John Goode’s SHADO Control Mobile part 2
BASE PLATE
Using 1/8 styrene sheet, cut a perfect square 4″ x4″. Don’t buy the crappy stuff at the hobby store, phone or visit TAP PLASTICS. Their styrene sheet is a much higher grade, denser & stronger, and cheap too. They will ship nation-wide.
Be sure to mark a center point for the 1/16th hole you’ll need to drill for the motor-shaft. Measure out with a straight edge and make a cross in pencil. (ink bleeds through the paint).
PYLON & PIVOT
It is possible that the pylon on the original filming miniature was some kind of “kit-bashed” part but it is highly doubtful. More likely some bit of common kitchen utensil of which it is documented that Meddings often raided his own kitchen drawers to obtain a wanted shape. For us, we’ll do it the more rewarding way.
Preparation and cutting the PYLON sides from 1/16th styrene sheet (also avail from TAP PLASTICS). It’s fairly simple to use a utility or X-acto knife to scribe the shape into the plastic. Be sure your blade is NEW—dull blades will vector off the straight edge when you are cutting and ruin your work. The dish Mount same way. Drill your holes in the mount parts by taping them together—drill once though both simultaneously.
PYLON ASSEMBLED
Using more 1/16 styrene sheet, the sides & back of the pylon are just straight rectangles. I use the “Plastruct” weld cement which is the clear, runny acetone stuff. Works by capillary action, it’s fairly clean & very quick.
Here you can use a 5/32 styrene tube for the wrist pin. You’ll have to sand the mount edges slightly concave that mate to the dish, for proper fit.
Dish mounted on pylon. Used gel CA for best results.
BACK BRACING
The model has two horizontal braces running across the back, which are odd enough if not an outright challenge. Again, mark the proper radius of the dish on a sheet of 1/16 styrene and cut four “moon” shaped parts, then the two vertical faces. Because the braces when attached to the dish remain level on the curved surface, the ends of the braces angle inward.
FILL
Nitro Stan. An automotive filler. We must thank David Merriman for pointing out to us the benefits of using this professional grade material. After cementing the braces together, fill the seams of all your work up to now with some “Nitro Stan” auto body putty. I’ll repeat what David says—please don’t use the crap from the model shop that says putty, it’s junk and will ruin your work. Get Nitro Stan from your local auto body finish supply store. Ask them for it. Use ample ventilation—this stuff reeks mighty strong.
ATTACH BRACING
Using gel CA, glue the back braces onto the dish.
PYLON /DISH MOUNTING
Mount the pylon on the base via a counter-sunk screw.
Onto the next page
