Hi There;
Okay ,yeah, another missive about cheating on card models. Well at 1/250 or 1/400 what do you expect? Even larger sometimes. Why? Well, think of this, When you see an architects or engineers drawings what do you see? Beautiful line work, that where there are spaces, there is nothing but background!
Okay, translate that to a Big printing machine. Well, bigger than your average home printer for sure! How does it interepret the empty spaces? It leaves empty spaces portraying openings. Now, you are building, say the "Konig" or the "Pennsylvania" in card and paper. The spacing in the wirey masts are nothing but spaces on the paper. There's no way you can see through them!
So, what do you do? How many P.E. detail sets for ships are done in 1/250 or 1/400? Almost Non-Existant. Now isn't some there Laser-cut detail sets available? Yes, but, Have you seen stairs done this way? They look like close coupled ladders, Not Stairs! As far as 1/400, I have found that the average set of generic rails ladders and stairs from Tom's Modelworks are slightly to large if folded properly.
So then after enlarging the ladderway you find they are also to short for the distance from one deck to another. So now you must decide. I really like this model. It really has challenged my creative abilities. So, you continue by cheating and using found materials that work or using certain parts for patterns by which in your favorite Media you create the object you need. Is that Not what a Model is about? Regardless of the Media?
Think about this when you cut away the " Inca Stairs" on your next plastic or resin ship. Are you not cheating by not maintaining the original parts, Huh? See? no Difference. It's just that P.E. works for 98% of Plastic and Resin models, but Not always for Card models. But they are still fun especially when you glue on the last part( The Flag of origin) and look at the beautiful creation on your bench!