WNW Roland CII

[RAGIII]

Great work on the painting. I think your pens have worked well! I am still trying to wrap my brain around the "New" ideas on the finish of these birds ! Beautiful painting all the same!
RAGIII

[Ernie]

Wonderful work on the Walfisch, Graham. You are making great
progress and it is looking terrific.  Very good idea about using the
artist pens!

Cheers.
Ernie

[GrahamB]

Hi Walfisch fans,

some progress but it is a case of two steps forward, one step back.

I've started the adding the decals to the wings after having masked and painted all the rib-tapes (Tamiya Flat Earth - possibly too strong?) and glossed the surfaces. The underside wing crosses (112 x2) went on very well apart from snagging the raised 'pimple' under the inner bar. I really don't like putting decals over these things - see more later. If I did this again I'd remove it then replace after the decal was applied.



Then the upper wing crosses (1-4)...........
I tried the starboard wing first but I could see straight away there were going to be problems because of the complex and quite severe curvature of the outer wing. Here were several creases and folds that I couldn't eliminate, even by making a few cuts in the decal. I used some Micro Sol as well but as it dried  it was not going to go well ( or so I guessed) - there were two raised pimples again that do not help the decal settle well. I gave up and, rather than risk the horror of scraping a dried decal off, I removed it while still slightly wet. Also I had realised that it was pointless to have painted the aileron hinges and plate yellow as they would be largely covered by the black cross!

So, I cut off the two round pimples but drilled a slight depression in each so that I could locate them and replace them after the decal had been attached. Masked off and painted the white panel, glossed, ready to go. As for decals I now had an untouched port wing cross/panel (1,2) and starboard aileron decal (4). The black cross areas were cut out using a scalpel and some very good decal scissors (from Micromark). For the starboard main cross I used 52 from the 'C' option as it was same size and shape.

This may all be my inexperience with large decals and this type of subject and perhaps I should have had faith that the WNW decal would have settled down perfectly.

Fuselage almost ready for decals apart from painting the cockpit leather coaming. In the end, my finish of the yellow-beige was p..s-poor due to an overly thick and dusty 'orange peel' coat of the Humbrol enamels so I had to gently sand it back in places and re-coat. This meant that my pre-shading almost disappeared but I've now emphasied (or tried to) the linen areas by using the oil-dot method. White, yellow (very tiny amounts) and grey-brown dots were applied then I've streaked them gently in an oblique fashion. Not too bad, but this is going to be a 2-foot model (not to be studied at distances less than this).


This is all glossed since taking the photo and next time I hope that everything will be 'decal-ed', wings attached to fuselage and ready for rigging.
Phew!

Cheers,

GrahamB

[bobs_buckles]

Lovely work, Graham.
Thanks for the heads up on the crosses - I will cut my own using my vinyl cutter  No need to worry about raised details getting in the way 

Keep going!
BVB

[bobs_buckles]

Mr Von Buckles,

How about cutting 0.8mm wide self adhesive lines of sign vinyl to apply to the inside of the fuselage to correct the joints?

That would be super easy, RB.   
I will need to get my hands on the kit before I start firing up the vinyl cutter, but this should be no problem.

Cheers,
BVB
 

[radio]

The next nice update and painting Graham.
Martin

[RAGIII]

Graham,
An excellent update. I am sure that in spite of your tribulations with the upper wing cross you will overcome your difficulties and produce a beautiful finished product. The fuselage looks excellent! Your subtle use of the oils seems to have worked well!
RAGIII

[GrahamB]

Hi,

thanks - I need some encouragement. I am still struggling with decals - perhaps I need to have done more before learning the hard way on a treasure like a WNW kit? I think the Roland does present difficulties as I've snagged a couple of more issues - see next post for places to watch - but I'm finding some ways through - belatedly in some areas though. Such as cutting off hindrances like small tabs of decal that go over movable flying-surface hinges. It is easier to paint these rather than try and get the decal to sit properly. Even cutting them out completely so that decal surrounds, not overlies, details like this; using a punch as well for the circular fittings, but careful measurement and dry fit is needed. So many times this build I've had decals 'tenting' over small fittings etc rather than conforming. I have had to resort to gentle burnishing afterwards to 'pursuade' them into line. Another related problem is that a few of the decals' outer edge sit over small fittings -the fuselage cross panels for example. They hate this and some touch-up was unavoidable on once side.

But, it is looking pretty now with its spots on - I wonder if they were attempting the look of a salmonid (trout) parr? The radiator housings were painted red on this example to mimic the gill slit no doubt.

Still wondering about the 'structure' ahead of the observer's cockpit as shown on the profile. I'll fashion a hoop since it is probably a gun-deflector/guard.

Nearly there.

Cheers,

GrahamB

[RAGIII]

Graham,
Just wondering if it might be feasible to attach the hinges after decaling? I wind it interesting in that WNW provided cutouts for the Albatros Crosses where they were going over the hinge cover area, wonder why not on this one?
RAGIII

[kornbeef]

Ragiii

WNW have put cut out for the control arms but they are thinner than the moulded on arm on the aileron itself. Anyone else building  might want to open both these gaps and the one on the rudder a little to make life easier for themselves. As for the tiny tab of decal over the hinges themselves I'm going to trim those off and touch up with paint prior to applying weathering etc.

Graham I can understand your frustration with the decals conforming to details. I use a  non lint type kitchen towel soaked fairly hot water and press the decal down after pin pricking around the offending point. This seems to melt the decal a little and force it to conform though often enough the tip if the bolt/stud. whatever the detail is will break through if its large. But then I touch it up.

I love what you are doing to the wings and hope you get those fuselage woes sorted. 

Keith

[justin1980]

Looks great Graham, can't wait to see it with wings on!

[GrahamB]

Hi,

thanks Keith for the tip about decal application. I also think that the advice/instructions to use warm water (how warm?) is really sound as it does seem to make a difference.

As for the Roland, the port side fin cross decal  (19 or 16?) is the worst to fit. A lot is asked of this: it has to set straight against the rudder line, the hinge tabs have to settle properly, it meets the change from flush vertical to a rounded fuselage that is itself on an angle, then has to cope with an oval access panel and small cut-out resting over the elevator rod hole. Needless to say, mine got damaged and I'll have to touch up where it goes over the panel. For the starboard side it was easier (no raised panel) and I also cut off the hinge tabs. There is slight issue in that one needs to retouch a small angle tip of the black cross on the upper hinge though. Another time I would mask and paint all the white panels and source or cut out the crosses (as I did for the starboard upper wing).

If you are doing this option - 'E' - take care that the port side black disc (68) settles down over and into the footstep. I'm left with some 'tenting' in the aperture and will have to cut this out and paint it black/scuffed metal. The pricking/hot water/ kitchen-towel technique would be perfect for this.

Might get a photo or two of 'Spotty' up-loaded today, now with lower wings, rudder and elevators attached. No problems here.

Cheers,

Graham

[Ernie]

The build is looking great, Graham.  I like the oils treatment.  Super job,
despite the bumps along the way.

Cheers,
Ernie

[GrahamB]

Hi,

Spotty now being assembled.

There is still some touching-up to do on the footstep under the large black disc decal on port side, the inner window edges to be tidied up, the cockpit coaming edge to be cleaned up etc. etc. The red on the port radiator is left unfinished as it's going to be a part of the 'diorama theme' - I'm using a couple of the Kellerkind groundcrew figures including the guy with a paint brush. WNW show photos of Spotty before and after these were painted red.






Finished all the sub-assemblies including the ocharina exhaust and propeller/spinner.



I used Aclad burnt exhaust on the former, then brushed on MIG Light Rust and Black Smoke powders. The red bars on the prop are decal strips from the WNW sheet - just right.

Before I go further I'm going to spend a happy hour or two making some Bob's Buckles style 'turnbuckles' from 0.1 mm copper wire and get these all fixed before putting on the upper wing. I don't like the brass tube thing that many do and may just simulate this part of rigging with paint. We'll see.

Keen eyes will spot that the half-cut (?) oil tank in the engine compartment is out of alignment - another Doh! moment to add to the thread on these things. I had put on the panel over this thinking it would hold in in place but no. Won't be seen though.

Cheers,

GrahamB

[uncletony]

Ocarina exhaust finish is beautiful