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1/24 scale Grumman F7F Tigercat N7654C


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Just incredible!

I've seen Alan Clarke's work up close and spoke to him about his technique, so I know what you're doing is no where near as easy as you are making it look.

This model is going to look spectacular!

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thank you everyone - very kind of you to stop by :)

so, I tried doing some of the nose plating in litho but the part I made wouldn't take the curvature without wanting to kink. Luckily the sheet of pewter I ordered arrived so I tried using this - it's nice and maleable and fairly straightforward to work with

..as I have been doing, I added the vertical rivets before fitting - all the horizontal ones will be added once the plating is complete so they all line up..

WIP545_zpspzxqshbn.jpg

..I wanted to do the top nose panel (the one with the circular fuel filler..) which is the first real compound curve..

WIP546_zps1tscpyor.jpg

..first step is to burnish masking tape down over the panel and pencil mark the outlines from the scribed lines and adjacent panels..

WIP547_zpsfd1mjgiz.jpg

..next transfer the tape to a small sheet of (expensive) pewter - as the fuel filler cap has 16 fixings around it I got an image off the internet & printed it to mark out where they need to go to be equally spaced..

WIP548_zpsocvitebe.jpg

..added another circle and soon had the marks where I could emboss the fittings..

WIP549_zpsqzndazik.jpg

..added all the other markings to set out all of the fasteners this particular panel has all around the edges...

WIP550_zpsi1q54bol.jpg

..embossed & riveted, you can see how soft the pewter is by how it 'blows' underneath - this needs to be burnished out with a smooth rounded object (I have a bit of steel rod)...

..the lower image is the finished panel..

WIP551_zpsreofrpug.jpg

..I spend some time finely tuning the fit by carefully sanding the edges with a sanding stick, constantly trial fitting and taking it really slowly as you can always remove material but never add it back...

..I also mask the area the panel fits to ready for the adhesive...

WIP553_zpsqyur6nnu.jpg

..and the panel fitted in place...

WIP555_zpsondvrkyu.jpg

WIP554_zpslmiucmja.jpg

..still got more to do, but it is getting there...

TTFN

Peter

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I'm one of the guys that has just found this thread. You are redefining the words 'scratch building'!!

Good luck with the rest of the build! I will certainly be watching!

Edited by TheStig
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Haven't popped in for a while... boy have I missed some spectacular work!

You certainly set the bar very high Peter - a true master of your art. This build is outstanding - I'm busily taking notes!

Tom

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Peter, just goes to show how nothing beats the real thing for a NMF job! I want to experiment using Al foil plus the self adhesive aluminum foil tapes (HVAC duct sealing tape.) Phenom results, mate!

Regards, Robert

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Today I properly read through the entirety of this build thread. I am utterly gobsmascked at the attention to detail you are putting in. It is without doubt a masterpiece. I am not a bad modeller myself but this leaves me in the starting blocks. Very much looking forward to seeing future updates.

Cheers,

Nigel

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evening folks smile.png

..thanks for your kind words - keeps me at it..

..so not much today as I have been experimenting..

..I prepared a form for the rudder a while back and got it out to start thinking about how to go about it. The real F7F has a metal skinned rudder but with what look like rib tapes over some sort of fasteners... like this...

WIP561_zpsdcqdr0qm.jpg

..i tried embossing with the hard edge of a set square and got a sort of raggedy impression I thought I could work with..

WIP562_zpsvjd4kfjo.jpg

WIP563_zpsaqcdpezz.jpg

..so set out the paper rudder onto litho...

WIP564_zpsxhvddavy.jpg

..the first one failed as it cracked and broke, but the principle seemed to be working...

WIP565_zps4fe6zafl.jpg

..three tries later and I had a working piece...

WIP566_zpsrdlofunn.jpg

WIP567_zpsazgpyfto.jpg

..added some what were supposed to be feint rivets and taped it up as a mock-up...

WIP568_zpsv7k2g0p2.jpg

WIP569_zpsy3g65qx8.jpg

WIP570_zpsfsg6idvw.jpg

..do you think it works, or is too distinct? I might try adding foil over rivets and see what that looks like...

TTFN
Peter

Edited by airscale
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Even though it's unfinished, I nominate this for Galactic Grand Champion in any contest in which it is entered on any planet within the known universe. Absolutely incredible. Words fail me.

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