Jolly Rogers GB...2006-2007

Sea Bee,

Although it may be too late to help you this time, once you remove a large portion of the resin with a saw (or sprue cutters if the piece is small), you can sand off the rest.  To do this, place a sheet of sand paper on a piece of glass (or other hard flat surface) and remove the remaining waste by moving the piece in a figure 8 patern.  The best way is to use wet-dry sand paper that is wet as this will eliminate dust.  I have even heard of folks using a glass baking pan for this and filling the bottom with a layer of water.  If you do the job with dry sand paper, be cautious with the dust that you will create as you really do not want that stuff in your lungs.  I wish that I had thought of adding this comment sooner, but again, it may be of use in the future.

Scott 

Sorry for my absence. I have been building a bit. I'll get some pics later up and git r done!. A recurring health problem takes me away temporarily from time to time. So bare with me please guys. Glad to see things are progressing with the help we all needed. Disco, did you ever find the marking guide you were looking for? I am getting that kit this weekend (I hope), can't have too many tomcats on the bench ya know. If you still need them, say so. I should have had this kit a month ago, but ya know.....what I said above. I'm fine, no worries or well wishing needed! Got it.

Drew

OK, I went and obtained a Photobucket account today so I am going to attempt to show a box photo with this just to test things out.  I still have a couple of projects that I want to finish, but I will start working on the cockpit this weekend.  The only additional parts that I plan on adding will be True Details ejection seats with True Details photoetch handles and rings.  Aside from that, I think that Hasegawa has provided enough to keep me busy.  Well, here goes nothing...

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n27/More-Power-Scotty/100_0973.jpg

Scott

Okay...started today with the bang seats...here they are with the Tamiya smoke wash still wet:

Work will continue on the cockpit in the a.m. For this kit, I'm using Eduards PE set, Verlinden resin (but only the gun bay) and Aires cans.

Looks great Frank!

Here are a couple of pics of my 48th tomcat cockpit. Some scratch built details and Eduard etch, but I'm satisfied with the final appearance. Just didn't turn out like I had imagined.

Drew

I've got the cockpit tub of the F-4 and one ejection seat completed (I forgot how damn time consuming all that photo-etching is.  With the exception of a wayward seatbelt that flew out of the tweezers into oblivion I'm happy with the results so far.

Awesome work guys! With that quality of work on both of your cockpits, I'd swear its 1/32nd!

I might head out today to the American Airpower Museum, I just have to convince "She Who Must Be Obeyed." If not, I'm going down to the basement for a marathon session.

Work continues on the cockpit:

F-4:  The cockpit, ejection seats and interior halves of the F-4 are finished and ready for assembly (No pictures 'cause the wife is tired of me cannibalizing batteries from the various remotes for the camera).  I'm waiting for the gloss coat on the wheel well to dry so I can apply a wash.

F-18:  Cockpit tub complete, starting work on ejection seats.  Here I noticed that the level of detail on the OOB seats is actually quite good compared to the resin seats I bought.  Reluctantly I think I am going to go with the kit seats with Eduard PE details instead of the resin seats.  If anyone would like the resin seats let me know.

In addition, I think I am going to vow never again to use PE details.  My eyes have gone crosseyed.

Wife's asleep and wouldn't 'cha know it, those batteries have gone missing.  F-4 is ready for the all-important fuselage assembly, initial dry fits have indicated some work is needed, no Tamiya kit here. 

Detail on the F-18 is not coming out as well as I had hoped, this one may be a closed canopy.  The Eduard details I'm using make it look almost cartoonish.

F-4 pics:

IMG]http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n85/Stugeorge/Halves.jpg[/IMG]

No sense in pictures at this stage as all the good stuff is covered.  F-4 is assembled, working on seams and removing lights.  I have to say, despite good reviews I am not having a good time with the Super Hornet.  Though the tooling is nice and the detailing is fantastic, the kit just does not want to go together well.  I've had to spend time filling seams and sanding, delicate sanding as I am trying with all my might to avoid removing all that spectacular detail.

In one of the other forums I posted a question about Mr. Surfacer, I ordered all three variations, but have never used the stuff.  Anyone got any recommendations or can tell me what this stuff is for?  It looks good on the bench (No tool doesn't) but c'mon.

First, Sorry Disco. I couldn't get the "last cruise" Tomcat. I ordered the one that has the "Black Lions Last Cruise" on the box art. Is this the one you have?

As for the Mr Surfacer, they are sandable primers and liquid putties. The -500 is a laquer based primer. Great when using resin and need to fill a small void. The -1000 is acetone based. They are pretty good as is, sprays good and brushes on excellent for filling scratches and small depressions. The third is Liquid putty. My favorite It's just that. Disolved putty. Can't go wrong there.

Have you tried to mask off the area your sanding (Yup, fresh from reading the articl in FSM)

Keep it up. I'll get some more pics as I finish the major sub assemblies. For a big kit it's going together fast. No major issues.

Yeah, my F-14 is the JR last flight.  Thanks for the tips on Mr. Surfacer. 

Yeah, I usually tape off the surrounding detail, I was able to make a pencil thin line of filler on the seam to keep the sanding to a minimum, but the detail around the seam is made up of rivets so I spent a good part last night rescribing them.  I have to admit that I am pretty shocked about the poor quality of the fit with the new Hasegawa kit.  I haven't begun the major construction yet so I hope this is just a fluke.

Things are looking good so far with the items you guys have been working on.  I have been trying to finish a 1/48 Tamiya Tiger tank before the outage starts this weekend, and I am losing the battle.  I have the True Details resin ejection seats just about finished and I hope to get some work done on the cockpit on my day off this week.  If all goes well, I will post a photo or two. 

Although not entirely related, my son went with me to the model contest held at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo last Saturday.  They had an open cockpit on an S-3B Viking so we got to crawl around inside and of course get some pictures of the interior.  Although I did not get much building done over the weekend, it was worth giving that up for what I gained.

Scott

looking good thier folks. i have finally gotten around on starting my jr f-18 bird and here is what has been done so far.

bang seats painted and weathered,fuel tanks put together and are ready for paint, the aft fuslage has been but together and i still have a little putting and sanding to do up near the foward section. all the gear doors have been primed for their white paint part along with all the landing gear have been primed. burner cans have been painted burnt metal. i hope to have the cockpit all done tomrrow along with the masking of the canopy. also i will have a few pics for you tommrow i just have to go down to my sis house to use her computer. this hornet will wear the markings for the year 2004 and  i do have some new markings coming in that will be for 2006 drew h were did you get the mr surfacer putties from? i hate using squadrons and testors putties and been wanting to try this stuff for a while now. i am more intrested in the liquid puttie one. thanks rob.

Hey all. Rob, I got me putty at my LHS. I'm not sure which on-line shops have them. If they sell Gunze paints, they should have them. If you can't find them send me a PM. Vallejo also makes a liquid putty. I just got it and applied it. Not yet sanded it. I'll let ya know.

Disco here's an instruction sheet from JR Last cruise from VF decals, I hope it helps. A friend just sent it to me, so I can't do much with the size.

I'm working in my hobby room today, so hopefully I will get a few pics up later.

Drew

Thanks a ton!  I picked up the Atlantic Sqdrn in the hopes of having the same decal scheme, but it appeared that the versions were a little different.  I've had this kit sitting on my bench mocking me for not putting decals on.

As for my builds.  My F-4 is about ready to be primed, and the F-18 is coming along, slowly.

I ordered my Mr. Surfacer from GreatModels.Com

Work is progressing well on my Tomcat. I have the front fuselage together, the rear fuse and intake assembled and working now on catching up with the PE in the wheel bays.

Since this GB started, I've decided that I'm going to try to model every plane that the Jolly Rogers flew in 1/72 scale. So far I've picked up Academy's F6F and F4U for VF-17, Emhar's F-3H Demon in service with VF-61, I'm going to backdate Hasegawa's F-8E to a -C flown by VF-84, I have Hasegawa's F-4B, F-4J, F-4N and F-14A (my current build). I have an F-14B that I'll be using with Two Bob's decals, with another F-14B VF-103 Last Flight on the way, and the guy that sold me it is also hooking me up with "Santa Cat" decals for another F-14B that I'll buy once "She Who Must Be Obeyed" isn't looking (The Santa Cat issue of Hasegawa's F-14B just sold on e-bay for $52!). I have HobbyDecal's VF-103 dry transfers for the F/A-18F inbound also...One of the sites I was looking mention that the F8F Bearcat, F3J Fury and F9F Couger also wore the Jolly Rogers marking, but I can't find any other references..can anyone point me in the direction of some references?