1/72 work stands

[kerick]

Yesterday I received from Hobbyist Haven the 1/72nd scale maintenance platform and ladder set in PE. Looks very nice out of the package. Going to try it soon and hope I don't screw it up. I have very little experience with PE. At least I don't have to cut it apart. The pieces are all separated and stuck to clear plastic. Some nice metal panels remaining after the parts were cut out. Lots of squares and rectangles that will be useful for other projects.

I'm trying to recreate the platform and ladder thread from where it started in My Stash Just Grew Again 2023 to a new thread of its own. I hope this makes sense as parts of it will look weird.

[kerick]

NARSES2
Nick was always on his mind - just ask the Pet Shop Boys Global Moderator. #1467

September 07, 2023, 06:32:37 AM
Quote from: kerick on September 06, 2023, 10:58:29 PM
Yesterday I received from Hobbyist Haven the 1/72nd scale maintenance platform and ladder set in PE. Looks very nice out of the package. Going to try it soon and hope I don't screw it up. I have very little experience with PE. At least I don't have to cut it apart. The pieces are all separated and stuck to clear plastic. Some nice metal panels remaining after the parts were cut out. Lots of squares and rectangles that will be useful for other projects.

As long as it's unpainted brass it's probably better to anneal it first. You probably know that, but just in case you don't 

[kerick]

It's not brass. It's hard to tell if it's stainless steel or aluminum. I'm not sure if it's etched or laser cut either. Not a lot of bends involved but they are long and need to be straight. I'll have to find my sharpest straight edge. I already have a pane of glass to do it on so that helps. I'll check the tip and tricks thread for more ideas.

[kerick]

jcf  Bertie Bassett What-IF SIG
#1469

September 07, 2023, 10:36:41 AM
The platform looks like it's probably stainless and it's photo etched. Stainless is the best choice for the skeletal
nature of the beast, it's less likely to flex and having the bend points etched in is a nice touch, ditto the laptops.

[kerick]

Here's a pic courtesy of Jcf

https://hobbyisthaven.com/cdn/shop/products/e151c6489fe06887984c54dafeb2c376.jpg?v=1677150690&width=1200

[kerick]

Here is the proper pic

[kerick]

Wardukw
#1472

September 07, 2023, 12:25:37 PM
You'll find alot of small scale sets of PE are made of stainless steel..as Jon said ..it's just the strength as those hand rails if they where brass would bend like crazy just handling em .
Brass is fine for 35th and 48th and so on but even then very small 35th scale PE parts can be a PITA to handle...especially hinges ..working ones..ask me how I know     

[kerick]

NARSES2
Nick was always on his mind - just ask the Pet Shop Boys Global Moderator
#1473

Yesterday at 06:29:50 AM
That's a really nice piece of work in stainless. Best of luck with it 

[kerick]

zenrat
#1474

Yesterday at 06:52:29 AM
It's gorgeous.  I want one just for the sake of building one.  I might then find use for it but it's good enough to display just on its own.  Love the toplaps.  I'd want to make some really tiny decals of adult material for the screens.   

[kerick]

Well, I started with the laptops. I was a bit surprised by how stiff it was. It least the bend line was etched away except for two tabs which made it easy. Some black paint carefully applied to the outsides will work wonders. Next I tried the three barricades. The only bending was twisting the legs 90 degrees and the tiny piece on the edge with the hole to receive the next barricades hooks. The stair portion had only three bends. Take a look at the detail etched into the metal to make sure you end up with the right side out. The actual stair part was interesting at first. The pitiful instructions made little mention of how or how much to bend the treads to get them at the proper angle. I ended up just eyeballing it. Once you place the stairs into the slots on the rails and bend over the tiny tabs the whole thing is locked together with no glue required. The maintenance stand went just as well. Three bends for the frame and a few for the platform. Five of the eight side rails are part of the platform and needed to be folded upward. I had to cut the three on the long side apart to get the to fold upwards better. No problem cutting them. You could cut one or two off to rearrange the platform access. And you have three extra plus a separate ladder. My club is having a "out of your comfort zone" contest in October and this will be my entry. An interesting decision will be what to do about painting it. The barricades will stay metal but a quick check of aircraft maintenance photos shows these types of equipment in all sorts of colors. I think the strangest was orange hand rails with yellow platform and blue frame. I don't think I will get that complicated! Overall a good experience and I think I got my money's worth. Just wish they came in 1/48th too.

I'll post a couple of pics soon.

[Rick Lowe]

I guess they have to colourful so they can be seen against all the Grey ( X-P) aircraft...

[kerick]

I went with good old orange.
And the laptops got a big old blob of gloss black on the back to give them some thickness. I may color the keyboard with a sharpie marker so I don't cover all the detail with enamel paint.

[Wardukw]

Looking forward to the pics matey 👍 😀

[TomZ]

OMG, I get the shivers just looking at all that Photo Etch.
I'm always struggling with PE to the point that I decided to avoid it completely.

Respect to you sir on building this thing....

TomZ

[NARSES2]

Respect to you sir on building this thing....

TomZ

Absolutely. 

Well, I started with the laptops. I was a bit surprised by how stiff it was. It least the bend line was etched away except for two tabs which made it easy.

Now straightforward steel anneals which makes it far easier to bend. Unfortunately when it comes to stainless some grades do and some don't  . Most flat stainless is in grades that don't, but you could experiment on some of the offcuts ?