Plate 37:  Constructing the Black Castle, Part 3: construction details of the entrance arch
(This plate added FEB 2004)

HE entrance arch of the Black Castle is an opening in the ten-foot-thick curtain wall (in 1/32 scale, the ten foot thickness becomes three and three-quarters inches).
Because the curtain wall is supposed to be made of solid stone, the Artisan built the cardboard model so that the inside of the entrance arch resembles a solid stone cross-section through the wall. The Artisan accomplished this illusion by cutting a strip of thin carboard, three-and three quarters of an inch wide, and gluing this strip inside the entrance arch, carefully curving and gluing the strip as it followed the curving contour of the arch. The thin cardboard was provided by a worn-out manila file folder. Remember: don't throw away any cardboard scraps unless you're certain that the scraps are too small, or too damaged, to be useful in a construction project!) --more--
In the accompanying photo, our Corps of Drums is marching smartly toward the front edge of the display. How are the bandsmen going to avoid marching right over the edge? It is the responsibility of the drum major, who marches in front of the bandsmen, to solve problems like this by issuing silent directional commands with his baton and his white-gloved hands. The next plate illustrates how the Drum Major adroitly prevents his unit from plunging over the front edge when their formation emerges from the Black Castle. Go to top of page