glueman

Hi oldmodeler, I might be interested in your Luna Models Discovery. Do you have any photos that you could send? Thanks Pete

Hi oileanach, Thank you!!!!!! I did almost exactly what you have described ... I put it away for a while ... got it out ... did some tinkering ... and then went back to the model again. I've straightened out the nozzles ... they look much better now ... and have removed all the white metal flash from the parts. I did discover another issue ... the size of the engine module is out of proportion to the rest of the ship. It is too long when compared to the length of the model and has the wrong shape especially at the rear. I'll probably cut it down to size and re-shape it so that it looks approximately right. In the meantime, I've thought about how to attach the nozzles to the engine body (with pins) and how to drill holes in the command and engine modules for the brass tube that forms the spine. That's the bit I like ... solving mini problems. Yeah, getting my Mojo back ... Cheers Pete

Well ... this is turning into a bit of a nightmare ... Very poor casting of metal parts, lots of flash especially on the storage modules along the spine. Very poor resin parts with lots of bubbles and holes Command module with split along centre line Engine module wrong shape especially at the rear end. Engine nozzles too wide to fit correctly at the rear of the engine the list goes on ... I'm half tempted to scratch build a new engine module ... but I don't have much free time at the moment. Might just build it straight from the box, do the best that I can. After all, it will only be about 12 inches long when completed so can't expect too much. Shame it is such a crappy model ... it wasn't cheap. What would you do in these circumstances? A rather unhappy Pete

Hi Chris, Many thanks for the link. Wow, what a fantastic build. Love the little Ape-man. Thanks for the heads up about the spine-engine and spine-command module connection. When I read through the instructions my first thought was ... that's never going to hold even with super glue. I think I've got a steel or brass rod somewhere in my bitty box. Yes my thoughts exactly Hunter Rose ... I rather like a challenge when undertaking a build. Cheers Pete

Yeah ... it's pretty bad in places. Just about every white metal piece needs some tidying up. Some are worse than others. The command module (resin) has some pretty nasty seam lines. The front windows are a real mess Lots to do. It'll keep me busy and off the streets. Cheers Pere

Hello everyone, Here is my next project ... building the USS Discovery from 2001 A Space Odyssey. The kit is a mixed resin and white metal kit by Pahser (although on the box it says Made by Reshape). I've never heard of this make before. Has anyone come across Pahser kits before? When built the Discovery should be about 12 inches long. On the instructions, the scale is stated as 1/550 ... which would make the real Discovery 550 feet long (some estimates put the length at 700 feet so it's in the same ball park). Can't really expect too much fine detail on a kit of this scale. There is some good detail on the engine block ... but poor mould lines and resin bubbles, flash etc on the command module. There is a brass tube that forms the back bone of the ship upon which the containers (30 of them) are glued onto supporting rings (30 rings). Again a bit of white metal flash here and there but nothing too serious. The engine nozzles have good detail although one has a bit of a dent at the end (see photo). I should be able to straighten that out a bit. The radio antennae lacks detail ... but as it is less than 1cm in diameter it is to be expected. I'm sure I can add a bit of extra detail here and there. Thanks for looking

The postman delivered this today .... going to be an interesting build

Hi everyone, Has anyone built one of these white metal and resin kits? Any hints, tips ... things to look out for?? Thanks Pete

Thanks for your comment. Yes there has been some minor progress mainly tidying up flash from the resin parts and trying to remove excess glue from the framework. Slow and delicate job. It doesn't help when that four-letter word (work) gets in the way ... argh. Hopefully, it won't be too long before I start the paint work. Pete

Hi everyone, A while ago I used to think that painting a model plane simply involved applying one or two coats of paint. After reading lots of threads and watching countless videos it appears to be a lot more involved ... but I'm still confused about a few points (highlighted by bold italic text). This is what I think is involved (painting a military jet): i) Use primer to highlight any blemishes etc that should then be removed. ii) Pre-shade panel lines (should this be done with matt black or gloss black?) iii) Paint in the required colours ... not too thick otherwise the pre-shading will be hidden iv) Apply gloss varnish overcoat ... apply decals (is this because decals are easier to apply on a gloss overcoat?) v) Apply wash ... then remove with thinner (again I'm assuming this is easier on a gloss overcoat) vi) Apply final Satin coat viii) Stand back and admire a job well done. Have I got this general workflow correct or am I missing a step? Many thanks Pete

Thank you. I think I had more time on my hands in those days ... just can't get a free evening to work on the latest build ... argh Pete

It has been almost two years since I last posted on this build thread. Sorry .... hang my head in shame ... Hopefully no one was holding their breath all this time. I do have a good excuse ... I got way-laid building a Viking Lander ... which in turn got way-laid as I started building a Space Station. Does anyone have the same problem? Back at the Vulcan ... I've finally taken the plunge and decided to reshape the nose so that it conforms to the current version of XH558. So ... I bought a new 1/72 scale refuelling probe from Master and took a hacksaw and file to the thimble (terrain following radar). The new probe looks really good. Original kit before surgery ... going ... going ... going Gone ... Bit of reshaping ... nice and easy ... and I'm left with a new nose. Just need to drill out a small hole for the new probe. Looking good so far. Hopefully you won't have to wait for another two years for the next instalment. Thank you for looking.

OMG ... just seen that the last post on this Viking build was in 2014 ... argh!!! Sorry for the lack of progress ... I've been distracted building a space station. Remember at the very start of this thread I mentioned I was building the Viking lander again after building one 40 years ago. That original model has gone somewhere ... not sure where. The good news is that at the weekend I found some old 35mm negatives with photos of the original Viking model. Here they are ... I think I did a good job. Please excuse the typical 1970s curtain design ... using a plain background never occurred to me in those days ... I was a teenager after all. Did I do all that detail??? Photo slight out of focus. I hope my new attempt will be as good as this one.

Thank you How to display the Space Station? That is a very good question ... I've not thought that far ahead Pete

Thank you Will I had the exact same idea about the lighting. Just need to figure out a few things and then take some photos. Cheers Pete

Thank you everyone for your kind comments. Yes, I'm very pleased with the progress thus far. Bit tricky at times to all the small PE parts ... slow and steady is way with this kit. Next step ... painting. Cheers Pete

Drum roll ....... After adding over 200 pieces of photoetch ... the construction of the Space Station is finally finished. Phew, time for a long lie down in a dark room. Just a few bits of tidying up to do then she will be ready for a coat of paint. I plan to spray an grey undercoat followed by Satin White top coat. The framework on the unfinished ring is going to be in a Brick Red colour. I prefer Brick Red rather than the garish bright orange as suggested in the build notes. Thanks for looking

Many thanks Paul. 2001 is my favourite film too. Not seen it 25 times ... but I'm working on it. I remember going to see it when it was first released and it just blew me away big style. Total agree about Stanley Kubrick. I'll try not to drop it Cheers

Thank you Hunter Rose and PhantomMajor for your very kind comments. I'm very pleased with the results so far myself ... just hope I don't drop it

Another thrilling instalment of this epic build. At least now I can say that the uncompleted ring of the Space Station is now completed. The last bit to do was to add the PE 'electrical runners' onto the outside of each of the two riggers on each arm ... that's 4 fiddly PE bits to glue in place per arm. The electrical runners are supposed to fit onto two tiny blobs (was going to say nipples) on the inside of each ring segment. However, as I have replaced the original riggers with new parts the alignment is a bit off in places, so I ended up removing the blobs (see lower photo). At this scale it's not that obvious ... i might add a blob of glue to hide any gaps. Ring 1 done ... 16 more PE parts to add to the other ring. Getting there albeit rather slowly.

After 74 individual PE parts making up the framework of the ring, I'm pleased to announce that the uncompleted ring of the space station is now ... completed. I've still got a bit of tidying up to do (removing excess super glue in other words). Beginning to look the part. Another view ... slightly over exposed ... sorry. Next job was to attach the small radiator fins that are located along the connecting core tube between the two rings. There is no mention in the instructions that come with the kit how far apart the fin segments should be. In the build log they suggest a gap of about 2mm between the fins. I was a little confused at first in that there are 7 PE parts but 7 parts don't fit in the allotted space with a 2mm gap between each fin. It then dawned on me that only 6 PE fins are required ... there is 1 fin spare just in case ... do-oh. The photo below shows a 1 cent Euro coin which happens the same diameter as the core. The fins are not spaced precisely ... but you get the idea. Next task was how to evenly space the fins round the core. I ended up using Powerpoint to create a template at the right size which was then glued onto the core. The spacing between the fins is 2.5mm. Using the template made the process of attaching the fins so much easier. Still got lots more PE parts to add (at the base of the arms that connect the hub to the uncompleted ring). As I add more and more PE, the model is getting more and more delicate with bits of PE sticking out all over the place. If I can get to the finish without dropping the model or breaking any bits ... then I'll be happy. Haven't thought about painting yet Thanks for looking.

Yeah ... the glass is half full ... or should that be ... the ring is half finished Only two more quadrants to do. This time round the process of constructing the framework went a bit quicker than with the first quadrant. I have learned a few tricks and have sussed out how to hold the rails in place whilst the glue dries (see second photo). Next stop ... quadrant C. Thanks for looking in on the build. Close up of the rails. I'm using a scalpel blade to apply point pressure to the rail whilst the super glue dries. Just need to hold in place for a minute or two. The tweezers provide leverage to hold the rails in place in each frame.

Made some good progress with the build ... one quadrant of open framework is finished ... yeah, time to open some bubbly One down ... three more to go. The photo below is an oblique view of the framework with the penultimate rail in place. The blades provide a bit of weight and leverage to hold the outer rail in place The finished quadrant You might be able to see some excess blobs of glue at the frame-rail joins. My plan is to gently remove as much surplus as I can ... without braking anything. Admiring the finished the quadrant ... as one does ... I noticed there was something a bit odd. If you look at the photo of the kit, at the ring segment marked A at the top of the image you'll see a frame (going anti-clockwise) set about 5mm to the left of the resin segment. However, on the plan (lower image) the first frame going anticlockwise from the top ring segment should be right up against the ring segment. The opposite occurs at the other end of the quadrant (bottom left of image). The first frame going clockwise from the resin segment (A) is right up against the ring segment in the build but about 5mm away in the plan. Couldn't figure out what was wrong as the rails and frames are in their correct location. Was beginning to bug me ... a lot :( After a while I discovered that I had made a mistake way back in time when assembling the separate resin segments on the arms. When I glued the resin segments together I used the shape of the edge of the resin segment (where it goes from smooth outer surface to inner ribbed surface) and the relative position of the windows (small squares) on each segment to make sure I was pairing up the correct resin segments and that they were all facing the correct way ... facing towards the front of the hub ... the front being the docking port What I didn't realise is that the back side of one resin segment marked A has the same relative position of windows and shape of edge as the front side of the opposite resin segment marked A. In other words ... the sides of the resin segments marked A you see in the photos are facing the wrong way ... they should be facing backwards towards the other completed ring. So if you take the bottom left resin segment (marked A) and flip it over so it's back side now faces to the front you have a longer resin segment in the location at the top of the image and therefore will be closer to the first frame. Of course ... and with hindsight ... I could have used a ruler to check that I had the correct length of resin segment in the correct location. What a lad eh :( If I don't say anything, do you think any one will notice? dd

Hope everyone had a lovely time over the Easter holiday. I've been a busy bee ... Started work on the second, uncompleted ring of the Space Station. This part of the build has involved lots of preparing, lots of dry fitting, lots of removing excess resin flash, lots of cutting PE ... and comparatively little actual gluing. The first part of the build was to set up a template to help with the alignment of the ring segments. The correct alignment of the segments is critical as they effect how the framework of rails is positioned around the hub. I prepared a template consisting of a series of concentric circles. I then pinned the hub and arm assembly onto the template. Using the circles as a guide I dry-fitted each ring segment at the end of each arm. As the fit is not perfect I had to dry-fit - sand resin - dry-fit several times in order to get the proper alignment. Once I was happy ... hmmm ... I glued the segments in place. The photo below shows a dry-fit of two ring segments. Note the excess resin 'flash' along the segment. There was plenty of this resin flash to remove I'm at the stage now where I'm fitting the long, curved longeron rails to the segments. Actually ... I'm at the stage where I'm dry-fitting the rails. I had thought that adding the gussets at the end of each arm was tricky ... the build has just gone up several big jumps in trickiness. I'm spending a lot ... lot more time just thinking about how to do things and trying out different ideas. I'm only showing two rails in the photos. On each quadrant there are 6 longeron rails (that attach to the ends of each segment) and 2 partial rails. There are between 7 and 8 frames per quadrant. In the build notes that I'm following, the authors suggest adding the rails in a specific order. I think I'm doing it the correct order ... build the basic box shape first then add the two upper outermost rails then the lower partial rails. Just need to try it out first and get it all clear in my head before squeezing out the glue. They also suggest threading the frames onto the rails beforehand. The first thing to realise is that the alignment of the longeron rails and frames is 3-dimensional. Not only do the rails have to be aligned in a horizontal plane with respect to the ring segments (and also follow the curve of the ring segments) but each frame that slides onto the rails has to be aligned both vertically with respect to the segments and also with respect to the central hub. Each longeron rail has a series of very small notches that also have to be aligned from one rail to the next (the notches are where the frames are attached). I found that the only way I could work on this part of the build was to pin down the hub and ring segments onto a board and to try and figure out a way of supporting the rails and frames whilst making sure the frame alignment was correct. One key observation ... the location of the frames on the rails are symmetrical in that the location of a frame in one quadrant of the ring is in-line with a frame on the opposite quadrant. That makes perfect sense as they wouldn't build a non-symmetrical open framework that is spinning Sorry ... I digress. To help with the alignment of the frames, I ended up mapping out the location of each frame onto my template and drawing a straight line from the frame location (on one quadrant) across the centre point of the circle to the frame location on the opposite quadrant. Detailed view of the frames, looking straight down onto the middle frame, which has been pushed out of alignment a bit. If you look at the upper most longeron rail you'll see a very small notch cut into the rail. These notches have to be aligned with respect to the hub as they are the locations where each frame is attached. Next step ... is to figure out a way of applying super glue to the ring segments in order to attach the rails without disturbing the alignment ... to apply tiny blobs of super glue to the rails to attach each frame onto the rails. Getting there ... albeit very slowly.

Thanks Jason, Do I have lots of quid ... nope .... poor as a very poor church mouse. Lots of desire ... I wish ... Lots of free time to learn something new ... argh ... Maybe when I retire Thanks again. Pete