20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Nautilus Shooting Miniature.

Unfortunately, the images here are scans from low quality originals. This is building the Nautilus miniature. The model was built in two sections, top and bottom with the final fibreglass castings joined around a steel frame.

The basic forms were made in timber, foam and putty. The curves were set up with timber ribs and filled in with foam. This was then shaped and putties over for a fine smooth finish.

Here is the final finishing of the putty on the top hull section getting it ready to start the detailing which was mostly made from styrene sheet.

All the detailing such as plates, ribs, rivets etc, were then added to this. We were lagging behind the full size sets being built so we could copy exactly their detail.

We built the top and bottom at the same time with 15 people for about 6 weeks. Time was tight and we often worked around the clock.

This is the bottom section. The portholes were cast separately so we could have an open and closed version.

A great deal of detail could not be moulded so was added onto the final fibreglass castings.

The model had interiors as we see through windows and launch bays. This shows one of the diving bells being lowered from its bay.

This is the tail ready for the screws to be fitted. They were run on stepper motors.

More details being added to the underside. Many a long cold night was spent with several model makers fitting the dozens of pipes and fixtures to this section.

The rest of these shots are of the model in the studio being filmed.