In 2014, I embarked on my first model-making adventure, diving into a hobby that had always intrigued me: adding LEDs and fiber optics to models. I chose starships as my starting point, inspired by my love for the Star Trek franchise, particularly The Next Generation. The starships from this series are iconic, brimming with lights and intricate details, making them perfect candidates for my exploration into illuminated models. My first build (Enterprise E) was a bit rough around the edges, as I was diving into uncharted territory and learning a lot on the fly.

For this model, I have only pictures of the final result. It has three 3mm blue LEDs (for the engines) and one while LED powering the fibers.

I started disassembling model to add fiber optics in 2014. You can check my Enterprise E project here. After almost 10 years, I resumed this hobby. The Enterprise models were large, and I wanted to do something small and challenging. I have multiple small USS Enterprise models, one of them being this excellent miniature of the 1701-A ship from the original series. As you can see below, it's a very small model.

This was one of my most challenging builds for several reasons. Previous builds were pre-painted, but this time I had to paint the miniature model myself, which required learning new techniques and delicate decals. Being a miniature, I had to carefully design the space and determine the number of fibers to insert. Meticulously planning the order of tasks was crucial, as I had to drill, sand, insert fibers, paint, varnish, apply decals, and add more varnish without the ability to fix mistakes from prior stages.

I had the idea of building a rocket toy for our kid using probiotic bottles. This project also helped to learn how to paint with acrylics and how to simulate fire from the engines.

No electronics here, just a Bluey and Bingo themed cake I made for our son. To keep it as healthy as possible, I used no sugar or butter. Just sponge and crushed weet-bix for the base, crushed biscuits for the sand, and jelly for the ocean. It's the first time I attempt this, and I'm quite happy with the result 😀