Now that you have your tools, your goals, and a great space to work, it's time to begin. There are several build diaries on this particular model on line to use as reference (as well as the afore mentioned Star Fleet Assembly Manual.) I won't go into detail here but I will share some observations and some of my own tips with you.

The first is, build sub sections. The Polar Lights 1/350 refit directions recommend doing this as well (I haven't built that model yet... I'll need more practice!) The benefit is you can work on separate parts of the ship in parallel. I recommend the Saucer (or primary hull,) the Secondary hull, and each nacelle as separate sub assemblies. You can do most of the work on each section, including seam filling and sanding, priming, and in some cases even painting and decals, before completing the assembly. This way, while the glue or putty dries on one subsection, you can work on another. I started with the secondary hull as it had some seams to fill and sand so it seemed like a good place to start developing my skills there. It's also large enough an easy enough to undo any potential mistakes.

Glue: You only need a small amount of glue and the needlepoint makes it easy to put a precise amount of glue down. The liquid cement actually breaks down (or you could say melts!) the plastic creating a strong bond. As it glues the area will be slightly soft so be careful to not touch it after the initial bonding. You should hold the parts together for a minute or so then to keep the parts firmly together use some painters tape or other masking tape to hold them together while they dry for a few hours. if seems show up after drying, try to put some glue on the seam and carefully hold it in place. If that doesn't work you might need to use some putty.

Seams and Putty: I put the two upper halves together, let them dry, then noticed some seams on the dorsal and along the spine. The first thing to try is sanding the seam. A sanding stick is useful here. If the seam is still present or to wide then apply some modelers putty. In this case, I used my finger to apply the putty generously. Some experienced modelers will be able to use less putty (Matt Swan has a good method demonstrated on his site) but for now use a good amount. Once it dries, use some coarse sand paper or sanding sticks to smooth it down. Once you have it fairly smooth, spray some primer over it and inspect the seam. You might see some high areas but even if you don't sand the seam again. The primer will help identify where you may have some uneven surfaces that are too difficult to see. A magnifying glass is also very useful.

Surfacing: Once you get the seam taken care of you might notice some scratches on the surfaces. This is normal. Sometimes you can smooth them out with medium then fine sand paper. Others might be taken care of with a shot of primer. If you still see scratches then you might need to use a surfacer. This was apparent to me on the saucer where I had done some sanding on the upper surface. This is where the Mr. Surfacer comes in. Mr. Surfacer comes in a spray can of either 500, 1000, or 1200 'grit', the higher the grit the smoother the finish. By spraying Mr. Surfacer on the affected area, small cracks and scratches will be filled in. It works well as a micro seam filler like putty. Other areas might benefit as well so experiment with it. It does go on thick so be careful. For tight areas it also comes in a paint bottle that you can brush on. A word of warning though: It will damage paint so make sure you use it before painting.

Once your sub assemblies are complete you can either finish them off with paint and decals, or just assemble them and then prime and detail the model. Some of the joining areas of this model require some special attention. It is recommended that you use Super Glue (CA) on the connection between the primary and secondary hulls, as well as when connecting the nacelles. Take care to align everything before putting glue down as if you use Super Glue you will have a VERY hard time getting them apart again. You may also have to trim the parts to have them sit correctly. Line them up carefully and hold onto them for a long time to keep them aligned while the glue dries. A crooked saucer or sagging nacelle is nothing anyone wants. I chose to assemble the primary and secondary hull sub assemblies and then prime and paint them. This way I could fill the seam between the two and then paint them. I finished off the nacelles by painting them and placing decals on them. I then glued the nacelles to the rest of the ship.

As mentioned above, the final step in building the model will be adding details. This is the point in time where can place your stamp on the model. Painting and applying decals can be one of the more delicate parts of the build so this is a section where you really want to take your time.

Painting: If you're a novice like me you will probably want to use spray paint for this build. I laid down my base color on the entire model (or sub assemblies) first and then painted details afterwards. In hindsight I might have masked off the detail areas (where I could) to make it easier to cover the model without streaking the paint or needing to apply several coats. Paint masking is placing painters tape over areas where you want to protect the current color, or where you will paint another color. This will be important on the nacelles as they have the only real areas where detail painting is needed. You may just have to wrap an area with the painters tape but in some areas you might have to use a razor knife or xacto knife to trim the mask. Be careful to make sure the tape is firmly in place so paint does not seep under the seam of the tape. Carefully remove the tape when the paint dries. You should allow at least an hour for paint to dry. Just because it looks dry in 10 minutes does not mean it is. Also be careful if painting over other paints. Mixing different paint types might lead to damage of the finish. I found some 'swirling' of paint when the paint mixed because it was not dry enough. If you have too much paint, drips, or finger prints, use some sand paper to smooth it out after it dries completely and then repaint.

Colors: Most of the model will be one color. The actual color of the Enterprise has been a subject of much debate in the past. This is mainly due to the varied lighting affects used when the original series was produced. The shooting model was painted with a partially reflective paint that showed up different colors when shot under certain lights. You can find many opinions on line and in print as to the 'correct' color, CultTVMan has many pictures of the actual shooting model both before and after it was restored by the Smithsonian. There are also debates on the Starship Modeler website and Paul Newitt SFAM lists the 'actual' color of the Enterprise and how to make it (or buy it.) You have the option of following this advice or choosing the color that makes the most sense to you. For my model I chose to use 'Light Grey.' It is close enough to the shooting color but a bit darker, more reminiscent of the 'Remastered' Enterprise. Another popular choice is 'Camouflage Grey' which is a bit lighter than 'Light Grey' and is similar to what you might see on the screen or in photographs. Other colors can be discerned from the images on the model's box, the instructions, and on line references.

Decals: The last step after everything is painted is to apply the decals. Here the recent Round 2 version of this model really shines. Not only does it include every window, marking (major and minor) but it includes several variations of those decals that allow you to really make the model yours. There are alternate names and registry numbers allowing you to build any ship, not just the Enterprise, but if you want to make your build the Enterprise, you'll be able to choose from four different versions! You can mark your ship as it appeared in the 1st pilot ("The Cage") or the 2nd pilot ("Where No Man has Gone Before") or the final shooting version's markings. For even more variation, you can decal your ship to look like the I.S.S. Enterprise from the episode "Mirror, Mirror." However you choose to decal your ship, there are a few things to keep in mind:

When you are all done and every decal is placed, coat the model with a dull coat (again from Testors) that will take the 'shine' off the model and give it a more realistic look. If you run into trouble, don't panic. Read up on decals and finishing at the Starship Modeler Forums. There you'll find help not only adding finishing touches, but also what to do when things go wrong. I found a great deal of help here by reading through the threads on decals and finishing as well as asking the occasional question.

Accurizing, Lighting, and More: While the AMT Enterprise is the most long lived model of the big 'E' it does have it's flaws. In some cases there are simple changes you can do to make the kit look even more like the Enterprise. There are several build journals on CultTVMan as well as reference materials and a history of the AMT kit in their Star Trek section. Starship Modeler has several articles as well, many demonstrating how you can make your model more accurate which is sometimes referred to as 'accurizing'. SFAM also has a section on refitting your model with other parts to improve the accuracy of your build. Of course, you could build a very accurate model of the U.S.S. Constellation using this kit as is. When the TOS episode "The Doomsday Machine" was shot, a bashed up AMT Enterprise kit was used to represent the Constellation in the show!

Some builders have also added electronics and lights to their ship. This is a very advanced technique that should be well understood before attempting. You might actually build a non-lit kit first to get to know the model before attempting to light your ship.

The kit has gone through a long list of changes and improvements in its lifetime. Jay Chladek has written a wonderful article for CultTVMan that details the long history of this kit that offers insights for the new modeler like myself. This model is great learning kit for the novice modeler. If you take your time, you can learn a great deal about modeling and enter into a whole new community of modelers who enjoy their hobby. As with anything, you'll get out what you put in, but the best thing about modeling is, if you don't like the outcome, you can always get another kit and try again!

Thanks for reading, if you'd like to comment on my build, just catch up with me on the Starship Modeler Forums under the nickname crikerat.