This blog follows the previous.  These are the paddle wheels that will be mounted on the Sphinx.  I tried to make the wheel frames from wire but they just did not look great so I had someone make them up for me using a 3 D printer.  Mea Culpa as I seldom use purchased components for my model but this time I did.  The rough castings had to be sanded and matched but look a lot like the cast iron that they would have been in real life.  Attaching all the paddles is quite an exercise.  There are 15 paddles per wheel and each one requires tying off with 6 lines.  Once mounted each line has to be tied behind the spar using magnifying glasses and tweezers.  Just like open heart surgery.  Black lines on a black frame in the shadow!!   In the third picture you will see the device I built to hold the wheels during this process.

Once tied I will further trim the knots with a soldering iron to melt the line and simulate the back iron bracket that would have been used.  I can only do a few of these before I have to rest my eyes for awhile.  Still looking good and it keeps me out of trouble.  If you click on the picture it will zoom it.