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Fabricate Missing Transparent Canopy


mojorising

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Could not find topic if this has already been covered.

 

I have a few models with missing transparent canopy parts.

 

Just wondering of there is any recommended technique for fabricating small bits of transparent canopy?

 

What raw materials and methods are best?

 

Some of the missing bits are curved but in one axis only (e.g. curved hatch)

 

Some of the missing bits are curved on both XY axes (e.g. bubble canopy)

 

Thanks

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3 posts in and you're already asking questions like this! :D  Ambitious ;)

 

Creating a (very smooth) copy of the inside of the canopy is possible with wood, styrene, putty etc., then make a cut-out in a piece of board, heat up some PETG under the grill (a type of clear plastic that I believe doesn't yellow), and plunge-mould it over the canopy blank.  This might take half a dozen attempts to get one that's useable, but as the material is cheap, I wouldn't worry too much.  Doesn't matter if it's curved or "blown" (although it will make the process a little trickier), as the PETG will be flexible when cooled and the mould will be able to slip out from inside.

 

As to canopy framing, mask up the clear areas using luck or judgement (I've used both with varying success) and either spray multiple coats of primer to build up a difference, or a couple of coats of high-build primer, which goes on thicker & doesn't craze or shrink.  paint and marvel at your marvellous recovery work.

 

As an aside, your mould blank has to be as smoooooth and shiny as you can get it, as every little mote will be picked up by the PETG when you're moulding it.  You can sometimes find PETG used as packaging - just find a big enough piece to give you the ability to hold the edges with tweezers, your gloved hands or whatever :jump_fire:

 

Edit:  You'll also hear plunge-moulding referred to as crash-moulding, smash-moulding or any of a million thrusty words :blush: It's at heart the cousin of vacforming, just without the vacuum ;)

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maybe not  quite the  answer, but depending on what the kits  are,   Falcon do a series of vacform canopy sets

http://www.falconmodels.co.nz/clearvax.html

 

which maybe easier?   But Mike  reply is very comprehensive if you wish  to scratch build them. 

 

Also worth investigating kits that have spares,  eg some modern kits have open and shut canopy options, so a spare maybe available from one of those.

 

A list of what kits you have missing bits for would get you more answers

 

HTH

T

 

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3 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

But Mike  reply is very comprehensive if you wish  to scratch build them.

 

Comprehensive in the facts, but not in detail.  If OP is interested I bet there are loads of tutorials out there on crash-moulding, or whatever you might call it :)

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Thanks for the tips Mike and Troy. I will keep those in mind for more complex bits.

 

In the short term I am just looking at making a simple curved hatch for a 1/48 Meteor.

 

I was thinking of just cutting a square piece of perspex/melamine/PETG and heating it up and bending it. It will be in the open position when I glue it to the existing canopy structure (just glued along the hinge edge) so it does not need to be an exact fit as it will be hard to notice if it is a bit wrong when it is in the open position I think.

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Heat a bit up and drape/pull it around a dowel, or something of a similar diameter to the section of the fuselage you need.  When it's cool lay it over the opening and mark up the hatch shape to cut out :) 

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