Cape Otway lighthouse.

[darter]

Cheers Don, I'll tell you what, I'm learning awfully quickly here.

There are a lot of frames, reckon it would support my weight.

The 36 "petals" that form the curved stone blocks below the deck were rolled to basic shape between paint brush handle and soft mouse pad.
All glued on well, fiddly and messy but cleaned up OK and then burnished with a teaspoon.
Thanks DECKAPE, stole that trick from your neptune build posts.

The deck was formed from 4 parts then wrapped.
The instructions and real life photos show a row of blocks protruding slightly further out.
Not supplied in the kit and so therefore the very top deck disc that goes on last is too large.

Easily fixed though, I first copied the part, sliced off the blocks then added it as a second layer. Now the top fits.

Precurved then glued door and windows into first layer of covering.
positioned it in the correct spot and began gluing, glue and hold, glue and hold as I worked around.
Perfect fit but looked a bit like a starving dog. I do feel that it does need gluing everywhere it touches to achieve strength.

Time for the final layer, this is in two pieces.
I chose to firstly glue it around the door and windows, once set I then stuck down the nearest edge followed by the other with a thin bead of glue around the top and bottom.
Second piece, same as first.
Only glued around top and bottom as well as the joins.
Now it looks like that dog has had a feed so I'm happy with the way it looks.

From my test fit it appeared that the two would not quite meet so I copied one.
Sure enough, 1/2 mm gap, cut narrow strip from copied sheet, pasted top to bottom, beautiful.

All a bit hectic what with gluing and holding so I didn't get any "during" photos.

Still having fun though.

Clive.

[darter]

Thought a bit of natural sunlight might show any flaws in the covering, not too bad.
Clive.

[MRC]

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sear...aspx?B=4957233
Found this, maybe nothing new to you...

[darter]

Thanks MRC, I have seen this drawing but from what I shall call the "waist" up, it bears no resemblance to any other photos I have been able to find of Cape Otway Lighthouse.

Clive

[darter]

Now I have a most perplexing problem.

Time to fit the stanchions and railing.

The stanchions only butt glue to the deck, so "A" it will be difficult to get them all straight and perpendicular and "B" they will be weak as anything.

There is 3 rows of copper wire rail to be threaded through them.

If I glue the stanchions on first then I risk breaking them off while threading the wires.

If I pre thread them first, then each one will have to be glued and firmly secured (held by me) untill fully set as the wire will want to move them out of alignment. 14 x 5 minutes, dunno if I can concentrate that long.

So my plan is, aahhhh still cant decide but I've painted the bottom already to glue on, just to make painting them easier after.
I plan on the paint bleeding in the wire holes and securing the wires.

If the designer had made the stanchions 1/2" longer and laser cut holes for them in the deck top. The assembly then would be mush easier, quicker and a lot more secure.

I thought about lengthening them but all I could do is butt glue an extension to them, either at the bottom or below the top rail.
Either way I still have a weak spot so I may as well just glue straight to the deck, thread the wires carefully, soak them with CA glue and then paint.

So now the only decision is, thread wires before or after gluing.

Clive.

[Dave Pete]

Have you considered bending the wire to shape then thread them to the stanchions?

Enjoying your work. Looks like a nice kit and you are doing a great job.

[darter]

Yeah Dave Pete, that is one consideration and it is most likely the way I'll go.
The wire is very ductile so forming the circle will not be a problem but threading the stanchions on first will mean my holding each one in turn , perfectly straight, whilst the glue sets then moving to on the next one.

I have decided that if I attach the stanchions first, it will be the devils own work to thread the wire and as I progress around the deck, the friction in the holes will only become greater. There are 14 stanchions to pass through.

Thinking about it, I reckon this way will be very difficult and may well result in disaster.
Especially as there are three rails to thread.

But the first method will only be laborious.
Decision made. Prethread.

Stanchions and rail tonight, photos tomorrow.

If only the design was different this problem would not exist, longer stanchions glued through holes would solve the problem, simple.

Clive

[darter]

Bit of a time lapse there as I generally only get an hour or two spare in the evening where I can model if I'm lucky.

Here is last night's effort.

All the sub-assemblies for the lantern went together beautifully.

This truly is a great kit to build, I'm enjoying it.

There was no way pre-threading the stanchions was going to work, simply too small a gluing area. I tried. I couldn't hold each one in turn till the glue set.

The stanchions are now just glued on and I'll try threading them that way.

Trouble now is they are just so dodgy, slightly easing the holes has made them very weak as there is hardly any material beside the holes.

This will not be a problem if I can just get the wires through because I intend soaking them with CA glue which will secure the rails and stiffen up the stanchions.

The stanchions are also starting to de-laminate even though I handled them carefully and with tweezers.

Perhaps a better modeler than me would have found it easier.

Anyway, plan B is ready if it all turns to mud.

Modified deck top and stanchions ready to roll if needed.

I'll let the pictures tell the story.

See what tonight brings.

Clive.

[darter]

Well it was driving me crazy, will it work or not?

Couldn't wait till tonight, I should have been doing real life stuff but I had to try.

Slowly pulled bottom copper wire through with tweezers then trimmed with nail clippers and positioned the join in a stanchion.
Then I applied CA glue to the wire where it passes through the stanchion and to the stanchion below the wire.

I repeated the procedure for the middle and top rails.
All in and done and with the CA having soaked into the stanchions the whole assembly is really quite solid.

We are most happy.

Tonight I shall paint it.

Clive.

[darter]

I'm right chuffed this morning, last night's effort was most rewarding.

Stanchions and rail turned out well, just need a second coat of jam.

Never before have I made a dome and I am pleased with the result.

I found it difficult to apply so many small pieces that had to butt together and not get glue on my fingers as each one needed to be massaged into position and held down.
Some of this glue obviously transferred to the covering.
I tried to remove it but as the paper was damp it was causing damage.
So I let it harden up and now I'll lightly sand it off with a bit of 800 wet and dry.

Yep, I forgot to spray this kit with fixative prior to commencing.
I've done it to down loaded models but this is the first "arrive in the mail" kit I have built.
I simply forgot.

Tonight I shall begin the lantern proper.

Clive.