greggles.w Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 Hello all, here’s an update on my madness to put the outside world into perspective .. I can report I am declaring the cylinder cowls done. Just awaiting the fuselage to be similarly finalised before they are affixed. To get here involved: Semi-gloss clear coats, polished to gloss. This may seem a new innovation in lunacy, but my logic is to use the same semi-gloss clear all over the machine, then selectively polish up any metal-skinned components, to contrast against the enameled fabric skin (the residual semi gloss). That done, I then set about suggesting substance within the helmets, specifically by providing depth to the exhaust openings. Like so: A tiny hole of requisite depth drilled into a scrap of timber, ready for styrene tube selected for internal diameter matching the hole in the cylinder cowl: .. so I could microsaw a known - tiny & squat - length of tube .. .. and repeat for all 18 ‘exhausts’ .. .. which were then cemented to the thinnest of styrene scrap sheet as backing .. .. painted flat black within .. .. then each snipped off in turn, & with this sophisticated peg & toothpick jig they were positioned in place .. .. x18 .. then some ‘dark iron’ paint just in case the slightest view of these might be possible after installation (I checked & am as near to certain this will be impossible .. but just to be sure) .. .. to give x9 little egg-shell cylinder cowls - done! Happy that the pre-painted black has left the white rim to the opening in the cowls .. this would have been lost if I’d just blacked them in from the outside after assembly. The effort may not seem so justified in that static image, but it’s when you move your view around them the investment pays off. Done! 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Great attention to detail. No need to justify it - it's brilliant! Keep at it. Dave 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 17 hours ago, Fastcat said: Keep at it. Dave Have done as instructed Dave. Another cobbled together peg + skewer + alligator clip + cardboard + masking tape & upturned flower pot apparatus ... .. semi-gloss clear coats applied, then all was polished for a ‘painted metal’ finish. Done & added to the parts ready & awaiting assembly! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Great work Greggs. Is your polishing technique anything special? Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 2 hours ago, Courageous said: Is your polishing technique anything special? Hello & thanks Stuart. Polish technique has been developed as I go here. Some time ago as I first discovered this new-fangled micro-mesh I bought this kit with a dozen or so pads, one each grit .. The box also included a good side wadding of soft white cloth & this little tube of polish .. It’s got the consistency of toothpaste, very smooth. I applied using a cotton tip (q-tip?). From there it was much the same technique as the old ‘cut & polish’ products we used to labour with to resurrect tired car paintwork. Massage it on with the cotton tip while still moist to ‘cut’, wait a little bit, then buff off with the cloth. I was very cautiously sparing in my application, so after assessing the outcome I would repeat, & in a few places x3. Nice stuff, I’ll keep using it .. but sorry I’m not in any position to compare & contrast against other products which may well be just as good or better. And to sign off tonight, here’s the next contraption: One coat hanger sacrificed to support the plane as its clear coats dry. To be applied tomorrow! 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 On 3/18/2020 at 9:18 AM, greggles.w said: The effort may not seem so justified in that static image, but it’s when you move your view around them the investment pays off. I find these kind of excercises inspire me to go a little further in my builds, it’s one of the reasons I love Britmodeller. the build is looking amazing btw. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Looking good, Long haul almost over? Dennis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 That jig looks like a diving board... Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastcat Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 This goes from strength to strength. All the little custom jigs are ingenious. Very impressive. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Better with each update, and slowly but surely moving towards the great reveal. I love it! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattlow Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 I love what you've done with the basic kit. 13 pages of inspiration... I can't believe a 'premium' manufacturer can bring something so poorly researched to sale. Notwithstanding the excellent casting quality, surely part of the 'premium' is the research and accuracy... seemingly not. Anyway, not wishing to dwell on negativity, I think what you've done shows us that we have it in us to do work of as good or better standard than some of the manufacturers and certainly carry out more detailed research. Very much looking forward to watching the final furlongs to the finish line. Matt 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 At this point I think I might as well reveal the extent of your laboratory modeling area for the benefit of fellow mad scientists modelers: Great work, though. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 5 hours ago, Moa said: At this point I think I might as well reveal the extent of your laboratory modeling area for the benefit of fellow mad scientists modelers ... I knew I heard someone hiding under that flower pot! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share Posted March 22, 2020 Hello all, may I first say a sincere thanks for all of those last round comments. You all form an important part of my confined world at present, so it is appreciated, and by this I mean the company, not the praise. Work continues, with the main sub-assembly given it’s semi-gloss clear coat. I’m really impressed by the lovely satin of this Mr Premium Clear (which is lucky, ‘cause it cost a bomb) Then I played a tortuous version of that childhood board game ‘operation’ - manoeuvring a tiny brush past vulnerable white surfaces to paint the crankcase inside the cowl & the inside of the air intake flat black! The crankcase will never be seen, so it’s not about matching the real thing’s colour. I could imagine light bouncing around in there and somehow making the final assembly look ‘hollow’. Probably unwarranted, but definitely easier done now then later if proven necessary! Next masking of fabric (semi-gloss) areas so I could start polishing up the metal cowl, forward fuselage spine, air intake & wing roots.. This polishing is fiddly, so a section at a time with breaks in between is in order. One alternate task in parallel has been taking a saw to the assembly jig ... ... to remove non-essential overhangs & projections which would prevent me extracting the machine from the jig once floats are joined. Then any jig surface which will contact the polished white surfaces of the floats was given a clean lining of Tamiya tape: .. steadily onward now I hope .. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet Mike Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 As someone with a keen interest in Schneider racers (I live 30 mins from Calshot) I very much look forward to these updates, this is an amazing build! I have the new MicroMir Supermarine S5 on the to-do pile. Almost certainly a couple of rungs higher on the ladder of my modelling expertise than I am currently on though. So I am taking many, many mental notes of your excellent build ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share Posted March 22, 2020 18 minutes ago, Quiet Mike said: As someone with a keen interest in Schneider racers (I live 30 mins from Calshot) Now that would be inspiring!! 19 minutes ago, Quiet Mike said: I have the new MicroMir Supermarine S5 on the to-do pile. That one looks very nice - hopefully you will run a build thread here for us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet Mike Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, greggles.w said: Now that would be inspiring!! That one looks very nice - hopefully you will run a build thread here for us? Definitely! I'm looking at the big Airfix Blenheim at the moment, but as usual I can't make my mind up what to start next. Plus the sun was out today, which always knocks all thoughts of modelling on the head for me. Here's a few 'then and now' shots of Calshot I did a couple of years ago. (Click on the photo) Edited March 22, 2020 by Quiet Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Courageous Posted March 23, 2020 Share Posted March 23, 2020 A little further along the road and looking great. Glad to see the Malteser is being suitably protected from your buffing efforts. Stuart 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted March 24, 2020 Author Share Posted March 24, 2020 On 3/23/2020 at 7:55 AM, Quiet Mike said: Here's a few 'then and now' shots of Calshot I did a couple of years ago. (Click on the photo) These are terrific Mike! Did you meld the old & new together? Really well done. Most impressive that so much of the facility & buildings remain. And your composite pictures confirm the true sporting thoroughbred machines that these are - they make the contemporary expensive boats look plastic & dinky by comparison! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 Just found this topic. Interesting subject and serious modelling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet Mike Posted March 24, 2020 Share Posted March 24, 2020 10 hours ago, greggles.w said: These are terrific Mike! Did you meld the old & new together? Really well done. Most impressive that so much of the facility & buildings remain. And your composite pictures confirm the true sporting thoroughbred machines that these are - they make the contemporary expensive boats look plastic & dinky by comparison! I push pixels around for a day job, so had the tools to hand to bang these ghost images out. It's good fun, and there is a wealth of material out there locally of Southampton. I should really do more, damn this procrastination illness! (Says he who has spent weeks deliberating what kit to make next from a very meagre stash) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 10 hours ago, Vesa Jussila said: Just found this topic. Interesting subject and serious modelling. Welcome & thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 (edited) 9 hours ago, Quiet Mike said: I push pixels around for a day job, As you push pixels Mike, so I predominantly vie with vectors (CAD!) 9 hours ago, Quiet Mike said: he who has spent weeks deliberating what kit to make next from a very meagre stash) Some might contend that this a core part of the hobby. Perhaps you should throw the question to the audience? Edited March 25, 2020 by greggles.w 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggles.w Posted March 25, 2020 Author Share Posted March 25, 2020 Forward cowling, upper fuselage & wing roots polished. The nice diffuse light from the backyard window draws out the contrast: satin, but still a sheen, for the fabric-over-timber skin; gloss for the sheet metal. Belly in progress. I reckon I might just (dare I say it?) .. ‘polish that off’ today. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMC Posted March 25, 2020 Share Posted March 25, 2020 Very smooth, Greg. The camera doesn’t lie. Dennis 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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