Cathead

Hello again everyone, it has been way too long since my last update. I have been busy, I have just been dealing with computer problems. My old laptop decided to give up the ghost so I had to purchase a new one. Well after being a Windows guy for 30 years, I finally converted to the dark side and got a Mac. I knew there would be a learning curve to get used to a new style of computering, but it took me little longer than I had planned to get things moved over from my old laptop and figure out how to use the new style of apps. But I persevered and finally got it all moved over and I am ready to go. So pull up a chair, grab a drink and get ready for a major photo dump of progress.
 
So on my last update I was having difficulty trying to solder my railings and had decided to go with the styrene method. While I pondered how to do the small railing on top of the pilothouse, I worked on the lower sections of railing. Here is the railing that surrounds the pilothouse going together.
I couldn't get the small jig that I had previously made up to get a consistent results, and I was having a hard time getting the stanchions to stand straight up. So I made up a different jig that had slots cut in at the correct spacing and clamped the two halves together. This held the vertical stanchions perfectly upright and steady while I glued the top rail in place. Once this section was complete I removed the section of railing, placed it on my mat then used a small piece of scrap wood cut to the correct spacing to add the lower rail. I forgot to take pictures of this part, but in the next picture you can see a couple of the pieces of scrap wood on the railing show how it was spaced.

More of the lower deck railings.

 
Then it was on to the smaller railing. I took @KeithAug advice of making a jig with my Xtool to frame up the ladder as a test piece. 
So far so good. Then I cut the brass rod pieces and placed them into the jig.

 
I decided to give the solder paste a try, and it didn't let me down. This was so much easier than trying to flux and solder the pieces together in the jig.


After a little filing and cleanup I am very pleased with the outcome.

 
Since the ladder was a success, I decided to use the solder paste on the pilothouse railing. For this one, I made up another jig that gave me the proper spacing for the height of the rail and soldered each stanchion one by one.

Again, I am completely satisfied with the results. Now I'll just need to tie the ladder in with the railing, but that will have to come once I get the decks secured in place.

 
After competing the railing, it was time to work on the hull features. I wanted to get everything on the underside of the hull done so I could get it mounted to a temporary base and work on everything upright. So I started with the Korts and wheels. On my previous post I had already cut and shaped the Korts and temp mounted them in place. Now it was time to install the fairings where they tie to the hull. Nothing out of the ordinary here, just cut a few pieces of wood sheets to match the contour of the Korts and hull.

Then I made a couple of plugs with centering holes so that I knew where to align the wheel shafts.

The centering plugs also helped me mark where the wheel shafts will penetrate the hull.

Once the penetration points were marked, it was time to do a little drilling.

Wheel shafts temp installed to test their alignment.

Then the wheel shafts were cut and mock wheels made to make sure that I had the centering and clearances correct.

 
Once the holes were drilled and the shafts cut, it was time to work on the shaft supports. I cut out several pieces to layer up the supports and carve them down.

Three layers was just about right, now its time to carve them down.

Roughly shaped, and testing the fit.

This is the look that I am going for.

 
On to the wheels. I used the mock patterns that I had previously made to align each blade. I made the hub in the same manner that I made the supports. I cut out several layers  and sanded them to shape. I didn't take pictures of this process as well, but you can see end results of the hubs in this photo. I then cut out another pattern of the wheels and separated the blades from the hub and proceeded to glue them at the proper angle on the shaped hubs.

One of the completed wheels.

And temp installed in the Kort. Just a little sanding, shaping and paint and they should be good.

 
Next it was time to work on the rudders. I started with the main rudders. These were cut from pieces of wood sheeting. I didn't have any materials thick enough for the completed rudder so I layered these as well. Here is the initial shape. 

The two layers glued together.

Shaping to get the correct contour. 

 
Rudders temp installed to test their alignment. I also threw in another little detail with the addition of a galvanic anodes. These were place in various places along the hull, rudder and Korts to help with corrosion prevention.
 
Time for the flanking rudders. Same process, these were also cut out of wood sheets, but there is not any contour to these. They are fairly flat and need to have a narrow profile since they are rarely used when the boat is going forward. This low profile reduces drag and prevents the disruption of water flow through the Korts. There is some cross bracing to help stabilize any flex from the water flowing across it. Here is the initial pattern.

Cross bracing installed.

More bracing. This is used to streamline the water flow around the rudder shaft.

More galvanic anodes installed on these rudders as well. 

All four rudders completed.

While perusing the internet for more study material I ran across an another little detail that was built into the boats. I'm not sure what it's called and my searches were coming up empty, but that is not saying much because its sometimes hard to look something up if you don't know what to call it. Anyway, I noticed from some of the videos of towboats in dry dock that there was this fairing attached to aft section of the hull. My best guess is that its purpose is to help keep the turbulent water from coming over the aft deck. So I glued on a thin strip of wood and installed these very tiny gussets cut from .020 ABS sheets.
 
Here are the gussets.

Gussets going in.

The finished fairing
 
 
Time to get it all premiered up and ready for some paint.

And more galvanic anodes going in.


Next up was the installation of the coil coolers. These were radiators of sorts installed on the hull sides that uses river water to cool copper fins that circulate engine and clutch oil through. The coolers are mounted recessed in the hull and a protective grill installed on the outside to protect the fins from river debris.
 
Here are the cooling fins that I cut out on the laser cutter.

Recesses cut into the hull for the cooling fins.

Fins installed in the hull


Here is the protective grill alongside the hull and coolers. These will get attached after the hull is painted and the cooler fins coated with a touch of copper paint.

Painting of the hull, wheels and rudders.


 
Flanking rudders installed.

Main rudders temp installed to test for clearance.

Port rudders aligned

All rudders installed and anodes painted up.

Up close shots showing details.


 
Time to flip it over and install the coil cooler guards. It wasn't until I posted this photo that I noticed the gap in the wood planks on the hull. I'll need to go back and fix that.

 
Here she is in her correct, upright position with all decks sitting in place.

 
One final feature that was almost completed that I wanted to add to this update was the construction of the stacks.
 
I started with a basic framework of a base and top with a center support to maintain the correct height of the stacks.

Then it was time to cover the frame with strips of wood. Here is the first strip going in.

More progress. Starting to take shape.

Completely covered with a light sanding to smooth out the edges of the planks.

Here is the cap and fairing that will sit on top of the stack

The two pieces assembled.

And the cap installed on the stack and a final sanding.

Both stacks completed and temp installed.

Another view. I will take these and cover them with some body filler to fill in the gaps and give the top pairing its final shape. Hopefully that will be done by my next update .

 
Well that is it for this update, I hope to be a little more timely with my next one. Thank you all for sticking with me on this and stopping by. As always I appreciate all the kind words and input.
 
-Brian
 

When I built my longship, I was able to find a whole set of 1:32 bare metal figures that were quite well done. That would be pretty close to your scale, most people can't tell the difference. I had a great time hand-painting them. Here they are displayed with my vessel, whose build log is linked below if it's of interest and use (there's more detail in there about painting them and so on, too).
 

When I built my longship, I was able to find a whole set of 1:32 bare metal figures that were quite well done. That would be pretty close to your scale, most people can't tell the difference. I had a great time hand-painting them. Here they are displayed with my vessel, whose build log is linked below if it's of interest and use (there's more detail in there about painting them and so on, too).
 

Wonderful progress on Peerless, Eric.  I too agree - very convincing results from your canvas method.  
 
Gary

I'm going to be a bit of a young curmudgeon here and say that I did not find most of the standard books on wooden ship building particularly helpful when I was getting started 4-5 years ago. Most of them felt very out of date, frankly, and really weren't relevant to the quality and development level of modern kits. And this is coming from a voracious consumer of books who loves to learn by reading. 
 
As Roger says, a well-designed modern kit, with good instructions, will likely teach you at least as much as a decades-old book, and you'll be doing while you learn. As will spending time engaging with this forum and reading others' build logs. Even as references, books may not be as handy as the internet for a beginner; eventually you may want the definitive tome on 18th century rigging practices, but at any level of introduction to the hobby you may well be better off learning from others online and searching for the specific answers you want. Not to mention that videos are often better teachers these days than old books.
 
Everyone learns differently, so this may not apply to you. But at the very least, you might consider requesting a few books through interlibrary loan to see if they are actually good matches for you before you splash out lots of money for a library. I quickly outgrew what little I did learn from the books I bought, and now wish I'd put that money to better use as the books now gather dust since they became irrelevant within a year, especially once I found MSW with its far broader scope of far more up to date information and advice.

Quality instructions or not is a HUGE divider for kit manufacturers. There are only a handful that really bother to do it right. The rest are a sink or swim mentality.

While no expert, I've personally found that I like to do both. An initial blackening in highly diluted solution, followed by painting. The blackening seems to rough up the surface slightly and the paint grips better and looks more natural than when applied straight to brass. I've also used primer followed by paint but that ends up thicker than I like.

I apply each strip separately. Cut to fit as needed, smear wood glue on the tacky surface, apply, use a strip of wood or my finger to rub smooth and flat (sometimes bubbles get trapped), then move on to the next one.
 
Another benefit to doing it that way is that the tape itself is just tacky enough that sliding it into an exact position is tricky because it catches. A film of wood glue on the bottom means it slides effortlessly and can be adjusted to exactly where you want it, then snugged down with some gentle pressure.

Wefalck, I absolutely agree that tape on its own would not be a good idea, but recall that earlier I described how the masking tape is attached with a layer of carpenter's glue once it's cut to fit. The glue soaks into the tape and not only holds it quite solidly once dry, but stiffens it so that it's easier to trim. The paint provides another round of stiffener. The same method used on my Arabia has shown no signs of alteration in ~4 years of the highly variable environmental conditions within my house (from bone-dry firewood-heated air in winter to humid summer air only partly buffered by air conditioning, and temperature variations from the 50s-80s F). So I'm pretty comfortable with the method.
 
The venue is setting up large square tables, one for each model, so people can view them from all sides but they're not easily reachable (especially by little hands). Still a little nerve-wracking but worth it, I think.

A few shots of carefully working the masking-tape "canvas" around the rest of the boiler deck:


Lots of fiddly cutting and fitting here. But another benefit to masking tape is that it holds its shape stiffly and is easier to shape and fit than something floppier like silkspan or tissue. And it's just sticky enough on its own to stay put when you're trying to draw or cut a careful line, while still being easy to move when you want.
 
I finally reached the point where a bunch of these overlapping mini-projects all came together. So here she is with cabins and pilot house attached, deck fully canvassed and painted, hog chain posts installed, and stern planking applied.


Careful eyes will notice that I haven't yet installed the support posts for the rear cabin roof overhang, but it's plenty stable for now. I'm not worried about the messy appearance of the boiler deck's edge because that will get wrapped in a thin plank veneer.
 
On Sunday, I'll be giving a talk on the evolution of steamboat design along the Missouri River, at a regional cultural center that specializes in supporting educational and artistic programming. I initially developed this talk back in 2021 as an online lecture for a regional non-profit that works along the Missouri River (you can view the talk recording here if interested), but this will be the first time I've given it to an in-person audience. As a bonus, I'll be displaying three of my steamboat models, the first time any of them have been presented to the public. Here they are all lined up and ready to go:
 

In the back is Arabia (1:64), in the middle is Bertrand (1:87), and of course in the foreground is Peerless (1:87). All three operated on the Missouri River, from 1853-1856, 1864-1865, and 1893-1903, respectively.
 
Model size is misleading, as Arabia is at a larger scale though she's actually very close in size to Bertrand. On the other hand, Bertrand and Peerless are the same scale, so you can really see how tiny the latter was in comparison to her ancestors.
 
This talk has been scheduled for a long time, and I'd originally hoped to have Peerless done for this talk, but when it became clear that wouldn't happen, I aimed to at least reach a clearly presentable and semi-complete stage, which I just barely did!
 
Thanks as always for following along, and helping me get to this point.

Time for a big dump of progress photos!
 
I completely failed to take photos of building the roof for the pilot house and cabin, but it wasn't complicated. I just cut a thin sheet of wood to the shape I wanted, spread glue on the "rafters", and secured everything with rubber bands.
 
The photo story picks up again as I applied the simulated canvas. I used the same method as I did on Arabia: strips of masking tape held down with a thin layer of wood glue. When that's dried overnight, I trim the edges and paint it. It's held up perfectly on that last model, I really like the texture, and it's more forgiving to work with than tissue paper or silkspan or other options. Plus it's dirt cheap. Here's a sequence showing the progression of slightly overlapping layers on the gently arching cabin roof:



And the same for the pilot house:
 


I'll use some pastels to weather this a little, dull it down, and give it some subtle variation in tone.
 
In the meantime I worked on laying out the support posts for the hog chains, which needed to be carefully situated to run just along the outside edge of the cabin roof. So I marked the final location of the cabin and carefully laid out where I wanted the posts to go through the boiler deck. Then I drilled a series of small holes and used a sharp knife tip and then small files to make the final shape:
 

I then made a simple jig for the angle I wanted the posts to sit at, and used this to set them up. Here they've already been cut and painted. The black tips are meant to represent the iron caps that actually held the hog chains onto the wooden posts.

And here are a few shots of the fore and aft hog chain posts resting in place (not yet glued); you'll notice I temporarily removed the chimneys to avoid any possible damage as I worked on all this:
 



I also built the assembly that goes over the stern, which I'd left off until now since it rises above the boiler deck and I didn't want to bump or snap it while doing earlier work on the deck.
 


Finally it was time to start attaching things for good. Here I've glued down the cabin and pilot house (big step!):
 

And while that was drying I got started laying down the "canvas" on the boiler deck, working up to the aft part of the cabin. I'll let this all dry completely before proceeding up either side of the cabin.
 

A close look will also show that I built and attached the little L-shaped guard wall around the staircase up to the boiler deck.
 
Once all the boiler deck canvas is laid, I'll (re)cut the hog chain post holes, paint it carefully (trying to avoid the cabin walls), then attach the stern piece. At that point the model will really be coming together though a lot of detail work remains to be done (not to mention the paddle wheel, which I'm dreading).
 
Thanks for reading (or at least skimming) through that big dump of updates!

A few shots of carefully working the masking-tape "canvas" around the rest of the boiler deck:


Lots of fiddly cutting and fitting here. But another benefit to masking tape is that it holds its shape stiffly and is easier to shape and fit than something floppier like silkspan or tissue. And it's just sticky enough on its own to stay put when you're trying to draw or cut a careful line, while still being easy to move when you want.
 
I finally reached the point where a bunch of these overlapping mini-projects all came together. So here she is with cabins and pilot house attached, deck fully canvassed and painted, hog chain posts installed, and stern planking applied.


Careful eyes will notice that I haven't yet installed the support posts for the rear cabin roof overhang, but it's plenty stable for now. I'm not worried about the messy appearance of the boiler deck's edge because that will get wrapped in a thin plank veneer.
 
On Sunday, I'll be giving a talk on the evolution of steamboat design along the Missouri River, at a regional cultural center that specializes in supporting educational and artistic programming. I initially developed this talk back in 2021 as an online lecture for a regional non-profit that works along the Missouri River (you can view the talk recording here if interested), but this will be the first time I've given it to an in-person audience. As a bonus, I'll be displaying three of my steamboat models, the first time any of them have been presented to the public. Here they are all lined up and ready to go:
 

In the back is Arabia (1:64), in the middle is Bertrand (1:87), and of course in the foreground is Peerless (1:87). All three operated on the Missouri River, from 1853-1856, 1864-1865, and 1893-1903, respectively.
 
Model size is misleading, as Arabia is at a larger scale though she's actually very close in size to Bertrand. On the other hand, Bertrand and Peerless are the same scale, so you can really see how tiny the latter was in comparison to her ancestors.
 
This talk has been scheduled for a long time, and I'd originally hoped to have Peerless done for this talk, but when it became clear that wouldn't happen, I aimed to at least reach a clearly presentable and semi-complete stage, which I just barely did!
 
Thanks as always for following along, and helping me get to this point.

Honestly I'd considering getting some cookbooks from a library if you can. Online recipes have gone down the tubes, full of unnecessary padding and online search no longer rewards quality. 
 
So glad to hear of continued progress!

A few shots of carefully working the masking-tape "canvas" around the rest of the boiler deck:


Lots of fiddly cutting and fitting here. But another benefit to masking tape is that it holds its shape stiffly and is easier to shape and fit than something floppier like silkspan or tissue. And it's just sticky enough on its own to stay put when you're trying to draw or cut a careful line, while still being easy to move when you want.
 
I finally reached the point where a bunch of these overlapping mini-projects all came together. So here she is with cabins and pilot house attached, deck fully canvassed and painted, hog chain posts installed, and stern planking applied.


Careful eyes will notice that I haven't yet installed the support posts for the rear cabin roof overhang, but it's plenty stable for now. I'm not worried about the messy appearance of the boiler deck's edge because that will get wrapped in a thin plank veneer.
 
On Sunday, I'll be giving a talk on the evolution of steamboat design along the Missouri River, at a regional cultural center that specializes in supporting educational and artistic programming. I initially developed this talk back in 2021 as an online lecture for a regional non-profit that works along the Missouri River (you can view the talk recording here if interested), but this will be the first time I've given it to an in-person audience. As a bonus, I'll be displaying three of my steamboat models, the first time any of them have been presented to the public. Here they are all lined up and ready to go:
 

In the back is Arabia (1:64), in the middle is Bertrand (1:87), and of course in the foreground is Peerless (1:87). All three operated on the Missouri River, from 1853-1856, 1864-1865, and 1893-1903, respectively.
 
Model size is misleading, as Arabia is at a larger scale though she's actually very close in size to Bertrand. On the other hand, Bertrand and Peerless are the same scale, so you can really see how tiny the latter was in comparison to her ancestors.
 
This talk has been scheduled for a long time, and I'd originally hoped to have Peerless done for this talk, but when it became clear that wouldn't happen, I aimed to at least reach a clearly presentable and semi-complete stage, which I just barely did!
 
Thanks as always for following along, and helping me get to this point.

I apply each strip separately. Cut to fit as needed, smear wood glue on the tacky surface, apply, use a strip of wood or my finger to rub smooth and flat (sometimes bubbles get trapped), then move on to the next one.
 
Another benefit to doing it that way is that the tape itself is just tacky enough that sliding it into an exact position is tricky because it catches. A film of wood glue on the bottom means it slides effortlessly and can be adjusted to exactly where you want it, then snugged down with some gentle pressure.

A few shots of carefully working the masking-tape "canvas" around the rest of the boiler deck:


Lots of fiddly cutting and fitting here. But another benefit to masking tape is that it holds its shape stiffly and is easier to shape and fit than something floppier like silkspan or tissue. And it's just sticky enough on its own to stay put when you're trying to draw or cut a careful line, while still being easy to move when you want.
 
I finally reached the point where a bunch of these overlapping mini-projects all came together. So here she is with cabins and pilot house attached, deck fully canvassed and painted, hog chain posts installed, and stern planking applied.


Careful eyes will notice that I haven't yet installed the support posts for the rear cabin roof overhang, but it's plenty stable for now. I'm not worried about the messy appearance of the boiler deck's edge because that will get wrapped in a thin plank veneer.
 
On Sunday, I'll be giving a talk on the evolution of steamboat design along the Missouri River, at a regional cultural center that specializes in supporting educational and artistic programming. I initially developed this talk back in 2021 as an online lecture for a regional non-profit that works along the Missouri River (you can view the talk recording here if interested), but this will be the first time I've given it to an in-person audience. As a bonus, I'll be displaying three of my steamboat models, the first time any of them have been presented to the public. Here they are all lined up and ready to go:
 

In the back is Arabia (1:64), in the middle is Bertrand (1:87), and of course in the foreground is Peerless (1:87). All three operated on the Missouri River, from 1853-1856, 1864-1865, and 1893-1903, respectively.
 
Model size is misleading, as Arabia is at a larger scale though she's actually very close in size to Bertrand. On the other hand, Bertrand and Peerless are the same scale, so you can really see how tiny the latter was in comparison to her ancestors.
 
This talk has been scheduled for a long time, and I'd originally hoped to have Peerless done for this talk, but when it became clear that wouldn't happen, I aimed to at least reach a clearly presentable and semi-complete stage, which I just barely did!
 
Thanks as always for following along, and helping me get to this point.

The boat's coming along nicely, Eric. Good luck with your presentation tomorrow.

While no expert, I've personally found that I like to do both. An initial blackening in highly diluted solution, followed by painting. The blackening seems to rough up the surface slightly and the paint grips better and looks more natural than when applied straight to brass. I've also used primer followed by paint but that ends up thicker than I like.

Quality instructions or not is a HUGE divider for kit manufacturers. There are only a handful that really bother to do it right. The rest are a sink or swim mentality.

I apply each strip separately. Cut to fit as needed, smear wood glue on the tacky surface, apply, use a strip of wood or my finger to rub smooth and flat (sometimes bubbles get trapped), then move on to the next one.
 
Another benefit to doing it that way is that the tape itself is just tacky enough that sliding it into an exact position is tricky because it catches. A film of wood glue on the bottom means it slides effortlessly and can be adjusted to exactly where you want it, then snugged down with some gentle pressure.

I apply each strip separately. Cut to fit as needed, smear wood glue on the tacky surface, apply, use a strip of wood or my finger to rub smooth and flat (sometimes bubbles get trapped), then move on to the next one.
 
Another benefit to doing it that way is that the tape itself is just tacky enough that sliding it into an exact position is tricky because it catches. A film of wood glue on the bottom means it slides effortlessly and can be adjusted to exactly where you want it, then snugged down with some gentle pressure.

Wefalck, I absolutely agree that tape on its own would not be a good idea, but recall that earlier I described how the masking tape is attached with a layer of carpenter's glue once it's cut to fit. The glue soaks into the tape and not only holds it quite solidly once dry, but stiffens it so that it's easier to trim. The paint provides another round of stiffener. The same method used on my Arabia has shown no signs of alteration in ~4 years of the highly variable environmental conditions within my house (from bone-dry firewood-heated air in winter to humid summer air only partly buffered by air conditioning, and temperature variations from the 50s-80s F). So I'm pretty comfortable with the method.
 
The venue is setting up large square tables, one for each model, so people can view them from all sides but they're not easily reachable (especially by little hands). Still a little nerve-wracking but worth it, I think.

A few shots of carefully working the masking-tape "canvas" around the rest of the boiler deck:


Lots of fiddly cutting and fitting here. But another benefit to masking tape is that it holds its shape stiffly and is easier to shape and fit than something floppier like silkspan or tissue. And it's just sticky enough on its own to stay put when you're trying to draw or cut a careful line, while still being easy to move when you want.
 
I finally reached the point where a bunch of these overlapping mini-projects all came together. So here she is with cabins and pilot house attached, deck fully canvassed and painted, hog chain posts installed, and stern planking applied.


Careful eyes will notice that I haven't yet installed the support posts for the rear cabin roof overhang, but it's plenty stable for now. I'm not worried about the messy appearance of the boiler deck's edge because that will get wrapped in a thin plank veneer.
 
On Sunday, I'll be giving a talk on the evolution of steamboat design along the Missouri River, at a regional cultural center that specializes in supporting educational and artistic programming. I initially developed this talk back in 2021 as an online lecture for a regional non-profit that works along the Missouri River (you can view the talk recording here if interested), but this will be the first time I've given it to an in-person audience. As a bonus, I'll be displaying three of my steamboat models, the first time any of them have been presented to the public. Here they are all lined up and ready to go:
 

In the back is Arabia (1:64), in the middle is Bertrand (1:87), and of course in the foreground is Peerless (1:87). All three operated on the Missouri River, from 1853-1856, 1864-1865, and 1893-1903, respectively.
 
Model size is misleading, as Arabia is at a larger scale though she's actually very close in size to Bertrand. On the other hand, Bertrand and Peerless are the same scale, so you can really see how tiny the latter was in comparison to her ancestors.
 
This talk has been scheduled for a long time, and I'd originally hoped to have Peerless done for this talk, but when it became clear that wouldn't happen, I aimed to at least reach a clearly presentable and semi-complete stage, which I just barely did!
 
Thanks as always for following along, and helping me get to this point.

I apply each strip separately. Cut to fit as needed, smear wood glue on the tacky surface, apply, use a strip of wood or my finger to rub smooth and flat (sometimes bubbles get trapped), then move on to the next one.
 
Another benefit to doing it that way is that the tape itself is just tacky enough that sliding it into an exact position is tricky because it catches. A film of wood glue on the bottom means it slides effortlessly and can be adjusted to exactly where you want it, then snugged down with some gentle pressure.

Wefalck, I absolutely agree that tape on its own would not be a good idea, but recall that earlier I described how the masking tape is attached with a layer of carpenter's glue once it's cut to fit. The glue soaks into the tape and not only holds it quite solidly once dry, but stiffens it so that it's easier to trim. The paint provides another round of stiffener. The same method used on my Arabia has shown no signs of alteration in ~4 years of the highly variable environmental conditions within my house (from bone-dry firewood-heated air in winter to humid summer air only partly buffered by air conditioning, and temperature variations from the 50s-80s F). So I'm pretty comfortable with the method.
 
The venue is setting up large square tables, one for each model, so people can view them from all sides but they're not easily reachable (especially by little hands). Still a little nerve-wracking but worth it, I think.