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“Join two base sections together, and attach the second searchlight, skull, two rusted pipe details, and a spring.”

Contents

Parts

Materials: The Spring Detail and Joining Plate are metal, the Base Section is plastic, and the Pipe Details are solid resin.

Magazine

• T-800 Assembly – Model Instructions
• Sci-Fi Cinema Legends – Close Encounters of the Third Kind
• Real World Science – Talking to the Stars

Connect a Second Base Section to the First, and Apply Details

Step 1

Retrieve your First Base Panel from the previous issue. Fit the new Base Section to the First Base Section to see how they will mate together:

Step 2

Carefully turn both base panels upside down, taking care not to dislodge any of the base details. Then, align these two sets of screw holes and ensure the bottom edges of the base panels are even.

It is recommended to use a ‘bulldog clip’ or similar to temporarily hold these panels together. I used a set of plastic grip clamps:

Step 3

Fit the Joining Plate over the same screw holes and secure it into place with four (4) 2×4 mm PWB screws, as shown.

At this point, it is normal for the connection between these two base panels to still be a bit flimsy. A future part will reinforce these joints:

Step 4

Test fit the two Pipe Details to these matching locations on the new Base Section panel, noting the recesses they use.

Steps 5-8

Apply some super glue to the sides of the tabs of each Pipe Detail.

As I mentioned before, I am not gluing these details down just yet. I think I want to customize the base and need these details removable for now:

Fit these Pipe Details into place on the Base Section and hold them in place until the glue has set:

Steps 9-10

Retrieve your Discarded Skull from the previous issue. Place it onto this matching location on the Base Section. The Discarded Skull will cover the power switch of the base assembly, so it is NOT glued into place:

Step 11

Retrieve your Searchlight assembly from the previous issue. Thread the plug end of the LED and Cable through this hole of the new Base Section:

Step 12

Then, slide the split posts of the Searchlight Stand down into this hole, aligning them to the matching tabs of the hole, and snap the Searchlight assembly into place, as shown:

Steps 13-15

Fit one end of the Spring Detail into this slot of the Base Section and rotate it a few turns clockwise, ‘screwing’ it into the slot until you are happy with its placement. If necessary, super glue it into place on the Base Section:

Rotating this into place allows the wider spaced coils of the spring to ‘grab’ onto the base. I will still end up gluing it in place:

Thoughts

Our base panel assembly is now twice as big as before, and half as big as it will be with finished. I do appreciate the rusted details of these parts as it does add some realism to the display.

Next Up

 Issue 111 – 2x Searchlight Housing/LED/Cable/Lens/Stand