Fliger747 wrote:
A fairly difficult set of compound curves to accomplish! Aluminum can be a good ship modeling material when used with other mediums. Good luck! Tom
Thanks Tom. Indeed shaping curves is more challenging but this is what makes the ship looking special,one of the last of its kind.
I have been working a lot building the superstructure using aluminum 0.20mm and balsa wood which obtained recently as lockdown has relaxed a bit and material supply is easier. I drilled the holes with dremel tool, then glued the frames. Used the frames as a guide to form the rectangular shape using dremel again and mini files. Some frames came off when contacted the high speed turn of the tool so i had to re glue them, spending considerable extra time.
I worked with balsa making the front section of the bridge. It was easier to make the oval shaped windows than aluminum, however is quite fragile material. Another advantage comparing to other woods is that it can be glued very strong with regular glue at almost no time. Experimenting with all materials is a good way of learning.
Watching the Ship's page on Facebook noticed that stayed id drydock for 26 days for overhaul, that gave me access to some great pictures. Fortunately the photo material is adequate, giving me the opportunity to correct some mistakes as the instructions of the paper model as bit confusing for a newbie.
Note that decks 1 and 2 has been put in reverse order just for picture purposes