Star Trek Under Glass

So, you might recall that I bought a new glass topped table for my kitchen when I finished the comic book floor.  It seemed a shame to put a wooden table in the middle of all that comic book glory.

Underneath that table there's a little smoked glass plate that I had a plan for, pretty much from before I even ordered it.

 

Plans!  I always have plans!

 

Years ago, I built a model of the original Enterprise bridge. It's a circular model, about 12 inches in diameter.  That smoked glass plate is...you guessed it.

Back when I built this model the first time, I never did assemble and paint the three figures that came with it.  Spock, Sulu and Kirk were the only ones supplied with that version and I was always annoyed that the whole crew wasn't included.

 

Back then, I considered buying another one, just to get enough figures to make up a bridge crew.

 

This AMT version is updated to include 6 figures with 10 interchangeable heads.  There was one female, obviously Uhura, along with 5 male figures.  The whole crew plus a couple of generic heads are included, but with only 5 male bodies I'd have been one short of the full compliment of Spock, McCoy, Kirk, Sulu, Scott and Checkov.  

 

Even with 6 figures, you still end up 1 crewman short.  

Plus, I really wanted a Yeoman Rand and Nurse Chapel.

 

Amazingly, I still had the three figures from the old version of the kit kicking around and was able to mix and match to get a complete seven figure bridge crew.  That I held on to these three tiny pieces of plastic for more than thirty years AND was able to actually find them was something of a minor miracle.

Here's the build:

 

This is the base in pieces, painted.

 

The walls of the bridge, initial coats of paint.

 

The bridge crew, headless and pantsless.

 

Some of the decals are quite impressive.

 

Putting Kirk in his place.

 

Walls and figures almost done.

 

Walls finished, decals applied.

 

Chairs and figures ready.

 

Railings installed, turbo lift and display area installed.

 

Close to complete. A couple of walls to go.

At this point, I have to install it under the table.  It won't fit if it's fully assembled, which is why those three wall panels above are not in place.

 

Split in half for installation below the glass tabletop.

 

Walls in place, stairs installed, both halves glued together.

 

At last, a bridge under glass!

 

So this is what I've been up to for the last few weekends.  Painting, assembling, building.  I'm pretty chuffed at this one.  It looks spectacular under my table, like it was made for it.

Which, in a way, it actually was.