OFFICAL NO AFTERMARKET Group Build

Casper the Chihuahua,

Thanks for taking my suggestion as such and not critique, besides its fun to customize and such. The 'Pledge with Future' is more a acrylic clear gloss that someone thought of using on floors, really a amazing, self leveling product. For canopies I completely submerse them and set on a lint free towel to wick way the excess, perfect results every time!

The dot filtering technique looks great, that is one I have yet to try (or brave enough to do so)

Jason

Starting on the A-arms.

MrSquid2U,

That is super cool! Add springs and you have articulating suspension! Excellent example of scratch building innovation.

^^^

Thank you SF. Probably no working springs- I've found they just add more trouble than the function is worth. But something will be represented there.

Ok, I'm gonna call my Trumpeter ME 262 done! A couple of blunders and mistakes but this is still early days for me and I thank the camera for being able to help present this bird the way I want

Cheers guys and thanks for everybodies feedback and encouraging words.

Now to start on the Starfighter...

^^^

Casper,

Always loved that plane and have built a couple myself- saying that it's easy to recognize how well you've done!

Great job and kudos to you!

Further suspension progress.

Since this thread asked for some details if scratchbuilding was done I slowed down as I continued, to snap shots of what's being done.

Working on fleshing out the suspension-

More details,

The A-arm supports start as styrene cut to width and then two different diameter holes hogged out by Dremel.




They sit upon two different ledges on the backbone- those center humps. Know where the hump came from- a lil gumball machine container cap. It's the red plastic piece visible there. It was simply pressed down into the Sculpy putty prior to baking. That caused the two ledges and only later as I was staring at em did I think to make a saddle mount for the A-Arms.

Here's what it takes for the upper control arm-




Here's some components for the driveshafts and CV joints. That's standard electrical shrink wrap tubing which mimics the CV covers.

After the "A-Arm platforms" are squared up I then bevel the outer edges to receive the tubing running the length which later accept the arms.



Once the tubing is in place I re-contour the pedastals.

From front to rear are a completed saddle mount, a roughed in one and then the rawest form- two squares waiting.

I hope that might help someone in a similar situation to attack their target!

FWIW

MrSquid2U,

Dam Mr. Squid that almost looks like R/C suspension and not a static model! Major props for the meticulous detailing of the control arms & drive lines.

Casper,

Your Me 262 turned out excellent! The great thing about modeling is (for me anyways) the current project is my favorite and best to date!

Well I took a week off from the bench, needed to after the 'weekend of madness' to debrief. Have a side project on the go making barn board picture frames for X-mass gifts. Should be able to do most of that at work and get back to finishing Chwat this week hopefully.

Jason

Thank you SF ^^^

And the old school way of showing weld beads.

I made sure to leave a gap for the bead to nestle in. Real world heavy welds are sunk into troughs created by beveling or the angle at which objects rest together for better penetration anyways.

First I lay a bead of liquid cement.


Then lay in some styrene stock.

Recoat the stock with more liquid cement.

Wait five or ten minutes (it varies) until it has softened and then work my way down the bead with a pointed object to leave the 'pattern'. That's it, let it dry or look at it again in awhile and touch it up- the styrene will be softened for a good amount of time.

Heh Mr.Squid,

I'm old school as well and worked in welding fabrication shops for years. I agree that technique produces very realistic weld beads. One tool I use to speed up the process is a engraver bur for a Dremel tool. I 'roll' it along the length of softened plastic a few times in different directions. It also works for touch ups after the plastic has hardened.

This would be the LCSP welding process! (Liquid Cement Soft Plastic)

I really like the scratch built moon buggy and can't wait to see more!

Thanks for posting your work  Mr.Squid

SF,

 Hmm, didn't know the engraver trick! I'll give that one a try!

 Thanks for following along!

Casper I like it That is one very nice 262, kinda makes me wanna bin mine. Love the camo on it and the engine detail is really nice, the hanger detail really adds to the effect ,well done. I think the engine being open and the added battle damage really makes the model stand out

The front page has been updated with your build, my apologies to you for taking 3 days to get it posted.

MrSquid2U wow !!!!!!!!!! I am really having fun watching your build progress, and learning a few tricks along the way too. Keep the pictures coming Hope you don't mind what I called your build on the front page if you wish it I can change it

Vetterman,

 Thanks, your encouragement means a lot. Let me know if I'm cluttering up the thread with details? Sometimes folks ask for more of a how to and sometimes folks say it's not necessary?

As far as the name goes:

 I could use some help from WWII German armor modelers/aficionados- Ma.K. follows WWII designations. This is a six wheeled recovery vehicle. One thing that comes to mind for me is an "RSO" designation- any thoughts?

And thank you all for the kind feedback so far!

MrSquid2U hey in this group there is no way you can have too many how to pictures. I for one have been learning from what you have posted so far and plan to use your weld bead method when I build my first armor build, a 1/48 Sherman. As far as helping with a name well I must admit I am an armor dummy. Gotta have a cool name for a build like this one though I know that for sure.

Well, have most of the suspension components accounted for now. Went with a Torsion Bar suspension which comes off of the upper suspension arm and of course runs along the body. That gets rid of visible springs and arguably keeps exposed springs from getting damaged in rough terrain or combat situations. One side down, one to go.

Getting closer to setting her on her feet!

To maintain suspension geometry on the asymmetrical platform this mount looks quite different, But all the suspension mount points were lined up by a rod passed through from front to rear and this is where this one came out.

Well Mr.Squid I hope you display the moon buggy in a dynamic position showing off the suspension fully articulated. That is some awesome scratch building!

SF,

 I probably should but I'm just not one to make Dios? That would be the way to go but I don't wanna embarrass myself.

And thank you!

MrSquid2U

SF,

 I probably should but I'm just not one to make Dios? That would be the way to go but I don't wanna embarrass myself.

MrSquid2U with your scratch building skills I dont think a dio would be any problem for ya, I would think it would be a walk in the park.

MrSquid2U

SF,

 I probably should but I'm just not one to make Dios? That would be the way to go but I don't wanna embarrass myself.

 

And thank you!

Not necessarily a full on diorama but a display base to show off the articulating suspension. If the suspension remains dynamic (working) then its easy as the vehicle will fit the ground. If you chose to glue (lock) the suspension in a position then make the ground match the wheel bottoms.

Once you have the 'shape' of the ground here is some easy steps to make cool looking & realistic gound work:

Ca glue on the largest stones, after use diluted white glue to add smaller ones and sand like material. (largest to smallest) Use progressive layers to fill in around the larger stones and not on top of them. Shake off excess each step, even brush off with a coarse brush.

Spray the entire scene with light or med. gray primer.

Wash with acrylic red / brown.

Dry brush with light gray, keep every paint step random and not uniform.

Add grass & vegetation to suit, if you stick with a 'moon buggy or desert creeper theme then adjust vegetation & colors accordingly.

This is a 1/144 scale 38(t) with model RR scenic grass & shrubs using above described technique.

Vetterman, SF,

 Um, we'll see?

With some of the suspension sorted, turned it back upside so that the wheels/tires wouldn't be in the way for some more building. The boom from the donor kit (LARV) along with a cooling vent were added to the rear.

MrSquid I like where this is going! I used to build my own space craft scratch as well when I was a kid. Star Wars had just come out and who didn't want to make their won stuff. Nothing I built though had this level of engineering to it, looks great!

Thanks everyone for their feedback about the ME262, was an enjoyable build but onwards and upwards.

Cheers

Good evening gents! Johnny come lately here!

I can finally get in on some of this fine action. Got wrapped up in a few commission builds with a bunch of extra goodies. I have another commission build that does fit the bill here though......YIPEE!!!!

 I made contact with a guy who's father flew B-26s in the war. The name is Vollenweider, he flew "Mild and Bitter" recently released by Revell, this is the one I'll be doing. He also flew "Flak Bait" and was on board for "Patches" belly landing. I can't give away as much as I'd like to on this. I have been asked to write an artical for a brand new Magazine that's going to be coming out soon, so the majority has to be done "in secret"

I'll get some pics up in a while!

Wow Fermis you have been busy, I cant wait to see this one as you do have a habit of doing stunning work on these special builds I will update the front page shortly.

Ok a small update of my own....... I am still plugging away on the FW190, she is ready for a good wiping and masking, but I thought you would like a nekie picture of her.

I have a kit planned that I think will fit this GB nicely. Is it alright if I joined in? I wont be starting for another week or so, but I am planning on taking the sparse Testors F4U Corsair and see what I can do with it. The Kit is 1/72 scale.

OWL

CallSignOwl you are in and welcomed Those Testers kits are truly in need of scratch building, looking forward to what you do with it.

 I don't have much yet, just got started. I'm working kida backwards.

Started with reworking the tail section.

Then moved on the the gearbays/nacelles. Scratched a foward bulkhead and added a couple bits and pieces(under artistic lisence) to busy it up a little. Things look crooked as all get out, but when joined to the bay roof/wing bottom, all is good!

The fit around the nacelles is not very good. I used some stretched sprue and cardstock to fill in the gaps.

That's it for now.

Made a muffler with some brackets to mount it up.

While I have figured out how, I'm not sure I want to? To have actual articulated working suspension the spindles attached to each wheel would need pivot points from each upper and lower control arm. That's usually accomplished with 'ball-joints' and I can make em. But they are a royal PITA!

However here's a prototype although it is only coming off of a control arm for now. Two pics to show the side to side range although it swings in a complete arc.