by DrDull » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:40 am
Hi. Little by little I'm experimenting with the techniques that so many of you have demonstrated so beautifully on these pages. Though I'm not yet a full-fledged scratchbuilder, I hope to be someday. For now I'm learning by kit-bashing. My current project is conversion of a Nichimo 1:200 Type IXC U-Boat into the U-505 as displayed in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. The U-505 wintergarten was extended and I need to completely rework the model's sail/fairwater area. I want to build the railings around the boat's AA guns from scratch, but I have only the vaguest idea about how to go about doing this. I've done a considerable amount of electronic soldering (circuit boards and the like), but never worked with brass wire (0.010 and 0.015 inches diameter would be about right). Is building railings from scratch at this scale feasible? How can I hold the parts together? How would I prevent one joint from melting when I soldered the next (the stanchions would be less than 1/4" apart). How do I make the right-angle joints strong enough to withstand the inevitable stress of installation? My questions are endless. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Barry (aka DrDull)
Hi. Little by little I'm experimenting with the techniques that so many of you have demonstrated so beautifully on these pages. Though I'm not yet a full-fledged scratchbuilder, I hope to be someday. For now I'm learning by kit-bashing. My current project is conversion of a Nichimo 1:200 Type IXC U-Boat into the U-505 as displayed in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. The U-505 wintergarten was extended and I need to completely rework the model's sail/fairwater area. I want to build the railings around the boat's AA guns from scratch, but I have only the vaguest idea about how to go about doing this. I've done a considerable amount of electronic soldering (circuit boards and the like), but never worked with brass wire (0.010 and 0.015 inches diameter would be about right). Is building railings from scratch at this scale feasible? How can I hold the parts together? How would I prevent one joint from melting when I soldered the next (the stanchions would be less than 1/4" apart). How do I make the right-angle joints strong enough to withstand the inevitable stress of installation? My questions are endless. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Barry (aka DrDull)