Bill_S Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 I was in the process of rigging the wings on my DH.2 when it fell off the table... of course, my first instinct was to try and catch it - bad mistake. I snapped off many of the interwing struts. If another was readily available, I'd be tempted to toss it in the trash and start over. Now I'm faced with a couple of choices: Do I set about trying to fix it? I'm thinking I will need to build a jig of sorts to align the wings while cement on the struts dries. It might come in handy when I set about rigging again, as manipulating the thing while threading line is a PITA. Or do I dig out the Albatross, Pfalz, DVII or W.29 that I've started and finish one or more of those and let the DH.2 sit a while? Or do I start a new kit? What would you do? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Grab the bottle of Jack Daniels................................. man that's a tough one, you have out so much time and effort into that kit, I think I would try to save it or re-purpose it into a 'prang' dio, something simple, but save the kit, ........... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lothar Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 I'd go outside and chop some wood until I calmed down. Then I'd put the model aside for a couple of days and look at something different in between. But I'd not dump the model, after a couple of days some problems look different and lot easier. Go for a repair !! Lothar 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krow113 Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 I redouble my efforts after a 'walk awy.' A 'walk away' being a 'forced exit' , take some time to reflect and come back stronger. I recommend jigs for the work described. Not only does it secure the model , you can handle the jig instead of the model and get gravity on your side. Here is The Biff Piece in rigging: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocRob Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 Well, we seem to agree on having a break and step back a little, be it under influence of spirits or physical activity. After a while I would try to figure a plan, how to save the DH.2 in detail, visualizing the necessary steps and solutions for the main problems. If these solutions seem doable, than put them to reality, but if there are to many unsolved gaps, bin it. To me visualizing is a very important step in modelling in general, but when desaster strucks, there is no place for maybes. I haven't looked up the DH.2 manual, but maybe a set of self made struts made from flattened brass tube with a soldered or glued in wire could solve the strength issues. I hope the best for further progress with your fallen bird. Cheers Rob 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted May 4, 2020 Administrators Share Posted May 4, 2020 I agree with everyone here. I dropped a T-28 when I was loading up for the Nats. Broke all three landing gear clean off, wiped out the entire underwing stores, and cracked the seam on the spine. The model had been ready for a couple weeks and I was going to just look at it and see if there were any misses. I tossed it in the bin, went to the Nats, and when I returned, pulled it out and suddenly the problems didn't look so bad. It was repaired in a couple easy sessions. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 For certain walk away, even pack it up and forget about it. Start a new kit and eventually when the time is right you will come back to the other, Been there many times. Ryan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1to1scale Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Bill, I buggered up a couple planes, one of the things I do to fix them is to pin things. I break landing gear, pitot tubes, antennas on a monthly basis. First of all, grab all the struts and pair them up, mark a piece of cardboard and tape them to it. Walk away, give it a day or two. I literally was fixing the broken gear strut on my Ki-84 getting ready for the Nats, just as I finished fixing the damn thing, I broke the other one. I walked away for he night. Get some ultra fine piano wire, I have .0015 stuff, treat it with respect, this will make you bleed, keep track of clippings or your foot will find them. I suspect your struts are too small to drill, so here is what I would do. 1. Grab a sheet of parchment or wax paper. 2. Lay the struts down on the paper, align then carefully, either use extra thin or C/A glue to glue them back together in alignment and let them sit a while to set up. 3. If you have them in perfect alignment, then very gently saw a slot across the freshly glued break, try not to go all the way through. You are trying to create a slot about 1/2 long that you can lay a slightly shorter cut piece of the wire in. 4. Drop the wire in, and flow some medium C/A over the top, use some kicker over it. Let it set up a while, now you can sand the C/A glue and you have a repaired strut. It will be pretty strong, stronger than the rest of the strut. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1to1scale Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Bad things happen to your best models. Proof I’m not kidding... repairing one gear, broke the other, knocked the prop, engine broke loose, had to remove the cowl, which was well glued. Then I went to pull the engine off, pulled the front cover off. I made it to the Nats, got photographed by FSM and made it into the Best Models issue. Don’t give up hope on the model! 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_S Posted May 5, 2020 Author Share Posted May 5, 2020 Thanks for the encouragement, gents! I'm going to think for a bit on exactly how I want to fixture this thing, then I'll set about fixing it. In the mean time, I've ordered some lozenge decals from Aviattic. I never had much luck with the ones supplied with the kits. I've decided to start this one: 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Clunkmeister Posted May 5, 2020 Administrators Share Posted May 5, 2020 Bill, one thing you have going for you is Wingnut’s almost ‘perfect’ plastic. It glues easily and neatly. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomber_County Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 Bill, I’m with you on this one, my Corsair......it was first ever 32nd........built it, got distracted..........built a host of other stuff......came back to it and completely messed it up by putting the rear cockpit windows upside down and on the wrong sides primed it......realised .......tried to remove them and made a bloody awful mess of it.........it’s boxed up and on SOD for another year or so..... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocRob Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 There is another possibility, Bill. It's dio time Picture for discussion purpose only Cheers Rob 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 6 hours ago, DocRob said: There is another possibility, Bill. It's dio time Picture for discussion purpose only Cheers Rob That was my suggestion too, AFTER a shot 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocRob Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 9 hours ago, Jeff said: That was my suggestion too, AFTER a shot Hehe, got it now, by the time I never heard the word 'prang' before, learn something new every day . Cheers Rob 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 5 hours ago, DocRob said: Hehe, got it now, by the time I never heard the word 'prang' before, learn something new every day . Cheers Rob Must be a Canadian thing............. kind of sums it up though.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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