Enter keywords or a search phrase below:
Looking for some help/insight into scratchbuilding flaps and internal detail.
Right now, I'm here:
And here's what I'm up against:
Not too worried about measuring and gluing and whatnot. But I can't for the life of me figure out how to cut so many little triangles. At least now without wasting epic amounts of plastic (since they quickly get too small to hold down beneath a straight edge). There's got to be a trick to this, right?
On the Bench: 1/32 Trumpeter P-47 | 1/32 Hasegawa Bf 109G | 1/144 Eduard MiG-21MF x2
On Deck: 1/350 HMS Dreadnought
Blog/Completed Builds: doogsmodels.com
Oh man. Looks like quite a project. Have you checked Eduard? Just curious if they may have it for that bird?
-Tom
Have you thought of making a jig, Doogs? I have a small L-square, I see using that for the right angle at the base, and then laying another metal straight edge over it to create the hypotenuse, and cut along that edge. A bit fiddly, perhaps, for the size of the pieces you need to cut, but it can be done.
Over at Hyperscale, Mike West of Lone Star Models has a thread showing how he created masters for the flame dampers used on the PV-1 in its night fighter version. He cut small triangles very similar to what you're talking about, so, proof of concept, it can be done.
The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.
If you are using a sheet of plastic, you could lay out the two short sides of the triangle all the way down the edge of the sheet. Then cut the sides and sand them while they are still attached to the sheet. When they are cleaned up make your final cuts all the way across the sheet. I don't think there's an easy way but hope this makes some sense. Good luck.
Jesse
Heavy metal welder by day, light plastic welder by night
panzerpilot Oh man. Looks like quite a project. Have you checked Eduard? Just curious if they may have it for that bird?
Alas, Eduard doesn't make anything for it (aside from the PE that comes in the box).
Hi Doogs,
That is a bit of work for you to do. I've done similar things for struts in wheel wells and what not, but not to that extent.
My method, isn't perfect, or necessarily the most clean, but I've found it works quite simply. If you take a piece of plastic, generally for such small detail I use playing cards because they are easier to cut especially in such small pieces. In this case, I would take the card and cut lines laterally (horizontally) across it, making sure not to cut all the way to the edge on either side. The lines should be parallel and equidistant in separation. Once you've got your lines, you can cut the triangles. Maybe a visual would be easier....
The red lines represent the cuts for the triangles. Assuming you need right triangles, this is how I would do it. There may be an easier way, but I've found this works alright for me. As long as you measure your cuts and use a sharp knife, you'll have a whole bunch of equal triangles to play with, without much trouble.
Jon
My Blog: The Combat Workshop
Playing cards are made out of plastic? Hot dog! Will they work with plastic solvents a la Tenax? If so that definitely seems like the right material, since the thinnest sheet Evergreen I've got still seems far too thick.
Like your idea with the lines...frustrating thing is that I'm going to need different sizes since the area isn't uniform and generally gets deeper in both directions (a and b if c is the hypotenuse), but cards are cheap and I could probably do a triangle a card if i wanted and be good! (by my count I'm looking at probably 28-30 total triangles on the flaps themselves. Roughly the same amount up in the wings.
Some playing cards are made out of plastic, some are made out of like a thick paper with plastic coating. I believe I use the latter, but either will do. I've never used Tenax so I can't speak for that but they set well with either super glue or even Testor's liquid cement. And you're correct, cards are cheap and plentiful. I have two packs that I haven't even put a dent in. I could probably still play a game of poker with one deck without any one noticing several cards are missing. Even if I don't use a whole card, I just put the scraps back in the little box and use it later.
I wouldn't cut triangles at all. Just glue in straight strips with solvent glue. After they have set and are fully cured, you can sand them to the profile you need. I use this technique a lot, and it saves a great deal of angst!
Have you flown a Ford lately?
First question - what scale? Second question - wouldn't Evergreen strip in the appropriate width work?
Take a peek at the flap sets for other aircraft...such as those for the Dauntless, DC-3, B-17. You can adapt these to replicate what you want to represent on this aircraft...and my guess is you'd be the only one to the wiser about it.
Gerald "Hawkeye" Voigt
http://hawkeyes-squawkbox.com/
"Its not the workbench that makes the model, it is the modeler at the workbench."
mfsob - It's PCM's 1/32 Fiat G.55. The problem with evergreen strip (encountered last night) is holding it down while cutting an appropriately acute triangle. If I were just doing say 45/45/90, not a big deal, but a big long diagonal cut like that makes it tough to keep the strip from wandering. And cutting with scissors or sprue cutters makes it warp and curl.
Gerald - thanks I'd considered that. Thing is, I'm note willing to shell out $$$ for PE flaps that I'd then hack apart to steal a few internals from. That and I've been doing a fair amount of scratch and modification work on this one and kind of want to continue to develop those skills.
A piece of gloss finish cover stock paper, a pair of scissors. Superglue.
If you are determined to use plastic, don't worry so much about the waste, and you can still cut the thin stuff with good scissors.
Ashley I wouldn't cut triangles at all. Just glue in straight strips with solvent glue. After they have set and are fully cured, you can sand them to the profile you need. I use this technique a lot, and it saves a great deal of angst!
Ditto that. Sand them all at the same time pushing the flap on a sheet of sandpaper taped to a flat surface, with the long edge front to back, putting pressure on the trailing edge
Marc
wing_nut Ashley: I wouldn't cut triangles at all. Just glue in straight strips with solvent glue. After they have set and are fully cured, you can sand them to the profile you need. I use this technique a lot, and it saves a great deal of angst! Ditto that. Sand them all at the same time pushing the flap on a sheet of sandpaper taped to a flat surface, with the long edge front to back, putting pressure on the trailing edge
Ashley: I wouldn't cut triangles at all. Just glue in straight strips with solvent glue. After they have set and are fully cured, you can sand them to the profile you need. I use this technique a lot, and it saves a great deal of angst!
That'd work for the flaps, but not the internals. Lots to think about between now and the bench!
It just occurred to me that there might even be punches with the appropriate shape, and that makes me think that checking the arts & crafts stores might be a good idea.
Ah, this is a LARGE scale ... I was thinking 1/72 or so. My mistake.
Ashley...I wouldn't cut triangles at all. Just glue in straight strips with solvent glue. After they have set and are fully cured, you can sand them to the profile you need...
Yep.
Think I found my material - stencil paper. It's plastic coated, thin, cuts easily and doesn't curl. It's the nearer of the two on this test piece.
Hey , DOOGS . why all the flap (oops , an unintended pun ) Take EVERGREEN ho or n scale 2x4 pieces and glue them in the wing on edge .After they dry real good , then sand them down .All you have to do is just be gentle . Once you get them at the angle of the top wing half then you can undercut a little more to get what you want .Back up and remove what you have and install the strips .Then when dry sand them dowm .I don,t build things with wings that big but it works in 1/48 scale real good . tankerbuilder
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.