1/32 Handley Page V/1500 scratch build (slowgress report)

[Dirigible-Al]

73 Parts!! That's unbelievable.

[lone modeller]

Only one word for that amazing control column....gobsmacked!

(Look it up if you do not already know the expression).

Stephen.

[RichieW]

Your parts production is a brilliant display of incredible precision Willem. No matter how small the details you keep the quality of the very highest standard. Just brilliant!

Richie

[Rookie]

Thank you very much Rick, Alan, Stephen and Richie for your kind words.

@Rick

I have been following your builds of the 1 1/2 Strutter and the Scout as a lurker, and I am very impressed!

@Alan

I re-did some of the parts, but I lost count now…

@Stephen

Yes, I know the expression, and I’d like to return the compliment, especially for your beautiful BE 2a!

@Richie

Having limited bench time and looking at the work one did, is has the advantage of spotting flaws that one would normally overlook or discard, and the disadvantage of wanting to do them again, which is very time-consuming.
As I said, I haven't had much bench time, and although the control column is nowhere near completion, I wanted to show the little progress I have made. it’s  mainly replacing styrene parts with brass. It's a lot of work, but it looks better and it's sturdier.

This is the frame that holds the pulleys for the rudder control cables. I am an absolute beginner when it comes to soldering, so it needs some cleaning up. In my defense: these parts are very small, even in 1/32. I made a template in styrene and copied the slots on 0,5 brass sheet:






The column itself is now of brass rod and tube. I found it easier to make from brass than styrene, because it is stronger and I can add more details.





I also re-did the pedals for the same reasons:





A few steps closer to the end result:




I’m afraid the next update will take a while, but...


I’ll be back
Thanks for looking,
Willem

[RAGIII]

You may not do a lot, but what you do is always awesome!
RAGIII

[gedmundson]

Your progress on this build is amazing, Willem. Glad I happened to catch the latest work. Just really amazing.
Cheers,
Gary

[KiwiZac]

You may not do a lot, but what you do is always awesome!
RAGIII

Hear hear, wow!!

[lone modeller]

Working in brass is more difficult than styrene but from experience I know that it gives much stronger results. For the first attempt those pullueys are remarkable - very well done indeed. Do remember that solder can be easily filed away if necessary and onlookers do not need to know how you cleaned the parts.... It is the finished item that they will look at.

You may be slow, but your standards are extremely high, and quality work does take time.

Stephen

[davec]

Willem - you do beautiful work - I'm very impressed by your brass work.  Are you using a soldering iron or a torch?

[Rookie]

Thank you (again) for you kind words Stephen. I have a nice set of very fine needle files and sanding /polishing paper from grit 80 to 10,000, so that won’t be a problem. I just have to careful, because the parts are very delicate

@Dave:
I use a temperature controlled soldering station with the temp set to 375°. I clean up the surfaces with 1500 grit polishing paper and clean it up with 97% alcohol on a tissue. Before I start soldering, I dab al little flux with a fine brush on both surfaces.

Cheers,
Willem

[RichieW]

Hi Willem, how lovely to see an update on this magnificent project. Your first soldering efforts look superb to me, the parts must be incredibly small and any little errors that show in brutal close up photos will be indistinguishable to the naked eye. You may not get to spend much time on the model but what time you have is used to make superb pieces of the very highest quality. This is remarkable workmanship!

Richie

[Tim Mixon]

“. You may not get to spend much time on the model but what time you have is used to make superb pieces of the very highest quality. This is remarkable workmanship!”
Can’t say it any better. Well done!

[Rookie]

Sorry for the late response gentlemen.... 

You may not do a lot, but what you do is always awesome!
RAGIII

Hear hear, wow!!

Thanks Rick and Zac,

Yes the pace is slow, and making these parts from scratch is time consuming but enjoyable 

Your progress on this build is amazing, Willem. Glad I happened to catch the latest work. Just really amazing.
Cheers,
Gary

Thank you Gary,

Well, it's mostly two steps forward, one step back. I managed to destroy the styrene foot pedals while trying to correct them. They were crooked in my opinion, so I will make new ones of brass this weekend. Same goes for the styrene pulleys. I'm afraid they will not survive the heat when I solder the all-brass pedals on...

I am an avid admirer of your work, especially when it comes down to weathering and the color nuances in one colored surfaces. I am thinking of buying  this book to get some useful tips and tricks for my project. Does anyone know this?

https://www.zinnfigur.com/out/pictures/master/product/1/553_6220.jpg

And thank you Richie and Tim,

Yes I use my Samsung Note 10, which has an incredible camera. Sometimes a little too good it seems. It sometimes looks like shots taken from a microscope and it shows the tiniest imperfections. It is sometimes hard to ignore and leave the results as they are, because only little of those imperfections can be seen with the naked eye.

Everybody, thanks for looking

Willem

[Borsos]

Still a project that frightens me just due it’s dimensions alone, but also impresses me due to the fantastic work and care you invest.
Andreas

[Rookie]

Thank you for your kind words Andreas, it means a lot to me, especially from someone who's work I admire so much.

And yes, at times it frightens me too. I have absolutely no idea where to put it once it is finished...

But I enjoy every second working on it, planning ahead, trying out different techniques and materials, studying old documents and drawings.

And it's also therapeutic for me. Forgetting the world around me and concentrating on 0.5 square mm fiddling 

Cheers
Willem