TBlack

Keith,
Or are you suggesting I should make the whole thing smaller? Need to think about it overnight.
Tom

Keith,
I think the piece is wider than in the picture, but I didn't want too much of the transom ends sticking out from the hull:

 
With reference to the picture (post 33) where the quarterdeck bulwark meets the transom, from that point on the transom, drawing a line straight down, that line crosses the window (#2 in from the outboard side) about 1/4 to 1/2 of the width of that window. As you can see from the photo above I've got the bulwarks hitting the corner of the outboard window. So, I'm making the transom wider than in the picture, but, as I mentioned, I don't want too much transom ends out there flapping in the breeze. It looks unsightly.

Keith,
Here's how that piece fits:

Ideally, the bottom of the pattern should be along the bottom of the counter piece. Moving the pattern down, lowers the gun port, #6, at the far right too close to the main deck. So I can't move anything forward of gun 6. I don't care about gun port #7; it gets covered up (gun 7 is on the quarterdeck). Cutting the pattern aft of gun 6 is ok; it just means I have to cut planking stock the same thickness as the pattern, no problem. The tricky part is getting the new sheer line smoothly executed.

I'm just thinking out loud here, but it helps to clear my head. The gun port pattern, provided in the kit, sweeps upward toward the rear:

On the Sophie there is less sheer at the aft end (see photo in post #33), so I think I need to cut the pattern just aft of gun port 6 which is also where the quarterdeck starts. I hate making these irreversible decisions; maybe I'll sleep on it.

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

Keith,
Here's how that piece fits:

Ideally, the bottom of the pattern should be along the bottom of the counter piece. Moving the pattern down, lowers the gun port, #6, at the far right too close to the main deck. So I can't move anything forward of gun 6. I don't care about gun port #7; it gets covered up (gun 7 is on the quarterdeck). Cutting the pattern aft of gun 6 is ok; it just means I have to cut planking stock the same thickness as the pattern, no problem. The tricky part is getting the new sheer line smoothly executed.

I'm just thinking out loud here, but it helps to clear my head. The gun port pattern, provided in the kit, sweeps upward toward the rear:

On the Sophie there is less sheer at the aft end (see photo in post #33), so I think I need to cut the pattern just aft of gun port 6 which is also where the quarterdeck starts. I hate making these irreversible decisions; maybe I'll sleep on it.

Keith,
Here's how that piece fits:

Ideally, the bottom of the pattern should be along the bottom of the counter piece. Moving the pattern down, lowers the gun port, #6, at the far right too close to the main deck. So I can't move anything forward of gun 6. I don't care about gun port #7; it gets covered up (gun 7 is on the quarterdeck). Cutting the pattern aft of gun 6 is ok; it just means I have to cut planking stock the same thickness as the pattern, no problem. The tricky part is getting the new sheer line smoothly executed.

Charles,
I have one of these today, minus the flex shaft. And you are absolutely right on all points. It's amazing that I can get anything cut right.
Tom

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

I'm just thinking out loud here, but it helps to clear my head. The gun port pattern, provided in the kit, sweeps upward toward the rear:

On the Sophie there is less sheer at the aft end (see photo in post #33), so I think I need to cut the pattern just aft of gun port 6 which is also where the quarterdeck starts. I hate making these irreversible decisions; maybe I'll sleep on it.

I'm just thinking out loud here, but it helps to clear my head. The gun port pattern, provided in the kit, sweeps upward toward the rear:

On the Sophie there is less sheer at the aft end (see photo in post #33), so I think I need to cut the pattern just aft of gun port 6 which is also where the quarterdeck starts. I hate making these irreversible decisions; maybe I'll sleep on it.

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

Wonderful work, just amazing.
 
I was also thinking, it is commonly expressed on this forum (including by me) that taking close up photos of our models reveals the small mistakes and smudges, scratches, dents, paint chips and so on.  You, sir, seem to be immune to this phenomenon.  Well done.

Is anyone else suspicious about the size of Gary's eyeglasses? 
 

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

Gary,
I'm getting the feeling that you see yourself as the shop foreman/owner, and that you wish you were 3/4" tall.
Tom 

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

It's beautiful work, and fun to watch you put it together. But now what happens to this work of art?
Tom

Greetings fellow modelers.
 
The last item to finish on this diorama is the exterior (through the windows) lighting and the wiring. 

A styrene bracket overhangs the end of the building and LEDs are glued to the underside.
 

 
 
There are four warm white 5050 diodes and a single 0805.  The 0805 fills in the area above the door.
 

 
 
This model is a lot like real estate – it looks OK until you walk around back.
 
The black smeared all over the seams is a PVA and acrylic paint mixture and keeps the light from shining through the cracks.  In fact, I've painted the back side of the thin plastic door with the goo to prevent it from glowing as the bright light makes it almost translucent.
 

 
 
Originally I had intended on using an industrial/commercial scene, but decided instead on an image with colors that would feel more like a sunny day and contrast with the drab interior.  The scene also needed to be a subject that could be wrapped 90 degrees through the corner which would be difficult to do with close up buildings.  The line-of-sight created by the window positioning necessitates this continuous scene because it allows for viewing positions where the side wall and the back wall can be seen at the same time through a single window.  So two separate scenes (one out the rear window and one out the side) can't be used.

 
The trimmed-to-fit image is attached to the side wall and the back gets folded in after the dio module is inserted.  The flare of the lower portion of the photo keeps the viewer from seeing the inside bottom of the shadowbox.  The red wire along with an identical one on the bottom holds the dio in place up tight within the face frame inset.
 

 
 
Two latching push buttons are recessed into the bottom - one for the interior and one for the exterior. This recess gives me the option to set the shadowbox down on a horizontal surface if I chose not to wall hang it. 
 

 
 
The lighting is controlled in 3 main groups with each group having its own PWM (Pulse Width Modulator), so I can adjust their light levels up or down if need be.  The groups are the 5  exterior lights, four pendant lights and two mezzanine lights.  The bench light and pit light are separate with a fixed output.

Here is the final result.  None of the images are focus stacked and the star-like rays coming from the lights are due to the use of a wide angle lens, a very small aperture and long exposure times in attempt to gain the greatest depth of field.  Also, they are not HDR composites although I did open up the shadows in software on some of the images which gives them an HDRish look.
 
 
All lights on.
 

 
 
Interior lights only.

 
 
Exterior only.

 
All

 
Interior only.

 
 
Exterior only.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Thanks to all for stopping to take a look and for the likes.  And I especially want to thank everyone who left comments.  Your encouragement, suggestions and input made this a better model than it otherwise would have been – and much more enjoyable as well.   Thank you so much.
   
Be safe and stay well.
 
Gary