Space Ranger Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 1 minute ago, Brandy said: Winding you up. I'm a US citizen. But you did say Cowboys so you asked for it! I lived in Florida for 7 years (Bucs) and Cape Cod for 10 (Pats) so I probably have more superbowls under my belt than you! Ian I have not been a Cowboys fan since Jerry Jones bought the team, installed himself as General Manager, and fired Tom Landry. In fact, I am no longer an N.F.L. fan at all. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 46 minutes ago, Space Ranger said: In fact, I am no longer an N.F.L. fan at all. That's the spirit. You stick with modelling. You get a proper end result. Sport isn't real, you just get a good or bad feeling. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 54 minutes ago, Space Ranger said: In fact, I am no longer an N.F.L. fan at all. Likewise. I'm glad to be away from "football" that doesn't allow anyone to kick the ball! Rugby is the only true sport! Ian 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Ranger Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 1 hour ago, Brandy said: Rugby is the only true sport! I'm told it takes leather balls to play rugby. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 17 minutes ago, Space Ranger said: I'm told it takes leather balls to play rugby. Larger ones than NFL certainly! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 (edited) Something weird going on with this post,....did another one Edited January 24, 2022 by Anthony in NZ Lost in Space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 Tony, love this latest update, first thing that came to mind reading this was "This guy is mad and brilliant all at the same time" I am learning lots from you and your approach to problems. Thank you Right-O back to my tedious wheel wells Cheers Anthony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark.au Posted January 24, 2022 Share Posted January 24, 2022 3 hours ago, Anthony in NZ said: I am learning lots from you and your approach to problems. Thank you Yes, definitely this. Fascinating stuff. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Whacked out on painkillers as the back went yesterday, so this should be fun... On 23/01/2022 at 18:44, Spookytooth said: It was usually the blackboard rubber being thrown at me!!!! Bold child! 🤣 On 24/01/2022 at 09:18, giemme said: Why would I be on a Turin's newspaper? Notoriety dear boy, notoriety.... 😉 On 24/01/2022 at 13:01, Brandy said: That or a huge t-square. THAT hurt! Ditto Ian: a favoured weapon of the sadistic b________d who taught us Geography. Revenge was watching him get taken unconscious to hospital after getting pummelled in the staff v. 6th form rugby match one year, to the massed cheers of 'You're going home in a London ambulance...' On 24/01/2022 at 18:19, Anthony in NZ said: Tony, love this latest update, first thing that came to mind reading this was "This guy is mad and brilliant all at the same time" Normality never ends well... On 24/01/2022 at 18:19, Anthony in NZ said: I am learning lots from you and your approach to problems. Thank you On 24/01/2022 at 21:24, mark.au said: Yes, definitely this. Fascinating stuff. You're most gracious Anthony & Mark, thank you. I have to say though that I've benefited immeasurably from the altruistic sharing of knowledge that occurs on this site, people's skill and inventiveness continually amaze and inspire me. Still inching my way towards the hallowed kingdom of paint in that bitty 'end of build' phase where you think you're done but keep discovering things you've forgotten/ignored. Having sliced the canopy up last week I wanted to do something about the rear framing of the windshield, most particularly that region at the apex where the hot air outlet terminates. Although it's impossible to add all of the finer detail there at this scale, at a minimum something representative was called for due the prominence of this feature in terms of visual weight. I made several attempts throughout the week to build something from brass - this being the closest that I got with creating the lip that the rear canopy slides over to close: All very well but because of the angle that it meets the vacform at there was simply no reliable way to glue this brass inlay securely into place. I tried every adhesive including stuff like GS-Hypo, GG, - you name it, all failed during even light handling. In the end I came at the problem from the other side so-to-speak by attaching some metal foil to the front framing as a way of beginning to create the characteristic shape of this region: After using a cocktail stick to hollow the tape out to the required shape, I filled the rear of it with resin and cured it with the laser: This was then sanded down to blend it in with the existing profile of the windshield and test fitted: Any more fiddling with that section and I'm liable to damage the transparency: once the PE centre beam is added to the front, that should be a reasonable approximation of the visuals for this part of the aircraft: One task that drove me round the bend on XJ481 was designing internal and external masks for the rear sliding canopy; I never did get that part entirely right and the masks I made then had to be tidied up with some scraps of Washi tape in places to create the correct outlines for the frames. The two colour images of XN708 in Tony Buttler's book both clearly show this aircraft in the year of its demise fitted with the earlier version of the Vixen canopy that has vertical framing halfway along it (as was the case with '481 previously), so I was determined to revisit the masks designs and get a set done up that would not require any further finessing once in place. It took about seven goes, cutting, test fitting and then adjusting the designs on the basis of errors detected, but eventually I ended up with what I needed: Aside from the correct shape I also discovered that the real secret for dealing with masks on compound curves was to strategically place some cuts in the masking fabric to allow the Ormask conform to surface variations: I got the idea from watching a video of a tailor strike the design of a suit onto fabric using chalk where they incorporate cuts and vents to allow the garment drape the human form more pleasingly. Some of the Korean and Italian guys doing this up on Y-tube are pure artistry. The internal set took three goes in their own right to get done as in mirroring and shrinking them down from the external set, I forgot that on a long tapering canopy like this you need to shrink it less in the major horizontal axis than in the vertical: All that test fitting with Oramask left the transparency filthy so I have to clean it up and reapply a fresh set. Last job today was an episode of The Two Aileronnies: Resin shrinkage meant that I had to add about 0.2mm back on to the inboard end just to avoid having too large gap. As per expert advice, these are now permanently mounted in the flush position: I want to try and complete masking off all the internal openings of the aircraft this weekend as it's about bloody time to start playing with primer before Spring starts.. RIP Barry Cryer. Your gags are your immortality: Tony 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 On 1/23/2022 at 6:25 PM, TheBaron said: Loathing the phase of any build that involves working with transparencies means that I'd been putting off this task until it couldn't be delayed any further. That comment felt oh so familiar to me, as I recall putting off that part on the Grob Viking build until it had to get done to make any progress. I think I got through two or three of my vac-formed jobbies before I got a good fit, even using spare bucks to help as a cutting aid. Very impressed with your canopy work Tony, especially that front framework. The Sea Vixen canopy has to be one of the most challenging to work with due to its asymmetric nature. Much praise to you indeed and I do hope your back improves! Terry 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 Lovely update/pictures/masking etc. Get well soon! 1 hour ago, TheBaron said: RIP Barry Cryer. Your gags are your immortality: I've found lots on the tube and have I haven't a clue on mp3. Bliss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 2 hours ago, TheBaron said: You're most gracious Mark & Anthony, thank you. You’ve even got Roman Generals following this sorcery, have you? Figures. Wonderful work, obvs (& I've been using your ‘resin as filler / glue on a resin kit’ technique on Bloys van Treslong, so thanks; worked a treat!) Crisp 2 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 Sorry to hear about the back, I know exactly how you feel. More ingeniousnesssss on the front canopy, looks great! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 A slow grey windy Sunday grinds at the windows. I had intended to go out in the garden and make a list of all the things that need tidying up for Spring but decided to put that list on a list to concentrate instead on drinking tea and generally ignoring Sundays completely. With the passing of years I've come to the conclusion that two Saturdays in the week would in fact be far more agreeable to most people and that whilst on the subject, there should additionally be no Wednesday at all: it simply wastes hours that could be usefully dedicated to other things. The details need refinement of course. 22 hours ago, Terry1954 said: That comment felt oh so familiar to me, as I recall putting off that part on the Grob Viking build until it had to get done to make any progress. Hail fellow and well met! 😁 22 hours ago, Terry1954 said: The Sea Vixen canopy has to be one of the most challenging to work with due to its asymmetric nature. Much praise to you indeed and I do hope your back improves! Thanks Terry - somewhat ironic that the back is currently asymmetric in function; is 'Vixen Back' an actual medical condition? For the curious, this is the first image that shows up on Gurgle when you type that phrase in... I love the way that all the members of Helix have that 'man dying for pee sees sign on toilet door saying closed for cleaning' look on their faces. Masculinity at its most vulnerable... 🤣 21 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said: Lovely update/pictures/masking etc. Get well soon! Ta Pete. Haven't forgot I owe you a parcel btw, just need to sort out some packaging. 21 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said: You’ve even got Roman Generals following this sorcery, have you? Figures. I expect Wodewick will be along later... 21 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said: I've been using your ‘resin as filler / glue on a resin kit’ technique on Bloys van Treslong, so thanks; worked a treat!) It's so blinking versatile an approach to stick n' fill that I rarely use much else these days (save for Gator's Grip). 20 hours ago, Brandy said: Sorry to hear about the back, I know exactly how you feel. More ingeniousnesssss on the front canopy, looks great! Thank you on both counts Ian. I made some pretty good progress on masking up for primer this morning, managing to solve the big problem of how to mask the engine bays and Avons and sticking on a few bits that need to be added to the airframe prior to beginning the colour work. I don't recall the rationale (except perhaps I've rarely seen this done) but I designed this kit so that the port inspection hatch for the AI.18 set would be open to expose the electronics bay on that side, whilst the stbd one would be closed. To help with lining up the stbd electronics drum and inspection door with the curve of the airframe, I designed the two parts to fit together in a specific orientation: Due to shrinkage I had to sand a little off the back of that drum to get it to fit behind the main AI.18 but the brackets holding it inside there do a good job of keeping it aligned correctly once inside of that aperture: The door then closes over this and is aligned with the opening in the airframe: I'd expected to have to sand the door tad to get it to fit into the opening exactly but to my surprise it worked perfectly without any further work. It'll need a very slight sanding at the forward edge to get its profile to conform to the curvature of the nose, but this was to be expected as an artefact when two different curves of this nature cure separately. On the other side I did a test fit of what will be the exposed electronics drum: I had to sand about 1.5mm off he back for this one to fit but again the internal framing does a nice job of aligning it to the inspection opening once its inside. That's now been mounted ready for a shot of primer as well - in this case of this drum I'd like to attempt adding some of the wiring so am going to do a test drill on a mule to see if it can be done without destroying existing detail on the outward facing end. From here on in it was down to the laborious job of blocking in any existing painted internal areas: The arrestor & RAT bays just had Blutak added as protection whereas the wheel wells got Washi tape edges to help pull the stuff out later without damaging the existing structural details: I'll tape over the Microcell bays as Blutak is too messy for a region that will get handled during painting. I also remembered to stick the rear section of the nose gear door onto the well. The remaining exposed part of the well, along with areas like the engine intakes will get foam padding added later. As previously mentioned, the overwhelming problem to solve at this stage though was always going to be how to deal with the existing painted regions around the Avons. Having made one ludicrously ham-fisted attempt with Washi tape and cling film, I regrouped and went at it a bit more logical like. Firstly: the exposed edges of the bays were blocked in with thin strips of Washi tape, these Avons themselves were then roofed over with rectangles of scrap Oramask cut tothe size of the bays, and then secured all the way around with snakes of Blutak - the idea being to minimize as much as possible surface contact between masking and engines.: I'm pretty sure that's going to be secure enough to last the painting process but am going to leave it a day or so to check if any particular sections show signs of lifting. That job was worrying me but am feeling more confident about it now. The various cockpit related openings'll get foam protection as well, but for the exposed sections of radar at the front, I think a combination of Oramask, Washi and Blutak on a smaller scale may well be the solution again: That rear canopy cleaned up nicely with IPA and a cotton bud as well after all the Oramask test fitting yesterday. That's the bulk of the masking done for primer anyway. With the white undersides and EDSG topworks I'm going to use my reliable Alclad black primer for the upper sections, and complement this with their grey stuff for the lighter undersides in order to avoid having to build up too many layers of white paint later on. I know Alan's loathing of their stuff but weirdly I've never experienced any extremity of failure with it. Perhaps the miasma of woodsmoke and strong tea here helps it adhere to surfaces better: it's an occult process so who knows in truth? Speaking of tea.. ...plus I've found out where Mrs.B hid the family-size bar of Caramac and she's not back from work until 6... 😋 Do take care of yourselves until next time. Tony 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Sorry to hear about the bad back Tony. I'm suffering from Old Man Does Painting For Many Days syndrome so I have some sympathy. Nice update. I always find in this stage of the build its a strange feeling of can't wait to get it over with, combined with an equal dose of I really don't want to start this. I'm sure you'll do the Vixen proud and can't wait to see then end result 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Where there’s masking, there will soon be paint! Yours excitedly, Adrian 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 16 minutes ago, AdrianMF said: Where there’s masking, there will soon be paint! Yours excitedly, Adrian Thus it is wrote, to be fair. 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony in NZ Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 4 hours ago, TheBaron said: I've found out where Mrs.B hid the family-size bar of Caramac My word she really is looking the part now...you sir have skills! May I ask what Caramac is? Sounds like something sweet and decadent? Dont be like me and keep eating till its all gone and then feel sick for hours afterwards regretting it I like how you use tin foil to protect the trailing edges, a chip out of it would be so annoying at this point. Loving this! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 52 minutes ago, Anthony in NZ said: May I ask what Caramac is? Sounds like something sweet and decadent? Caramac is the brand name for a caramel-based confectionery that was created by Mackintosh's, and is now manufactured by Nestlé. It was first introduced in the United Kingdom in 1959. The name is derived from the syllabic abbreviation of Caramel and Mackintosh. - So says Google. You don't want to eat too much of it though. Sweet and decadent. Sounds like a Girl I once knew... 5 hours ago, TheBaron said: Haven't forgot I owe you a parcel btw, just need to sort out some packaging. Not a problem, I have more than enough on my hands at the moment with the current build. The cold keeps affecting the Milliput! You are most kind, BTW. Does this latest post reveal your secret identity of the masked Avenger? 5 hours ago, TheBaron said: I know Alan's loathing of their stuff but weirdly I've never experienced any extremity of failure with it. You'll be closer to the sea. That's the secret. (probably). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 She's looking fab Tony, I even understood the last update! Less sorcery going on I guess. Martian 👽 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Smart job with that windshield, Tony! And with the masking! 15 hours ago, AdrianMF said: Where there’s masking, there will soon be paint! Amen! Ciao 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBaron Posted February 4, 2022 Author Share Posted February 4, 2022 Evening. On 30/01/2022 at 16:22, hendie said: I always find in this stage of the build its a strange feeling of can't wait to get it over with, combined with an equal dose of I really don't want to start this. Perfectly expressed Alan. An odd calmness descending as paint approaches now... On 30/01/2022 at 16:46, AdrianMF said: Where there’s masking, there will soon be paint! Exactement! 😁 On 30/01/2022 at 18:47, Anthony in NZ said: Dont be like me and keep eating till its all gone and then feel sick for hours afterwards regretting it As far as sweet things go Anthony 'enough' is a concept that really only becomes apparent retrospectively and can therefore be safely ignored.... On 30/01/2022 at 18:47, Anthony in NZ said: I like how you use tin foil to protect the trailing edges, a chip out of it would be so annoying at this point. Knowledge painfully acquired from experience! On 30/01/2022 at 19:45, Pete in Lincs said: Does this latest post reveal your secret identity of the masked Avenger? You'll have to wait until my new film 'Hillman Avengers Assemble' is released... On 30/01/2022 at 20:01, Martian said: She's looking fab Tony, I even understood the last update! Less sorcery going on I guess. Gracious of you tentacled-one. Fond felicitations! 😁 On 31/01/2022 at 08:12, giemme said: Amen! You can almost smell the colours getting closer now Giorgio! 😁 Last of the masking done over the course of the week. Cockpit well and truly stuffed now with foam and nose/radar taped off: You can just make out in the above shot that I'd forgotten to fill the join in the hot air feed from the engine compressor where the nose and fuselage are stuck together. A couple of drips of resin cured in place and sanded was enough to complete the task. Masking off the engine intakes proved a very tricky proposition indeed: in the end I used a combination of Washi tape to create the demarcation line inside the intakes where the EDSG meets the steely-looking metal of the tunnels, and foam to stop any paint spray reaching the fronts of the engines. Those vertical vanes at the front of the intakes made for great fun in trying to get tape through and stuck down behind them... Those vanes really are paper-thin but mercifully I only broke the small outboard one on the stbd side. I'll not bother repairing it until after painting as getting all that stuff back out of the intakes again later is going to be equally amusing! 😟 The RAT assembly and arrestor bay door were all removed from their supports and mounted along with various other small parts ready for priming to begin tomorrow morning: James ( @71chally) kindly messaged me during the week to say that he'd discovered another image of XN708 that corresponded with the period markings shown for this aircraft in the Buttler book, ensuring that I could knock up a finalized marking chart as reference for cutting the required painting masks as part of the priming process: Friday night and the wages are in. That can mean only one thing: kebabs from the takeaway! 🤤 Tony 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spookytooth Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 25 minutes ago, TheBaron said: That can mean only one thing: kebabs from the takeaway! 🤤 Oh yes!!!! Paint going on.... Kebab, yep, extra Chilli on mine. Simon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 Crikey that masking is a task and a half looks good though. Enjoy the kebabs. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 The kebabs will be history by now. Until the morning that is.... Lovely update as always. I'd keep my fingers crossed for a peaceful spraying session, but it would then be difficult for me to build my model. 2 hours ago, TheBaron said: 'Hillman Avengers Assemble Back in the day, Hillman Avengers Disassembled of their own accord. Mind you, So did most cars back then. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now