Scary Skeeter - Aeroclub 1/72

[CedB]

Thanks Bill - much appreciated! i've ordered some .5 and some .7 (Steve stays this is better for 'deep' moulds)

 

32 minutes ago, perdu said:

I am sure that if you read Steve's notes on getting the clear unbubbled moulds you will be fine

Where's that to please?

I really need some guidance - I only have one vac form in the kit to start with.

Fill it with something like Milliput? Do I need to coat the inside first?

SCARY!

 

27 minutes ago, perdu said:

Double bubble?

Yeh, pretty sure - it's clearer in this shot:

 

 

See? You can't see the frame in the middle.

 

28 minutes ago, perdu said:

Good news  that you now own a free admission to the master moulder's guild, fancy subbing some of my work mate?

Very kind Bill - let's see how I get on with this one shall we?  

[AdrianMF]

41 minutes ago, perdu said:

It bubbles inside the plastic if you dont treat it right)

That's what happens to me pretty much every time I use it, even if I heat it up real sl-o-ow. I have heard you are meant to put it in an oven at 60C/90C(?) for half an hour(?) first?

 

If you could provide a linky to said words of wisdom I'd be very grapefruit!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[perdu]

26 minutes ago, CedB said:

Where's that to please?

I believe it is somewhere in the Hawk builds, Ced where he makes perfection with the machine

 

I might whatsap him to nudge him back here if...

28 minutes ago, CedB said:

Yeh, pretty sure - it's clearer in this shot:

Yes Ced I concede, lovely little challenge

 

 

Do not fear the fun

[perdu]

Remember the Milliput will take over the buck once it is in there but it can be eased out if you're willing to risk hurting the origina!l

 

If you don't, of course you will not be able to modify it for the bubble top

 

How about using the original to make castings then modify the cast to have the bubbles?

[CedB]

Thanks again Bill - I think I've found it… and linked for Adrian and others below.

 

Thickness of PET is discussed here:

 

Resin moulds and stuff here:

 

Is that it or should I wade through the 100+ pages??!!

 

So, a resin mould do you think? Just pour it into the kit canopy then build bits up?

Have I got the wrong end of the stick??

 

Thanks again, all help appreciated!

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

😐 dang page 4 this time... I'm out on the patio make sure the microphone is on so i can hear your work from outside. 

[perdu]

I am wondering about this 'resin inside' gig

Maybe a light smear of Vaseline inside then pop the resin plug out and use it again a couple of times to get a few useable bucks

Use at least one to put the double bubble in

 

The canopy shape invites you to build walls around it out of plasticene so the resin stays where you want it, which can then be removed if you wish

 

 

 

[Space Ranger]

6 hours ago, CedB said:

I've just changed my desktop picture to this and you can really see the 'double dome' of the canopy…

I'm by no means an expert on the Skeeter, but I think you're really seeing an illusion caused by a reflection.

[Marklo]

You could try sculpey (polymer clay) it works like plasticene, it won’t stick to the plastic and you bake it to harden it. I’ve used it to cast things in miliput of all things.

[keefr22]

4 hours ago, CedB said:

So, a resin mould do you think?

 

I've made a few moulds in both vac and injection canopies using this stuff;

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Herculite-2-Hard-Casting-Plaster-of-Paris-1kg/291002697147?epid=1655900616&hash=item43c11cc5bb:g:zsAAAOxy-sRSaTS8

 

I coat the inside of the master canopy with a thin layer of liquid vaseline - can't find any on e-bay UK, got mine in the local Range store with some clear casting resin, made by the same company. When dry the plaster mould is easily removed from the canopy.

 

There are occasionally air bubbles in the plaster, but I just mix a small amount more and smear it into the holes - it can then be gently sanded and polished to a lovely smooth surface. 

 

K

[Aeronut]

39 minutes ago, Space Ranger said:

I'm by no means an expert on the Skeeter, but I think you're really seeing an illusion caused by a reflection.

As one of the jobs I have to do later in the year is carry out a repair to the top canopy of XL812 the Historic Army Aircraft Flight's Skeeter, I can assure everyone on this thread that the canopy is a double bubble. The lack of this compound curvature in the kit's canopy was the main reason my kit sat unloved in the stash from the day that John Aero first issued it until last year when it was required for museum move planning use.

[The Spadgent]

7 hours ago, CedB said:

Oh dammit, I've just ordered one… ooops.

Oh gawd!!!!!! I wants iiiiit. I neeeeeds iiiiiit.🤣

[CedB]

6 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

😐 dang page 4 this time... I'm out on the patio make sure the microphone is on so i can hear your work from outside. 

Plenty of room here Dennis, but stay away from the fire eh?  

 

5 hours ago, perdu said:

I am wondering about this 'resin inside' gig

Maybe a light smear of Vaseline inside then pop the resin plug out and use it again a couple of times to get a few useable bucks

Use at least one to put the double bubble in

 

The canopy shape invites you to build walls around it out of plasticene so the resin stays where you want it, which can then be removed if you wish

 

Thanks Bill - good idea to strengthen the kit part while moulding  

 

2 hours ago, Space Ranger said:

I'm by no means an expert on the Skeeter, but I think you're really seeing an illusion caused by a reflection.

2 hours ago, Aeronut said:

As one of the jobs I have to do later in the year is carry out a repair to the top canopy of XL812 the Historic Army Aircraft Flight's Skeeter, I can assure everyone on this thread that the canopy is a double bubble. The lack of this compound curvature in the kit's canopy was the main reason my kit sat unloved in the stash from the day that John Aero first issued it until last year when it was required for museum move planning use.

Thanks Michael - I think there may be two versions of the canopy and, as I'm modelling the HAAF Skeeter i'll take Alastair's word for it! Thanks Alastair  

 

2 hours ago, Marklo said:

You could try sculpey (polymer clay) it works like plasticene, it won’t stick to the plastic and you bake it to harden it. I’ve used it to cast things in miliput of all things.

Thanks Marklo  But…

 

2 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

I've made a few moulds in both vac and injection canopies using this stuff;

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Herculite-2-Hard-Casting-Plaster-of-Paris-1kg/291002697147?epid=1655900616&hash=item43c11cc5bb:g:zsAAAOxy-sRSaTS8

 

I coat the inside of the master canopy with a thin layer of liquid vaseline - can't find any on e-bay UK, got mine in the local Range store with some clear casting resin, made by the same company. When dry the plaster mould is easily removed from the canopy.

 

There are occasionally air bubbles in the plaster, but I just mix a small amount more and smear it into the holes - it can then be gently sanded and polished to a lovely smooth surface. 

 

K

Thanks Keith - that sounds like a nice safe option. No heat from spring resin and easy to polish - ordered!  

 

1 hour ago, The Spadgent said:

Oh gawd!!!!!! I wants iiiiit. I neeeeeds iiiiiit.🤣

I know Johnny, I've had it on my wishlist for a while and just couldn't hold out any longer  

 

 

So, white metal, tiny model, lots of expectations from the audience, canopy moulding…

As if that wasn't scary enough I think I might try making some frames from brass. The rotor shaft support and the folded blade support?

Hey, it has most other materials so why not eh?

 

'Cos it's scary, that's why…

[stevehnz]

Watching.........  

Steve.

[Biggles87]

Me too, although it’s beginning to sound like a foreign language to me now.  

[The Spadgent]

4 hours ago, CedB said:

So, white metal, tiny model, lots of expectations from the audience, canopy moulding…

As if that wasn't scary enough I think I might try making some frames from brass. The rotor shaft support and the folded blade support?

Hey, it has most other materials so why not eh?

 

'Cos it's scary, that's why…

Go get ‘em Ced.  🤗

[Andwil]

Vacforming, brass, next you’ll be using CAD and 3D printing and your transfer to the dark side will be complete.

 

AW

[CedB]

3 hours ago, stevehnz said:

Watching.........  

Steve.

Welcome Steve  

3 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

Me too, although it’s beginning to sound like a foreign language to me now.  

Soon be back to normal John - see below. Although I think it's going all Viking  

2 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Go get ‘em Ced.  🤗

Thanks Jont  

3 minutes ago, Andwil said:

Vacforming, brass, next you’ll be using CAD and 3D printing and your transfer to the dark side will be complete.

 

AW

Don't tempt me AW, don't tempt me! There is a rotor head to… no, STOP!  

 

 

With orders for vac forming stuff confirmed, although the machine is due today the PET and plaster won't be here until Wednesday, probably.

Plenty to do before then.

 

Here's where we are:

 

 

I've had a clean up on the rotor head:

 

 

Now then, I have to decide how much of a 'close up model' this is going to be.

My usual kit bashing (OK, plus a bit of fiddling) or a hendie/perdu/TheBaron/Melchie realistic tiny version?

This will, of course, be limited by my skills and patience, although not by available tools!

 

First madness. The 'intake' isn't closed at the back, it's open.

It's also just a sheet of metal, so it's thin.

Perhaps I can vac form it?

(The madness has started…)

 

I also glued it in the wrong location - too low, so it's off:

 

 

I can imagine a little sheet of plastic sucked over that, providing the rim too.

Might be worth an experiment?

 

Next is opening the top cover. it's nicely moulded on the kit:

 

 

Out with the Jeweller's saw:

 

 

Hack, chop, pillage (but stop there Vikings!)

 

 

Check Melchie's thread (again) and thin the walls back:

 

 

That'll do for a start:

 

 

Not quite there but I need to walk away and let the Inner Viking calm down before he hacks any more off…

[giemme]

You're definitely taking this to another level, Ced

 

9 minutes ago, CedB said:

can imagine a little sheet of plastic sucked over that, providing the rim too.

Go for it, it's a lot easier than it sounds and the result is gonna be way better than what you have 😉

 

Ciao

[perdu]

Wot e says

 

Go get 'em killer

 

 

 

[Spookytooth]

Way to go Ced, attack the little blighter head on, show him who`s the boss.

 

Simon.

[Bell209]

1 hour ago, CedB said:

Next is opening the top cover. it's nicely moulded on the kit:

You're as silly as me! I like making things hard for myself, too.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

19 hours ago, perdu said:

Clearly preparation for some sort of Open Day or Air Display.  Do you reckon they got away with the photo propped up under the nose claiming it’s an Apache, or did people notice?

[Biggles87]

Probably a “ proof of concept “ attack version, you can see the gun barrel under the nose.  

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

And i bet that scoop on the side hides a missile launcher, too.  After all, James Bond had missiles on his autogyro