Author Topic: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III & D.IIIa in 1/144 scale  (Read 19587 times)

Offline RAGIII

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #60 on: October 05, 2020, 10:10:04 AM »
Totally agree with Terri. Top notch ...and SOME!

vB  ;)

and then some More!
RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline kensar

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #61 on: October 05, 2020, 09:49:29 PM »
Great work, Mr. Adair!  Your pictures don't really show the scale your working in, which is incredibly small (compared to 1/32).

Offline lone modeller

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #62 on: October 06, 2020, 05:16:41 AM »
Yes indeed this is truly remarkable modelling. You are also using a variety of different materials which makes this build all the more interesting.

Stephen.

Offline William Adair

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #63 on: October 24, 2020, 01:03:47 PM »
I hope everybody is keeping well.  Thank you again for the kind words and encouragement too!   :)

Things are still moving along.  The D.III is getting a bit more attention and looks somewhat improved compared to the earlier version.  I found I could hollow out the gun port on the left side, which should give a finer appearance under a coat of paint.  For the starboard side I ended up going with the short vertical "fence" that walled in the gun, as the exhausts form a roof over it and make it very difficult to see.  Hopefully I can get a thin coat of primer on this weekend before adding a few more details.

The D.IIIa got its undercarriage attached, although the wheels are just temporary reject ones from the Fe2b project which is patiently waiting its turn.  The size of these are correct, but the hubs just a little too pointy and I will make a better set later.





I put quite a bit of time into the prop blades and spinner and I'm pleased with how these came out. The blades were carved from 0.8x1.5mm evergreen strip.  I did three and selected the best one so I could make a mould of it.  The spinner was made from styrene too, with the cut-outs painstakingly excavated.  That way I can easily paint and assemble the blades later on without doing any tricky masking.  That's the plan anyway!   :-\





Apologies for the first two photos.  The light today is rubbish, so the fuselage shots are fairly blurry.  The prop photos are taken under a desk lamp and done while holding a diamond graders loupe hard up against the lens of my mobile phone's camera.  Oddly that seems to work really well.
« Last Edit: October 24, 2020, 05:11:30 PM by William Adair »

Offline Alexis

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #64 on: October 24, 2020, 11:00:22 PM »
William ,

Both are looking might fine indeed , excellent job on the prop and spinner  :)


Terri
Hurra ! , Ich Leben Noch
Body and life is a vessel we use to travel the planet . Femininity is the gift , The miracle comes from what we do with it .

Offline lone modeller

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #65 on: October 25, 2020, 06:06:32 AM »
I agree with Terri - both look very good indeed. The props and spinners are first class.

Stephen.

Offline William Adair

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #66 on: November 01, 2020, 05:17:13 PM »
Cheers!  I find that the props can often be a bit of a tell in 1/144 and its worth the time in getting them looking in scale.
I had a couple of tries at making the new wheels.  Got there eventually  :P  Also added some hatches and bulges to the D.III upper decking.  RAGIII's excellent WiP build of the Roden kit is a goldmine for reference shots and I was referring back to it constantly.

I've got several scrap pieces of decal sheet that have been sprayed with varying thicknesses of primer and sanded smooth.  The raised hatches are cut from these and attached with decal setting solution so they become welded to the surface.  Once they have set the surface is lightly polished to bed them in.  The oval shaped bulge was stamped out of painted decal stock, using a piece of brass tube that was sharpened and flattened out to form a hollow punch.  The tear drop one just behind the engine is made from styrene.  I don't know how visible any of these will be once the wing is on and the cabane struts are in the way, so I didn't go too crazy.


Offline kensar

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #67 on: November 01, 2020, 09:11:09 PM »
Brilliant work, William.  I'm picking up some tips on creating fine detail.  The props and hatches look excellent.

Offline lone modeller

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #68 on: November 02, 2020, 04:22:04 AM »
I am pleased that you have reminded us that this is the teeny braille scale because the models look very much larger - I could mistake them for 1/48.

Stephen.

Bughunter

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #69 on: November 02, 2020, 08:12:26 AM »
Absolut impressive work! That would also be great in a bigger scale. A joy to watch.

Cheers,
Frank

Offline Alexis

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #70 on: November 03, 2020, 12:16:00 AM »
Thumbs up ! :)


Terri
Hurra ! , Ich Leben Noch
Body and life is a vessel we use to travel the planet . Femininity is the gift , The miracle comes from what we do with it .

Offline RAGIII

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #71 on: November 03, 2020, 12:17:00 AM »
Very impressive detailing in this Tiny scale! Both are looking great!
RAGIII
"A man has to know his limitations": Harry Callahan

"Don't slop it on" Lynda Geisler

Offline William Adair

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III - Might need some advice though!
« Reply #72 on: November 10, 2020, 07:32:35 PM »
I am pleased that you have reminded us that this is the teeny braille scale because the models look very much larger - I could mistake them for 1/48.

Stephen.

That's a good point.  Being so familiar with them I take it for granted that the size is known, but gauging the scale of anything by photo online is not always easy.  I've changed the title of the thread to hopefully make it more explanatory.

Here's a messy shot after a busy couple of evenings.  Lots of test fitting and fussing about, but I was able to get the lower wings of the D.III permanently (I hope!) attached.  The undercarriage had to be removed first as I realised I was only making things difficult for myself by having them in place.  Some new-improved wheels were made too, which look a lot better than the previous ones.

A bit of blutack is holding the wing in place so I can see how things are looking overall.  Decided to give the matchstick the night off.  The coin is just a bit smaller than a modern 10c piece.  Just so no one gets a Pfalz sense of scale..    ;D


Offline Alexis

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III & D.IIIa in 1/144 scale
« Reply #73 on: November 14, 2020, 03:57:19 PM »
I'm just amazed on how you guys can turn out sure super detail in this scale , very well done so far William . All are really starting to take shape showing their beautiful lines .


Terri
Hurra ! , Ich Leben Noch
Body and life is a vessel we use to travel the planet . Femininity is the gift , The miracle comes from what we do with it .

Offline William Adair

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Re: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III & D.IIIa in 1/144 scale
« Reply #74 on: November 15, 2020, 08:00:16 PM »
Cheers Terri!  It's amazing how sleek the Pfalz D.III series were for their day.  I hope I can pull off a decent finish when its time to get the paint on. 
Here's a test shot of the final engine cylinders and their various attachments.  I was able the make a mould of it this morning and do a trial cast in the afternoon.  I forget how many bits are in it.  LOTS anyway. 

There's still some bits to add but I'll look into that later.  The main thing is it fits.  :)



I also did a bit of corrective work on an unfinished project that has been hanging around for 20 years or more in the background.