In need of expert guidance

catalin01

Hello,
So I just started working in 3ds max and today I started my third try at modeling an object, and I encountered a few problems at witch I could not find the solution by myself or thru the internet.
First, how do I get the union between the three metal plates, second, how do I model the hatch lip whiteout messing up the circle form. Another problem that will distort the circle are the interior light’s (do I model them as a different obj?), so how do I model the inside.
Any comments are welcomed, but remember it’s my third try at modeling :P

nordahl154

You don't have to connect every object. It's okay to have pieces of geometry sort've floating on top of one another to create the illusion of contact.