Wanna Challlenge? Try a Helicopter Tower and landing Pad in 1/400 ( Building on Glass)
Have you ever wanted to do something different?
Yeah, I got that kit, but no one makes those parts in P.E.. Well, make them yourself! I have actually found my shaking stops when I am concentrating on this project and talking to my Cat at the same time. Don't you dare laugh either!
I will be thinking about cutting some parts and she comes over and rubs up against me and meows. I Pet her and find the answer to my problem in that little moment of peace. It's gotten me almost through with the Aforementioned Tower.
My thought train stops when I touch her and think" How does she get her fur so silky" And Boom! I lean forward and cut two more little pieces that fit perfect the first time. I am building this on glass too. Now ,you want to know why? Right ? Well, I put the paper printout under the glass and then Build right on top of it. Just like building a stick and tissue aircraft many years ago. Only we used Waxed paper then.
I find when handling very small round or square stock, that is when building on Glass is helpfull. Why? Well, the tower in question goes on a paper model. There is a bunch of detail on the aft side of the deckhouse. If I built it like the instructions say you couldn't see any of that detail.
So as is typical of me I was determined to find a way to see that detail. Laminating the paper three or four times( Layers) letting the glue really dry and trying to cut it out, Uh! Uh! Did that on the Andrea Doria's Cargo cranes and still had to rebuild them out of plastic! And she's certainly bigger at 1/250 or is it 1/200? I just slipped a gear.Sorry.
Anyway if you want to build something that there's No P.E. for, don't be afraid to get good drawings, Put them under glass and good light and make use of the small sizes of rounds and square strips and rods from Plastruct or Evergreen. NO, it's not impossible, besides I have found it to have a calming influence on my shaky hands.
That's one I am having problems getting my head around. So I tried some P.E. for an Aircraft carrier I have. I shook so bad I couldn't dare try to glue the parts together. Makes me wonder, How hard would it be to do an oil derrick and burnoff tower on the same ship? They're smaller!
Anyway this tower has at this point, Including the framing for the chopper deck, 156 pieces. Tiny pieces with angled corners too! Still it's do-able! Give it a try when you are in a "Ah, What the Hades" mood.
If you want to see a picture of the item Google Fentens, ( It's a paperModel Site) and Type in ships- RioDe Ciudad Petrojarl-1/400 scale! The picture is from the aft quarter so you'll see the tower right off!