Fixing the rivits
You seee that there is a lot of those rivits to be fixed on the damaged portion of the hull as each cross section holds with at least 8 of them! Lots of work but it really looks nice. Notice that I also fixed some bits of plastic cross section, so that it looks like the torch of the ship cutter went through it (only way to go away with the weird way in which the ship has been cut!)
The Rivits
Now I cut out the rivits from what's left of the photoetch fret -it's quite convenient to work this way as it would have been hell to use some granbdt line type rivits to do the work..
Some mastic...
At least 2 coats of mastic to do the joints as the stuff really retracts a lot.
of course, sandng between each coat
let's fix the photoetch
So now I had my second fret ready. It's in a way better state than the first one. i finally understood what i did '"wrong'" with the first one so that it looked so err, rusty.
It's quite important that i am able to control these kind of effects if i want to succeed the whole thing..
Anyway, I attach it using superglue and some clamps so that i don't get in trouble with the round shape
Let's begin with the beginning...
here was the fret for the lower part of the hull as done in a drawing software.
The point is that their must be the less possible white left, as those empty places will get bitten by the acid.
->the less copper in the acid, the more your acid bath will sty efficient.
Notice the rivits plates.
Photoetch plate done!
Here it is completely finished. this is actually the double of the one I used for the lower hull. i needed a second one so that i could cut bits from it to put on the down side of the hull.
I start working on the detailing this part of the hull thios evening!
the photoetch plates #3
Depending on the amount of clogging of the acid, the first holes may appear after 15 mn -or way more, just check every 5 mn to be sure.
*be careful* of not dropping any acid on your floor or clothes or those are ruined!
Photoetch dipping #2
After 5 mn of this treatment, you notice that the parts of the plate which were developped begin to turn black
Dipping the fret
So the point of those pics is to show basically what i do and to present -vaguely for the moment- the devices I have been building.
The red thing is the etch tank done out of a morning chocolate box, which is pierced and plugged to an aquarium air pump.
I take the fret between 2 wooden bits and secure the whole in a strong clamp (If i were to dip the clamp in the ferous oxyde, the metal parts would be attacked by the acid)
The photoetch plates for the hull
Still working with the photoetch plates; here are 4 that will be part of the hull, including the small one which is designed for the portholes.