Turret installation
23 Jul
Installing the observation turrets into the sides of the Diabolus first requires cutting a hole in the mâché. Due to the curving shape of the airship’s sides, the hole could not be just a simple circle, but rather a complicated ellipse. I had to hold the turret alongside the airship and lightly and carefully trace its contour into the side, allowing the pencil to follow not only the edge of the turret, but also the contour of the Diabolus. Once the hole was traced and cut, the turret slid in fairly easily and was glued into place.
Observation turret in place
With the turret in place, I bordered around it with brass trim and riveting for a strong finished look.
Turret from below
And with the “brass” trim applied, adding some patina with acrylic paint to the side of the airship gives it a weathered and aged look. Below is another view of the Diabolus showing both turrets and their position relative to the rest of the airship.
Both turrets in an inferior view
Stay tuned for the next installment!
Do you have any cool stuff you like to do with recycled or re-purposed materials?