Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

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Martin R
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Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by Martin R »

OK, chaps, I have a Beaufighter on short finals. I have cut out the landing lights in one of the wing leading edges, backed it with styrene sheet, and added a couple of 'Little Cars' lenses. I now need to 'glaze' it and, due to the interior, I'm not going to use solid blocks of clear styrene.

I believe my choices are to use either cling film or sellotape over the outside. Does anyone have any good advice as to how they use either of these techniques, please? Particularly interested in how to cut cling film to shape :shock: and how to avoid fingerprints on sellotape.

Many thanks in advance.

regards,

Martin
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AndrewR
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by AndrewR »

Jim (Jagewa) is the man to explain the cling film technique Martin.
Up in the Great White North
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Martin R
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by Martin R »

Thanks, Andrew.

Jim . . . . !

Jim . . . . !

regards,

Martin
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Jagewa
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by Jagewa »

Eh, eh, stop shouting, you woke me up.. :ha:

I find to cut the clingfilm, I get smallish piece lay it on the cutting mat, and use a sharp blade to cut press down on it to cut the clingfilm, I make it a good couple of mm over size. The edges are so thin with the clingfilm they really don't stand out much.

For the double lights, you really need the support between, as the clingfilm won't span with out sagging.

Image
Boxed in with 'lights'
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I use Klear to stick it on, brush a bit on the top edge and then lay the clingfilm on, it'll want to wrap and stay down.
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then I use a brush with Klear on, to touch the sides and bottom edge, and it'll hold the rest down.
Image
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To tidy the edges where the Klear is glossy I paint a bit of flat coat on them.
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Sometimes you end up with a wrinkle, but they are so fine it's hard to notice, and it's easy to pull off and redo.

I've used the tape method a couple of times as well, but, I'm used to the clingfilm way and like how thing it is.

Hope this helps.

Cheers
Jim
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Martin R
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by Martin R »

Jim,

Fantastic! Thanks for that. I'll give it a go and let you know what happens.

regards,

Martin
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Jagewa
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by Jagewa »

You're welcome Martin, looking forward to your finished Beaufighter.

Cheers
Jim
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AndrewR
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by AndrewR »

Great "How to", Jim. I'll have a go at that myself :). Sometime...

Cheers

Andrew
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PaulBradley
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by PaulBradley »

Cool technique, Jim - there are a number of types that could benefit from this.
Paul

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piggypod1
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by piggypod1 »

love that clingfilm tech, would never have thought of it !
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Nax
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by Nax »

G'day Martin, I'm probably too late posting but this is the way I have done it "once" I will do it again on the right build. I got this tip from one of Mike Grants "side bars" in a build article.

I cut the wings out, made some lights from sprue and after fitting I put a "Tamiya tape" frame around the area I wanted to fit the light. Carefully stuck a section of tape on and the cut around the edge of the tape to leave a clear lense over the light.
I only took one picture when I was doing this step sorry.

Image

Image

Hope I have been of help to you. Nax ;-)
Steve/Nax
Enjoying trying to make them look real.
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splash
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Re: Advice needed - 'glazing' landing lights

Post by splash »

Thats neat I must try both ways.

Regards Splash
My work bench is starting to look like Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
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