Since last time, I decided that I really wasn’t happy with the paint layer I’d applied to the Enterprise lower saucer. It was too patchy, some dust had gotten trapped in it and it simply wasn’t good. On top of that, the light block coat on the inside didn’t reflect light particularly well and just bothered me. After looking at some advice online, I decided that a turpentine bath would allow me to clean off the paint and start over.
Bad idea.
The inside came off a little too easily in some places, and not at all in others. 
Some areas of the outer side wouldn’t come off at all.
Not only did the paint stripping not entirely work, but the bath has left the plastic weaker and much more prone to cracking. As I worked around the saucer to peel and scrape off the paint I felt it buckle beneath my fingers, leaving some cracks around the edge near the windows and just feeling brittle. As I said, disaster.
This, plus some warping of the top saucer section led me to one conclusion:
I need another kit.
Next time… in TOS Enterprise post 6
The new TOS Enterprise kit arrived today from MID Hobby, a Danish store I just found (and can highly recommend). This now allows me to experiment a little more and make some mistakes. My existing secondary hull and nacelles can continue to be used but I now have some breathing room to figure out issues such as:
- How to drill out every hole (a few hundred I think) from the inside of the warp nacelles
- Trying to paint the deflector copper while still allowing some blue light through
- Mounting the shuttlebay and bridge
Fingers crossed there’ll be no Disaster Part II.
