The grand staircase was the showpiece of the Titanic and we decided that it should be the centerpiece of our model. To do this we created a removable skylight so we could see down into the GSC area. (See SKYLIGHT section).

This project requires many hours of work but is well worth the effort as the interior detail adds great depth to the model.

METHOD 1 - MIKE & STEVE PELL'S PROCEDURE

First you must determine how many levels of the Grand Staircase you wish to make. We chose two, the Boat Deck, and A-deck. To make these more visible we elected to have a removable Skylight structure so the viewer can peek inside.

It is best to work from the top level down. This will help with alignment problems because of the incorrect size and shape of the A/M dome over the Grand Staircase.

Work on the removable skylight dome can be found in the SKYLIGHT section. This file deals only with the A-Deck and lower interior work.

GSC Boat deck level & A-deck level

Step 1 (creating the template). Make a paper template of the GSC stairwell using the gray area of the diagram opposite. Step 2 (marking the deck). Draw a line from port to starboard where the marking on the deck turns inboard, forward of the GSC. Place the template on the Boat deck piece with the centerline of the template along the centerline of the Officer's Quarters trough (i.e. the centerline of the ship) and the forward line of the template on the line you drew. Trace around the template with a pencil.

Step 3 (cutting out the GSC stairwell). Now to cut this area out. To speed things up we used a drill and a scroll saw. First drill a large hole in the middle of the traced area. Then thread the scroll saw blade through the hole and attach the blade to the scroll saw. Using the saw to work your way around the pencil line spinning the model boat deck around until the whole section is removed. Unplug the scroll saw and unhook the blade. Run a small file around the edges to clean them up flush and straight.

Step 4 (removing the A deck staircase). Now add the staircase. As the A deck staircase will not be seen you can use this for the Boat deck staircase. Over to the scroll saw once again. Rig it up through the A-deck's GSC opening and cut the stairs off.

Step 5 (preparing the floor covering). Cut two rectangles of sheet plastic equal to the outer floor perimeters of the Boat deck and A-deck GSC foyers. You can get the measurements from the molding on the deck. See above diagram for approx. shape. Place them on the deck pieces and turn the decks upside down so you can trace the stairwell openings onto the sheet plastic. Once these patterns were cut out paint black patterns on the sheet to match the pattern seen in photos. Keep the pieces in a safe place until you need them.

Step 6 (adding the stairs). The stairs were then glued to their location on the Boat deck piece and allowed to dry.

Step 7 (measuring the walls). The forward end of the GSC foyer is open and needs to be closed so you can add details like the H&G clock, paneling, etc. Measure the width of the foyer from the GSC entrance molding on the deck. The height of the interior of the GSC Boat deck foyer can be taken from parts H10 or H11 allowing for the molding on the deck (approx. 45mm x 7.5mm). Cut a sheet plastic wall to this size. This will separate the GSC foyer from the officer's/Marconi deckhouses.

Step 8 (adding the walls). This step takes place later in the modeling process. Once the deckhouse walls are glued on to the boat deck for the officer's area and the GSC, glue this sheet plastic wall into position using the forward walls of the GSC foyer as a guide. This solved one problem while creating another. This creates a slight gap between the new sheet plastic wall and the opening for the dome/Skylight cover. In other words you can just see in slightly behind the wall. A small strip of sheet plastic along the top of the wall to the front edge of the Skylight hole solves the problem. The benefit of using the GSC foyer's forward walls for the guide for the sheet plastic wall is that the wall was flush to the rear of the GSC itself which is -very- important. The process was repeated for the aft side of the GSC foyer as well to create a wall for the Gym, etc.

Step 8a (add the floor coverings). Glue the sheet plastic `flooring' down to simulate the white tiles.

Step 9 (entrance foyers). Once you have remodeled part J29 (see the BULKHEAD section) the two entrance foyers need to be added. Use sheet plastic squares, cut and fit to their locations using the diagram above as a guide. Use the painting of the GSC foyer in Illustrated History along with the photos for shape, placement and color of objects.

Step 10 (forward wall detail). Make the GSC wall detail as follows: Glue two sheet plastic doors on each side of the GSC these led to the halls through the Officer's deckhouse. Add the Honor and Glory Crowning Time clock. Use the painting in 'Illustrated History' as a guide. To simulate the pillars between the paneling glue microrod down the walls from the ceiling to the steps. To simulate wall panels behind the stairs cut and taper pieces of sheet plastic and glue these between the microrod pillars. Make the clock by cutting a small piece of pulled sprue crosswise and gluing it in place. This was flanked by two small bayonet shaped wedges of sheet plastic to simulate Honor and Glory. Once dry, everything was painted with Testor's Model Master Wood to simulate the oak finish. The clock was painted brass with a small white dot added for the face.

Step 11 (lamps). On the ceiling of A-deck by the pillars at the foot of the stairs hung two lamp fixtures. Use two single `milky' white glass beads glued into this position.

Step 12 (painting the stairs). The stairs where then painted gloss white on the treads and wood brown on their risers (they're a bit too small to add the brass strip!).

Refer to this diagram for the following modifications.

METHOD 2 - DAN CHERRY'S PROCEDURE

Interiors - the first place to start...

There are many places where the modeler may wish to create details within the interiors that can be seen through the exterior's windows. Achieving a level of detail in these rooms can add further realism and depth to your finished model. I will share with you what I have done and the processes incorporated to achieve this. Most of my added detail lies on the outer decks, public rooms and A-Deck.

As is the case with a few other modelers, my first class entrance will have a removable dome to see down into the ship. So you don't have dead space. I have gone into serious detail here.

UPDATE. Photo of Dan Cherry's GSC Boat Deck interior.

Item 1 (floor patterns). First off, the floors on the Boat, A, B, and C deck have the black and white floral tile patterns on them. See Dan's diagram above. Use a computer design program draw out the pattern on a page. In a computer design program I draw out the pattern on a page, set the scale as small as you can reasonably go without losing definition and increase the magnification to 400% or better so you can see what you are doing. Once finished drawing the master pattern copy and paste the tile into the spacing pattern seen in any photo of the grand staircase. Each tile was 4 mm (1/8 inch) square. I print this out at 25% (the minimum my printer could print out) and at 600 dpi and 125 line screen for a crisp, well-defined tile. THEN reduce the printout 50% on a copy machine to achieve a reasonable sized pattern to cut out and glue to each stairway foyer. The D deck landing had the same patterned carpet as the reception room. Using a base flat blue, then tape a different color, using green, yellow and red, waiting until each layer dried, for this landing.

Item 2 (A deck). UPDATE. Add furniture and floor tiles to A Deck entrance. Photo of Dan Cherry's A Deck interior.

Item 2 (C & D decks). C and D decks require scratchbuilding. I only created the visible areas that will be seen when peering down the dome opening. Item 3 (posts & furniture). Each landing will require brown posts, supports and furniture. Use Evergreen .040 rods for the posts and supports, these are a little thin but you will be pleased with the effect. You may opt for stretched sprue. For the furniture you once again, put those A/M benches to use. I included all of the furniture indicated on the plans for the boat deck and A Deck because there's enough windows to get a clear look inside these foyers. On B & C deck I added only the furniture that you can see looking down the dome opening and some of the tables in the D deck reception room close to the staircase edges themselves. You can't see more than a mm or 2 beyond the landing on D deck, and then only with the assistance of a pen light. I painted my furniture dark red.

Item 4 (Honor & Glory). For the A-deck landing's Honor and Glory Crowning Time, I scaled down a photo of this piece to 1/350 and colored brown to match the walls. It has been suggested that the the Titanic's H & G did not have its clock in place at the time of the voyage but a circular mirror until the clock could be installed. Use a dot of silver paint to represent the mirror. Attach Evergreen strips to the walls to simulate the carved columns. Good heaters can be made with a thicker square of plastic strip painted orange-yellow.