Navy Bird Posted September 13 Author Posted September 13 On 11/09/2025 at 20:35, perdu said: It'd be good to see you though Bill... Well, I'll be at SMW so we can catch up then. On 12/09/2025 at 04:23, scautomoton said: So its just someone's ego trip to show everyone how successful they are? How very humble of them. Rinse that bar! No one arrived by helicopter so I guess they just wanted to be anonymous. I'm OK with that. The bummer so far is that nearly 25% of my class have already passed. That seems like a lot to me, seeing as I'm only 70. But then, I'm not up to date with the mortality statistics... One more event to go, and then I can get back to the Sea Vixen. Cheers, Bill PS. Of course they printed up name tags with our yearbook pictures. My wife is a babe and I'm a dork. PPS. Come to think of it, my wife is still a babe and I'm still a dork. PPPS. "Hi, my name is Bill, and I haven't had a drink since...oh, I don't know, maybe breakfast?" 9
perdu Posted September 14 Posted September 14 11 hours ago, Navy Bird said: Well, I'll be at SMW so we can catch up then. Wont be long now Bill, see you soon. 2
woody37 Posted September 14 Posted September 14 Now this looks good, hope you don't mind me dropping popcorn down my t-shirt as I follow! 1
Navy Bird Posted September 18 Author Posted September 18 How about a couple of quick pix? First, the inner wing sections attached to the main fuselage: Only one goof. The inner wing sections have the pegs that position to and align with the fuselage. Somehow, the starboard inner wing lost its pegs. My guess is that I cut them off when extracting the part. Pay attention, Bill! Easy fix with some brass tubing. A slather or two of putty and I just noticed that the inner wing pylons are already there. I don't remember adding them, so I'll chalk it up to the miracle of 3D printing. Next, it's boom time! The booms and tailplane are all one piece, and that made it very easy to get things aligned properly. I still have additional putty work to do, but it is beginning to look like a proper Vixen. I know it looks pretty fugly right now, but trust me - she will look a lot nicer when she's got a coat or two of paint. It would be remiss of me to not mention that I made a big boo-boo. As you can see above, the elevator and the rudders are separate bits. I like that, I can pose them. When removing the elevator, though, I was cutting away at the forest of fingers with a miniature, very fine toothed saw that fits into a #11 blade holder. Just as I finished cutting through the first of the larger fingers (at one end) they all snapped away and my elevator broke into five pieces. Very brittle stuff this 3D resin. Nice, clean breaks - so I glued everything back together and it should be OK. I'm not sure what I did wrong, but I'll try not to do it again! Cheers, Bill 21 1
perdu Posted September 19 Posted September 19 Yeah Bill, don't do it again. But carry on, its looking rather elite, y'know. 1
David H Posted September 19 Posted September 19 Even in only it's partially assembled state, you can tell The Baron really captured the look of the fuselage. It's a tricky shape to get right, and i'm surprised model companies had so much trouble getting this aspect dialed in. This one is not too porky, and not too pointy.... 1 1
Navy Bird Posted September 28 Author Posted September 28 Department of Corrections: Inattentive Forest Finger Removal Compounded by Overzealous Sanding/Grinding/Cutting Thank the guy upstairs for styrene card. How exactly I removed the bit near the top of the rudder is a mystery. The rudder on the port side fits quite nicely, and I used the top portion from its fin as a template for the corrective part here on starboard. Also please note the "molecular" fix at the bottom of the rudder at the hinge. See that teeny bit of white? Without it, there would be a very noticeable gap. This was for sure caused by me cleaning up the attachment points and going beyond the call of duty. Dolt. The repair started out as two bits of card stock glued together (to get the right thickness), glued to the rudder, and then sanded down to the appropriate number of molecules (i.e. not many, but more than you might expect). Needless to say, still a bit of cleaning up here and there. I added the gear struts, and they seem real solid to me. I've just about finished the repair on the broken elevator, turns out it was only four pieces, not five. But who's counting? Since the model will be displayed with engine covers off, radome open, and canopy open (maybe) it's obvious this baby is parked. Accordingly, the rudders and elevators should be in a neutral position - correct? Someone please tell before the glue sets... Cheers, Bill 18 1
Navy Bird Posted October 8 Author Posted October 8 The basic airframe is ready for some paint after attaching the elevator, rudders and tail cone. I made the decision to depart from the recommended assembly procedure, hoping that I can get the engines in later on. I will say, though, that the engines are a (really) tight fit. Probably just like real thing! I'm doing it this way since my preferred painting method is to paint the fuselage, followed by masking and spraying the wheel wells and other internals, like the engine bay on the Vixen. You know, kind of the opposite way to everyone else! That said, there will be a delay in getting the paint on. One of my brothers was recently diagnosed with oral cancer and needed a surgery to remove the malignant tissue. Prior to the surgery he was put on a blood thinner. The surgery was successful but a few weeks later he had a mild stroke. Full recovery is expected. However, my oldest brother has been fighting vascular dementia for a few months and passed away last night. He was only 75 - much too young in my opinion. I need to take the time for the family. Cheers, Bill 15 2
scautomoton Posted October 8 Posted October 8 Life hits hard sometimes. Take the time for those you love Bill, we'll all still be bouncing off the walls in here when you post next. Otherwise we'll see you at SMW and get a much needed beer at the bar. 1
Heather Kay Posted October 8 Posted October 8 Family is important - as is looking after yourself. We will still be here when you’re ready. 1
Hamden Posted October 9 Posted October 9 Sorry to hear your family news Bill and as has been said family comes first, we'll all wait quietly till your ready to return. Roger 1
Dave Slowbuild Posted October 9 Posted October 9 Sorry to read your sad news, Bill. Plastic-bashing can wait until you are good and ready for it. In the meantime, best wishes, and take care of yourself. Dave 1
81-er Posted October 9 Posted October 9 I'm so sorry to hear that, Bill. My condolences on your loss, and best wishes to your other brother for a swift recovery James 1
Wez Posted October 9 Posted October 9 Loving this! Ideal fodder for the Twin Boom GB if any of you feel so inclined but in the meantime, enjoy the fun! Condolences on your loss though. 1
Brandy Posted October 9 Posted October 9 So sorry to hear that, Bill. Don't rush to get back here, take all the time you need. We'll see you in Telford for a beer or two. Ian 1
perdu Posted October 10 Posted October 10 Dammit I'm sorry for all your family has had to deal with Bill. Family is all, our wishes go with you mate 1
Mr T Posted October 10 Posted October 10 Sorry to hear of the loss of your elder brother, especially the cause. It is not easy to watch someone slip away. I hope your other brother makes a good recovery. From personal experience strokes are not fun. 1
Terry1954 Posted October 10 Posted October 10 So sorry to hear of your loss and your family challenges, Bill. I lost an older sibling at the end of 2023. She was in her mid 80's and had been fighting dementia for some time, but it was still a shock. Thinking of you and your family. T. 1
Thom216 Posted October 10 Posted October 10 Sorry to hear for your loss. Time tosses trials at us when we never want it. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. 1
Navy Bird Posted October 11 Author Posted October 11 Thanks for all the kind words everyone. It's appreciated. I think we have all arrangements in place for my brother's memorial service next week. My sister-in-law is holding up really well, God bless her. I found some time today to spray some Extra Dark Sea Grey on the Sea Vixen. I know, I should have started with the white underside, but since when do I follow instructions? Once the paint was somewhat dry, I noticed some things that I hadn't looked for prior to paint. Since this is a 3D printed project, these are, of course, striations from the deposition of the layers. The only place where I think it's objectionable is on top of the inboard wing sections between the wing fold and the boom. I tried to photograph what I was seeing but couldn't really capture it. When I ran my finger across them, I could feel the slight undulations in the surface - it would take a ton of paint to cover this up. So, once the paint is thoroughly dry I will need to sand those areas. Wish I had noticed it before, but that's the way it goes. Next time I have a 3D printed project, I'll be on the lookout. (Actually, I'll probably forget to look.) When I find some more time, I think I'll start painting the engines. I don't plan on weathering this model extensively, so the engines may end up looking like this: If you've been following along, you'll remember that I was going to model the all-black A&AEE RAF test aircraft XJ488 with the cool lightning bolts. Well, that aircraft does not have the large fairing around the base of the windscreen and canopy, but rather a much smaller one just in front of the windscreen, among some other differences. Instead, I've chosen an in-service paint scheme. I have decals for 2 or 3 FAW.1 Vixens, and I kind of like XJ611 from 893 Squadron onboard HMS Victorious in 1963. That was a good year - my third grade report said "Billy is a bad example to the other children." Seriously, I still have it. It's been my life's guiding light. Cheers, Bill 13 3
Terry1954 Posted October 12 Posted October 12 Good to hear from you Bill, and good news at least that your Sister-in-law is holding up well. I sincerely hope that continues for her. This is a great thread for me to follow, as I also have this kit, and it's like watching a pathfinder, preapring the way for me to build mine! Interesting picture above. the white topsides of that machine (an FAW 2 I guess), look extremely worn and grubby. The plan for mine is to do a drone aircraft, all white, so a helpful picture. Surface finishes on 3D printed kits can be challenging, in some cases, depending on how the original maker, has produced the kit. I think Tony @TheBaron, did a great job on optimising the production of this one, to minimise those issues for us all. Really enjoying watching a master building this one! T. 1 1
Navy Bird Posted October 12 Author Posted October 12 I need to pay closer attention! I just found what look like sink holes where the boom and tail meet. I didn't notice these before, but the same size, shape, and pattern repeats on both sides of each boom. They can't be sink holes like those with injected kits, but must be some artifact of the 3D printing. No big deal to fill them - just some of my red putty and some sandpaper: I have no idea what caused these artifacts so I won't speculate. Like I said, easy to fix and on we go with more paint. You can also see the area on top of the inboard wing sections where I sanded down the striations, if that is the correct term. I sanded until I could no longer see or feel them. We'll see what it looks like under some more EDSG. Plans are proceeding for my trip to Telford this year. I've reserved my hotel, got my new digital-kinda-like-a-visa thing, bought my plane tickets, etc. I even joined IPMS so I can get in free one hour early. See you folks soon! Cheers, Bill 15 1
scautomoton Posted October 12 Posted October 12 41 minutes ago, Navy Bird said: I have no idea what caused these artifacts so I won't speculate. Like I said, easy to fix and on we go with more paint. You can also see the area on top of the inboard wing sections where I sanded down the striations, if that is the correct term. I sanded until I could no longer see or feel them. We'll see what it looks like under some more EDSG. During printing many things can cause striations/banding. Sudden changes in cross-sectional area of the print (and especially if there are multiple objects on the print plate), combined with the change in the release force as the FEP releases (due to the change in CSA). They're a PITA to resolve, and sometimes impossible to eliminate entirely. The type of resin used can also have an impact. I dread to think how much resin I've "wasted" trying to improve the final quality of my parts. 45 minutes ago, Navy Bird said: Plans are proceeding for my trip to Telford this year. I've reserved my hotel, got my new digital-kinda-like-a-visa thing, bought my plane tickets, etc. I even joined IPMS so I can get in free one hour early. See you folks soon! Good times. See you at the bar! Or alternatively at the Project Cancelled SIG stand if you swing past. 2
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