Thanks, men!
Mike Glasgow wrote:
Could you describe how you made the aft 20mm gun tub. Did you heat the plastic in warm water? Just wondering how you kept that perfect symmetrical shape, no twisting, looks really nice. How many pieces did you use for the vertical wall?
The vertical wall is composed of a single .020 Evergreen styrene strip cut into three parts from a large sheet. The three parts are the left side, right side, and flat panel.
The deck location of the splinter shield was carefully marked out in pencil directly on the deck before I installed the deck to the hull. Marking can be done afterwards but you will likely find marking locations is easiest when the deck is lying flat on a table without any other features like deckhouses and turrets fixed to the deck.
The shield parts were cut from the larger sheet using a thick steel ruler as a straight edge guide and a #11 Xacto knife. Cutting all three parts from a single longer part ensures that they will all be the same height when assembled. The small drain holes at the bottom of the shield were made using a Waldron punch and die set, pricey but worth it.
After cutting out the three styrene parts, I marked the locations of the ribs and drains and punched the drains open.
I then marked the portions of the shields that must be curved. I then pulled the marked areas of each part across the handle of a small hobby file quickly which will curve the plastic. It's the same technique used to make a curly ribbon by pulling a straight ribbon across a scissors.
Then using common Testors liquid cement in the black bottle, I ran a very small bead of glue along the edges and fixed the shield parts onto the deck markings (and each other) then held the part very tightly against the deck for about 10-15 seconds. Pressure helps the glue bond better.
After the shield had bonded to the deck I began fixing the reinforcing ribs to the inside of the shield. You can do this before you fix the shield to the deck but I think the shield will sit more plumb if you fix the ribs later. The ribs are cut from .015x.040 Evergreen styrene strips. A bag of them costs about $3. I cut the strips a bit long so that they will jut above the shield after they are installed. I placed them into position using a very fine needle-nose tweezers (you need this). Once the glue sets, I trim them with a cuticle clipper to the proper height and angle.
A simple, inexpensive cuticle clipper is one of the most useful tools you can own. I use it more than an Xacto knife.
Hope all this helps.
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