1/700 Banshee Island

[Rhino]

New islands! These have been cleaned and wet-sanded flat. I'm looking forward to finishing the tropical paint!

 

[Rhino]

Painted new, islands. I've been working on the very basic display base too.

As you find your way to Isla Roatan, 40 miles off the shore of Honduras, the channel a grand Carnival ship must take winds through the littoral waters past a great many small islands. Most are heavy with vegetation and a few have navigational aids on them.
I give you TLAR Models #225 Isla Cangrejo Azul kit, in glorious 1/700 scale. A modest, vaguely crab-like island, new lighthouse, my same keeper's cottage, 3 dock sections and a Chris Craft make up this newest release. No one can say why the sand at Cangrejo has a blue tinge. Traces of copper, perhaps? Vegetation, radio aerials, desalination equipment, etc. is up to the builder.

How many of you are old enough children to remember the 1974 Saturday morning Hudson Brothers Razzle dazzle Show?

"Ho-Hum, another boring day on the island of Pegi-Pegi.." Ironically, my 1/700 version is too big.
Thanks for looking in!

 

[moon puppy]

I remember, always wondered who they were.

 

[centaur567]

First you make my eyes bug out and my tongue hard and then look at tiny little boats. Well done!! Gary S.

 

[Rhino]

The Island base artwork is another item available for download in the TLAR Models library.
Start with a chunk of foamboard, print on 8X10 glossy photo paper, and Bob's your uncle, a handy display base!
I like to do the base edges in the topography of the sea bed. (Bottom-ography?)
Spraying layers of Tamiya clear blue until I'm happy.
Hazards and channels and shoals! Oh my!
Thanks for looking in!

 

[moon puppy]

That's cool!

 

[Rhino]

Several heavy coats of Future later, the Island base is starting to look ocean-ish. Hideaway Cay has a ladder to the crow's nest in the giant palm tree and I added a UHF radio antenna. One should be able to contact the other Pirates, umm... MARINERS to arrange smuggling shipments, ah.... rather, BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS. Yeah, that's what goes on here!

I expect to install a few dead trees on Banshee Island, more palms and ground works for the uncursed islands, a Lighthouse, perhaps, once the island set is permanently attached to the ocean base. This TLAR Models kit includes no vegetation at all.

I think this serene setting is in the Abacos or Exuma islands of the Bahamian group. Philippines? Solomon Islands? Dodecanese islands off Greece? South Pacific Molucca Islands?

Jolly Roger, err.... NATIONAL flags of various types will fly here and wave action will be painted on, once I decide on the direction of the wind.
Thanks for looking in!

 

[Duke Maddog]

I truly love these small diorama displays! This one is off the charts!

 

[Rhino]

Hideaway Cay's ladder and antenna you cain't quite see. Putting the pilings on the dock. I remembered a trick Ray uses for grab handles. Fishing line. He likes it because it doesn't break off. I looped invisible tread thru the holes, tacked it with c/a glue and clipped it off. Easy deal!

I've never finished this base before, and I'm adding vegetation and accessories that aren't included in the kit. The haunted trees on Banshee Rock are little, dead roots I found in the yard.

Spooky!!

 

[Rhino]

On the list of things to finish, is the Kit 519 base. Islands, Boats and Tiki Hut. The dock on Hideaway Key was vexing me, so I finally got round to knocking it out. Flip the dock over and paint silver, then black on the undersides and a coat of Tamiya Clear blue to give some water effect.
Install the dock and landing, drill .04mm holes for the .0125" copper wire pilings and .03mm holes for the .008" copper wire pilings. A happy accident occurred when the drops of Future where the pilings meet the water base made a little ripple effect. A purist would have sanded the dock flat and let the pilings support it.

There is still a some more water-meeting-land effects to do. This will make a fine display for smaller 1/700 vessels. NO, you don't get any palm trees in this kit.

Now I can play with it! More palms, a lighthouse, floating dock sections for small boats. Beached RHI's and Zodiacs. A floating drydock and barge, mebbe. A "sea-going businessman's" haven!

1/700 Resin Tiki hut, Boats and Islands set TLAR Models #519

TLAR Models original Tiki Hut, waterline model boats and Islands set. This is the expanded Island set with 3 cool new scale islands. The oceanscape base artwork is now available for download in the TLAR Models Library. I painted it. I did! Hideaway Key houses Iron Mike's Tiki hut and a dock. A...

tlarmodels.com

What waterline scale mischief will you make with yours, I wunda?
On ya!!

 

[moon puppy]

PT boat base?

 

[Rhino]

PT boat base?

The islands are not quite big enough for a decent base. I considered making the beach front docks at Mios Woendi, but PT boat sales don't justify it.