Re-skinning

[bilge rat]

After many years away from it, a new pair of glasses has given me the final push to drag the stash out from under the bed. Over 120 kits all 1/72 WW1, mainly injection and vacform with a few resins. Thought I'd start off easy with a couple of monoplanes, a Junkers D1 (vac) from Warbirds already partially started, Morane Saulnier N from Revell, finally a Nieuport IV not sure of the manufacturer all I can say is eastern European.

 

My question relates to the Nieuport, its obviously been made on a male former. So wings ribs, etc. go in and don't stand proud, has anyone got any hints and tips on re-skinning with plasticard. What's the best adhesive without it melting the 0.005'' card. Can any one recommend any good on-line tutorials. Are there any other ways to rectify these mould defects. Any help appreciated.

[Black Knight]

Get wing plans. Lay 10 thou plasticard on top. Draw in ribs using a biro pen. As you do this the card will curve. Rub down smooth the donor wing. Attach new plasticard with ribs using Bostick or UHU glue over top of donor wing

[Paul Thompson]

Alternatively, if what you have for ribs are grooves, lay thin sprue in them and attach with a very light application of liquid cement, although if you're worried about  melting the plastic (which depends both on the exact plastic formulation and the thickness) use enamel varnish. Leave for a day then lightly sand until you're happy with the result.  This way is easier to retain the thinness of the wing, which in 1/72nd is quite important.  A coat of Halfords Grey Plastic Primer before sanding won't do  any harm. The kit you have is probably the Classic Plane if vac, which IIRC wasn't that accurate shapewise, but if injection moulded plastic is a very early Amodel kit which needs more sanding than the vac.

 

Paul.

[alancmlaird]

I find even the thinnest plastic card too thick and too difficult to cut evenly. I always use stretched sprue glued on with thin liquid poly cement onto previously scored wings (the back of a scalpel blade does the trick). A very light sanding softens off the tops of the sprue then a few coats of paint fills in the edges.

Here's one I prepared earlier....

...while the glue is still soft, a fingernail can be used to make slight adjustments to the position and straightness, which I have failed to do properly on this stalled scratch-built mash-up!

[Brandy]

Both the Amodel Nieuport IV and Revell M-S Type N are hugely inaccurate kits. 

These links might help in deciding how far you want to go in correcting them.

 

Any other info you need, please feel free to ask!

 

Have fun!

 

Ian