forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: smperry on May 13, 2020, 03:23:53 PM
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Having decided to let my Spad stew in it's own juices a while, I needed something on the bench and the kit that hollered, "BUILD ME!", the loudest was an Eduard Albie D.III. I have had this kit over 15 years, it was the fancy version back then and includes extensive PE and a set of vinyl painting masks.
Here is a visual, out of the box review:
(http://i.imgur.com/1bJ07LQ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/1bJ07LQ)
(http://i.imgur.com/mBR1dQN.jpg) (https://imgur.com/mBR1dQN)
(http://i.imgur.com/sXEYVYh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/sXEYVYh)
(http://i.imgur.com/mrwLZeV.jpg) (https://imgur.com/mrwLZeV)
This is the marking scheme I decided on doing. I have a thing for Jasta 5 Albis.
(http://i.imgur.com/Tw8iMur.jpg) (https://imgur.com/Tw8iMur)
Below is most of what I got done this evening. The Albie has a smallish cockpit opening through which not much can be seen well. I decided to keep the wood color simple and eliminate any attempts at grain in the wood as that always darkens things too much in this scale. After priming everything in Tamyia white primer, I airbrushed Testor's Wood enamel on the wooden parts. Then used a little Testors flat brown (some RLM # I don't recall) to paint the framework and after a bit of touch up, it all got sprayed several coats of orange future, (drops of red and yellow artists acryllic into Future/Pledge until it looked right).
Somewhere along the way I managed to loose a piece representing the partial wooden former to which the rudder bar is attached. Fortunately the former that supports the joystick has the same outline and I was able to trace a shape and cut a replacement out of some scrap card. The kit piece had structure on which the rudder bar is mounted. I made a replacement out of rod which is drying undisturbed overnight. Amazing how long thin rod will stay soft after getting hit with a drop of liquid cement. I will get the rudder bar mount attached in the morning. Must be something to all that, "Let the glue dry thoroughly" business ;-)
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/tyJkRhQ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/tyJkRhQ)
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Good start! I think you've chosen an interesting scheme and I will be following your progress.
/Fredrik
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SP,
This will be a very colourful bird. I'll enjoy watching it proceed.
Kevin
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Nice start!
I find the white-blue decal in bavarian style for the tail a bit dark (see the recently finished Albatros of Fredrik). May be you can tone it down a little bit.
I will watch, since this is my scale and I should add a D.III to my Albatros series too.
Cheers,
Frank
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Nice start SP: You will catch up with My Shelf of Doom Albatros Soon ;D
RAGIII
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Sp, I see you've joined the multi-build crowd! ;) Brave modeler. This will be fun to watch. It's interesting to move between scales once in a while. Your start looks good. Enjoy!
Best,
Bob
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Fredrik, Kevin, Frank, Rick and Bob. Thanks for the support and encouragement. I'm not building two at a time. I put the Spad away for a while and I'm only working on the Albie right now. Frank, isn't it you who refers to quarter scale as Gods own Scale? I tend to agree and I am just comfortable with that size and working in my comfort zone is how I am relaxing and enjoying my time at the bench. Which, by the way, is becoming more limited due to a rather larger than average kidney stone that cannot yet be dealt with due to restrictions on elective surgery brought on by this virus. (Whoever decided getting rid of a kidney stone fixed was a choice and not a necessity never had one.) I'm getting less than an hour at the bench for well over an hour in a recliner lying on a heating pad. Enough whining, I'm hoping a more familiar scale will allow sufficient progress on the model to keep me interested. I am building this one pretty much OOB and will settle for a clean build over superdetailing.
sp
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looking forward to see what you do with this one :)
Terri
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Thanks Terri.
This is what I did with it today. Nothing other than paint and assemble as per instructions.
(http://i.imgur.com/c1Pq8zt.jpg) (https://imgur.com/c1Pq8zt)
I have a little different approach to modeling varnished wood on German airplanes. I make my own plywood decal and cut and apply one panel at a time. When all the ply decal is applied and dry, it gets multiple coats of tinted Future. Below is my ply decal sheer. The panrls are cut from different parts of the sheet so the grain may follow the same direction, but never match up across panel lines. I have had good success with this in the past, I'll see if I can do it again.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/cbtriLZ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/cbtriLZ)
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That's interesting - when you say 'ply decal' do you mean you make an actual decal or is this real ply?
Mike
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Nice start, SP. Are the wood decals a print on decal paper, or did you use another technique to create it?
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I'm not building two at a time.
sp
I never build two at a time either... as I find that rather tricky, I prefer to let the other builds rest momentarily. ;D :P Sorry, couldn't resist!
/F
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(Whoever decided getting rid of a kidney stone fixed was a choice and not a necessity never had one.)
Last year I had severe pain at night from a kidney stone (without knowing, what is going on), my wife called a doctor, but after a few hours it was out and the haunting was over. So I know that pain!
And that for a longer time? Holy shit!
All the best for you and your build!
Cheers,
Frank
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Mike and Ken
I use clear decal paper. I spray an enamel wood color base, Lighter for Albatri. Darker for others. Then I use a lightly loaded, hacked up, stiff bristle fan brush to gently swipe darker paint to make the grain. Now the tricky part. Clean the fan and then get it barely damp in whatever thinner works on your grain paint. Gently swish the brush back and forth. As the grain paint softens, twist the brush handle as you go back and forth to add some softening and curve to the grain. Use great care if the base paint softens too. I usually ruin 10% or so of a sheet. Let that dry real well and then cut and apply panels. You can pre paint the panel lines dark brown. If the decal panels don't 100% match edges, it looks like a glue line. I usually apply over hatches and louvers, relying on micro Sol to sucker the decal down tight and then cut it away when dry, The whole reason for all this fuss and bother is that panels that adjoin one another are cut from different parts of the sheet so the grain runs in the correct direction, but clearly does not match up. Seal with tinted Pledge/Future. Takes makings decals well.
FAf
What? You're not ambidextrous? :-)
Frank
Sorry you know what Im talking about. Those things can be a real attention getter.
sp
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This looks interesting. Thank you for describing your home made wood transfer method - that could be very useful and helps make this iste the excellent place that it is.
BTW just for future reference God's Own Scale is 1/72. I know because He told me and He doe not change His mind!! It is also known as the True Scale!!!
I hope that you get get that stone sorted soon too.
Stephen.
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The model below is an example of my ply decal method.
(http://i.imgur.com/LgF2xiG.jpg) (https://imgur.com/LgF2xiG)
sp
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SP: Your decal application on the sample is Fantastic! I am looking forward to the Albatros seeing the same treatment!
RAGIII
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Neat tick with the decal paper , lovely job on Bluemax's kit !
Terri
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Thank you Rick.
This is today's progress. I need to re-adjust that bar across the front of the cockpit that has the instrument on it. It is crooked when the shells are joined.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/P9fFHGz.jpg) (https://imgur.com/P9fFHGz)
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Even on the WNW kit which should be foolproof!
RAGIII
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Your ply decals look very realistic.
I'll be following along here.
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Rick
Sorry to bust your bubble, but WnW never came anywhere close to a fool proof kit. To fool proof a kit it must have terrible box art, flashy sprues, lousy decals and be so overpriced nobody will buy it. Then it will be proof against most fools. :-)
Ken
As I do with your builds. Some of your techniques and all of your positive attitude approach are directly translatable from scratch building to kit building.
Thanks for your kind words and support.
sp
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Funny thing SP. I seem to have posted less about half of what I said. My original thought was that I always have issues with that bar, Even with the WNW kit ???
RAGIII
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Me too Rick. I have had issues with that bar on every Albatross I have ever built, I was just being smartass. No matter how well engineered the kit, that bar has to be at exactly the right angle to fit right when the halves are closed, and that is only going to happen by accident. They all need adjustment.
sp
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I am in a quandary as to what to do with the louvers, round hatches and band between the U/C struts on my 1:48 Albatross. They are molded on the plastic fuselage pieces and are better than average as to scale size and crispness of mold. The kit supplies some well done PE that includes the above mentioned parts and indicates the molded details should be cut off.
I will do the wood portions of the fuselage in plywood decals which, in the past, I have covered over with decal and relied on Micro Sol to get them to conform to the raised details. When dry I used a new @11 blade to cut around the hatch or louver and removed the decal covering the detail.
If I remove the raised hatches and louvers first, it will make applying the ply decal panels much easier, however that will leave me attaching flat PE parts to a curved surface of either paint and decal material or paint and decal material covered in Future/Pledge. I can roll a drill bit shank over the PE parts to match the curved fuse sides, but I wonder how good an idea it is to glue the metal parts on the painted decal. Might work, might not, might make major glue spooges.
The 3 hatches and the band between the U/C struts on the bottom of the fuselage cross the center seam and are going to be destroyed in any case, so I will have to use the PE parts there. It is the much more visible hatches and louvers on the sides that are causing me heartburn. Am I better off using the molded details and cutting away the decal or using the PE parts after applying decals. I could also attach the PE then cover with deal and cut away the decal from over the PE part, but that looks to be the most error prone method, so I 'm not seriously considering it.
So a couple of questions. Cut and sand away the plastic details, cover with decal and then add PE parts or cover the plastic details with decal and then cut it away.
And if the answer is apply the PE parts over the decal, how would you attach them? CA, white glue, canopy glue, Future?
I would very much like to hear some opinion on how y'all would handle it, I have my own ideas, but have learned it is a good idea to ask since others often, (usually), have better ideas.
TIA
sp
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You have a really tricky problem there. I would hesitate to add PE over paint or transfers for fear of the PE not sticking properly, but if I were to go down that route I would use Pledge as I think(!) it would be less likely to leave splodge marks. I would also remove the plastic moulding before adding transfers - for the reasons you give. I am not sure how steady your hands are - mine would not be steady enough to remove the parts after transfers had been applied.
Just my thoughts.
Stephen.
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It sounds to Me that you are More comfortable applying the decals then trimming away the pieces of decal over the parts. If that is the case then go with what you feel you will be the Most successful at and will result in the best finish! That being said I am sure you can handle any method you choose 8) In the end it is of course, your decision!
RAGIII
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I had the same problem last autumn building the Albatros W.4
No decals on fuselage, but old painting and so the same problem.
- So I removed the plastic maintenance lids
- If you see the form of the lids on the plastic those are not flat, but light spherical shape. So I peened the PE lids to that form (with a small metal ball). The PE can then also better formed to take the form of the fuselage.
- painting of the fuselage (in your case decals)
- I removed the paint in a small area below the lid for better grip of the glue, would do that also with your decal
- glue the lids in place using a CA gel (good experience with a product called "100% Sekundenkleber", means 100% CA)
If the lid confirms not completely to the fuselage this adds reality with shadows, it looks like a lid and not with preformed plastic. I guess in reality would also be small gaps.
For more see here (and the following pages):
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=10502.90
That are my ideas to try to tackle this things down, may be you have better ones.
Cheers,
Frank
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Stephen and Rick
Thanks. As I mentioned in my description of making the ply decal, I expect to ruin about 10% of any given sheet. I believe I will try applying a scrap of that over some of the details and see how easily this kind of decal paper suckers down and cuts away around the louver or hatch. If it cuts away easily, fine, if not, then it should likely be strong enough to stick the PE parts over. At least then I will have a solid idea of the material's performance.
Previously, more than 15 years ago, I ordered a stock of clear and white decal material which worked very well with this method. I recently bought some smaller sheets under the Testors brand, but I haven't used them for this purpose and do not know how they will work around raised details, hence the dithering.
It seems I have to write out my problem before my mind gets to work on it. Thanks again for your responses. I will go out to my shop and see what happens. I will report what I find as well as try some photos of the results.
sp
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Frank
Doh! I forgot about scraping a little decal away under the PE part so a tiny drop of CA would hold it. For me, that makes both methods just about six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Stay tuned for test results.
sp
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It is always a good plan to test drive an idea. I went and applied homemade ply decal over the molded details. It took a while and several applications of Micro Sol but it went down. I had forgotten that they work best when applied over a glossy Future finish. that helps greatly with the sticking down process.
I was unsatisfied with how cutting around the details worked. This clear film of decal material is very stretchy, almost like Parafilm, so if the cut isn't completely through and completely around a little stretchy string of clear decal film results and pulls up part of the decal you want to stay. That much is due to the brand of decal paper, however it does not explain everything I didn't like. I dragged the Blue Max LVG C.VI out of the case and sadly that one, done exactly the same way 15 years ago, is quite acceptable. It would seem, (read it's glaringly obvious), that my dexterity with a #11 blade has deteriorated over the years. So I'm going to go with Frank's idea of scraping a spot of decal so there is a PE/CA/Plastic bond not a PE/CA/Decal/Plastic bond no stronger than a stuck down decal.
Here is the whole process which will be much easier applying the decals after the details get sanded off.
Should have sprayed a gloss over the primer.
(http://i.imgur.com/zJk1s26.jpg) (https://imgur.com/zJk1s26)
It goes all wild and curly until the Micro Sol starts to soften it.
(http://i.imgur.com/ZZjdgfd.jpg) (https://imgur.com/ZZjdgfd)
It gets better as it softens. This is where a Future/Pledge base would have helped.
(http://i.imgur.com/v2qvaV5.jpg) (https://imgur.com/v2qvaV5)
Here it is suckered down. Another dose or two of Micro Sol and several hours drying would have gotten the decal down tighter.
(http://i.imgur.com/WVkeoJ3.jpg) (https://imgur.com/WVkeoJ3)
First cut. Grandpa shouldn't play with sharp toys.
(http://i.imgur.com/wVQT1j2.jpg) (https://imgur.com/wVQT1j2)
Cut out, painted and touched up the touch ups.
(http://i.imgur.com/eYE1bfN.jpg) (https://imgur.com/eYE1bfN)
After a couple coats of orange tinted Future. I've seen worse, but I have seen way more better.
(http://i.imgur.com/r8pbJU4.jpg) (https://imgur.com/r8pbJU4)
Good thing this was just a test drive. I'm really bummed about my deteriorating skill with a blade and brush, so I will have to compensate. In this case I will alter the method I used on several models that won awards to one more suited for my currently diminished skillset. Thanks for the idea Frank.
BTW, I would really appreciate any feedback on the gray/green color I mixed. Lighter? Darker? Greener? Grayer? LMK please.
Also what is a good source of decal material these days?
Thanks
sp
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JMHO but as to the grey I would go lighter and greener.
RAGIII
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Thanks Rick. I did and I like it much better.
I have been applying ply decals and it is a much more tedious a process than I recall. That is due to the elastic nature of the Testors decal material. It is a slow process because the material can't be trimmed until they are nearly dry. Here are some photos of the process. Please do not judge the method until all the ply is on and I have sprayed several coats of tinted sealer.
(http://i.imgur.com/TGUA1mY.jpg) (https://imgur.com/TGUA1mY)
Above, the second panel of decal material is butted up against the back of the first one with some overlap on the other three sides. That gets trimmed when it is drier.
(http://i.imgur.com/LfEY4Y5.jpg) (https://imgur.com/LfEY4Y5)
Here is a perfect example of how annoying this can be. judicious use of Future/Pledge as a setting solution will relax the material and eventually stick it down. Patience and persistance pays well here.
(http://i.imgur.com/b9AR0fz.jpg) (https://imgur.com/b9AR0fz)
Here we have more progress. Note some panel lines have received a brown wash and others still await . Once all the ply panels are on, trimmed and dry, the cockpit, engine and cowl will be masked and several coats of yellow tinted future will get sprayed drying between each coat. Then it will be time to add the PE details.
sp
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I like it , looking forward on the clear coating :)
Terri
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Looking Spiffy SP! I like how the frain decal is moving along. Should look Fantastic with the Tamiya clear Yellow!
RAGIII
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Well here it is. Three coats of clear yellow, mixed kinda heavy on the tint and one of clear.
I'm happy with the result and it is representative of the 4 or 5 I did this way back in the day.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/atEIU5k.jpg) (https://imgur.com/atEIU5k)
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I Love the results SP!
RAGIII
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Glad you like it Rick.
What looks like some kind of paint smudge or blemish on the second panel from the nose is a light trick. I saw it and went full throttle out to the shop to see and there is nothing there, just a lighting thing. That was a relief since I had already ripped off 5 decal panels when I tried to mask for the green tail. I was not in the mood to replace any more decals.
sp
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It's looking good! Interesting approach.
/Fredrik
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Thanks FAf
It is a fiddly approach, but I find the result pleasing. I would rather spend a couple of days doing fiddly than wait a couple of days for oils to dry. I can't not mess with it no matter how many times I smack my hands.
I just had a near miss with a disaster. Evidently time was not kind to these Eduard decals. Super thin and they prefer to crinkle up when pushed and poked rather than slide around as they should. This Limited Edition kit has both a paint mask as well as decals for the red outline on the Jasta 5 green tail. This little set to with the fuselage stripe has at least decided the question of which to use. I'm going with the mask.
Next up is applying the little PE hatches and Louvers as soon as the paint on them dries well.
,
Question: On these Albatross camo painted wings, (Lt green, Reddish Brown, Dk green in this case), were the edges between the colors hard or slightly soft?
sp
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,
Question: On these Albatross camo painted wings, (Lt green, Reddish Brown, Dk green in this case), were the edges between the colors hard or slightly soft?
sp
In 1/72nd I would go hard line. There is some controversy over the subject anyway. Some like Me think it was a tight soft pattern, and some say hard all the way. JMHO,
RAGIII
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Thanks for the response Rick. I kinda agree. I think they sprayed the camo and in 1:48 it would look slightly soft. Why? Well the Germans were more technologically advanced than other countries for one and the blockade was hindering the supply of pigments which made paint dear, hence the use of dyed loz later on. Spraying uses much less paint than brushing, so I'm taking a wild guess that they likely sprayed the camo colors.
I think a paper mask held a mm or so off the surface and then sprayed lightly straight down to avoid blasting paint under the lifted mask should do. I have a box full of Glencoe Albatrossen so again, a test drive of the idea is in order to see how it looks.
Anyone know better, please jump in and set me straight.
sp
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Here it is with the PE bits stuck on with Future. Had to mess with the color on the photo some, but this is pretty darn close to what it looks like in person.
Some touch up is in order on the white part of the stripe and a final clear sealer coat needs to happen once I get all the PE bits on the other side stuck down.
sp
(https://i.imgur.com/ufno5wX.jpg)
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Shaping up nicely, SP. The PE parts are an improvement.
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Outstanding results SP! I love the scheme and the PE looks terrific!
RAGIII
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Ken and Rick, thanks, I'm not the biggest fan of PE, but these bits really work well on this model.
I managed to get the guns made and installed, the windscreen attached and the exhausts on the engine.
(http://i.imgur.com/jOSQeok.jpg) (https://imgur.com/jOSQeok)
Now I am a bit annoyed because the mold lines are still visible on the ammo chutes and the exhaust after having scraped with a #11 blade and sanded with a stick. I thought for sure I had nailed them and then my 12 megapixel Nikon tattletale showed them right up like they had never been touched. (Resulting blue language scared the dog, but didn't do anything to the mold lines.)
(http://i.imgur.com/3hUXsmr.jpg) (https://imgur.com/3hUXsmr)
So how do the experts deal with mold lines on small parts? I find scraping only works until the parts being treated are small and delicate enough to be hard to hold firmly. Pretty much the same sanding. Again holding the part limits the size of part I can effectively use my Flexi-File. Other than making narrower sanding sticks, which I will do, anyone have any effective techniques for loosing these pesky lines.
sp
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Your speed is impressive! Shortly not looked at and the body is already finished :o
Scraping and sanding, the rest is done by the primer.
Cheers,
Frank
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I second Frank on the mold lines. The word grain is looking good.
/Fredrik
edit: wood grain makes more sense 😊
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Wow SP you are Moving right along! As for the seam, is it visible to the Mk. ! Eyeball? I guess you can go back anf do more sanding but if I can't see it without Magnification I don't worry too much. Then again I am not a Master entering contests ;D
RAGIII
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Rick
I'm no master and my contest days are long behind me. It is that one of my buttons best not mashed is making the effort to do something and then turn around and it is undone or not really done. Ever inadvertently bump your head on an open cupboard door? I get that same "wanna slap that door off it's hinges" reaction when I think I have dealt with seams or mold lines and they still show up.
sp
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Wow , this is a big advancement in progress ! The wood effect turned out not to shabby at all SP , very attractive . :)
Seams are no joy indeed and to posse their problems when cleaning them up . I use different # blades not just # 11 , depends what I'm cleaning . Priming the area with brush ( fast drying paint ) , touch up what needs to be redone . Micro files work wonders in tight corners where blade just won't do . For holding small parts , I clean them will still on the trees , less handling ( less chance of breakage or at least in my case ) . I also use a squadron seam scraper it's a good 30 years old now and is still sharp . Best way is find what works for you .
Terri
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Thanks Terri
Some good advice there. I have a bunch of small files, I guess my brain had them filed under metal work and not plastic. Doh! I do have a few different shaped Xacto blades, I should dig them out and keep them handy. I have no idea what a Squadron seam scraper is so I will go look that up as soon as I log out. I used to have what amounted to a very small garden hoe that was used to scrape seams. It grew legs and went on walkabout years ago.
Primarily I need to look harder. It's not like I don't know every single injection molded part ever produced has a mold line.
You can barely tell the lines are there in the ammo chutes and will never see them when the top wing goes on. I was able to scrape and repaint the exhaust with good results.
sp
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After much scraping filing and sanding of the already "cleaned up" U/C struts, I finally got it up on it's legs.
I have been putting off the separation and posing of the control surfaces, but now I'm out of things I can do without the surfaces being posed.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/YuIk6qE.jpg) (https://imgur.com/YuIk6qE)
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Looking Sharp SP! Have fun with the separation of the control surfaces!
RAGIII
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OMG. my favorite D.III scheme! You're rocking it!
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I know I said I thought a softer edge on the camo was more likely, but I did some looking and the photos I saw where the camo scheme actyally showed seem a fairly hard line. It's what I get for thinking, I'm used to it.
This is my standard method for masking wings. Draw outline on metal bench top. Cover with tape. Draw separation lines. Cut lines. Peel and mask over base coat color and spray. Enough of the pencil transfers to the tape, so it makes positioning easier. Also the sticking down on the metal reduces the tack.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/0kZ8FsU.jpg) (https://imgur.com/0kZ8FsU)
(http://i.imgur.com/2KiTVDb.jpg) (https://imgur.com/2KiTVDb)
(http://i.imgur.com/Q48hCGT.jpg) (https://imgur.com/Q48hCGT)
(http://i.imgur.com/hmraPiA.jpg) (https://imgur.com/hmraPiA)
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The pattern and colors are outstanding SP!
RAGIII
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Good idea with the masking tape! It really doesn't have to be any more difficult to make and use paint masks.
/Fredrik
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I have a bit remss and not looked in recently. The fuselage is a cracker - super wood finish and very colourful markings. You certainly have made rapid progress with this.
Stephen.
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Looking good SP, love the colour scheme. Your camouflage masking technique has worked perfectly.
The wooden fuselage looks like the real thing, this all looking terrific! :)
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I'm falling behind here.
Rick, Fredrik, Stephen and Richie Thank y'all so much for the support and kind words. They are appreciated more than y'all know.
This makes the second day I haven't been able to make it out to my shop, (detached 3 car garage about 75% devoted to models, 1/700 up to 41%). I've been waiting over a month for the hospital to give my Dr. a date to have these kidney stones out and that turns out to be a week from today. I am all rarin' to go out to the shop, but walking 10 yds and then sitting at the bench just isn't happening. I wouldn't wish this discomfort on anyone.
The Albie has two more hurdles. The prop and posing the ailerons. Richie has given me some good tips on prop making Off Forum and I can't wait to try them. I really like Des' paper prop method. I even have a proper scroll saw, but I would sure like to know more specifics about what kind of paper and where to get it.
Frank gave me the link to those real fine saws and I will be ordering a set of them soon. The ailerons will simply have to wait until I have the right tool and have practiced with it a bit. Fortunately I can move ahead with finishing the model, because the prop and ailerons can go on last. Hey, two hangups working out so as not to stop progress, Mark this day on the calendar.
So I will post any progress I make and will try to keep up on everyone's builds.
sp
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I hope your Stone removal is successful Really Looking forward to more of this Albatros! If you need a prop to experiment with I think I am going to need one for Rickenbackers SPAD to be correct ::)
RAGIII
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I have made a few paper props. I just used a manila folder for the light shaded layers and a brown fibrous report cover for the dark layers. Nothing special. Should be able to source from an office supply store.
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Richie , I hope all goes well for you
Terri
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I made it out to the shop for a little while this evening. Amazing what alcohol can do for pain, not so much for modeling skills though. I had previously cut up some strips of manila paper to use in making a paper prop. I stuffed half of them into a can of dark stain, gave them a few minutes to soak up the stain and then fished them out, wiped them off and set them to dry.
(http://i.imgur.com/i7GFFIG.jpg) (https://imgur.com/i7GFFIG)
That gave me a couple hours in the recliner on a heating pad. Another stiff drink and I was back out and gluing up a blank. 2 strips of light followed by 2 of dark ending up with 2 of light on top and bottom.
I covered the wet blank with plastic wrap and clamped it between 2 pieces of steel to act as heat sinks as the CA heated up. Ten min later I pilled out a hard prop blank. So far so good.
(http://i.imgur.com/k7Xny09.jpg) (https://imgur.com/k7Xny09)
Then I decided to spray some primer over the kit prop and blank in hopes of getting the outline. Didn't work as well as I hoped. I managed to delete that photo. Need a hard drawn line to follow with the saw and a small fan to keep the sawdust blown away will make seeing where and what I'm cutting easier.
(http://i.imgur.com/ZR4SGui.jpg) (https://imgur.com/ZR4SGui)
Next the blank went to the scroll saw. That is something I will need to practice with a bit....sober :-) I ended up with a prop shape a bit fatter than the plastic kit prop. I figure that will disappear when I taper and then carve the twist into the blank.
(http://i.imgur.com/KYdwRwP.jpg) (https://imgur.com/KYdwRwP)
My scroll saw operation is pretty bad and I ended up with the hole in the prop blank off center. I corrected as much as possible with a Dremel drum sander and the spinner hides the sin, well most of it anyway.
(http://i.imgur.com/DYmQ1DU.jpg) (https://imgur.com/DYmQ1DU)
I may not use this particular piece, but I am very pleased with the way the manila paper, both stained and unstained soaked up the thin CA. I am off tomorrow to buy some manila envelopes. I noticed the scraps I had to hand were of different shades, so I will look for envelopes from different manufacturers in hopes of having a selection of shades.
sp
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Glad the good old fashioned pain relief method works for you. Hope the stone removal goes well.
Like the idea of staining the paper, I will try that. Looking promising, I find prop carving very absorbing so it may distract you from the pain a little. Think i need to find some Manila envelopes.
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Your prop is coming along nicely, especially while taking Medication :P I too shall get some folders and give it a go. Thanks for the inspiration!
RAGIII
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sp,
Although I do my props in wood the "basics" appear very similar. I always have a "fatter" profile early in the process and, as you mention, reduce it to the desired profile when the "twist" carving is done. That provides the added bonus of having a little leeway with the twist depth should you get carried away with the carving. I just yesterday carved the prop for my Halberstadt and got it correct the first try, a real bonus! As Richie has said it's a very "absorbing" activity. It took me about 3 hours start to the ready to stain stage and it seemed like only minutes in retrospect. Good luck with the surgery, I hope it solves the problem and look forward to the debut of this Albatros!
Oh, and by the way, we may be on to something pretty clever with our common approach to pain relief; I use the same procedure and find a good belt of single malt late in the day really works on arthritis as well! ;) 8)
Cheers,
Lance
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Hi!
I've been meaning to reply to you about the paper I used for my propellers, but I never got around to doing so and now you seem to be doing quite well anyway. Good! Your results look promising.
Anyway: I bought slightly thicker paper from a crafts store. I'm sure I could find out a weight for them, but for now I can say that they are 0,21 mm thick and with a slightly rugh texture. I don't really think that the kind of paper matters that much and you idea to tint paper sounds really interesting. I'll see if I can do that with normal paper for the printer. It would be interesting as they are only 0,08 mm thick.
Cheers
Fredrik
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Thanks for the prop lesson. Think I may have to try it.
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Good attempt on the prop. Like Richie and Lance I too find carving them (in 1/32 and 1/72 scales) very absorbing and satisfying. I admit that I have not tried the paper method, but wood laminate seems to work well.
Stephen.
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Thanks for the positive responses y'all. I went to Walmart and found manila folders, manila envelopes and a pack of colored card stock. The Cardstock is Astrobrights Cardstock and the label sez 176 g/m2 or 65 lb. (Item # 99316, check Astrobrights.com)
I had to go out to get blood work done prior to my Surgery on Monday, so I was able to stop and get the card. I will see how I feel later as to whether or not I will be trying to glue up some more prop blanks today.
The first pic is of the card stock colors and the second is a jewelry box my Grandfather made out of a cross section of a DH.4 Liberty plane prop. Richie and I were discussing subtle differences in propeller laminations on allied props Off Forum and this shows that there were differences even in a prop not intended to be light/dark laminated.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/WN6WDT2.jpg) (https://imgur.com/WN6WDT2)
(http://i.imgur.com/c548ror.jpg) (https://imgur.com/c548ror)
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Neat Jewelry box Steven! I have to make a trip to Wal Mart tomorrow so I will look for the card stock and folders.
RAGIII
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Really interesting to see those prop section jewellery boxes SP. Great story behind them too. Looks like you have enough card to make plenty of props. It's great fun eh? :)
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The whole story in those prop jewelry boxes is that there was a fellow at work who liked WWI aircraft too. I told him about the boxes and he said, "Yeah, my Grandfather brought back 2 of them." We compared notes and both our Grandfathers had served with the 649th together.
sp
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I was able to manage some limited shop time today. I took one of the pieces of prop blank that got scroll sawed off and attempted to taper it as Des showed in his thread on paper props. It would seem Des had sharper medium size square point Xacto blades than I do, or maybe he was simply a lot better at using them. I'm betting on both :-) That method didn't work for me, or more precisely, I couldn't make it work correctly.
Since I acquired a virtual lifetime supply of manila and cardstock, I thought I would try another way to taper the blank. I was too lazy at 0315 to go and dig up a sander and the grinding wheel was right handy, so I put a taper on the blank. Not the best tool and I will try something less aggressive for the other blade of the prop. Then, just for giggles I used the battery powered Dremel sanding drum to sand the twist into the blade. Low and behold, a familiar pattern of light and dark laminations appeared. I mentioned in a previous post that the overly wide blades would be thinned down by the sanding the twist process and sure enough it did exactly that. What I didn't take into account was the length of the blade. I had it dead on the length of the kit prop, so the blade ended up a mm or so short after sanding the twist. Next prop I make will be longer and the tip will be trimmed to length and shape after sanding the twist.
While this piece is unusable on a model, it has taught me a lot. I'm posting the photo below to show how the stained manila envelope paper works with the unstained paper; both light and dark strips were cut from the same envelope. Ise plum pleased, (American Redneckese for chuffed).
Next time I am up for a trip to the shop, I plan on making up several prop blanks using the different types of paper I bought as well as several different glues in hopes of finding the best combination. That should give me plenty of prop blanks on which to practice tapering and twist sanding. We shall see.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/DcPWEFq.jpg) (https://imgur.com/DcPWEFq)
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I think that's a dandy start. Gonna pick up some stain tomorrow. I had two tins in the shed... but they both had separated and hardened.
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Well that's promising, I find using files to be better than a blade for me but don't have a Dremel. The paper is working out really well!
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My good Internet modeling buddy, Ernie Thomas, who has a knack for bluntly simplifying matters said, "Why don't you use a brown paper shopping bag, it's cheaper than manila."
Doh!
sp
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A quick update on my paper prop making.
I made another blank using the lightest color paper I had, light beige manila file folders. They have kinda a shiny surface and I wondered how they would take the stain. Perfectly it would seem, however neither the stained or unstained strips from the file folder soaked up the CA satisfactorily. That only showed up when it was time to set the taper.
That got me wondering if another kind of glue might work, CA isn't cheap. So I went back to strips of the more orange looking paper from manila envelopes. I soaked these in a mixture of Elmer's Wood glue, Water and alcohol. I laid up the saturated strips and compressed them hard between clamped steel bars. That will get 24 hours under pressure and I will check and see.
I am trying to work this down to a repeatable procedure since my prop painting is truly bad, but different scales and different paper thicknesses are making finding the right combination a long trial and error process. Once I find the right paper, glue, stain and number of strips for each scale, I can see making up prop blanks by using whole sheets of paper and then sawing them into a box full of individual prop blanks ready to carve. The up side of making a lot of experimental blanks is that when I am finally done I may have actually figured out how to carve a propeller properly.
sp
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I'll be keen to know which glue to use. I'm never happy with CA, because it fails all of the time from the slightest bump. I've been looking for thin balsa wood to do this. But it seems that all of the places that I thought would carry it, don;t have anything under 1mm thick.
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Your paper prop looks very promising! With all of your experiments I am sure you come up with the solution that works for you!
RAGIII
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I'm very interested to see how the glue experiment works out. I think making a big batch of blanks is a great idea.
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I think CA is strong and hard to sand, so a paper prop with CA is hard work.
So if you use veneer and cheap wood glue, you will also get a nice prop. And the sanding may be easier ( I cannot compare, because I never tried the paper trick).
You are not far from it ...
Cheers,
Frank
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The diluted wood glue soaked in real well, but was too diluted to set up hard. ...Nexxxxt....
I am going to try one with thinned finishing epoxy, (meant to be sanded).
I'm starting to feel like Edison when he told a reporter that he had successfully identified 5000 substances that would not work as a light bulb filament. I'm running on, "Even a blind hog finds the occasional acorn", theory in hopes I find a paper and glue combo that works for me.
sp
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I had the same issue with the thin CA not soaking completely through the layers, so what did I do?
Just reapplied it to the spots that were not saturated before, and kept going!
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I did that and was poking the unsaturated bit down with a handy finger instead of fumbling for the tweezers or a blade when it stuck instantly to my finger and ended up pulling the blank apart. Definitely doing another blank with thin CA and paper that seems more permeable to thin CA than file folder manila.
So far CA seems best for soaking in most paper, but hardest to file and sand. I still have to try thinned Zpoxy as that should soak in well and may be a bit easier to work when cured. I'm taking the trouble to check all methods available to me in order to find the best since the overall idea is a stock of prop blanks so every time I start a new kit I won't face another whole mini project making up a prop blank for each new kit. Additionally having a box of blanks takes the pressure off carving one. Just grab another blank if you mess one up.
sp
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I'm liking this experiment SP. I always find it good fun to play around with different things. Keep posting your findings, this is interesting stuff.
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Thanks Richie. I am a believer in test driving ideas first. It can get irritating at times, but nowhere near as bad as messing up a model trying something new. (I have enough old ways to mess up models :-)
sp
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I have given up on trying to make a glue soaked paper prop. I have had another complete failure to produce a usable blank, I must not be using the same kind of paper or my gluing technique is all off. I sure liked the photos I saw, but I am completely unable to duplicate it.
I guess it is off to the Home Depot and see what they have to offer in the way of thin veneers. It is that or simply do without a prop, which is looking like a good way to go at this point.
ap
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See , this way I wish I had a pair for Giant Green hands , I would be smashing the paper prop ...puniy prop !
Don't give up , take a break go to home depot and pick up some veneers and start fresh with what works for you ;)
Terri
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sp,
https://www.syrenshipmodelcompany.com/milled-lumber.php
Best veneer I've been able to find, great service and prices. Take a browse, their thinnest Pear Wood and Alaskan Yellow Cedar are a perfect fit!
Cheers,
Lance
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Thanks Lance
I found their Alaskan Cedar, but no pear wood. I e-mailed an inquiry and will see. I appreciate the steer.
Terri
Oh, my hands aren't green, just a bit sore from ripping up a hard CAed blank. I was definitely Big Green Guy pissed though :-)
I'm checking out Lances tip, but still going to find some local veneer sources. There are a few cabinet shops locally that might sell me a piece or two to try.
sp
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Sorry to hear that, mate. Hope you can get past this problem.
Gaz
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sp,
My apologies, I should have checked earlier as I had the same experience after sending you the Post. The owner replied to me immediately that he no longer sells the Pear wood as he can't find any of decent quality anymore. Please let me know if you locate any, in the meantime I'm going to experiment with pre staining some of the yellow cedar which seems to be in good supply. I'll start "shopping around" as well.
Cheers,
Lance
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Sorry your experiments didn't work out. On the other Hand at Least you gave it a Go! Looking forward to seeing some wood Vaneer props in the future!
RAGIII
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Sorry the experiment didn't work out SP, I had a horrible time trying make props with card. I think you will find wood to be so much more rewarding to work with.
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Rick and Richie
The up side of failing is that I won't be plagued by wondering if that could have worked.
Lance
Your guys don't carry the pear any more. They only carry Alaskan Cedar. I found a place called Rocker that has a wide selection of veneers that are 0.6 mm. Hopefully this link works:
www.rockler.com/domestic-3-square-foot-veneer-packs?sid=V91040&promo=shopping&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_content=pla&utm_campaign=PL&tid=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv6Ox0ded6gIVFY3ICh0EVgYeEAQYAiABEgKxFfD_BwE
Or just Google Veneers and look for Rocker.
I will be ordering some to try.
sp
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Kind of a landmark day for me. Not only went RC flying in the morning, but this evening is the first time since my surgery that I have sat at the bench and worked steadily on a model for a couple of hours.
I got the U/C rigged with glue blob turnbuckles. Painted the rear wing root fairings. Installed lower elevator PE control horns, rigged & painted same. Touched up green under stabilizer. Trimmed & painted plastic card strip used for hinges. Painted front of fuselage black so it would just show with the spinner in place. Stuck the spinner on the half dry paint.
May not be much, but it was loose ends needing dealt with and I did so in an organized manner, so yeah a good day for a change.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/dpWvjFN.jpg) (https://imgur.com/dpWvjFN)
Here it sits with all the loose ends tied up
(http://i.imgur.com/14YeUyw.jpg) (https://imgur.com/14YeUyw)
Head on to show the UC rigging and the black behind the spinner.
(http://i.imgur.com/6zZDA0E.jpg) (https://imgur.com/6zZDA0E)
Another view of the U/C rigging
(http://i.imgur.com/1ildbYr.jpg) (https://imgur.com/1ildbYr)
The underside of the stab and fuselage. Got a bit messed up, but will look better after final clear coating. That white stripe decal gave me fits applying. Way to flimsy for my heavy hands. I was lucky to get it on with as little mess as it has. Maybe a bit of a rub with fine grit and then mask and lightly spray. OTOH, just never pick it up and look at the bottom :-)
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Looks great! My favorite Albatros livery!
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Good to you getting back to normal activities SP, the Albatros is looking great. It must feel good to be back on track.
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Coming along nicely, SP.
BTW - what kind of RC flying are you doing?
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Great to hear, and see, that you are back at your bench and Flying RC! Your Albatros is coming along Nicely!
RAGIII
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Thanks y'all. I'm glad to be moving again.
RC-wise, I have everything from a 41% Extra and a turbine trainer down to an electric dollar store foamboard Flite-Test Bloody Baron. I managed not to bump the Bloody Baron into the planet yesterday. First time I have flown since January.
I also got a stack of 1/64 ply strips laminated as a practice prop blank to play at carving some while I wait on my order of light and dark veneers to arrive. I managed to find a better way of clamping the glued up stack, so that was not wasted time.
sp
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Worked on the top wing where something went wrong with every step.
(http://i.imgur.com/cdYGsCM.jpg) (https://imgur.com/cdYGsCM)
Then I attached the lower wings at a slight dihedral as per various drawings, (harder to see in photos). I used 5 min epoxy and am giving It an hour
(http://i.imgur.com/bviw8Gh.jpg) (https://imgur.com/bviw8Gh)
sp
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Looks good to me, SP!
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It certainly doesn't show that anything went wrong with the top wing. You've clearly overcome the problems because it looks fantastic.
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Your albbie is coming along wonderful so far SP , whats wrong with the wing ?
Terri
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Gaz, Richie and Terri, thanks for the compliments.
Terri, I was afraid someone would ask. It seemed every step of the way that wing fought back. I used extra care notching the wing and ailerons. Still mismatched and required repair. Painted the underside and then managed to smear it half dried. Had to clean it off and repaint. Three colors on the top. I forgot which light green I used and had to re paint that. Re masking left a line, had to sand re mask and paint again. Yellow tape masking around the radiator left smudges that had to be sanded and repainted. And the decals all tried to turn under and scrunch up. Took a lot of work with a wet brush to get them right side out and aligned. It was the biggest 2 day comedy of errors I have ever put myself through. Hopefully it is out of my system now and I can get on with drilling rigging holes and mounting the top wing. We'll see.
sp
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The colors look Perfect SP! I can't see any evidence of your difficulties in the finished product!
RAGIII
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Thanks Rick. After all the trouble I made myself, all I can see are the warts, but the fixes did improve things.
My order of veneers came today. The real light and real dark pieces will do nicely for the German props. A couple of the mid tones will be good for props that don't have alternating layers. The sheets started to go wavy due to the Florida humidity within minutes of opening the package. I weighted them down with some heavy steel plates. I figure a while or two weighted down to adapt to the humidity will help. I can't wait to glue up a blank and start whittling.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/OxmP2Uq.jpg) (https://imgur.com/OxmP2Uq)
The place I got them is called Rockler Woodworking
https://www.rockler.com/domestic-3-square-foot-veneer-packs
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Very much looking forward to seeing a prop from those veneers, some nice looking wood there.
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Have fun, and don't expect to much on the first one!
Sanding a prop will need some experience ... The next one will be better ;)
Cheers,
Frank
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Frank
As you undoubtedly know, that is the beauty of scratching parts, just keep at it until you get it right. I have been practicing, but expect a few more failures before I get one in the acceptable range. I am just pleased as I can be with the sample of light and dark veneer, just perfect for the light and dark laminated props. Have to wait though as SWMBO wants some interior painting done. At least it is inside in the AC.
sp
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Frank
As you undoubtedly know, that is the beauty of scratching parts, just keep at it until you get it right. I have been practicing, but expect a few more failures before I get one in the acceptable range. I am just pleased as I can be with the sample of light and dark veneer, just perfect for the light and dark laminated props. Have to wait though as SWMBO wants some interior painting done. At least it is inside in the AC.
sp
Well said SP! I am looking forward to your props!!
RAGIII
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I have cut two 3/8" wide strips each from the light and dark veneers. That gave me four 3" lengths from each strip. I made up one blank with a dark center and another with a light center. I used Elmer's wood glue to laminate, wrapped the stack in clear plastic and firmly clamped. I will let it cure that way until tomorrow some time, (still painting walls for the Mrs.) No idea how this will go, but it looks good so far.
sp
(http://i.imgur.com/ulevTo2.jpg) (https://imgur.com/ulevTo2)
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I like to call those mishaps " scale modeling adventures " ;) Very nice recovery SP . Looking forward on seeing how your props turn out . Looks like your set to go :)
Terri
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I pulled the two blanks out of the clamps and gave the edges a little sanding to bring out the layers. I think they need another 24 hrs in the open air to finish curing solid enough to be carved.
(http://i.imgur.com/3Ocemvs.jpg) (https://imgur.com/3Ocemvs)
I tried my hand at carving the blank I made up of strips of 1/64" ply. As lance and others have said, it is easier and quicker than it looks.
(http://i.imgur.com/EG8HSwJ.jpg) (https://imgur.com/EG8HSwJ)
(http://i.imgur.com/M8PnQcC.jpg) (https://imgur.com/M8PnQcC)
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Glad to see your process is back on track!
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Very promising SP, that is way better than the first one I carved. It's fun eh? :)
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Coming along nicely Steven!
RAGIII
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Thanks y'all. Yeah it's a blast to see the laminations come out when you sand it. I will definitely be carving my own, at least light and dark laminated ones, from now on. Just need to work at thinning the blades more, but that will come I expect.
sp
t have to work at
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Hmm, looks like a missing picture?
Good luck and have fun with carving!
Cheers,
Frank
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No missing picture, I must have leaned on the wrong key.
After a careful re-read of Lance's article on carving wooden props, I adopted some of his tricks and added a couple of my own.
First I marked the exact center of the blank. The lengthwise center line is important in a couple of steps.
(http://i.imgur.com/vqgIJxe.jpg) (https://imgur.com/vqgIJxe)
Next I used a circle gauge to draw a circle around the marked center. It needs to be the size of the kit prop's hub.
(http://i.imgur.com/oIlXFt3.jpg) (https://imgur.com/oIlXFt3)
Then I clipped one blade to the blank, making sure the hub is centered in the circle and that the lengthwise center line bisects the blade tip. Trace around and repeat with the other blade. The center line through the tips keep the blades at 180 deg apart.
(http://i.imgur.com/q6orR3X.jpg) (https://imgur.com/q6orR3X)
Here is the outline drawn in.
(http://i.imgur.com/CVmvyfv.jpg) (https://imgur.com/CVmvyfv)
And here the blank is cut to outline with a Dremel and sanding drum. You need to remove wood to the inside of the marked line or the blade will be fat.
(http://i.imgur.com/rdpq36y.jpg) (https://imgur.com/rdpq36y)
The front and rear faces of the blade are carved and sanded to a taper. (I got ahead of myself and sanded a twist into the other blade which is why I covered it)
(http://i.imgur.com/uo3P0Sf.jpg) (https://imgur.com/uo3P0Sf)
This is my little invention. The curve of the blade is quite pronounced near the hub. Make a sanding stick out of something round and use it at an angle and it makes short work of the job.
(http://i.imgur.com/MBb6nMI.jpg) (https://imgur.com/MBb6nMI)
Here is the nearly finished prop. I just needs more orange Future and light grit sanding. The thickness of the laminations is critical to the scale. In 1/32 the nominal 0.6mm (about 1/64") is good using 7 layers. In 1/48 the veneer strips need to be sanded down to about 0.45mm also 7 layers. In 1/72 scale 5 layers of 1/64 ply will do nicely. The two props I made out of the veneer I ordered were 1:48 and as you can see in the photos the laminations are a bit thick for the length. I will know better next time.
(http://i.imgur.com/yWBI1CO.jpg) (https://imgur.com/yWBI1CO)
I decided to use the prop I made from the 1/64 ply strips since it was my first and it is as imperfect as the rest of the model. However, I just tack glued it to the spinner and fuselage and it will be no problem to change props if I take a mind to.
(http://i.imgur.com/dJssCr9.jpg) (https://imgur.com/dJssCr9)
A final shot with the top wing on the mainplanes and the rigging wiskers all a flutter.
(http://i.imgur.com/z053Ifp.jpg) (https://imgur.com/z053Ifp)
sp
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Really nice job on the prop SP :)
Terri
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Excellent SP! Your Albatros is looking Fantastic!
RAGIII
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I think it looks superb SP, I don't see any imperfections. All I can see is a beautifully made model of a very colourful Albatros with an excellently made prop.
Richie
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Thanks so much y'all.
I have the rigging to attach and a radiator pipe to add and it will be done. Being 1:48, I didn't go with the turnbuckle style of rigging. Rather, I drilled 0.4mm holes and inserted the end of the line and added a tiny drop of CA. I tried two ways with the CA. First was to dip the end of the line in CA and try to stick it in the hole, The other way was to stick the line in the hole and add a tiny drop of CA. I found the former method was more likely to make a mess unless you hit the line exactly in the hole on the first try. (right) It turned out to be neater for my shaky hands to add the tiny drop of CA after the line was in the hole. As for securing the other end of a run, I use tweezers to hold the line to the hole at the end of the run and then cut it a quarter of an inch or so long.That end gets stuck in the hole and CAed. I have a digitally controlled soldering iron that I use to heat up the line and cause it to shrink taught. I still burn through some lines, but less than half as many as when I used a hot wire to heat the line. I can use a lower temp on the iron and simply hold it under the line longer whereas the wire would have cooled in that amount of time.
Hopefully I can finish this one in the next evening or two.
sp
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That was my experience too with rigging, I had a really bad shaky hands day when I was rigging my Tripehound and made a bit of a mess in places. My inflamed guitarist's tendons won't allow me to thread lines through turnbuckles when they are playing up so gluing lines directly to model are my only option.
Hope you continue to be pain free after your recent trials and tribulations. Would love to see your RC planes some time. It's a hobby I would like to take up when I retire in a few years time
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Nice process on the new prop! Everything looks good!
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Well it was starting to look good until I tried to get the cabanes to fit. Just a little too much pressure and top wing and the lower left wing panel parted ways with the fuselage. The root cause is a bad fit on the lower left wing to fuselage joint. That needs some structural surgery to correct the geometry and some cosmetic attention as well as. The wing panel had developed a slight sweep back instead of being 90 deg straight out from the fuselage. That moved the mainplanes back a fuzz and made it impossible to fit the cabanes in the holes. Trying to force the issue broke it. I'm pretty peaved with myself as I should have stopped a while back and dealt with the bad lower wing to fuselage joint instead of whistling past the graveyard as it were. It will get fixed, but it may have to sit a day or three as I won't do proper work until I get over being mad about doing this to my self :-)
sp
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I've done the same thing, mate! It always comes back to bite you.
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Sorry to hear of the mishap SP! I had an issue with one of My SPADS yesterday so I know how you feel! More on My thread later today about the SPAD. Hang in there as I know you can get it fixed once you "Cool" off 8)
RAGIII
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sp,
Giving it a day or two before you restart is a good plan, we've all been there before and I know for certain I have more times then enough! Going back a bit your prop work is impressive and you'll be amazed at the progress you'll make with more experience. I've found that since I first did the article on hand laminating and carving props I've nearly completely changed my methods; I started with a heavy reliance on the big drum sander, transitioned to using the Dremel in lieu, and now find that carving and sanding completely by hand is my preference.
As for shaky hands you are certainly not alone either. I am seriously limited now by shaky and inflexible hands/fingers and expend great efforts on just steadying and working around the barriers to what used to be easy work. Aging is merciless and I am not a fan of the process!! :(
I hope your return to this project works out well, they usually do!
Cheers,
Lance
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What a shame SP, stuff like that can be so maddening. I usually take a few days off too and the fix is usually never as bad as it first seems.
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:'( :'( :'(
Terri
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I'm in good company it seems. The styrene gremlin has been actively spreading it's love about.
sp