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Bill_S

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Posts posted by Bill_S

  1. It was a busy day for the postman.

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    I got the Nick in a trade with a local club member. It cost me a WNW Albatros.

    I looked for a Quinta Studios set for the Ki-45. but none exists. The Yahu panel is for the Z-M Ho229.

    Slowly but surely, I'm switching from Model Master enamel to Mr. Color lacquer. I want something with a wide range of colors that I can spray and brush.

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    I hope the metallic paints compare favorably to the Model Master Metallizers that I've been using forever.

    • Like 15
    • Thanks 1
  2. An issue. The engine/cowl assembly sits too far forward, leaving a large gap between the fuselage and the cowl flaps. The engine can't go any farther forward into the cowl, and the engine supports are fully seated into the firewall.

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    I drilled out the mounting holes and put in brass pins.

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    I cut off the ends of the engine supports and finished with this:

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    Canopy glass with blue over black.

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    • Like 12
  3. 13 hours ago, HubertB said:

    Nice result on the rudder, Bill.

    I am not totally convinced about the « pipe-cleaner technique », which looks to regularly irregular in my eyes, especially on the rear fuselage. As Scott mentioned, the Silly Putty technique, or lifted paper mask, could produce a more convincing faded effect, IMHO.

    Hubert

    At this point, I'm inclined to agree. I've got silly putty on order.

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
  4. Well, my experiment with the pipe cleaners had mixed results. On short, straight spans, it worked exactly as I planned.

    Note: I'm spraying Mr. Color lacquers, I'm not sure if water based paints will soak the pipe cleaner or not.

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    On the longer, curved runs I was not so successful.

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    I attribute this to the pipe cleaner pulling away from the surface of the plastic.  As with anything, it's the small details...

    This is not a good way to tape the pipe cleaner down: you can clearly see the pipe cleaner lifting away from the fuselage.

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    This, while not perfect, works much better.

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    The last two images are from my Birdcage Corsair; I'll be feathering edges on the fuselage of this one, too.

    A second application on the Kingfisher:

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    I might give it another go with the white.

    In the meantime, I got the rudder repainted. I'm happy with the result. I'm letting this cure for a day or two before I shoot the navy blue.

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    Next up: mounting the engine, installing and painting the cowl.

    • Like 13
    • Thanks 1
  5. Pipe cleaners. There are two varieties. Good. And bad.

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    I'm using pipe cleaners to try and get a feathered edge to the paint on the fuselage. The white pipe cleaner is good. The blue one will leave a sawtooth pattern. Bad.

    I cut and bend the pipe cleaner, then put it between masking tape and the model.

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    When spraying paint, I spray up past the pipe cleaner, never down at it. I'm currently waiting for black to dry on the windscreen framing. More pictures tomorrow.

    • Like 10
    • Thanks 4
  6. 2 hours ago, ScottsGT said:

    I tried finding pipe cleaners at my local grocery store last month for my dead frog project I did for my daughter.  Nothing around my neck of the woods.  I guess they just get a new crack pipe when they get dirty around these parts.  Then I remembered I had a pack in my gun cleaning box.  
    So Bill, what ya using them for?  Some special painting technique or just cleaning airbrushes and things?  
     

    Oh, as far as the conversion kit, not a lot in the box.  Including any form of instructions.  Has the two piece radome, what appears to be some interior parts and fuselage bottom behind the radome and of course the top piece that converts the green house and turret.   Doesn’t even have any panel lines scribed into it.  It’s a real modelers conversion.  Not a bolt on and go. Oh, forgot.  Also has the stabilizer fins to add as well.  

    Scott, I use them to avoid a sharp demarcation between paint colors. They bend easily and hold their shape. I tape them to the fuselage and spray from a short distance. I'll have pictures up on my Kingfisher build soon.

    • Like 7
    • Thanks 2
  7. 36 minutes ago, Peterpools said:

    Bill

    Nice progress and I'm with Ernie, every time down the road when you look at the Kingfisher, the tail stripes are going to annoy the dickens out of you. I'm forever backtracking and fixing things and sometimes it feels as if I built the model twice.

     

     

    7 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

    Redoing the rudder ain’t a big deal, Bill. And if it’ll bug you forever, then fix it now.   Nice job so far. 

    You guys are correct. Those bright stripes will draw the eye right to the tail. Mr. Color thinner is a fantastic paint remover - it took all of five minutes.

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    • Like 7
  8. On 1/24/2023 at 10:01 PM, Clunkmeister said:

    This is one seriously awesome job, Bill.  I have a couple of these in the stash, along with the Big Ed sets for them, and one of these days….

    This kit is a true gem, IMHO, a d brings big $$$$ now on the resale market. Funny how it was so trashed when it came out.

    Ive seen several of these kits built, and every last one of them was a Nats Award winner. 

    I must confess that I was one who initially cursed this kit, Ernie. In hindsight, it's not that bad if you have a magnifying lamp to view some of the pictures in the instruction booklet. You will soon see a Kingfisher that is NOT a Nats winner!

    Painting the stripes on the rudder...

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    And the finished product.

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    I'm not happy with how this turned out; I used calipers to measure the stripes on the decal. In hindsight, I should have simply measured the height of the rudder and divided by 13 to get uniform spacing. I'm kicking myself for that stupid mistake.

    There's nothing like a coat of paint to show seam defects. I had to re-fill and sand the belly of the beast.

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    • Like 8
  9. Locating nubs have been removed and replaced with brass pins. The pin furthest forward had to be trimmed quite short; it interferes with the firewall assembly.

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    Prop just needs a wash.

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    The last shots of the interior prior to joining the fuselage halves.

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    Some seam filling and sanding are in the near future. I got over zealous and forgot to install the IP. Not a big deal; the section at top front has yet to be cemented. A little trimming of the IP attachment and it will slip in.

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    I swear, canopy masks are one of the greatest things ever invented!

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    • Like 13
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