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Newbie scared of wrecking a kit.


MrProd

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Got back into modelling during lockdown vol 1 and have made a few kits now and getting more skilled/confident but I'm very much OOB, up until now.

I've Kittyhawks 1/48 Flanker B on the bench and its been shipped with no axles on the undercarriage! 

 

The wheels have holes 2.1mm in diameter but the bottom of the undercarriage leg has a diameter of not much more. My concern is if I try to use 2.1mm rod or tube I'll have to be very accurate when I drill into the leg. If I'm slightly off centre or off angle the drill is going to exit in a very ugly, messy way.

I'm thinking to use 1.6mm tube and before bringing the two halves of the wheel together fill them with 2 part epoxy, bring the halves together, push the tube in so the epoxy will be surrounding and inside the tube and then leave to cure and harden for a few days.

 

Does this sound like a bodge I'll regret? I'm very open to suggestions but bear in mind I don't have a clue what I'm doing and my specialist tools consist of a pin vice and an old Dremmel.

 

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Good questions. I'll try to help.

Just because the wheel has a 2.1mm hole doesn't mean you have to drill that size.

You can fit suitable tube into the wheel to reduce the diameter. Lollipop stick etc? It's not going to show if cut off flush.

Or, use sprue from the kit to fill the hole and then drill it any size to suit you.

Start with a very small hole in the leg and use the pin vice. Much easier to control & take your time. Turn a few times & check & check again.

The 1.6mm tube may fit nicely into the Lollipop stick. If not, you can do the epoxy thing, or Milliput between them.

Good luck. Pete

 

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54 minutes ago, MrProd said:

my specialist tools consist of a pin vice

One of my most useful tool is a pin vice with a sewing needle in it, in this case, make a very good centre punch,  a pilot hole will be much easier to drill into.  Also, good idea to start with a small drill bit, and then enlarge.

 

58 minutes ago, MrProd said:

I've Kittyhawks 1/48 Flanker B on the bench and its been shipped with no axles on the undercarriage! 

 

Have you tried getting spares?  No idea how easy that is, but you could start another thread.  Hmm,

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235074479-kitty-hawk-models-replacement-partshelp/

maybe not, but when i googled up "kittyhawk models replacement parts" that cam up, along with other threads

 

As for your question/problem,  a photo would help. 

 

I assume the UC leg has a mounting point for an axle,  in that case, make an axle.(assuming you can't get spares)    

 

Note, one thing that may help is "micro brass tubing slide fit" micro telescoping tubing,  you can get sizes that 'nest' into each other, eg 2mm/1.8mm/1.6mm/1.4mm

Not finding the right link at the mo, (will add when i do)  but you may find some via google

 

HTH

 

 

 

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My solution for these problems is the same you already have considered: use a smaller pin as axle, as long as it's a good robust one. Then fill the hole in the wheel with a good strong 2-componente epoxy, like the ones sold to rebuild metal bits. It will stick to plastic too and of course will stick to the metal used as new axle. Using this approach also means that you don't have to worry if the pin is not perfectly aligned as you will have room to get a good alignment between the wheel and the leg while the epoxy sets.

I would probably not use a tube though but a pin, a 1/48 Flanker is a big beast and may be heavy.

The difficult part will be drilling the hole in the undercarriage leg: go slowly and carefully, use a pin first to mark the position of the center of the hole, then do as Pete says, drill bits in a pin-vice starting with a smaller one, say 0.5 mm, then 0.75, 1 and 1.6. In this way it will be easier to get a nice straight hole in the right place and at the right angle. If you don't feel sure, try practicing on some sprue bits for a few times before committing to the undercarriage legs. And no dremel, this is not a job for a motor tool, too dangerous

 

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Nothing to add to the advice, plenty of axle solutions, but the use of a needle in a pin vice to get centre at the start is key. Start with a light mark and adjust by eye till you're happy then hand drill with a pin vice and appropriate drill size. Go slow and keep checking square from the sides. I would be drilling a smaller diameter as I would use a brass rod for strength sleeved with polystyrene to the correct diameter. 

 

Have you seen Michael Benolkin's quick build at Cybermodeler?  Covers some of the issues - including no axles supplied - and solutions.

 

https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/builds/kh/build_kh_80163.shtml

 

Ray

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Thanks for the replies gents, much appreciated. Your suggestions are all duly noted.

I'll get round to sorting out posting photos.

 

I've already had a practice drilling on my experiment mule (Tamiya 1/48 F15, the sunk cost fallacy expressed in molded styrene) with the pin vice and its nice to know my logical deductions led me to the technique described above. Started with an indentation and went through about three sizes of drill and ended up with a 1.6mil hole exactly where I wanted it.

 

Troy, thanks for the link, I'd seen this but also seen people here and elsewhere on the net saying how the email bounces and how poor Kittyhawk were at customer service. Tried the email on the off chance and got a reply in less than 24 hours! 

If they try and charge me a bunch for the postage to correct a manufacturing fault that they are responsible for I might still go down the homebuilt axle route.

 

And if I mess up there's always the aftermarket, thanks for the link corsairfoxforuncle. I'm not sure these exact ones will fit, they might be for the previous tooling.

 

If nothing else I'm going to get some practice scratch building as I'm about to attempt to make a gatling gun for a sci fi mecha kit using metal tube, styrene and a cocktail stick!

 

Thanks all

Jon

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Flanker instructions

How it should go together

 

1.6mm tube

 

The metal tube is 1.6mm so you can see if I went for 2.1mm I'd have very little margin for error.

 

Flanker wheel axle Flanker wheel axle

 

Flanker wheel

With brake disc in place the axle will have about 3 - 3.5mm before it passes through the  hole I'd drill in part B50 and then about another millimetre before meeting part B49.

I think with sufficient sticky stuff that should be rigid enough?

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With the wheels in two parts you could also do something different: build up a disc with plasticard layers that would fit between parts B49 and B50. Then drill into this a 1.6 mm hole! After you've drilled a hole in part B50, you can then glue the disc inside the same part, carefully aligning the hole in the disc with the hole in this part. If you want to be extra sure, you can then add epoxy to block the disc in place.

In this way you will have a properly aligned hole of the right size in the wheel and the mounting hole will only be larger than your tube in part B67, where you can again add some epoxy.

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Got a reply from Kittyhawk.

 

They can send me undercarriage with axles, but it'll cost me $15 in postage!

£60+ for a kit with manufacturing faults that I have to spend more money on in order to make right.🤬

I'm told that if I order another kit they can bundle them so I only pay postage once, but with the bad taste in my mouth, do I want to give more money to Kittyhawk?

 

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I feel your pain !

 

Just today, opened the Kittyhawk F101A Voodoo to discover that, instead of including the sprue for the fighter nose, what is included is the photo recon nose.

Parts were in sealed bags so the mistake [?] was made in packing.

I'm told that KH are good at replacing incorrect parts but if it's going to result in further outlay, then I'm gonna be a bit miffed !

Reckon you've got a case to argue, best of luck.

Rog

 

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I really like the Voodoo but I've been scared off that kit by bad reviews. I suspect if you want the correct nose.....$15 postage.

 

I have no problem paying postage and paying for the parts if I need replacements because I've messed up, but having to spend more to fix a problem that is all on them cheeses me off.

I've contact emodels who I bought the kit from to see if they can help. Fingers crossed but I'm not holding my breath.

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On 22/12/2020 at 11:03, MrProd said:

Got a reply from Kittyhawk.

 

They can send me undercarriage with axles, but it'll cost me $15 in postage!

did you send them a photos showing the faults, and make it clear it's a manufacturing fault,  as in THEIR fault?    

 

I really don't believe that it cost $15 to send some small parts, it's likely a flat rate postage fee. 

 

If you have got a response,  then that is a start.    

 

On 22/12/2020 at 11:32, MrProd said:

I've contact emodels who I bought the kit from to see if they can help. Fingers crossed but I'm not holding my breath.

your on better ground here, as you should be covered by UK trading standards, you have been sold something faulty,  I have seen thread on here regading Airfix QC problems, and it's often been 'take it back to the shop' as a response. 

Do send them a photo.  

  You may want to start a new thread, as your problem is not really scratchbuilding, but a faulty kit, and how to get replacement parts. 

 the chat section possibly (or ask one of the mods) and see what advice can be offered.

I know we have members who in real life have proper jobs, and could make better suggestions, hmm, @JohnT  maybe a good starting point. 

If emodels are not being helpful,  (as they deal with Kittyhawk, or their importer, they should be able to get replacement bits in with the next batch, and take replacements out of an existing kit)  you may want to mention you are discussing this online, as obviously if they do the right thing you can publically say what good service you have received ;) 

 

HTH 

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9 hours ago, Troy Smith said:

 

  You may want to start a new thread, as your problem is not really scratchbuilding, but a faulty kit, and how to get replacement parts. 

 the chat section possibly (or ask one of the mods) and see what advice can be offered.

I know we have members who in real life have proper jobs, and could make better suggestions, hmm, @JohnT  maybe a good starting point. 

 

Thanks Troy but I don't think I'll be doing that. I've already had a post deleted and been pm'd by a moderator because "BM is not the place to air issues you may have with any company." 

I don't want to be banned so.....

 

On the bright side emodels.co.uk are taking it up with the importer so here's hoping.

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To drill accurate centred holes I start with a syringe needle. These have chisel sharpened points. So if you are off centre you can cut the start hole by limited rotation in a different direction. Hope that makes sense

Deffo make a smaller axle 

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