BuildingS ParT Two - Flames of War

How To Make...Southeast AsianBuildings Part TwoA Major Project for any modellerBuilding the Son Tay Prison By Paul DaviesLittle did Paul Davies know that whenhe embarked on his journey to buildVietnam’s infamous Son Tay Prison,that it would turn into a major project,requiring not the typical single page of“plans”, but fully six pages of plans justfor the buildings!As space is always at a premium inthe printed pages of our magazine, weCautionary Notes on Glue -When gluing different materialstogether ALWAYS test it using scrapmaterial, just in case. For examplesuperglue ‘eats’ foam and so does Evostik.The best solution I’ve found whengluing together different materials,i.e. foamboard and embossed plasticsheet, is ‘No More Nails’ (or a cheapercouldn’t give it all to you in February’s#268 issue. Rather than leave youwaiting for more space to open up inthe magazine, or abandoning the extramaterial altogether, we felt it was onlyproper to provide you with a great“companion” article to the first.So, print this out (or leave it on yourscreen) and enjoy it alongside WI#268!alternative), which is a “super strengthgap filling adhesive”, which “doeswhat it says on the box”. Not all PVAglue sticks balsa; either use balsacement or test your pva glue first.Also, superglue gives off a nastyvapour, so wear a mask when using itor work in a well-ventilated area.tools & materialsThese should all be availablefrom your local art, hobby, andsewing stores, failing that theycan typically be found throughvarious online vendors.• Cutting mat and steel ruler• Sharp hobby knife• 2.5mm thick Balsa wood• 5mm thick Foamcard• PVA glue and super glue• Sewing pins• Bamboo skewers, cocktailsticks, match sticks, and acouble of bamboo beachmats• Polyfiller (AKA spackle)• Paints and brushes

Opium Den Beer House Cat HouseWatchTower

Constructing the WatchtowerConstructing the Village HutI recommend you build two of the sideframes at a time.• From 3mm square section balsa, cut theMain supports. Lay two of them onto thescaled plan. Cut the Horizontal beams,and glue in position with Superglue Gel- it doesn’t run so there’s less chance ofgluing the frame to the plans!• Once the glue has set remove theassembly from the plans. Cut the Outerdiagonal beams and glue in position.NB: The Inner diagonal beams, ifrequired, will be added later so they don’tget in the way of fitting the floors.• Create a jig from Lego blocks to matchthe angle of the sides and simplifyalignment. The angle between the twoframes is the same as the angles ofthe sides. Position the two side frameassemblies. Measure the distancebetween the frames and, usingSuperglue Gel, glue the middleframe joining pieces in place.• Once the glue has dried, remove theassembly from the jig. Then glue thelower joining pieces in place.• Cut the middle floor from sheet balsa.Cut the access hole. Using a pen, scribethe plank effect. I added two upperjoining pieces at this stage to strengthenthe model. Glue the floor into position.• Again, taking measurements from yourmodel, repeat the above procedure tocreate the upper floor.• From 3mm square section balsa cut 4top uprights. Cut a strip of balsa to theheight of the side panels, ensuring thegrain is vertical. Scribe the planking.• Cut the sides and glue the first one inposition, followed by the remaining sides.Glue an upright into each corner.• Cut out a piece of ‘Colorflute’(corrugated cardboard), slightly oversizedfor the roof. Add a balsa retaining frameto the underside.• If you decide you want them, add theInner diagonal beams.I finished off my watchtower by paintingit using a thinned down wood stain. Theroof I painted black, then drybrushed itwith a dark silver colour.And to finish off; a simple hut. The wallsare made from a beach mat; the textureof which looked perfect for my hutwalls. Made from a raffia type material,they’re held together by interweavedthin cotton threads. You MUST glue themats to a backing material of some sort,otherwise when you start cutting theyWILL, literally fall apart. Don’t ask howI discovered THAT little problem!Transfer the dimensions including theposition of doors and windows, ontothe mounted beach mat. Run a line ofsuperglue along every cutting line, toensure that the raffia strips, and the cottonthreads, which hold them in place don’tseparate. Once the superglue has dried,cut out the components and assemblethem. I used my proven method of Legoblock jig to keep the sides together whilethe glue dried. I added triangular bracesinside for extra stability.