Habitat One

This the large Habitat Pod from Sarissa built and primed.

The basic building comes with the access opening, which allows corridor sections to be attached and a door and two large windows at either end.

Now I decided I did not want any other exits, so the doors at the short ends were closed up as were the windows on one end. I covered theses with 0.5mm plastic sheet. The centre support I also decided not to use and cut a new support from 2mm thick plastic sheet, and then cut a door out of that.

For cutting the sheet I use an Olfa P-cutter. This is a great tool for cutting plastic card. Having used a Stanley blade for years and/or a scalpel blade the Olfa cutter makes it so much easier.

The idea is you cut two, three or how many grooves you need, into the plastic and then snap it off. Don't do like I did first time and use it like a Stanley blade and ended up carving chunks out of the cutting mat! The other advantage is of course you can score lines into plasticard to represent sheeting.

The photo above shows the base which I have coated with Vallejo Red Oxide Paste and the floor of the habitat. I've stuck a piece of 0.5mm plasticard to the MDF floor. Not sure it can be made out in the picture but I have grooved it. Dividing it into 30mm squares, or near as damn it.. Since there is an end lip which falls outside the end walls I have cut and glued in position 1/50th scale treadplate. Which is also 0.5mm thick.

Unfortunately I forgot to take photos of the next parts of the construction. But the next photo shows the building with it's initial paint colours applied.

I have removed two of the closed window inserts to replace them with clear plastic. The floor, including external treadplates have been given a coat of Tamiya Flat Aluminium XF-16. Then sealed with satin varnish, then a coat of MIG Ammo Chipping Fluid. Finally a coat of Tamiya Deck Tan XF-55 on the internal floor and Tamiya Sky Grey XF-19 on the treadplate. The floor was then chipped and I must admit I was not too particular how much paint came off.

The internal walls were painted with Tamiya J.N. Grey XF-12. I did not use chipping fluid on  the internal walls. The outer walls were painted with Tamiya J.A. Grey XF-14. The outer walls were chipped back to the base coat. Which is Halfords Grey Primer for cars. I want to give it the appearance it has been subjected to a harsh environment.  

All these paints were airbrushed on, except for the primer.

The wall lights are from Zinge Industries. They are the 10mm round wall lights. The piping on the wall is different thickness of plastic rod 0.8 and 1mm with short lengths of plastic channel cut to represent brackets.

That's it for now more to follow....