FEB wrote:
I have tried to drill out port holes with a small pin vice and different size bits,the outcome is not so good,some are off center,out of line with each other,no 2 are the same,etc.what is the best method to make them nice and clean or is there an alternative to drilling?
Sure! I have been down a similar path and have never been satisfied with the results of drilling. A couple of things to consider: airports / portholes are flush to the hull shell plating. When the hull flares a great deal, the porthole looks oval from the side when properly done. Secondly, and most importantly from my perspective, the inside of the porthole is essentially flush or very nearly so with the shell plating in the cases I've seen. (Exceptions may abound, and feel free to point them out.) That is to say that the glass or metal blocking plate (deadlight) which swings in in place of the glass are inset no more than a (scale) inch, if that.
The method I use is to smooth the side of the hull filling in any portholes cast in the resin or plastic. I then mark the location of the center of the portholes on the hull. Then I use the appropriate size and shape of P/E portholes. I use acrylic gel medium or Gator glue, or something similar, sparingly to hold the porthole in place and in the proper orientation if there's an "eyebrow". Then paint over the whole shooting match with the final colors.
If you choose to show "glass" in the porthole, a carefully placed gloss dark gray drop of paint at the end does the job. On the other hand, if you are modeling a warship at GQ, the blanking plates would be in place and they would be the same color as the surrounding hull color(s). This, of course, saves the need for the extra steps.
Heres a picture of a USN WWII-era porthole, viewed from inside the hull, showing the various moving parts. Other nations may use other variations, but suffice it to say that during combat, the ship wanted to keep as much glass as possible out of the line of fire while maintaining splinter- and watertight integrity.
Attachment:
PortHole.jpg [ 26.93 KiB | Viewed 5405 times ]
Is this method a PITA? Why, yes, of course it is. This is modeling - it's not meant to be easy!
Personally, I like these results better than drilling holes. Not sure my heart could take trying to do this in a smaller scale than 1/350.
Two companies that make portholes as separate P/E sheets that I know of are Flyhawk and Northstar. There may be others.