Wheelhouse Windows

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Wheelhouse Windows

This topic has 17 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 6 months, 3 weeks ago by Chris Fellows.

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23 November 2024 at 08:12 #123490
Fred Ellis 1
Participant
@fredellis1
Hi One and All

How do you make you wheelhouse windows have round corners?

I have inherited a model that the wheelhouse has been made out of a cornflake box, and over time some of it has delimited, so I am now remaking the wheelhouse out of plastic card, all the windows have a rounded corners, I have tried to make them round by drilling out the corners, I have also tried using a round file, but to me they still do not look right.

How do you go about making round corner windows?

Fred
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23 November 2024 at 09:23 #123491
Len Morris 2
Participant
@lenmorris2
Hi Fred,

I can only tell you what I do, and there must be many other ways.

I never drill thin materials be it card or tin plate. I always punch them. It leaves a clean and accurate edge.

I use drills to find the diameter of the curve I need. If it’s not a standard punch size then I flat face the blunt end of the drill and use that as the punch.

Len. 🙂
23 November 2024 at 09:35 #123493
Fred Ellis 1
Participant
@fredellis1
Thanks Len, I will look out my leather punch. think about it I will get myself a set of hole punch’s.

Fred
23 November 2024 at 10:37 #123495
Len Morris 2
Participant
@lenmorris2
Hi Fred,

Take care. Many punches are tapered on the outside diameter. They may leave an edge that is oversize on the piece you need. I use punches that are parallel on the outside diameter. they can be placed accurately and cut accurately. They don’t have to be hollow. Use the punch against a piece of wood or lead with the work piece trapped between them.

Len. 🙂
23 November 2024 at 11:05 #123497
Richard Simpson
Participant
@richardsimpson88330
Spot on Len, many cheap punches are sharpened on the outside so they leave a hole far larger than the size they quote. They are usually a poor quality metal and badly sharpened as well.

As with most things you get what you pay for so buy a good quality set of hole punches that are internally sharpened. The trouble is with plasticard you are almost certainly still going to get some deformation and there is no second chance if you get it slightly out. I’m afraid the best way is to use an abrasive and work to a line in the surface.

If you do go for a punch I would experiment first and get yourself a good anvil. If you punch onto a surface that is too soft the work piece will deform more and could become misshapen and if it is too hard the punch will blunt. I use a nylon block, which seems to work well and gives good results with the trickiest of jobs such as this head gasket. The punch was home made.
23 November 2024 at 13:08 #123499
Fred Ellis 1
Participant
@fredellis1
Hi Len & Richard

Thank you for the advice, I will look for a set of internal cutting face ponches,

Fred
23 November 2024 at 18:03 #123500
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
As the others say, there is no magic solution to cutting curved corner windows. The advice above on using punches is very sound but is the cost of the punch set justifiable for the extent it will be used (unless you can buy single punches).

If the model has been made out of a Cornflake box I would find it hard to justify spending too much on it. Personally I would cut out the area within the straight lines and then use an abrasive to tease out the corners. Round files are not necessarily the best option. Some fine abrasive paper wrapped round a round former give you more control. Then you might have to trim the window apertures to square everything up. It’s all a bit of a faff.

Would it be too much of a disaster were you to make the windows rectangular? After all, nobody is likely to notice and it will save you the cost of some punches or fiddling about with abrasives. I’m guessing that if the model is made out of cereal boxes then it is not going to be an accurate scale model. You simply need it to look good. Just a thought!

Colin
23 November 2024 at 20:33 #123506
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
I make them on the computer, print them onto glossy self-adhesive film, cut out and stick on.
24 November 2024 at 08:41 #123510
Fred Ellis 1
Participant
@fredellis1
Thank you to all who have offered advice on this topic

Colin has a point, who would know what the windows are like on the real boat so square corners would be O.K, it’s just that windows seem to be my nemesis, so one day I just would like to get it right.

I like the Blue Peter idea, and I can see it’s advantages if you have a lot of windows, say on a liner, on this model it would not look right.

Thank you all for all your comments.

Fred
24 November 2024 at 10:36 #123516
Bob Wilson
Participant
@bobwilson59101
What is the name and type of the “boat” that you are talking about, and what scale? Not knowing the type, scale and other details, makes it impossible to answer the question!
24 November 2024 at 11:55 #123520
Fred Ellis 1
Participant
@fredellis1
Hi Bob

The model is of the 726 pilot boat, it is in a scale of 1/20 and was first published in Model Boats April 2016

Fred
24 November 2024 at 12:55 #123522
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
Just had a look at the original article. Those are quite tricky windows and framed in silver as well. It would certainly be simpler to cut out the the windows and keep the angles but lose the curved corners. Especially if you want to include the frames.

Colin
24 November 2024 at 13:58 #123525
Fred Ellis 1
Participant
@fredellis1
Hi Colin

You are right it would be a lot more easier. and who would know about the windows having corners, also it makes it a lot more easier to cut out the glazing.

I have been thinking that if I was to make the frames a bit larger so that they have a small lip on the inside, I could then fix the glazing to the lip.

Fred
24 November 2024 at 14:28 #123527
Chris Fellows
Participant
@chrisfellows72943
I was apprehensive about making my first windows, which was using thin Plasticard. My method is to use a knife for the straight bits and a good pair of nail scissors for the curves and finishing off with fine files if needed.

Chris
24 November 2024 at 15:32 #123530
Fred Ellis 1
Participant
@fredellis1
Chris that does look good.
5 December 2024 at 17:05 #123758
gecon
Participant
@gecon
May as well chuck in my boat too… if you write in ‘Search’ the words “Fisher 34 Motorsailer” and go to pages about 6-8 you’ll find som photos of the Fidher wheelhouse windows. I only rounded the inside corners a little. The outer ‘frames’ are about 2-3mm evergreen strip. The outer corners were first fitted ‘square’ to each other, then rounded off to form a curve. If there’s some wood showing inside the curve, a small dab of paint conceals the square corner and makes it look like it’s curved….ish.

George.
6 December 2024 at 09:39 #123762
Richard Simpson
Participant
@richardsimpson88330
I have to say Chris those windows look superb.

Something someone might be interested in having a play around with, I have used Evergreen strips for various contour purposes and had good success with simply heating it with a heat shrink gun to bend it round corners. One in particular was a bulwark capping edge that I wanted to follow the curve of the rail.
6 December 2024 at 18:15 #123769
Chris Fellows
Participant
@chrisfellows72943
Thanks Richard. Windows came out well but I’m not so impressed with my painting! I used some paint that was reviewed by the previous editor on here and whilst it’s good in that it doesn’t need a primer and gives an acceptable colour it didn’t flow as well as I was expecting, and that was indoors so temperature wasn’t a problem.

On my next attempt I shall try a finer brush but to be honest I’m being a bit critical as once glazed and fitted to the two models so far the finish isn’t that noticeable.

Chris
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