MatteoRoma

This week was less about visible progress and more about solving engineering challenges behind the scenes.

I completed the first batch of Federation ships. Unfortunately, several ships revealed a problem that only became apparent after printing: some structural elements became too fragile once scaled down.

The prints themselves were successful, but removing the supports highlighted weak areas that simply won't survive long-term. Instead of accepting fragile models, I'll be going back to the 3D files to reinforce a few critical sections while preserving the original appearance as much as possible.

One encouraging result came from testing the mounting system. I finally found a spring steel rod that appears rigid enough to support the ships with minimal flex, even at the required length.

Work also continued on the Borg Cube itself. I printed several additional greebles and structural details that will help blend the corners and hide the transitions between the faces. The final two cube panels have also been remodeled so they overlap the surrounding faces, creating cleaner seams and a much more convincing finished structure.

At this point, the only major component still missing before I can perform a full assembly test is the LED light bars. Once they arrive, I'll be able to verify the complete structure, including the suspended ships, the Borg Cube and the lighting system together for the first time.

Progress may look slower this week, but every challenge solved now means a stronger, cleaner and more reliable final diorama.