Patrik Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share Posted March 3, 2018 Wings painted. I also added a few more details today like the Pitot tube, generator and the guns, so in general nearing the completion. I am not completely happy with the position of the guns, the shelves should have been placed a bit lower on the fuselage sides, but as I can do nothing about it now (without major surgery), I think I will survive. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 3, 2018 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Looking very nice Patrik . Was you never tempted to rig this little baby...just asking ? Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 It was supposed to be quite straightforward task today in the morning. Put on the wheels, add some undercarriage details, and make last touches with the paint here and there. Has been going well for some time, but then one moment I was admiring my work, getting it closer to the desk lamp, and split of a second later I was holding monoplane in my left hand. Could have been worse. The wing's still in one piece, no strut's been broken, no part's been lost, but I am feeling like thrown back to stone age anyway. Regarding your question about rigging, Stuart, I was about to give you some kind of witty answer, however it does not seem that appropriate at the moment. Patrik 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Well, what can I say, that is some structural failure Patrik... 12 to be exact. As you say, fortunately, nothing was lost or broken, just to wonder how/ why. Chin up, a man of your skill will soon sort that. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
europapete Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 well, look on the bright side, at least you can reposition the guns now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 I was about to say how good she was looking... at least on the positive side it looks as though it all came off cleanly and it should be a simple matter of reglueing the struts...I hope! Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 Structural failure indeed. As per the how part, I am pretty sure I can give some details. Did I mention a desk lamp? And you know how desk lamps have often this kind of metal stand, and how plastic kits and biplanes in particular are not robust enough to survive direct confrontation with metal desk lamp stands and how it is therefore highly advisable to make no erratic moves with a hand holding said kit when said stand is really nearby? Well that's for the how part. And regarding the why part - I am sure I am eligible to refuse testimony, though I have already lowered my swore words level from completely not-publishable to publishable after 10 PM. Patrik 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 4, 2018 Share Posted March 4, 2018 Ok, accidental collision with light source. I had a brief thought that you had forgotten to glue the struts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted March 10, 2018 Author Share Posted March 10, 2018 Back where we started one week ago and even a bit further. Notice the template for cutting the fuselage stripes' decal. I hope there are no more disasters lurking round the corner. See you soon in RFI. Patrik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 Excellent recovery Patrik. She's looking all the better with her wheels on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smudge Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 Lovely, very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted March 25, 2018 Author Share Posted March 25, 2018 Disaster. After a pause caused by flu I completed the decals, added the remaining small details and cleaned the kit to make it ready for the final (usually) two coats of matt lacquer. I'd been using for many years a water based lacquer spray bought in one of the big hobby market chains. And I had been more or less fully satisfied with it - so far. The first coat took place on Friday evening and I let it dry overnight. The morning inspection revealed the coat was not as uniform as usual and there were also strange yellowish specks in it, sometimes small, sometimes a bit bigger, more like flakes. But the small specks were rather inconspicuous and the bigger flakes could have been removed with a dry brush, and I did so. And here comes the principal mistake. Instead of becoming suspicious and testing the spray (on something it cannot harm in any way), I cleaned the nozzle carefully and went directly for the second coat. Not only was the kit flecked with countless flakes of some kind of ochre coagulate, but the lacquer coat had a distinctive dusty appearance after it dried. Mind you, the spray can was not knew, I used it with my previous kit with usual excellent result, so what could have happed to it in the meantime and especially what happened to it overnight remains a mystery to me. I spent the whole afternoon yesterday in order to find out how to remove the faulty lacquer coat. From the past I knew ethanol works, but the job is extremely tedious. So I tested all the chemistry from my inventory and in the end Agama Hypersol decal setting solution (butyl glycol/ethanol) seems to be the answer. It means now I am in damage control mode, with e.g. the upper wing uninstalled once again, and removing the lacquer step by step, which will took several hours I guess, and several days - I want to preserve my mental health, which - as you may understand - was clearly in big danger yesterday. By pure coincidence I went to said hobby market yesterday with my wife (spring is here, garden calls) and found out "my" lacquer spray was replaced by completely different brand. Bought the replacement out of curiosity, but it is unusable unfortunately. The spray produces very coarse droplets = with the inevitable gravity in action no way it ever covers the complicated kit surfaces evenly. Means I have to find suitable replacement soon. Some tips, guys? Patrik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Masters Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 Please tell us that you will be rigging this wonderful aircraft! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 25, 2018 Share Posted March 25, 2018 After so much work and rework (after lamp impact) it's bad news about your matt coat. I had an equally disastrous matt coat incident at the end of 2017 with Humbrol matt coat. I'm sure their may be better but I've been using Tamiya recently with happy results. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrik Posted May 11, 2018 Author Share Posted May 11, 2018 (edited) Finally out after long gestation. I will be posting the RFI thread very soon here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235038053-blue-rider-172-gloster-mars-x-nightjar/ First I removed carefully the wrong lacquer layer with the Hypersol solution. Took some time, as - given the disastrous history - I proceeded in fact rather slowly, holding my breath each time I took the kit in my hands. Inevitably I broke off many small details in the process (not counting the upper wing that I detached quite consciously). I also lost all the wing roundels and had to order new ones (Xtradecal X72111), because I run out of my ancient stock of Aeroclub 60" size. Fortunately the fuselage stripes and tail serials (both original from the kit) survived the treatment without damage. Then it was all about re-assembly, re-painting, re-detailing - in principal repetition of quite a few steps described above, some of them for the third time. After some research and testing I decided to start using Mr.TopCoat Flat as my new final layer. Really great to work with, creates very nice and homogeneous surface. It reacted quite heavily with the Xtradecal roundels, in the same way the decal setting solutions do. The wrinkles straightened overnight after the first coat, however after almost three days after the second. Rather scary experience, I have to say. It reacted also with the residuals of the original lacquer (probably when not removed completely in a few hardly accessible places), creating some kind of crystalline specks, which were easy to get rid of using the Hypersol once again. In the end I am satisfied with the result, but I am also very happy it is safely in the display case ... Patrik Edited May 11, 2018 by Patrik 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azgaron Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Very nice work! Looking good! Håkan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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