1:35 Německé dalekohledy a dálkoměr

The optics of an artillery post

A German observation post of the Second World War stood or fell with its optics. The scissors instrument on a tripod peeped over the edge of a trench in such a way that the crew stayed under cover. Heavy binoculars with large objectives served anti-aircraft batteries to pick up a target at dusk, and a base rangefinder supplied the range figure on which the fire was laid. In a scene this trio reveals at once that this is a command position and not a chance group of soldiers by a vehicle.

The package is made up of twenty-one resin parts and a photo-etched fret. The photo-etched components cover what cannot be cast: thin scales, yokes, loops and the flats of the control knobs.

Separating the casting from the sprue block

The most delicate moment of the build comes right at the start. The legs of the tripod and the arms of the instruments run straight out of the sprue block and cutters will break them before they manage to cut through. Work with a thin saw with a fine tooth, run it parallel to the axis of the part and sand the last tenth of a millimeter with a file, so that the edge stays sharp. Lay the part on a soft support while doing so, do not hold it in your fingers.

The castings take acrylic as well as solvent-based paints. Wipe the photo-etched flats with alcohol before spraying; on smooth metal the paint will not hold otherwise and it peels off while being handled. Optical glass can be suggested with a drop of gloss varnish, which forms a convex lens once dry.

Before the build, lay the castings out on light paper and keep the small components together in groups. Once the scales, yokes and control flats get mixed up, they are hard to tell apart and hunting for a single missing piece takes more time than the whole assembly.