1/48 B-17 Group Build...ALL INVITED TO JOIN!

Really? Frankly, I wish they'd have more dents in the fuselage sides, in areas where the ground crew could hit them with workstands, ladders, and even the occasional tow-tug..   As it is right now, I can put the dents in (I gouge with a ball steel-cutter and polish with steel wool), but it's work that I'd rather pass on if I could...

I'm not taliking about dents here. The upper wing halves in the last 2 kit's I've bought look like some the sections had been sanded. Had to polish them to get them smooth enough for NMF.

Really...

Might have to buy one to check it out... I haven't bought one for a few years now, gosh, must be ten years? Maybe longer, but I still got three in the stash (two Revell reboxes and a ProModeler) so I gotta come up with a devious plan to get another one..

'Course, Household Six don't come back here to the War Room  much...

that is the box it came in.

Hans von Hammer

 

Is this an open ended group build with no end date??

 

Yupper..

Dunno about the decals... I'm wanting some red-bordered US Star & Bars myself and haven't found any big enough... You'd think that somebody would make a generic sheet of the things...

Hans,  Hey I've got a few red bordered Microscale Stars and Bars that would work on the 1/48 B-17.  I'll ship em your way if you'd like.  I think I've got your address from a couple years ago.  Is it still the same?  Rick.

Okay, I need some help. For the past two nights I have been trying to glue the wing halves together without success. I am using testors brush on plastic cement, which I have used several times in the past with no problems. This time though it is not working. I even tried using super glue, and still the wings do not fully seal. Any suggestions?

No, I moved last April, Wabash..

I'll PM you the current one..

Any suggestions?

I'd use Testor's Liqiud Cement in the Black Bottle with the needle applicator.. Before gluing with it (or with Testor's Pink Label cement), I sand the mating surfaces... Don't have to do much, just take the "shine" off..

It gives the glue something to work on right away...

If that isn't successful, you could try MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone).  It's a REALLY hot cement, but it's the main ingredient in Testor's anyway.. The stuff will melt styrene pretty fast... Use it just like Testor's liquid, a good pointed brush and capillary-action... You may have to clamp too.. Get some spring-type clothes-pins...

Hans von Hammer

Any suggestions?

I'd use Testor's Liqiud Cement in the Black Bottle with the needle applicator.. Before gluing with it (or with Testor's Pink Label cement), I sand the mating surfaces... Don't have to do much, just take the "shaine" off..

It gives the glue something to work on right away...

If that isn't successful, you could try MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone).  It's a REALLY hot cement, but it's the main ingredient in Testor's anyway.. The stuff will melt styrene pretty fast... Use it just like Testor's liquid, a good pointed brush and capillary-action... You may have to clamp too.. Get some spring-type clothes-pins...

Thanks. I will give that a try.

I'll aslo add that you may also want to trim down some of the plastic on the lower part of the engine nacelles. The part that is angled, where the upper and lower half of the engine nacelle meet. The seam doesnt got together too well, as it is that seam can be a real pain to got seated right, you will need to fill that area. It's hard for me to explain the spot I'm talking about.

I also recomend the model masters liquid cement, just like Hans said, that stuff is my pyimary cement.  

Got 'em today, Rick.. Thanks!

Hans von Hammer

Any suggestions?

I'd use Testor's Liqiud Cement in the Black Bottle with the needle applicator.. Before gluing with it (or with Testor's Pink Label cement), I sand the mating surfaces... Don't have to do much, just take the "shine" off..

It gives the glue something to work on right away...

If that isn't successful, you could try MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone).  It's a REALLY hot cement, but it's the main ingredient in Testor's anyway.. The stuff will melt styrene pretty fast... Use it just like Testor's liquid, a good pointed brush and capillary-action... You may have to clamp too.. Get some spring-type clothes-pins...

Thanks for the advise. This stuff worked like a charm. The wings are solidly together.

Did you use the MEK? If so, hope you can stock up.. I bought Ace out of the stuff a few weeks ago, and I now have a lifetime supply, since the stuff is going away soon, due to the effin' EPA... It's a "must have" if you use Plastruct or have unruly warps on styrene parts..

Well, after spending way to much time dealing with real world issues and not enough time building, Liberty Belle is starting to look like an Airplane! As I mentioned ealier  the clear half was warped. Sparrowhyperion's suggestion worked well. But due to the warping the detail on the belly seams were off by up to 1/16" , so i had to do lots of gluing, stretching and clamping, a little bit at a time. Here are some update photos with the main wings just snapped in place.

Looking good Bigfoot!

Here she is, the Monogram "visible" B-17G "Liberty Belle".

Bigfoot that looks fantastic.  You can't tell from the pics that there was anything wrong with the clear fuselage and you did a nice job straightening it out.  Hail to the 390th/570th!.....

Joe

Thank you for the kind words Joe. I greatly appreciate it!

I just got started working on my forts aftter moving. Im a little rust after about a month of leaving them neglected but all that time gave me new idea's to come up with. Like the top turret.

Nice job Bigfoot!

I've been working too, slow but I did get some stuff done.

The black bombs on Journey's nose are not the best. The decals are from the promodeler B-17G kit. I was stupid and didnt check the decals first and broke up coming off the decal paper, so I pieced it back together as best I could, didnt have enough and the other side has no bombs. I'll figure it out eventually. more pics to follow soon.

B-17 Guy

 I didnt check the decals first and broke up coming off the decal paper, so I pieced it back together as best I could, didnt have enough and the other side has no bombs.

I doubt if the bombs are always perfect on a real bomber. Looks good to me!

The 17 looks great bigfoot! 

Nice work on the decals B-17 guy!

Thank you guys. Fuddy Duddy and Sentimental Journey are looking awesome B-17Guy, can't wait to see them finished!

Bigfoot,  Your visible 17 looks real nice.  Hopefully I'll soon be closing mine up with a visible side thanks to B-17 Guy's generosity.  What glue did you use to prevent fogging or smears on  the clear side when gluing the halves together??  Any tips to prevent this from happening?  Thanks for any help.

Thank Panzer, i used regular Testors tube glue with an applicator tip. My clear half had a bit of a warp to it so I had to join it section by section gluing about 4 inches, clamping, and letting dry. Because of wresting with the warp, I did get some smudges along the seam on the bottom of the tail and the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer, so I just painted over enough to hide it.

Hi guys. I am just about to start building my Revell B17-F &  was hoping that before I do I could pick your brains! Does anyone know of any major issues with the Revell kit, as I have had other Revells  in the past which left a lot to be desired ~  gaps between wings and fuselage and so on.  I am also fairly new to modelling and would be grateful for any tips you can give with regards to the weathering  of finished planes. Finally ~ does anyone know where I can buy alternative decals. ( i.e. other than those for the Memphis Belle) Thanks in advance.

The main drawback with the F is that the interior is pretty sparse.  Fit-wise, the B-17s are really not too bad.  Just be careful not to remove to much of the raised panel lines when cleaning up seams, especially around the engine nacelles.  For decals I would go to ebay....they always have a wide variety of B-17 decals.  Just search "1/48 B-17F decals".

Don't forget to add the "Movie Camera" mission marks, lol..

Now get busy with the "Texas Raiders" decals, lol..

One final touch. I realized I forgot to cut the blast tubes off the chin turret guns. Looks much better now

I am going to start the Revell one soon but one question.  WHat is the Drybrushing you did Tiny? And how do you do it?  I am kinda new at this.