Fisher Cutlass

[Peterpools]

Scott

Fingers crossed but it does seem you have the fix well under control.

[ScottsGT]

Wing hole was an easy fix with the bondo.  Tiny pinhole left I filled with Tamiya putty.  I sanded all my putty and was doing a close inspection of my work where the front half of the fuselage meets the rear half at the bottom.  It had a significant gap and I slowly over days filled it with Tamiya putty.   Well I just noticed a tiny area that had a small crack.  Picking at it with my X-acto, it turned into a big flake where the first layer of putty lifted because the primer under it didn’t stick.  

I’ve had several spots that the primer just didn’t want to bond until I sanded it throughly.  I keep forgetting I’m working with resin sometimes. 

[ScottsGT]

Tape off at the panel line….

mix up a dab of Bondo….

And apply carefully. 

[ScottsGT]

Carve to a close shape when it gets firm.  In the body shop this is when we would take the “cheese grater “ to it to get close to the final contours.  

[ScottsGT]

Sanded to shape leaving the tape in place using various grits of sanding sticks.  
Remove tape, use fine stick to sand to a finish. 

Recut panel line using tape as a guide.  I use a combination of a very fine and coarse X-acto saws I’ve had for probably 36 years. 
 

 

Off to prime! 

[BlrwestSiR]

Nice patch job Scott. In the last pic, the Bondi looks grainy. Is that just due to the closeup? 

[ScottsGT]

It is a little grainy.  First couple of primer coats get sucked right into it like a sponge. I just shot 3 coats and I’ll let it cure overnight and reprime it tomorrow.  But some of that look is just the way the phone camera processed the odd color. 

[ScottsGT]

Taking shape!! 
 

[Bomber_County]

Fine work Scott, I’ve come to the conclusion, resin isn’t for me………

[ScottsGT]

27 minutes ago, Bomber_County said:

Fine work Scott, I’ve come to the conclusion, resin isn’t for me………

Yea, I’m starting to feel that way myself.  I forgot how much work is involved when I jumped on this one.  Let’s just say the PTSD will have the Panther and fat face Skyraider sitting in the stash a bit longer. Oh, forgot about one.  The PT-22 as well.  

[ScottsGT]

More Bondo to the rescue!   
There’s a cut out in the wing where on the bottom you epoxy on the lower half of the wheel well.  
On top you epoxy on the vertical stab.  The two meet at the bottom rear.  Unfortunately they don’t line up too good.  

And that’s the good side. 
 

[HubertB]

Although I have just dry-fitted this area myself, I noticed the same issue on mine. So it’s a design flaw of the kit.

As for bubbles, they are systematic with resin. They come from mixing the two components that make the resin. In cottage-style resin products they’d very often appear on the surface of the parts. To avoid this, the pros like Fisher pressurise the parts when setting. This way, the bubbles are shrunk and pushed inside the resin. But they are still there, and it’s always better not to have to sand a resin part …

Hubert

[biggtim]

1 hour ago, HubertB said:

Although I have just dry-fitted this area myself, I noticed the same issue on mine. So it’s a design flaw of the kit.

As for bubbles, they are systematic with resin. They come from mixing the two components that make the resin. In cottage-style resin products they’d very often appear on the surface of the parts. To avoid this, the pros like Fisher pressurise the parts when setting. This way, the bubbles are shrunk and pushed inside the resin. But thry are still there, and it’s always better not to have to sand a resin part …

Hubert

Now that I cast a lot of stuff the same way Paul did, I can attest that you are correct. It is a real bear to keep the bubbles out of the parts, even with a pressure pot and modern resins. 

[ScottsGT]

Tim, question.  Why a pressure pot and not a vacuum chamber?  Or do they both act the same way? 

[HubertB]

You use both actually. Vacuum chamber to « foam out » the biggest bubbles. But, once mixed, the resin has a limited pot life before setting, so the vacuum time is limited.

A pressure pot will push the remaining bubbles in the resin, and shrink them in the same time. This way, the surface of the resin parts look smooth. If you kept on vacuuming the parts during the setting time, the bubbles could foam to the surface, depending on the orientation of the part in the mold.

Hubert

PS: the artisanal way of degassing the resin mixture without a vacuum chamber is to pour from high and slowly: the thin flow of resin will degas (partly) while flowing down.

[ScottsGT]

Believe it or not, we had a certain way of mixing up body filler as well to keep down air bubbles from forming. Air bubble in filler out in the hot sun is a disaster. 

[ScottsGT]

Ok, rough cut in and primer done.  Need to fine tune with Tamiya putty and recut the panel lines.  
 

[Peterpools]

Scott

Some mighty nice progress and 'rough' in spots says it all. I do love Fisher kits and my Fisher Sea Fury is the Queen of my Display Case. 

[Martinnfb]

Totally agree with Peter, this is going to be a unique marvel in your collection Scott. keep on trucking , it looks like nothing out there already. Everyone collects them, but none builds them. 

[BlrwestSiR]

Looking at the before and after pics, you wouldn't know they were the same kit. You're definitely taking this kit. 

 

[ScottsGT]

I remember reading a tip Paul Fisher had put in his instructions for one of his kits I built some time back.  Use white glue to fill minor wing gaps.  But my gaps were so small the curved tip hobby syringes I had were just too big.  
So I just tried a medical syringe with an 18 gauge needle and it worked like a charm!  Angles cut squirted glue right into the gap.  Cleaned up using a cotton swab and spit.  
 

[ScottsGT]

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why Paul didn’t design these vertical stabs with the rudders cast into place as one piece.  Gaps too big, angles different, rudder too wide at the base. Looks like I’ll have a couple to three hours in each rudder making them look right.  

[KUROK]

3 minutes ago, ScottsGT said:

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why Paul didn’t design these vertical stabs with the rudders cast into place as one piece.  Gaps too big, angles different, rudder too wide at the base. Looks like I’ll have a couple to three hours in each rudder making them look right.  

He must've done it so you could offset the rudder for a natural look?

[ScottsGT]

BaaHumbug!  Cut your rudders out if you want to get all fancy!  

He does mention drooping the wing control surfaces a little and having the air brakes slightly cracked open though.  
 

epoxied in place. Needs a little edging with some files and sand paper still then priming. 

[BlrwestSiR]

Maybe it made it easier to cast?

Either way, you're making it look easy.  I know, there's probably a bunch of test fit, sand, repeat but still.