Mini windows again

[nid_dabeille]

Look at my stern windows!  (Still in progress.)

Made totally from scratch!  I had to cut every little piece of wood and glue it in place!  The hardest - or most time consuming part - was making the sashing bars for all the little panes, because each piece was an individual little tiny thinner-than-toothpick piece of wood.  And actually I had to cut them in half, lengthwise, because they looked too thick.

I haven't decided what to do for glazing.  I've thought of leaving them open with no glass, but I have a few different options to consider.

And NO, they don't open.  *glares at anyone who dares criticize*  I did THINK of making them openable, and it wouldn't have been too terribly much more difficult - oh who am I kidding?  It WOULD have been much more difficult, and plus I didn't have the hardware, hinges and such.  And it would have meant I would have to make a glazing decision right now, and and and... gah!  So they are glued in place, immovable.  And that's that!

Comments

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

Um, what's a P-40? Anyway, thanks! I just love making tiny things!

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, WWII American fighter plane. It was most famously used by the "Flying Tigers" stationed in China. I was introduced to it via Sky Captain, a fandom that's sadly apparently DOA now but which springboarded my interest in WWII.

I wanted a model but hated working with plastic glues (those warning labels again!) so I opted for a balsa wood version. I put a few pics of it in progress (http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=ldhenson&keyword=P-40+model.&filter=all) at my LJ if you're curious.

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, preeeetty.... Any pictures of it finished? I think balsa wood is much cooler than plastic anyway. (And yeah, those model glues are pretty ick. At work we use solvents like toluene, but absolutely only in the fume hood. Whenever I smell toluene, it reminds me of that old modeling glue I used to use as a youngster - at home, with just normal ventilation...)

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Finished pics are here (http://ldhenson.livejournal.com/60340.html).

I like balsa because it's light and easy to cut/glue, but it's so fragile, too. The model I was making is supposed to be flown--you cover the body with paper and attach a rubber-band-powered propeller--but I could barely handle the thing without feeling like I could snap it, let alone launch it through the air!

What is toluene used for?

[grace-poppy.livejournal.com]

Wow, cool! But you never covered it with paper? I can certainly imagine feeling cautious and not wanting to fly it though. It would be scary. Though I suppose if that was your purpose all along, it would be something to look forward to. I like it with the silver paint!

We use toluene for adhesive removal and tape removal. Tape is evil stuff.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Never did cover the plane. It was the "framework" look of the model that attracted me (even though the framework of a real P-40 wouldn't look like that, but I liked the effect).

I take it tape is evil because it's not archival-safe and goes yellow? Or just because it's hard to remove?