Jump to content

Hasegawa Fw 190S Conversion


LSP_Kevin

Recommended Posts

Thanks fellas. I haven't had the chance to use the hot water technique yet, but I'll be giving it a shot as soon as I get any modelling time (down to nearly zero at the moment). My only concern is with the strange rubbery nature of this resin, quite unlike anything I've seen before, but that could be just my general lack of experience with resin parts. I guess I have nothing to lose though!

 

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Kev

 

Yes I thought it felt a bit odd to, very soft. There again that could be to your advantage!

 

Jeez, it does look bad doesn't it? Hopefully you'll be able to figure something out!

 

Best of luck with it. Any idea on the markings yet :)

 

Cheers

 

Si

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ooooooh yes, so it begins; :blink: Looks like the modified 'hump' behind the pit is still straight, maybe all you need to do would be to add that to your existing kit? Might be easier than joining up the Hasegawa wings to this? Just thinking aloud to myself. How does new canopy fit to the original kit? Any chance of only modifying just the pit area?

Wheeew yeah, can't wait to see how ya pull this one off Kevin! :) Looks like plastic is gonna be aflyin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Well, after a mildly diverting detour through a Revellogram Babylon 5 Starfury, and half a Minicraft 707, I stopped for a bit to re-organise and re-furniture my modelling area. To take it for a test drive, I decided to return to this and try to kick start proceedings. Well, it turns out that there's no way I can use the UMI resin conversion with Hasegawa's old-tool kit. UMI's conversion is designed to be used with Hasegawa's new-tool kit, and as such the fuselage parts are modified copies of Hasegawa's parts - their new-tool parts. The old-tool parts are completely different - in dimensions, engineering and construction. Square peg, round hole.

 

So, what to do? I figure I have two choices now. The first is to track down a new-tool kit and use the conversion as intended. This would do justice to both the build and Si's generosity in donating the conversion. It would also be a little tricky, since I don't have that kit and funds are tight.

 

My second option is to abandon using the conversion and simply revert to my original plan of scratch-building the thing using my existing old-tool kit (which is the premise under which this thread was started). That would save me money, and utilise my existing kit, but the UMI conversion would go to waste (though I guess I could always do a second one down the track, using the correct kit combinations).

 

Whaddaya reckon fellas? Which way to turn...

 

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd use the conversion. Si sent me his other set, and with some loving care, it should make a nice 'S'. Some lines may need a little rescribing, and a little plasticard could be used in places, but it provides MORE than an adequate conversion set. Get the new tool Hasegawa kit and use as intended.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, I guess that answers that question! So, this build is officially on hold until I can source me a new-tool Hasegawa kit. I guess I should try straightening the resin fuselage parts first, because if they won't yield, I'm back to Plan A in any case.

 

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Having finally found a little bit of modelling time, I thought it past due that I return to this and try to get something happening. In our last episode, I was planning to attempt to de-warp the resin fuselage halves from the UMI conversion that Si generously sent me.

 

Well, I tried all right...and failed! I have been concerned all along about the weird rubbery consistency of the resin in the fuselage halves, and I've been reliably informed that this is caused by the resin not being mixed properly before casting. Anyway, as soon as I dunked the parts in the hot water, they went the same way that 2-minute noodles do when you give them the same treatment! Although they straightened up OK in the water, they became incredibly soft almost instantly, and attempted to fold up on themselves as I tried to retrieve them. The left one in particular became impossibly floppy and instantly distorted at my every attempt to fetch it out of the water. I dunked it several times in an attempt to get it sorted, but it just got worse and worse.

 

The right fuselage half came out OK in the end, but the left one is a write-off:

 

post-3071-1269748917.jpg

 

post-3071-1269748943.jpg

 

The second photo shows the large depression my thumb made in the resin as I tried to scoop it out of the pot. :)

 

So, I guess that rules out the UMI conversion for this project! Or at least the fuselage halves anyway. Once again I'm left with a series of options:

 

1. Revert to my original plan of using the old-tool kit and scratch-building the conversion;

 

2. Do the same using the new-tool kit I've since acquired;

 

3. Attempt to salvage the rear top decking from the resin parts for either option above, as an alternative to scratch-building it;

 

4. Give up.

 

I'm leaning towards a combination of #1 & #2. If given a choice between hacking up the old-tool or new-tool kits, I'd prefer to enact that kind of butchery on the old one - especially since the new-tool kit will build quite nicely OOB anyway. Cannibalising the resin parts may save me some scratch-building pain, and save the UMI conversion from being totally wasted. Either way, as Hacker mentioned in an earlier post, it makes for a useful 3D reference.

 

Oh, option #4 was put in for a bit of irony for anyone who knows me...

 

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kev,

 

We all consider option 4 from time to time.

 

When it comes to heating resin i use this little embossing heat tool I picked up from Hobby Lobby. It gives me better control, unfortunately it only comes in a non masculine color!

 

DSC01473.jpg

 

I stumbled upon this because I needed something for heat shrink tubing.

 

DSC01574.jpg

 

It works great for me.

 

Rocky

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It works great for me.

 

Thanks Rocky. Unfortunately the problem isn't with the method I used for heating the resin, but rather with the resin itself. Once heated, the resin becomes so soft that it can't even support its own weight. Even at room temperature the left fuselage half is disconcertingly rubbery; I can actually bend and twist the forward part quite easily. Still, I've got nothing to lose by trying the old hairdryer now!

 

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally Kevin l would start from scratch. l am afraid you are :deadhorse: here but hey minor miracles have happened so like you said what have you got to lose? My question is this is the top ok? could you cut it off and splice it onto the kit fuselage? With a little sanding and putty it could work

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My question is this is the top ok? could you cut it off and splice it onto the kit fuselage? With a little sanding and putty it could work

 

That's pretty much my default option at this point. The only question is do I use the old-tool kit or the new-tool kit as a basis. I'm leaning towards the old-tool kit, simply because if I had to choose one to build OOB as a standard 190, it would be the new-tool kit. The old one is a prime candidate for being chopped to pieces!

 

Kev

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...