ScottsGT Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Posted up the start of this in another thread, but figured I’d do a dedicated thread in the right place. Thought about putting it in the Twins Build, but I highly doubt I’ll have it wrapped up by the deadline. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 So let’s start with some pics! Since I’ve just started, not much to see. The build starts out by cleaning up the clam shell rear fuselage top and bottom and then sliding the wing halves into a spar. Getting it level is the trick. I assembled my Hobby Zone jig just for this and got a great idea to put my new laser level to use. This is just a basic mock up. Playing with the laser I discovered my bench isn’t even level. Gotta start there before I build leaning models! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Great to see a start on the Cutlass. Having the same jig, it give me an idea of just how big it is. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Scott Nice start and some very masterful engineering 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 Yea Peter, I think I sometimes over think things. 🤡 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 Dang it. Tried to add a comment and it timed out on me. But I learned years back to never trust my eyes again for straight lines. I was building RC airplanes when I got my first prescription glasses. All of a sudden wing spars and leading edges had a curvature on them. Laid my straight edge up there and it was straight. Stood back and my straight edge was curved. Damn it! It hit me like a ton of bricks. It was my lenses causing the curvature I was seeing. I use to have a perfect eye for straight lines. When I was a paint and bodyman it was almost a requirement when it came time to fixing panel lines or taping off a car for stripes. When I painted my ‘66 Mustang’s rally stripes I had to do it without wearing my glasses. The curvature was driving me insane so it was easier to look at it a little blurry while taping it off. And to make it more complicated, the ‘65-‘66 rally, or Shelby stripes are tapered from front to back on the hood and I think the back end of the car as well. Seriously, it took all day to tape those stripes out. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 1 hour ago, ScottsGT said: Dang it. Tried to add a comment and it timed out on me. But I learned years back to never trust my eyes again for straight lines. I was building RC airplanes when I got my first prescription glasses. All of a sudden wing spars and leading edges had a curvature on them. Laid my straight edge up there and it was straight. Stood back and my straight edge was curved. Damn it! It hit me like a ton of bricks. It was my lenses causing the curvature I was seeing. I use to have a perfect eye for straight lines. When I was a paint and bodyman it was almost a requirement when it came time to fixing panel lines or taping off a car for stripes. When I painted my ‘66 Mustang’s rally stripes I had to do it without wearing my glasses. The curvature was driving me insane so it was easier to look at it a little blurry while taping it off. And to make it more complicated, the ‘65-‘66 rally, or Shelby stripes are tapered from front to back on the hood and I think the back end of the car as well. Seriously, it took all day to tape those stripes out. Welcome to getting old! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Scott I'm right with carl and have been wearing progressive glasses for decades and now, add in al the other eye issues of aging and the fun begins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 Yea, I got hit with the astigmatism around 32 years old. I started aging early! 61 now. I’m enjoying all the arthritis, tinnitus, ED, 5-6 bathroom trips a night, aches and pains associated with joints wearing out, muscle atrophy, slow to heal after an injury, prostate drip, eyesight degeneration, lack of stamina, etc…..Oh, and let’s not forget the spinal stenosis from surgery and back injuries 25 years ago. But it beats the hell out of feeding worms! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 So just an update on progress (now back to our regularly scheduled program) I leveled my bench as best as I could. Somehow either I built it with an arch in the middle, or it’s the weight of the paint booth pressing down over time. I think eventually I’ll build some adjustable feet for the jig so I don’t have to worry about the table droop. But I reset everything and this time I taped the vertical stabs in place and checked everything with the laser. I think I’m ready to break out the epoxy. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 And the jig will need some course corrections dialed in as well. I probably just need to file/sand the base with some angle where it tightens down on the sliding scale. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 All glued up! Filling in the gaps with epoxy 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 Quite the job getting the bench level. I levelled mine when I built it. Hopefully it hasn't shifted. Makes me want to look at the Skyray in the stash. As for astigmatisms, I developed mine when I was 3 1/2 so I've had corrective eyewear since. About 5 years ago I got ICL surgery done and ended up with better than 20/20 vision. Except I then needed readers when I'm at the bench. At least they're the cheapie ones so it's a fair tradeoff. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 Scott Quite the jig setup and surely works well. I just use my old jig to hold the model when doing certain building steps as it would be impossible to 'square' it up as you and Carl have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 Well this is a fine mess. Got the intakes painted inside and glued on. Fit was perfect to the outside of the back half of the fuselage. Once my glue set up I slipped in the nose piece. Oops. There’s a .040 gap on either side on the intakes. I did my best to fill it with Evergreen stock. In hind sight I probably should have just cut the bleed fins out and shaped new ones instead of adding stock to them. I could have also moved the intakes in and shaped the rear fuselage to fit the new location. I obviously need to clean things up still. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 Scott. Oh, the joys of resin molded kits. That's some nasty fir issue and going to take a lot of your magic to sort things out. While a challenge and an enormous amount work, with the end result being, your Cutlass, nearly a one of a kind beauty for the display case. My Fisher Sea Fury has been the pride and joy of my display case - miniature model air museum since she was added to the collection and since that day, I've become a huge Sea Fury fan. Of course, after all these years, I really don't remember all the frustrations and fit issues as I just keep admiring her every time I walk past. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HubertB Posted May 8 Share Posted May 8 Great Progress Scott. I stumbled upon the same fit issue. Only I decided to remove the bleed fis and add new ones. I am probably trying to chew more than my bite, as I decided then it would be a good idea to represent the bleed fins in full, from the horizontal inlet on the side of the fuselage to the exhaust on top. They are IRL continuous and "S" shaped. Only then do I have issues with the compound shape of the fuselage ... This is where I stood when I moved house and then got plenty of life prioroties to keep me off continuing on this one, for the time being HUbert 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Hubert, I wasthisclose to cutting them out completely and replacing them with some Evergreen stock sanded to a point on the top. The idea came to me as I had just gotten past the halfway point of adding to them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Also, I posted over in the tips and techniques about a minor issue I had cleaning the resin. The old “Bleech White” tire cleaner almost melted my pilots seat. It’s owned by a new company now, no longer Westleys. I’m wondering if they changed formulas. It turned the sides of the seat into rubber. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Westley's Bleech White was never available in Canada so I've been using Castrol Super Clean. Comes in a purple bottle and is a degreaser. So far it's worked well for me. Hopefully the seat is salvageable. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 Scott, that was close one. Image what could have happened if you used it on the fuselage or wings? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 11 Author Share Posted May 11 Seat sides were still soft yesterday after sitting overnight dry. Probably going to just replace the sides with some Evergreen sheet plastic. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 11 Author Share Posted May 11 2 minutes ago, Peterpools said: Scott, that was close one. Image what could have happened if you used it on the fuselage or wings? Actually, I did. All the thicker parts it worked normal. It was the paper thin sides of the seat that went rubbery. Back and bottom of the seat are still fine. Even the very thin brake hoses, oxygen hoses, etc are unaffected. It’s really weird. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted May 11 Share Posted May 11 Scott, that's strange then that the bleach only effected the seat but so lucky that was all. ☘️ 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottsGT Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 Just an update where I’m at. I’ve been slowly, very slowly….filling in the wing gaps by brushing in Tamiya putty thinned with Mr. Color thinner. I also dipped the canopy in Future and attached it as well. Working out the glue joint now. Now I’m focusing on the landing gear wile the putty cures. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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