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Foiled Yet Again - F-89C


Ghostbase

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Started this Revell 1/48th F-89C March 2010, returned to it again a year ago, not yet finished - I need a KUTA!

FoiledThree.jpg

Just need to get her finished. Problem is that my modelling standards / aspirations have increased greatly over two years and this build ain't up to it any more. However much of the foiling is good and she was a 'concept' model for me, there is not too much to do area wise but what is left is going to be difficult due to the complex curves involved. What I am going to do is see how much I can get away with using an air brush.

Also aim to complete using Klear to to add the decals onto metal foil, that will be new for me as well.

Michael

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Thank you :)

Well I have moved forward in spraying a coat of Humbrol Metal Cote 'polished aluminium' onto the nose section, the undersides between the engine bays, and the tail boom. I chose Metal Cote because it dries in 30 minutes, it is pretty durable and can be rubbed and masked over, and the finish is close to aluminium foil, it just isn't metallic.

So here is the result:

problemsone.jpg

The main problem here is masking and I knew it was going to be difficult to overcome. Aluminium foil absolutely has to be the last 'coating' to be applied to the model, all other painting must be completed first. Did I do that two years ago? Nope!

A far as possible I tried to use the adhesive strip cut off of post-it notes. These actually worked well on the straight lines of the between engine bay underneath. The problem with post-it notes is that they don't stick very well on curved surfaces (that's most of the F-89 by the way!) and have to be beefed up with some other tape. In the end I used Scotch 1/8th inch Artists Tape for Curves and hoped that it would not damage the foil.

Not a chance:

problemstwo.jpg

Despite my best efforts the tape has pulled a strip of foil off the tail boom.

This also can happen:

problemsthree.jpg

What has happened here is that the tape has pulled the foil off the model surface and although it is still intact this gives it a bubbled appearance. This could be rubbed back down but it would still have a visible spider web pattern. Both these strips need cutting off with a sharp knife and re-foiling.

The nose went a little bit better:

problemsfour.jpg

I managed to get the post-it note strip to stick by taking a template of the curve using a piece of foil, then cutting the post-it to the exact same shape. It has masked the foil nicely and I can add a couple more strips of foil up to the Metal-Cote.

Overall I am not too upset, at least it is moving forward and I think she will look good with decals on her :)

Michael

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A busy day ...

Morefoiled.jpg

Have repaired the torn foil strips on the tail boom. Have foiled the major part of the nose, left the cannon access panel and cannon fairings in Metal Cote polished aluminium.

Started to add decals onto wing tanks, tail fin and boom, gun access panels.

First time for me, have used precious Klear as a decal setting agent on the metal foil surfaces. Looking ok so far although the kit windshield anti-dazzle panels look like tarpaulins, will wait and see if they settle down. The kit decals are like cellophane, you could use them as the window on a box of sandwiches!!

Slowly getting there :)

Michael

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Just waited a while for the Klear to set and hoping that some of the decals will settle down. Unfortunately not all did, this is the kit anti-dazzle panel decal which I added on a whim and now I need to un-whim it :D

klear01.jpg

Same problem with the drop tanks, as I commented above the decals are like cellophane and they have distorted here as well. Problem is I don't have anything else to replace them with so going to be the best of a bad job, not sure if there is anything more I can do:

klear03.jpg

I used a different decal source for the USAF and star-and-bar and they have gone on a lot better. I guess I could have helped by trimming the carrier film as closely as possible:

klear04.jpg

Oh well, it is all learning, first time I have done decals in Klear and also on foil so I am still positive.

But a question though; how can I remove the black anti-dazzle panel decal, bearing in mind some of it overlaps onto easily lifted foil? If I soaked it locally with water would the decal lift off again?

Thanks

Michael

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  • 2 weeks later...

Another update, have moved into the putting-all-the-major-pieces-together phase; this is one of the things I like doing, seeing it all start to come together like this.

MajorJoined.jpg

I was left with a dilemma after applying some of the decals, to remove them or keep going. Not a lot of aftermarket for the F-89C so have decided to keep going, she isn't a show model, she is a testbed :D (that's my excuse!)

Perhaps the photo does not show it but this bird is huge! Wing tip to tip is over a foot and she is about the same length, add the very large flat wing area and you can start to appreciate that the Northrop F-89 Scorpion was a true missile truck, very well designed for her mission ie hacking down formations of Soviet bombers over the frozen wastelands of the North.

The problems with the decals is not quite so evident and the natural metal finish generally seems to work. The wings attached well, I have not used any filler, they are not perfect but they do for what I want. That USAF decal on the wing looks a bit tatty :(

MajorJoinedTwo.jpg

So, next steps: complete the decals, tidy up a couple of foil patches, then apply the undercarriage parts and complete the cockpit and attach the canopy. Not sure whether to play safe and paint the canopy or whether to apply foil to that as well. It is a bit high risk as I only have one canopy! I might give it a go...

Michael

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Still plugging away...

Added more decals, added a good few of the undercarriage legs and doors, also the exhaust cans and shrouds, couple of final foil patches as well as a few more decals.

F-89C12Feb12one.jpg

A closer view of the nose and front fuselage. Still cannot get the decals right, the black band with stars on the nose broke in three places and does not meet underneath. Others have already fallen off! Seems that Klear is a must, I tried to avoid it so as not to stain the foil. Learning point for next time - aftermarket decals!

F-89C12Feb12three.jpg

The exhaust cans and shrouds, also the metallic fuselage. This photo does not really flatter it.

F-89C12Feb12two.jpg

Now to get the wheels done, seats in the cockpit, and the canopy either painted or foiled.

Michael

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How to foil a canopy?

In photos, starting with the clear canopy and how it sits on a canopy frame which has been painted in Metalcote polished aluminium. This makes life easy because I only have to add the overhead canopy frames, not the horizontals:

Canopyone.jpg

Take a piece of prepared foil and cut a strip approximately double the size of the area to be covered. Carefully wrap around the area to be foiled and press so the surface detail shows through:

Canopytwo.jpg

When this is done remove the foil, you will see the imprint of the canopy rail:

Canopythree.jpg

I use a technical drawing template to try and find the correct curve, then cut the foil using an exacto knife, very very carefully...

and fail!! The knife blade caught the foil and it tore :angry:

Canopyfour.jpg

Well try the same sequence again and success :smartass:

Canopyfive.jpg

Next part to come...

Michael

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Had a day off work today and getting very close to finishing, I have to be finished in 8 days!

Assembled the cockpit, added canopy frame, then clear canopy on to frame. Add air scoops to rear fuselage.

Two problems:

1) The kit decals have no adhesion whatsoever, that rear fuselage black/white band is already lifting off :angry:

2) The tail assembly has come loose and tips from side to side. This is mainly due to cementing onto foil covered plastic, it don't stick!

Almosttwo.jpg

The underside is sort of good and bad! The good is that the metal foil effect is very clear in this photo :yahoo:

Almostone.jpg

The bad is the placement of several decals expecially the forward fuselage and the wing tank. The red warning stripe decal is already lifting. The geometry of the main gear is a bit wonky!

In fact not too much to do now. I just want her finished!

Michael

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Looking good Michael, have you used any softener on the decals? I used some on my foiled P-51 and it had no detrimental effect on the foil.

Thanks Mish, these decals are a challenge to say the least! They literally have the consistency of thick cellophane and when I applied the wing-tank decals using Humbrol Decalfix they still crumpled up with severe creases on what were flat surfaces. They shouldn't do that!

I was intending to apply Klear to the lifted decals with a fine brush, apply to the underside and reapply to the foil.

Michael

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Finished!!!! :yahoo:

finished.jpg

Has taken over two years, was only to see if I could foil a model again, the end result isn't too shabby as long as I stay over three foot away :winkgrin:

In the end I tried reapplying the decals that had lifted with Klear and brushed the rest as well and that seems to have done the trick. I managed to remove the wrinkled 'USAF' decal on the top wing and replace it with a better one, all I did was soak it with several washes of water and it could be peeled away.

Added all the irritating little bits this morning, I am not a detail person. Already one gear panel has come off and the tail fin has come loose, this is a problem with foil as a surface, nothing really sticks to it.

So, learned a lot, will be starting something else in foil soon.

Thanks for the KUTA and encouragement - it works and is appreciated.

Michael

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  • 3 weeks later...
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