Bristol Berkeley - 1/72 scratchbuilt - Finished!

[CarLos]

45 minutes ago, Jonners said:

Meanwhile, I'm getting bored silly with fettling wings. I tried 1mm tape for replicating rib tapes on one wing piece but found the effect to be far too pronounced for 1:72 once primer had been applied, so I rubbed the wing down (yet again) and reverted to my Edding paint pen. Paint lines were applied twice, then a coat of primer, which has given this effect:

 

And it is very effective! Can you share some details of the pen, a pic maybe? I've been training with John's bow pen method and it works very well for small wings where you can make all the ribs with a charge of ink. But for larger wings, where you must refill, it takes some time to achieve the same amount of ink debit - a matter of experience, of course.

 

Congratulations for the great topic. It's a delight to follow your build. As for the Vulcan, here's mine in the shelf of doom...

 

[Jonners]

30 minutes ago, CarLos said:

Can you share some details of the pen, a pic maybe?

Thanks for your very kind comments, CarLos; the Vulcan project has obviously had a lot of work put into it already. The pen I use is an Edding 780 with a 0.8mm tip:

 

 

It's okay, but every now and then it gives a 'splurge' of paint that elicits some naughty words and subsequent work with fine-grade wet & dry. I think I could do with a new one, to be honest.

[Jonners]

1 hour ago, pheonix said:

Try using the curves from your moulds and cut the sides from card:

That's exactly what I had in mind, Phoenix, but your reminder about the sprue method is timely - thanks. I might give it a try.

[CarLos]

10 hours ago, Jonners said:

The pen I use is an Edding 780 with a 0.8mm tip

Thanks very much! I'll try to find one soon.

[Jonners]

There comes a point in protracted builds where I find myself thinking "I'm really, really  bored with this". I definitely reached this stage with fettling the wings for the Berkeley. Usually, however, there also comes a point where I find myself thinking "Blimey - this might just work". Sound vaguely familiar?

 

Earlier today I marked more rib tapes with paint pen (yawn...), cut the lower wing piece into separate left and right wings, then cut each one again and reglued them with a level inner section and outer panels with dihedral. After a bit more fettling they were attached to the fuselage using spars of brass tube slotted through the plastic tube already incorporated into the fuselage and more plastic tube pieces cemented into the wing roots. The elevators were also cemented to the tailplanes.

 

 

While the result isn't a big step forward in build terms, psychologically it's a great leap forward and definitely one of those "Blimey..." moments.

 

There are hefty joint lines to sort out, but I'll leave it to cure overnight and work on something else in the meantime - aileron hinges, perhaps.

 

Jon

[Marklo]

1 hour ago, Jonners said:

There comes a point in protracted builds where I find myself thinking "I'm really, really  bored with this". I definitely reached this stage with fettling the wings for the Berkeley. Usually, however, there also comes a point where I find myself thinking "Blimey - this might just work". Sound vaguely familiar?

Completely. I tend to go away transfer attention to one of my many Wips and eventually return to the build. Most of my builds are subject to two or three bursts of enthusiasm and a reasonable amount of shelf time in between.

 

I also find certain tasks a bit dull like fabricating engine cylinders or making wheels so sometimes getting to a part of the build I’m not so enthusiastic about can divert progress.

 

At the moment my main build ( well once I get back to the bench) is the Wight Quadruplane which is unusual in that I haven’t put down at all. Followed by the Albatros DII which is in its third bout of activity and the Sopwith triplane which is in its second. 

Edited May 10, 2020 by Marklo

[Brandy]

I like your idea for rib tapes. It looks as though they are slightly raised but not too much, which is the same problem I have right now with my FE8. Might just try that!

 

Ian

[pheonix]

Yes I do know the feeling Jon! I have had to shape 50 ribs and 50 compression ribs - and managed to make a mess of the last four ribs for the second time!! Grrrrr. However I am now in the process of making struts (Those b.... ribs can wait until later), and then I hope to be able to solder the lower wing spars to the nacelle frame. Then I will have something resembling an aeroplane  and begin to feel that I really am getting somewhere and be ready to assemble all of the parts currently residing in a box.

 

P

[Jonners]

3 hours ago, limeypilot said:

I like your idea for rib tapes. It looks as though they are slightly raised but not too much

The other thing that I like about using the paint pen, Ian, is that its paint is glossy and gives a different sheen to the top coat (silver/aluminium, in this case) if the paint pen is applied over matt primer. It’s quite a subtle effect, but I think it works in 1:72.

Jon

[airscale]

4 hours ago, Jonners said:

There comes a point in protracted builds where I find myself thinking "I'm really, really  bored with this". I definitely reached this stage with fettling the wings for the Berkeley. Usually, however, there also comes a point where I find myself thinking "Blimey - this might just work". Sound vaguely familiar?

 

 

Please don't get bored I am sure I speak for many when I say this is highly enjoyable & motivational

 

Peter

[Marklo]

2 minutes ago, airscale said:

 

Please don't get bored I am sure I speak for many when I say this is highly enjoyable & motivational

I agree most profoundly. It’s builds like this that make the forums interesting.

[Jonners]

1 hour ago, airscale said:

 

Please don't get bored I am sure I speak for many when I say this is highly enjoyable & motivational

 

1 hour ago, Marklo said:

It’s builds like this that make the forums interesting.

Gosh, (do people still say "gosh"?) those are nice things to say about my fairly mediocre modelling abilities. Thankyou. No pressure, Jon...

[Jonners]

Finally for today, here's the first of a pair of mainwheels made using the O-rings as recommended by JohnAero: 

 

 

The valve aperture needs to be darkened and there's a tiny dent on the rim, but it's a huge improvement on my previous effort using solder wire. I made a 9.5mm central disc from 60 thou plastic card to which I cemented 10mm outer discs cut from 10 thou card to slightly overlap the 'tyre'. It seems to work okay.

Jon

[Martian]

This is coming along beautifully Jonners. To chuck it in now would incur our blurglecruncheon armed Galactic displeasure. 

 

Martian 👽

[Jonners]

Oh, dear (insert supreme deity of choice), no - not that! Anything, anything but...the blurglecruncheon!

 

Unfortunately, Martian, I don't seem to be able to find an emoji expressing abject terror at the threat of a stroppy alien wielding a special-effect-based WMD. Soz. I quite like yours, though!

[Martian]

53 minutes ago, Jonners said:

Oh, dear (insert supreme deity of choice), no - not that! Anything, anything but...the blurglecruncheon!

 

Unfortunately, Martian, I don't seem to be able to find an emoji expressing abject terror at the threat of a stroppy alien wielding a special-effect-based WMD. Soz. I quite like yours, though!

Its just easier and safer to finish the model.

 

Reasonable of Mars 👽

[AdrianMF]

Wow. Nice wings and wheels. I can see myself having a look on eBay for o rings and Edding 780s. You should be on commission!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Martian]

6 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

 I can see myself having a look on eBay for o rings

I hope  @CedB isn't reading this. Oops, he probably is now!

 

Martian 👽

[pheonix]

10 hours ago, Jonners said:

 

Gosh, (do people still say "gosh"?) those are nice things to say about my fairly mediocre modelling abilities. Thankyou. No pressure, Jon...

There is nothing mediocre about this build, in fact you are offering ideas which many of us, (scratch builders and otherwise), can make good use of on our own models.

 

P

[Jonners]

8 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

You should be on commission!

 

12 minutes ago, pheonix said:

you are offering ideas which many of us, (scratch builders and otherwise), can make good use of on our own models.

Credit where it’s due: I’m only trying out ideas that I’ve gleaned from other Britmodellers. Thanks for the encouraging comments, though!

[Gondor44]

13 hours ago, Jonners said:

Finally for today, here's the first of a pair of mainwheels made using the O-rings as recommended by JohnAero: 

 

 

The valve aperture needs to be darkened and there's a tiny dent on the rim, but it's a huge improvement on my previous effort using solder wire. I made a 9.5mm central disc from 60 thou plastic card to which I cemented 10mm outer discs cut from 10 thou card to slightly overlap the 'tyre'. It seems to work okay.

Jon

Oh that looks good 👍

 

Gondor

[Jonners]

Here's an illustrated quickie to show how I've tweaked JohnAero's technique very slightly to make the Berkeley's wheels.

 

Firstly I drew two 9.5mm diameter circles on 60 thou plastic card and four 10mm circles on 10 thou card, then trimmed the plastic very close to the circle with a Stanley knife. The central hole was drilled with a 1.6mm bit to take the screw at the end of my Dremel attachment:

 

 

The pieces were rounded off with moist 800-grit wet & dry paper using the Dremel as a mini-lathe held against my leg. The 60 thou pieces were checked repeatedly against an O-ring to ensure a snug fit, like this:

 

 

They then had holes drilled as recesses behind the wheel cover valve access slots. The 10 thou wheel cover pieces had two small holes drilled and then trimmed to make those valve access slots. Here are the pieces, with the previous wheel on the right and tiny pieces of 1.6mm plastic rod to go in the hub holes:

 

 

The 60 thou pieces aren't precisely circular, but as they will be hidden it isn't important.

 

The inside wheel cover pieces were cemented to the 60 thou hub pieces using cocktail sticks as a central guides, then the holes for the valve access recesses were darkened by using the highly technical medium of a Sharpie pen. The outer wheel covers were then cemented into place with the valve access slot over the recess. The O-rings were also matted down by rubbing with the wet & dry paper. At this point they look like this, with the previous wheel and earlier solder-tyred version on the right:

 

 

The short pieces of plastic tube were then cemented into the central holes; these will eventually take 0.8mm brass rod when I construct the undercarriage and, although they look rough now, will have a tiny cap put over them on the outboard covers. 

 

The plastic hubs were painted with aerosol Humbrol polished aluminium and, once the paint had dried, the O-rings were popped into place between the two slightly wider outer discs: Here they are on the right with the previous wheel on the left:

 

 

In fairness the outer disc was a neater circle on my first attempt, but a suitable cap or nut placed over the central hub tube will improve the look of the wheels.

 

Hope that was useful!

 

Jon

[pheonix]

That is not useful.....it is extremely useful!! Thanks!!!

 

P

[tomprobert]

I've somehow managed to miss this thread - now I've found it I will be a regular visitor. 

 

Exceptional skills on show here - not to mention some fantastic techniques that I'll be unashamedly stealing!

 

Tom

[woody37]

Brilliant modelling, just caught up with this. Never thought of O rings before, what a great idea and brilliantly executed too. Also, the paint pen. I've normally cut thin strips of solar trim, very tedious and sharp edges that needs lots of primer to round off, but the pen is a marvellous idea. 

 

Superb build to date