Nigel Heath Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Blimey g-usa, as hendie says - I feel your pain. That all seems a bit drastic but I guess the engine was always fairly sacrificial. Good look with the gaps and the clean up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 It occurred to me as I built mine that a coat of paint was enough to cause misalignments in the fit at later points in the construction. I'd have liked to experiment and see if it fitted better in bare plastic, but its a bit too expensive a kit to do several builds on 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 I too feel your pain George, but remember you are making it easier for those of us who havn't started yet, by deliberately getting it wrong ( it is deliberate isn't it?) so that we don't fall into the same traps. Seriously though I commend your perseverance, it was obviously designed to be displayed with cowlings off.I think I would have put it on the 'resting' shelf by now. Keep going John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonD Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Pete and Gordon, I'm sorry, I've only heard this word since growing up when helping my father and he would ask for a dumaflache (correct spelling I just found out) to adjust this thingy here. Then he would get mad at me for not understanding what tool he wanted to adjust whatever he wanted to adjust! And Pete, I would never make up a word; might turn a phrase if possible, but never make up a word. Now I get it! It's a sort of cross between a thingummyjig and a whatchamacallit! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyGibbon Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Hello....following this thread as I have bought 2 of these kits and have put off starting until Now.....must admit it's a bit daunting and seeing the problems you are having I'm glad I have.....I also bought the how to build book which might be off great help but it states in the book that this kit was never designed to have the panels fitted on the finished model although they do just that at the end of the book(after removing a lot of the engine parts) the guy says even he had gaps around the panels......Thanks for posting this I'm sure you will save a lot of modellers a lot of grief...Have also been a builder in the past of most of the Airfix 1/24 kits and if memory serves me all of them have fit issues around the engine....Kevin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 if memory serves me all of them have fit issues around the engine....Kevin I guess this is because they're moulded at a scale thickness of about 9" 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybookcase Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 I guess this is because they're moulded at a scale thickness of about 9" One word. Dremel. BB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Now I get it! It's a sort of cross between a thingummyjig and a whatchamacallit! Precisely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Looks like a birrova problem there George - I'm sure you'll manage to get it sorted though... Have faith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Mike, Love it when you and Pete make me search the internet for words I have never heard of. In addition to discovering the meaning of "birrova", I also got to listen to The Knackers "She's a Birrova Tramp", a very retro sounding tune reminiscent of the 60s. Thanks for the encouraging words. Hello....following this thread as I have bought 2 of these kits and have put off starting until Now.....must admit it's a bit daunting and seeing the problems you are having I'm glad I have.....I also bought the how to build book which might be off great help but it states in the book that this kit was never designed to have the panels fitted on the finished model although they do just that at the end of the book(after removing a lot of the engine parts) the guy says even he had gaps around the panels......Thanks for posting this I'm sure you will save a lot of modellers a lot of grief...Have also been a builder in the past of most of the Airfix 1/24 kits and if memory serves me all of them have fit issues around the engine....Kevin Kevin, I was contemplating buying this book just to see how they tackled the closed up version or if they even addressed it. Sounds like you saved me some money Although it is heartening to know that this is just not a problem of my own doing; probably exacerbated it, but didn't at least entirely create it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FunkyGibbon Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Hi George.....I just need to qualify something I got wrong in my post ,the books chapter called closing up says kit was designed for engine to be exposed or closed up but the panels could not be removed and replaced ,so I guess either one or the other ,and the closed up version needed to have lots of parts on top and sides of the engine removed or left off and as I say the guy who built the finished kit says he had to fill up panel gaps with white Miliput so I think the problems you are having are probably going to affect anyone who wants to close up the engine...Thanks Again for posting this as I say I think a lot of modellers will have reason to be grateful to you for it,.........all the best with the build...Kevin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Hi George.....I just need to qualify something I got wrong in my post ,the books chapter called closing up says kit was designed for engine to be exposed or closed up but the panels could not be removed and replaced ,so I guess either one or the other ,and the closed up version needed to have lots of parts on top and sides of the engine removed or left off and as I say the guy who built the finished kit says he had to fill up panel gaps with white Miliput so I think the problems you are having are probably going to affect anyone who wants to close up the engine...Thanks Again for posting this as I say I think a lot of modellers will have reason to be grateful to you for it,.........all the best with the build...Kevin Kevin, Thank you for your kind words. Since Milliput is my new friend, I had already decided on using this to close up the gaps. That is what is on tap for this weekend. Just what I wanted, another weekend spent filling and sanding. Did I mention how much I detest sanding and filling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Come on, its therapeutic and a (slightly) good cardiovascular workout. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 Sand and fill update; well mini-update, maybe just a smidgen update? I did want anyone to think I have given up on this kit. I have been distracted trying to get rid of some shelf of doom kits thinking if I forced myself to work on those and get them completed the arduous task of cleaning up the engine panel section would not seem so arduous. And, lo and behold, it doesn’t seem as bad now. I began the process by tackling the wing roots. There is a really nasty step on the port wing that needs to be taken care of prior to filling the equally nasty gaps around the engine panels. There is a smaller step on the starboard wing but a larger gap. After breaking out files, sanding wedges and carefully contrived cursing, the step has gone away. What is taking so long is trying to be very careful and protect as much of the rivet detail as possible. I have also applied a layer of superglue in some of the gaps to help fill them. The next step after eliminating all the plastic steps will be filling the seams with some Milliput. I think this will work best as I can protect the rivet detail with tape and then shape the Milliput with some modeling tools for clay and water. At least that is my half-baked plan for now. A somewhat better and more comprehensive update will be following at the end of the week. As always, all comments are welcome. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 I would use plastic card in those straight gaps. Easier to level out than milliput. So less chance of losing the surface detail. Then again, I still don't like those 'rivets'. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 Good idea Pete! I thank you for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infofrog Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 George when you going start that clear plastic air plane ? I waiting to see that one start . Rick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybookcase Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Stick with it George, it'll be worth it. BB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted November 12, 2014 Share Posted November 12, 2014 Sir, you are a better man than I to attempt that beast 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted November 12, 2014 Author Share Posted November 12, 2014 Sir, you are a better man than I to attempt that beast I kinda doubt that. Sometimes a person is just too stupid to give up. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 George when you going start that clear plastic air plane ? I waiting to see that one start . Rick It is a 1/32 Revell P-51, phantom edition. It is on my shelf of doom list to finish. It is a bit down on the list as being clear, I am working out what detail I want to add and what I don't want to add. The Mustang III should be finished either tonight or tomorrow, then I have a 1/32 P-47 that has to be completed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Great work g-usa, I can fully appreciate your concerns about eliminating the surface detail - it would frankly scare the jezubusies (spell check failure there) out of me to try to clean up that filler and not lose any of the detailing. Good luck with it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Can I ask what might appear to be a stupid question? Why are you using superglue to assemble the kit rather than plastic cement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgeusa Posted November 17, 2014 Author Share Posted November 17, 2014 Can I ask what might appear to be a stupid question? Why are you using superglue to assemble the kit rather than plastic cement? Depending on what I am doing and whether or not I want an instant bond I will alternate between superglue and plastic cement. I think the reference you are referring to is me using superglue to help fill some of the joints. Again, depending on where the joint is, depth and width of the crack, I use filer, milliput or superglue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted November 17, 2014 Share Posted November 17, 2014 Ahhh okay it just appeared in your descriptions that you were using superglue in the assembly of the various pieces. Personally I hate superglue, it either binds instantly when you don't want it to or takes forever to bind when you want it to bind instantly (DH2 rigging, I'm looking at YOU!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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