Canopy cutting advice

Jay Jay

...Do you think i should buy a vacuuform canopy to do this ?...

Yes.  I find it much easier to cut the thin plastic of a vacuformed canopy, than to cut an injection-molded canopy.  Not that it cannot be done, it's just easier.  Clear styrene can be brittle, for one, and tougher to work with because of it.  Cutting a vacuform is fiddly in its own right, but I pack mine with Silly Putty, while it's still attached to the full "carrier" sheet of plastic, both of which provide a little more rigidity, for safer and cleaner cutting.  I also break out a new Nr 11 blade for the cut--the sharper, the better. 

I think others may say similar things, from what I've read in the forum over the years.

Hope that helps!

Ditto on what Baron said.  I've had to replace many canopies because they were too thick or came in one piece when I needed separate sections.  It's a LOT easier to cut a vacuform canopy.

Jim  

Ditto but I add scissors to the mix. I use them to cut the overall bubble out of the flat sheet a little oversized, and then use a nail file stick to eliminate the edge. #11 blades are good, but one slip and the piece is ruined, so when you can try to cut be very careful.

Thanks a ton for your advice guys, a vacuu formed canopy it is then. I'll order one now from Squadron mainly because they have one.

from my perspective.........order 2......just sayin!

Axeman

from my perspective.........order 2......just sayin!

Ditto that!!!

Some (usually single engine fighters) come with two copies.

Another option, that I use regularly...almost every time that I get a one piece canopy...

I stick some poster tac to the inside of the kit part, stick that to the end of a dowel or screwdriver, hold screwdriver between my knees. Fire up a candle, and hold a piece of clear plastic over candle until it is soft and pliable, stretch it over the kit part...instant copy! 

For the B-26, I'd still use the kit part, after cutting away the open bits (1st cut a bit small, with a razor saw, then use a fresh blade to "fine tune" the cut). Then cut the opened pieces from the copy.

I save all the clear plastic I can, from blister packs...Testors sanding film packs are my favorite, nice and thin, but not too thin, heats up great! Some plastics just won't work at all, such as the plastic from a pop bottle..experiment!

Before trying it on the kit part, PRACTICE on some scrap pieces!!!!

"Thermo-forming/smash molding" is a skill every modeler should have in their modeling kung-fo skills belt!

Here's an example of what I did with a 1/72 SBD. Came with 3 piece canopy, windscreen, pilots canopy (which would not fit over the 3rd section). I used the kit windscreen, Thermo-formed a new pilots canopy (I used the kit part to cut the masks on, then transfered them to the copy(seen in pic). I copied the next section, repeated masking process...then cut said section from canopy piece...repeated until I had a copy of each section.

Finished product

Many thanks Fermis,

I'm going to try your smash molding process for sure since by the time i went to order 1 from Squadron they where out of stock...AAARRRRGH.  I looked for 1 in the morning and they had 1. Out of stock in the same evening when i went to order it.

I am lucky that I save much of the clear packaging I get with stuff, just because " I may need it someday "

BTW your SBD looks incredable !!!!!

Back when I was building my 1/48 Hasegawa Kyushu J7W3 conversion, I needed to cut an old P-47 bubble canopy in order to use on the Shinden.  I needed a very clean, straight cut so I placed multiple strips of masking tape on either side of the cut, leaving a gap just as wide as my razor saw blade.   The tape served well as a sort of "fence" for the saw, and I came away with the two pieces that I needed.

Axeman

from my perspective.........order 2......just sayin!

Excellent point!  Squadron packs 2 in each package, if I remember correctly.

fermis

Axeman

from my perspective.........order 2......just sayin!

Ditto that!!!

Some (usually single engine fighters) come with two copies.

Another option, that I use regularly...almost every time that I get a one piece canopy...

I stick some poster tac to the inside of the kit part, stick that to the end of a dowel or screwdriver, hold screwdriver between my knees. Fire up a candle, and hold a piece of clear plastic over candle until it is soft and pliable, stretch it over the kit part...instant copy! 

For the B-26, I'd still use the kit part, after cutting away the open bits (1st cut a bit small, with a razor saw, then use a fresh blade to "fine tune" the cut). Then cut the opened pieces from the copy.

I save all the clear plastic I can, from blister packs...Testors sanding film packs are my favorite, nice and thin, but not too thin, heats up great! Some plastics just won't work at all, such as the plastic from a pop bottle..experiment!

Before trying it on the kit part, PRACTICE on some scrap pieces!!!!

"Thermo-forming/smash molding" is a skill every modeler should have in their modeling kung-fo skills belt!

Here's an example of what I did with a 1/72 SBD. Came with 3 piece canopy, windscreen, pilots canopy (which would not fit over the 3rd section). I used the kit windscreen, Thermo-formed a new pilots canopy (I used the kit part to cut the masks on, then transfered them to the copy(seen in pic). I copied the next section, repeated masking process...then cut said section from canopy piece...repeated until I had a copy of each section.

Finished product

Sweet Shinden!

Awesome SBD!

Jeremy, I had forgotten about that technique. We used to call it plunge molding.

So this morning I searched around for a candle, a piece of plastic and something to copy.

I used a lid from a prewashed salad tub from the store. Big piece of plastic about 6" x 9" once I got the label off. Went to town plunge molding the ends of a pencil, a tank road wheel and my fingertip.

Not much for picking up detail, but it sure comes out nice and thin.

Thanks, Bud!

GMorrison

Sweet Shinden!

Thank you sir!   Here's a bit more of her:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/p/134603/1382327.aspx#1382327

Again many thanks for all of your advice guys and sharing the pics of these beautifully done aircraft.

I'm wondering if a heat gun would achieve good results ( instead of using a candle ) with the plunge molding technique y'all so generously shared with me.  To my mind , I might get more even heat with a heat gun. waddya think ?

Well;

     Now it;s time for me . I have a Gasp ! Mattell - Vac-U-Form - Machine  , Plus a hand built one Plus a heat gun from sealing up boats for shipments ( the real ones ) . I use whatever hits my fancy .I've done a lot of canopies in all scales and then some full clear car bodies too ,( for cut-away models )

   I have used this same technique ( Plunge Molding .) to do clear sides and windows on ship and boat models too . Now when I say windows , as it applies to Aircraft and Ships I mean the cut out areas are capped with clear so the ship's or boat's total lines are not compromised !

       For mostly very flat areas ( flight decks , etc .  ) I use cut-out windows that I chamfer the edges on the model , make the window out of C.D. jewel cases and then mount them in the hole .There , a continous surface and you can see the detail in the hangar decks !

Hey Fermis .

Don't let Humper see that ! He'll want it !

tankerbuilder

Hey Fermis .

Don't let Humper see that ! He'll want it !

Shhh...don't tell Humper, but I got a 1/48 SBD from him!