1/72 Jet Provosts - Finished

[Martian]

That pit really looks the business!

Martin

[Fritag]

Is it disturbingly self reverential to quote your own posts? Ah well....

I need to drybrush/wash them to tone them down/get them to stand out a little - but then I can fix the small rear canopy section in place and one step closer to painting.

Done that now. I painted some bands of colours on the O2 hoses to simulate the corrugated hose effect and try and give the area a bit more visual interest. Dunno about you chaps but it's probably trivial little stuff like this - only takes a few minutes - that I like doing - compare it with the photo above.

Rear canopy on:

Glue for the canopies, didn't someone recommendG-S Hypo cement for them recently?

I have a tube (thanks ebay) but I havent used it for that yet, preferring to use proper Formula 560 cockpit glue until now.

It seems quite potent if you can tell by the stink of it

I just use cyano. I haven't (touch wood) had any fogging problems so far - maybe cos of dipping the canopy in Klear. Somehow I can't bring myself to believe in these other glues.......

BTW (1) - why aren't we getting the benefit of seeing thje Catalina build?

BTW (2) - Bill. You're on the wrong side of the JP3/JP5 debate Sorry about that - but you just are I have too many miserable hours in JP3s to entertain your view - however justifiable it may be.......

Speaking of glue tho' - well alright then I mean filler. is there such a thing as a self leveling modelling filler? You get self levelling floor compounds to put down befroe laying tiles or whatever so wot about model filler? On the tail of the JP5 there's a recess above the tail pipe that it's not possible to get into to sand and there's a visible fuselage join line. I was musing what (if anything) to do about it. Finally I decided to squirt some thin cyano in it using a hypo needle - and leave it vertical to dry; thus:

Seems to have worked - but being cyano it was effectively a one-shot effort that might have ended in tears:

Well so far I've offered £80 - declined, £85 - Declined, current offer of £87 being ignored. looks like there are a few UK sellers all seem to be in Portsmouth, All with the same ad, all with the same price. The Sherlock Holmes in me thinks this could be the same seller!!!!!, so with not a lot of competition it looks like I'll have to pay £89. So why offer to negotiate with ebay 'Best offer' option if you wont accept any offers of even 2% discount. Maybe if I try £88.99....

Feel a bit of a fool now. I never noticed any 'best offer' option. ebay novice you see. On the other hand if you end up paying £88.99 or £89 Mark - I shan't feel so bad.

Steve

[Cheshiretaurus]

Feel a bit of a fool now. I never noticed any 'best offer' option. ebay novice you see. On the other hand if you end up paying £88.99 or £89 Mark - I shan't feel so bad.

Offer of £87 was declined in the early hour of the morning so this morning I have ordered it at....ahem £89 from 'YueHong Liu 安徽省 Yang Wei Zhuang #86, Huang Wei Cun, Liu Wei Zhen, Si Xian' who of course is in Portsmouth!

JPs looking excellent my stash of JP5s has recently expanded to 3 planning on doing one of them in raspberry ripple but I dont think they will ever be as good as these pair.

[Fritag]

Offer of £87 was declined in the early hour of the morning so this morning I have ordered it at....ahem £89 from 'YueHong Liu 安徽省 Yang Wei Zhuang #86, Huang Wei Cun, Liu Wei Zhen, Si Xian' who of course is in Portsmouth!

Just looked back at my ebay history - and surprise surprise - that's who and where mine came from. At least it arrived quickly and in one piece and it has worked as advertised (touch wood)

[keefr22]

I just use cyano. I haven't (touch wood) had any fogging problems so far - maybe cos of dipping the canopy in Klear. Somehow I can't bring myself to believe in these other glues.......

Ditto. Bought some Revell 'canopy glue' stuff once, cost nearly a fiver - was horrible, stringy stuff with no adhesive properties to speak of! Maybe it was a duff bottle, but once bitten....

Speaking of glue tho' - well alright then I mean filler. is there such a thing as a self leveling modelling filler?

Nearest thing I've found to that Steve would be the Gunze Mr. Surfacer in jars. Comes in three grades, I tend to use the 500 grade most. Can be applied with a fine brush & will often then dry to make joins like that in the tailpipe invisible. Or if not you can add a bit more & wipe it off with IPA with a Tamiya extra fine pointed cotton bud. However saying that, someone recently put me onto Games Workshop 'liquid green stuff' - this is like a water soluble Mr Surfacer. Again you can apply it with a fine brush & then either clean it off gently with one of those Tamiya buds used damp, or leave it dry & use a slightly wetter cotton bud. Lovely stuff to use & now my weapon of choice for small gaps like that in the jetpipe!

keith

[robvulcan]

I agree with the Mr Surfacer I started using it a few days ago and then had an over excited chuckle of delight to myself. Its brilliant stuff to brush on. Really amazing.

Sands out and feathers beautifully. I am using it to sort out the most awful wing joints on my old FROG Hunter F1 its making it a breeze.

I can also highly recommend deluxe materials perfect liquid putty, That one is water clean up sands easy but drys tough.

I use milliput for the big stuff and I am going to order the other grades of Mr Surfacer I currently have 1000 Grade. It smells amazing.

It sure does have a very high shrink and level ability

Edited April 30, 2014 by robvulcan

[Zone19]

I agree with the Mr Surfacer I started using it a few days ago and then had an over excited chuckle of delight to myself. Its brilliant stuff to brush on. Really amazing.

Sands out and feathers beautifully. I am using it to sort out the most awful wing joints on my old FROG Hunter F1 its making it a breeze.

I use milliput for the big stuff and I am going to order the other grades of Mr Surfacer I currently have 1000 Grade. It smells amazing.

It sure does have a very high shrink and level ability

I've been using all 3...500 (Coarse) 1000 (Medium) and 1200 (Fine) all are excellent, you can even use the 500 for filling, where putty is just too much...Oh and the smell!!! MMMMmmmmm Ohhhh Pink Diamonds in the sky...and look a 2 seater, side by side Spitfire...Ohhh now there is an idea MMmmmm M.E.K.!!!

[Procopius]

I use Mr Surfacer 500 a great deal, but for nooks and crannies on resin kits, you can also use regular Tamiya putty or whatever and smooth it out with acetone, he said, having built all of one resin kit ever.

[Fritag]

I use Mr Surfacer 500 a great deal, but for nooks and crannies on resin kits, you can also use regular Tamiya putty or whatever and smooth it out with acetone, he said, having built all of one resin kit ever.

One hesitates to be pedantic............(not)

But don't you mean "he says, being in the process of building his first resin kit ever" You've not gone and finished the Seafire without telling anyone have you?

[Procopius]

One hesitates to be pedantic............(not)

But don't you mean "he says, being in the process of building his first resin kit ever" You've not gone and finished the Seafire without telling anyone have you?

Ah, I had considered you might raise that objection, being a lawyer and all, but the kit is built*!

* More or less. Props and landing gear hardly count.

[Zone19]

* More or less. Props and landing gear hardly count.

I'm sure many a Pilot would disagree with you LMAO!!!

[Procopius]

Pretend it's a heavily-armed and navalized Grunau Baby.

[perdu]

OK I Give up

BTW (1) - why aren't we getting the benefit of seeing the Catalina build?

BTW (2) - Bill. You're on the wrong side of the JP3/JP5 debate Sorry about that - but you just are I have too many miserable hours in JP3s to entertain your view - however justifiable it may be.......

the fact is that I never intended another blow by blow job (oooer missus), knowing before I started that the Airfix Cat is sadly not quite right in most directions.

I have done a rough interior but not good enough to entertain the troops, some photos are done but I hate bloo.... Photobucket with a vengeance and I cant face faffing about with it.

If you really want to see the awful awfulnessness of it I could begin to populate a space here in WIP but it aint gonna be purty pardner.

I am carrying on with it as an attempt to use salt weathering to push my painting technique-itality further uphill.

And it is languishing on a shelf which may be doomladen, 'cos I buggered up the primer spraying/sagging and paint falling offness and I might be looking to see if it can be salvaged.

This may be a good enough reason to WIP it so I can draw upon the collective, the Borg might be able to save it

As for the JP, what do you expect, when I was a boy the RAF, (much vaunted organ that it was) went for all jet training and I hoped I might get at it some day

And the jet was... you know it JP3

I loved the way it looked like the piston Provost with added whoomph.

(but if you promise not to tell anyone I will admit the JP5 looked even swoopier)

I like them all

[perdu]

And breathe

I love the way you have put the little bits of life into the cockpit too

Having had far too many Superglue canopy moments I haven't had the nerve to risk using 'cyano after a Klear dip', but that back portion looks so good I am going to have a go on the next canopy I do

(refurbed Sea Fury next.. No WIP either, I'm only sanding of the rubbish old decal/transfers and replacing with Almarks decs I picked up at Cosford last month. (50p bargain) So just a respray)

[Cheshiretaurus]

a weak alcohol fuelled £89 ebay transgression might occur for me sometime in the near future.

Well that weak alcohol fuelled £89 ebay transgression arrived this morning, a quick scurry around for something to vacuum found me a lego brick and a sheet of OHP film, fantasic easy results! I'm thinking of making an adaptor so I can use smaller sheets might be something along the lines of 2 aluminium sheets with a smaller window cut out in the middle. IIRC someone else made an adaptor for it so I need to do a search and find out what it was they made.

[Fritag]

Well that weak alcohol fuelled £89 ebay transgression arrived this morning, a quick scurry around for something to vacuum found me a lego brick and a sheet of OHP film, fantasic easy results! I'm thinking of making an adaptor so I can use smaller sheets might be something along the lines of 2 aluminium sheets with a smaller window cut out in the middle. IIRC someone else made an adaptor for it so I need to do a search and find out what it was they made.

It is a good little bit of kit isn't it. I was really pleased with the results. I think you're right that an adaptor would be a good mod - to save wastage on plastic sheet.

I have to say that the combination of learning to do rtv/resin casting (ta Mark) and having this little machine to make easy and reliably decent vac formed parts - feels like it opens up modelling possibilities hugely.

I'm sitting in Manchester Airport typing this. Off walking in Scotland for a few days. But I managed to do a tiny bit more over the last few days - in between frantically trying to get up to speed at work in readiness for a break.

I've nearly finished adding the surface detail to the JP5; here's the underwing airbrake and aileron actuators (in white):

And the top ones:

Started to build the frame behind the bang seats:

Oh - and perhaps I should say that I too am a Mr Surfacer fan:

And jolly useful it wos too in fairing in the rear canopy on the JP3:

And once rubbed down:

It's posed on an old mug I found in the attic - from my BFTS at Chutch Fenton. It was pre-RAF nickname days. Now you can see where the RAF nickname/BM user name came from......no one ever said the RAF was particularly imaginative....

Steve

[Cheshiretaurus]

Modelling skills are really progressing well at a fast pace. When you get to do the Hawk & Jag they are going to be masterpieces. Do you have mugs for the rest of the week too? Used to have a boss called Steve Monday, only another 5 Steves to find.

Edited May 4, 2014 by Cheshiretaurus

[robvulcan]

Hi Fritag. Man.. This build really is something else I am picking up so many ideas and just can't believe the detail work your putting in. Its wonderful. I think it goes to show a great deal of love and passion for your subject which is always great to see. Its obviously more than building a kit and detailing a bit.

I kept thinking He will be painting soon but now I am wondering what is coming next. I hope you do more Provost Builds after this.

I would love to see what you could do with the original early mark Airfix kit. I know shes pretty rare these days though.

Mr Surfacer does rock I just tried it and feel in love with it and ordered a load more.

Keep up the good work.

Cheers Rob

[Martian]

I love the attention you are giving to even the tiniest of details, it is those that are really raising your builds to another level!

Martin

[andy wood]

I hear a lot about Mr Surfacer, be it 500, 1000 etc, but I am not sure how you are supposed to use it. Is it a primer, filler, or what? Can someone point me on the right direction where I can find out how to utilise it?

[keefr22]

I hear a lot about Mr Surfacer, be it 500, 1000 etc, but I am not sure how you are supposed to use it. Is it a primer, filler, or what? Can someone point me on the right direction where I can find out how to utilise it?

Personally I only use the stuff in the small glass jars like those in Steve's photo above. I only use it as a filler, but people also use the stuff in aerosols as a surface primer. Others also thin the stuff in jars with cellulose thinners to spray it through an airbrush as a primer/microfiller - I've never tried that either, as I just prefer using Tamiya or Halfords primer.

As mentioned previously there are three grades with 500 being the thickest, 1000 a medium & 1500 the thinnest. To use it as a primer, I usually use the 500. I apply it with either a cheap paintbrush or cocktail stick to the area needing filling. You can then either let it dry & sand it down with wet n dry like any other filler, or when it's still wet after just being applied you can remove the excess with a cotton bud dampened in isopropyl alcohol. This will often fill a gap perfectly leaving you with no further work to do on it. The finer grades are also good for filling things like fine scratches or surface marks.

Can't help you with using the aerosols of the stuff I'm afraid

HTH (& with apologies to Steve for the thread highjack)

Keith

[perdu]

I think that needed saying Keith, the stuff does my 'yed in

I think I am probably far too impatient but it seems to take ages to get hard enough for sanding and painting

I have had some success with the IPA wipe away method though, so I know it is done.

It's just me that's wrong (So what's new, more than one girl's dad told her/them I was a wrong 'un as I was courting their daughters) Prove them wrong if you can

Steve Friday huh, who'd a guessed (he lied...)

I am enjoying seeing this, the wing actuator sets look great

S'brilliant stuff

Ermacculate

b

Edited May 4, 2014 by perdu

[Fritag]

Thread drift warning. In Inverness right now. Been in this part of the world many times and never realised there was a tiny aviation museum nwxt door to the airport.

I saw this Vulcan rear crew seat Rob and thought of you:

I don't think the bang seat cushion is authentic somehow.

But the thing that amazed me was this:

The nose of a Valiant!

And you can go inside! How cool is that.

I might have sat in the driver's seat for a bit.......

My dad worked on Valiant's during his national service - on 7 squadron. And this Valiant was a 7 squadron one:

Drift over.

Steve

[Col.]

Welcome back to north east Scotland Steve. Well, more north north east I suppose, right enough. Off to enjoy the hills?

[Canberra Fan]

Thread drift warning. In Inverness right now. Been in this part of the world many times and never realised there was a tiny aviation museum nwxt door to the airport.

I saw this Vulcan rear crew seat Rob and thought of you:

I don't think the bang seat cushion is authentic somehow.

But the thing that amazed me was this:

The nose of a Valiant!

And you can go inside! How cool is that.

I might have sat in the driver's seat for a bit.......

My dad worked on Valiant's during his national service - on 7 squadron. And this Valiant was a 7 squadron one:

Drift over.

Steve

Steve,

My dad was on Valiants with 148 Sqn at Marham and despite working on numerous types both before and after, he remains hugely effectionate about the Valiant. Just a thought, how about you turning your skills to making the airfix kit. I can only begin to imagine what a result you could come up with. Maybe a job after the inevitable Hawk and Jag which I'm sure your planning.

Needless to say great job on the JPs!

Regards

Mal

Edited May 5, 2014 by Canberra Fan