Paul E Posted May 6, 2017 Author Share Posted May 6, 2017 On Thursday, May 04, 2017 at 4:06 PM, longshanks said: Modelling madness at its finest Kev Says the person scratch building a Puffer. 14 hours ago, Bugle07 said: That capstan looks so much better that the kit, as does all the extras you're adding. Fantastic! Geoff Thank you Geoff. I thought it was a small thing that would make quite a difference. 21 hours ago, sunray said: Excellent work Paul and I would be interested in a PE stanchion set PM sent. Thank you Sunray. I have sent you a PM about the photo etch. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 This weekend I have made a concerted start on the base. The base is made from polystyrene with a hull shape cut out into which the model will sit. I glued textured paper onto the polystyrene to represent the sea and painted it. I still need to form the wake but I have to paint the hull first, which I have started. Working again on some of the fittings; this time the odd looking post box feature which is located at the aft end of the superstructure. This is a manned sight and control position in which an operator sits and I assume drives the aft gun. Unfortunately the kit provides this a two part plastic moulding and of which does not define the glazed canopy of the sight and control position. I was not happy with painting this at such a large scale so I decided I was going to make my own glazed canopy. My method was not particularly sophisticated. A piece of wood with a hole with the same diameter of the canopy I wanted, a piece of wooden dowel with its end shaped as a dome that fits through the hole and some 1mm Perspex that I had lying around. All I did was heat the Perspex and over the hole in the wood and then poke the dowel into the hole moulding the heated plastic. I think I could have got a better result if I experimented or had followed Longshanks lead. However after the first attempt my wife got so upset with the smell of burning wood when I used the gas cooker hob that I was banned from doing it again. So my canopy has a crazy paving finish to it, but at least it looks clear. I then cut the canopy from the Perspex sheet and tided it up and modified the kit part. Here is how the aft sight looks with the new canopy fitted. I obviously still need to tidy and paint and workout how to make the pitting less conspicuous. Finally I have also started painting some of the fittings; Progress continues even if it is a bit slow. Thank you for looking. Paul 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Wow 1mm thick, no wonder you had the smell of burning and that was just the Missus Might be worth trying some clear thin packaging, your melting point is going to be a lot lower. That aside I like where you're going with this Kev 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 I would wait until Mrs Paul is out and then have another go, possibly using thinner plastic as Longshanks suggests. Martian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUB-SAM Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 (edited) Acrylic is a real pain to heat form properly, particularly as it's quite transparent to IR so you tend to cook the surface with convection heat/localised air heating whilst the bulk of the plastic remains cooler and stiff. I really recommend using acetate OHP sheet for clear parts smaller than a thumbnail. You can get it on eBay in 140 and 240 microns which gives a scale glazing thickness of 20mm and 35mm respectively, which I think looks spot on for 1/144 models. Depending on shape the 140 will nicely do parts that hold shape up to thumbnail size, i,e a canopy on a 1/144 aircraft/ 240 about twice so, so ideal for thicker perspex domes on submarines and the like. Thicker sheets are available too but I've not experimented with those yet. A gas lighter is enough to heat a patch large enough for most 'push moulding' uses on 1/144 scale, it's damn cheap so if you mess it up you can try 100 times more. It seems to have a wide temperature band between softening enough for vacuum / 'push' forming and burning/discolouring. Edited May 9, 2017 by SUB-SAM 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted May 10, 2017 Author Share Posted May 10, 2017 This is why I like this forum, thanks for the advice guys it is extremely helpful. To be honest I had tried making the canopy using thinner clear plastic but I kept ruining it, hence going for a much thicker acrylic. I think the primary cause for failure is more to do with my poor technique rather than the materials. I am going to invest in a heat gun to help me and I will build a more suitable jig and I see where I go from there. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted May 10, 2017 Share Posted May 10, 2017 Hi Paul Just my thoughts... If you've been using a gas hob it could be to aggressive. Hot air gun much better and safer. I've not done clear acrylic but plastic sheet seems relatively easy. To get you on the right road you need a couple of squares of thin ply, think I'm using 1mm thick. Cut sq/round out of the centre about 3 to 4 times the size of object to be copied. Clamp plastic between squares. For what you want to do a male plug will suffice. Turn in an electric drill at slow speed. Fix male plug in vertical position. Hold plastic over hot air gun, use pliers, about 2/3" above for 10/15 second. Pull slowly down over plug. Hope this helps if not clear your welcome to pm me. Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aginvicta Posted May 14, 2017 Share Posted May 14, 2017 If you use OHP acetate go for one that is not suitable for photocopiers, it will have a lower melting point. The fusers in copiers work between 150 and 200 degrees centigrade so copier OHP will require more heat to soften. Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted May 15, 2017 Author Share Posted May 15, 2017 12 hours ago, Aginvicta said: If you use OHP acetate go for one that is not suitable for photocopiers, it will have a lower melting point. The fusers in copiers work between 150 and 200 degrees centigrade so copier OHP will require more heat to soften. Andy Thanks Andy, A good point and I will bear it in mind. I have some thin acetate already but I think I will have a go with clear plastic food packaging next as I know they are made from plastic which is definitely suitable for heat moulding. It also gives me an excuse to buy Maple Syrup and Pecan Nut lattices from the local supermarche . 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted May 16, 2017 Author Share Posted May 16, 2017 An update of progress from this last weekend; I have concentrated on painting the hull and superstructure which is not very exciting. Although after all the effort of applying masking tape and cleaning my spray gun it is quite satisfying seeing the transformative effect. Painting the hull is quite an important milestone as it enables me to progress the display base and fit the railings, which I am quite looking forward to. I have yet to look at redoing the canopy but I am very appreciative of the advice I am being given. I will have another attempt soon but until then here are pictures of the progress of painting the hull and with the main parts dry fitted: Enjoy and thank you for looking. Paul 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 Really taking shape now Paul I like the look of this ship fast and mean when at speed beefy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Impressive! Martian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 On 17/05/2017 at 4:45 AM, Martian Hale said: Impressive! Martian Thank you Martian, I am glad you like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted May 24, 2017 Author Share Posted May 24, 2017 I have been working on the sea base for the last few days and so I am dedicating this post to Beefy for the liking the ship looking fast and mean at speed. On 16/05/2017 at 8:28 PM, beefy66 said: Really taking shape now Paul I like the look of this ship fast and mean when at speed beefy As you know I had already started on mounting arrangements but I am now at the stage of adding the wake and like Beefy I like the lean and mean look of these ships operating at speed. In common with my other builds I started by mummifying the hull in cling film to protect the paintwork. I then mounted the encased hull onto the base and plastered texture paste in a wake pattern: Then I peeled back the cling film from the hull and folded it to make the bow wave: I then trimmed the cling film back and used texture paste and PVA glue to hold the pieces in place. The hull by the way is not glued in place yet as I still need to do things with it which would be easier to do when separated from the base. So there it is my representation of lean and mean at speed….. Enjoy and thanks for looking. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Nice one Paul Looking Lean & Mean !! Kev 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted May 24, 2017 Share Posted May 24, 2017 Looking good just how you should expect to see this type of Fast Attack Craft proceeding through the sea beefy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunray Posted May 25, 2017 Share Posted May 25, 2017 Paul she is a star already. Excellent work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted May 26, 2017 Author Share Posted May 26, 2017 On 24/05/2017 at 6:43 PM, longshanks said: Nice one Paul Looking Lean & Mean !! Kev On 24/05/2017 at 7:57 PM, beefy66 said: Looking good just how you should expect to see this type of Fast Attack Craft proceeding through the sea beefy 17 hours ago, sunray said: Paul she is a star already. Excellent work. Thank you, I am now working on the guard rails on the hull, it's slow work but I hope the result will really give a lift to the model. An update will follow soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerndM Posted May 26, 2017 Share Posted May 26, 2017 Excellent work and a good bunch of progress since my last visit. Its taking really shape. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob 1 Posted May 27, 2017 Share Posted May 27, 2017 You certainly get a great level of detail at this scale, am enjoying watching this progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgizlu Posted May 28, 2017 Share Posted May 28, 2017 Paul - this is coming along really nicely. Love the detail on the boat and the sea is shaping up very nicely too Fab stuff Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangor Lad Posted May 29, 2017 Share Posted May 29, 2017 Smashing build, Paul. I will have to try your technique for modelling bow waves. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul E Posted June 6, 2017 Author Share Posted June 6, 2017 Thank you for the kind comments My heat gun has arrived and so I decided to have another go at making the glazed canopy of the sight and control position. So following the advice given I used some plastic from a cake carton. The contents by the way were yummy. I cut out a piece and placed it in my home made jig before submitting it to the heat gun. I set the heat gun at the lower temperature and I was really surprised at how effective it was at making the plastic malleable. Once heated I applied the mould and the result is as follows: This is a definite improvement on my previous attempt. I did have several other goes including using my previous mould to see if I could better results. Anyway after a bit of playing around I found what I wanted and here is how the aft sight looks with the new canopy fitted with some of my previous attempts: I am quite pleased with myself and I will be having a go at more heat moulding on future projects. Thank you all for the advice with this it was most helpful. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted June 6, 2017 Share Posted June 6, 2017 Looks like the heat gun was a good investment after all then Paul canopy looks spot on beefy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted June 7, 2017 Share Posted June 7, 2017 That looks miles better! Martian the Impressed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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