HELP!!!!!

[TheChronicOne]

Raff, looks like a good start!! U-2, huh??  Love it!! I have one vacuform kit in my stash and will be watching you work on yours. Can't wait to see how it comes along. 

[RAFF-35]

Raff, looks like a good start!! U-2, huh??  Love it!! I have one vacuform kit in my stash and will be watching you work on yours. Can't wait to see how it comes along.

Thanks chronic  I'm loving your current U2 build and its concept, mine will have a different role and a different nationality hopefully  I hope I can do this vacform and not just get frustrated with it and abandon it, got a bit of guesswork ahead of me to work out where everything goes on it   

[TheChronicOne]

Raff, looks like a good start!! U-2, huh??  Love it!! I have one vacuform kit in my stash and will be watching you work on yours. Can't wait to see how it comes along.

Thanks chronic  I'm loving your current U2 build and its concept, mine will have a different role and a different nationality hopefully  I hope I can do this vacform and not just get frustrated with it and abandon it, got a bit of guesswork ahead of me to work out where everything goes on it   

Hey thanks, bud!!  I might even work a little more on it today..   

U-2 in 1/72 is marvelous... I like your plans for different roles and nationality. That will be a sweet bird.. hard to go wrong with U-2! 

Hard to go wrong with all the help around here, too...  It takes a neighborhood to raise a kid and it takes a message board to raise Vacuform.   

I have a backed up build that was meant for Halloween but if I can knock out the two remaining GB builds I have and get that one knocked out perhaps I can start building on my vacuform and join you for at least a little while as we build from separate corners of the Globe.

I like how you outlined the parts... I'll remember that when I do mine. Also, it looks like your kit there is pretty nice! Detail looks good and a fair number of separate parts. I don't seem to recall mine being quite that detailed and has less parts even being  bi-winged  pontoon plane. 

[kitnut617]

I posted this somewhere else, but do you think I can find it again   

Do this step before you do the next one.

[The Wooksta!]

Hmm.  I've never been fond of that approach, as it seems like waaaaay too much work.

I've only tried this with a few vacform fuselages*, but it seems to work.

Firstly, prime the entire sheet of plastic with the bits still in situ.  Then, using a new scalpel blade, score around them at the corner joint at a 45 degree angle.  Snap the bits out.  You should have a distinction between the primer and the cut plastic.  Sand the bits down as you would normally, checking fit as you go.  Once you hit the primer, they should be done.

Much less sanding, much quicker and far less mess.


*Spitfires, natch!  I have a large number of the old Aeroclub Griffon engine conversion fuselages. 

[TheChronicOne]

Both good tips to reach an end.  If the instructions with the kit don't mention it I would have never known; I would have just cut flush and started slapping it together..   

[kitnut617]

Lee's way (that's wooksta) is for someone who has done a few, there's too much room for error as you could quite easily cut into the finished part. The way I've shown is for beginners, and once you've done a few then you can figure out what works for you.

[TheChronicOne]

That's cool. Having seen the pictures with the instructions allowed me to grasp it; if someone would have just spoken about it or typed it I might still be wondering a bit. With that information in place, the more advanced technique Lee spoke of makes sense to me, too.

I'd like to think many years in the technical trades and construction type of works help with proper cutting but best believe I'm going to start with the beginner technique.

Raff, we can't go wrong with help like this!! 

[kitnut617]

The book I have on doing vacuforms is written by someone who has done a lot of them.  It helped me when I started. You could get away with maybe only scoring the backing styrene 1mm or 2mm away from the corner. Depends how confident you are with your scalpel. But it's very easy to make a slip and cut into the finished part.

[Modelling_Mushi]

It's all sound advice, I'd add one thing only.

With the sanding block I would substitute a sheet of glass with a full sheet of sandpaper taped on top. I bought two glass place mat / tea pot stands a while ago, one about 15cm square, one a 30cm by 14 rectangle. They have 'grandma' floral designs underneath but they are smooth and flat on top, tempered, and sit perfectly on the bench. You want to get your sanding as flat, even and close to the mark as possible

[zenrat]

Old microwave oven turntables are a good source of a flat glass plate.  And if you grab the three wheeled ring contraption then you can use it as a modelling lazy susan as well as a surface plate.
Mine has a slightly raised lip which if I used it as a surface plate would limit the length of vacuform parts I could sand should I decide building my small collection of A Model kits is not masochistic enough...

[RAFF-35]

That's cool. Having seen the pictures with the instructions allowed me to grasp it; if someone would have just spoken about it or typed it I might still be wondering a bit. With that information in place, the more advanced technique Lee spoke of makes sense to me, too.

I'd like to think many years in the technical trades and construction type of works help with proper cutting but best believe I'm going to start with the beginner technique.

Raff, we can't go wrong with help like this!!

Well hopefully I won't prove you wrong, but I'm not holding out too much hope 

[NARSES2]

Lee's way (that's wooksta) is for someone who has done a few, there's too much room for error as you could quite easily cut into the finished part. The way I've shown is for beginners, and once you've done a few then you can figure out what works for you.

Those drawings are just right mate  I now understand the process a lot, lot better then previously when I've just read about it.

I may now get around to a couple of vacforms I have in the stash, thankyou

Chris

[TheChronicOne]

That's cool. Having seen the pictures with the instructions allowed me to grasp it; if someone would have just spoken about it or typed it I might still be wondering a bit. With that information in place, the more advanced technique Lee spoke of makes sense to me, too.

I'd like to think many years in the technical trades and construction type of works help with proper cutting but best believe I'm going to start with the beginner technique.

Raff, we can't go wrong with help like this!!

Well hopefully I won't prove you wrong, but I'm not holding out too much hope 

Same here, buddy, saaaame here.... lol 

[RAFF-35]

That's cool. Having seen the pictures with the instructions allowed me to grasp it; if someone would have just spoken about it or typed it I might still be wondering a bit. With that information in place, the more advanced technique Lee spoke of makes sense to me, too.

I'd like to think many years in the technical trades and construction type of works help with proper cutting but best believe I'm going to start with the beginner technique.

Raff, we can't go wrong with help like this!!

Well hopefully I won't prove you wrong, but I'm not holding out too much hope 

Same here, buddy, saaaame here.... lol

Hahahaha, well I've posted my build as an idea for now... just in case 

http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,42991.msg746486.html#msg746486