# Nautilus with ParaGrafix Upgrade



## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

My Nautilus kit has arrived at last....I already had Paul's upgrade set so I'm ready to go!

One minor issue with the kit was this being broken in transit....



....odd really as Pegasus took the care to pack that area with foam...nothing some cement can't take care of but something for the rest of you to look out for....

So I'll get cracking on this tomorrow, expect lots of in progress shots...:thumbsup:


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

Looking forward to seeing the progress. I have the kit and photo etch parts but have had no time to start on it yet.


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

Waiting 24 x 7, sir. :wave:


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Looking forward to seeing what you do with this really cool kit, Iain. Sorry to see your damage - very weird as my kit-in-bag-in-flatrate-mailer test shot came through perfectly in very unprofessional packaging. As you say, it can be fixed very easily (especially for one of your skill level).


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

So, on with the build....

The salon interior is the first step and the ParaGrafix set provides girders and grilles for the ceiling. As I'm intending to light the interior I first chain-drilled the lighting panels out of the kit part...



The panels were then carefully cut out with a blade...I find it best to use a worn blade here as with a really sharp one you run the risk of taking too much off....



The girders and grilles were then glued in place....





More tomorrow....:thumbsup:


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

This photoetch kit does justice to the model kit itself. Both are amazing. 
Congrats to Paul and Pegasus, as well as to you miniature sun with this promising thread. :thumbsup:


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## BOXIE (Apr 5, 2011)

Awesome start.Looking forward to more.


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## sg-99 (Jan 11, 2009)

Looking good!!:thumbsup:


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## Lungfish (Aug 1, 2009)

I wonder how a piece of EL sheet would look behind the ceiling panels instead of LEDS. It would be a more even light but maybe to bright?


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## Grumpy Popeye (Apr 5, 2002)

Man that is looking nice!


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## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

Paul's photo etch really does add to it. It will be interesting to see how the grill diffuses the lighting in the saloon.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

If I were to use the etch I would just cut a new ceiling from sheet plastic rather than go to the work of drilling and cutting holes in the overly thick kit part.


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## electric indigo (Dec 21, 2011)

A thought about the salon floor - wouldn't it be more fitting to have wooden planking there instead of the metal panels I've seen on the kit?


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## Fernando Mureb (Nov 12, 2006)

Lungfish said:


> I wonder how a piece of EL sheet would look behind the ceiling panels instead of LEDS. It would be a more even light but maybe to bright?


My guess is that the EL sheet will not provide enough brightness.


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

djnick66 said:


> If I were to use the etch I would just cut a new ceiling from sheet plastic rather than go to the work of drilling and cutting holes in the overly thick kit part.


I think the work involved in scratching a new ceiling would be more time consuming than cutting out the kit part.


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Some minor surgery is needed on the hull to enable the ParaGrafix wheelhouse assembly to be seen. This involves removing some plastic in both sides and the forward upper hull....





I also drilled out the small window between the wheelhouse domes....





There are also two small windows in the pressure doors on the upper rear hull which were also drilled out....



The upgrade set also provides two tables to go either side of the central seating in the salon along with a chair for Nemo's desk....



These are REALLY tiny....



Now on with painting the interior.....


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## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

Ian,
your mailbox is full. I couldn't leave you a message

about that other thing...yes please


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## Lungfish (Aug 1, 2009)

Fernando Mureb said:


> My guess is that the EL sheet will not provide enough brightness.


Yeah you're probably right. I was just thinking it would be a nice glow with an even light without putting a bunch of LEDS in such a small space. I used to work with a company that made membrane switches and we used a lot of EL sheet to back light keypads and overlays and some of them are pretty bright and you can buy them that are cut to size for around $25 plus you probably wouldn't have to blackout the inside of the model to block the light like you would with the LEDS.


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## Fozzie (May 25, 2009)

Lungfish said:


> Yeah you're probably right. I was just thinking it would be a nice glow with an even light without putting a bunch of LEDS in such a small space. I used to work with a company that made membrane switches and we used a lot of EL sheet to back light keypads and overlays and some of them are pretty bright and you can buy them that are cut to size for around $25 plus you probably wouldn't have to blackout the inside of the model to block the light like you would with the LEDS.


I'd love to use EL sheet in some of my bids, but I can't stand the whine that comes off the inverters! My hearing is too good and stuff like that drives me batty.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

miniature sun said:


> I think the work involved in scratching a new ceiling would be more time consuming than cutting out the kit part.


Not really. Sheet styrene is much easier to work with than molded kit parts. And its easier to work with something flat and then glue a couple pieces together than work with something angled and 3D. At least thats my view on it.


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Lou...about that thing...I PM'd you my email address :thumbsup:


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## miniature sun (May 1, 2005)

Back on topic...I agree that EL might work, I used it for my Moonbus ceiling lights which are pretty bright, but that was due to having nowhere to hide conventional LED's.
I'm confident that with this build I can construct some shallow foil-lined boxes to sit atop the kit ceiling with side facing LED's...this gives a nice even glow with no hot spots.


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## Lungfish (Aug 1, 2009)

Fozzie said:


> I'd love to use EL sheet in some of my bids, but I can't stand the whine that comes off the inverters! My hearing is too good and stuff like that drives me batty.


I don't know about the whining noise from the inverters but I found this website that carries several different inverters that maybe would work without any noise. Check out glowhut.com


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## DCH10664 (Jul 16, 2012)

The more I see of these Photoetch sets, the more impressed I am. Have never tried one on any model. But they sure do seem to make the difference between a good looking model and a fantastic looking model. The details are just amazing !


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## Kremin (Sep 26, 2012)

Any news on this build?


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## paulschapman (Jun 16, 2013)

*Lighting the nautilus*

Anyone got suggestions for lighting the nautilus. I was looking at the Paragrafix Easy HD but apart from the need of ordering this from the States - the instructions say it requires 9v. Checking Amazon there are two enclosed battery holders with switches hold 4 batteries (either AA or AAA). Given my maths that is 6v ( 4 x 1.5v ).

Being somewhat of a newbie to doing this I really do not want to mess about with resistors and the like - I'm not even sure how. 

So any UK based solutions.

(I did try Maplins but when the salesman told me the electricity was different in the US than the UK gave up - yes even I know that but do you really think I'm going to put 240v across some LEDs in a 14 inch long model on a shelf! - I'm a newbie not daft)


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## Kremin (Sep 26, 2012)

paulschapman said:


> Anyone got suggestions for lighting the nautilus. I was looking at the Paragrafix Easy HD but apart from the need of ordering this from the States - the instructions say it requires 9v. Checking Amazon there are two enclosed battery holders with switches hold 4 batteries (either AA or AAA). Given my maths that is 6v ( 4 x 1.5v ).
> 
> Being somewhat of a newbie to doing this I really do not want to mess about with resistors and the like - I'm not even sure how.
> 
> ...


what is wrong with a normal 9v battery? 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-volt_battery


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Fozzie said:


> I'd love to use EL sheet in some of my bids, but I can't stand the whine that comes off the inverters! My hearing is too good and stuff like that drives me batty.


Even worse than the whine is the very limited lifespan - LEDs=50,000 hours (5 years 8 months) continuous use, EL sheet = 400 hours (16 days 16 hours) to half brightness, then another 400 hours to 1/4 brightness, then another 400 hours to 1/8 brightness, then ...


Kremin said:


> what is wrong with a normal 9v battery?
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-volt_battery


I was going to say the same thing.

In a perfect world I'd have it all together already, but I'm working on a Nautilus lighting kit along the line of the Large Starship Window Lighting Kit. Everything you need in one small package. I've got 3 other projects ahead of it, but I WILL get to it.


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## Antsnest (Jul 26, 2011)

I was going to look into doing a lighting kit but also won't get around to looking at it for a while.... 

Paul - are there any stockists in the UK for your PE set?

Ant


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## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Antsnest said:


> ...Paul - are there any stockists in the UK for your PE set? ...


I don't know their stock set off the top of my head, but you can try the Captain's Store or Coulsdon Models. I seem to remember shipping Coulsdon the Nautilus PE set.


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## paulschapman (Jun 16, 2013)

Paulbo said:


> I don't know their stock set off the top of my head, but you can try the Captain's Store or Coulsdon Models. I seem to remember shipping Coulsdon the Nautilus PE set.


Coulsdon have the Easy HD Sockets and Easy HD but not the photoeching listed on their Ebay Page - will likely get the whole lot from you direct - that way I get the whole lot in one go.

Order should be in this weekend. I picked up a 9v Battery enclosure from Maplins yesterday - so will have to figure it all out once I get it all together.


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## gregsb (Jun 25, 2008)

Any update? Your builds are always inspiring.


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