Federation Commander

[count_zero99uk]

ok i have a craft knife, 3 files, one flat one round and one half round and some model filler.

so just file at it and hope for the best?

[djdood]

Those sensor dishes (Also on the oCL, FFB, NCl/NCA, and CVo) can be a pain. There are similar ones on the Kzintis too.

Just get in there with the files. I usually use the half-round file (since it comes to a point and can get into smaller spaces). It's also a handy double-tasker since it has that flat-side and the convex side - a quick flip and it can tackle the outside of the dish (as malleman mentioned). It usually only takes a few minutes to clean up.

I actually enjoy this part of the minis process the most - it's a bit like sculpting, but very forgiving. The white-metal is really hard, so it is usually pretty hard to take too much out.
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[Scoutdad]

To continue with 'dood and malleman's comments...

I've "re-worked" the sensor dishes on several of my Federation NCLs, and most of those were far worse than the image shown here.

I'd suggest the half-round file... of all the files I have, that one gets the most use; probably due to it's shape point and tapered sides. It can simply go where no file has gone before. With some careful maneuvering, you should be able to remove the flash with no additional damage to the sensor dish...

And, if you do cause any additional damage - it'll most likely be confined to removing the probe sticking out of the front of the dish. That's an easy repair. Just cut a small piece off the end of a regular straight pin and glue it to the center of the dish. You can take the very tip of the craft knife and by boring like it was a drill, create a small divot into which the pin can be inserted.
If you're feeling really creative, you can cut the piece from the "head-end" of the pin and leave the pin head sticking out as a receiver for the collected/reflected data... or, you could glue it into he dish head-end first. This would still look OK once painted and would give a larger, more forgiving surface to glue to the dish.

And worse case scenario... you accidentally destroy the existing dish... it's easy enough (as previously stated) to make a new one from scrap plastic and glue it to the ship.
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Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF