#31 "I Still Feel It” Bradley Nelson in for Restore

[Nicksdad]

That high voltage is why I ultimately decided not to put this circuit in my replicas.
I use the old vintage circuit very similiar to the effects Coyle used to put in his earlier replicas before
putting in digital sound.

[SGT]

I attribute the problems with the phaser to the small amount of room in the P1 and P2, the small wiring, the soldering, not enough insulation, the long screw threads and the circuit’s vulnerability to an incorrect polarity of one battery. Once the circuit was changed to all on one board, there was probably less troubles. -SGT

[TheKeeper]

Do you have a vid of how your replica’s electronics work (i.e., your replica in action)?

[SGT]

Why is there so much interest in the Bradley Nelson Phaser? What makes you interested?

1. You were at a convention as a kid and loved it.

2. You like items from that era, a Strobe.

3. You saw it later and thought it was the bomb.

4. You liked that Gene Roddenberry picked it for Star Trek II or Phase II?

5. You want it because it’s a Star Trek Phaser and you got to have them all.

6. You love Star Trek History.

For Me, I loved Star Trek Phase II and was disappointed in STTMP. I collected anything connected to Star Trek Phase II.-SGT

[TheKeeper]

First, I believe it was a labor of love (for ST) on Brad’s part. I think this was the case for most/many of the early reproduction prop producers (Wegmann/Heilman, Deschennes, Miarecki). There is a purity to that motivation that really appeals to me as Star Trek fan.

Second, I think that Nelson phasers are really works of art. Not only is the design aesthetic visually appealing, but he went ahead and added the electronics that are so cool (which for the time was unheard of).

And lastly, there is the tie-in the Phase II and Gene Roddenberry…

[Buddahaid]

I have to choose number six, but it is also more in line with the TOS I grew up with.

[jonpaul0151]

I would select #6 as well.

[SGT]

Instead of fixing the circuit outside of the Phaser, I’m removing it to get to the corroded tubes and springboard. I use small chisels and the Dremel. I’ll upload the images.-SGT

[SGT]

Ok, I’m back on the clock to get the spring board out. Looks like I will need a new one, no problem as this is a total restore, price wise. Notice the Trigger switch is inside the tubes as explained in my Replica thread. It took about 20 minutes with the Dremel and a cutter. You can get these on eBay to dig out plastic, epoxy or resin on your prop builds, search Dremel cutters. -SGT

[TheKeeper]

Wow, that looks in bad shape. Have you had one like that before?

[SGT]

One other belonging to a known person in Star Trek. (if you are watching this, tell em Jim, tell em Jim. lol) I did the same as this one. It either had the batteries stored in it or a short caused the leak. I used the Dremel with a fine sanding drum to remove the white corrosion. Then Mothers aluminum polish with a Dremel polishing wheel on both ends. After that a shotgun brush ran back and forth then the same with a rag and Mothers. The tubes are great now. That was the longest work since the previous post. It’s ready for one of my replica springboard. I need a custom one to mount the metric nut for the long screw. I tried one of mine and it pushes the batteries out like my replica and it doesn’t rattle. -Steve

[Buddahaid]

You do beautiful work Steve.

[SGT]

@rnomura ”I still feel it” was something I started to do way back on these restores. It’s not just a name, it’s the song that is played in the ”Goodbye Video” I do on completion. It’s a final test for the strobe. The song is important to me, a favorite. Clues are left in this thread to find the name of the song. I love music and listen to it in my shop while working, I don’t know what I’d do without music. Steve

[cylandprops]

Thank’s for the pictures, My BN is around here, I took it apart to fix it and never got back to it.

[SGT]

You got the schematic now plus all the fixes, get-r-done Brent.

[SGT]

Back on the clock, I put my back out last week and thought I’d be ok to do the tubes but I needed another day. I measured 2 ohms resistance on the trigger switch then but today I changed my meter batteries and it was higher, then it was on and off getting a reading because I turned the knob. So, it’s a new switch today. Pull the knob off fast with ordinary pliers. Next, mark the SW depth with a sharpie. It might break off as this one did but no problem drill it out with a pin vise and larger hand drill. The pin vise is made by CMLsupply.com and the larger hand vise is made by Groz-tools.com. You can use a Dremel also. The Dremel should be in your shop, They last a while, this is my third since I was 16 and it is used frequently. If you do, the switch goes in about 1/4.” Drill in that depth and use the drill bit to wiggle it out. Use the pin vise and follow the wires.

[TheKeeper]

Great pics and really detailed refurb tutorial. Thank you for sharing your process.

[SGT]

For the Trigger switch, cut off the two pins. (Brad left them on) File that area flat. Tin the two areas and solder two wires. Use a 5 minute epoxy drop to insulate. The knob may or may not have parts of the red actuator and old epoxy. Get it out with a small round file. You need files in your shop. JB Weld is used for the switch. Clean the area of extra JB Weld using a toothpick and wet Q-tips. Contrary to what people think, the inside milled larger area on the knob is not used over the switch, no part of the switch goes in there. Probably a design thought. Lastly, put the knob on to line up the switch square. Then you can adjust it as it drys.