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SapperSix

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Everything posted by SapperSix

  1. Looking pretty good Gaz. I am liking the look you are going for! Zimmerit isn't as easy as it might seem, you are making it look easy and good....
  2. I have been doing a lot of work on the Camera's. I found some other build threads and online photo's to reference. The more I learned the more I realized I needed all kinds of stock plastic rod and such. Order for said items placed but I am going with the current plan as I wont be exposing the camera bay. The most detailed camera will be the forward camera as it will be most visible based of some test fittings. Should I find otherwise I will adjust. I used an eclectic set of items to make the camera rings as I had no other options at this point. The camera rings are combination of a cut up 1/35th 75mm German cannon, old plastic piper for the inner ring and a small bead for the inner lens and electrical hook ups. I will be running rudimentary electrical lines from the cameras up in to the camera bay. I am using copper wire as seen in the picture below. I am still experimenting with lenses. What you see now are a mix of actual plastic lenses from other kits and Micro Kristal Clear. Micro is looking to be the early winner and all camera lenses will probably be switched over. The film reel supports are cut up photoetched brass from other kits. I will have to go back and hit some seams. Cockpit parts ready to be primered. The 600 gallon tank is waiting to be sanded. Everything else is filled sanded and ready for primer. Ailerons cut out of the main wing to be slightly lowered as the Phantom will be parked. Flap and wing ends filled and sanded with finishing touches on the way. Auxiliary air intakes cut out, with some minor adjustments. And getting ready to scribe the Photo-flash dispenser lines and doors. I have caught the modification bug. I have bought riveters, plastic stock cutters, plastic stock, etc. I am beginning to believe I can make many of the things I want in a model. If it all works out I will see about adding the radar to this kit and will proceed as such.
  3. Harv, The Brass Gear can be found at Aerocraft Models I also ordered the undercarriage wheel doors. This kit is the Revell 1/32 RF-4C Phantom Fighter Kit #4662. I did contact Revell but it was the weekend so I assume if I hear from them it will be some time later this week. While I very much appreciate your offer, I can only accept as a last resort. I don't want to take away from your build. I have to say that its been really nice to have people such as yourself offer to help. I have also been able to help a few others. Its a great characteristic of our community. Lets see how this plays out. I can work on other items in the mean time. Thank you very much for your offer! I have seen much of your (posted) work and have been an admirer of it. See you at the work bench! -Frank
  4. Awesome, Glad to have you aboard. Please be sure to throw in any comments and corrections you see fit. I have much to learn. -Frank
  5. Peter, Thanks for following. Please feel free to throw in any comments and corrections you see fit. I have learned a ton from other builders input. See you at the workbench! -Frank
  6. Bill, I was warned about them last night from another builder. I opened the package and saw I had a problem. Your input helped to solidify my decision to buy the AeroCraft Brass Struts. Thank you very much for the heads up. Happy Modeling! -Frank
  7. A lot of work over the last couple days. Modifying the base kit for the resin additions, test fitting, more research, building fuel tanks, mixing paints and primers and general build order planning. Looking at wheel well wiring (Say that fast three times) and other wiring details to make sure I have a plan, has been time consuming. This is the first kit that I am planning to cut up as much as I am. While its nothing when compared to many of the incredible kit makers here, its giving me a lot of confidence. I predict a whole lot more kit destruction/building as its adding a whole new dimension of fun to me. I have learned much by looking at the many incredible builds and builders on this site. I will be forever thankful for those that have taken the time to answer my questions and endure my persistence. Focus on the cockpit modifications has gone fairly well up to this point. I am really excited about the detail and accuracy of the work space. Regardless of what you see in the picture, I have no intention of including the Sherman Tank tracks or the M4 Mortar Carrier frame in the current Phantom build. Although, that's not to say I haven't done some test fitting. Looks like a piece is missing from the kit. I will have to look at making the piece. Another first.
  8. And so it begins. This will be my first real attempt, top to bottom, to recreate a RF-4C to the best of my ability. Lots of research and after market items bought to make it right. The line up of after aftermarket effort is the longest I have compiled ever: AMS Resin RF-4 Photo-flash Dispensers GT Resin RF-4C Resin Cockpit Set GT Resin ALQ-101V(1) ECM Pod GT Resin ALQ-71 ECM Pod (for F-4 Phantom II) Scale Aircraft Conversions - Phantom II Landing Gear Full House Paint masks for McDonnell RF-4B/RF-4C Exhaust nozzles for EARLY McDonnell RF-4C Phantom. Late weighted Wheels for McDonnell RF-4C F.O.D. Version II. With DECALS McDonnell RF-4C Auxiliary Air Intake and the Door for McDonnell RF-4C -Decals - McDonnell F-4C Phantom II in Viet Nam war Part 1 F-4C 64-0829 20/05/1967 8th Tactical Fighter Wing; 2. RF-4C 69-0349 Udorn. Thailand 1973. 14 TRS -Custom Decals donated to me. Thank you very much Tony!! -Various Instrument and placard decals from AirScale -Decals - Speed Hunter Graphics Big Scale Early Phantom Stencils for the RF-4C -Detail and Scale VOL. 43, RF-4C Phantom II I suspect this build will take many months as my real life is sure to interject. Plus, I want very much to take all that I have learned and put it into this aircraft. If it all works out I will not want to give it up upon completion. If you have any information or input I would be glad to hear it. The amount of experience on this site is vast and daunting. Updated 11/3/2018
  9. I had never thought of using it with tube paint...but I am now. When I put it in with my Tamiya's, I have never had a peel problem with tape ( I hope I didn't just curse myself.) I did have to experiment with trying not to alter the sheen or general character of said paint. In the end I think it was well worth the effort. I add X-20A Thinner if I have muddled the mix and to help over all spray ability and thickness.
  10. Amazing Stuff.......I can only wish to have such talent. Back to work I go.
  11. The Monogram PBJ(B-25H conversion) and the Accurate Miniatures TBM-1C where built in parallel as best as possible. They were both test beds as I get ready for my 1/32 Tamiya Corsair, version TBD. Testing included: 1.) Density of floor wax and Tamiya X-20A thinner mix. Currently 60% Floor wax, 40% thinner spray as needed. In the past I had been just coating the heck out the subject making a really glossy subject. I read and learned that such actions can kill many subtle details and is not required for a good decal set. However, I love the way a diluted form strengthens the base coat and makes decals, sludge wash and oils work on the base coat. Matching the coat with the sludge wash is a matter of touch. Meaning that the more wax you put on the more of your sludge will not stick and will come off easier. The less wax and the sludge wash will sink right in to the paint and you will not be able to remove it from the flat paint. The PBJ is less wax, the TBM (I would like to think) was almost right. I am not sure how to scientifically quantify the math in the was vs the sludge wash other than to say experiment. 2.) Sludge was vs Oils. I haven't been able to get oils in Alaska, outside of internet. However, Michael's just opened and I was able to get true oils and water based oils. This has lead to a ton of messing around both on these aircraft and on a M4A1 76MM am also building. 3.) I had been fighting my airbrush and have finally found the key for my set up. So I did the PBJ with lose fitted paper to get the over spray control and I did the TBM with masking tape. I will need these skills for a SEA Phantom II build that's about to kick off. I prefer to free hand as I believe that this scale is large enough to be able to see the border collision of colors as they are more or less in real life, not a hard boarder in most cases that I have seen. 4.) Panel scribing was supposed to happen for the PBJ as it had raised panel lines coming from a old beaten B-25H kit. The panel lines on the TBM that had been sanded out also need to be rescribed. I did buy a scriber and try to make one but too late in the game and will have to come back to that idea in a future build. 5.) Building my own canopy mask with Tamiya tape. I was able to that with the PBJ pretty well but it was painstaking. At times I had a hard time seeing the birdcage and had to vary lighting to be sure what was the boarder. The TBM was bought with a Eduard Big Ed kit so that made life grand. 6.) Photography. I know that I need to build a photography stage if you will. I find that my phone camera betrays me and aids me. I see all my mistakes with a photo, so I think I will take pictures in the future to knock out what my failing eyes are missing and only after call it done and re shoot pictures. It doesn't capture the fine details and seems to over emphasize the harsh details. Missing much subtly my eye sees, maybe I am bias. 7.) Decals. I am going to move to painting my own as much is possible and reasonable. There is too many things that are at issue (See right side fuselage star and bar on the TBM and under the underside of the PBJ.). I have never painted my own at any scale and will need to look at this over the next couple of projects. 8.) The PBJ is a nose sitter thanks to a lot of lead weight secured with testors body putty, no CA. The PBJ was converted from a Monogram B-25H model I got about 10 years ago. It had been abused and parts lost as I used it as my test spray plane. I found some parts for it along with a Corsair -5 Radar and stuck that on the wing. Not to speck but it was a good lesson in moving a fair amount of plastic and building it up to look natural. One can see on the bomb bay door my lack of floor wax and how the sludge was sunk in more than I would have liked. I chose not to fix that as I will right if off on a dirty ground crew...... I tried to recreate fuel spill clean up, using oils paints, around the fuel cells. Its faint and the base matches well with it when seen with the eye. The top and side Stars and Bars were taken from another kit. The decal under the wing was from the original kit and is very yellowed despite trying to use microsol to fix it. Also many of the machine guns barrels are cut up paper clips as the originals were long lost. The props are just pressed on, this one started to come off while moving for pictures, didn't see it until I already posted it. The door gunner windows have gone missing so I set up the waist gunners with a gun post. The lack of panels looks odd to me but made for good ground to test color variation with the sludge wash. The top of the cockpit bird cage was a little rough as was the turret gunner. Many lessons learned with custom made masking. I used thread for the antennas I am going to look in to wire in the future. One can see the lack of floor polish under coat didn't match with my sludge wash make up, more dish soap for the sludge maybe, or more floor wax prior to sludge washing.... I used sand paper and the boiling water method in an attempt to make my own weighted wheels. I was overly cautious in my first attempt but see how it can work and maybe save a few bucks down the road. The TBM was a joy to build with the eduard big ed kit. I did stop building for awhile and came back after a few months. This created a few problems in continuity. I tried the paint brush method to recreate chipping instead of the hairspray method. I can see it has many advantages. More practice is needed. The eduard interior for this model was very good. I cant seem to get my camera in there to do it justice. Worth the buy for this kit. I need to learn/practice how to weather munitions. The wheels are after market, don't remember from whom. Recribing the panels at the joint is a must, a bit of practice is on the way. The brush chipping method was a bit of a struggle to get right. Too much, too little....I found myself looking at a lot of reference photos. I left the door open as there is a lot of really good detail in there. You can see that the stars and bars decal wrinkled a bit and captured air unlike any of the others. I fought it and made it a little better but never got it it right. I am not sure what I did or what happened but it has motivated me to try and paint them in the future. The Plane number was put on before the sludge was but I couldn't get the sludge to match the remainder of the fuselage. Another reason to start painting. Regardless of the checklist of improvement they were a very fun build. And they helped me get a little better. It has made me much more confident for the future Corsair project. I cant wait to crack that Tamiya F4U box, but also want my skills to be on par with that great kit. Any advice and improvements very much welcome. Lord knows I have learned a ton while on this site.
  12. Absolutely fantastic as always!! She is a big plane. I am going to have to get one. Thanks for posting the wonderful build.
  13. I have found that a 50/50 mix of Tamiya Thinner and Future/Klear works great for re enforcing the paint when a ton of masking is taking place. For me it has stopped paint peeling off with the tape. It doesn't change the dullness of the flat paints unless you really focus it on.
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