Now that I’ve got the mask, it’s time to start making the frame. When I first started thinking about this idea, I wasn’t sure how I would make the frame that the mask and PCB attaches to. But as usual, Malcolm had the solution… Styrene. He uses it in a lot of his models.

In case you forgot. Malcolm’s tank.

I always think of Malcolm when I watch Flight of the Phoenix (the real one, not the remake).  The only difference is James Stewart would have been flying one fast plane out of that desert if Malcolm had built it.  🙂

So I picked up a 12″x”6″x .06″ sheet of styrene and cement. I cut three 1″ wide strips. Two of the strips I cut down to the same length as the mask. These would become the top and bottom of the frame. The remaining strip I cut into nine half-inch long pieces.

I marked the position of the spacers on one of the long pieces and then glued the end spacer on.

To insure proper spacing and to keep the spacers at 90 degrees to the bottom, I used a scrap of 1×1 aluminum with a shim to get the spacing just right.

Now all the spacers are attached to the bottom.

I flipped the assembly on its back and then cemented the top on.

Finished product… kind of. I still have to create a flange for the PCB mount and the instrument panel mount. And I have to paint it black. But I’m getting there.