Wessex HC2 Crab Cabs Pt II (Fly Wessex - why on earth did I?)

[hendie]

1 hour ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Gronshing? Metric, Imperial or Up to shear and back two notches?

 

We only had two options:   

Option 1: Three white knuckles  (two white knuckles if it was 2BA)

Option 2: Strip the threads then back it off 2 flats

 

torque wrench ?  they're for wooses!

 

 

[TheBaron]

Missed you H: great to see you back on station and in such positive form.

4 hours ago, hendie said:

(I need an eejits guide to Hook terminology!)

Just what Sylvia's Mother ordered....

https://www.azlyrics.com/d/drhook.htm

 

Excellent observation and rectification on that door too: those handles and levers are compelling additions.

 

 

 

[Martian]

Beautiful work on the winch Hendie!

 

Martian 👽

[perdu]

I remember the days when we'd all have called it sprue...

 

I can also recall when we'd never get such amazing detail and also, how to do it

 

Brilliant...

[Pete in Lincs]

I must agree, the winch and door look rather splendid.

[Terry1954]

On 4/20/2019 at 7:07 PM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

I too have not touched a model in at least a month

Seems like many of us are afflicted in this way. Six weeks working away, followed by three weeks "out of country" have seriously impaired my modelling also..........

 

Catching up with this I'm delighted to see some fantastic work on a winch, followed of course by the obligatory hook! Really splendid stuff going on here.

 

Terry

[heloman1]

Great work on the hoist hook.

 

Colin

[hendie]

well, after a bit of a hiatus on the Wessex, I fell back into some Fly bashing after the train is delayed waiting on transfers (yes, still waiting...)

 

The MRGB's have been lying around for some time now so I thought it was about time to throw some paint on them.  Easy enough job but they do look a bit bland don't they?  All much of a green-ness.

 

 

That was soon cured by the application of an thinned umber oil wash.  I did consider some more detail painting but it's just never going to be seen and I have spent long enough on this build.

 

 

Once the oil has dried it loses that nice sheen seen in the above photo.  I think I may give these a quick satin coat to bring some of that life back.

 

 

Just how much will be seen ?  Well, this much... actually, even less once the mesh panel is in place.   even less once the rotor head and the blades are in place.  I could just have used a wooden stick in there and no-one would know by the time this is all finished.

 

 

Now the observant among you will have spotted that the windscreen is in place in the above photo. And you are correct - it is finally fitted.

Like Herr Baron, there are times when I believe the usual adhesives just don't cut the mustard and a good strong epoxy is called for.   I thought I had some of the non quick setting stuff (I always think that is stronger) but I must have ran out and forgot to replace it.  However I did have some 10-15 minute setting stuff so that was called into action.  Of course, it did mean that I had to sit with my finger on the top end for all that time forcing the windscreen down as it would not sit flush otherwise.  Even after that time I was very wary of removing the pressure in case the darned thing *popped* up again. Lady luck was with me this time.

 

 

But after the 15 minute finger exercise I didn't want to leave the newly bonded joint just sitting under pressure so I found a new use for 1-2-3 (rusty) blocks.  That was left overnight to ensure a good full cure.  Smoothing and sanding to come later. - After the gaps are filled and some other remedial work carried out.

 

 

However, now that the windscreen is fixed in place it lets me carry on with other assorted gubbinses situated in and around that area.  Namely the sliding windows.

Now, it has to be said that Fly made a really nice job of molding these sliding windows, they really did.  So why did they do such a miserable job on the main windscreen with its pebble-dash finish ?

The sliding windows are crystal clear (until my greasy paws got all over them) and they are nice and thin.  It's a shame they are the wrong size (I am being picky though!).  I had to sand the top and bottom edges to get the things to fit.

 

 

While I was doing my trial fit I noticed that the window runner I added months ago was a bit oversize, so off it came.  That has since been replaced with something more scale-like but not worth a photo (or I forgot)

 

 

I have a set of masks that I purchased when I got the kit but opted to go my own way with masking tape for these.  No idea why really. 

I found that going around the perimeter with a nice sharp pencil gave me a nice cutting guide.  The inside was a bit more a a faff but nothing too difficult.

 

 

Now while Fly made a really nice job of the molding, they did a crap job of all the fittings for the windows.  These were all supplied in resin - and not a single one of them survived the trip to my abode. Not a one.

So, out came the styrene sheet and the resin rivets to add that all important missing frame detail.

 

 

While making such a cracking job on the molding, they also forgot to add all the rivets around the frame which are such a visual numnumnum when optically surveying that front area.  We all know how daft I can be, but daft as daft is, there's no way I was going to drill individual rivets all around the window frame. Instead I resorted to this.... about two years ago I purchased this sheet of 3D rivets in case I could use it on my train build ( and instead used real rivets!) but never used them.   This seemed like a golden opportunity to try them out.

I can't remember just how much they cost but I do remember they were a lot cheaper than Archer rivets and you get two sheets of all kinds of rivet spacings and patterns.

I soon found a rivet line that looked promising.

 

 

In retrospect, using Alclad black primer was a poor choice when you are trying to lay down lines of teeny tiny black rivets, but I got some down eventually... somewhere!

The transfers did lay down nicely though - very easy to use.

 

 

Even although none of the resin hardware survived the journey I probably wouldn't have used it anyway - it would have been far too fragile.

I opted to try and make the outer handle from brass which should be a lot sturdier. 

The "handle" was made from some brass rod, squeezed in a vice. That flat portion was then bent into the required Z shape. A hole was drilled through the flat end and a brass rivet inserted, and that was followed up by a thin slice of brass tube on the underside.  Once soldered, I removed the dome of the brass rivet and we have something that approaches the general shape of a handle.

 

 

With a bit more fettling and filing and a hole a driiling...

 

 

and we have clearance of the window when the handle is operated.  The inside handles won't be subject to any vigorous handling so I might make them from styrene - we'll see.

 

 

A coat of dark green was applied -and if you read this Ced - I did exactly the same as you did with the Tornado fin earlier and thinned the paint far too much!!!  I ended up having to do light sprays then hold the parts in front of a fan to speed up drying so I could get another coat on them, wash, rinse and repeat until I had good coverage.

The railroad rivets seem to have done the job nicely.  They are not too prominent but are certainly noticeable.  I just hope they stay in place when the masking is removed.

 

 

While the dark green paint was out, the winch got a quick blast

 

 

and the 'ook got a splash of orange (yes, I know it should be day-glo, but I'm not buying a jar of day-glo just for that one tiny part)

 

 

and since I had some dark green left over I decided to finish it off by giving the tail a quick blast over the riveted area I did many moons ago to see how they would turn out.

That doesn't look too shabby.  I was a bit worried that they would be very in-yer-face, but they're not bad at all.

Now, if I could just remember what size rivets I used on what panels so I could start the port side....

 

 

and that's all for this session folks!  

 

now where's those train transfers...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 23, 2019 by hendie

[Pete in Lincs]

I'm, er, riveted to the spot with admiration. (And insomnia!)

[rob85]

That’s some delightful detail work Hendie, I don’t know how you guys do it! Probably patience and skill, not qualities I possess. Lovely build and glad it’s moving along.

 

Rob

 

[CedB]

Lovely work hendie and I'm pleased that even 'the Masters' have problems thinning paint

Is it the black do you think? It looks black but maybe there's not that much pigment in it or summat?

[perdu]

Great windowry H, love dem rivets and wow that little handle

Colour me awestruck

[hendie]

7 hours ago, CedB said:

Lovely work hendie and I'm pleased that even 'the Masters' have problems thinning paint

Is it the black do you think? It looks black but maybe there's not that much pigment in it or summat?

 

Ced, it wasn't the black that was the problem, it was the green that I thinned down too much this time.   

I was using Alclad black primer for the first time  - I like Alclad simply for the fact that you use it straight from the bottle and don't have to thin it down.  I dislike Alclad for the fact that the screw tops always seem to stick (even after cleaning the threads) and I end up breaking the caps when I use tools to get the damned things off.  

This was the first time I have used the black primer and maybe I didn't shake it up enough but I thought the primer was a bit grainy compared to the grey which is my usual go to primer.

The dark green on the other hand, I know was entirely my fault.  

 

For more details on thinning your paint to the required skimmed milk consistency, follow this link and download the research paper

 

Viscosities of commercial samples of skim milk, 1% fat milk, 2% fat milk, whole milk, half and half, and whipping cream were measured in a temperature range of 0 to 30°C by a coaxial viscometer. Viscosity varied exponentially with temperature and linearly with fat content of milk. Viscosity for the fat and temperature range measured varied from 1 to 60 centipoise. Density of these products also was determined by vibrational densitometer. Density ranged from 990 to 1035 kg/m³. The following equation was developed for the relationship between viscosity (μ), fat (F), and temperature (T): In μ = −8.9 + .1 F + 2721.5/T. The equation was utilized to calculate pumping requirements of milk with various fat contents and at different temperatures.

 

So there we have it.  From a scientific source no less.   Now we just have to add and solve for thinner types, volumes, solvent, and whether it's Humbrol, Testors or any of the myriad other suppliers.  A bit of formula transposition never hurt anyone.

 

 

Simples!

 

 

PS  "Master" ???  (it took me three years to paint the two sides of the train and I'm still not finished)

[Pete in Lincs]

I note that the equation above doesn't allow for quantum. Tsk.

 

I just thin until it looks about right. Mostly I'm not disappointed.

[Head in the clouds.]

Just had a catch up Hendie since your return, it is like sitting down with your favourite book, fantastic work that is on a level of it's own, great work.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Vibrational Densitometer!?  Wasn’t that a Track on Side 3 of Tales From Topographical Oceans?

 

So happy to see this back

[petetasker]

Only just come across this build - totally inspiring. Have a couple in the stash now. Having read through this build so far I'm frightened to death to even open the box!

[hendie]

27 minutes ago, petetasker said:

Having read through this build so far I'm frightened to death to even open the box!

 

Go on, you know you have to - I can't be the only one daft enough, and anyway... misery loves company

 

 

[Dave Swindell]

5 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Wasn’t that a Track on Side 3 of Tales From Topographical Oceans?

Yes

 

😉

[hendie]

Briefest of brief updates as I'm passing by on my way to making the dinner.

 

I started sticking the transfers on last night, though the actual "sticking" part may be stretching the imagination a tad too far.  The transfers came off the sheet easily enough but didn't particularity want to behave when it came to adhering to the sliding windows. Then, when I finally got the "Emergency Exit Pull" on top of the green, I could clearly see that the actual text is not clear at all. Either it smudged during the printing process or???  Who knows, but it's not very readable.  They also didn't settle down well on the rivets despite multiple lashings of Micro Sol/Set and even a sever pressing down with a wet paper towel.

 

 

I also spotted a number of Oopsies on the transfer sheet.  Memory fails me (mainly due to hunger!) as to what it actually was, but the transfer Fly tells you to stick on the front edge of the window frame doesn't match up with any of my references.  After a few curses and more examination of the transfer sheet I did find some matching text -  "NO HAND HOLD", but only two instances and most of my references have this phrase stenciled twice on each frame.  Never mind, at least I got one in place.

After the stickers were stucked, another coat of gloss was applied.  After that, a coat of semi-matt, or was it satin? or maybe semi-gloss?  Anyway, they go coated.

This evening I removed the masking.  Oops!   It peeled.

Now I don't know if this was in any way my doing as I did thin the green paint down a bit too much, or was it something to do with the alclad black primer?  I find that hard to believe. However I have thinned paint down too much before (common occurrence with me!) and never had this happen, though I've always used Alclad grey primer up until now.  This was my very first try with the alclad black.

You can see that the green has peeled to the left of the yellow Emergency text, and just noticeable is some more peeling on the forward edge of the frame just above the No Hand Hold text.

Easily repairable, but an embuggerance nonetheless.  Maybe I tried to remove the masking too soon after application of the clear coat and the clear coat had softened the paint underneath?  

We'll never know for sure but it does make me hesitate to use the black primer on the main body of the Wessex, which had been my plan up until now.

 

 

Lastly, a quick "well what does it look like then" shot, complete with stray hairs and other indeterminable debris. 

You can see what I mean here about the text not being legible, and not really conforming to the surface.

I do like those rivets though.  They look in scale and really add an element of interest to the frame which would have been rather bland without them - though may then the stickers would have stuck!

 

 

A quick polish to remove my greasy DNA'n'stuff should make things look better, though I am peeved about that yellow Emergency text.   I think Fly have also made the actual frame surround too narrow but that could be just me.

 

Now, where did I put that handle I made the other night?  I'm sure I put it in a safe place...

 

 

 

 

 

[hairystick]

Really loving the rivet detail on the doors! That really makes a difference, but then "hey" the whole model is doing the same!

On 6/23/2019 at 2:14 PM, hendie said:

... a good strong epoxy is called for.   I thought I had some of the non quick setting stuff (I always think that is stronger)

You are quite correct on that one. Some years ago I was informed that the company who made the first "5-minute epoxy" had to sacrifice 75% of the strength of the product, to be able for it to set so quickly.

 

 

 

 

[CedB]

Nice windows Alan, especially the rivets. Sorry to hear about the paint lift and illegible stickers  

[perdu]

Illegible maybe but they do say EMERGENCY EXIT PULL after all

 

Ask Fly for a set you can read?

And buy a jar of Daco Strong, it works unlike any other setting solution I ever saw

It made this tiger decal sit right down on the pointyest bit of my Merlin's nose cone

I really didnt expect that

[bobsyouruncle]

Only just caught up with this again today and was quite miffed that Pete from Lincs had beat me to questioning that 'gronshing' word - by some country miles, ..ah well. Nice word.

 

Inspiring and amazing modelling again. 

I love what you've done and are doing to this kit but what a shame that reality has had to spoil things, necessitating all this extra work.

I love the rivets around your window and (despite punishing myself by glossing all the white bits in the hall and landing as a punishment) still have dark, tormenting, moments in the night, contemplating exactly how hard it would be to do the whole fuselage (having been part mesmerised by that one at Cosford the other week).

I think what I'll do is pretend in my head that your build was mine and just bury mine in an eco friendly manner (once I've figured out how to do it).

Totally love it. Please continue.

 

 

 

[hendie]

Welcome folks.  Another small update though it's one of those "it took me all day and it looks like about an hours worth of work" days.

 

I wanted to continue with the sliding doors to make sure I got them finished and could put them aside (in a safe place!) so that meant I had to attack the handles and get them finished.   I had already done proof of concept back up in post # 1358 - but that was only for the handle on the out side of the door.  Them finicky pilots also demanded handles on the inside of the doors too.

The inside handle is a slightly different shape and arrangement, but looked like a straightforward task.  I took a length of 0.8 mm brass rod, bent it into almost an 'L' shape then squeezed one of the legs in the vice.

 

 

After a little bit of fettling, a hole was drilled in the flattened portion -this allowed the rivet used on the outer handle to locate through that hole and act as the spindle

 

 

This shot shows the arrangement much clearer

 

 

Some more "bracketry", alright then... bits of styrene were added to the inside to provide mounting brackets.  Believe it or not - I even remembered to paint the reverse side of that styrene black before I went ahead and glued it on to the door. ('cos you can see it through the window!)

 

 

Those handles have all been painted up now so the sliding doors are now finished and safely stashed away.  I forgot to take a shot of the finished articles so you'll just have to make do with this shot showing the door perched in position

 

 

and I just spotted a couple of rivets have fallen out of the panel 'neath the trans deck door.  oh bother!

 

g'nite folks