sean Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 First some background. I've always had a liking for the F-8 variant of the Meteor, but could never seem to get one off the Bay. About a year ago, after being out bid a few times on the Airfix kit, I came across a auction for double set of Rareplanes F-8s, along with an Xtradecal sheet for foreign F-8s, bidding starting at 7 quid. Thinking I'm not getting a injected kit anytime soon, I made a bid. No-one else did, so I had two F-8s and a decal sheet for 7 quid... result... That's as good as it gets folks..... As I had no idea what the hell I was doing, I quickly asked for advice here on BM, and of course said help was forthcoming. Armed with my new found knowledge, I set to with gusto aplenty. From the offset I used this as a practise build, knowing I had the second vacform to hopefully use what I learned on this one. What did I learn? I'm not very good with vacform... So, after a year of cutting -filler-sanding-painting-sanding-filler-sanding-painting...etc...etc.... I have finally finished, (or as finished as it's going to get), and here it is.......... Mostly melted sprue and Vallejo filler...... I basically used what was on the sheet, just enough to make an inflight model, and added aerials and the cartridge shutes, from scrap plastic and florist wire. The decals are for a Dutch aircraft. Not the best thing I've ever done, nor the worst. (Yes, I've made worse models than this, a Pucara comes to mind ) It does look ok from a distance.....and behind me....out of the light. If you've got this far, fair play to you, and thanks for looking. I'm away to lie down..... Sean *Why the writing has gone blue? * 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 (edited) looks very good Sean, except for the trailing edges of the wings. did you get pointed in the direction of John Adams 'vacforms - how too' guide? Got asked about recently, http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235008960-vac-formed-kits-does-a-sig-or-gb-exist/&do=findComment&comment=2483861 I'm posting my posting as I really recommend getting a gooseneck scraper. And it does looks like a Meteor and you did finish it! Edited September 23, 2016 by Troy Smith posting glitch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil5208 Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 Looks good, well worth the effort you've put in 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karl Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 Looks really good sean. I love vacform kits, they always give me great satisfaction to see complete. Karl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viscount806x Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 My first full vac kit around 15 years ago now. They build well as you can see and are surprisingly robust. Great confidence builders aren't they? Nige B 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 Excellent Meteor Sean! How did you get the air intakes so round? Here's mine from a GB in 2009. My one and only foray into VacForm. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 nice! great effort and courage to tackle one nowadays!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomprobert Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 The purest form of modelling there is. Great effort for for your first vac - now treat us to some more! Tom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 Very nice, the only vac` form success I`ve had was the front half of a Voodoo, the rest have never made it to the painting stage, so: really well done there Sean 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean Posted September 24, 2016 Author Share Posted September 24, 2016 Gentlemen, thank you all, you are too far kind. 21 hours ago, Troy Smith said: looks very good Sean, except for the trailing edges of the wings. did you get pointed in the direction of John Adams 'vacforms - how too' guide? Got asked about recently, http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235008960-vac-formed-kits-does-a-sig-or-gb-exist/&do=findComment&comment=2483861 I'm posting my posting as I really recommend getting a gooseneck scraper. And it does looks like a Meteor and you did finish it! Hi Troy, John Adams how-to was the first thing to get a mention when I posted my inquires about vac-form last year. As can be seen, I didn't follow everything I read in it. AAhh.. the trailing edges...mostly melted sprue due to some over enthusiastic sanding..... A gooseneck scraper...I shall investigate. 10 hours ago, viscount806x said: My first full vac kit around 15 years ago now. They build well as you can see and are surprisingly robust. Great confidence builders aren't they? Nige B Hi Nigel, I must admit to a certain amount of satisfaction from actually finishing it. 9 hours ago, theplasticsurgeon said: Excellent Meteor Sean! How did you get the air intakes so round? Hi PS, shortly after starting this I got the Xtrakit F-8, and used the spare intake cowlings from that kit. Which showed how much excessive sanding I'd done. So I had to use lots of melted sprue and Halfords primer to get the cowlings and intakes faired in nicely. The best bit of the entire build for me, really happy how they turned out. I took a look at your build during mine, no way was I doing mine silver. Mine was camouflauged to hide the bumps lumps. 3 hours ago, tomprobert said: The purest form of modelling there is. Great effort for for your first vac - now treat us to some more! Tom More? It could be a while Tom, I'll have to build up the courage first! 2 hours ago, russ c said: Very nice, the only vac` form success I`ve had was the front half of a Voodoo, the rest have never made it to the painting stage, so: really well done there Sean Hi Russ, I'd really like to see that Voodoo finished, I nearly bought one myself, but chickened out at the last minute. Once again, thank you for the positive comments, Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted September 24, 2016 Share Posted September 24, 2016 Hi Sean, it was the Koster conversion to make an RF-101C that I posted some years back Cheers Russ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean Posted September 24, 2016 Author Share Posted September 24, 2016 41 minutes ago, russ c said: Hi Sean, it was the Koster conversion to make an RF-101C that I posted some years back Cheers Russ Hi Russ, nice one, and I still like that camoflauge.. and it was the Valom Voodoo I was thinking of , though some would say there's not much difference between vac form and Valom Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 If that's first attempt at vacform you clearly have a future with it, nothing wrong with your build at all, and you completed it, that's further than many who try!! Good to see the noble art of vacuform modelling alive and kicking in the days of short run resin! . . . Kes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Hat's off for even tackling a vac form Sean,and a cracking job it is too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Yep you get a for finishing a vac form kit and a for how well you have done it. Well worth the effort...........but I'm not ever going to attempt one! Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 That looks very nice! Getting the flying surface edges thin enough without sanding them away is indeed tricky, and something I certainly didn't get the first time around. But it looks really nice. Now you have done one, the second will be much easier! And you've got all those decals to use up... Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head in the clouds. Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 That looks damn fine to me a sir, and your first, you are now promoted to Corporal Vacform Builder. Gary 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristol boy Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 Great to see someone else tackling a vacform and a good job you have done too. Not a jet person myself but always had a soft spot for Meteors, maybe cos they just creep into WWII! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted September 27, 2016 Share Posted September 27, 2016 A half-complete vac kit impresses modellers who've never done one. A completed vac kit looks like any other model. As it should. To paraphrase Obi Wan Kenobi, "You've taken your first steps in a much larger universe." Now continue your training, my young Padawan. Go thou forth and build vacs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sean Posted September 28, 2016 Author Share Posted September 28, 2016 Once again, thank you for all the positive comments and the encouragement to do more, it is much appreciated. I do have a few more in the stash, which were bought after the first flush of enjoyment on this build. Hopefully the next build will take less than a year to complete, Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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