Welcome to my Enterprise Padd tutorial web page. Here you will find instructions on how to build your very own Padd.
Below are pictures of a real padd, and my padd that I built using this tutorial. Note that the color differences are due to lighting and background. They both use the exact same paint code.
| A real PADD, as seen at the Star Trek hotel in Las Vegas. | A replica PADD made by me. |
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I recommend that the first thing you do is to gather all of the items listed in the Materials and Supplies lists. Once you get everything together in one place, follow each of the steps below to build your own Enterprise PADD. Where applicable, each of the items has a link to a website where you can order the parts you will need to complete the project. Other links are given that provide electronic copies of files or items needed to complete the Padd.
Materials Needed:
Supplies Needed:
Reference Pictures.
For reference, here is a series of screen captures from different episodes of "Enterprise". These might inspire you to draw
your own cool screen graphics.
Screen capture 1
Screen capture 2
Screen capture 3
Screen capture 4
And for the more adventurous, here are some screen caps from Nemesis, showing the different colors (and orientation) that
were used for that film.
Screen capture 1
Screen capture 2
Lastly, here's another reference shot of a padd from the Star Trek Hotel. I include this because it shows
another version of the label, which has navy blue in it.
Reference shot
 Exploded light box |
Light Box Prep. First things first, you need to order a Cabin light box. This is the item that was used as the base of the PADD. Which, by the way, is also the model used on the Enterprise E. (commonly held horizontal) Take the light box apart. Be careful not to screw up the electronics! I recommend that you put aside the electronics, the screws, and the viewscreen until you are done with the body prep. Keep them safe in the box that the light box shipped in. Peel off the metallic sticker that is on the back of the light box. Now remove all the raised details on the light box, including the on/off text, the ribs on the battery case, and anything else you can get your hands on. I recommend you start by using a single edged razor blade to chop off most of the raised parts. Once all the detail knubs have been removed, use 220 grit sandpaper to smooth out the entire box. You'll notice that when it came out of the packaging, the light box has a texture across the entire surface, except for where the metallics sticker went. You want your light box to have a uniform surface, so sand it smooth, and make sure you sand down the back enough to hide the indent where that sticker went. I recommend that you take apart the light box for painting. Don't lose the screws! The light box is pretty simple to re-assemble. Once you have the box taken part, and the electronics removed, it's time to put on the ribs.
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Ribs. Go to a hobby store and look for Plastruct 1/4" half round rods for the back ribs. If you can't find them at a hobby store, you can order them online from Plastruct. Here's a link to the exact part number you need. For reference, it is MRH-250. There are two tricky parts about doing the ribs. First is getting the end caps properly rounded, and the second is their placement. Using your Plastruct half round rod, cut two of them to 4 inches, and two to 5.5 inches. Note that these lengths are longer than what you need on the final padd. This is to allow for oversanding, or general screw ups. To round the edges, you can do it a couple of ways. you can sand them all down individually, or do what I do. I tape the matching sized lengths together, so that I have a full round rod. Then, using a sanding block, I round out both ends of the rod. This way, the dome shapes tend to be more consistent, and not as different looking. You can do this any way you want, I'm just offering up a tip that helped me. Start with a heavy grit sandpaper, and get the general shape worked out. Then, switch to a smoother paper to finish it off, or give it a few swipes by hand. Once you get one end finished, measure off marks at the 3.5 inch mark on the 4 inch rod, and the 5.0 inch mark on the 5.5 inch rod. These marks indicate the correct lengths for the final ribs. I use a coping saw to cut off the excess styrene, then hit the sanding block to round off the ends. Use super glue, epoxy, Plastruct cement, Testors model cement or any cynocrylate to attach the ribs to the back side of the cabin light box. When in doubt, use a glue that you are most comfortable with. The thinner the glue, the less the ribs will stand up, or be misshapen. I recommend that you draw placement marks with a pencil before attaching. use the following measurements to determine placement:
Ribs Outer:
Ribs Inner:
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Painting. Time to paint! In order to get your padd parts prepped so that you can get an even, wet coat of paint over the entire piece, I recommend you build a "painting tree" for the front plate of the light box. This allows you to either rest the plate on something for painting (like a spray bottle cap), or you can hold on to it with your hand. I built my tree using popsicle sticks and a glue gun. It does not need to be pretty, just functional. Hose all the body parts down with a couple coats of Plasti-Kote automotive primer. You can find this at Pep-Boys. Do not use an acrylic primer. Use a laquer primer. When I paint my pieces, I do it in direct sunlight. This helps me guage when the paint has gone on evenly, and when it is dry. Be sure to do a couple light coats, instead of one heavy one. Note that I mounted the battery case and button on popsicle sticks. This not only helps me paint them, but I can hang them up to dry instead of having to sit them down on something. Once the primer is dry, paint with either Plastikote 1001 or 1002. I prefer the 1002. You can wetsand in between coats to get a smooth finish.
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Greeblies. Use the letraset letters to create the text on the 3M Bumpons. Sometimes, the black letters do not stick as well as the white ones, so you may need to spray some clear coat on your buttons after applying the numbers. I always apply the center digit first. Drop it in the direct center of the bumpon. Line up the first and third digit around the center digit. All the buttons I've seen have three digits. If you printed out your own label, cut it out using the outer black lines as guides. The outer black lines should not be included in the label when you go to stick it on. Before you cut it out, put a piece of clear packing tape over the top. Be sure to work out all the bubbles. This will give it a laminated look when you are done. Place some 3M double sided tape on the back. Now cut out the label using an X-Acto knife and a straight edge ruler. Attach your screen graphics to the back side of the diffusion screen that came with the light box. Use a very thin strip of two sided tape on the sides of the diffusion screen. This will keep the graphic in place when you are reassmbling the padd. Install the electronics back into the padd. Be sure to tape down any wiring that may get in the way. Once the electronics are in place, lay in the graphics and diffusion layer. Close it all up by putting on the top face. Note that the on/off switch needs to be in place on the face plate before re-assembling. When putting the screws into the padd, be sure to tap them into their holes before screwing. If you screw first, you run the risk of scraping paint off the back of the padd. Finally, attach the buttons, label, and camera. Use the reference photos as guides. You're all done! |
