Alan Carr Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 I’m working on a Czech Models 1/48 N.A. FJ-1 Fury and I’ve hit a problem. It has two vacformed canopies, I’ve found that there is creases across the tops. They do push out but afterwards there can be seen the creases slightly. Now can they be treated like scratches and polished out or is there another process for a crease, Squadron have of course ceased to trade so no replacements there. your thoughts on this problem would be most appreciated Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted October 16, 2021 Share Posted October 16, 2021 You could try hot water. And Squadron have been bought and are trading again I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 Squadron does not show an FJ-1 canopy in stock, nor have I seen one on a well-known auction site. If you or a friend have access to a vacuform machine, you could fill one of your canopies with modeling clay or plaster to reinforce it and then use the canopy as a master to vacuform or plunge mold a new one. Mike Possibly someone who has built the same kit might have the extra canopy to spare- you could post a query in the 'wanted' section, but you must have made 100 posts before you are allowed to post in that section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Carr Posted October 17, 2021 Author Share Posted October 17, 2021 Many thanks for your input, I wondered if I vacform another canopy is there a danger that the crease could be duplicated so I have to get that sorted. Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warhawk Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 Unfortunately, there's no sure remedy for this problem (speaking from my own experience of working with vac canopies, and even making some on my own). Once the vacuform plastic becomes dented, every attempt to force it the other way only produces more microscopic cracks, which manifest as white lines or blotches on Your canopy. Also, every attempt to correct it locally with heat will result in warping the entire part (the part is often just too small to have just a part of it heated and not affect everything else). regards, Aleksandar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted October 17, 2021 Share Posted October 17, 2021 Vac forming will copy what you have, almost exactly. What I would do is press the faulty canopy out to shape. Slick it's inside with some cooking oil then press a block of mixed Milliput into the faulty canopy. Then, after removing the hardened Milliput block, the 'buck', work on it to make the area where the fault is perfectly smooth. Then vac form, or plunge mould, aka crash mould, over that buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Carr Posted October 17, 2021 Author Share Posted October 17, 2021 I have seen various vacform machines on the internet and I have found a company selling the canopy more of this as and when they turn up Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealMrEd Posted October 19, 2021 Share Posted October 19, 2021 My $.02 worth is to use Durham's Water putty to fill the inside of the vacuform canopy, to stiffen it up for vacu-forming. Either before or after this step, dip the entire canopy into Pledge Floor Care Finish, or whatever it's called where you are, 3 or 4 times (letting dry between coats). After each coat of pledge has dried (drain onto a paper towel and cover with a cup or whatever to protect from dust), check your defect area under a good light from various angles, and preferably, under magnification. When the defect has physically (not necessarily visually) disappeared, you are good to go. You can even further polish the Pledge before forming, if desired. Feel free to ask how I know... Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Carr Posted October 19, 2021 Author Share Posted October 19, 2021 Did you buy or make the vacform machine, did you find that it was a good investment? Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 I bought one of those small 'dental' vac forming machines about 12 years ago. It cost me just under £100 At an average of a bought vac canopy costing £4 I need to have used it more than 25 times, and I have, much more than that. If there is a vac canopy available on the market I might prefer to buy it so where my vac machine wins out is making canopies which are not available, eg 1/72 E,E. Lightning F3/F6, 1/72 Harrier GR3 or GR5, 1/72 Hawker Hunter and many others Being able to make replacement canopies for kits saves that kit from the bin Just one eg. I had a Shorts SC.1 resin kit with yellowed and mis-shaped canopies. I made a plaster buck from one good shaped canopy and made a new canopy over it I've also picked up a load of kits cheap because the canopy was missing. As long as I have another kit with the same canopy I can make copies. If you do a lot of modelling, especially of odd types, a vac former is worth the money The primary purpose we buy the vac former is for canopies but it can be used to make other parts or moulds for parts as well. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted October 20, 2021 Share Posted October 20, 2021 14 hours ago, Black Knight said: it can be used to make other parts or moulds for parts as well. Definitely! I bought a dental vac former from a dentist who was retiring for a very good price many years ago. (They use these machines to make mouthpieces and night guards, as I recall) If you need a tub for a wheel bay. you can vacform over a suitably sized kit wheel to make a tub and trim to fit- this worked great to make the tubs for the old Airfix Harvard kit, which had open spaces where the wheel bays were. The dental vacuform machine also lets you use polycarbonate plastics, which have a much higher heating point, but are much clearer and come in more thicknesses than the plastic sheets used on many commercially available vacuform transparencies. If you vacuform over metal corrugated HO railroad building parts, you get a beautiful ribbed panel to cut and use in wheel bays and interiors! Mike 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Carr Posted October 21, 2021 Author Share Posted October 21, 2021 I have ordered a replacement canopy from a company called IROSEK, I have hit a problem with the payment, but I will keep you advised how things go Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Carr Posted October 29, 2021 Author Share Posted October 29, 2021 So this company hasn’t come up with the goods, but thanks to PayPal I’ve got my money back. Now I’ll be going the vacform route and will invest in one of the dentist vacform units and thanks again for all your helpful suggestions previously Best wishes Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Carr Posted October 29, 2021 Author Share Posted October 29, 2021 On 19/10/2021 at 19:26, TheRealMrEd said: My $.02 worth is to use Durham's Water putty to fill the inside of the vacuform canopy, to stiffen it up for vacu-forming. Either before or after this step, dip the entire canopy into Pledge Floor Care Finish, or whatever it's called where you are, 3 or 4 times (letting dry between coats). After each coat of pledge has dried (drain onto a paper towel and cover with a cup or whatever to protect from dust), check your defect area under a good light from various angles, and preferably, under magnification. When the defect has physically (not necessarily visually) disappeared, you are good to go. You can even further polish the Pledge before forming, if desired. Feel free to ask how I know... Ed would you say that Milliput is a good alternative to Durham’s Water putty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRealMrEd Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 Alan, I worry that the Milliput is much more adhesive than than the water putty. That being said, if you coat the canopy with a few coats of Pledge polish first, you should be able to get them to separate using ammonia or Wi ndex with ammonia, is what I use. This is only speculation on my part as I have never tried the Milliput for this purpose, and I would first try it on a scrap canopy, or half an old wing tank or the like. Good Luck, Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Knight Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 I have used Milliput to make a buck for vac forming over I used a smear coating of olive oil on the inside of the old canopy The buck just popped out no problem 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Carr Posted October 30, 2021 Author Share Posted October 30, 2021 Thank you both Regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPuente54 Posted November 6, 2021 Share Posted November 6, 2021 For US modellers, Micro-Mark does have 2-3 vacuum forming machines in stock for doing your own vac-forming. They can sell overseas; I believe that they can adjust the voltage to work on UK and/or European electrical lines. You can write them to ask. There is/are a couple of dealers on BM's "Dealers" section who can sell or let you know who does sell these devices. HTH Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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