Bandsaw Steve Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Exactly! Gotta be practical. I’ve been known to resort to the odd bit of after-market, 3D printing and spare kit parts myself. No big deal if it saves you pulling out your hair. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Looks good so far! I’m intrigued by the open construction - tissue and dope? Regards, Adrian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 21, 2021 Author Share Posted August 21, 2021 2 hours ago, AdrianMF said: Looks good so far! I’m intrigued by the open construction - tissue and dope? Regards, Adrian Thanks Adrian, I'm intending to skin with 0.15mm styrene. Experiments suggest it will be translucent enough. Will need to be very tidy to avoid using a lot putty and paint. I'm usually very messy, so this will be testing! Richie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 Looks good so far. Scratch building doesn’t have to always be scratch building, I treat myself to the odd engine and make full use of the spares box as well as making resin casts of kit parts, all part of the fun. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putty Animal Posted August 21, 2021 Share Posted August 21, 2021 I love the decking on the rear fuselage. Congratulations on the wingnut care package too. I reckon that will look right at home in the Be2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
europapete Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 Great job so far! getting back to page 1, the egg shaped thing on the front is the reduction gear housing. It holds two gears that allow the prop to turn slower than the engine. The little triangle webs are not for cooling, but to add support/strengthen the round shaft housing. Ok, tech session over, back to the main event. Regards, Pete in RI 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 22, 2021 Author Share Posted August 22, 2021 10 hours ago, europapete said: Great job so far! getting back to page 1, the egg shaped thing on the front is the reduction gear housing. It holds two gears that allow the prop to turn slower than the engine. The little triangle webs are not for cooling, but to add support/strengthen the round shaft housing. Ok, tech session over, back to the main event. Regards, Pete in RI Thanks Pete, I really appreciate that. My technical knowledge is miniscule so am glad of all the help I can get! Richie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fozzy Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 Richie.....great start with this BE2c!....it's good that you have manufactured parts for the engine....but my advice (for what its worth) is to scratch build the engine along side the kit parts and copy what you see....you'll be surprised what you can achieve with a little practice!...I mean ...you started out brilliantly!...I will enjoy watching what ever you do in any case so keep up the great work!🙂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 Cheers Fozzy, your advice is worth a huge amount to me! Thanks for dropping by. 😃 Richie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 As.much as it pains me to say it, you might want to tear a sheet of parchment out of @Bandsaw Steves antipodean scrolls. I believe he used bolts with a fine thread to represent the cooling fins on engine cylinders and it worked out nicely. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Very true! I have found that a degree of contempt for difficult and abstract concepts such as ‘accuracy’ is also very useful. 🤪 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted September 12, 2021 Author Share Posted September 12, 2021 I have not updated this for a while because very little has been done due entirely to life getting in the way, not in bad way though! Last time I was whooping with delight after a friend kindly sent me an engine sprue I could use the cylinders from. After assembling and painting the cylinders I started to fit them but realised that the engine cover will need to be mounted to the engine before mounting to the frame. This would need to match the fuselage shape. I decided the best way ahead for me would be to finish the fuselage cell by cell so; IMG-20210911-WA0000 by Richard Williams, on Flickr I made the next beam and struts along from laminated styrene then sprayed all the 'wood' with Hycote filler/primer. I have grown to love this stuff.It coats very smoothly straight from the rattle can but best of all it's a great base colour for wooden structures. Yesterday I made a start on the instrument panel, the shape was cut from styrene to which I then added a layer of wood veneer. The wood was given a coat of clear orange then sealed with extra thin CA glue. I decided that rather than using my Airscale bezels (which are excellent) that I would try to make the instruments myself. I started by punching a disc from aluminium sheet, 3mm alu tube was then reamed out to make the wall thinner before cutting a slice by rolling with my scalpel. The walls are still to thick but I found they buckled if I made them any thinner. Starting instrument panel by Richard Williams, on Flickr Rivets were then added using my cutting matt to help keep the alignment within reasonable limits Starting instrument panel by Richard Williams, on Flickr The centre was then filled with black paint Starting instrument panel by Richard Williams, on Flickr A few more hours playing with brass tube and wire and this is where I left it today; 20210912_161853 by Richard Williams, on Flickr I ended up resorting to using a couple of Airscale decals (they are excellent!) after failing miserably to make a realistic enough instrument faces. The last photo shows the finished woodwork. I don't think I really needed to add studs to the pilots back support, I can't see them even with my glasses on but it was fun to do. BE2c 'woodwork' progress by Richard Williams, on Flickr Many thanks for reading, I hope you are all well. Richie 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 Oh my word, what a fantastic update and worth the wait. Wowee you own instruments too. The studs in the back rest cushion too. Really great work Richie. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_t Posted September 12, 2021 Share Posted September 12, 2021 This is some quality work, here. That wood effect is superb, and the instruments are fantastic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted September 12, 2021 Author Share Posted September 12, 2021 Thanks Clive and Chris, I'm trying to push myself with this one and make as much of it myself. Photo etch instrument bezels would definitely make life a lot easier and be more delicate but nowhere near as much fun! Richie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bandsaw Steve Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 7 hours ago, clive_t said: This is some quality work, here. That wood effect is superb, and the instruments are fantastic Yep! Wot he said! 👍👍👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maginot Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Thanks for sharing your materials and methods, especially the use of auto acrylic primer-filler. Much food for thought. Fine work; good progress. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Lovely work Richie. A tip for the bezels. I often cut slivers of tube, then I drop it over a rat tail file and keep rotating the part against the file with my thumb and fingers - you can get down to some really fine wall thicknesses that way 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 7 minutes ago, hendie said: Lovely work Richie. A tip for the bezels. I often cut slivers of tube, then I drop it over a rat tail file and keep rotating the part against the file with my thumb and fingers - you can get down to some really fine wall thicknesses that way I will try that Hendie, sounds like a fine idea! I found another way today as you will see but that sounds like an excellent technique to try. A rats tail file is a tool I must have, I have found a supplier of miniature washers (Prime Miniatures) which would save the need for cutting slivers of tube. Well I finally had an entire day free for the firs time in ages and cracked on with the instrument panel. Here is one of James Fahey's brilliant photographs of the real thing; TVAL BE2c instrument panel, PHOTO BY JAMES FAHEY. by Richard Williams, on Flickr I made the compass next from bits of styrene rod and brass tube. It was a fiddly business but nothing complicated, the compass face is just a miniature brass washer. Scratch built BE2c Instrument panel by Richard Williams, on Flickr The last two bezels were made differently from the first. This time I made wire rings by winding 0.25mm tinned copper wire round a 3mm tube and cut them off with a scalpel. One of the rings had to be flattened so I used my engineers square as an anvil and bashed it with the hammer from my punch and die set. The rings were then stuck down with Future Floor Wax so I had time to position them correctly. The instruments were then finished off with black paint, an Airscale decal and 0.25mm rivets. Scratch built BE2c Instrument panel by Richard Williams, on Flickr Airscale instrument decals and other after market parts are great and I have nothing against them but I want to do a 100% scratch build one day so will need to print my own from now on. The original has a beautiful dark stain by the fuel gauge but after spending a few days on making this I just can't bring myself to make it look filthy. Scratch built BE2c Instrument panel by Richard Williams, on Flickr I am really chuffed with it, it's close enough to the original but most importantly I think I had more fun with this part of the build than anything I have done before. Next I need to make the pilot's seat, thankfully it isn't wicker, the observer's seat is though. Looks like I might be using another aftermarket part then... Many thanks for stopping by and reading. If anybody has ever scratched a wicker seat before I would love some tips please! Richie 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Lovely work again. That UP is looking great. I sort of scratch built a wicker seat in either my Camel, or F2b thread (I think). It's been a while but I seem to remember doing something seat wise in one or both of those threads. Don't quote me in that though 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 Just now, hendie said: Lovely work again. That UP is looking great. I sort of scratch built a wicker seat in either my Camel, or F2b thread (I think). It's been a while but I seem to remember doing something seat wise in one or both of those threads. Don't quote me in that though Cheers Hendie, do you have a link to those builds? I would love to see them. I'll see if I can use the search menu if not. Richie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 I'll try and add links later - I'm supposed to be working at the mo, and doing it on the phone is a real pita Page 1 of this build... Oops, can't get the link to work but these photos should explain the process 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 Don't worry I just found it on your Camel build, I will definitely be following that technique! Wonderful Camel btw! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted September 13, 2021 Share Posted September 13, 2021 Ah, you beat me to it then 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted September 13, 2021 Author Share Posted September 13, 2021 6 minutes ago, hendie said: Ah, you beat me to it then Keen to learn! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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