1/72 McDD F-4 C Phantom II, Hasegawa/Monogram kitbash - COMPLETED!

[Blogs On]

Hi Giemme and Gene,

Thank you gentlemen,much to learn and admire.

[giemme]

Hi everybody; here's another report, completing the seamless intake subject.

As said earlier, I used a needle rounded file and some home made sanding sticks to blend in the air intake lip:

tools I've used

It was then time to take care of the intake shoulder:

After ETS using two different grits, 300 and 600

Final result, after some sanding with a nail polishing stick

Last thing: the control window. I used a piece of clear sprue, sanded to a rectangular shape, inserted and glued with Tamiya Green Cap

Let that cure for a few hours, masked around to avoid scrathces and cut using my Dremel with a sanding/sawing disc

Then the usual sequence of ETS (to bring the window level with the fuselage) and nail polishing stick. Lastly, a drop of Tamiya Gloss Clear both sides

OK, that's it. This long WE came to an end, so now the progress report pace will slow down a bit

Comments welcome, as usual

Ciao

[Fritag]

Well done chaps. Clever and inspiring idea for the seamless intakes and beautiful construction

[NontasB]

The intakes are awesome finished!! They have the perfect look when you watch them from the front!!

And it doesn't need any painting at all!!

Bravo Giorgio!! When I'll return home, I'll start the tests at my Phantom!!

[giemme]

Well done chaps. Clever and inspiring idea for the seamless intakes and beautiful construction

Thanks Steve! It's all Gene's idea anyway, I merely executed it

The intakes are awesome finished!! They have the perfect look when you watch them from the front!!

And it doesn't need any painting at all!!

Bravo Giorgio!! When I'll return home, I'll start the tests at my Phantom!!

Thanks Nontas! Looking forward to how this system works for you!

Ciao

[keefr22]

More neat work Giorgio, coming along very nicely!

I was going to ask yesterday what an ETS was, now I know - great idea!! I wonder if the wife will notice if I borrow hers??!!

Keith

[giemme]

Cheers Keith, thanks!

I was going to ask yesterday what an ETS was, now I know - great idea!! I wonder if the wife will notice if I borrow hers??!!

:D Handy, isn't it? This is again something I learnt from Gene; try that out, you'll wonder how you got along without it till now, guaranteed!

PS: the wife will notice (ask me how I know! ), so better invest in a new one, and devote it to modeling purposes. Best money you'll ever spend

Ciao

[Spookytooth]

Looks good Giemme, ETS the latest tool, great idea though.

Enjoy the long weekend mate, I have got to work Sat, Mon and Tues so not much time at the bench for me either.

Simon.

[keefr22]

PS: the wife will notice (ask me how I know! ), so better invest in a new one, and devote it to modeling purposes. Best money you'll ever spend

Ciao

I'll see if Santa brings me some spending money then! Certainly wouldn't buy one for my teeth, they're not good enough for that...!!

K

[PlaStix]

Hi Giemme. You are really taking this modelling malarkey to the next level! Fascinating stuff. You have a lot more patience than I do! Brilliantly done so far!!

Well done.

Kind regards,

Stix

[Cookenbacher]

The intake technique works wonders, and I can't believe you are so nonchalant about building a tiny window in 1/72. I'm just watching and learning.

[Gene K]

I never asked [Gene] how many attempts it took him to come up with that solution [for seamless intakes], and how he went for designing the right template ...

I've been playing with Hasegawa Phantoms for longer than [ fill in the blank], and have used many different methods over those years. The current way is not as accurate as some others (for example fitting the seamless parts into the intake before joining to the fuselage) but it's simpler to install. The current method also positively sets the position of the intake, ensuring that the temp sensor hole is in the right place, and that the engine face is positioned as deep as it should be. The engine faces should be tilted down a few degrees, but that makes cutting the pattern more challenging.

By the way Giorgio, no need to fill the void in that one engine face. Lining up the red lines on the face with that on the intake will position the face correctly ... and in that position, that void is not visible (I checked)

Gene K

Edited December 10, 2015 by Gene K

[giemme]

Hi Giemme. You are really taking this modelling malarkey to the next level! Fascinating stuff. You have a lot more patience than I do! Brilliantly done so far!!

Thanks Stix! I probably said that before, modeling for me is also a way to train my patience ...

The intake technique works wonders, and I can't believe you are so nonchalant about building a tiny window in 1/72. I'm just watching and learning.

Cooken, thanks my friend But the little window wasn't that hard to do: once you have a square needle file, most of the job is done

By the way Giorgio, no need to fill the void in that one engine face. Lining up the red lines on the face with that on the intake will position the face correctly ... and in that position, that void is not visible (I checked)

Pheewww! Good, because I was already scratching my head trying to figure out how to fix it ...

Ciao

Edited December 10, 2015 by giemme

[rob85]

Very cunning stuff going on here, really is a fantastic thread!

Keep it coming

Rob

[jrlx]

Impressive work and a lot of great tips!

Keep up the good work!

Cheers

Jaime

[giemme]

Rob and Jaime, thanks for the appreciation!

So here's another report: first off, a couple of pics of the finished seamless intakes, with the engine faces fitted in:

just to prove that Gene is (obviously) right, the void is absolutely non visible

I had to do some filling with Plasticard stripes, as I did cut off a bit too much plastic on the back part of the cockpit, to make room for the MONO tub.

They were glued in place with Tamiya Green Cap and refined using a razor blade

I test fitted the canopy, to determine the right position of the central frame (marked with two tiny red dots, in the pics):

Then I started working on the MONO tub: added receiving holes for the canopy lifting brackets

dryfit, looks OK

First PE bit coming from the Airwaves set, behind the back seat. I did set this in place using PVA glue; once it had dried a little bit, I went along the edges with tiny drops of CA, to secure it.

Finally, I started detailing the tub, by adding a few cables

I was thinking of a way to hold the three of them together before gluing 'em to the tub back wall, so I used a couple of hairs and tied a knot with them.

Then two tiny strips of Tamiya tape to reproduce the clamps

This is going to take quite some time, I'm afraid

That's it, comments welcome

Ciao

[Fritag]

Awesome work - awesome progress.......

[NontasB]

Very nice progress Giorgio!!

As long for the cables in the cockpit, alternatively you can use stretched sprue (very thin) and you can have the same (if not better) result. You can glue it with the regular liquid cement (I use gunze Mr CementS). It's easier to glue the wires in place with this way and the gluing is stronger.

Look forward to see more progress!!

Nontas

[keefr22]

Cracking work Giorgio, those intakes really make a difference!

[Leonl]

Wow, great work. I'll be following this one.

[Cookenbacher]

I've said it before, and will say it again: you are an artist Giemme.

[giemme]

Awesome work - awesome progress.......

Cheers Steve, thanks!

Very nice progress Giorgio!!

As long for the cables in the cockpit, alternatively you can use stretched sprue (very thin) and you can have the same (if not better) result. You can glue it with the regular liquid cement (I use gunze Mr CementS). It's easier to glue the wires in place with this way and the gluing is stronger.

Thanks Nontas, also for the tip! For some reason, I'm not really good at stretching sprue; I'm OK if I need to reduce the original diameter to say one half, but very thin ... not my bread and butter . I selected a few sizes of flexible and/or rigid copper wire (and some welding wire too), and get away with that. By the way, in some cases I use regular plastic cement (Tamiya Green Cap) to glue them in place; it holds much better, but need to be very careful as not to melt too much plastic around

Cracking work Giorgio, those intakes really make a difference!

Thanks Keith, I'm pretty happy with them, also considering that it's my first time with this technique

Wow, great work. I'll be following this one.

Cheers Leonl, welcome on board!

I've said it before, and will say it again: you are an artist Giemme.

Cooken, you're way too kind. Thanks for your support.

Have a good WE everybody, next update is going to be on Monday.

Ciao

[Biggles87]

I've always been a fan of Monogram's internal details. They were way ahead of the competition until engraved panel lines became fashionable, their 1/48 F-102 and F-106 missile bays are fantastic.

Still enjoying the build.

You have a good WE also

John

[giemme]

I've always been a fan of Monogram's internal details. They were way ahead of the competition until engraved panel lines became fashionable, their 1/48 F-102 and F-106 missile bays are fantastic.

Still enjoying the build.

Thanks John For me, it's the first time I put my hands on a Monogram kit, and the level of detail is really amazing! In fact, the more I look at the MONO tub, the more I want to start painting it and try to pick up at the best possible all those details - but first I need to add just a few more cabling

Ciao

[Gene K]

.... I'm not really good at stretching sprue;

Many moons ago I attended a seminar by Jef Verswyvel of KMC (then Black Box, True Detail, and now Squadron's Chief Modeler). In the seminar, Jef demonstrated how he detailed the masters for his cockpits : mixed up a small batch of Milliput; rolled thin snakes; anchored one end to the appropriate location in the cockpit; working from the anchor forward, used a stiff spit-dampened brush to prod the strand of Milliput into shape/position; followed up with a little more spit when he was satisfied with the position; let dry. Needless to say, very effective!

Gene K