Curves, of course, are the one thing that styrene doesn't do very well because once it's made flat it is desperate to stay flat.
It is possible to change its shape permanently by heating it, manipulating it and then cooling it rapidly, but it's not as easy as it sounds to do that accurately.
So instead I've decided to use a multi-media approach.
The first step is to use brass as the base layer - a material which does hold its shape - and this is my attempt at that.
You may be wondering about the writing on it.
That's because being parsimonious as ever I have used some otherwise waste material from around the edge of a sheet of etched bogie frets.
(A notable case of 'That'll come in useful on day' coming true)
The designer includes his name in the design and it just so happens this section is the perfect width for the height of the body side at the front of the carriage.
The plan is that I will now glue layers of 10 thou styrene on top to build it up to the correct thickness and add the beading detail in the same way I do on any 'normal' carriage.
The ends of the brass part will stick out to provide more surface area to bond the front on with and give it some extra strength.
That's the theory, anyway.
No comments:
Post a Comment