wonwinglo

Here is one way of making scale model instrument panels for aircraft that is quick and simple,it revolves around a material called 'Scraperboard' which is available from art shops,basically it is a china clay based card that has a thin layer of scrape-able ink on the surface,artists use it to produce intricate designs and beautiful pictures especially the texture and fur of animals.
Start off by studying a photograph or drawing of the respective panel and note the way the basic flying instruments such as altimeter,artificial horizon,airspeed indicator etc are laid out,from this start by scratching into the surface of the scraperboard the basic circles for the instruments,depending on the scale you can use plastic designers circles,this is a pre-cut selection of circles costing a few pounds,to scratch use a needle embedded into a piece of dowel or an old paintbrush ferrule,next mark the centre and add the pointers and then the numerals,representations will look fine at the small scales,then mark any divisions.Once this has been completed cut the panel to shape carefully with a sharp craft knife and carefully sand the edge,now we need to make a face for the instruments so choose a piece of this card and trace the positions of the dials and carefully punch them out with a suitable tool,for this you could use some tube sharpened at the edge and tap onto an hardwood block,this can now be glued over the scraperboard so that the instruments are in effect set slightly back,next obtain some clear acrylic varnish from your art stores and flood the dials then leave to dry overnight,the next day the panel will really come alive and all you need to do is add tiny placards from scrap,blobs of paint for knobs etc and any other suitable embellishments.You could also add the instrument rims with circles of paint around the cut outs.
This is only one way to make up instrument panels,I have used this system for years on many different models,why not give it a try on your next model ?

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'And there I was oil on my goggles from a broken pipe,then I looked at the altimeter,all I could see was the makers name !'
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