Glass scuttles in 1/200 or 1/350 scale

[chuck]

I always drill out scuttles on 1/350 ships. In the past, I've left the holes as they are, because I found putting in drops of liquid glue to simulate window glass does not work too well, primarily because when the glue dries, it does not dry to a thin flat transparent film which would look like a pane of glass. Instead, it dries into a thick, semi-translucent blob, usually with a noticeable dimple in the middle.

I also tried thinning the plastic around the scuttle and actually putting a sheet of clear plastic behind it. This also doesn't look right because you can never get the plastic around the window thin enough so the clear plastic look almost flush with the bulkhead around the scuttle, as they should.

Leaving the windows as holes looks okay on 1/700 scale, looks somewhat okay on 1/350 scale, but looks rather problematic on 1/200 scale.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[EJFoeth]

Insert transparent rod afterwards?

[chuck]

Insert transparent rod afterwards?

I have not found a way to polish the cut end of the transparent rod so cut surface is flat, smooth and transparent. Without a way to do this, each rod would be good for only 2 windows.

[sgtryan13]

Use this stuff http://www.usartsupply.com/TES-3515C.ht ... 7AodOXgAUw

you will not be disappointed, it dries crystal clear.

[biggles2]

There's also Crystal Clear by Micro Sol. Probably very similar to the above.

[Thomas]

You could borrow a trick from Sci Fi models although a lot of work and expense, you could cast the hull in clear ( or maybe vac form it) then mask the portholes and paint and whne the paint is dry, remove the masks and Voila! surface level clear "glass" windows!

[LordAnkarin]

A drop of Future?

Or cut out from a clear plastic soda bottle?

[Charlestonguy]

crystal clear for 1/350, maybe clear acetate in 1/200. You might try and punch set to cut the acetate from the sheet then insert. Not sure as I have never used it for 1/200 but did build a 1/72 fishing boat using it for all the windows and scuttles.