Eduard Spitfire asembly issues

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

Is it just me or are the seats in the Eduard 1/72 Spitfires almost impossible to stick together? No matter what I try I just can't even get the thing to fit properly, why couldn't they just do a one piece seat like everyone else.

 

thanks

Mike

[fewr9fkr9595]

From what I remember -

 

Think I laid one of the sides flat on the mat, then held the centre part vertically in place with tweezers and ran extra thin along the back of the seat back. Let it dry then repeat for other side part. 

 

Hope this helps! 

[Procopius]

Almost impossible might be a bit strong; I'm exquisitely stupid, but have managed to get seven together. What kind of glue are you using, Mike?

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

I've been using some superglue as my poly cement was bunged up. The seat's together but it looks a bit wonky, I think the canopy will be closed on this one.

 

thanks

Mike

[colin]

What the poly cement in a tube, who's still using that and with small parts I would think it would be impossible to get a nice clean join

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

2 minutes ago, colin said:

What the poly cement in a tube, who's still using that and with small parts I would think it would be impossible to get a nice clean join

 

No one said anything about a tube.

 

thanks

Mike

[rob85]

9 minutes ago, Mikemx said:

 

No one said anything about a tube.

 

thanks

Mike

That made me laugh a lot.

 

but I will say I still use tube glue even on little bits.... all about finger control.

 

i look forward to building the seat in my Eduard spit

 

Rob

[Greenshirt]

Tube glue has its uses...

 

I'm on my second Eduard Spitfire and haven't had any issues, full stop. I'm not a skilled modeler by any means. Experienced, but not skilled. 

[Graham Boak]

Did you try pressing them into a piece of plasticine to hold them in place whilst the glue set?  Whichever glue.  I'm still waiting for the Weekend Mk.VIII before buying yet another Spitfire.

[colin]

48 minutes ago, Mikemx said:

 

No one said anything about a tube.

 

thanks

Mike

Then hows it get bunged up

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

5 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Did you try pressing them into a piece of plasticine to hold them in place whilst the glue set?  Whichever glue.  I'm still waiting for the Weekend Mk.VIII before buying yet another Spitfire.

 

Nope, I suppose blu-tack would do the same job but I didn't think about it. I'm now attaching the seatbelts and so far the seat is still in one piece. I've glued it to the base to help it stay together. I've un-bunged my Revell contacta but the superglue is being used for the etch bits.

 

Are you guys gluing the seat together before any paint goes near it? I painted the bits before sticking it together but I did scrape the paint off the area where the joints are.

 

I'm thinking about the Mk VIII weekends too, to use up some decals in the Aussie 8 set but I'll also get the Profipack if it has SEAC decals in it. I'm think either the profipack or weekend Mk VIII will be around in a few months time.

 

thanks

Mike

[Procopius]

52 minutes ago, colin said:

What the poly cement in a tube, who's still using that and with small parts I would think it would be impossible to get a nice clean join

 

That's actually basically what I use: Revell Contacta, which is a bit grippier that Tamiya Extra Thin, and I put the seat on the "floor" part as I'm gluing it.

[Greenshirt]

I used Tamiya extra thin, prepainted parts, one side, then the other to the central pan. Left it to cure overnight and then touched it up the next day. Popped onto the main floor bit easily. Gators Grip for the belts on the first one, masking tape belts for the second one. 

[Chuck1945]

12 minutes ago, Mikemx said:

...

Are you guys gluing the seat together before any paint goes near it? I painted the bits before sticking it together but I did scrape the paint off the area where the joints are.

...

 

The first one I painted first and quickly learned so the next one I assembled the seat before painting. In the future I will assemble as much of the interior as I possibly can before any painting. At least in my experience, the interior especially will fit better if painting is delayed

Edited March 8, 2017 by Chuck1945

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

well, it's all in bits again, this thing just does not want to go together, the whole stupid overly complicated cockpit

 

thanks

Mike

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

I think I might have cracked it. I stuck one of the side walls on and started to stick the various cockpit parts to that and now I have a closed up Spitfire and I'm about to start sticking the wings together.

 

thanks

Mike

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

This build just gets worse. It's the most disappointing build for a good while. Now I've just found the slot for the starboard tail wing is moulded solid and the tail wing will just not fit at all. I think it's time to complain to Eduard, I had no bother with their Hellcat kits and their Fw190 fits ok too. I've even had less issues building Sword kits.

 

Very frustrating.......

[Chuck1945]

If you continue with it, I found I created problems for myself by gluing the upper and lower wing parts and squeezing the outboard ends too much. As a result the tips themselves were thicker than the main wing at the join (and the ailerons didn't want to snug in either). Next time around I plan to attach the tips to the lower wing and then attach the upper halves

[Procopius]

20 minutes ago, Mikemx said:

This build just gets worse. It's the most disappointing build for a good while. Now I've just found the slot for the starboard tail wing is moulded solid and the tail wing will just not fit at all. I think it's time to complain to Eduard, I had no bother with their Hellcat kits and their Fw190 fits ok too. I've even had less issues building Sword kits.

 

Very frustrating.......

 

Wow, sounds like you got a rum one, Mike. Never had that problem so far. 

[fewr9fkr9595]

I have found sometimes that Eduard plastic can be very smooth/shiny for gluing, which leads to problems like @Mikemx mentions. I always try to rub a sanding stick lightly over the mating surfaces to rough them up. (Not enough to change the shape/dimensions of the part obviously) Gets rid of any shine/greasiness. That then gives the glue something to grip and melt as I do 99% of all my assy with extra thin/mr cement s type glues. Also then on big joins when you press the parts together you get a slight ooze that fills and seals. Another swipe with a sanding stick when thats dry and its good to go 👍🏿

[malpaso]

Well Mike, the ones you sold me are fine, I found they almost click together.  But I have had two tiny points that need closer attention next time.

1 the seat disassembled itself when adding to the cockpit floor - solution: trim side of seat spigot on floor, otherwise it's a bit tight.

2 I ended up with a slight step between the port leading edge fairing and the lower wing - solution to be worked out, the wing assembly clicked into place with no root gap so I guess I may have suffered and accumulation of tolerances.  I will have to watch out next time.

I found the whole cockpit assembly much easier than the Airfix NT mk1 which always ends up with gaps in the fuselage. The Eduard has the added complexity of being my first airbrush effort.

Cheers

Will 

[Seahawk]

11 hours ago, Mikemx said:

 Now I've just found the slot for the starboard tail wing is moulded solid and the tail wing will just not fit at all. I think it's time to complain to Eduard, I had no bother with their Hellcat kits and their Fw190 fits ok too. I've even had less issues building Sword kits.

 

This was a feature of some of the very earliest copies of this kit.  I bought two as soon as they came out (from you, I think): one had the problem, the other didn't.  Most un-Eduard-like, as you say.  Could have complained to Eduard I suppose but instead set the kit aside to drill out the slot with a small drill sometime.  

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

1 hour ago, Tony Oliver said:

I have found sometimes that Eduard plastic can be very smooth/shiny for gluing, which leads to problems like @Mikemx mentions. I always try to rub a sanding stick lightly over the mating surfaces to rough them up. (Not enough to change the shape/dimensions of the part obviously) Gets rid of any shine/greasiness. That then gives the glue something to grip and melt as I do 99% of all my assy with extra thin/mr cement s type glues. Also then on big joins when you press the parts together you get a slight ooze that fills and seals. Another swipe with a sanding stick when thats dry and its good to go 👍🏿

 

Thanks Tony, that's something to bear in mind, although when building the Hellcats and Fw190's nothing anywhere near as difficult occurred. The fit of the Hellcat's wings to fuselage is a bit tight and needs sanding a little but otherwise no problems. There was a few spots on the Fw190 kits where the fit was a bit tight but that was about it really, even the etch isn't a problem! 

 

1 hour ago, malpaso said:

Well Mike, the ones you sold me are fine, I found they almost click together.  But I have had two tiny points that need closer attention next time.

1 the seat disassembled itself when adding to the cockpit floor - solution: trim side of seat spigot on floor, otherwise it's a bit tight.

2 I ended up with a slight step between the port leading edge fairing and the lower wing - solution to be worked out, the wing assembly clicked into place with no root gap so I guess I may have suffered and accumulation of tolerances.  I will have to watch out next time.

I found the whole cockpit assembly much easier than the Airfix NT mk1 which always ends up with gaps in the fuselage. The Eduard has the added complexity of being my first airbrush effort.

Cheers

Will 

 

The seat did that all the time for me. I actually found the opposite with the Airfix kit. I've built a few of them and found the cockpit went together far more easily than the Eduard one. I really do think that Eduard should have done a one piece seat, it's far easier in 1/72.  

 

42 minutes ago, Seahawk said:

 

This was a feature of some of the very earliest copies of this kit.  I bought two as soon as they came out (from you, I think): one had the problem, the other didn't.  Most un-Eduard-like, as you say.  Could have complained to Eduard I suppose but instead set the kit aside to drill out the slot with a small drill sometime.  

 

This one was one of the first batch we got in. I checked my Royal Class set and Aussie 8 set and they appear to be ok.

 

Well I've contacted Eduard about it so we'll see what happens. If I had noticed it before, it would have been easy to claim a new fuselage sprue from Eduard but now a replacement fuselage piece would mean pulling the whole thing apart after all the effort getting it to fit in the first place. I'm tempted to get the Weekend edition, now that it's out and consign the Profipack to spares, hopefully Eduard will send a replacement kit.

 

thanks

Mike

[Gwart]

For me i've found it easier to glue all the cockpit components to the r/h fuselage before painting.The lower left and right fuselage wall pieces align perfectly with the lugs,any fit problems across the fuselage can be addressed by scrapping/sanding the l/h side of the i/p seat bulkhead side.(not had to do this yet but the option is there).

 

The wing, i've  found it best to attach the lower wing to the fuselage with the upper wing pieces taped on just enough to help alignment.

 

 

 

As for the seat i can recommend swearing at it until it goes together.

 

Shane.

[dfqweofekwpeweiop4]

That's

52 minutes ago, Gwart said:

For me i've found it easier to glue all the cockpit components to the r/h fuselage before painting.The lower left and right fuselage wall pieces align perfectly with the lugs,any fit problems across the fuselage can be addressed by scrapping/sanding the l/h side of the i/p seat bulkhead side.(not had to do this yet but the option is there).

 

The wing, i've  found it best to attach the lower wing to the fuselage with the upper wing pieces taped on just enough to help alignment.

 

 

 

As for the seat i can recommend swearing at it until it goes together.

 

Shane.

 

That's what I ended up doing but after painting and assembling the sub-assemblies. I found it impossible to build it the way Eduard tell you to in the instructions. Next one I'll do something like that but I'll build up the sub assemblies first and then paint them but scrape away the paint where they join to the fuselage, as it will be a pain trying to fit the etch bits (and indeed paint things) if everything is fully assembled.

 

thanks

Mike