Final Approach
During the Labor Day weekend, I integrated all the major elements of the model into one. As has been the case with this project and others I’ve executed in recent years, the process has been to “design as I go” and address problems as they arise. The building of the model and its final integration was no different.
The aft section featuring the engine was relatively straight forward, with the major problem being structural strength along the center axis; the engine piece had a tendency to break off from the main body, requiring reinforcement after the fact, something that could have been mitigated with better design and planning. The middle piece was also pretty straight forward, with no problems to having emerged. The forward dome section was the most challenging and detailed of the construction, involving ten LEDs, a wad of fiber optic strands, and wires all over the place. Considering I loosely planned the construction of this beast, everything came together pretty well. I should also credit Evan Designs, a fantastic little company that produces high quality, very forgiving lighting products for miniatures.
In any event, I successfully integrated the forward dome with the aft and middle sections of the model, splicing the wiring and…hoping for the best. Indeed, the lights came on and everything works. The dome section, however, is very heavy. I anticipated this would be a problem, so I already had in mind how I was going to deal with this - the mounting board includes not just the two brass rods holding the ship up, but also a wooden, padded cradle for the dome. In the end, everything worked out.
The model is 95% complete. All that remains are little details like lifeboats and various bits. I hope to have much better photographs of this thing int he coming weeks.
