P.E. and Paper
UmHm:
Number four is going to be a medly of suggestions and ideas and some will simply amaze you and others will have you sayng : "He must've been desperate". We'll start with a comment made a month or so ago. Do you remember the Spoon Curve method? I have an alternate idea here. You can also create these curves using a discarded, but working Ladies hair dryer. Oho! You have to be careful on this one though. Using the dryer heat the plastic over the spoon instead of resting the spoon on it!
How about this oldie? You want windows in that model. You cannot afford a package of Evergreen sheet plastic. Got some clear packing tape around? Surely you have an old but usable Bottle of Elmers around ?( You'll see in a minute). Okay, for the tricky part Take a section of the tape and CAREFULLY cut it from the roll. Now lay it NON-Sticky side down on the Table or a piece of glass. Here's the trick. You will have to deal with Static electricity. Take this piece of tape and without stretching it lightly pass the edges through your fingers. Just lightly now! Take a matching Piece and do the same sticky side down.
Gently lay the tape with the sticky side down, over the other one very carefully smoothing it with the Ball of your fingertip. Now, when you are done, carefully roll a BIC stick pen over the two joined pieces. There, you have a clear piece of relatively clear window material that works well on curves and other odd shapes. This can be used even in small pieces for openings in multi-framed aircraft canopies! Or older fifties era model cars for which you have NO replacement in styrene. Mount with the Elmers I spoke about earlier.
Gun Barrels in metal that are not turned brass or aluminum? How? Well, how many of you when nervous or impatient, roll a piece of paper up into a toothpick type tube? Did you know that you can do this with either aluminum can or foil material wrapped around a toothpick? The toothpick here MUST be a plastic one. When done right you will havethe following.Either a slightly tapered or straight Hollow tube which can be a Gun Barrel, Exhaust pipe end or even a empty missile tube. Depending on it's size.
Here's one for you tiny Model Builders. No, Not small persons, silly! Small models. Stairs and Ladders. Did you know the basic pattern in the textured side of a Zip-Tie is basicaly a stairstep design? They can be had from teensy ones to larger sizes and work well in the average ship scales for Stairs/Rails? here's where it gets interesting - You've heard of Sproo-Gloo, Right? Well, take a flat piece of Glass and or Metal( Very Smooth) take a stir stick( Wood) stir a fairly thick mix well. Now, drible it on the Glass or metal in long thin lines, curved lines too.
These lines when set up and hardened can be cemented on the sides of Zip-Tie stairs with a teensy bit of C.A. after building the rail on the glass only( It will adhere to the metal sadly.) Very tiny stairs really don't need them. You ain't gona see that much and who makes 1/1200 figures anyway?
For you aircraft modelers who do the three major scales. You want real rubber tires? You have heard of "O" rings haven't you? They can be used with just about any sized plane. Take the wheel and after grinding the plastic tire off,Cut a groove in the tire face side with a triangular file carefully. Now, Take an "O ' ring and gently roll the right sized one over the rim and let it seat in the groove. You can use fat rings or skinny ones.Your choice given the particular tire requirement for that plane.
Flat sided "O" rings work well for armor unit road wheels too! Just pick a size just a tiny bit smaller than the wheel. Make sure you prime or paint any plastic wheel, no matter what kind of model BEFORE mounting the tire. Otherwise you'll wind up eith a gooey wheel and a very flat tire!
Canopy Broken or lost? Here's a simple one. get a cheap pen from the store. In the clear blister pack. Cut the blister to match your canopy and mount with Elmers. you can use Auto trim tape for the framing on the canopy!
Oh, and I actually forgot the title!
For those of you who love paper models. There are kits out there in 1/200, 1/250, 1/400 and so on. Now, there isn't ( that I could find anyway) an even correlation between plastic and paper. But, fear not, you can safely fudge between scales! yeah with paper! I usually use 1/350 or 1/400 with the more common paper model ships. Why those sizes? If you compare the printed rails, Less the flange sticking upward from the deck you find the one that is the right size and go for it!
If you have a flush deck - ( A destroyer) for instance use the top rail for the mounting strip needed for the rail.This will work if you turn the rail UPSIDE Down. This then creates the Flange at the waterway at the bottom of the rail where the netting ( Safety) attaches at the bottom!
This along with fudging where the stairs are concerned can make this work. I like to use Tichy Train Group ladders (Vertical) on these ships because they stand off and look more proper. You would be surprised as well with the stuff from Model trains you can use on these paper models. I haunt the shows ( well, I have to anyway) so I look for parts based on what I cut out and stashed in the bill side of my wallet that I need.
No, folks, I carry my money in my pockets at things like this. Parts boxes can be raided for maybe a buck or two for all the surprising things you might need. By all means use P.E. and found R.R. items on your paper( Cardstock Ships) Beware though. There isn't a lot in P.E. for 1/200 surprisingly.
When you cut some samples out and carry them to the show, then lay the P.E. or plastic part over the printed subject and find the closest match. It will Work! See Ya!!