Galligraphics Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 Lots of head scratching but not as much progress as I’d have liked – it’s still too cold out in the workshop and Mrs G has been working from home, so table space has been limited. However, I managed to spend a bit of time on this today. I realised that the Fujimi F-4 that I have in the stash has both opened and closed canopy options - so instead of fiddling around trying to cut the Aeroclub vacform to the right size, I can use the Fujimi closed canopy. Of course, that does mean I'll have to chop away bits from around the Matchbox cockpit... I also bit the bullet and cut out the nose wheel bay, because the kit's shallow version just looks wrong to me. I'll create something that looks like a NWB but without going to town on any detailing. Of course, I'll also have to figure out how to fix the leg - to which I've added the two sets of scissor links (it's GOT to be an FG1 now). I fettled the intake at the root of the tail, and cut out the two air intakes on the fuselage flanks (sorry about the rather blurry photo which seems to have focused on my palm...) and finally tidied up the two belly air intakes and cut two doors for them from plastic card - the irregular parts stuck to them will give me something to stick into the recess and wont be seen once completed. That's all for now - need to get the dinner on in time to be ready for when Mrs G gets home... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted February 15, 2022 Author Share Posted February 15, 2022 Here's a better photo of the auxiliary air intakes which looked FAR too big in the photo above... didn't want anyone to think it was a picture window... 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted February 15, 2022 Share Posted February 15, 2022 Nice work on the cutting out and the ram jet intake. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 All progress is good progress so that's always a positive step. Those fuselage cut outs and canopy scallops look great and this will end up a much better kit for all these little enhancements. Nice work. Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted February 21, 2022 Author Share Posted February 21, 2022 (edited) Little bit more progress over the weekend... boxed in the two sets of cutouts... (note to self - don't forget to fill in the inaccurate panel lines below the flank cutouts when you tidy them up). Done some work to add a bit of detail to the pit - cut down the sides and added just a few scraps of plastic card. Hopefully it will look a bit better once painted (and don't forget the lid will be on...) I've also started to box in the nose wheel bay (the bottom of the pit tub will form part of the top of the nwb). You'll also notice a cutout on the right of the nwb in the above picture... this is to do with these little resin mouldings in the pic below which I took from a more accurate kit, using Oyumaru reuseable putty to create the mould. Watch this space... Edited February 21, 2022 by Galligraphics minor tweak to wording 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted March 2, 2022 Author Share Posted March 2, 2022 Blimey has it been that long since I did anything on this? I'm lucky Pat and Dave haven't started nudging me... . Following my last post I have tried grafting the two vent parts (copied from another kit) either side of the nose wheel bay (the Matchbox kit completely ignores them. Initially I'd thought of simply applying them as decals but, no I had to go for the more troublesome solution... I've made a bit of a mess. I will try and fill the gaps and tidy up a bit, then stand back and decide whether the existing ones will do or have another go with the spares... In other news, I've added a few bits and pieces of stretched sprue and plasticard to the chopped about Matchbox pit, and with a quick coat of primer (Hycote rattle can - I bought a joblot when they had a special 25% extra deal; it's great stuff), I'm happy that when I've had a go at it with some paint, and the seats are in, it'll look fine through the canopy (which will be shut). The seats have had a blast with primer as well and hopefully once painted (and fuse wire handles added) they should look suitably busy. The exhaust nozzle is a bit of an experiment - the original (shallow) Matchbox part has been drilled out, and I've moulded a copy of the "innards" from another kit's exhaust - with the addition of some suitable tubing I'm hoping it'll look okay... we'll see... What's that? The thing in the background? 🤔 Oh you mean the Airfix Angel Interceptor with some added cockpit detail? I suppose I should start a new WIP thread for that in the Sci-Fi section ... 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 You’re all good @Galligraphics, any update is a good update and there’s too much activity within this GB to go pestering other members. Either way @JOCKNEY’s better at playing ‘Bad Cop’ than I, but I’m sure your not in his sights as yet, those on pages 10 and 11 might not be so lucky! Your Phantom is looking really good, nice work. Cheers.. Dave 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted March 3, 2022 Share Posted March 3, 2022 11 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said: Either way @JOCKNEY’s better at playing ‘Bad Cop’ than I, but I’m sure your not in his sights as yet, You are now 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted March 4, 2022 Share Posted March 4, 2022 Love the cut and shut with those vents. I've only just figured out that they are missing from the kit! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted March 4, 2022 Author Share Posted March 4, 2022 1 hour ago, 71chally said: I've only just figured out that they are missing from the kit! But once you've noticed, you can't unsee that blank space... However, I do wonder if I could have got away with a home-printed decal instead of the rather more drastic bodgery that I'm attempting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted March 9, 2022 Author Share Posted March 9, 2022 Not a lot been happening here so just a very brief update - I decided that the first attempt at grafting the vents either side of the nose wheel bay wasn't good enough, so I moulded a second set and here they are duly inserted. They'll need blending in with a bit of filler and sanding, but I'm much happier with these. Incidentally, in the background you'll notice that, whilst I was playing with resin, I took a copy of the (later more accurate version) nose moulding so I can replace that in my earlier Matchbox Phantom kit in due course. The only other progress is with the cockpit - I've painted the pit and seats and added part of an ip decal to the back seaters ip from an old Modeldecal sheet. That's about it for now... Thanks for looking, Nige 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted March 9, 2022 Share Posted March 9, 2022 The cockpit tub looks great, cracking work. Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
71chally Posted March 9, 2022 Share Posted March 9, 2022 Great work, likewise lovin the cockpit work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 You're really going to town on this one! All the modifications are looking so much better than the kit parts, especially the cockpit. Good idea with the canopy as well. I feel suitably shamed for wimping out and going box stock. 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 (edited) 15 hours ago, TonyW said: You're really going to town on this one! All the modifications are looking so much better than the kit parts, especially the cockpit. Good idea with the canopy as well. I feel suitably shamed for wimping out and going box stock. 😉 Yeah but you've finished and have a nice looking model as a result, whereas I haven't even managed to get the fuselage buttoned up yet... . I'm currently thinking about moulding a couple of exhaust cans from either the Fujimi or Airfix model... I've tried using Fastglas (from Halfords, designed to be used with fibreglass matting), but it is too viscous to flow properly into all the nooks and crannies of the mould, so I'm currently awaiting delivery of some "proper" resin... Hopefully once that has turned up I'll be able to make a bit more progress - which should keep @JOCKNEY or @Rabbit Leader from tapping me on the shoulder... 😉 Cheers, Nige Edited April 2, 2022 by Galligraphics 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 47 minutes ago, Galligraphics said: .. I've tried using Fastglas (from Halfords, designed to be used with fibreglass matting), but it is too viscous to flow properly into all the nooks and crannies of the mould, so I'm currently awaiting delivery of some "proper" resin... Hi Nige, Know what you mean about Halfords resin but I have found that if you don't add too much hardener, keep it warm and use it immediately it is usually OK, particularly when injected under pressure from a cheapo medical type syringe, but then I use a different type of mould which is a sort of gel which can be re-melted and used many times - it's called Composimold. It is getting a bit expensive now - 10oz costs £19 but it lasts me years. Of course your putty is going to be better for some things where you cannot actually put the original into the moulding material and can only press it against it. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted April 1, 2022 Author Share Posted April 1, 2022 22 minutes ago, PeterB said: Know what you mean about Halfords resin but I have found that if you don't add too much hardener, keep it warm and use it immediately it is usually OK, particularly when injected under pressure from a cheapo medical type syringe Thanks Pete - I'll have to try using a syringe (the issues I've had have usually been because the resin wouldn't flow into the corners - but if I can squeeze the syringe into the corners that might solve the problem...). Cheers, Nige 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted April 6, 2022 Author Share Posted April 6, 2022 Just a very brief update this evening - I've (finally) closed up the fuselage, although I haven't added the separate underside part because I still need to figure out what I'm doing with the exhaust cans (see above). However, this is a final look at the cockpit before I add the canopy - I'm quite pleased with it considering the only aftermarket parts are two fairly poor Milliput moulded copies of Aeroclub ejection seats, with pull handles from bent up wire sourced from around a bottle of Rioja, IIRC, and a few bits of plasticard... Once the lid is on it won't be too visible anyway. I took the advice of James (@71chally) and added some sprue to keep the fuselage sides at a suitable distance apart - it isn't very pretty but it won't be seen once finished.... That's all for now. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted April 6, 2022 Share Posted April 6, 2022 That's a very busy cockpit, great to see this one progressing Cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted April 12, 2022 Author Share Posted April 12, 2022 On 4/6/2022 at 10:14 PM, Galligraphics said: I still need to figure out what I'm doing with the exhaust cans I think I've now decided what I'm doing, after some experimentation... From left to right above: 1 - resin casting from an Oyumaru mould of an Airfix part - this just proves that the mould wasn't sharp enough. 2 - Fastglas casting from the Oyumaru mould, cut down and inserted into the hollowed out Matchbox tailpipe. Better than the original kit item, but it was going to annoy me that the casting was uneven and not sharp enough. 3 - Fastglas casting from a "proper" rubber mould. Better, but as discussed earlier in this thread the Fastglas is too thick to flow into all parts of the mould. 4 - I think this'll do - resin cast from the rubber mould of the Airfix part. Once painted and backed with suitable tubing it will look good enough. and for completeness... 5 - Fastglas cast from a moulding of the Fujimi tailpipe and 6 - Resin cast from the same moulding of the Fujimi part - nothing wrong with the Fujimi part or the resin I used; just proves that the mould wasn't good enough - too many bubbles. Another look at the winner - the cream part in the middle. Hopefully I'll be able to cast a couple more copies which I can use for my other Matchbox Phantom (to be built at some stage in the indeterminate future). Nige 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psdavidson Posted April 12, 2022 Share Posted April 12, 2022 Did you slip in an orange Polo 2nd from the right to see if we were paying attention? /P 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted April 22, 2022 Author Share Posted April 22, 2022 Very quick update. I decided against the orange Polos and instead went for the resin cast copies of the Airfix exhaust can - seen here primed and with cut lengths of old pens Araldited to the bottom to give some depth. Hopefully now I can start making some proper progress with this thing - I'm running out of time... Just visible in the upper background are some cast copies of a pilot from the Dinky version of the Phantom - I have a couple under restoration at the moment and might try and paint one in a similar scheme to this model... Cheers, Nige 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnlambert Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 On 12/04/2022 at 19:20, psdavidson said: Did you slip in an orange Polo 2nd from the right to see if we were paying attention? /P Pontefract cake, white chocolate button and orange Polo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 Great progress and nice resin additions. Looking great. Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galligraphics Posted April 28, 2022 Author Share Posted April 28, 2022 It is beginning to look a bit more like a Phantom. Wings are on, with the ailerons added back with a slight droop, and the nose and intakes added. I should add that I carried out a little bit of reshaping to the intake lips as suggested by @71chally in his own Phantom thread - thanks, James. Cockpit has been dipped in Klear and just placed in position to double check that it will fit properly - I think it might need a little filler in places where I cut too much out of the fuselage (perhaps that can be achieved with the glue I use) and possibly some tidying up where the edges stick out slightly along the bottom. We'll see... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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