John's "Firsts" progress thread

Discussion of the CBK SIG Display for SMW 2013. Rebuilding some of your earliest modelling memories.

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JohnRatzenberger
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John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

I won't subject you to my lengthy history, here it is of you want a refresher. :grin:

Anyway, James and I have agreed on a small list, the good news is that a couple are done, several others are well on the way, and only one is a new build. Much better than my dismal performance last year.

This thread will be a combined build thread for all and I'll get started with some starting pix and work this week.

My 1st CBK=Airfix=Airplane will be the Airfix Spitfire IX, JE-J, with green maple leaf; a new build.

My 1st Matchbox will be the Stranraer, actually just a re-rig of an existing build.

My 1st CBK Auto will be the Matchbox Auto Union, already done & in James' hands.

My 1st CBK Ship will be the Airfix Iron Duke, which I'll finish from the Ship GB.

My 1st CBK Armor will be the Matchbox AVRE SBG from the Blitzbau last year. It's done, but I might try to fix a bridge alignment issue before sending it.

My 1st CBK Figure will be a 95th Rifleman, again a no-show from last year.

I am collecting some supporting items to go with each, not wanting to send over any of my library copies.
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

A body in motion tends to stay in motion .... so I'll just feed things out as they happen ....

Today is getting the Stranraer ready. I have to finish wet-wiping it off to get some smutz gone, clean behind the ears, that sort of thing .... The old wire rigging is gone and the slight glue spots tidied up as best possible. Otherwise the finish is good.

Image

The black lines on the towel are the new rigging, Knitting-in-Elastic (or Aeroclub thread if you prefer) that I have dragged through some Vallejo Model Air Black Grey paint to give it an other than white color. I'll see how it does when stretched.

BTW, I have located a 2nd copy of the Oct 59 Aeromodeller which is the inspiration for this and will be able to send that along for the display ....
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

jRatz wrote:The black lines on the towel are the new rigging, Knitting-in-Elastic (or Aeroclub thread if you prefer) that I have dragged through some Vallejo Model Air Black Grey paint to give it an other than white color. I'll see how it does when stretched.
Well, it flakes right off, so it looks like I'll have to go with a marker but that makes them too black, IMO .... I need a gray marker, haven't seen one yet ....
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JamesPerrin »

jRatz wrote:Well, it flakes right off, so it looks like I'll have to go with a marker but that makes them too black, IMO .... I need a gray marker, haven't seen one yet ....
Letraset make a whole range of coloured markers, I've got a 3 ranging from pale to dark grey. Check out your LAS (local art shop).
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Yes, they do and fortunately we had a trip to the "big city" scheduled today for SWMBO's bone density exam, so we went by a huge crafts store .... whose shelves were marked appropriately but empty .... I have since ordered online so I can get started next week-ish ....

So moving on to the Iron Duke. Got it out, looked it over, couldn't find anywhere the partially used photo-etch set. Instructions, yes, WEM envelope, yes, parts glued on already, yes .... but no fret of parts still to be used, including the separate railing fret. And nowhere in adjoin boxes, etc .... All this happened a week ago actually and the mail brought a new set today, so back to work on her .... I think I have a thread in Ships Modelling for this and I'll finish it there ....

Yes, here it is ....

This is becoming an adventure ....
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Well, my "gray markers" arrived today, so I can start coloring rigging. My 2nd copy of the Oct 59 Aeromodeller arrived also -- but missing the Stranraer article ! I'll deal with that and go looking for another ....
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Shifting gears .....

Having given my light blue JE-J to Matt, I went on search of another and was awarded with this, pattern #1316.

Image

The one I gave Matt was on a bubble card -- this is pure baggie and just like I remember. The plastic is so nice. I got all excited and started cleaning up parts, even glued the broken off 20mm back on.

I'll do this "old school", so to speak. I know that I would have painted undetailed areas, like the cockpit, black and I have done so.

What I have to think on is:
-- would I have blanked off the open radiators ? Should I regardless ?
-- most my models were gear up, hanging from the ceiling. Did I just glue the gear covers on, or did I make an effort to provide a piece of tire to be visible ? Or should I have gear down, even though on the stand ?

I'm 50-some years younger already !!!!
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JamesPerrin »

Great to hear that this is bringing you so much joy already and you've barely gotten started.
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

For the Stranraer display, I have sourced an, this time complete, of the October 59 Aeromodeller for the display and my back story ....
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Here's my "little blue boy" ....

Image

The pilot is in and painted and the fuselage join is drying. There was a small but difficult warp/mismatch between the sides and the serenity of the picture belies the effort that went into getting it together with minimal clean-up to follow.

The other things you might notice are the radiators and gear. I do not remember what I actually did to JE-J back then, but I know that, being somewhat experienced, I was aware the open radiators were wrong and may/could have blanked them off, which I did simply here.

The other "would I have" involves the gear. Wheels down is no problem, but for wheels up, you simply glue the gear cover, with wheel drum into the wing, leaving a big hole where the tire should be. Again, I do not remember what I did, but I was ...yada, yada, yada ... and could very well have corrected that, which I have done here. I sanded each tire to a thinner profile, cut the part hidden under the gear door, then filed & fiddled until the gear doors would lie flush with the wing. The tires are drying now, they need a bit of putty to fill a gap at the doors, then I can glue on the gear doors and move on ....

Other than that, as I said earlier, I am building it much like I did then -- no detail = black paint, and that's what the cockpit is full of ....
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Moving right along .... She is mostly built.

Here you can see where I made tires for the raised gear.

Image

And here you can see a warped rear fuselage, curving to the left - remember I mentioned some difficulty getting it glued correctly ... Well I also had great difficulty getting both wings glued on, at proper angles partly because of this. Even now the wings and tail are not quite true horizontally, but I'm not sure if I can correct it .... should be OK, if James displays it appropriately :)

Image

Also note that this is, I believe, an original bagged kit, not substitute plastic or anything, and it is virtually devoid of rivets.

Time to start painting after one last check of the seams & joins ....
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by PaulBradley »

Are they ALL recessed panel lines, John, or is it a trick of the light?
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

All (delicately) recessed - the only (delicately) raised lines are ribs under fabric. There are a few (delicately done) rivets to hold the engine panels on ....

I when I said "warped to the left", I meant the aircraft left, which you see on the right of the photo ....
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Unphotographed but it really happened -- I have run my grey marker over about 15 feet of elastic thread so I am ready to start (re-)rigging the Stranraer. I am a bit concerned that it is too small and may switch to a gray EZ-Line for the flying and landing wires.
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Re: John's "Firsts" progress thread

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Things are happening ....

Image

I'm not sure two pix add much information, but there are two models ....

Image

First, the AVRE SBG. This was done for a Blitzbau and looks quite good, if I do say so, except the bridge wasn't quite on straight. It was either me or the way the mount fits on the front of the AVRE, or both, but I gently pulled the bridge off and deepened the slot on one side of the bridge then slid it back and I now seem to have it all squared away. This one is done.

Next, my interpretation of JE-J. Assembled and painted, just undergoing some touch-up work where I didn't get the yellow LE exactly even on both sides, then it will be on to decals and done. I am a bit confused though as supposedly Matt & I are building the original blue kit and yet his had rivets all over it and mine does not. I frankly cannot remember rivets so my only choice was to seek out bagged blue plastic .... :???:

I'll should have these two in the mail by next week, whilst working my others. I have several non-modeling projects and a funeral chewing up time ...
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