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How to build an Aircraft Carrier Base


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https://flic.kr/s/aHskGWzTAC                                                          The photo album  has been placed in order of explanation . The first six photos are of the carrier base that I constructed for Academy's 1/32nd scale F-18. The next 14 photos were items that were  used in its construction.The Items are:  1/32nd scale Aircraft Carrier tie downs from Tom's Model works, superglue to attach the tie-downs to the plywood, Evergreen sheet styrene, Micro-Mark rivet decal sheet, 3/4" plywood,  sanding paper (80 grit), finish nails, carpenters glue, hammer, nail set, oak shoe strip molding, drive pin punch set (to punch holes in he sandpaper , 3M contact adhesive, Minwax stain, Minwax spar varnish urethane, Minwax finish putty The catapult shuttle was scratch-built out of Evergreen sheet styrene. The catapult track was also constructed of sheet styrene. It was painted silver, and titanium. I used the Micro-Mark rivet decal sheet to simulate bolt heads attaching the catapult track to the carrier deck. I cut a shallow track in the plywood with a skill saw before attaching the sheet styrene to give it some depth.

                                 The remaining photos are of a base that I completed yesterday. I used a photo off the internet as a guideline. I plan on putting a 1/35th scale Marine UH-1N on the base once its completed. Step 1. Cut the plywood to size. I have a portable table saw. You can use a framing square and hand saw if you do not have a table saw, or skill saw. The most important thing, is to make sure your cuts are square. Step 2.  Punch holes in the sandpaper for the tie-downs. The grit of sandpaper that you use will be determined by the scale of your build: 1/144th scale, 220 grit, 1/48th scale, 100 grit, 1/35th scale, 80 grit, 1/32nd scale, 60 grit. In order to punch holes in the sandpaper, I use drive pin punch set. the ends are sharp. I select a size that will be the same diameter as the tie-down. You will punch the hole on the side  of the sandpaper with the writing on it. First you need to place a grid system on the back of the sandpaper. This will tell you exactly where each hole needs to go. Make sure your lines are straight both horizontally, and vertically. An easy way to do this, is use the width of a ruler as your guide. I suggest you use a sturdy workbench when putting your holes in the sandpaper. Place an old plastic cutting board under the sandpaper, before you punch your holes. This will help you get a clean hole, and keep the end of the punch sharp. To punch the hole, place the drive pin punch firmly on the sandpaper where the lines intersect. Take a hammer and strike the end of the punch pin, squarely. I use a small 5lbs sledge for mine. Repeat the process until complete.

                                Step 3. Now you need to attach the sandpaper with holes to the plywood with contact adhesive. I sand and clean the plywood prior to this. This aids for better adhesion. I also cut spaces out of the sandpaper where any decorative plates might go prior to gluing it to the plywood. Spray both surfaces, and wait for them to tack up. I usually wait around 5 minutes. Once it is down, with your hands, press the sandpaper down firmly. Step 4. Make an indention in the plywood for each tie-down. For the F-18 base, I used a drill bit to do this. It produced to deep of a hole. I now use a small center punch with my hand to make the indention. The plywood is soft. Press the center punch in the middle of the hole. Once you've done this, attach a tie-down with superglue. Step 4. Paint your base. You can use either water base, or oil based paints on the sandpaper. I used several shades of grey to accomplish this. I also used flat black and flat with. Once the base coat is down, and dry, you can use blue painters tape to paint what ever lines you my want.

                                Step 5. Stain the shoe mold. After the stain is dry, apply a coat of spar varnish urethane. Once it is completely dry, you can cut your shoe mold to attach to the outside edge of the plywood. I use a miter saw for tight cuts. If you do not have one, you can pick up a miter box, and back saw,  relatively cheap from Lowes. I attach the shoe mold with carpenters glue and a brad nailer. if you do not have one, you can use finish nails and a hammer. You will need to drill a small pilot hole in the shoe mold before you attach it with finish nails. This will prevent the shoe mold from splitting. Once the finish nails are in place, use a nail set to place the head of the finish nail right below the surface. You will then take finish putty, and fill the nail holes. You can take mineral spirits on a rag and wipe off any excess finish putty.

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