Siemens Schuckert D.III Twins, Eduard 1/48

[DocRob]

Hola you tolerant non LS followers,

Some days ago, I started to build two kits of the Eduard SSW D.III. It's the ProfiPack edition with PE and I ordered a Brassin engine, a set of Brassin 08/15, another set of 08/15's from Gaspatch and Aviattic's cookie cut Lozenge decals.

I posted some progresses on the engine in another thread, but caught a little fire while building, because of the great fun factor of these kits. The plan was to use the SSW's as a testbed for different techniques, which are new to me, like wood painting with oils, Lozenge decaling and others.
I started this WIP now, because I hope you are interested in my fails and successes with this couple and on the egoistic side I hope for input, where I struggle.

The Brassin engine was finished using nickel rods for the pushers aligned with the help of brass tubes. All colors used are from the very likable Xtreme Metal range from AK. I used stainless steel for the case and burnt metal for the exhausts. The stainless steel was blued a little with a hint of transparent blue. In the end, I really like the result and to me it payed off not to use the supplied PE pushrods.

Cheers Rob

 

[DocRob]

The next step was to prepare all the parts for my first go at wood finish realized with oil colors. All wooden parts where sprayed with Tamiya Buff and left to dry overnight.

First I performed some tests on my trusty old Panther hull.

I streaked the red brown oil Colour from Abteilung 502 differently in my two approaches, on the left, I gently flooded the area with turpentine and oils and waited for the turpentine to evaporate a little and used an old brush stroking gently and not to uniform. The right example is more dry brushed and shows darker streaks, but used the same oil Colour.

 

The next step was to test the varnishes, where the upper third is Chrystal orange from AK, the middle is Tamiya's clear yellow and the bottom part is Tamiya's clear orange, all applied with a brush.
The AK Crystal orange is my favorite, because it dries with a silky surface, where the Tamiya clears have a high gloss finish. The AK orange is also easier to apply, because it is thinner and doesn't tend to puddle.  

 

Here is the real deal, I opted for two different finishes for the SSW's, the upper finished with AK's Chrystal orange and the lower with Tamiya clear orange

Next were the Wotan propellers, which appear not to have been made of different colored layers of wood, but with a red brown finish. I used the same red brown oil Colour, but with only a hint of turpentine to spread the paint. I actually like the wood appearance, but will varnish the props later.

This little project generates a lot of fun for me, because of the new learned techniques. The handling of wood painting with oils is easier than thought, but there is a lot to improve. The most important aspect of wood appliance with oils to me, is using the correctly sized wood grain effect for the wanted scale.

Cheers Rob

[harv]

Nice work so far. I'm watching and learning....

harv 

[DocRob]

Thanks Harv, me too .

Cheers Rob

[GazzaS]

Looks good, Rob.  When I paint the Tamiya clears with a brush, I thin them with levelling thinner.   Makes them much easier to work with, and they lay nice and smooth.

[DocRob]

That's a good advice Gaz, thanks. I haven't tested, how the Tamiya clears react to thinning. At first, I liked the little sirupy effect of the Colour, because it adds to the wood appearance with brush painting. But in the end, I think thinning will give better results. The AK Chrystal Orange performed way more controllable and with a smooth silky finish, which looked better scale wise.

Cheers Rob 

[Bomber_County]

Rob, this is a masterclass in it’s self. The wood looks perfect to me.......

[DocRob]

Thanks Phil, I'm satisfied with the outcome, being it a first timer, but there is a lot to improve. At least, I know now, that I can tackle the wooden Albatros if the woodgrain decals won't work to my satisfaction .

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

The Interieurs are ready, the instruments were decaled and sealed with a drop of Future. I decided against internal rigging for the moment, but will check, before I close the fuselage. Now I have to wait for my Gaspatch 08/15 and prepare the Brassin 08/15 for the other plane. With the MG's installed onto the upper front fuselage, it will be time to close the fuselage.
May I start to prepare the wings for the Lozenge decals in the meantime with some Tamiya gloss white.

Cheers Rob

Cheers Rob

[Jeff]

[DocRob]

Not much done today, other than preparing the Brassin 08/15 guns with barrels and rolled PE cooling jackets. The jackets have a diameter of 1,8 mm. Details like levers and sights will be added, when the CA has cured. Working on those tiny 1/48 SSW's makes you feel that LS is the scale to go.
The other SSW will receive a set of Gaspatch 08/15's when they arrive.

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

Today I closed the fuselages, after installing the gun mounts and other internal stuff. The prepared engine mounts were used as a template for the correct form of the front fuselage. On the back  of the fuselage, I needed to rescribe a few panel lines. Now, with the main components prepared or assembled, I'm close to paint ant decals. 
By the way, I spent some thoughts about rigging. Generally I don't like flexible thread that much, but intend to use it here, combined with PE eyelets and buckles. I may make live a little easier, with the threaded buckles glued into the lower wing and pull the elastic thread through pre-drilled holes in the upper wing and glue them stretched with a drop of CA. After curing, I sand the upper side of the upper wing and put on the final Lozenge decals. With this method, I don't have to fiddle the line into tiny eyelets and secure it, between what little space there is, between the wings of the tiny twins.

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

Just one colour today and it was white, Tamiya's gloss white to be specific. I never liked the use of Leveling thinner, too many of my prefered colours went lump, but I have to admit, it works well with Tamiya acrylics, the spray is fine and results in a glossy surface. The white underlay will be my base for the Aviattic Lozenge decals.
In case of the front SSW, I sprayed the fuselage too, because this plane will be in red and blue of Jasta 15, the one behind will get a black paintjob for Heinrich Dembowsky's plane.

[DocRob]

Today I painted the base Colours. Dembowskys plane received a gloss black fuselage, which is the preparation for the decals, before matting down the shine again. The Jasta 15 was painted gloss blue and red, but the red is looking terrible. All Colours are Tamiya gloss. Tomorrow I will decide, if I strip the red and blue one again or use it as the planned testbed, that it was supposed to be.

Cheers Rob

 

[harv]

Looking double good !.....harv 

[DocRob]

Thanks Harv, the blue and red one is looking only half as good to be honest, that makes it only 1,5 good's 

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

Decaling is up, stuff of lots of nightmares, me and decals is a story of fierce antagonists, but I have to say, these Aviattic Lozenge decals behave great and are a pure joy to work with. They are described as 'cookie cut', but that's not true, you have to cut them yourself with a sharp blade, in fact they are cookie print'. No big deal though.

To apply the Lozenge decals on the gloss white surface is perfectly easy. I let the wet decal soak for about half a minute, apply it onto the lukewarm water dampened surface. The decals are strong and even the bigger ones don't stretch easily. The pre-printed shape fits perfectly and after rubbing out a few water bubbles with swabs and a flat brush, I let them dry a little and then hit the corners with some Micro Sol, to get them follow the rounded contours easier.

To my biggest amazement this worked well even on the tiny rounded wing struts you can see in the picture, wow. The downside is, there are only strut decals for one plane, where this decal set is made for two planes, but the strut decals are on a correction sheet and there is only one included.

Then the decaling monster hit me again, yesterday I tried to apply the gold crests on the black plane and it was complete failure. While trying to position the decal, it crumbled and fell into pieces. I removed the remains, sanded everything, airbrushed some gloss black and then some Future to start again.
Today, I tried my luck again very carefully and was not able to move the decal again, but this time, I managed not to break it. The golden crests are unmovable now, and it looks terrible, but I'm out of ideas.

The white 'V' on the blue and red machine was equally problematic, but somehow I managed to get a better result here. Even one of the crosses for the rudder broke.
These decals are not the usual Cartograph stuff, but homegrown Eduard and they behave absolutely terrible.

I have to say that I really hate bad decals. They make a fun project painful in the late stages, where everything starts to come together. To solve the encountered problems, you have to put a lot of unnecessary extra work into the project, always with the high risk of ruining everything. Lessons learned, I will stay away from Eduard decals whereever possible.

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

Decals, decals, decals,... , but it's mostly an enjoyable process. The Lozenge was applied first to the undersides and after drying overnight received the the upper sides today. I used only warm water for the Aviattic decals and after they settled, hit the corners with Micro Sol.
I think, the Clou with Aviattic transparent decals is perfect preparation and a high gloss surface underlying.

At first I wanted to pre shadow one plane with 0,5 mm rib tape and then misted over with the airbrush before decaling, but decided against it, because while sanding away the overdone stitching detail, it proved hard, to get the tape strips aligned correctly on the wings.

Because I had two kits, there were four decals for the golden crest and I needed all of them. Twice I had to remove them, because they were unmovable when on the plane and every try to get them moved destroyed the decals .

Now all the Lozenge is applied, phew. Note the different coloured rib tape.

The rudders and engine covers are installed, the cowlings just for dry fitting.

That is how perfect the Aviattic Lozenge works, perfect wrap around the struts.

Brassin engine vs. kit engine. Yes it should be the same engine .

The engine and how it will look in the cowling

Today my Gaspatch 08/15's arrived, so I made a little comparison, between the (not finished, lacking some details) Brassin with PE cooling jacket and the Gaspatch carefree one.
Unbelievable what Gaspatch does with the resin cast, it's so fine and even the sights are casted on. You have only to insert the barrel into the cooling jacket, done.

 

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

I'm still having fun with the two little birds. Today I started with, guess what, decaling, but no more Lozenge, that is done. I applied the crosses, which worked well and let them dry. 
Then I finished the Brassin 08/15's with tiny bits of resin and PE. There are only the sights left, but they will be added after rigging.
The planes got a semi matte coating mixed from Future with some Tamiya flat base stirred in.
So far the twin project is progressing well and in a short while the SSW's will get rigged. 
I plan to keep rigging simple with elastic thread, completely done without the upper wing mounted, because all upper rigging points are on the struts, lets see how this works out.

For a complete comparison, here is the complete line up of 08/15's

1) kit sans PE, 2) Brassin sans PE, 3) Brassin with PE and resin details and 4) Gaspatch

Cheers Rob

[GazzaS]

Great builds, Rob!  They are both  quite nicely done.

 

I must admit that I often fail to scroll this far down the main page and find the non LS builds. 

 

 

 

[DocRob]

2 hours ago, GazzaS said:

I must admit that I often fail to scroll this far down the main page and find the non LS builds

Thanks Gaz, and yes, the non LSM area is a quite place here, not easy to get lost by browsing through the real stuff .

Cheers Rob

[Bomber_County]

Words fail me Rob, stunning..........you’ve inspired me to crack on with the Camel....

[DocRob]

Thank you Phil, can't wait to see more of your Camel. I have to say, that the most fun I had with modelling in the last year came out of WWI kits. They are not easy to master, because of lots of different skills you have to master, but so rewarding, when you achieve a nice result.

Cheers Rob

[DocRob]

Just a lousy bench shot this time, but I did a lot of things to distract me from rigging . First I added the engines and cowlings. The overall shine of the Lozenge and fuselages was matted with a slightly higher Tamiya flat / Future ratio and now I like it.
I painted the wheels and the 08/15 guns and small wooden parts on the struts and tailskid.
There are no more excuses, I have to stat rigging now , but in our momentarily heat wave, maybe I go surfing tomorrow

Cheers Rob

 

[harv]

Excellent my friend !.....harv