-1701. I was hoping that I could actually combine the two kits and have enough parts to build two models, each representing a different example of the kit's versions. Sadly, without the saucer parts, there's no point. Anyway, I have no idea how much time I'll be able to devote to this kit, but I devote the build nevertheless to the memory of Leonard Nimoy - Live Long and Prosper! Kev LSP_K2, Girlscanplay2, Uilleann and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Kool Kev, just the other day I found this Enterprise Pizza cutter and had to have it for some dumb reason. I've not used it yet, I think we will have Pizza tonight! EmperorKai, Girlscanplay2, LSP_Matt and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Such a cool idea, Kev. I considered the same thing, but all of my ST stuff representing ships from the original series, are long gone. I have a few from the Next Generation ST, but of course that wouldn't be the same. With the loss yesterday of this iconic star, a tribute seems most appropriate. Uilleann 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Thanks fellas. As it happens, I've struck a hurdle already. My assumption that all the parts are there has turned out to be wrong, as I'm missing part #3, highlighted in the image below: This is a fairly fundamental piece, so I can't really complete the build, or even progress much further, without it. It's very unlikely that I'll be able to find a replacement, too (though sing out if you've got one!). Kev Uilleann 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee White Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Impulse engine. If you can cut a part out that approximates the shape of it as seen from dead astern, you can glue that to the model, and fair it in with miliput or Aves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 I feel for ya', Kev, I really do. I have a similar issue with a 1:72 Me 262 I'm working on, flaps and ailerons are missing from one wing (I have no idea why I removed them in the first place), and I'll never find them, so it looks like I'll be adding them back from plastic sheet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 I'm putting the word out among my (admittedly limited) sources, to see if anybody has this kit and can cast a copy of that part for me. I'll work on the non-saucer parts in the interim. Kev Uilleann 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Here's another indication of the target audience for this kit: A copyright statement moulded on the outside of the part! Kev LSP_Matt, Girlscanplay2, Uilleann and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloorwestSiR Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Nice tribute build. Try contacting Polar Lights and see if you can get a replacement. I have heard that they have great customer service. I gave away most of my original series kits but still have the 1/350 refit in the stash along with a resin 1/537 Klingon Bird of Prey. I don't know when I'll ever get to the refit since it's about a metre long when finished and I have a hard enough time figuring where to put my built LSPs. Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Try contacting Polar Lights and see if you can get a replacement. Polar Lights went out of business quite a few years ago, and the tooling and brand are now owned and marketed by Round 2. They have a policy that they won't replace parts for kits purchased under the original Polar Lights brand, only stuff they've sold themselves since they took over. I went down this path trying to obtain a replacement saucer for the other kit! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloorwestSiR Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Polar Lights went out of business quite a few years ago, and the tooling and brand are now owned and marketed by Round 2. They have a policy that they won't replace parts for kits purchased under the original Polar Lights brand, only stuff they've sold themselves since they took over. I went down this path trying to obtain a replacement saucer for the other kit! Kev Well, so much for that idea Carl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 Well, so much for that idea Carl Yeah, it's frustrating, but there are plenty of these kits around, so I'm hoping someone local can help me out with either a replacement part, or more likely, a resin copy of one. Fingers crossed! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SciFi58 Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 I have one, Kevin. PM me an address. LSP_Kevin and Uilleann 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 1, 2015 Author Share Posted March 1, 2015 I have one, Kevin. PM me an address. Cool! PM coming up... Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nessus Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 If not, I can probably salvage what I need from the parts kit. Check out those chunky sprues! Definitely not what we're used to with modern aircraft kits. I've found this a common theme with sci-fi kits - even relatively modern ones; they're mostly quite crude. This series of kits is in fact designed to snap together without glue, and actually includes a set of stickers alongside traditional Kev With all due respect for the intent of your build Kev, I think your statement is quite misguided regarding the quality of sci-fi kits. Sure, there will always be those kits which don't seem to fit so well, but as you point out in a later post, the kit is made for a certain market. These exist in every genre - isn't someone building an Airfix DH88 Comet? I threw that out because even my 8 year old hated it. Modern Bandai, Wave and Hasegawa injection kits fit really well, even some of the new resin kits which are 3D printed for masters are great (check out the kits available at Industria Mechanika). At the end of the day, you will put in as much effort into the subject as you are willing, regardless of the problems thrown at you. Sometimes that means you stop too. Live Long And Prosper Brendan LSP_Kevin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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