HubertB

And about that « pot-de-vin » to extend the deadline by 18 months, so that I can finish my Cutlass in time 😂 ? Hubert

Well done ! And congrats for the dash to the finish line 👍 ! Hubert

Ben (Starfighter on LSP) said it was 62 hours printing time for the wings only. And printing the fuselage takes 120 hours … And, before you ask, AFAIK, he has no intention of selling it to anyone … Still, it’s a fantastic piece of design 👍 ! Hubert

Too bad. Somehow, seeing the raised rivets on the headrest, I thought that Trumpeter got the raised rivets on the rest of the airframe … These were a characteristic feature of the TBD, but, I agree with you, are often too prominent on many kits. It’s one of my gripes with the IBG PZL P-11C : the raised rivets are accurate for this airframe, but a bit too high for my liking … Anyway, we’ ve got Archer or Quinta for sets of raised rivets. Just need a few dozen sheets costing the GNP of Zimbabwe 😂 ! Hubert

I can offer you a number of « pots-de-vin », but my Cutlass will need more than a week to be finished … Hubert

Are the rivers divots or dimples ? The TBD was festooned with raised rivets ( as was his stablemate the Dauntless, but Trumpeter showed them as divots, and it took Archer to issue a full set of raised rivets for the SBD) Hubert

Got more pics for us ? Hubert

Now that’s embodying the fabled saying « Turning a sow’s ear in a silk purse » Hubert

Which is overall good news … Hubert

Now, where is mine 😩 ? I NEED my TBD fix 😥 ! Hubert

Sincere condolences, Ron. Hubert

I guess you are using PETG, Martin. it’s extremely sensitive to temperatures, and the bubbles you are seeing is water trapped in the PETG sheet, that turns into vapour with the temperature rise. PETG loves water, like plaster or a paper towel, btw. There are two solutions to that, that work best together : 1) pre-dry the PETG sheets in an oven, like 2 hours in the oven set at about 60° C 2) decrease the sheet temperature when molding it. It’ s a two-step process. 1) As you cannot modulate the heat coming from the overhead resistance, on these machines, increase the distance between the sheet and the resistance. 2) Spend just the right amount of time heating the sheet, and it’s literally a one-sor-two-seconds window : too little time, and the sheet won’t mold well, and two much time and the dreaded bubbles will grow like mushrooms. And both these steps are a function of trial-and-error, depending on the machine. A chronometer is useful to time the « right » time, but thank God, all smartphones have one function for that …As for the height, once you have determined it, a makeshift stop on one axis rod will help obtain consistent results. HTH Hubert