Well, closing in on the end of the Cyber-Hobby USS Freedom in 1/350.

Considering it's due tomorrow at 11:30 I have to finish it today but I've been putting this last step off until the very very end. I was hoping the world would end or I would be struck dead or something before I got to this point. The wiper blade assemblies for the bridge. Even in 1/350 scale it looks to be impossible.

Sorry about the soft focus but even my expensive Olympus digital's Super Macro doesn't like stuff this small!! Pictures to prove I'm not being a whiny little girl about them:



These are the BIG wiper blades for the large bridge windows!!! No, really. The others are even smaller! These are what? 3/32nd of an inch? Maybe? All those blades glue to part #30 just above and to the right. Then that gets to be glued to the ship. Yeah right!



These are the small wipers for the dozen or so smaller windows. What? 3/64th of an inch each? No more than that. They, about a dozen each, get glued to those two straight pieces below them to make an assembly that goes on both sides of the bridge. Or that is what the instructions show. What really happens is something else.

I just figure there is a lot of detail on the ship already: maybe not having wipers mounted won't be that noticeable? I just can't see this working out well. Even my finest, best tweezers can't handle things this small and I really doubt they gave me three times more than I need to finish the ship. I'm seeing a disaster in the making.

The MQ-8Bs were fine. A couple of plastic parts and a half dozen PE parts for something 3/4 of an inch long. The MH-60S were OK. A dozen plastic parts and a half dozen PE parts to build a nice looking copter 1 1/4 inch long. The detail level is beautiful for something so small.



But these wiper blades are just insane! I don't have any idea how I'm going to cut and handle them, much less keep from mashing them if I get an assembly done. Chancing it with two dozen blades is really going to push my limits. I'm 62 and even my best Optivisor can't help me here. I still have to handle and move and glue these things together and being able to see them clearly is the LEAST of my problems!!

Overall impressions on the ship? A good kit but very very demanding. A LOT of tiny tiny parts. With no spares when one goes "SPROING" out of the tweezers. That's not "if" but "when" because it WILL happen. A lot! I've scratch built a dozen or more parts to replace those that went AWOL The photoetch is very soft and very unforgiving. Bronco, for whatever reason, has etched it so half the parts have free floating railings at the ends and they almost fall off with a look. The photoetch is lovely to look at but not so lovely to work with. But it does fit properly. And it does add a lot to the looks of the ship. If you are careful you won't need any aftermarket stuff to finish the ship. I'm just glad I had a few sheets of WEM's modern railings in stock. It was necessary to replace some of the kit stuff when I got fumble fingered. Please don't tell the boss. Yes, even an old master of the art does goof up from time to time. The kit is NOT for the newbie. Experience with tiny parts and soft photo etch is absolutely demanded. But for those brave enough to try it they will get a good looking model of a modern ship.

Illegitimi non carborundum
In memory of Denis Keegan.