Thanks for the advise! I tried making a mantlet cover from t-shirt cotton impregnated with "liquid tape". It looks like rubber treated canvas. But,alas, it was too stiff for the scale. I will try some black silk or satin.
The rear side grills are exhaust, correct? If they are, I was going to cut thru the slats and mount the smoke gen plumbing on each side.
Thanks again, Dimitri