Industria Mechanika Sky Mark Buoy

The kit consists of 16 resin parts, 2 PE frets, 1 brass rod, 2 flashing LEDs, and a piece of fine electrical wire. The instruction sheet is a simple 2-sided sheet. The instructions are reasonably clear, but no wiring diagram is given for the LEDs. The instructions also lack a plan view of the buoy's platform. A plan view would make it easier to see how the tower, braces, rails, and ladder fit in relation to one another. It's nearly impossible to dry-fit these parts all at the same time to check for interference. 

The finished model is about 11 1/2" tall, but no display base is included, and there are no suggestions given in the instructions for display options. Since the Sky Mark is an anti-gravity buoy, one must either hang it for display, or attach it to a base with a rod of some kind. 

The assembled body of the buoy. The instruction sheet recommends hollowing out the body parts to accept electronics if the modeler wants the LEDs to light. When I started this kit, I knew nothing about electronics, so I decided to forgo the lighting effects. The LEDs are still necessary for the construction as they are the lightbulbs of the upper and lower marker lights. 

 

PE parts for the tower. I had glued the parts together with cyanoacrylate, but the glue joints kept letting go, so I dissolved the glue with acetone, and decided to try my hand at soldering PE. The main support members on the right are each made up of two pieces, which I've soldered. The truss on the left will be soldered to the 3 angle pieces. 

Tower soldered. 

 

Overview of completed work shown with remaining parts. The aluminum part is a bell I turned to replace the resin bell that was missing from my kit. The kit doesn't have many parts, and the parts fit is pretty good, but I'm not used to working with PE, so I'm finding the work a bit tricky and time-consuming. 

When I started this build, I knew nothing about electronics, and the instruction sheet provided no information on how to wire the included flashing LEDs, so I decided not to have working lights on the model. I have since learned enough electronics to wire the LEDs, so I've changed my plans. To run wires to the LEDs, though, I first need to hollow out the solid body of the buoy, so I removed the already-glued hatch cover to access the place I need to hollow out. 

The hatch has been hollowed out with a Dremel tool, and I've drilled holes to feed wires to the LEDs. The wires will connect in the hollowed out area to wires that feed out through a brass tube that will be used to support the model, to the power source and switch, which will be housed in the display base or wall mount, rather than in the model itself. 

I finished all the soldering, with the exception of the railing. I don't like the design of the kit-supplied railing, so I'll design my own. I added pins to the tower to help secure it to the deck, and I added the braces and the footholds to the tower. L to R below: upper light frame, ladder, lower light frame. 

I scratch-built some railings to replace the kit railings, and finished all the sub-assemblies. I need to add a few PE details, and then clean things up for painting. 

Base is painted basswood with added weights. I had a coin battery holder with a switch, so I used that to power the LEDs. Brass tubing used as model support and wire conduit. 

Buoy core attached to stand, and battery holder/ switch in place in base. 

Lower light and vane attached to buoy core, and upper light and vanes attached to tower. 

Tower assembly attached to core assembly. Wiring ready for final connections. 

Model construction is complete. Time to begin weathering it. 

I didn't like the kit railings, so I made my own. The included LEDs are fast flashers, but I managed to catch them lit in this shot, though it's not very noticeable.