As I indicated before, I've been working on the roof and the exterior panelling. There are also little gaps where some of the styrene plates of the structure join together that need filling.
So here I'm filing, sanding and adding filler to smooth things out. The wheel that is masked off couldn't be persuaded to detach and I didn't want to force it and break the axle - so it's staying.
The other side got some love too. While I wait for supplies so I can finish off the seat restraints (more LED bulbs) I started on more of the curved pads that sit against the marines' chests. I need 10 of them.
The best way to get these to 'set' in the correct curve is to use thin styrene and laminate two pieces together.
The outer piece has a square hole in the middle to take the centre hinge.
Lots of drilling, cutting and filing.
.. and there we are. 20 of the little buggers.
They all need a curved profile so I bent them all with pliers.
A slow-set cyano was added to them and they were then taped to a former with the correct radius - which just happened to be a refil tube for Molotow chrome paint.
Then I had to make the hinges. They were formed around a section of brass tube that was the correct diameter.
Here's an overview of the primed wall/roof area ready for a final sanding.
..and lastly another 'all-up' view. The whole thing is starting to weigh quite a bit now. It's got a nice heft to it.