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Catching Pictures in the Air


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Wub :wub: der wittle wathe fwom way back - and the picture of Servalan (Ms Pearce currently doing duty as Servalan in the Big Finish Blake'7 audios). Looking great, as I trudge my way slowly through too much multiple-thread backlog...

 

Cheers,

Alex. :sheep: <-- not Servalan!

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The way you plan to split the mould is the best way to go as the shallower the draw during the moulding process, the better.

 

Martian

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12 hours ago, AlexN said:

Wub :wub: der wittle wathe fwom way back - and the picture of Servalan (Ms Pearce currently doing duty as Servalan in the Big Finish Blake'7 audios). Looking great, as I trudge my way slowly through too much multiple-thread backlog...

 

Cheers,

Alex. :sheep: <-- not Servalan!

Thanks for that Alex. The pace has slowed a little of late so we're not rushing off without you mate...

Servalan: a fascist in the street, totalitarian in the bedroom.:doh::whip:

7 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

The way you plan to split the mould is the best way to go as the shallower the draw during the moulding process, the better.

47 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Moulding it that way would also mean that you could cut out the underside upward opening door in one piece

 

I think it's the right decision for a number of reasons lads, based in part upon my enormous experience of never having done this before but mainly from reading other people's experiences.

 

It might be worth trying a crude test  before splitting the buck perhaps, just to get a sense of how much further I might need to reduce it down to allow for the thickness of the plasticard, as currently I've left the buck at the exact size of the kit to begin with out of caution.

 

Feeling a little chastened today since my youngest son witnessed me walking round the house in my pants (to be clear, that is walking around inside, not outside...)last evening and a comparison with Count Arthur Strong was cruelly proffered. No way is the little rotter inheriting the bead lathe now....

 

Just one of those domestic details that I know the Martian loves to hear about in his study of our species.

giphy.gif

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3 hours ago, TheBaron said:

 

Feeling a little chastened today since my youngest son witnessed me walking round the house in my pants (to be clear, that is walking around inside, not outside...)last evening and a comparison with Count Arthur Strong was cruelly proffered. No way is the little rotter inheriting the bead lathe now....

 

Just one of those domestic details that I know the Martian loves to hear about in his study of our species.

giphy.gif

I just had my tea!!! :puke:

 

Martian

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Awesome!

Have you thought about making everything out of wood and forget the plastic? Might be a plan. :lol:

walking around in your pants again eh? Well at least it wasn't nekkid. :blink:

 

Johnny boy

Edited by The Spadgent
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Don't feel bad about what your son said Tony, it's best to turn your naturist activities into a planned and regular occurrence.

 

Until February 2016 my 20 year old stepson was still living with us. I have probably :angrysoapbox.sml: before about his 8am to midnight online gaming, replete with him shouting at the screen (he had a headset on, shouting at other game players).

 

This disturbed me (mostly bedbound at the time) and the two younger (studying, great) kids, a lot.

 

Many times he was asked to please;

a; Go to the job his mum had found for him and earn something.

b: Put a lid on the noise.

c; Help around the house.

 

He had friends around for gaming on Playstation every Tuesday and Thursday night, Saturday daytime.

 

I looked really rough; hair stuck up on end, unshaven, sleep deprived, black under the eyes, with that 'I've been stuck in bed for three months' musty smell :sick:.

 

I made it my mission in life to wander out of the bedroom at regular intervals on these 'gaming with friends' occasions. Young men and women, all very trendy.

 

I had a genuine limp and stoop, but would exaggerate it and shuffle very slowly from eg bedroom to bathroom across the vast living room, carrying my (clear, glass, two litre) urine bottle at chest height.  I would only be wearing pyjama shorts and a very short vest (to make sure my bare tum was hanging out :)).

 

I would say hello really politely to everyone, and smiling, very politely sometimes ask my stepson if he could "help me carry my urine bottle?" If not I would make sure I emptied it into the loo from a great height, so that it made the loudest sploshing noises possible :thumbsup2: .

 

I would also then, often, in this attire (or lack of it), sit at the table behind them and polish my gramophone horn. For hours. Groaning now and then with back pain. Really laying it on thick of course. I would occasionally wind it up and test it with an old 'Ink Spots' or 'Vera Lynn' 78 rpm.

 

Then I would regularly ask everyone if they wanted fresh popcorn, loudly with an insane enthusiasm. It was one of my favourites. The popcorn machine makes a tremendous noise. They soon learned to say no, but that didn't stop me from making a few batches over the course of an evening :popcorn: .

 

He couldn't say anything; not paying any rent and trashing his job.

 

I made sure to scratch the Crown Jewels and 'refuse department' as often as possible, always making sure I had plumbers crack visible.

 

Three weeks into my campaign he moved out:thumbsup: .

 

Youth and enthusiasm stands no chance in the face of old age and treachery :winkgrin::clap2::penguin:.

 

Best regards

TonyT

 

PS: Apologies for OT; happy to delete. Just sharing underpant stories :)

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Brilliant tactical thinking Tony, although I'm trying hard to quash the visual the wants to jump into my head!

 

Ian

 

 

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On 10/06/2017 at 2:32 PM, TheBaron said:

In order to cheer myself up I'm currently negotiating the purchase of a compressor blade from the Spey out of a Buccaneer. Of such things are happiness conjured sometimes.

 

We are so predictable, us blokes, aren't we?  I take enormous pleasure from the Avon compressor blade (part of an ECU rejected by XP924 a couple of years ago).  My wife remains strangely un-moved by it...

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22 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

I just had my tea!!! :puke:

Job done.:like:

(as we used to say in the Scouts during Bob-a-job week.)

17 hours ago, CedB said:

Come on Martian - I've been watching you unscrewing that for twenty minutes now... get ON with it man!

Martian patience is never-ending. I guess if you have to trek the length of Valles Marineris in order to find ice for your Martini then it has to be....

10 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Have you thought about making everything out of wood and forget the plastic

Plastic? Was there really plastic on this build once? It seems so long ago....

9 hours ago, TonyTiger66 said:

Just sharing underpant stories

:lol:

I nominate this for 'Post least likely to receive the picture or it didn't happen response' of 2017....

 

That takes some topping Tony, it really does mate.:rofl:

4 hours ago, limeypilot said:

Brilliant tactical thinking Tony, although I'm trying hard to quash the visual the wants to jump into my head!

I bet Martian is too!

4 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

 

We are so predictable, us blokes, aren't we?  I take enormous pleasure from the Avon compressor blade (part of an ECU rejected by XP924 a couple of years ago).  My wife remains strangely un-moved by it...

I read 'rejected' as 'ejected' initially there Crisp and feared you'd obtained your blade via some ghastly Vixen-ish mishap...

 

I've been in stonking form all day since the Spey blade arrived in the post today, complete with a detailed provenance running back to XT274 in 1967:

http://www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk/S2_XT274_files/S2_XT274.html

Luckily Mrs. B has a fondness for Modernist artworks so prominent display remains uncontentious. 

 

I may have taken too many shots over the last couple of days so I'll edit them down as we go. After giving it a going-over with some PPP and fine sanding sticks it was about time to go for an initial 'plunge':

35176661532_075a3be415_c.jpg

Before doing so however, I needed to make a more secure holder for the plastic sheet. Not having any large drawing-pins to pay a homidge to Bill's excellent method with, I cut up some paper clips, bending and sharpening them to make little latches to hold the sheet in place:

35176662002_a9a70813e5_c.jpg

After using a map pin to pierce the plastic in position, these could then be inserted to keep it stretched out when heated:

35176662292_29b5e50fb4_c.jpg

I'm using 1mm thick plastic there. I decided when ordering to use black, as from experience I know a darker surface always makes any flaws more obvious that white, and better to discover such things at this stage rather than later when the paint goes on.

 

A few minutes perched on firebricks in the oven at max and then whipped out onto the buck and Schlurrp!......:

34956196410_a18deb7daa_c.jpg

As I'd mentioned in my last update, I'm leaving the buck in one piece until I'm absolutely certain I've got it scaled down to the right size for forming, so for the test shot here I tipped it onto one side with a sliver of balsa underneath to raise it off the vacform plate by about 5 mm or so.

 

You can see form the buckling in the hardboard one one side there that I need to make the lower part of the frame holding the plastic out of a thicker grade of board next time: even so, none of the little latches popped out under heat, so at least they proved that they are up to the job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Astonishing how much surface detail (i.e., imperfections!) is reproduced:

34500114244_aa85c6e065_c.jpg

That 'heat-bump' on top of the BT door needs to go, however, looking at the delicacy of detail which seems possible, I want to have a think about capitalizing on this to add surface detail.

 

this shot reminds me of one of those scenes in the Road Runner cartoons where Wile E. Coyote falls of a cliff and leaves a coyote-shaped hole in the ground :lol::

34956198340_30f851c665_c.jpg

It feels strangely odd to be holding a lighter hollow version of something solid and more massive that your hands had got used to over a period of days (if that makes sense?):

34956200670_91d9e53e31_c.jpg

Lump..bump...:

35303815796_89529d7992_c.jpg

But like I said, food for thought about deliberately adding detail next time. Here's a shot to let you see how vacforming around the shape had thinned-out the original 1mm. thickness of the sheet:

34500115704_9c9608cb0d_c.jpg

Around those edges you see there it ranges from 0.3 to 0.6mm in thickness now. Bear in mind though that's around the whole buck - the final forming will split that piece into two halves (upper and lower), thus reducing that stretch.

 

I'm pretty pleased with the initial match between vacform and kit along the upper fuselage profile:

34956201670_3962bb3b27_c.jpg

Doubtless some filler to conceal the join, but otherwise I'm surprised that works so well visually:34500116134_428b6a8cbc_c.jpg

When taking into account the vertical dimension of the fuselage, it is still a few mm. out:

34956205740_88da47fd96_c.jpg

...partly due to the plastic flexing outward, and partly due to the (currently oversize) buck - neither of which were unexpected factors from some of the research I'd done:

34956204310_60330e2c04_c.jpg

I can also drop that tail down a little as well, you can see in the shot below it was stuck on a millimetre or so too high:

34956203040_27c7a67ac7_c.jpg

The match to the side profile seems decent enough too:

34500116774_04e0d2dccb_c.jpg

I do however anticipate the overall width of the rear to mimic the height issues, for the same reasons given. In other words, the problems that need correcting are (thankfully) the ones that I'd anticipated.

 

That is - I don't mind confessing -  something of a relief to have got to this point in time.

:phew:

I think I understand now what remedial action needs to be taken, but I want to take my time and let this sink in before reducing anything precipitously. Surface detail is exercising me partly in this regard, not least in terms of matching kit and vacform detailing in a sufficiently convincing manner. That seems to require another test all of it's own...

 

Right-ho.

 

Friday evening. The News Quiz is on in an hour or so and a modest libation of G&T to the modelling gods seems in order.

 

Have a lovely evening chaps!

:bye:

Tony

 

 

 

 

 

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VERY nice work there yer Baronship.   For a first attempt that really is marvelous .

you might want to slap some car filler on the buck when you get it closer to size, as sanding that will give you a better surface finish

 

 

oh... and the more photo's the better as far as I am concerned.

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8 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

It feels strangely odd to be holding a lighter hollow version of something solid and more massive that your hands had got used to over a period of days (if that makes sense?):

Cue Ced methinks!

 

It looks like you have got this sorted now and along with it the hardest part of the build. (famous last words)

 

Martian

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19 hours ago, CedB said:

Come on Martian - I've been watching you unscrewing that for twenty minutes now... get ON with it man!

Well,I must say I was pretty interested in what the title could have meant,I'm not a modeller,I was recommended to have a look around this

forum by my old ex-work mate Mark(Miggers on here) to see what can be done with an airbrush.

My wife bought me one for Christmas two years ago and Mark was good enough to give me some bits and bobs plus some instruction

on how to airbrush,a look at his own model collection(wow!!),most of which are airbrushed and then a pint in his home miniature pub(double wow!!!).

 

Anyway,reading through this thread,the level of work and skill is pretty amazing(but no airbrushing yet).

 

I love the banter,jokes and general good cheer that you guys have as well as the skills(I never knew they caught sattelites like that!!).

Many thanks to Mark(I think he's away in Devizes at the moment) for the aim into the forum,I'll keep skating around and looking.

 

Cheers,Ken.

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3 hours ago, TheBaron said:

...something solid and more massive that your hands had got used to over a period of days...

I'm not going to rise to that!

 

Superb results there Tony, all that hard tool making and kit bashing is paying off very nicely

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A very impressive test shot Tony :clap: !

 

The vac form rig you've built certainly works very well, that must be a relief after all that work.

 

I have vac form kits by a few manufacturers and in some cases the level of surface detail is pretty astonishing. Later 'Rareplanes' kits and current 'Broplan' kits spring to mind. Some of the components on the latter are very thin indeed, which seems to help with detail picked up from the buck.

 

Heat and suction. You've got it right first time Tony :).

 

Enjoy your G and T you've earned it; a milestone successfully reached in the build :clap:.

 

Best regards

TonyT

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23 hours ago, CedB said:

Come on Martian - I've been watching you unscrewing that for twenty minutes now... get ON with it man!

Have you any idea how frustrating that is? That is a barrel of Martian Lunar IPA Real Ale I can't get open. :frantic:

 

Martian

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On 6/16/2017 at 5:16 PM, hendie said:

VERY nice work there yer Baronship.   For a first attempt that really is marvelous .

you might want to slap some car filler on the buck when you get it closer to size, as sanding that will give you a better surface finish

 

 

oh... and the more photo's the better as far as I am concerned.

Thanks for that Hendie. I'll grab some filler as you suggest - I was quite surprised at just how much detail/flaws of the wood grain was reproduced by the plastic!

 

With the photos I've taken @perdus recent maxim to heart about only posting pictures that help to move the story on, though given the twists and turns yet to come on this I don't envisage any shortage of images needed!

On 6/16/2017 at 5:18 PM, Martian Hale said:

It looks like you have got this sorted now and along with it the hardest part of the build. (famous last words)

About once a fortnight I have that thought Martian!:drunk:

On 6/16/2017 at 5:38 PM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Wow!  Top vacuum action; well done.  [Taking notes!]

Thanks Crisp. Another tightrope, another day on Britmodeller!:lol:

On 6/16/2017 at 7:19 PM, Kenny Stevens said:

Well,I must say I was pretty interested in what the title could have meant,I'm not a modeller,I was recommended to have a look around this

forum by my old ex-work mate Mark(Miggers on here) to see what can be done with an airbrush.

My wife bought me one for Christmas two years ago and Mark was good enough to give me some bits and bobs plus some instruction

on how to airbrush,a look at his own model collection(wow!!),most of which are airbrushed and then a pint in his home miniature pub(double wow!!!).

 

Anyway,reading through this thread,the level of work and skill is pretty amazing(but no airbrushing yet).

 

I love the banter,jokes and general good cheer that you guys have as well as the skills(I never knew they caught sattelites like that!!).

Many thanks to Mark(I think he's away in Devizes at the moment) for the aim into the forum,I'll keep skating around and looking.

Thanks for that Kenny: welcome to the thread - and indeed the forum! Glad to hear that you're enjoying it so far.

 

You'll find plenty of new friends on here I'm sure, though I regret to have to tell you that you've probably fallen into a pretty rum crowd here - myself included! :lol:

 

Say hi to Mark from me if you run into him anytime. :thumbsup2:

 

On 6/16/2017 at 8:40 PM, 71chally said:

I'm not going to rise to that!

I believe you just did!:winkgrin:

On 6/16/2017 at 9:10 PM, TonyTiger66 said:

A very impressive test shot Tony :clap: !

 

The vac form rig you've built certainly works very well, that must be a relief after all that work.

 

I have vac form kits by a few manufacturers and in some cases the level of surface detail is pretty astonishing. Later 'Rareplanes' kits and current 'Broplan' kits spring to mind. Some of the components on the latter are very thin indeed, which seems to help with detail picked up from the buck.

 

Heat and suction. You've got it right first time Tony :).

 

Enjoy your G and T you've earned it; a milestone successfully reached in the build :clap:.

My thanks for that T-man. You're right about the detail issue - quite extraordinary what heat & suction will achieve. Off to look at Broplan (That's about the 25th new kit manufacturer you've introduced me to now!):D

23 hours ago, Martian Hale said:

Have you any idea how frustrating that is? That is a barrel of Martian Lunar IPA Real Ale I can't get open. :frantic:

Use your heat-ray.

22 hours ago, Gondor44 said:

Wonderful piece of work going on here, glad to see that everything is proceeding as expected with regard to the vac-forming :yes:

My thanks for that Gondor. There is something quietly miraculous about the process.

 

Nothing to show you this evening pals as the entire day was taken up by clearing out the garden shed / store / insect mausoleum. Five bags of crap heading to the dump, whilst God knows how many mystery parts and fittings from various power tools were recovered from under a workbench that hasnae been moved in over a decade.

 

If you've you've ever seen that scene in Edge of Darkness where Craven and Jedburgh come across that Cold War bunker in the slate mine, you'll get some idea of the day's undertakings....

 

:bye:

 

Tony

 

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3 hours ago, TheBaron said:

About once a fortnight I have that thought Martian!:drunk:

No, fair's fair, I have done this vacforming thing quite a few times now and this part of the build really is yours to screw up now and I can't see you doing that now.

 

Martian harsh but fair

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On 6/18/2017 at 0:55 AM, Martian Hale said:

No, fair's fair, I have done this vacforming thing quite a few times now and this part of the build really is yours to screw up now and I can't see you doing that now.

 

On 6/18/2017 at 6:02 PM, perdu said:

That looks a treat

 

I think 'us-as-as' can safely butt out now

 

Cheers for a fine job

Martian, Bill: My thanks for that chaps. :thumbsup2:

 

As we're off on hols next Monday I've really run out of time now to make any substantive progress between now and then, with everything else that needs attending to between work and home. At least I managed to get the first test done before going away. What I don't want to do is rush the next stage of modifying the buck but 

leave it until we're back and have a clear head for a run at it.

 

As it is I need to put aside some time and clean out the studio before going away - every available space and worktop is now strewn with tools and materials, all surmounted with a patina of balsa-dust. If I clear the decks and get everything squared away at the weekend, it should make recommencing work later much easier in terms of focus.

 

Need to inventory what paints I currently have as well in case an opportunity to replenish back in Blighty should perchance appear...

 

:bye:

Tony

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