Chronic's Research and Aeronautics Project (C.R.A.P.)

[NARSES2]

DXXI is coming along nicely  It's always been an aircraft I've liked. If you want to build another then I can thoroughly recommend one of the Special Hobby boxing's.

This gon' be the last update for awhile. I got a lot done today and managed not to butcher things and have the whole ordeal degrade into travesty.    Time to stop, at least for a couple hours, and play some video games to decompress.

Yup, knowing when to take a break, even if just for a mug of tea/coffee is important.

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks!!

I'll have to check that Special Hobby kit out. It'll be interesting to compare to this one. I've no whif plans for D.21's but I'd like to build the Finnish livery. 


Yeah buddy!! I'm learning to know when to "call it" or take or break with this stuff.  I guess it's like learning more about any other aspect of it, and why not?! Burnout is real and "study long, study wrong" is a saying that didn't come from nowhere. 

It's all about pacing.  I can't help but think that pushing oneself beyond that point repeatedly and too often is what leads to people taking extended breaks. I really hope I never get to that point. It's one reason why I won't even LOOK at a model (of any sort) for a day or more and if I ever find myself in doubt about whether I truly want to work on one I generally just go do something else. I never want this to turn into "work" (although it often is, and that's not necessarily a bad thing until you don't enjoy it) or something I have to plead with myself to do. I think this has also played into why I like having 3-4 going at a time. I can stuff one into the cupboard for two weeks to clear my mind but still have plenty to work on! 

With that out of the way, after lunch I sat around like a bloated piece of #^%! then snapped up the 737 and masked off all the panel detail I didn't want to mess up with the heavy sanding I'm doing on the wing roots. Rather than think too long about it, I just started sanding the beejesus out of it and I'm about 3/4 of the way done, now! In fact, one whole wing is done. The other needed some filler so I have to stop and let it dry up.





Nothing fancy, but posts can be boring w/out pictures!   


I'm certain there will be some things I still need to take care of but I will wait until after I have primed so that I have the aid of being able to see things much more readily.

I've noticed my glazing putty has some shrink to it and that I won't be using it to fill such large holes any more. I mean.. it's glazing putty after all so this is no shock.    HEY I KNOW, hows about we not pour 2 gallons of glue into the nose when we put weight in and not melt the nose and have to re-build it in the first place, yeah? 


Anyway... more to come later. I didn't get some things done last night so I might attempt that today shortly. Specifficaly, the work on the Liberty to finally get the cockpit built. After I get the glass on I think there will be a couple small areas that need filler.  I've put it down for so long that it's difficult to remember but I think I'm also ready to put the nose on. If I remember correctly, all I was waiting on was to cut out and build the new nose gear bay and I've already done that.. so....  yay nose time?


TTYL   

[TheChronicOne]

Working on the Fokker now and I found something that made me say, "What the Fokk?"   

I was test fitting the canopy and getting it all good to go when I ran into an error on the fuselage so I had to putty that and sand it flat again along with all the rest of the filing and sanding. It's good to go now but it started out as a really terrible fit.




Primed it up!! Not too bad! I forgot the stupid sink marks but I counted on having to do a bit of work anyway before a second coat of primer.

Next I'm going to paint the engine and props... and cowling, too... it can all be done separately from the rest. I ran into something I don't quite care for, though:



That's all that they would have you do to the front of the props! No spinner. No... uhhh... "thingy" that is supposed to be there. The torque weight thingies or whatever they are:



I'm going to try to scratch something up but maybe someone could help me with what they are called and what they do. I read up on it at one point in the past when I had a kit that had one but I can't remember any of it. . .. 

[zenrat]

I stopped using glazing putty because I had some car builds I has spent hours doing PSR on, which looked great, develop ghosting months or years after being finished.
OK, so I may have put it on a little thick, but it was depressing.

Is the thing on the front of the Fokker prop not a starter boss?

[PR19_Kit]

Those counter weight thingies are something to do with the variable pitch prop.

But I can't remember if they turn back to fine or coarse pitch if the hydraulics go TU.

[TheChronicOne]

Fascinating.

I remember now where the last ones were, on my G3M:



Should be pretty easy to scratch build... I might have some sprue rods somewhere in the adequate gauge then I can just snap off some pieces. I guess that'll work anyway!!   I can't just leave it looking like it is... 

Re: ghosting.. I could definitely see that happening with this! I'm going back to just strictly using it for small stuff.    One qualm I have with the stuff is it has no intructions or an information about drying time, how long to wait to sand, etc, so I'm having to do experiments like this to figure it out.

[zenrat]

I think a single thin layer would be OK over time.  Problem is successive thin layers where even if thoroughly dry before the next layer is applied the solvents from the new layer could "soak" into the underlying layer(s) and make the whole thing act like a thick layer.
Solution would be to seal each layer with something (future?) after sanding but before applying the next layer.
Bit of a PitA when there are other fillers that can be slathered on thick as you like.

[TheChronicOne]

Right on.. I think you've got it pegged on all accounts. This stuff is great but it ain't for what it ain't for!

While on the subject, the other filler I use is the run of the mill cheap style Testors stuff in the grey tube and so far it's been pretty good!

I've never done a project that would require a bunch of putty at once but I might some day... I guess that would be Miliput or Tamiya putty or something at that point. Oh well, I ain't gotta worry about it for a long while.    There's other putties not specifically geared toward modelling that I've heard peopel speak of that work well, too.. stuff like wood putty even.

[NARSES2]

Special Hobby do loads of versions of the DXXI, including a couple of Finnish versions.

These are all Hannant's currently have in stock. I've not seen the bottom boxing, the slot less wing version, before, but given the box style it's an earlier kit, whilst the others are fairly recent. As said it's a nice kit and builds well.

https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?product_category_id=&product_division_id=&manufacturer_id=8213&code=&product_type_id=all_aircraft_kits&scale_id=956&keyword_search=Fokker&setPerPage=25&currency_id=

[zenrat]

When I need a strong filler I can slather on thick or use to build up a shape I go for Tamiya Polyester Putty.
It's a two part putty which stinks to high heaven but does not shrink and which can be carved, drilled, sanded etc.
The nose of the Trimotor Beaufighter and most of the hull of the Gully Godwit are made from it.

[Old Wombat]

Aves Apoxy Sculpt (spelt correctly, as is spelt ) is my putty of choice, especially around clear pieces as it has zero negative effects on them.

[zenrat]

As with most things in this hobby there are many different ways of doing stuff, most of which work.

[TheChronicOne]

Whoa!! POLYESTER putty?! That's new to me! That will go on my short list of supplies I want to pick up including the micro-sol & set, 1 or 2mm Tamiya bendy tape, and Tamiya thin modeling cement. Oh yeah, I need a tube of slower drying regular Testors red gel type glue and another tube of their cheap putty.   

Sadly, I'm trying not to buy any actual kits. I told myself I would buy one "good one" a month or so once I start mowing again but I have some things on my truck I need to fix so I need to hold on to my money.     Oh yeah not to mention two seperate insurances, my tax debt I owe to the IRS (I thought OL Boy's new tax plan was going to lower taxes??   ---- nevermind, I didn't actually say that),  Spring time business expenses like buying and fixing equipment, and all the rest. IF I can keep my head down and not lose focus I can have all this garbage paid off by July I think but I can't be buying kits. 

So what the hell is going on today, anyway?! Well, I have to go run a business for 2-3 hours this morning but when I'm done with that??? Well, I have TWO models that are ready for paint. The Raptor and the D.21 (what was this things name??). The 737 had the cockpit area put in so I need so sand away the seams on that then it's ready for primer. The USN Liberty will have the nose area PSRed because I finally glued the nose on. I need to go ahead and do all the sanding on that before I glue on the clear pieces.

TTYL

[NARSES2]

I'm not sure the D XXI had an official name, nor unofficial for that matter. Some Fokker's did, the G.21 was nicknamed the Reaper for instance, but a lot didn't.

[TheChronicOne]

I might nickname it the "Mighty Mouse" until I'm through with it. It has these cute little mice transfers that go on the cowling. 

I've noticed the "lack of name" at others times, as well. Of course, I can't think of them NOW, but.... Well, Russian stuff for instance.. I know all the NATO names but what did THEY call the MiG 21, if anything? I know they unofficially adopted "Fulcrum" because they liked it but I'm sure they at least had nicknames for the others. Things like "White Swan."