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Making a ‘new’ A321


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Hello,

 

It might be a stupid question, but is there any way alter an already made A321 that has its decals and paint already applied? Never done it before etc.

 

What would I need to remove it al start again etc? Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. 
 

Regards,

 

Alistair

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6 minutes ago, bhouse said:

What you'd need to do would rather depend on what you wish to change. What do you have in mind?

I currently have. JetBlue A321 that I want to convert to a BA A321 but not sure how to start the process of basically restarting the whole thing again...

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I don't know the precise flavour of 321 used by JetBlue and BA so have no idea of the technical changes required but it's a fair bet you'll need to strip the paint.

 

How you do that depends on the paint you've used for primer, topcoat and varnish, as different paints need different strippers. Google "stripping (brand of paint)" and that should set you on the path. 

 

Good luck!

Brian

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Assuming you are talking about the Revell kit, I've done several refurbishments of Revell Airbuses with varying degrees of success. 

 

It is usually necessary to strip the decals and paint. The way I go about it is to remove the engines, tailplanes, main undercarriage and small parts - aerials, nose wheel doors etc.. The nose wheel leg is robust and I remove the wheels but leave the leg in situ. Decals can often be removed by using sellotape or masking tape. Paint removal will depend on type. For enamel paint Modelstrip is probably the most effective stripper but it is difficult to find and potentially hazardous. You MUST wear proper eye protection when using it, ordinary spectacles aren't enough - I speak from direct and painful experience. Acrylics tend to vary according to brand. Isopropyl alcohol or even Dettol will remove most paint but it often takes a long soak, by which I mean days rather than hours. I'm wary of Revell Paint Remover - the last time I tried to use it the plastic itself disintegrated. Biostrip is quite an effective stripper but it tends to leave a nasty residue which can ooze out later and cause problems with the new paint. Some sanding and scraping paint out of panel lines is almost inevitable.

 

Once you get the model back to the bare plastic, repaint and reassemble paying particular attention to the seams - paint stripper can sometimes remove filler as well. You don't need to replace the engines - Jet Blue and BA both use V2500s.  If you damaged the undercarriage during removal replacement metal legs are available (at a price) from Scale Aircraft Conversions.

 

Sometimes refurbishing an existing model is more trouble than building a new one. The Revell A321 is long off the market and I probably would try to refurbish it but I wouldn't bother with the A320 since the kit is still readily available.

 

Just my personal thoughts - other and probably better ideas are available!

 

Dave G

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Hi Alistair,

I always use this stuff when I have to strip paint off a model (and it happens quite often!)

https://www.diy.com/departments/home-strip-paint-stripper-500ml/254572_BQ.prd

I don't know how it compares price wise with other products but a little goes a long way on a model and is non toxic and odourless.

But as Dave says it's often easier to start afresh. The Zvezda A321 is excellent if the Revell one isn't available.

Cheers,

Ian

Edited by Turbofan
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Thank you all of you for your help and excellent tips... luckily it never got to the glossing stage as I never fully finished the decals... I think I might do as suggested, use some sellotape to remove the decals. The paint I used was Revell acrylic paint, so will follow the tips regarding that... if not I’ll scrap it altogether and purchase the Zvezda A321 kit and start all over...

 

Regards,

 

Alistair

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  • 2 weeks later...

Stripped many over he years, a can of Mr Muscle oven cleaner, sprayed liberally all over and place model in a sealed plastic bag overnight some where warm.

 

Wash down with warm soapy water and an  old toothbrush. DO NOT let it dry out as it will never come off !!

 

Be aware though this suff has some usual safety issues like eye and skin protection.   

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