Simon Cornes

Does anyone produce a riveting wheel which makes rivets with circular, domed heads? The ones I’ve seen are basically cogs with rectangular teeth which give rectangular rivets! The alternative is a domed punch. Maybe you could produce a jig 4-6cm long with holes drilled at equal distances?? Any ideas or opinions would be appreciated, Thanks

Thank you both. There is a printing place not far from me. I will see what they have but it’s the aluminium variety. Is it all a standard thickness do you know? I guess you just want the thinnest? Is there anything special for embossing rivets it’s just that most tools seem to have square or rectangular teeth as they’re basically cogs?

I need to replicate deck plating with embossed mushroom rivet heads. The boat is 1/15 scale and 4 feet long - a mid 19th century steam tug. The question is what is the best source for suitable plate? I think I need something I can cut with a sharp knife or scissors and soft enough to take a rivet impression . My thought is litho plate but that can be pretty hard stuff. Any suggestions? Simon

Agreed, a pair of fairings over the pylon positions outboard of the outboard flap track.

Or else they’ve started a woodwork class to knock some up?

I think that if your kit has Harpoons you’ll have at least some if not all pylons.

I think it might be red line - acrylic?

And very nicely to!

Seems sensible. You could scratchbuild the bay using your Academy kits as reference but to be fair to Air Graphics, I think they include the two bi-fold bomb doors with actuators so you couldn’t use what you’d cut out of the fuselage halves because they would be too thick, you’d have to scratchbuild the 4 door parts plus mechanism. Do-able of course but this is where the Air Graphics conversion makes it very easy. I’m not going to build it yet so I may buy the weapons bay in a few months.

Thanks for that. I have the same idea as you for joint the front and rear fuselage halves. I’ve also bought a copy of the original kit from Mike Jolly for £99.50 including postage which seems to be a very good price and pays for the Air Graphics ‘improvements’ set. The decals are on top of that but will I buy an open bomb bay? It looks very good so maybe but no rush. Simon

Thank you for clarifying!

Thanks for that Duncan. A plan is beginning to form!!

Anyone know whether the new kit will include the original sprues plus the extras bits for the sensor pod or if the Harpoon sprue will be omitted??

Thanks Dave. You’d think the manufacturer would include a more extensive sheet.

Does anyone know if Big Planes are doing this in RAF markings? Or is it a good idea to preorder the latest kit - with AN/APS 154 - and then not use the pod? I’m wondering if both kits include the same basic sprues? Maybe no sprue with Harpoons but that wouldn’t be a problem for an RAF jet?

A little postscript, dnl42 did the business and could produce some excellent 3D prints for me and he sent me images of the printed parts but when it came to posting said prints to the UK he discovered it would cost $66 !! But he was extremely kind and sent me a link to his files which I was able to pass on to a mate in the UK who is going to print dnl42's work off for me. That is a great example of how Britmodeller members help each other out and I am very grateful for for dnl42's kindness.

I'm glad that it worked for you Rob but I guess you haven't physically been to their premises? I've been quite a few times and when I arrived on Monday it didn't look the same so I was trying to get to the place that I recognised, not knowing that they had moved! When you know they've moved then you know to expect it to look different but I just put the postcode into my satnav and drove over and then couldn't speak to them on the phone because it was constantly busy - or maybe they'd taken it off the hook or just accidentally knocked it but same difference. Thats why I'm warning others who might travel to expect to go to somewhere unfamiliar!

That’s a good idea. The postcode gets you to broadly the right neck of the woods but not outside their door or even the right side road so just three words would be a good locator.

I used to visit Malcolm Rollings at his little shop in Shifnal donkeys years ago and then saw him regularly at the long lamented Cosford model show but he said then that he wasn’t interested in the hassle of going to SMW.

Not sure if this is either the right or the best place but I discovered this week that King Kit have moved premises. Not a big deal to most of their customers but I sometimes drive over to pick up orders and maybe drop into Cosford at the sane time but I had an order to pick up yesterday. I used the post code on their website and when I arrived it did not look the same as it had last time!! I then went backwards and forwards around the entire business park and couldn’t see anything familiar. Of course I also phoned them - 50 times according to my phone - and each time got a ‘busy’ followed by disconnection. After the best part of an hour and a half I gave up and went home. Oh yes, I had also emailed them when I couldn’t get through on the phone. I got a reply to my email later that day and the answer is that they have recently moved and that their premises is near to a Dulux premises - which I had seen on my travels. So next time I go there I will knock on doors and no doubt find the place - KK don’t like to advertise what they have in their premises so I doubt there will be a sign but I hope this information might help someone else avoid a wild goose chase!! Oh, and because of the trouble I had King Kit are posting my kit to me free of charge which is excellent customer service!

Thanks for the info. So a chunk of P38 might be required then? Well it’s all nose weight so no worries. Thanks for clarifying the RAF designation- it was a damned silly name!!

👍

From what you say, sounds like I don't need the conversion then, just the decal sheet and some good old 'modelling' to make the bumps and aerials?

Thanks Dave, So is that designed for the KC-135 kit then? I have an AMT RC-135V which I think might have JT-3D engines. Not sure what, apart from new engines the W version needs? I'm sure I have a set of CFM56's in the box to !! Simon

Thank you Colin, I just need to try to remember to look for Combat Kits on eBay in a few weeks then! From what I can recall there was an RC-135W Rivet Join and an Airseeker. The Airseeker was maybe £10 more? I assume there are additional parts? I assume the bulk of the conversion is engine nacelles but presume there's a decal sheet as well? Simon