Scops Owl - Johan Scherft - Page 3

**Kevin WS** · #21 08-23-2018, 06:02 AM

Nearly done.

Quite simply now the legs are joined to the body - lots and lots of glue to hold everything together.

In the last step (post above) the distance between the legs and their angle to the base, was set.

All that remains now is to ensure that the body is at the right angle from front to back.

After fiddling, mine ended up when the tail was parallel to the base as this posture looked best to me - it gave the owl a slight downwards posture.

The picture below, as promised in the last post, should help with getting the angles more or less similar.

To keep the owl at the right angle when drying I put balls of toilet paper between the tail and back of the base as spacers, and then rested the beak against the side of a cardboard box. Toilet paper is best for the spacers as it does not expand with any force after you have rolled it up, so it will not change the angle by "uncrinkling".

Once dry, the last step will be to go over the model with watercolour paint and touch up the odd edge or join.

Then an overall spray of matt varnish (I just use a spray varnish from the local hardware shop that works well). And then some varnish for the eyes, and it will be done!

**Erik Zwaan** · #22 08-23-2018, 08:12 AM

Looking good Kevin! I remember from building various JS bird models in the past few years that you need a full day for the landing gear to dry, and indeed, lots of glue required. I'll give it a thought to start "my" owl before the end of the year, am currently building something rather different which needs finishing first.

Regards,
Erik

**JohnM** · #23 08-23-2018, 09:00 AM

I tend to reinforce the legs with toothpicks, wire or even hard rolled rolled card, plus generous amounts of super glue to solidify everything.

If you haven't already glued the head in place, don't forget to experiment to see what other amusing positions it can rotate to ... as is the nature of owls. With my Canon Snowy owls, I left the heads loose, so that they could be changed occasionally, but I'm sure I did glue the Scops Owl head in place looking sideways.

**Kevin WS** · #24 08-26-2018, 01:15 AM

Erik - thanks. I did leave over a day to dry!

Just need to take some pics of the finished thing now.....

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John - head was already in place when you posted. Gave it a peering down slightly posture.

Yes, it is a good idea to keep it posable if possible and if the neck lends itself to a second tube inside this also helps. The "rounder" the cross section the easier this is. In John's microceratops the neck is round with lots of overlap, so I just left it. This is great when taking pictures as I can repose it.

For the Scops Owls legs, lots of white glue served as reinforcement in this case - I just filled up the leg tube. All is well and strong - my concern was to get the body firmly anchored to the base.

**Kevin WS** · #25 08-27-2018, 09:37 AM

OK - here are a couple of pictures of the finished item to help other builders going forward.

The actual colours of the first two have a bit of a tint, with the last one having the more accurate colours.

I will now take some pics in a more natural setting - which I will do and post in the next day or so.