Ex-FAAWAFU Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Aren't we all? Humblingly good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted September 28, 2016 Share Posted September 28, 2016 Peter, Well, look at it this way...at least you're not bucking all 40,000 rivets for real! We would be here a while wouldn't we?! Excellence in the making. Like a fine wine -- it takes time and is well worth the wait! PR 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F4u Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 This is the bit I have been looking forward to Peter she is starting to come alive now the skinning has begun. Guy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted September 29, 2016 Author Share Posted September 29, 2016 .evening folks next panel is the gun cover panel which has a fair few rivets and in three sizes - one bonus is I don't have to make the blister as in the pics I have they are not there - I guess they just changed the panel to streamline it.. ..I wanted to use real screws for the fixings all the way around the outside so punched holes and prepared the panel.. ..made holes in the wing for the screws to fit into.. ..and fitted the panel and the screws... ..I had this niggling doubt throughout the process the screws were overscale, but I wanted the contrast of the two metals... anyways, I wasn't happy so ripped it all off and started again... ..this time the screws were just represented - not as good as real screws (and if I can find some 0.8mm diameter steel I would replace them), but better than the oversized ones I used before... ..and in place - I am much happier with the panel now.. ..I also added the little flap that is a flap indicator - with the flaps down some of the mechanism pokes through as a visual indicator... ..it's all a learning experience - if ever you are not 100% happy - don't compromise (that was nearly a days work) - just start again and use the lessons you learned to make it even better... TTFN Peter 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 He's now doing screws in 1/18 scale. That's it. I'm taking up knitting........ Trevor 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted September 29, 2016 Share Posted September 29, 2016 I know! And did you notice they're all lined up? I'm with you Trevor, pass the needles... oh no, wait, that sounds wrong. Pass the wool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HL-10 Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 My old boots! WOW! This project just continues to astound Excellent work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted September 30, 2016 Author Share Posted September 30, 2016 evening ladies my blogging routine continues - I like to reflect daily if I get something done, if nothing else going through the pics highlights things I want to correct or helps planning the next step.. unlikely to be much variation in the coming weeks / months as the skinning creeps over the airframe's surface, but at the rate I am going I might have quite a bit done by Telford.. another gun panel features the same screws so these were impressed with a micro chisel.. ..the next panel is partly around the aileron and has to fit neatly against four edges (on the left) so masking tape is burnished into place and a pencil run along the lines - the lead just catches the edges of the adjacent panels so if followed and cut accurately a first time super nice fit is possible.. ..the panel is cut out and mostly rivetted, but where it meets the aileron some extra metal is left so I can cut it accurately to the aileron (and it's gap) rather than the shape of the wing.. ..also the rivets are left until after this is done so they are in the right place in relation to the panel edge.. ..the area the panel goes in is then masked up to apply the adhesive.. ..and then the panel in place - this is the other side as it has an access panel which makes it slightly more interesting to look at ..and a quick tour - about a quarter of each wing is done now.. more of the same tomorrow, so have a nap for a bit... TTFN Peter 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 40 minutes ago, airscale said: another gun panel features the same screws so these were impressed with a micro chisel Impressed is the right word for it! That's the first thing I've seen on this build that I could just about manage. Very nice contrast in the panels. Amazing. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 Peter, At least you'll have the pit to distract you if tired of skinning the beast! Excellence in the making! Wish I could be there for Telford!! Cheers..........PR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted October 1, 2016 Author Share Posted October 1, 2016 evening all more panels (yawn...) hopefully the next few pics will show the process.. step one is to use masking tape to draw out the panel on the model - I have done this here and then put the tape on my jeans to make it less sticky and aligned known lines to the plan I have of the panel I am making... ..once on the plan I draw lines for where rows of equally spaced rivets are, if they are laid out in a more complex way I just dot where the rivets are with a pencil.. ..once the transfer of details is complete the tape is peeled off and attached to the ali sheet - I use a bit of scrap acrylic perspex as a 'clean' workspace to start to add rivets etc.. ..as this panel has access hatches in it, I always make holes first as there is more material to work with, and I can orient any more detail like rivets around it - here, because they are large diameter and I can't get to them to punch them out I am using a conical burr to grind them out.. ..when pretty much done, the rivets are added - one at a time - I tape the home made template to stop it moving.. ..after that the panel is burnished flat to get all the deformities out where the metal 'blows' when being worked.. ..then refining the holes so the PE access panels fit.. ..and lastly fitted in place.. ..I also added the outer panels so the top surfaces behind the spar are pretty much done.. ..I want to start on the leading edge now, but need to do some research as the plans I have do not match the photo's - there is a big panel with screws all around it and a what looks like a more complicated round access / filler panel between the cannon position and the wing root.. anyone got any info / drawings? TTFN Peter 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairystick Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 On 10/1/2016 at 0:58 PM, airscale said: the rivets are added - one at a time... TTFN Peter What!? One at a time? I had the impression that the riveting was done with a spiked wheel thingamy-whatsit, which would have made the process much quicker. Blimmin' heck. You certainly have more patience than I! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil5208 Posted October 2, 2016 Share Posted October 2, 2016 Enlightening and very impressive to see how you are doing the panels, slight jealous also. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbell Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 HI Peter, This may seem like a stupid question (although my dad always told me there's no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people), but how do you trim the aluminum? Snips/scissors? Knife and a guide? Do you sand the edges? Cheers, Tony 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Hey Tony! Great question! Wondering why I didn't ask it myself!! PR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted October 3, 2016 Author Share Posted October 3, 2016 8 hours ago, tbell said: HI Peter, This may seem like a stupid question (although my dad always told me there's no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people), but how do you trim the aluminum? Snips/scissors? Knife and a guide? Do you sand the edges? Cheers, Tony evening folks Great question Tony - it's a really simple answer too. All the metal sheet is cut with a scalpel and one pass to score a cutline. From there I use a hold & fold tool or a straight edge to bend the waste backwards & forwards until it breaks clean off. It needs no sanding, and apart from a whizz over with wire wool to take off a minor burr along the edge, it's good to go as is.. I have also been asked about how big the model is as it is hard to get a sense of scale without a point of reference so here it is with a standard pot of Tamiya paint and a 1/48 SBD Dauntless mule,,, ..have reworked the leading edge wing tank panel a few times so not a lot of progress in the last few days.. ..started with tape again to get the panel dimensions - it will be easier I think to put this one down and do the one big leading edge skin around it than the other way around.. ..and working the panels - the rivets were tough to get aligned as they are not square in outline... ..and annealed and pre shaped - there are mini fake screws all around the edges... ..I happen to have a PE disc I can repurpose as a filler cap - it is actally part of the seat harness but has 4 screws and a central hole I can work with - here it is just resting in place.. more of the same, but at least next time I should have the whole of the top wings skinned TTFN Peter 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coors54 Posted October 3, 2016 Share Posted October 3, 2016 Chuffin' Nora! Magnificent, inspiring and humbling all in one thread. Tour de force Peter Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 evening folks ...todays work added the upper leading edge panels & finishing the leading edge fuel tanks.. ..it needs matting down and a bit more work on flattening out the surface of the front panel, but getting there a panel at a time.. TTFN Peter 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Holy wow! I'm guessing it weighs a fair bit??? Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 More awesome stuff, it really is already a thing of beauty. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGA Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 It's so shiny! And so pretty! Love it Peter. Your work keeps getting better and better and pretty much beyond the reach of us mere mortals. I am in awe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 WOW, Peter!!! What strikes me is that as you fabricate the leading edge *WITH* rivet pattern installed -- the rivet pattern doesn't look like it distorts as you form the sheet to the compound curve of the leading edge! That seems a miracle to me!! Lots of practice on your part along with a healthy dose of inspiration? PR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F4u Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Hi Peter, Outstanding work with superb detail Guy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted October 6, 2016 Author Share Posted October 6, 2016 On 04/10/2016 at 11:36 PM, Max Headroom said: Holy wow! I'm guessing it weighs a fair bit??? Trevor Sure does Trevor - thats why I had to make the U/C in brass and mount them to some big brass plates! evening ladies thanks for stopping by so to whats been happening today.. I am feeling particularly pleased with myself as I think I have sorted something that has been bothering me. Having finished the tops of the wings, I was going to move onto the nose and get the really tough skinning out of the way.. ..I actually started to wrap the rocker cover bulges in ali before I started to really look at the shapes in detail - as soon as I did I understood what had been bugging me all along - the nose never really looked right... ..the cowling bulges are such a distinctive feature of a Griffon Spit that any line out of place and the nose looks off - well I had a lot of lines out of place - they were much more bulbous than they should be, deeper, longer, blunter, fatter and one higher and bigger than the other.. ..apart from that they were perfect... ..I made some scale templates from drawings and photos and drew out roughly what the shape should be by using the exhaust slot as the reference point (which is perfectly placed..) I have already tried to take the fronts down, and you can see how much more bulge there is vs the side outline... ..some serious hacking - I did wonder at this point if I should just cut them off and start again... luckily they were solid fibreglass/resin so took some beating.. ..and after a lot of reworking - you can see the 'ghostline' of where the old bulges were.. ..much happier with the look now... ..I started to wrap the bulge in soft ali and marked out where the fasteners are... ..ended up with the rough part - I am definately learning more about dealing with these full blown curved shapes... ..once it is stuck down, I can start to work the shape and smooth out wrinkles with wooden tools - a coffee stirrer stick being the most useful... ..and shaped with the fasteners added - I will trim around it when I come to skin the rest of the nose.. ..even as I look at it now, it looks a lot more like a Spitfire than it did when I woke up this morning ... TTFN Peter 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Lovely work. Just lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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