Update: Building the horizontal stabilizers - Revell 1/48 B-29

[71chally]

Superb foil finish on those cowlings, is a self adhesive foil or standard foil sheet over an adhesive?

[Johnny_K]

7 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Superb foil finish on those cowlings, is a self adhesive foil or standard foil sheet over an adhesive?

I have never been able to get a smooth adhesive film when using standard foil. I only use a self adhesive product called Bare Metal Foil. It is fool proof because if I make a mistake I can pull off the foil. The adhesive comes off with the foil.

 

Following are the tools that I use for foil work:

 

The real secret to a great foil finish is using a paper blending stick to smooth the foil. The white stick on the right is a paper blending stick. It can be found in craft stores in the pastel and colored charcoal department. It is soft so it will not tear the foil no matter how hard you rub.

 

Following is a F-104 that I recently finished:

[71chally]

Great results, will have to look out for a paper blending stick.

[Finn]

The 3 .50cal tail gun:

 

 

Jari

[Pappy]

On 05/05/2017 at 7:04 AM, Johnny_K said:

 

Okay, it’s time to build the engines and cowlings. I am going to use the above engine as a guide for my engines. Note that the fuel lines are a copper color. Some engines had black or grey fuel lines. I like the copper colored lines because they add some ‘bling’ to the engines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G'day,

 

Great work so far. I want to build a B-29 one day so I am following along with interest.

 

Reference the copper coloured fuel lines, I think these may actually be  the high tension leads for the spark plugs.

 

Great approach to the foil, that is a technique that I have read about but I am too chicken to attempt, keep up the great posts,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[Johnny_K]

11 hours ago, Finn said:

The 3 .50cal tail gun:

 

Wow. Look how young that tail gunner is!

 

Jari

 

[Johnny_K]

Work on the four engines is finally finished.

 

It was common for the upper engine cylinders to get very hot, so I decided to darken the top surface of the cowlings. I used a product called JAX Aluminum Blackener. I rubbed JAX on the Bare Metal Foil and the foil turned a dark color.

 

 

All four engines finished.

[Johnny_K]

Okay, on with building the tail stabilizer wings

On the real aircraft the elevator of the rear stabilizer wing was covered in fabric. The elevator on the Revell kit has a textured finish. I painted the elevator with Testors' Metallic Aluminum and Testors' Metallic Sealer. The tip of the wing was also painted with Testors' Metallic Aluminum. After the paint dried I burnisihed it with a paper blending stick then painted it with Testors' Metallic Sealer. The kit's wings and body do not have rivets so I decided to add rivets. Usually I add rivets after I apply the Bare Metal Foil, but this time I tried something different. I added the rivets before I applied the foil. That way if I screwed up with the rivets I could correct the mistake without having to remove the foil. The black tick marks help me keep the rivets straight.

I ran my rivet tool along my high school lettering guide to make sure that the rivets stay in a straight line.

After the rivets were finished I started applying the Bare Metal Foil panel by panel. After the foil is applied it is burnished with a paper blending stick to remove wrinkles. The paper blending stick is very soft so no matter how hard it is pressed against the foil it will not tear the foil. Notice how the rivets telegraph through the foil. The Bare Metal Foil is way to shiny so I sprayed the entire sheet with "Simple Green" which knocks down the shine.

This is the final result. I used two types of metal foil, Matt Aluminum Plate and Bright Chrome. I used the Bright Chrome on two panels to add visual interest. I also ran 0000 steel wool across each panel to replicate the natural grain of aluminum plates. The finished wing is not as shiny and bright as indicated in the photo. I used a bright light to enhance the grain in the metal foil.

[DMC]

Really good, I expect to learn a lot about "skinning" with foil.  Had a coffee in a bookshop this morning while perusing The Owner's Workshop Manual on the B-29.  Quite something, that plane.

 

Incidentally, but not that it matters, the paper blending thingy is called a stump, or artist's stump.

 

Cheers,

 

Dennis

[Johnny_K]

You are correct, "stump" is the correct name for the blending stick. Anyway, the blending stump is essential when finishing an airplane with foil. I don't think that it is possible to apply foil without the blending stump.

[David H]

Looking good!!

 

-d-