Wanted a new challenge and a great looking Titanic model. So like many others who have grown up around this legend I decided to build one and do it lighted as she would have appeared right before the sinking. Morbid I know but lighted passenger ships just look so elegant! Well after this model I gave up this scale, way to small for me to work with but glad I did it. The idea at first was just throw a bulb in it right ??? Easy deal and done! Not so. First big problem was light bleed through. So found out I need to primer all parts much better then I thought and when the final gluing together of the parts took place it had to be a solid seem, sometimes requiring more primer more paint with a brush. Then I realized that just open bulbs sitting in the bottom of the hull made for some funky looking affects through all the open port holes "which to forever to drill them all out". Then I thought ok a drop of Elmer's glue in them gave an appearance of glazing and I liked that. But still how would I get crisp bright light to points of interest on the upper decks or the navigation lights? That's when I bought some small fiber optic tubing and started running it through the ship. I made small bundles of the optic fibers and routed them to a low point on each of the bulbs as to not disturb the light from traveling up through the hull overall. Now I picked certain portholes, deck lighting. Lighted the stacks on the sides any place I wanted the light to directly go. Still massive challenge assembling this entire model in its sections into on piece. Then the rigging and the photo etched brass kits! Even 15 years ago I had to use a magnifying glass to do all the benches, railings and other details. Broke several things in the process to including snapping the mast twice! I hope you enjoy the pictures.
Derek
Derek