Moebius Models Seaview With Upgrades & Lighting 1/128th Scale Or Thereabouts


Page Number
Well no putting it off...
Gotta Lever In Some Louvers...Oh Lordy.
Howdo troops and troopettes, another day, another update dontchaknow.
So then, the louvers on the engines problem.
Well they are there kind of but just raised detail so to speak.
Seeing as how i've gone somewhat...indepth detail wise, why stop the silliness now I say.

So then, louvers or if you will, water intakes, two lots per engine, one top, one bottom.
For ease of confusion, yours not mine, i'll deal with just one as the basic hoo-ha is pretty much the same.
So how to do it, well this is what you have on the kit.

So supposed to be open intakes.
Well I am not going to moan the point that Moebius should have included them as there's no point.
They didn't, get over it.
Ya still got a damn big and nice Seaview kit so i'll not complain....

Where was i?...

Oh yes.
I gave this problem more than maybe the usual amount of headscratching, tried resin cast parts, vac-form plate etc and so on.
Never worked out right so a sort of a cross between the two was arrived at.
Others may have or even have done things easier and different but this is me so onward.

Started with a single resin nugget carved to shape, single mould, cast many, made a mould of a set and cast many again.
All looks a bit like this.







Now 12 are needed for one set of louvers, each strip makes 7 so two making 14 so a spare or two which is never a bad idea to me.
So, in blocks of four and on the vacforming lark we go.



Now the plugs were left in the vac sheet anyway and there is a reason for it...i'll tell ya what that is.
When it comes to trimming these wee devils up a bit of forethought works nicely.
Leaving the plugs in means that you got a good solid core to lay into without worrying about damaging the thin plastic.
The plasticard used by the way is 0.4mm so could be a bit delicate.
So to trim out, fresh scalpel blade in, a straight chop to back and front, cut at both sides and done.
Continue untill nice little pile o' parts made up with very little trimming left to do.
Sorted.





Mark out area and a bit of saw and drill violence later got removed.
Area just wide enough for the louver openings, about a 10mm wide opening.
Then with a slight trim up here and there, leaving some each end to anchor to the plastic, place the vacform parts one at a time.





Ok looks a bit messy so in with the putty, let cure and sand.
Then prime.
And sand and repeat.
Usual nonsense.
All wound up like this.









Far from perfect but it is what yours truly was pretty much aiming for.
Ended up about 10mm or so longer than maybe it should be but i'm willing to call close enough, good enough.
And I gotta get this one finished at some point, not gettin' any younger ya know.
Some surface defects to sort but that's one down...three to go...
help!...
And that's it for now me modeling muckas, untill next update, take care of yaselves and go easy.
As of August 2009 the current financial situation has made it necessary to cancel this project.
The kit and parts have been sold off.
I shall be leaving this WIP log here for information purposes.


Page Number