The Ship Model Forum

[quote="biggles2"]I just:
1) wrap the railing/splinter shield around a dowel/paint brush handle/ mini file which is smaller than the intended diameter, as the springy-ness of the PE will cause it to expand slightly;
2) if you're lucky, the railing/splinter shield will settle into the required diameter. If not, start glueing one end of the part to the base, and when the CA has set, gradually work your way around with the CA.
:wave_1:[/quote]

This method is essentially based upon that idea.

But it provides for a set of tools that allow for more speedy and stronger glue-joints (CA glue joints that are made in segments are a lot weaker than a single glue-joint).

This method provides a little more front-end work, in creating the rolled-paper rods.

But once you have them rolled, it is [i]VERY Fast[/i] after that. The paper rods can be saved to be used again, which is the whole point.

Like any job, having a tool designed specifically for the job tends to make for a far better result than using ad hoc tools.

MB

I just:
1) wrap the railing/splinter shield around a dowel/paint brush handle/ mini file which is smaller than the intended diameter, as the springy-ness of the PE will cause it to expand slightly;
2) if you're lucky, the railing/splinter shield will settle into the required diameter. If not, start glueing one end of the part to the base, and when the CA has set, gradually work your way around with the CA.
:wave_1:

In building the USS San Francisco, I [i]CONSTANTLY[/i] ran into the issue of:

"How do I get a rounded (cylindrical) railing/splinter-shield/part glued to the circular base?"

And looking at the PE parts I will need for the USS Washington and USS South Dakota in 1942, I realize that I will need just as many gun tubs and circular railings made for the various AA guns and railings around the secondary batteries.

I had seen a few people who pushed the circular base into a clay, and then use the clay to hold the cylindrical railing/shielding in place while they carefully dapped spots of glue in to fix it in place. But this requires that the railing/splinter-shielding be curved into an almost perfect cylindrical shape of the exact right size. Not to mention that it makes access to the joint for gluing more of a challenge.

But I found a different method:

[list=1]
[*] Take a sheet of thin but course-grained (meaning absorbent) manilla paper of parchment (parchment is better) and roll the parchment/paper into a rod that is the correct diameter for the [i]INNER-diameter[/i] of the railing/shielding. Tape or glue* the rolled-paper rod so that it will not change shape/diameter (It will need to be rolled [i]very tightly[/i]).
[*] Put a [i]tiny[/i] dot of blue-tac onto the end of it to hold the circular base onto the end of it.
[*] Now wrap another sheet of paper around the rolled-paper rod so that the diameter increases to that of the Outer-diameter of the circular base, or the outer diameter of the railing/shield. This is to help center the circular base. Tape this sheet of paper so that it will not come undone until you have finished mounting the circular base to the end of the paper rod (see next few steps)
[*] Then.... Wrap another thin sheet of paper around the outside of this two-layer rolled-paper rod, so that it extends just a [i]tiny bit past[/i] the end of the rolled-paper rod. [i][b]Note:[/b][/i] This outer sheet of paper is a jig that is used to center the circular base.
[*] You now take the circular base and push it down onto the blue-tac, so that there is a tiny gap between the rolled-paper rod, and the circular base.... But now this circular base is centered on the rolled-paper rod.
[*] Now remove both the outer sheet of paper used to center the circular base, and the sheet of paper that was used to create the outer-diameter for the circular base, so that you now have just the original rolled-paper rod from step 1.
[*] Now you can slide the railing or splinter shielding up the rolled-paper rod so that it is nearly perfectly aligned on the circular base (or semi-circular base - this method works even if there is a side that has a cut-out, such as on the superstructure 1.1" or 40mm gun tubs of Cruisers or BBs). And, if you hold the rod so that the circular base is downward, gravity will hold the railing against the base. But I recommend at this point using a tiny bit of masking tape to align and tape down the upper edge of the railing/shielding (so that no glue can get to or under the tape) so that it will be held securely in place.
[*] And at this point, we can begin applying CA to the gap, where capillary action will draw a nearly perfect amount of CA into the joint. **
[*] when you have made sure the part is secure, and the glue is properly set, then simply pull the part off the end of the rolled-paper rod, and clean any blue-tac off the part.[/list]

You should at this point have a part where the railing or splinter-shielding aligns nearly perfectly with the base.

MB


* I recommend gluing, since it is usually the case that you will have more than one part that is of this same diameter.

For instance, in the [i]Five-Star Photo-Etch kits[/i], I have noticed that almost all of the quad 1.1" and quad 40mm gun tubs, or any of the director tubs for the same are the same diameter across PE kits (I only have three to compare at the moment for the USN, but the same is true in the IJN for spotlight towers and 25mm gun emplacements on their DD kits).

** As I have mentioned before Cyanoacrylates have an "optimal strength" at an "optimal amount" of CA. Too little CA, and the joint will be prone to breaking at the lightest shock. Too much CA, and the joint will be forever soft, and prone to breaking when the part flexes or is pushed even slightly. Just the right amount creates a very strong bond between the two parts, which is why capillary action is so important in applying CA (it tends to draw in just enough glue, as long as the right amount is supplied - it is possible to supply too much CA to a joint even through capillary action, if the parts are very small, or contain a lot of texture around the joint; the texture will form a meniscus that forms its own capillary action).