Spookytooth Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Peter, it is just amazing work. An inspirational build. Simon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Hi Peter -- Brilliant deduction on filing and polishing of kinks in the skins. I applaud your work of discovery! Question: What do you think about using a hardwood for creating the vac-mold cores? Just a thought... PR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGA Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 Man this is stunning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip1958 Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 On the subject of balsa being too soft when vac-forming, I saw somewhere on this forum where the craftsman, for that is what you guys are, used a Cryo (?) coat over the balsa which when set can be sanded to leave a hard smooth finish. Now I know nothing as I've not built a model for over 30 years so please don't quote me - I think it was very obsessed member - Fozzy in "Total Scratch build of the front end of a B17G!" where I saw that snippet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Ranger Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 (edited) On the subject of balsa being too soft when vac-forming, I saw somewhere on this forum where the craftsman, for that is what you guys are, used a Cryo (?) coat over the balsa which when set can be sanded to leave a hard smooth finish. I believe he was suggesting the use of cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA, or "superglue") as a wood filler. The problem with CA is that you have to sand it immediately after it sets up, else it cures to a rock-hard consistency. Better to use a medium or even hard grade of balsa and a made-for-the-purpose wood grain filler, followed by a primer such as Mr. Surfacer, which is then sanded to a velvet-smooth finish with progressively finer grades of sandpaper. At least that's the way I've made vac-form molds. Peter obviously needs no lessons from me! Edited September 27, 2015 by Space Ranger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philip1958 Posted September 27, 2015 Share Posted September 27, 2015 I believe he was suggesting the use of cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA, or "superglue") as a wood filler. The problem with CA is that you have to sand it immediately after it sets up, else it cures to a rock-hard consistency. Better to use a medium or even hard grade of balsa and a made-for-the-purpose wood grain filler, followed by a primer such as Mr. Surfacer, which is then sanded to a velvet-smooth finish with progressively finer grades of sandpaper. At least that's the way I've made vac-form molds. Peter obviously needs no lessons from me! Yeah - that's wot I meant! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairystick Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 ..otherwise seems ok.. No. It is quite simply not "ok". We are far, far away from "ok" in fact! I think you passed that about 10 miles back! We are in the "superlatives' only" area, and have been for some time now! Cowling looks stunning! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Puff Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 I'm lost for words - stunning just doesn't do the trick! One question, if I may - where do you get your foil? Offset printing seems to have gone the way of the dodo here in Australia, and wherever I ask I'm greeted with blank looks. I'm thinking of using it on a 1:48 DC-3 project I have in mind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Greggs Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 WOW!!!!!!!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F4u Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Wow indeed !! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 I can only repeat what others have said, this is incredible skill and I can't believe the rate at which you've built it, every time I check, there's more progress! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Yep, I had to go to the shop to get a whole new box of WOW's. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fsssh Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 first post - hi, and the model is looking amazing. we used to use cheese cloth to stop perspex vac forms sticking to the tool, and stops the pull lines in clear forms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Knew you'd overcome the cowling problem. Can't think of anything else to say except STUNNING work as USUAL! Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caerbannog Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Legend. Oh please finish it as a Firefighter/Racer with this real NMF you already have. Rene 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 How pathetic I have become...trolling around these pages hoping to catch a glimpse at the next instalment when it comes out! Given that Pete must have a day job and or a life outside of entertaining the likes of me; I decided to do some trolling around in my stash for anything I may have on N7654C. I could have sworn that I have a VERY old magazine from the 70's on the topic of these firebombers -- but alas, I cannot find it. A quick check online did come up with a couple of neat hits though: 1. http://hsfeatures.com/features04/f7f3dwa_1.htm 2. http://www.airliners.net/photo/Grumman-F7F-3-Tigercat/1305685/&sid=198f9742007c6958ec91c2f4729ab473(Photo shown above) Hopefully Airliners.net doesn't spam you too badly if you visit there. I believe they recently sold to a new company -- and have since gone bonkers on providing every manner of advertisement to bugger-up your browser. I thought the HS feature was a good one! An interesting fact on this airframe -- N7654C / E63 (cn C.115) Ex BuNo 80373 now in the National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, Florida. That's just a 6-hour drive for me and a place I have been wanting to visit! (Wonder if I can talk the Mrs. into a trip to the beach?!) Will keep an eye out for details that may help with forthcoming parts of your build Pete... Cheers! PR 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGA Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 That is a nice post Rich. Kept me entertained whilst waiting for Peter to update this build. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Once again words fail me completely. Your determination to push through the nacelle setback is a classic example of not letting the model beat you. Rich! The fire bomber article you mention may be one that was in PAM News in 1978/9 (copy long since lost!) Trevor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted October 1, 2015 Author Share Posted October 1, 2015 evening folks Great stuff Peter, interested in this Litho stuff, would you bring some of this to Telford, so I can have a butchers I sure will Kev - I will be on my stand in Hall 2 and think I might just bring a little demo kit Words fail me. And for a former editor (Squadron/Signal Publications, 2005-2007), that's probably the ultimate compliment. ..I am humbled, thank you, that is a very kind thing to say Hi Peter -- Brilliant deduction on filing and polishing of kinks in the skins. I applaud your work of discovery! Question: What do you think about using a hardwood for creating the vac-mold cores? Just a thought... PR Hi PR - yep I will be trying many new things next time I vacform - this is certainly one of them I'm lost for words - stunning just doesn't do the trick!One question, if I may - where do you get your foil? Offset printing seems to have gone the way of the dodo here in Australia, and wherever I ask I'm greeted with blank looks. I'm thinking of using it on a 1:48 DC-3 project I have in mind. Thank you! I get the foil on ebay UK - every now and then a chap pops up selling some £12 GBP for 10 A4 sheets - he is very good but is not always on there - I just search 'litho plate' first post - hi, and the model is looking amazing. we used to use cheese cloth to stop perspex vac forms sticking to the tool, and stops the pull lines in clear forms. Hi and welcome to Britmodeller! - that is a very interesting tip thank you, I will have to look into that How pathetic I have become...trolling around these pages hoping to catch a glimpse at the next instalment when it comes out! Given that Pete must have a day job and or a life outside of entertaining the likes of me; I decided to do some trolling around in my stash for anything I may have on N7654C. I could have sworn that I have a VERY old magazine from the 70's on the topic of these firebombers -- but alas, I cannot find it. A quick check online did come up with a couple of neat hits though: 1. http://hsfeatures.com/features04/f7f3dwa_1.htm 2. http://www.airliners.net/photo/Grumman-F7F-3-Tigercat/1305685/&sid=198f9742007c6958ec91c2f4729ab473(Photo shown above) Hopefully Airliners.net doesn't spam you too badly if you visit there. I believe they recently sold to a new company -- and have since gone bonkers on providing every manner of advertisement to bugger-up your browser. I thought the HS feature was a good one! An interesting fact on this airframe -- N7654C / E63 (cn C.115) Ex BuNo 80373 now in the National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, Florida. That's just a 6-hour drive for me and a place I have been wanting to visit! (Wonder if I can talk the Mrs. into a trip to the beach?!) Will keep an eye out for details that may help with forthcoming parts of your build Pete... Cheers! PR Thanks PR! I am most grateful - I have a library of about 60 pics of N7654C in her Firebomber career but am always looking out for more.. this site is superb http://napoleon130.tripod.com/f7ftigercat/id30.html I would also love to go see her in Pensacola one day - I was in FLA last year but not nearby - the crazy thing is you can practically walk around her, I wish I could go and get some detail shots but then having got so far I would probably just see lots of things I wish I had done.. anyways.. I have actually got something done... ..I wanted to get the cowling and nacelle sort of together so I can see the relationship so the first thing was the baffles around the exhaust pipes - you can see a wide 'U' shape baffle behind the pipes here.. note the hole for the actuating rod for the cooling gill as need to do that too....step one is to get some of the base fairings in place, they are quite complex shapes as they curve in many directions - i used some scrap balsa to support them....next a ring of card strip and lots of little fillets to make a solid structure with the fairings put in earlier....and then cut away the parts of the ring I don't need.....and then skinned the fairings and what was left of the ring and detailed them.. also added a strip at the back of the cowl of the right size so I could fettle the two to get a slip on tight fit.....and remembered the hole for the cooling gill actuating rod....i put a brass rod through the centre of the nacelle to orientate things and can see when I built this nacelle the firewall isn't vertical so am going to have to work out how to correct that - you can see a gap where the cowl meets the nacelle at the bottom....this is where the top exhaust fairing needs to be built.....and mocked up in place....more to do, but hope to have this cowling done fairly soon and then its into the U/C bay...TTFNPeter 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admiral Puff Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Thanks, Peter - I'll give EvilBay a try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F4u Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Sterling work Peter Guy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGA Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I wish I was even 10% as good at this as you are Peter. Wonderful work once again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor Rich Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Peter, Thanks for the feedback and link above! Indeed, great resources -- thanks!! Question: Can you share with us the tool(s) you're using for riveting and detailing? (Even a photo of your tools?) Cheers! PR 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Peter... I can't help feeling your holding back and not putting in enough effort or detail... Only joking, I think the only way you could top this amazing work is by building a 1:1 from scratch! Which looking at your work, would not be much of a push Stunning, I think the finish you have acheived with the metal work is just fantastic and really makes this an amazing model... Can't wait for more! Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscale Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 evening folks thanks for stopping by and checking in for more Tigercat tinkering... Question: Can you share with us the tool(s) you're using for riveting and detailing? (Even a photo of your tools?) Cheers! PR Hi PR - of course, a pic below shows the tools I use for 90% of the work I do - simple things really - the RB Productions rivet wheel is essential - I have two, with different wheels/ spacing.. ..so, onto cowlings.... I have been quite disciplined in doing work on both nacelles at the same time so I don't lose interest in having to repeat things later on, but with one engine destined to be on display with the cowl panels off, I have a good excuse to just forge ahead with the other one.. ..I started by mocking up the rear ring that circles the cowling where the cooling gills are - this lets me work out the geometry and where the panels are and also spoof the angles a bit to make up for the firewall not quite being vertical.. ..I also made up a panel in litho as would prefer to use this as the panels should be one dimensional curves and this takes the adding of scale fasteners better... ..the top panel had to be in the pewter like stuff as there did seem to be a small amount of curvature... ..I counted out and pinpricked where the fasteners will go later while the panel was flat.. ..after fixing the panels in place I set about drilling out each fastener - I learned from the last time I can just CA copper wire in the holes, file and finish them and put the screw slot in at the end with a fine chisel.. ..and all done.. ..added some structure inside the cowl where the panels fasten to, which neatly covered up the fastener stubs.. ..and shot some interior green - I need to look at some tutorials etc to see how to weather the inside of an engine cowling ..and added screw slots to each fastener - I used smaller gauge wire for these than last time.. ..and this should be a much better representation of the cowling size and layout.. ..thats it for now - back soon.. TTFNPeter 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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