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Bandsaw Steve

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Posts posted by Bandsaw Steve

  1. An earlier-than-expected posting this time.  Just a quick update on the arrival of the decals for this project. I placed an order with Hannants a bit over a week ago and they arrived today. Well done Hannants - very quick service and very well-wrapped both waterproof and rigid.

     

    So now I am committed; this is going to be a Korean War Mig15 in natural metal finish, flown by a Russian pilot.

     

    IMG_3810

     

    These decals are produced by 'H models' and I must say they look superb in all regards - I am really looking forward to getting this project to the point where I can apply these.

     

    IMG_3813

     

     

     

    IMG_3812

    This is the selected aircraft - flown by Captain Sergei Kramarenko a Russian ace in WW2 and a highly regarded squadron commander in Korea.

     

     

    Here is his autobiography. I love the title - 'Air Combat Over the Eastern Front and Korea' - typically Russian; factual, no-nonsense, to the point!  It's a great book, giving the reader a glimpse into the mindsets and tactics that allowed some pilots to survive and operate with confidence in an environment where the possibility of death was so close at all times. It also highlights that fact that by the end of WW2 and throughout the Korean War the Russian pilots were of the opinion (rightly or wrongly) that their aircraft were second to none.

    IMG_3818

     

    When I saw that one of Sergei's jets was an option on this decal sheet I felt a renewed Sergei of enthusiasm for the project and ordered the set straight away!

     

    OK, that's it for now - I'm actually going to go and do some work on this project  rather than just sitting here writing very bad puns.  As I stated at the end of the last update, I am working on what I think might be a new technique for surface detailing (it's new to me anyway) so stay-tuned because if it works I might get very excited in the next post!

     

    Best Regards,

    Reconcilor

     

     

     

    • Like 3
  2. Hello Roadrunner,

    This looks great! Will be following from now on. 😀

    Just one question; you made the fuselage from '1mm laminated plastcard block' but how exactly? Did you sandwich dozens of 1mm profiles together? Or use a 'planking technique? I presume from the text you didn't vacform. Only ask because I mess about wihh scratchbuilding myself and can learn something from this. 

  3. 4 minutes ago, Vanroon said:

    Tickle

    Hi Van Roon.  Had to do a test posting before I started writing my latest 'masterpiece' as for some reason the 'reply to topic' function on the current page (bottom of page 3) was not responding when I clicked on it. I had to write the post on 'page two'. Wanted to check that the new post would go to the right spot in the thread, which it did so no harm done😀 Perhaps one of our esteemed 'mods' could throw some light on this slightly odd behaviour on page 3.  (Oh Errr, sounds a bit rude!) 

  4. Hello,

     

    Time for another look at this project. Sorry that it's been such a long time since the last posting, I might be able to get back on track a bit better now.

     

    Now before I start, I have been looking back through my previous posts and have noted that they appear to be becoming more and more of a 'tutorial' or something. Too often they are reading like me trying to 'teach you all something that you had better damned well learn!'.  For this I apologise - I think that writing as if I'm teaching is just an easy way of covering the material. I say it again - I have no claim to serious expertise in this field and am largely just fumbling through the process and passing on what I find out - nothing will prove that better than this post.

     

    Panel line etching.

     

    I've been dreading this - because I never really this got this sorted when I was a kid and my results were always a bit hit and miss.  So this post is all about experimenting.

     

    Here are the different tools I have tried out on this task.

     

    IMG_3781

     

    As I have two young daughters I am hoping that word gets out to the local male populous that I have hobbies that involve skilled use of sharp implements...

     

    Anyhow - a quick summary of each tool

     

    THE PEN - a 0.5mm sharp tip biro.  The thought here was that I could etch the panel line just by drawing over the pencil mark-up with this pen - press hard - leave a groove - viola.  I don't think it worked too well as the groove left in the plywood seemed to soften and 'self heal' over time and a pen isn't hard enough to leave a dent in Jarrah.

     

    THE OLFA CUTTER - absolutely useless when using it as 'pull tool' as you would drawing a thin twisting thread of  plastic - the wood fibres just tear and rip out -  but not too bad when pushing away (using the thing 'backwards' as it were). It tends to leave a fairly thick 'trench' though - so perhaps best for control surface outlines?

     

     

    IMG_3539

     

     

     

    THE CHISELS - Surprisingly easy to control and practical - and great fun to watch the alarmed look on your model building buddie's face when he sees it the first time. Thanks Wayne - I was genuinely touched by your misplaced concern! The chisel can either be used as a cutting implement by dragging the cutting edge along the panel line, or just pressed in to make a single short slot or it can be 'rocked' so that lines running (let's say) around the fuselage can be cut evenly. 

     

    IMG_3600

     

    THE SCALPEL / No11 blade - Not bad. Use a fresh blade with a sharp tip -  it will cut a fine single slot and promises a tidy line (it's also cheap and readily available) but do note that the blade will wander and requires careful guidance and control. Use a straight edge or dymo tape to guide it and start with very gentle cuts until the cut itself starts to guide the blade.

     

    IMG_3555

      I think it's the best tool for cutting panel lines with tight curves such as the one the fuselage panel lines just ahead of the tail fin.

     

    IMG_3544

     

    THE PIN - Really good - especially for starting lines off when other tools might wander - I cut a lot of these lines using dymo tape as a guide, a pin to start the slot and then finish with a scalpel. That combination worked quite well.

     

    THE CRAFT KNIFE REFILL BLADE - Really good especially because it can be broken into different lengths to quite closely match the scale of the cut that you want to make. Use it like a small (slightly awkward) razor blade (see below).

     

    THE RAZOR BLADE - The best tool I have found for this work! Very hard to find now in this world of disposable cassette razors. I found mine in a hardware store in use as a blade for a 'scaper' tool.

     

    IMG_3783

     

    This tool has many advantages. It's about the right size for easy handling. it's razor sharp (geddit? 'razor sharp!' ha ha!) and it makes a beautiful clean cut. It is also to a degree 'self guiding'.  Here I'm using the razor blade to cut a panel at the base of the tail. I'm not using dymo tape, or any other guide since the blade is long and skinny and can only slide forward and backward along it's own 'long axis' - that's what I mean by 'self guiding' it can really only cut a straight line parallel to it's own original orientation.

    IMG_3787

     

     

    To cut panel lines that wrap around the fuselage or wing etc you easily 'rock this blade back and forth' and make a beautiful even cut. Here's a photo of what I'm on about...

     

    IMG_3790

     

    So - a conclusion?  All of these tools have their 'plusses and minuses' - but had I found the razor blade and the craft knife replacement blades first I don't think I would have experimented quite so much. In future I will start this task with a razor blade, a craft knife blade (as shown) a pin and a scalpel (mostly for use on curves). The rest I will keep in mind.

     

    The other thing I found is that with this job you need to cut the fibres of the wood - not just press them to one side or make a dent - you need to slice the wood - really sharp cutting implements therefore proved the most useful.

     

    IMG_3796

    And here is the result - It doesn't look that different to last time does it!  Which is a bit disappointing because the process is quite time-consuming.

     

    Unfortunately not all of the details on an aircraft's surface are straightforward panel lines. Next post will hopefully see some further surface detail going on. I'm rather excited about this next one because I think I might have come up with something quite original to try out and if it works I will be 'stoked' as they say down here in the land of Oz.

     

    Best Regards,

    Reconcilor...

    • Like 9
  5. 1 hour ago, Poodles said:

     

    sorry sorry sorry I did you're right.....Ill stop immediately  :D

    I don't believe you any more.  Just go on then and carry on building and hair spraying and what-have-you. I'll just lurk in the shadows and pretend I'm not watching.😕

    • Like 1
  6. You promised me you would stop building but no... now it's all 'research into salt weathering and hairspray'...

    You'll probably get good at that stuff also won't you, eh!

    I'm off to find a dark corner somewhere where I can curl-up, dribble and mutter to myself. 😩

    I should have taken up embroidery. 

    • Like 1
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