forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: AngryJazz on August 23, 2023, 04:53:25 AM
-
Hi all!
Having taken a small break and building a Bandai kit, I'm ready to start my 2nd WW1 build!
The Sopwith Dolphin!
I've really been itching to get started after seeing so many beautiful builds on this forum :)
Don't think many like this Sopwith version - "the ugly duckling" as my friend calls it ;D But for some reason these wierd looking shapes are just what I like! That along with a huge engine and lots of machine guns! The Dolphin is simply amazing ;)
I tried 3D printing a seat and some spark plugs. IF they turn out okay I'll use them as replacements for the kit parts.
(https://i.imgur.com/6xqyfpj.jpg)
Prints
(https://i.imgur.com/LJL6YgP.jpg)
Markings for this bird.
(https://i.imgur.com/dg1oeaj.png)
-
Those seats look terrific. The Dolphin was one of my favorite WNW builds. I am looking forward to seeing yours.
RAGIII
-
Be careful with the decals - mine were really awful, broke up and would not conform to the surfaces. They were clearly part of the bad run of decals in WNW kits. They caused my build to stall and it's on the shelf of doom and unlikely ever to make it back.
I suggest you test some from the scheme you are not doing to see if you have troublesome decals or not. I found that using really hot water helped, along with using hair dryer.
-
Thank you RAGII :D
Be careful with the decals - mine were really awful, broke up and would not conform to the surfaces. They were clearly part of the bad run of decals in WNW kits. They caused my build to stall and it's on the shelf of doom and unlikely ever to make it back.
I suggest you test some from the scheme you are not doing to see if you have troublesome decals or not. I found that using really hot water helped, along with using hair dryer.
Thank you for the heads up Nigel! I will try to take care. I've heard some WNW decals can be very troublesome. Hope mine will be fine, but luckily I have another Dolphin kit in the stash for spares ;)
As for the build - for now I have just been staring at the kit trying to plan my approach. Bit of lesson I learned from the Albatros... Need to read ahead and plan for each step of the build more carefully.
I decided to add / hide small eyelets for the internal rigging. Some color and pictures will follow soon!
-
Finally got a bit of work to show on the Dolphin! ;D
It's been really slow work... My sons have not been easy to get to sleep these last few weeks, so not much modeling time. However i'm really happy I at least make a little progress most nights!
Anyways.
Tried to make a darker wood color for this one with raw umber oils over a tan base.
Added a bit of variation in the wood grain and made sure each plank would have grains in a natural direction it would have been cut.
Not sure if its a bit too dark, but it's somewhat close to the suggestion in the instruction ;)
Brush painted the rest of the details and added rigging, eyelets and fasteners.
The lighter tones are ochre over a white base.
Both wood tones got a mist of Tamiya clear orange for a bit of a warmer hue.
Light weathering with some oils.
Still lots to do before I can think of closing the fuselage. Think engine or cockpit sides are up next.
Oh and I decided not to use my 3D printed seat... It was not the same variation of the seat... Maybe next time.
(https://i.imgur.com/WN3NeAY.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/txQAjWu.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UB14QQ7.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/iWIrxqZ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/K4GQ1Tf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/J2Be4FT.jpg)
-
Good progress, the interior work looks great. The wood is a little dark but it looks great and sometimes we need to go a little stronger with contrasts to "fool" the eye into seeing the parts as wood, especially once the fuselage is buttoned up.
-
I'm liking everything I'm seeing but I have to call out the seat: that looks terrific!
-
Gorgeous work on your interior components - looks fantastic.
Cheers,
Gary
-
Thank you all for the comments and encouragement :)
Im currently working on the engine, but its very slow progress due to limited bench time. Hopefully I will have the wiring done this weekend.
-
Great work on the interior. I think the 3d printed wicker seats are awesome!
Cheers,
Willem
-
Sorry for the long delay!
Im finally back to a somewhat normal schedule and can get some more reliable bench time :)
Life with two small kids (1,5 and 3 years old) can be quite an experience sometimes! So the more complicated builds like this Dolphin was put on pause and I worked on other things that were easier to put down if I had to.
However I've decided I want to get this project going again.
I will properly have to sacrifice some details and just live with small errors here and there.... But hey it's that or having this model gathering dust on the shelf. Maybe I'll get back to super detailing when the kids are a bit older and bench time is less interrupted ;D
The Dolphin is almost ready to be installed in the fuselage and hidden forever! Just missing a few rigging lines between the two frames and above the seat.
Engine was wired up with 0,1mm copper wire. Not a great job, but it's almost invisible anyways once installed.
(https://i.imgur.com/eug02ED.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/5mGQsQY.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/9X9yGha.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Lmjommt.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gx6vm1X.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zawuLMS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/5heabm3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/PQsWPNK.jpg)
-
Beautiful work. Most of it does indeed disappear when the fuselage is closed up, I spent a long time on mine and then ran into loads of issues with the decals which meant it isn't going to see the light of day in any shape or form....
-
looks really great.
Too bad I missed out on this kit.
Have lots of fun with your two young kids.
I can understand that, I was in the same situation 30 years ago 8)
Servus
Bertl
-
Beautiful work! They should've included two cockpits/motors in their kits so you can have one to look at unobstructed :)
And like Bertl I can identify with your situation RE: children... the up side for me was that as the boys got older they both got into modeling, and we had a lot of fun building together. They drifted off at the seemingly obligatory age of 14 or 15 (they're 33 and 37 now) but to my surprise and great joy, they've recently both gotten back into it.
All best,
Dutch
-
Lovely. I remember from my build that WNW Dolphin innards were among the most complicated. And it is really pity that they are all almost hidden after the fuselage closing.
Good luck with the rest of the build.
-
Thank you all for the encouragement for both the model and kids ;D
I had to dryfit the interior many times and clean / sand all connection points to get a decent fit.
It does seem a little more complicated compared to my Albatros build.
Hopefully there won't be too many surprises later on.
I took some inspiration from Przemol and rigged the tail - just a little detail I thought was a nice touch.
Then closed the fuselage and applied CA glue to the seams.
(https://i.imgur.com/ppewTSo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nPqEOam.jpg)
-
Beautiful work. Most of it does indeed disappear when the fuselage is closed up, I spent a long time on mine and then ran into loads of issues with the decals which meant it isn't going to see the light of day in any shape or form....
Really a shame Nigel!
Could your Dolphin be saved with some spare decals?
I may have some left over if it could help?
-
Gorgeous work, Ben, hidden or not. Sorry I missed out on this kit... along with almosr all the others!
Dutch
-
I love the vibrancy of your colors, the detail, and your great photography!
Cheers, Tom
-
Could your Dolphin be saved with some spare decals?
I may have some left over if it could help?
Thanks for the offer, but sadly not. It is also covered in Aviattic linen decals and I can't face stripping those all off and replacing them to fix the decal issues. Plus I have some other issues like having a drill bit break off in one of the ailerons when drilling a rigging hole and that would take work to get out.
If I didn't have a shelf full of 1/32 kits I might be tempted but I have plenty of other stuff to do so I have moved on....... :)
-
I feel honoured to be an inspiration :)
Great job on this one, watching with interest!
-
Thank you Dutch, Tom, Nigel and Prezemol :)
And yes must admit I go looking at older build logs and take some tips, tricks and inspiration from you all. So much to learn!
Dutch: I think with the recent WNW purge we will see some kits slowly finding their way back on the market... I'm still hopeful to get a DH.2 Lanoe Hawker at some point! So don't give up hope!
Nigel: Ahh yes I understand... Some kits just take away the modeling mojo and test us :-[
As for progress - The lower wings are attached and seams on fuselage have been fixed with clear CA. I've got a less than perfect fit on the bottom, so it will need to be addressed shortly.
Question for those who built the kit...
Are there supposed to be a small gap / slit beneath the tailplane? Seems strange, but I have done no sanding in this area and the fuselage sides are aligned... So maybe it's supposed to be like this?
Ive havent glued the part yet(unless filling is required).
(https://i.imgur.com/ixHqjpk.jpg)
The small gap
(https://i.imgur.com/MOowgUs.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1kfxSma.jpg)
Top fit is looking good enough with a even spacing.
(https://i.imgur.com/D4rDiaR.jpg)
-
Ben, that engine and compartment...WOW!!
-
Echo what Zac said. Beautiful detail work.
Great to see a Dolphin on the stocks - superb aeroplane , now unjustly neglected.
Sandy
-
Looking very good. I can't give you a definitive answer on the small gap but I can warn you to do lots of test fitting of the engine cowls before you paint and attach them (if you are attaching them). Mine needed a lot of fettling.
-
Sopwiths generally had the one-piece tailplanes separated from the fuselage, so yes, the gap is mandatory.
BTW, great job so far!
-
Oh yes, the gap question- sorry, meant to say earlier that, back in 1917 aircraft did not have trim tabs on the elevators as they do now. (Trim being the minor adjustments to ensure the aeroplane flew straight and level in normal neutral flight.)
Instead (on most RFC/RAF aircraft) trim was achieved by moving the entire one-piece tailplane (horizontal stabilizer) up or down in the fore/aft plane. Often this was attached to a wheel (Tailplane Actuating Gear) in the cockpit so, for example on a bomber, trim could be adjusted in flight. after the weight of bombs had been dropped.
Whether set on the ground, or in flight, this meant the gap between fuselage and tailplane could vary according to the trimming - so a gap could often exist. Similarly you'll frequently see a gap between the fin and the tailplane for same reason.
According to the Official Rigging Notes, the Dolphin would be trimmed on the ground after testing, but the SE5a could be trimmed in flight via cockpit wheel and here is the relevant bit for TAG setting from the SE Notes.
Sandy
-
Sandy,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this out. I often wondered what the wheel was for in most early British aircraft. You have explained it very clearly to me. This feature is not often seen in WWI German aircraft design, did they employ some other method of trim?
Thanks,
Tim
-
Hey Tim, not sure what they did on Albatros or Pfalz for example with relatively fixed empenages. Presumably finely tuned the elevators after initial rough setting. Somebody like Achim would know more about this I'd think.
S
-
That's a good question about trim in German types...I've messaged Achim and have started a new thread about the subject (https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=14220) so as not to derail Ben's thread and detract from his excellent build.
-
Thank you Zac, Sandy, Nigel, Przemol and Tim :)
Good info on the engine cowls! I do in fact plan on closing up the engine.
Thank you for the help Przemol and Sandy! Very interesting read on the tail plane and trimming. Clever way of helping the pilot. Also great WNW included it :)
For the build im trying to figure out how to do the rigging before I move on to priming etc...
One option is installing eyelets the other is trying my recently acquired Modelkasten stretch rigging and supergluing the lines into place.
Im thinking the Modelkasten approach will look best... I can slide some 0,3mm tubes over the line and mimic the attachment points more realistic.
Only downside is sometimes getting the CA and rigging to hold without losing my mind ::)
-
Catching up on your build. Excellent details and interior painting. This kit was one of My favorite WNW builds.
RAGIII
-
Thank you very much RAGIII :)
Some progress have been made on the Dolphin. Must admit I had to build up some momentum to press forward.
All the masking felt like a chore, but it had to be done!
I choose to pre shade this model a bit heavier than my last build. Wanted to see what would happen with the end result. Maybe I could add a bit more depth to the color or start a subtle weathering effect.
During this stage I did question if I maybe choose a more difficult build than my last. I wanted something a bit less complicated than the Albatros, but I don't think the Dolphin is ::)
The cockpit and engine is much more exposed. Really difficult to paint the areas around the already finished parts.
Fit on engine and cockpit is so tight that no tape can be wedged between.
I did get a little overspray, but will be fixed later.
From all the good advice here I did test fit the cowling and other parts. I did in fact have to trim and shave some parts around the engine to make it sit correctly. Also had to do some work to get the cylinders to sit correct in their cutout on the cowling (hope it makes sense).
For now some pictures!
(https://i.imgur.com/WCv7e1Y.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rlURCMJ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qob1wRP.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/YEzd69u.jpg)
-
Great work, and I absolutely love your airbrush work on the pre-shading... if it were me, I'd be tempted to just leave it! Very interested to see how this is going to turn out.
Dutch
-
It looks surprising. I am looking forward to seeing the final results.
-
A very interesting approach, I will be intrigued to see how this turns out. You can certainly handle an airbrush far better than me!
I did in fact have to trim and shave some parts around the engine to make it sit correctly. Also had to do some work to get the cylinders to sit correct in their cutout on the cowling (hope it makes sense).
Yup, I had to do this. After all the work getting the engine painted and detailed, some of it had to be shaved off. It won't be visible though so it doesn't matter. but I found it annoying after all that work.
My failed build of this one made me change my approach so that I now minimise the "detailing for god" and focus on what can be seen when the kit is finished :)
-
@AngryJazz
That looks quite interesting your approach with shading etc.
Can you tell us a bit about your technique and the colors, shades etc. you used?
The model looks, as far as I can tell, very clean, superb and accurately built.
Servus
Bertl
-
A very interesting approach, I will be intrigued to see how this turns out. You can certainly handle an airbrush far better than me!
I did in fact have to trim and shave some parts around the engine to make it sit correctly. Also had to do some work to get the cylinders to sit correct in their cutout on the cowling (hope it makes sense).
Yup, I had to do this. After all the work getting the engine painted and detailed, some of it had to be shaved off. It won't be visible though so it doesn't matter. but I found it annoying after all that work.
My failed build of this one made me change my approach so that I now minimise the "detailing for god" and focus on what can be seen when the kit is finished :)
Now that you mention it I also had to some last minute engineering on the fit of the motor. I ended up leaving off the Magneto assembly and the engine fit without issue. No problem for Me as I close up all of my builds.
Your pre shading looks great. I am looking forward to the actual colors.
RAGIII
-
Thank you all for the kind words and interest in my project :)
I'm not going to keep you waiting for pictures with color. The shading is from a few days ago and luckily I got a little bench time since.
I know the shading is a bit different than what is usually done, but it's something that have been working well for me on my 1/48 builds. I feel like it gives me a bit more control over the final look / variation in the paint.
It's very similar to black basing method, but I have the option to control the opacity of the shading. For instance there is a few places my airbrush had a small hiccup and I got a bit more paint than I wanted - in this area I choose to spray a little more of the base color to blend it in.
If you were so inclined a 2nd round of mottling / post shading can be added now for some more tonal variation. However i'm not doing it on this build.
The later stages with oils and filters will tone down and change the appearance a little - help blend it together.
So the "spots" you see will change significantly and hopefully look like actual weathering on the fabric. Also the variance kinda changes from what angle you look at it, lighting etc...
Hopefully I will be able to show what I mean later down the road.
I did polish the surface before painting with a high grit sanding sponge. I'm really happy how silky smooth the finish turned out :)
One thing I may change on another build is to choose colors for shading slightly closer to easy other. Like dark grey for base and neutral grey for ribs - just to turn the contrast down a little.
Also next time Ill round the tape ends I used for masking the small ribs on the wings. The "square" look is not too great and could be better, but i'm not feeling like redoing the work :-[
Edit
Colors used:
MRP-254 PC-12 (manual says PC-10 with added brown, but this one looked right to me)
MRP-258 Clear Doped Linen V2
Tamiya XF-53
Tamiya XF-66
(https://i.imgur.com/6pBPI26.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/MVegc17.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/JyDyU0i.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/eW0nOgM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mQ4WI3q.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/kZIPoyN.jpg)
//Ben
-
@AngryJazz
That looks quite interesting your approach with shading etc.
Can you tell us a bit about your technique and the colors, shades etc. you used?
The model looks, as far as I can tell, very clean, superb and accurately built.
Servus
Bertl
Thank you Bertl, means a lot - I really like you build log - learning a lot :)
I tried to put a few words into why im doing the shading as I am in the post above. Its mainly about control of the end result.
I'm still a novice in the modeling world, so trying a lot of stuff and hope I will build up some skills and experience along the way.
I could save myself lots of work by "just" using a black base technique, but I don't have than confidence in my airbrush skills.
The white I mottle is just to create variation in the base color.
The Sand is more to create a bit of color variance in the color - also a small experiment to see if I could make a little linen staining / weathering. I worked best on the underside with the lighter color.
I should have used another color on the top for color variation that would show through a bit better. Maybe yellow or orange.
On my Viper build I added a bit of blue and tans in the pre shading process - it worked really well.
Also showcase how things blend together better after weathering / oils.
Example (sorry know its not WW1, but don't know else to show the process)
(https://i.imgur.com/rSCqW1Z.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/aaQVRvF.jpg)
-
Your airbrushing skills are looking pretty good to me, Ben, and I love the way you're experimenting with the variations in the underpainting. The Sop is coming out great, looking forward to seeing the final finish... and I gotta say, that's one mean-looking chopper!
Dutch
-
You're making excellent progress here, the build is coming together really well. You got further than I did!
-
Thank you Dutch! And I think your term of underpainting explains it very well :)
Thanks Nigel! Your tips and pointers have been very helpful. As you - Im also leaning on doing less detail work on my next build if it is in areas that will be covered.
Progress report.
Currently doing decals... Nigel and others warned me.. but I did not expect it to be as bad as it is.
Only decals worse than these in the kit were old yellow Hasegawa decals from a 80's kit I tried to build.
Cracks and tears all over.
Had to panickily run and steal my wife's hairdryer to try to do something...
Pictures tonight, just need to place 4 more decals on the struts.
-
Oh no, those decals......... :( Fingers crossed you can get a reasonable result.
-
Thank you Dutch! And I think your term of underpainting explains it very well :)
Thanks Nigel! Your tips and pointers have been very helpful. As you - Im also leaning on doing less detail work on my next build if it is in areas that will be covered.
Progress report.
Currently doing decals... Nigel and others warned me.. but I did not expect it to be as bad as it is.
Only decals worse than these in the kit were old yellow Hasegawa decals from a 80's kit I tried to build.
Cracks and tears all over.
Had to panickily run and steal my wife's hairdryer to try to do something...
Pictures tonight, just need to place 4 more decals on the struts.
I remember those. But I also remember that using warm water and lots of patience (time) before the glue released the decal to slide over the back paper helped a lot.
-
Crumbling decals?
Oh dear.
I know this well enough from the Roden kits, but I was of the opinion that the Wingnut Wings decals are of excellent quality?
However, I also notice that the decals stick to the backing paper - as @PrzemoL describes - on my current Roland C.II kit.
So far I have only used the instrument decals - I have not yet used the large decals such as the white squares with the iron crosses.
Did the quality of the wingnut decals deteriorate with the later kits - or are previously good decals now unusable after a few years in their box?
Servus
Bertl
-
@AngryJazz
That looks quite interesting your approach with shading etc.
Can you tell us a bit about your technique and the colors, shades etc. you used?
The model looks, as far as I can tell, very clean, superb and accurately built.
Servus
Bertl
Thank you Bertl, means a lot - I really like you build log - learning a lot :)
I tried to put a few words into why im doing the shading as I am in the post above. Its mainly about control of the end result.
I'm still a novice in the modeling world, so trying a lot of stuff and hope I will build up some skills and experience along the way.
I could save myself lots of work by "just" using a black base technique, but I don't have than confidence in my airbrush skills.
The white I mottle is just to create variation in the base color.
The Sand is more to create a bit of color variance in the color - also a small experiment to see if I could make a little linen staining / weathering. I worked best on the underside with the lighter color.
I should have used another color on the top for color variation that would show through a bit better. Maybe yellow or orange.
On my Viper build I added a bit of blue and tans in the pre shading process - it worked really well.
Also showcase how things blend together better after weathering / oils.
Example (sorry know its not WW1, but don't know else to show the process)
(https://i.imgur.com/rSCqW1Z.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/aaQVRvF.jpg)
Thank you for the detailed explanation.
The result with the helicopter is convincing.
Up to now I have always painted large surfaces (wings, fuselage, etc.) without any previous shading.
But I will try that too.
Thanks again.
Servus
Bertl
-
Ben writes:Thank you Dutch! And I think your term of underpainting explains it very well :)
You're welcome! But I can't take credit for the term, as an easel painter I tend to use traditional artist's terminology, and underpainting is exactly what you're doing; when, for example, you start a landscape that's going to have predominately cool tones you usually do an initial underpainting in a warm color like Burnt Sienna, which then gets painted over with the "real" colors:
(https://i.postimg.cc/5t1G7Kr5/IMG-4665.jpg)
... the idea being that the warm shows through breaks in the "topcoat" and keeps the key of the painting from being too gloomy. Sorry, don't mean to steer the thread too far off-topic, but this is something I've been thinking of applying to modeling for a while now, and I'm happy to see you beat me to it (and that it works in practice)!!
Dutch
-
Wow thats a neat example Dutch! Did not know it worked for painting art like that :)
@Przemol - yes heat definitely helped. Think I need something to keep my water warm... Maybe a usb coffee mug heater or similar.
So my adventure into the decals was not fun at all. Decals started cracking and were very brittle. The white / blue parts on the decals were the worst.
Stealing my wife's hairdryer and heating them on the model made them more workable.
One more issues was my own fault.
I had forgotten to install the clear parts over the inspection doors... I usually always do clear parts at the very end. I had seen a cutout in the decals and thought - Fine they thought about the ease of installing the clear parts later.... Well imagine my horror when i found out the decals goes partly over the clear part "frame"... I found out the second the decals was on the wing... Panic moment, but managed to cut the part of the sprue fast... lift the decal and slide the part into place... I was lucky this 1 decal didn't crack on me.
Well here's the result. Mostly OK and I will hopefully be able to touch up the troublesome areas with a paintbrush.
Wrinkles will get a slight sanding be okay (I hope).
The position of the mouth could have been better, but the delicate decals(starting to tear) made me not wanting to push my luck. Also the overlap on the bottom... But could not see how to avoid this one since they could not be placed higher.
(https://i.imgur.com/3OskL7R.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mUTtzfz.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/GuoUXp8.jpg)
Small wrinkles and some damage on the black.
(https://i.imgur.com/fTQBkCT.jpg)
Overlap
(https://i.imgur.com/vOEG1Sw.jpg)
Cracks along edges and surface details
(https://i.imgur.com/FBoL9K2.jpg)
//Ben
-
This is looking really good, I really like the way the rib tapes stand out on the upper surfaces without having "zebra stripes" down either side of them, very effective. You fared much better than I did with the decals, my roundels shattered completely into several pieces and I couldn't really hide the joins.
I know this well enough from the Roden kits, but I was of the opinion that the Wingnut Wings decals are of excellent quality?
No, most of the later kits suffered from problems with the decals. Apparently the decal manufacturer left out the plasticizer when producing the decals which meant they are very brittle and hard to work with. I would always recommending testing the decals first if you have a later boxing of a WNW kit. I also found using hot water and a hair dryer helps (although only after the decal disaster ruined my Dolphin build).
I always use very hot water for all decal application now just in case.
-
Thanks Nigel, Bertl and Dutch :)
I finally finished the repair work and weathering. I went a bit further on the grime and used look this time. Wanted to try and see what would happen.
So far i'm happy with it - trying to improve my techniques with oil paints. The blending and fading is still giving me some trouble.
Some pigments etc will be added at the very end.
The engine cowling and mg's were added.
As many of you experienced WNW builders warned be about... The fit was troublesome. I did take some some steps to improve this before painting, but I should maybe have done more.
It did take some CA glue and working on one corner at the time with a lot of pressure to get it into place. I was sure i would pop off at some point, but luckily it stayed in place ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/nnb9F4r.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mKXXekL.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/yfy9F7f.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Dq3U6Rg.jpg)
Some close ups
(https://i.imgur.com/0Es0iAf.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/DsCusep.jpg)
-
Well done, you managed to get this one further than me. It's looking very good, that cowling fit is probably as good as you can get it. Fingers crossed you make it to the finish line.....
-
Thank you Nigel! :)
Hopefully I will be able to finish this project in a few weeks. All other parts are painted and ready to be put on. Just this little thing called rigging before I can do that ;D
I plan on using some Modelkasten elastic rigging I purchased for this project. Since there's not really any turnbuckles on the Dolphin, maybe i'll have less trouble this time around.
But I must admit I have to keep reminding myself not to start that new kit... So tempting... But need to finish this one first ;)
-
Just a little update... Slow and steady.
The CA glue way was maybe not the best idea, but did figure out how it sorta works ;D
I'm doing eyelets next time. Accurate or not, it's just easier and less messy.
Learning point if I'll do CA glue another time. Start with the topside of the bottom wing - any small glue marks from the CA would be less visible.
The imitation of RAF fasteners does not quite look right, but i'm not feeling like redoing them all. They would be better if they were made smaller and got closer to the wing...Maybe on another build....
(https://i.imgur.com/dqTJA6c.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/f4U4PoR.jpg)
-
Great progress on this marvellous beast. I wasn't sure about the rib tape colours at first but now they're in place and weathered a little they look absolutely right.
Sandy
-
Good progress here, you got further than me!
The CA glue way was maybe not the best idea, but did figure out how it sorta works ;D
Learning point if I'll do CA glue another time. Start with the topside of the bottom wing - any small glue marks from the CA would be less visible.
The imitation of RAF fasteners does not quite look right, but i'm not feeling like redoing them all. They would be better if they were made smaller and got closer to the wing...Maybe on another build....
As they say, every day is a school day.... I find the type of CA glue does make a difference, and also the quantity you place in the attachment point also makes a difference. I use pieces of heat stretched sprue to apply the CA because it allows really precise placement in confined spaces. I like the VMS CA glues myself.
Personally I'm not a fan of those brass tubes for any type of plane. They always look overscale IMO and unless they are dulled down or painted, you end up with a model covered in bright shiny bits of brass which really catch the eye and distract from the rest of the model. On a British plane, you need those to be blackened before you use them.
-
Thank you Sandy and Nigel :)
I agree Nigel - tried to paint a few in gunmetal color, but dropped it again. Just too risky to brushpaint now. Your advice on the blackened tubes are a great idea! I think i'll get some of that Metal Burnishing fluid for my next RAF build.
I used my vms ca glue for this rigging also. Its my favorite ca(flexy 5k ca) - very strong and a little flexible. Just sometimes it takes a while to set before you can let go.
I really appreciate the tips and tricks ;D
Most of the rigging is done now - working on undercarriage and about to paint the propeller. The end of the build is near :)
(https://i.imgur.com/ed5dBC5.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/jEUKb0p.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/h929MQr.jpg)
-
You've done a marvelous job on that Dolphin!!! I don't have the skill or the patience these days.
I've been told that you can take old decals and spray gloss clear coat on them to make them less brittle BEFORE you apply them to a model. I've done that, mainly on O-scale trains, and it worked. I did it because the decals I had are no longer being made and are not made by any other manufacturer.
It may make them thicker, but it's worth a try.
-
I used my vms ca glue for this rigging also. Its my favorite ca(flexy 5k ca) - very strong and a little flexible. Just sometimes it takes a while to set before you can let go.
Ah, you're already there with the VMS. I tried the Modelkasten line but I did find it was harder to attach with CA than EZ Line. But you've got there and this is coming together nicely.
-
Thank you Dubar - its worth a shot if I experience problems on my next project :)
Thanks Nigel! I had trouble threading with my Ez line from Uschi through tubes. The Modelkasten is a bit more "rigid" and holds its shape. Only downside I found is the need to use bigger tubes.
When using the fishing line (0.125mm) I can loop it through the 0.5/0.3mm (outer / inner) Albion tubes - the Modelkasten(0.13mm) have to be 0.6 /0.4mm. In theory I should be able to loop the Modelkasten, but it just does not work.
Doesn't seem like a big difference on paper, but its noticeably larger on the model.
-
Late night update - the Dolphin is finally done! ;D
Some pictures from the dirty bench because i'm excited to finally have reached this stage!
I want to build a small base for it - nothing fancy just some planks, dirt and grass. Then some proper pictures ;)
(https://i.imgur.com/7DX1QQc.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/F9widBo.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pxqHKjA.jpg)
-
Great job Ben
Spyros
-
She done come out beautiful, Ben, that paint job is brilliant. Makes me want to build one, which for me is the hallmark of someone having done a truly fine job... not that it's likely I'll find a WnW Dolphin anytime soon, but hope springs eternal in the human breast.
Dutch
-
Thank you Spyros!
And thank you very much for the kind words Dutch, it means a lot :)
I have a 2nd Dolphin, but think you are on the other side of the world from Denmark, so not easy!
To try something new ill try to post a few pictures of my base build also. I don't see many of those shared here.
I have only built 3 bases before, so this is just a case of trying stuff and see how it goes. Maybe i'll learn something :)
Base is 10mm AK black carving foam for I had left over.
I cut some popsicle sticks down to somewhat match the size I want. Trying to make them all a little uneven to imitate some leftover planks thrown down for a plane.
I will need to make a few more in varied length so there's space for dirt and grass too.
(https://i.imgur.com/pLdK4Df.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dJFlf2r.jpg)
-
How's that for dedication? Great work Ben, that should make for a terrific base.
-
Wonderful job on the Dolphin. The base looks like it will be a very nice addition.
-
Wow, what a gorgeously looking model!
-
Thank you all very much :)
For the base I like to use AK terrain paste. I pretty much just worked slowly and cut the pieces as I went. Thinking the paste would act as glue (worked fine in the past) and filler for in between the planks.
All good! Or so i thought... After i came back after a few hours all planks started to curl up due to the moisture....
(https://i.imgur.com/V5tTWvM.jpg)
Closeup
(https://i.imgur.com/7eF4MLN.jpg)
I tried to cover the base in watered down pva glue and weigh it down.
(https://i.imgur.com/sosHJVn.jpg)
Worked... but left a ripley texture / residue on all planks from the pva glue. Tried to sand etc.... But figured out i could scrub most off with a toothbrush ::)
(https://i.imgur.com/mDxzryW.jpg)
-
With the base having dried since yesterday gave the planks a acrylic wash for color. Then I added dirt from the garden (baked in the oven to remove unwanted stuff).
(https://i.imgur.com/QHSlIYJ.jpg)
Distributed and looking more neat
(https://i.imgur.com/faMmsBU.jpg)
I added VMS ballast freeze to lock the dirt in place.
Then I set about sanding down each plank to get the grains and texture back...
Having a sore arm from the sanding the base - i will let it dry until tomorrow before adding more dirt or moving on to the next step :)
The wet spot is from me wiping down the planks from sanding
(https://i.imgur.com/A1a2va3.jpg)
I don't know if these pictures is adding any value to you guys or not? Since the forum is more focused on the airplane itself?
Most of this base is just me messing around trying to figure out how stuff works ???
-
I for one quite enjoyed that post! I was skeptical at first but as you progressed it made more sense and is looking great.
-
Ben, that looks amazingly realistic from here :)
I’ve found that sometimes when I think I’ve wrecked something it actually comes out looking better… the imperfections seem to provide a basis for the kind of random effects that (for me) frequently only occur as “happy accidents”. Really looking forward to seeing the Dolphin sitting on those duckboards!
Dutch
-
Great Ill keep updating the post / work :)
I were definitely also skeptical and ready to start over after it stated to go wrong ??? A lot of these "happy accidents" tend to happen when I move away from the manual. Lately I've been better at accepting things going wrong and just making the best with what I got. Often it works out better in the end than if I followed the "actual" plan ;D
However gluing down the boards with pva glue in the very beginning would have saved me a lot of trouble!
Im thinking about airbrushing the ground a more brown tone to create some contrast between the elements (wood vs ground). Another possibility is adding my enamel washes of lighter dust / ground tones (the ones used on the plane).
After the groundwork is done I will add some static grass.
-
You finished it! Well done, it looks really good, I hope you are very pleased with your efforts because you should be.
-
Thank you Nigel :)
Last few pictures for the base.
***************
Edit:
I think the color difference in the wood is due to the amount of daylight. The more brown tones is more accurate IRL - but it was mostly cloudy today.
***************
Applied some variation in the ground using enamel products (bit hard to see on picture).
(https://i.imgur.com/uGQGnuK.jpg)
Quick check to make sure weathering match the plane ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/3xQdQuC.jpg)
Trying my christmas gift - the static grass applicator! Using 2 different lengths.
I would really have wanted to paint the grass myself, but i did not see a way of doing so without messing up the wood planks.
Then some adjustments with more enamel products and i'm calling it good!
A figure or some accessories would have been a good fit, but I don't have any in the stash... Only a few things from other WNW sets (ladders etc). Also the whole figure painting is scary...
(https://i.imgur.com/ao5cSaA.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/7BVdtvx.jpg)
-
And just like that the model and small base is complete! ;D
I just need to take some glamor shots with a white background and hopefully more daylight :)
Thank you all for the motivation and encouragement during the build!
(https://i.imgur.com/4E62vRG.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dySgnIS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mhixTBX.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/R9kBLLz.jpg)
-
Storslået! I've greatly enjoyed following along!
Dutch
-
The base is fantastic, well done!
How did you cut the popsicle sticks? I've tried and never could get an even cut, the sticks I had were rock hard and would splinter unevenly.
-
I love that base, bravo Ben!
-
Mange tak Dutch :)
Thank you Dubar and Zac also! ;)
@Dubar - I cut them with a metal ruler and hobby blade length wise(it will take a few passes). It will not be perfect, but the wood is soft so it sands easily. Use this 1 piece as a "master" to cut all the rest. Having some variation is fine since it looks more natural.
For the length I cut them with a razor saw since the hobby blade couldn't do it cross the grain.
I managed to take the final pictures today. Will upload in completed tonight ;)
-
wow, Wow, WOW! absolutely amazing. ...stunning... And the base is incredible.
Paul
-
@AngryJazz
Very good, really unique. Great model making and excellent base.
Well done!
Thanks again for the explanation with the shading.
..... I recently got hold of a Dolphin - swapped it for a Pfalz D.IIIa.
Your build report was the trigger for it.
Servus
Bertl
-
Thank you very much Paul and Bertl :)
@Umlaufmotor - Oh man I would have loved to do that trade with my spare Dolphin - the Pfalz is nr 1 on my wishlist ;D
I'm very honored you caught the interest in the Dolphin thanks to my build log! Can't wait to see what magic you do on yours! Im learning so much from your Roland build :)
Well maybe I should put that 2nd kit up for trade for another 1 seat fighter, think it will awhile before I build another Dolphin.
-
WOW very interesting build log and awesome result!
-
Thank you andonio64 :)