December 29 2009 | The railings #2

Then inserting some small brass sheets in the hole and try to solder the 2 at each end -i used the Dremel to get a smooth effect just like it was on the real boat.

December 29 2009 | Material for soldering in scale

this view show the final result complete with the material I use: as small Weller iron, some Carrs flux and solder.
notice the railings on the cabin are done as well. No sweat really. the thing is to try to pin one drop of flux on each joint, so that it sort of absorbs the heat from the iron -this way you don't burn the plastic underside!

December 29 2009 | The aerial

Only the Aerial, but then there are a handful of techniques here, oh well, for what they're worth.
2 brass sheet painfully soldered together and a rolled MS lump for the upper part which is more conical. The problem is that it doesn't want to stay real straight and I should have embed a metal sheet in it oh well.

December 29 2009 | Paper and ca glue

Some CA glue coated paper to tie everything together. When the whole is glued, some MS to fill the joints.

December 29 2009 | Ending up the aerial

some of holed photoetch bits I used for the railing are soldered at each end of the horizontal bits and i call it finished

December 30 2009 | The searchlight

the work on the searchlight began with the bit of base. i had to use a drill and carve a rounded shape in it so that the metal holder of the searchlight could embed on it (okay, it will become clearer with subsequent pictures

December 30 2009 | The completed searchlight

Brass rod for the holder, aluminium tubing for the main body, rounded back done of Magic Sculp -And "gift" bolts on each sides -the triangular shape was a bit of my photoetch fret

December 31 2009 | Vacuform

So, i have been building a wooden vacuform machine using the general instructions provided by the wi-king of fun diorama making: northern guy Per Olav Lund. Some pierced wooden box with one big opening to plug the vacuum cleaner in it, and using a paint removal heating machine to soften the plastic.

So basically, you heat your plastic until it's soft, and you press it against the right sahe and it takes the form of the shape.

So first i used a sheet of 5mm thick wood that I cut a square into so that I wouldn't burn my fingers when heating it. I fix the plastic on it with pins