Jump to content

Listening to the Solstice


Recommended Posts

36 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

That just 'feels' more Vicker-ish

I was going to ask what a vicar felt like, but I won't.

Looks even betterer now though!

 

Ian

  • Like 1
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

grip the hose with and form a nice tight seal to maximiize the 'suck'. 

OK, you lost me at this point, after I rolled off the sofa and hit my head on God knows what, I woke a few hours later having the strangest feeling I was in high school again, alass, it was not to be, I am the grumpy old man again, still, whatever. Sorry, the kid in me could not resist, I hope that I NEVER have to combine those exact works in the same sentence, for the rest of my natural life, knowing that doing so, would require the childish jabs you are unfortunately going to receive, I will be surprised if I am the first, you dirty man!

 

Anyway, back to brass tacks. I am sure I can create a similar setup, just for the sake of experimentation alone, it is well worth it. I could see how you were pretty ambitious in your beginnings, only realizing after a good bit of work, that size truly does not matter, function is more important, hence all the taped over drill holes.

 

It's nice having all the prerequisite tools, drills, table saw, miter saw, sorry mitrE saw, just lacking the vacuum, but been eyeing one at the local hardware store for a few months, when I get out of this money hole I am in, I plan to buy one anyway, now it has even more usages in store for it.

 

Now if we can find that roll of 0.3mm clear someone mentioned earlier..... Hmm, forget who that was!

 

 

Anyway, thanks for the Intel, useful and amusing!

35 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

Thanks for the weapons training too cowboy.

It is the absolute least I can do at this point..... I am in your debt!

 

38 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

can see some of the filler on the balsa wood

I actually noticed all the tiny indentations left on the clear part, now knowing the size being that small, the level of detail would likely depend on several factors. Let's see if my physics brain is working. First, the level of flex in the medium material, likely based on being heated to the proper working temperature for it to conform to those tiny bits, the stability of the object being molded, has to withstand the crushing pressure of the wrap, and having enough negative pressure to complete the form before the heat leaves the medium. So, medium, temperature, resilient mold, speed and negative pressure. Sound about right? This OF COURSE leads to the next logical question, let's say it together shall we....... "can you have too much negative pressure and have the medium fail and rip apart while forming around the mold?"

 

I can tell this is going to be a lot of trial and error. It would be nice to find the medium that can be used over and over, never changing so the results are predictable. Trying every piece of plastic that comes across my table, is like shooting with a blindfold on, might make a good visual for those watching, but useless in the real world. Science works only because of predictability and the ability to recreate the same results, over and over again. When something goes from theory to fact.

 

Anyway, yet another lesson from the Grand Master!

 

Thanks,

 

Anthony

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nearly forgot, Mr Vicksars would smile upon you, having seen the level of detail you diligently created in his name, that is very well done, bravo! I especially like the round drum magazine you beat into submission via a punch, very nice indeed.

 

Once again, bar raised!

 

Anthony

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/25/2019 at 7:04 PM, limeypilot said:

I was going to ask what a vicar felt like, but I won't.

Spongy in damp conditions.

One imagines.

On 4/25/2019 at 7:16 PM, Stalker6Recon said:

OK, you lost me at this point, after I rolled off the sofa and hit my head on God knows what, I woke a few hours later having the strangest feeling I was in high school again,

...and this tells us that you will fit in very well here on the forum Anthony. :laugh:

On 4/25/2019 at 7:25 PM, Stalker6Recon said:

I especially like the round drum magazine you beat into submission via a punch

For anything up to 2mmI've come to rely on this punch set:

http://www.rptoolz.com/?p=196

Probably the most expensive bench tool I've bought (excl. the airbrush) but for the scales I work at, irrreplacable for both brass and plastic. Over 2mm thankfully there are much cheaper sets available, such as this one I used for the magazine drum:

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/14-ROUND-CIRCULAR-DISC-CUTTER-CUTTING-TOOL-CRAFT-JEWELLERY-METAL-WORKING-TOOL-/300365403121?hash=item45ef2c53f1

As I rarely buy kits (the current stash will keep me busy for the foreseeable at the pace of work on here...), the investments tend to be in tools and materials these days.

On 4/25/2019 at 7:16 PM, Stalker6Recon said:

I can tell this is going to be a lot of trial and error.

Exactly. :nodding:

We all have different ovens and vacuum cleaners for one thing! :laugh:

Experiment with different thicknesses of scrap plastic would be my advice to build up a feel for the process. As to the plastic ripping during vacform I've not had this happen but then you know yourself that the thinner the plastic in relation to size and sharpness of shape, the greater the likelihood this may occur. Certainly on progressively curving surfaces like cockpit canopies it's much less likely to do so than on something with acute geometric angles.

On 4/25/2019 at 7:54 PM, Spookytooth said:

Such lovely work on that Vickers Tony.

Looks the part.

Kind of you Simon. :thumbsup2:

 

Some solid progress has occurred over the last couple of days activity on the starboard nacelle. This is (you may recall) my third attempt at getting this particular region as 'right' as possible, yet highly necessary to invest the time given its prominence in the final result. From previous attempts I've learned the following valuable lessons for working larger brass sections such as this one in the engine area:

  1. Use a tube of the required diameter for any parts that are remotely cylindrical, rather than trying to fabricate them from sections. This means you start with an accurate overall shape that can be modified in three-dimensions as required.
  2. Use a wall thickness greater than that needed - this will stop the part being distorted or crushed during handling/clamping, whilst any visible edges can be thinned-down as required to scale at the end.
  3. Use tape to mark out symmetrical openings to be cut out so that they are correctly aligned in thre-dimensions on a curverd surface.

Obvious you might think, but not to M. Hulot here... :laugh:

 

I'll post up  the steps I followed not because I'm daft enough to think anyone else will want to follow this route but because I'm daft enough to need to do it again on some future build and will leave this here as a reminder of process...

 

Raight. One started one's metallic peregrinations on this h'occasion then with some 15.8mm tubing slipped over a 14.8mm doming head and roughly shaped with glancing blows from the hammer until an approximate 'mouth' took shape at top and bottom (the distorted sides produced by this banging about don't matter in this instance as they are being cut out to reveal the engine and firewall innards later):

32768412817_1b893a6803_c.jpg

As per my 'three rules of tube abuse' above,  I then spent a considerable period of time obsessing over marking out the required cuts to be made using Washi tape:

47711829711_64e7352820_c.jpg

Corners were drilled out to help with cutting later and then the initial curving profiles at the front shaped out with a diamond disc cutter in the Dremel:

47711829731_a17a04caba_c.jpg

The sides were then cut out with the  jeweller's saw, leaving this alarmingly crude looking result:

47711829781_9ac2413fd3_c.jpg

Again, experience has taught me that it's far better to progressively rough out the required opening from the metal in stages rather than trying vainly to get it done to perfection in a single cutting operation ( as I rather stupidly seemed to fixate upon in the past) This way you can pause, assess and adjust at every stage of the process for greater accuracy:

32768412867_a17a04caba_c.jpg

Final shaping of the side openings was done with the diamond disc again to eat away the excess, followed by a small hand file to level the sides and then finally a diamond drum to thin down the edges and curves to something like scale appearances:

47711829931_62dbb8e4b8_c.jpg

A quick check that the engine-bearer and firewall assembly fit inside:

47711830001_5f54015a5a_c.jpg

I'm far happier now with the overall shape of the nacelle and of the forward curves of the side openings; in truth the circular profile of the front of the nacelle could come inward a mill. or so more to meet the circle at the front of the engine bearer but as this will be largely hidden at the rear of the engine, I think I've pushed my luck and skill as far as prudent at this point in time. Next task is to bore out the undercarriage opening in the undersides and lok at removing that big external oil cooler from the previous version without destroying it and soldering it into place here. But not today. 🙂

 

Hope you're having good weekends to far in your chosen runs.

:bye:

Tony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 16
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

that you will fit in very well here on the forum

That is good to know, I have a pretty wild imagination and an even wilder life to this point, I can be crass at times with an odd sense of humor (think Robert Deniro laughing in the movie theater at inappropriate times, via Cape Fear) that others may miss.

 

5 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

investments tend to be in tools 

I too and buying to tools of the trade, my stash is probably a tenth or less than yours, and I did just commit to buy two Blackhawks from Gino @arc (don't tell the misses, she will throttle me good), as he is including a LOT of aftermarket swag from eduard and resin, some of which are resin molds made by another member, so completely low production, one of a kind stuff. It is in my diorama scale that is in my brain for a mega build when I am ready. Anyway, besides that kit, the rest is tools and paints, I have a pretty bare work bench at the moment, but it is growing. My motto has become right tool for the job, which took a long time to learn, but I finally got it.

 

16 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

32768412867_a17a04caba_c.jpg

 

Are you........is this......... I have waited my whole life, now I am blushing and getting misty eyeed! Yes! The answer is YES! I call the wedding planner and tell the folks back home!

 

(sorry, couldn't resist the temptation)

 

Again, phenomenal scratch building going on, not sure if you are a model builder or blacksmith!

 

Can't wait to see how this all comes together Tony,

 

Anthony

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, limeypilot said:

The first one was good. The new one, as we are becoming accustomed to, is far better! 

Lovely!

 

Ian

 

Totally agree

 

    Roger

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Tony, ahhm no english as all the others did before here very gently. Ich weiß nicht, wie Du das machst, aber es sieht immer perfekt aus, wenn Du uns das zeigst!!!!! Ok, sounds a bit cheap in german, I have to admit. Cheers

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Tony, great workings m'lud but...

 

Yes I know this is the human damper of the flame, sorry

 

But

47711830001_5f54015a5a_c.jpg

 

The lip will need to be shaped so that it is equally symmetrical top and bottom

 

Which by my eye tells me the curve might need a little more work so that when the front facing 'big ole'  reaches around far enough to retain the whole circle of the cowling shape it will stay at 90º to the cowling line

 

Does that make sense?

 

No prolly not, back as you were

 

It is great metal working

 

👍

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Catching up (nothing new then), and have to say that you would make an excellent blacksmith (or even jeweller with a bit of practice), if you ever found yourself without other gainful employment. That nacelle really is a work of art - and yes the obsession to get it right first time is something we scratch builders have to overcome if we are ever to get any better. You certainly show us how Tony - please keep on doing so - so much to learn.

 

P

  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, pheonix said:

Catching up (nothing new then), and have to say that you would make an excellent blacksmith (or even jeweller with a bit of practice), if you ever found yourself without other gainful employment. That nacelle really is a work of art - and yes the obsession to get it right first time is something we scratch builders have to overcome if we are ever to get any better. You certainly show us how Tony - please keep on doing so - so much to learn.

 

P

Exactly right, it feels nice getting it 'right first time' but I'm finding even more often than in my youth, second or third can be much better

Finesse grows as the task develops

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great brass work as usual Tony, and the Vickers looks amazing.

Thanks for posting the vacforming information, it has always seemed a bit mysterious and I will read up a bit more now, well when I get more time that is.

Keep up the good work

All the best

Chris

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Stalker6Recon said:

I can be crass at times with an odd sense of humor (think Robert Deniro laughing in the movie theater at inappropriate times, via Cape Fear)

Hail fellow and well met! 😆

(I even laughed at Cape Fear...)

22 hours ago, Stalker6Recon said:

Are you........is this......... I have waited my whole life, now I am blushing and getting misty eyeed! Yes! The answer is YES! I call the wedding planner and tell the folks back home!

As Hicks said to Ripley:

tumblr_o6y0o6LUHq1ucplr3o6_1280.jpg

:laugh:

22 hours ago, Stalker6Recon said:

not sure if you are a model builder or blacksmith!

If you have any very small horses, you know where to send them for shoes...

22 hours ago, giemme said:

Excellent job on the new nacelle,

 

20 hours ago, limeypilot said:

The new one, as we are becoming accustomed to, is far better! 

19 hours ago, Hamden said:

Totally agree

 

19 hours ago, Spookytooth said:

As the others have said

It had to be properly sorted Giorgio, Ian, Roger & Simon. :nodding:

I routinely say this on every build but 'it's job's like that which remind me I'm still only at the apprentice stage' when it comes to learning what works and what doesn't with forming metal in such ways.

12 hours ago, bbudde said:

Ich weiß nicht, wie Du das machst, aber es sieht immer perfekt aus, wenn Du uns das zeigst

 

Sie können nicht all die Schläge mit Hämmern und Fluchen sehen, die in diese Jobs fließen Benedikt.... :laugh:

11 hours ago, perdu said:

Does that make sense?

It does indeed Bill but fear nought, I wouldn't foist shoddy goods upon such expert minces as thine. 

If you recall from my previous attempt at this part, there is still a cutout (to accommodate the exhaust ring as it emerges from underneath the engine) to add. More on that below. :thumbsup2:

11 hours ago, pheonix said:

and yes the obsession to get it right first time is something we scratch builders have to overcome if we are ever to get any better.

 

3 hours ago, perdu said:

Finesse grows as the task develops

Two fine phrases that I shall take to heart! 😇

2 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Keep up the good work

Thanks Chris: your steadfast encouragement is much appreciated. :thumbsup:

 

Up early, fuelled on Colombian coffee and raring to go. The upper 'lip' of the nacelle is fine in terms of how it's required fit in behind the exhaust ring (in fact that slight Botox pout give a useful little surface to act as a bonding area for latergluing against the inside curve of the exhaust::

40754497073_98baec6e0e_c.jpg

As mentioned above though, as well as the undercarriage opening there is a cutout at the front of the nacelle to add, both of them inked out here in readiness:

46804504115_dd1f7d0f20_c.jpg

An 18mm cutting disc in the Dremel made short work of trimming out the sinuous curve of the lower lip:

32777624307_4432a11f21_c.jpg

Whilst a mixture of drilling, birring, filing and sanding was used to open out the undercarriage recess:

46804504135_885dcac427_c.jpg

Much of the time on this stage was taken up by a constant cycle of measure-cut-check-repeat to avoid errors of symmetry creeping in whilst working a curved surface until we had something that looked convincing enough in situ:

47667977042_9aebbea7f3_c.jpg

I've yet to cut the slot for the opening of the radius arm to continue forward into the new brass section of course but will, I think, leave that until the new section is permanently mated to the wing before sorting that detail out. The oil cooler did come off from the previous version (without suffering any damage) after some heavy heating with the soldering iron, soaside from leveling out the rear of the brass tube and soldering that on, we should be good to move on to whatever else the week holds.

 

Thanks again for looking and for all your comments. 

:bye:

Tony

 

 

 

  • Like 18
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tony, can you do a video next time you cut such a precise shape out of brass? You know, I might just learn something, if nothing else at least the magic words you used.... :worthy:

 

Ciao

  • Like 2
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As usual, I had no idea where this little bit of magic was going, or how it would fit with the existing kit, but my patience has been thoroughly rewarded! That is a beautifully build scratch cowling (?) as I have ever seen!

 

Cheers, and I will be sending you some unicorns that need shoes, my wife prefers gold but I am happy with whatever you decide fits them the best!

 

Anthony

  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/25/2019 at 1:49 PM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

For the record, I probably was a nightmare in a Seaking for all sorts of reasons (you can ask @MarkdipXV711 if you like; though by the time he flew with me I was a [relatively] Sober & Responsible Grown-Up, rather than the First-Tour Hooligan of my younger days)... but probably not related to tea-spitting.  This might disappoint those of you with a more traditional view of the British, but even in the Royal Navy we seldom got airborne with cups of tea perched daintily in the pilots’ laps.  The occasional Thermos on those interminable North Atlantic passive ASW sorties (mostly like watching paint dry), maybe - but even then only while the other guy was flying it...

 

Mind you, we weren’t supposed to smoke airborne either (“No smoking within 12 hours of flying and no drinking within 50 yards of the aircraft”... or was it the other way round...?), but that was not always scrupulously obeyed.  There was much (ahem) innocent fun to be had when the left-hand-seat pilot at night (again, on one of those >4-hour passive ASW sorties, when laughs were in short supply) by telling the Observer to pull up his blind and look out of his window for a second, and then releasing your glowing dog-end into the slipstream from the front window.  

Jez chute was the best ashtray .... sooked all the tell tale ash out as well.

If you were really talented it was an acceptable urinal.

Even heard a story of a sar diver who used it after a ' sit down" but had to wash the exterior of the back end after landing on. The slipstream caused shall we say an aft bird strike.  Brown boo boo !! 🤣🤣... true dit

Also... no complaints from me SPLOT 🤝👌

Edited by MarkdipXV711
Typo
  • Haha 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/28/2019 at 12:27 PM, giemme said:

Tony, can you do a video next time you cut such a precise shape out of brass?

I've no problem doing that Giorgio, certainly if it would help others? :nodding:

On 4/28/2019 at 2:37 PM, Stalker6Recon said:

Cheers, and I will be sending you some unicorns that need shoes,

Such are the times we live in Anthony! :laugh:

On 4/30/2019 at 9:15 AM, MarkdipXV711 said:

true dit

That's just what this thread was missing Mark - a bit of 'local colour'! 😂 :thumbsup2:

As a weathering technique, clearly one for the (im)purist.....

 

A busy week continues but our estimable postman Pat Gerry arrived last evening clutching a box which I'd been awaiting with some eagerness.

Behold the Waffle Dalek!

32807611397_74eaecfdb4_c.jpg

Having long coveted one of the dental vacformers, their price had always been too exorbitant for me to justify acquisition for the limited basis it was likely to be used. I managed to pick this up however for £30 (believe it or not) as an 'As New' item from that well-known Riverine Retailer. As these are usually items that have been returned for refund with little or no use (this one hadn't even been fully unpackaged) it can be an economical way of acquiring more expensive items, as long as you're prepared to stalk for a long time and/or take a punt.

 

Confusingly, I also found an iPad Mini screen and set of removal tools in the box as well, so presume they were on the Benson & Hendrix in the warehouse that night...

 

Getting home this evening it was natch into the workroom sating out loud: 'Well, the posse on the thread might appreciated a field test' when in fact we both know I was in 8-year-old-kid-at-Christmas mode to switch the blighter on.:frantic:

 

Some random bits grabbed from around the bench to act as blanks for a quick blast using 0.7mm thick sheet.

47698399462_3687e3b26f_c.jpg

Originals and mouldings:

46834531815_a4ac7d7931_c.jpg

For jobs this small I'd plump for much thinner sheet as a rule (in the past I've found best results were obtained from 0.5mm when it comes to transparencies) but even with this bulkier sheet you can colour me molto impressionato by the quality of the device in the forming of shape and surface detail. 

 

The heating element in the hood is uber-efficient - in fact it took me by suprise that even sheet of the thickness I was using was bowed-down and ready in  20 seconds max. The lower vacuum element itself is likewise nicely powerful, so all-in-all an efficient combination allowing both rapid prototyping and adjustment before moulding the finals. Some sheets of 0.5mm transparency arrived today also, so we should be able to knock out the turret finally during the long weekend to come.

 

Let me say in defence of homebrew methods that the decision to buy said Waffledalek is not in anyway to be construed as being dismissive of said oven/home-rig approach; for me this kit simply produces results more rapidly that's all - in this case less than 5 mins from switch-on to finished mould compared to about 40mins getting stuff organized in the kitchen previously. In addition, one need never be found wanting for dental plates or tiny stormtrooper armour in later life...

 

Finally, in Farming News, the kittens are now two weeks old today:

47751298831_d0d95e5462_b.jpg

They're so prettiful!

We're in no hurry to find homes for them once they're weaned #bankruptedbyfelines.... :laugh:

 

Ooohh!! I just realized I could make kitten armour with the Waffledalek now! 

<ahem>

<recovers composure>

Sorry there's not anything in the way of progress to show on Annie this week, but at least the foundations are laid for a decent sesh at the weekend.

 

TTFN

:bye:

Tony

 

 

  • Like 18
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tony I know you are excited with your new toy erm I mean precision tool (are you watching Ced) but if I see any piccies of vac-formed kittens on here I'm going straight to Mike and the RSPCA (or Irish equivalent). Don't do it mate, I know you're tempted but it's wrong!

  • Like 1
  • Haha 8
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, Tomoshenko said:

 Don't do it mate, I know you're tempted but it's wrong!

Ah Tomo, I see that you are clearly imposing what Ike & Tina Turner referred to as a Nutbush City Vacform Kitty Limit.

:coat:

  • Like 1
  • Haha 11
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not convinced that it would be bad practice Tony, some of those feline assassins might quite like a black body moulded armour plate

 

As for the new toy, top job mate

 

Well snaffled

 

And bonus I pad screen doofers and tools, further business opportunities abound

 

Nice one

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...