Restoring a model from the scrapheap or junk box.

[mcollazo]

Putting it all together...

OK so last steps...  The cowling lip needs to go on the model, then another part you will need to make is a Spiner for the prop, once again spares box or a friendly teraforming will do fine.

In these pictures we see the cowling being glued together, fitting to the model, spinner on and final assembly from junk to show room in one night.

This whole process took longer to write than actually do from start to finish it took around 3 hours.

Hope you enjoyed this how to.  More to come!

[tigercat2]

I have seen mcollazo's work first hand, and it is truly amazing.  I think he could build an entire aircraft from stretched sprue!!  He has made spinners from old pieces of plastic, as well as vacuformed an entire canopy for an AH-56A Cheyenne from scrap plastic. 

These models were mine, most were built in the early 70s, and had been in the junk box for years, mostly in pieces.  Some had been the subject of "battle damage testing", but now have brand new lease on life!!


Wes W.

[Brian da Basher]

Finding old models is like finding lost treasure! I really like your restored models, especially the Nationalist 109 and your Swedish CR-42! The Hungarian Reggiane is nioce too. The tutorial on making wheels from sprue was also well done and an excellent resource!

Welcome to Whiff-World, mcollazo! That's an excellent way to introduce yourself!

Brian da Basher

[Captain Canada]

Cool. Some very neat stuff you got there...and some very creative paintwork ! Beauty !

[illithid00]

Wow. That's amazing work.

[Howard of Effingham]

very nice stuff here. the macchi 202 i do like and the Fw190 with the red underwings.

you have done well oh and welcome to the wiff site!

i have tried this approach several times. it can be a real pain trying to split some fuselages
to aid repair and rebuild.

trevor

[Taiidantomcat]

Wow!  very impressive, the silver and yellow mustang has to be my favorite so far. well done 

[mcollazo]

That one is a kit from HobyBoss 1/72" that was done in Aluminum Foil (even the canopy) I covered the top of the wing, fuselage and canopy framing, the rest is good old paint.  Did not have the actual decals of the IPMS Web Site it came out ok.  (http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2001/12/stuff_eng_dacoba_p51b.htm).

I want to add the tanks to it but I will probably do that later on a revisit.

[mcollazo]

One of the worst airplanes in worst shape in the Junk Box was an Me262, it was in four pieces, fuselage split in two and the wing was broken in four sections.  The worst part is that  the Junk Box was missing an engine nacelle, of which only the front top portion was available.  What's an whiff to do.  Adapt and sacrifice, a Heinkel model was badly broken but it had an engine and I have a razor saw sow some clever, sawing, crazy glue and filler and voila we have a new Me262b, what's that it's an aircraft with two different engines on it that'w what.

Here is the final version of the Me.

For comparison a brand new Me262 from Revel in the same color scheme, White 19 is the old, Blue 4 is the new.

Let me know what you think.  By the way it's also the first time I tried the mottled green camouflage it is so easy it's scary. 

Here is how I did it.

1)  Paint the base color that will be under the main color, this is the base I used Light Ghost Gray acrylic by testor and I let that coat dry.
2)  I used the color I wanted to mottle or show this case green and I used a very inexpensive bottle acrylic paint from Michaels (trust me this paint is cheap but great to use) I applied it and covered the grey with the paint still wet and using a qtip (yes the one you use to clean your ears) I remove the wet paint while dabing on it to get the desired look, work quickly acrylic dries fast.  you may want to experiment on an old carcas like I did, that's why these two are showing the same scheme.  I wanted to try in the old cadaver first.

Enjoy.

[tigercat2]

The 262s look great, and it is wonderful to see my old kit with a new life!!

I would like to echo the comment about the paint from Michaels.  This is a craft store in many US cities; they have a huge assortment of acrylic paints, some for about 50 cents.  I have done a number of models recently with these paints, and since they cost about 1/4 of normal model paint, and hold at least twice as much, that make them about 8 times more efficient.


Wes W.

[John Howling Mouse]

Well, that's it: I've been totally outclassed now.  Sir, you must have styrene flowing in your veins to have this kind of mastery over the medium!   

[B777LR]

Well, that's it: I've been totally outclassed now.  Sir, you must have styrene flowing in your veins to have this kind of mastery over the medium!  

If only you could get the WUH finished now, that must be restoration by now...

[mcollazo]

Well I have reached almost the bottom of the junk box.  I found there wing from an ME-109 but no fuselage and a fuselage from a TA-152 Dora.  What was I to do....?

Well Graft it all together of course, its not yet completely finished (Landing Gear needs to be designed) but here is a whatif a clever ground crew towards the end of the war had married the wings and fuselage of these two birds together, the finished model reminds me of a hawk on a dive, powerful body short wings.  Prop comes from spares box its three resin blades and a nose cone from the but end of a gas tank.

Hope you enjoy!

[tigercat2]

Your Ta-152/Bf-109 combo looks great!!  A perfect complement would now be a Bf-109 fuselage with Ta-152 wings!!


Wes W.