Vac formed kits....

Seems like we just went through this conversation last week. Start with something easy like a conversion by Koster before launching into a full blown project. If you need to jump in all the way go with a koster or MPM to start - they are well designed and go together well. ID and Combat models are probably the hardest requiring extensive scribing and scratch building. Check my site for a vac construction article and various useful tips - see the "Condor" build. Contact info for Koster is under the "PB4Y-1" build. You can see all of Koster's offerings at Greatmodels.com also on my links page are some vac orientated sites

cheers....condor you mean the Fw200? I love this plane.....but maybe not for me right now.

Yes, the Fw-200. It is a very complex build but there are plenty out there that are easier. Don't be afraid to try vacs, lots of wierd and rare subjects availible in vacs, just try to stay with female rather than male molds - better detail.

cool totally convinced...what is the male/female molds? recessed vs engraved lines? seems that in the vac kits the whole kit is cast in a single block of styrene sheet....my olfa will get very busy...lol
i will bother you again some time later in the month hope you dont mind..:)

Hi, Thyamis!
I've only built two vac kits my whole life: a huge Graf Zeppelin distributed by Testors, and Lunar Models' Martian War Machine (G. Pal version).

The Graf Zep was done in very thin, flexible plastic, so there was no sanding possible after I cut the halves out of the sheet. Just had to make the cuts as straight and accurate as possible the first time out. I had to butress all along the edges to join those big, floppy halves. I remember as a teenager thinking modeling couldn't get any more difficult than that! Finally, I got it all together.

The Martian War Machine was easier only in that it was formed in a thick plastic and could be sanded easily after the top and bottom halves were cut out of the sheet. Once the halves were joined and the remaining seams puttied and sanded, it looked exactly like the smooth, seamless machines as seen in the film.

From the experience gained building those two kits, I wouldn't shy away from a vac kit now at all.

Actually, I've always wanted to tackle that huge 1/72 C-5...

Male vs female. Male mold the styrene is heated and pulled over a protuding master to make a part. The exterior tends to lack fine detail. Female the styrene is heated and sucked into a recessed master which can result is well defined panel lines and details. Combat models are made with Male molds while Koster and MPM are made with Female molds.

thanks...by the way your projects are AAAMAZING......

I love to build and collect vacs! To me they are just like injected kits without locating pins and holes. They often need interior detail but the nicer kits have that covered as well. Once you learn the skills to put vacs together the sky is the limit as far as subjects available to you. Hey Swanny, remember the Model Technologies B-2 "Black Dorito"? I still have one of those. LOL