Procopius Posted May 7, 2014 Author Share Posted May 7, 2014 Stew, Cookie, you two might both enjoy this: it was my avatar on facebook for a time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 That's pure class Spitty's looking all right too Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 8, 2014 Author Share Posted May 8, 2014 Not too much done tonight, primed the wheels with Mr Resin Surfacer, added the exhausts, flew the plane around the room a bit and made cannon noises, and hunted for a spare late-model Spitfire/Seafire tailwheel, as I have absolutely zero confidence in the frail-looking resin one supplied with the kit. Would you believe I'm fresh out? However, I have an AZ Spiteful (which is otherwise underscale) kit to use as bits for the Pegasus Spiteful. Now, the Pegasus tailwheel is crude, and I'm loathe to use it on either kit, but...the AZ Spiteful/Spitfire family are linear descendants of the CMR Spiteful/Spitfires (the AZ stinger hook I have is an exact match of the CMR one), so it looks likely I'll pillage the tailwheel from it in much the same manner as one would despoil a fair maiden, were one the sort to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Vacform canopies suck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 Ouch! What's the story about that one, then. Regards, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 Tried to remove the bare metal foil masking, lifted the paint. Tried to rub the adhesive off the clear part with a cotton bud soaked in IPA -- ran down and fouled the future clear coat. Stomped my foot angrily -- stubbed my toe. Incidentally, I had a spare Special Hobby Seafire 47 hood and windscreen, and as I suspected, those clear parts don't fit closed, they can only be displayed open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 That is a tragedy - this Seafire is looking so good. Are there any other AM canopy options? I'm sure you'll be able to see this through! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 13, 2014 Author Share Posted May 13, 2014 The good news is that I have a spare vacform canopy. The bad news is that my EDSG paint is Pollyscale and doesn't "grip" well, and I think I'm going to have to brush paint this mother. I stink at handpainting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Neu- Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 A trick I often try is to score the surface a bit with sandpaper to create a better adhesion surface for acrylic. Also I've stopped spraying future onto canopy areas. its just not worth the problem of it leaking under the mask. Depending on your paint, you might have to darken it ever so slightly to match the areas that you do future... but I don't worry about it. Then I'll hit it with a flat coat, like alclad afterwards. That should solve your problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomoshenko Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Lovely looking Seafire.That's a pity about the canopy. Can't let that spoil it now though. You'll find a solution I'm sure. Just try and imagine what your Byzantine namesake would do (historical context permitting). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Probably bury it with instructions for future generations to learn all they could from it, going by The Secret Histories. But I'm made of sterner stuff! I just need to sit down and puzzle things out. I'm hoping to get a good crack in tomorrow or Friday night. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 Okay, you know what? The canopy, hand-painted, looks terrible. And I got a Future thumbprint on it, too. But I don't care anymore. Screw this kit. It's done, because I say so. Stupid freakin' vacform canopies. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Looks good to me (I can't see any thumbprint in the gallery pics either) but if it really bothers you, you can always re-visit it with a fresh canopy later on - I think you've made a really good job of it, especially considering the trouble it gave you which probably would have caused a destructive rage in me Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 Thanks, Stew. I think part of it was this build was on the outer limits of my skills, with a bunch of things I'd never done before: resin, a vac canopy, the self-imposed pressure of so many other builds ongoing...but I did save the second vacform canopy, and I think I might work on it later to get a better fit. But for now, done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 I thought I sensed a touch of fatigue ...but I think you have extended the limits of your skill a bit further, and there's just the last few bits of the Sabre and the Meteor left to finish so you can relax a bit now. Cheers, Stew edit: forgot the Meteor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masterqq Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Looking good to me too, I hope my Triumph's Firefly can match yours, which I will be struggle with the crappy canopy too.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby57 Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 I love this Procopius...you really have been burning the midnight oil. I'm saving my vac-form canopies for a decent Sea Fury...or maybe just going to go with the AKI Sea Fury. Personally, I think my experiences with the Trumpeter FB Mk.11 mirror some of the nightmare issues you've dealt with. (Camera out at weekend, show you what I mean) The thing is I've already modified both cockpits and applied a lot of the EDUARD PE so when I eventually bin these blighters...I might rip the cockpits out and see if they'll go into some PM Sea Furies I've just managed to get hold of. Anyway, keep up the good work. Regards, Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 Aw, thanks for all the kind words, gentlemen. I think part of the problem is that I've never been a very methodical person, and a resin kit just requires a little more precision and planning than I usually bring to the table. I just need to figure out how to handle this canopy, or hope someone starts up an aftermarket business making corrected injection molding canopies. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 I think she's lovely. Stick another canopy on her when you've lost the urge to vomit every time you see her and she'll be perfect I think part of the problem is that I've never been a very methodical person, and a resin kit just requires a little more precision and planning than I usually bring to the table. Quixotic model making makes for great entertainment. Chuck in a poetic turn of phrase and its exceptional. Anyroadup methodical is a synonym for slow.......... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 It's actually a really awesome build Procopius (I'm actually in awe of it -so used 'awesome' correctly). Whenever I'm ready to tackle a resin kit (in the far far future) I'll definitely look to this build as inspiration. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mozzy19 Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 It looks great Procopius. I really like it. I share you're hatred of vac form canopies, I can never see where to cut the damn things out!! Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomoshenko Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Good stuff, particularly given the aggravation with the canopy. As pointed out above though you can always come back to it and change the canopy after you've had a break. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 I consider myself a pretty cynical person in general -- I work in marketing, home of the scum of the earth, sir, the mere scum of the earth -- but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't affected by all of this (wholly undeserved praise). It's very kind of all of you to say, and I thank you all. Anyhow, all this has gone to my head, and drunk on praise, I brought in the big guns and ordered some Gunze (which is apparently pronounced "Gunsy" rather than "Guns", as I learned to my embarrassment while on the phone with Red Frog Hobbies today; I'm a reader, not a talker) Extra Dark Sea Grey acrylic, the atomic bomb of acrylics. I've heard mention it's too dark, but I know for a fact that nothing has ever brushed as nicely for me as Gunze, and at this point, that's important. We're going to beat this. What was the order during the fighting in Normandy? "Advance until the gains justify the losses"? Well, let's do it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 It's hard to keep this man down! Can't wait to see how it turns out. I've been pronouncing it "gun-zuh" in my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 Keep telling yourself, Procopius, if Jason "King of the Slow Modellers" can do this kit, so can I. You've done too much nice work on it to let something like a little canopy stop you. Regards, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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