USS Enterprise NCC1701 Refit - Last Chance to make suggestions!

[legal01]

Next part the neck to join the two hulls. Starting with the internal structure needed to ensure that this part is strong enough to hold the two hulls without twisting and warping under the weight of the main hull. Next is the 1mm card now included around the torpedo launcher to maintain the shape of the part when the two hulls are joined. The last pictures show the neck joined to the secondary hull.

Next is the main hull structure and then the cladding.

[blkhrt]

Legal I was thinking that maybe you could add a long cardboard structure through the center of the neck, that passes the torpedo launcher by cutting a slot on the top, and could be glued to parts 12 and 14 of the secundary hulls internal structure. And on the top of this center piece glue two crossed cardboards cutting a slot on the top of the neck skin and cutting the same slots on the primary hull where it meets the neck, so they can be attached to the primary hulls internal structure rib. This way you avoid weight to be held by the neck or the torpedo launcher, and primary and secundary hull are not held together by glueing paper with paper

[blkhrt]

Just to make it simpler

[legal01]

blkhrt! Thanks for the suggestion, I have already tried that as an option but was met with too many problems to make it a workable solution. First problem the card discs in the secondary hull would have to move to make it workable and that would compromise the shape of the secondary hull and lead to problems on siting the arboreum. Next problem is the shape of the main hull, makes it impossible to side the joints into connect due to the lip of the main hull. Next problem is that only one internal spar per quarter of the main hull gives you no where to join the neck structure onto the main hull without adding a second spar into the main hull which deforms that main hull shape and lastly you are joining vertical to vertical with the neck spar and the main hull spar parallel to each other you can only join them by gluing them together and not slotting them into each other. As both hulls are closed this is impossible to achieve. If the neck part was one structure then you could glue the internal structure in place and then wrap the cladding around that but as it is two parts that is impossible.

Remember that the neck now has 4mm thick card inside it to stop the twisting of the two hulls and once joined to the main hull with flat sides there is no warping of twsiting possible. The actual joint of the torpedo section and the secondary hull is the only point of concern as tabs are not sufficient but that has already been addressed in the final amendments I have completed making a sold piece across the part to provide more area to glue and more structural strength to the torpedo section.

Thanks for the suggestion thou but if you can come up with a workable solution to the above problems I would love to see it and then I can have a bash at including it into the model design.

[legal01]

Nest big step is the main hull. Starting with the internal structure all 2mm thick card to provide all the strength needed to hold the shape where the covering card is only cladding and not structural.

I have included a lot of pictures of the structure as there are no instructions for this part yet (still being done!)

Start with the main spars, joined at the centre. Next the top cap to hold the structure then the top outer ring is joined. Next the 45 degree struts are added before the bottom cap it glued in place. Lastly the two bottom rings glue into place. The inner bottom ring is what gives the neck greater purchase when gluing the neck to the main hull.

[spaceagent-9]

I love that structure.

[legal01]

Next comes the cladding. I do not like using the tabs on this section as each disc of the hull is easy to attach underneath with tape as all if it will be hidden giving a much smoother hull effect. Start from the inside ring and work outwards to ensure they dont buckle when joining them.

I have included additional detail in the outer ring with the main door sunk into the ring and the windows for the recreation deck.

[spaceagent-9]

how do I save this thread?!?!??!

[legal01]

Some of the details going onto and in the structure before closing it up with the hull cladding, The recreation deck details, phaser banks, lights and manouvring thrusters that attach to the main hull once clad. \

The recreation deck is designed to fit inside the card structure of the deck to hold it in place.

[legal01]

Finally the cladding and edging for the main hull is glued in place. Only apply glue to the rings of the structure that are flat as this allows the cones on either side to float free and maintain a smooth shape. If you glue to the struts then the cones will become wavy. Lastly add all the smaller details and now the hull is complete ready for attachment to the neck and secondary hull.