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Frame surfaces for Clear, Plane and Ship Models

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  • Member since
    June 2014
  • From: New Braunfels , Texas
Frame surfaces for Clear, Plane and Ship Models
Posted by Tanker - Builder on Sunday, May 12, 2019 1:40 PM

Okay ;

     How many of you have the 1/700 or 1/350 U.S.S.Franklin? Not a bad little carrier. Now the weird thing is the clear Flight Deck. Because of her class there's not a lot of Natural light that will help here in either scale . So opening up the side bays is necessary .Okay, Done . Still not enough light, right? Well the choice here is simple, More openings or use the Clear Deck or Lights . 1/700 can be done like 1/350 but neither would be easy to really use lights in .

     I discovered something odd about the plastic that the Deck is made from .The harder I buffed the Foggier it became . What Gives? I thought? So I did this .I created frame locations and used Chrome foil strips Except where I wanted to see something .There I put Windows in the Deck, made from C.D.Jewel cases and made sure the frames stopped at the edge or the cloud shaped openings .

     It's not that hard to do this .Decide where you want your windows .Cut your cloud shaped holes .Lay the clear C.D.case plastic over the deck and mark the plastic .There you have a smaller matching shape drawn on the plastic .Now make sure your pencil is very sharp because the next step will make or break the move .

      After bringing the Chrome foil frames to the edge of the holes underneath the deck ( the Hangar bay overhead )you then do the following . Turn the Deck over, Take the deck holes and angle ( Chamfer ) the holes with the smaller part toward this ceiling, from the bottom .

        Now, Chamfer the new part, Larger , than the hole in the deck, by creating a chamfer that goes toward the hangar Deck . Test fit until the cloud fits in the hole , creating a smooth transition to the deck it is being put in .Now Glue it in place .An angle like this /.

   If you want you can detail the deck clear area up to the edge of the cloud .What will everyone notice? Not the hole .The Frames around and coming to it !Tis' true . You can do this inside clear airplane kits that have no molded framework inside .Like my Birthday Gift . ( they didn't think about molded frames back then !  T.B. If you would like more info on this,Message me in the message section and I will answer .

 I could say paint the frames in , but I don't think any of you are that O.C.D.

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Summerville, SC
Posted by jeffpez on Monday, May 13, 2019 5:39 AM

Interesting idea. I found that Future greatly increases the clarity of the not so clear flight deck. With mine I masked off the area over the spaces of the hanger deck I wanted to see and painted the remainder of the flight deck as I normally wood. When I then sprayed with Future before starting with the decals I found that I could now see significantly more detail below. After decalling I sprayed a dull coat and the clear deck section became almost opaque so I used Future again.  Overall it came out well but if I do another I don't think I'll bother with the clear deck. You're right - it needs lights.

  • Member since
    June 2014
  • From: New Braunfels , Texas
Posted by Tanker - Builder on Monday, May 13, 2019 9:06 AM

Jeffpez;

   The problem I found with lights is one we all have .Not size. Price . Shoot,when I bought some for an " N " scale (1/160) rail car, the cheapest I could get was twenty four bucks and change .

    You need the lights then some kind of transformer and a connection for the lights to it .Sure, LEDs can work,But,the whole setup ain't that cheap to some of us . besides then that means a base of some kind to hide it all .

     I did steal some from a cheap kids toy I bought, and figured a way to slip the Button battery into another part of the ship so it was hidden,But,what a pain that is .

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