Nick's Notes

[NARSES2]

Not sure I knew metal drinking straws existed ? Anyway as for a base, how about doubling up on the thickness by gluing two tiles together ? Drill them through first and then you can attach the straw at the same time as you join them ?

[scooter]

Not sure I knew metal drinking straws existed ? Anyway as for a base, how about doubling up on the thickness by gluing two tiles together ? Drill them through first and then you can attach the straw at the same time as you join them ?

Or tile on a piece of wood an inch or two wider than the tile for stability?

[NARSES2]

Not sure I knew metal drinking straws existed ? Anyway as for a base, how about doubling up on the thickness by gluing two tiles together ? Drill them through first and then you can attach the straw at the same time as you join them ?

Or tile on a piece of wood an inch or two wider than the tile for stability?

Yup 

[Nick]

Is it going to be on an angle?  Or vertical?  A thought would be to support the inside, and more likely acute angle with a a piece of clear plastic cut to 30/45/60 degrees supporting the straw on the tile

I should have explained betterer. The metal straw is pre-bent at about 35 degrees. I can either put the short end in the aircraft and have it flying at a height, or have it flying low to the base.

The straws I picked up in Sports Direct for £2 have the brand name engraved on them which makes them unsuitable for this but I can practise with them. I have a set from another shop with no branding.

I went on a shopping spree last night. Came home with 2 red tiles (57p each) which I shall drill tonight and see if I can fix a straw into one. The tiles are just bigger than the model at 10cm x 20cm so no stability worries there.

I also bought 1 white mug (79p) and a kilo of air-dry white clay (£2) as my backup plan.

[Rick Lowe]

I like knitting needles for that purpose... cheap, easily worked to any angle you like, and dead easy to cut.
One day I will post pics of the A4 I mounted on one.

[kitbasher]

Perspex rod is an option - plunging a length into freshly boiled water will soften it such than it can be bent as you see fit.

[PR19_Kit]

Decades back now I did an FAA F-4K Phantom loaded to the nines, and mounted on a stand at an extreme climb angle. I soldered two lots of brass tubing onto small brass discs that fitted exactly into the jet pipes. Then I got some piano wire that was a slide fit into the tubing and bent it shape so the model looked 'right. The piano wire was glued into a shaped wooden block for display.

It looked great and was pretty stable, so much so that some tea leaf stole it right off our club's stand at a show in Sheffield! 

[Nick]

I cracked open the tail of the Hunter this morning and removed the engine plug. The resulting hole is just a little big for the metal straw. I think that wrapping the straw with a thick rubber band will prevent it from spinning too much.

I don't want to make it a permanent fixture as transporting would be tricky. It would be good to have the stand available for other models.

Tonight:
White Primer spray for Hunter.
Paint missiles for SAAF Hunter.
USAF grey for Ukrainian F-16
Look at resin parts for Marksman turret and put back in box 

Need to sort out a sales list and put it up here.

[Nick]

Well. Last night was interesting.

Went spray some Halfords White Primer on the Hunter and the paint dribbled out like milk. Squeezed the can and it bent like an empty beer can - no pressure. This explains why the storage box smells of propellant. 

But I was prepared thanks to my Scout training and I had a second spraycan in the box, and that worked fine. This morning I looked at it and the kit looks even worse with the primer on. I will check it closely tonight under a good light but I may have to start again with a decent kit.

*****

During last nights Zoom chat with the club I cracked on with the Tamiya M41 Walker Bulldog. Wonderful. So easy. Nearly everything fits.   

In less than 2 hours (while chatting away) I got the lower hull put together with wheels on and the turret is well underway. Stopped at putting the 16 tiny grab handles on as I was tired and liable to cock it up. Tomorrow I can do the lower hull and finish the turret.
The gun barrel will need lots of sanding (two halves of a tube with seam lines) but it will take 8 weeks for a metal barrel replacement to arrive from China.

The F-16 will now not be Ukrainian. A Wolfpack decal sheet for Iranian Tomcats arrived yesterday and I'm going to do this F-16 in the IIAF desert brown scheme. If I get time.

[Nick]

I really should put some photos up.

M41 - built, primed, just waiting for a coat of green.
Papyrus Hunter - Built, primed. gloss white paint tonight. Stand is looking good but think I will cut the height down a bit.

SAAF Hunter - found the kit decals and will start putting those on for added details. Must add the fuel tanks.
F-16 Iran - Trying a shade of Revell Sand on it to make it look different to the USAF Vietnam camo scheme. Won't be armed.

Evening Star - British Rail 1970. Got the first coat of BR Blue on last night. Managed to spray my thumb blue in the process   
Needs some sanding and filling along the top which wasn't visible in the primer. But I have to wait for the enamel to set first.

Fouga Magister - mostly built. Needs primer. Red Arrows?

[kitbasher]

The Fouga - a Jet Provost team would be a good scheme to try.

[Pellson]

F-16 Iran - Trying a shade of Revell Sand on it to make it look different to the USAF Vietnam camo scheme. Won't be armed.

The Iranian Tomcat scheme will give you better colours than the USAF SEA scheme. They're quite different

Fouga Magister - mostly built. Needs primer. Red Arrows?

Already done. Why not the canadian Snowbirds, or even the Swedish Team 60? 

[PR19_Kit]

Papyrus Hunter - Built, primed. gloss white paint tonight. Stand is looking good but think I will cut the height down a bit.

Should only take you about six months to apply all those decals. 

Evening Star - British Rail 1970. Got the first coat of BR Blue on last night. Managed to spray my thumb blue in the process   
Needs some sanding and filling along the top which wasn't visible in the primer. But I have to wait for the enamel to set first.

Will it have a yellow smokebox door? 

[Nick]

Papyrus Hunter - Built, primed. gloss white paint tonight. Stand is looking good but think I will cut the height down a bit.

Should only take you about six months to apply all those decals. 

Evening Star - British Rail 1970. Got the first coat of BR Blue on last night. Managed to spray my thumb blue in the process   
Needs some sanding and filling along the top which wasn't visible in the primer. But I have to wait for the enamel to set first.

Will it have a yellow smokebox door? 

YES! I have the double arrow decals and numbers already. It's getting the coal matt black and the brass bits shiny that concern me.

I really hope the Hunter doesn't take 6 months, I've only got 10 days! 

[NARSES2]

YES! I have the double arrow decals and numbers already. It's getting the coal matt black and the brass bits shiny that concern me.

Coals not really matt, there's a slight sheen to it, and it can look a very dark blue/black in certain light