I was running out of display area so needed to find a way to accomodate more of my models, the easiest way was to raise my models which virtually doubled my storage area. As can be seen in the following photos the risers are very effective, are hard to see and are quite strong, best of all they are inexpensive and easy to make.
The riser is simply made from perspex (plexiglass) and for the upright post I needed something that was rigid, strong and clear, the ideal thing is the outer tube of a biro. I buy my pens in bulk packs, for a pack of ten I only paid around $2.00, these can be found in any of the cheap outlet shops.
Disassemble the pen by removing the ball cover, the ball and ink tube and finally the end cap, you will be left with a clear hard plastic tube, mine has a taper on one end as most pens do. The tube is around 5¼" (130mm) long which will lift your model well above most 1:32 scale WW1 model aircraft.
Some pens have the makers name printed onto the clear tube, this is easily removed by light sanding, finish off with some very fine wet and dry to give a nive smooth clear finish.
For the perspex I use the cheap perspex photo frames available from $2.00 shops or the local op shop. These are a very simple folded piece of perspex where the photo is inserted, then there is another bent peice of perspex which acts as a foot. These come in a variety of sizes and the perspex thickness is usually 2 - 3mm, the larger the fram the thicker the material. Alternatively, perspex off-cuts can be purchased from your local hardware shop or perspex supplier.
In both of the following photos the folded section of the frame has already been removed to make risers, I can usually get four risers from one of the larger frames.
For this exrecise I will make a riser to suit my 1:32 Siemens Schuckert D.III. I have prepared a piece of perspex by removing the foot, all the cutting of the perspex is performed using the scribe and snap method.
Place the model onto the perspex and mark the width at the from wheels, allow about 10mm either side for clearance, draw a straight line rearward to the back of the wheels. At the rear of the plane mark the perspex aout 10mm either side of the tail skid, remove the mosel. Draw lines connecting the mark behind the wheels down to the tail skid marks, these lines are your score and snap lines.
The end result is a triangle shaped piece of perspex, smooth the edges with some medium grit wet and dry paper. Sit the model onto the perspex and mark the C of G of the aeroplane, with model aeroplanes it is usuallt under the cockpit. Drill an 8mm hole into the perspex but don't go all the way through, about 3/4 - 7/8 will do it, test with the tapered section of the pen. Remember, when drilling perspex always have a piece of soft timber (pine) behind the perspex, this will stop the perspex chipping when the drill pierces the back side of the perspex. The top of the riser is now finished.
I use the foot of the photo stand to make the base of my riser. Mark off a square 60mm x 60mm (2½" x 2½") and mark the centre, scribe and snap then drill an 8mm hole through the base, protect the base from chipping by using the soft wood when drilling. Sand the edges and round the corners, the base is now ready for assembly.
Insert the pen into the base, for my size pen and the 8mm hole it is a tight fit. Use a square to make sure the riser is straight and square with the base. Use 5 minute epoxy to secure the pen the the base, run a bead of epoxy around the base of the pen where it enters the perspex base, ensure that none of the pen is protruding beyond the base, if so your stand will not be stable. allow this to cure before moving on to the next step.
Place the top of the riser onto the top of the pen, again run a bead of 5 minute epoxy around the pen where it protrudes through the top, ensure that the top is level and square with the riser, it is also important to run the length of the top so it is in line with the longest part of the base, see photo. Allow this to cure then turn the stand upside down and run another bead of 5 minute epoxy around the pen where it inters the bottom of the top plate, allow to cure.
Once cured your stand is now ready for use, it will be very strong and stable and will support the weight of the model without any problems.
As can be seen in the following photos, the riser stand is hard to see, it blends in well with the background and allows your model to be displayed without being distracted by a "loud" stand. The height of the stand allows you to position your raised model over any other 1:32 scale model aeroplane. This is a very simple stand to make but is exceptionally functional.
If you have any question please feel free to ask me.
Des.
