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Aerotech Supermarine S5


TorbenD

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  • 2 weeks later...

That's brilliant!

 

Kev

 

Thanks Kev

 

 

Torben,

   I have to say the new legs look much better than the kit legs.  Thank you for the lesson.

 

Gaz

 

Cheers Gaz - I'm honestly making it up as I go along!

 

 

Much better.  Good luck with the skirts.

 

Sincerely,

Mark

 

Thanks Mark, I'm going to need all the luck I can get

 

 

As much as I hate problem-solving, watching you do it is a real joy, Torben! Congrats on the new legs!

 

Cheers Zac, very kind words. I find problem solving far easier with metal and plastic than all that real life nonsense!

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Amazing what you can do with a bit of card and glue, isn't it

 

Richard

 

Nice one Richard! I must say your card jig is far less heath Robinson than mine - check out the next post!

 

 

Excellent work Torben, nice to see some more progress.......going to be a stunner!!

 

Regards. Andy

 

Cheers Andy, cross fingers I end up half way to that I'll be happy

 

 

No comparison between the old and new! Fantastic work! 

 

Alain

 

Merci Alain, to my eye scale thickness so important - well worth the effort........ I hope!

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Evening all,

 

So I can work on the mainplane, floats and legs individually as I refine and further detail everything without having to either handle the whole thing I needed to secure the legs as a separate removable element with everything locked into place. My first thought was to attach them permanently to the fuselage/wing but this too would provide too much opportunity to knock them off as I am definitely not an un-clumsy person so I decided to create a structural plug at the top of the legs that I could insert at a later time in the build.

 

First up I returned to my photographic references and after comparing them to the model and most accurate plans I deduced the kit legs were probably set a few mm to far forward.

 

DSC02528-X2.jpg

 

Once marked up I re-drilled the location holes allowing quite a bit of wiggle room as I was about to play a game that was a cross between virtual pick up sticks and4-D Jenga with legs. 

 

The below image is quite a long way along the process showing the legs attached to the structural plug at the top - A huge amount for fettling and cursing with creating the locating sockets in the plugs to make sure the legs were fully aligned, at the correct angle, inclination, hight, position etc etc before I committed to any glue. In this case I used CA with accelerator.

 

DSC02533-X2.jpg

 

I further carved out the lower fuselage and wing section to accept the new plug.

 

DSC02554-X2.jpg

 

Going back a step before any glue was applied I set up a jig within a jig so I could get everything aligned and squared up using extra card and thin card shimmies so I knew all my data points were as aligned and as locked down as possible. As I said, a bit Heath Robinson but it did the trick! 

 

DSC02530-X2.jpg

 

DSC02532-X2.jpg

 

Once everything had thoroughly set I was able to remove the out jig and re check the alignment.

 

DSC02534-X2.jpg

 

DSC02536-X2.jpg

 

DSC02537-X2.jpg

 

Considering that the floats are only dry fitted at the moment I'm pretty happy - it appears all square, at the right angles... phew!!!

 

There'll be a bit more progress to share when I get a moment this weekend.

 

Thanks for looking

 

Torben

Edited by TorbenD
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Nice one Richard! I must say your card jig is far less heath Robinson than mine - check out the next post!

 

Heath Robinson maybe - it works!

 

I think there are a few key stages in jig making. The first is getting really, really frustrated with a model and realising you do need a jig.

 

The second is putting in enough sophistication so you are no longer balancing bits together and hoping they won't shift - they always do

 

The third is realising you are going way over the top with this jig, just get on with it!

 

:D

 

Richard

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I have read intermittently of Aerotech kits that they are not that great for the money. A shame considering the subject matter.  I used to know John Simons of Marsh Models years ago and he was always a fussy devil.  He usually used a particulat pattern maker who was very much flavour of the year for years, but has more recently suffered quite bad health. That may have been the answer with this model IF he is still used.  Also he is very much a racing car man, so may not have much affinity with racing aircraft.

The evidence of this kit suggests a new pattern maker should be seriously considered AND, Mr. Simons needs to be more critical. I would have sent this model back once I'd opened it.

 

On techniques, you are obviously happy with sanding sticks and white Milliput, but may I suggest you get a set of Swiss files and save hours of sanding, then Yellow/green Milliput instead of white?  White, in my experience tends to chalk off and never sets hard enough. Yellow/green is every bit as hard and smooth as you could wish for and the cheapest option. I cook mine on the top of the radiator.  I use a pack every month when making slot racing body patterns as I use it mainly as a vac-forming pattern material for the windows, as well as making up for the odd over-eager cut or chisel stroke.

 

You can get some decent old, but unused Swiss needle files from Sunday markets for pennies. I once got a handful for 50p!  Keep a stick of file carding handy to clean the files out after each few strokes.   

Finish any filing session with a quick sand to blend the inevitably flat file strokes.

 

Just trying to save you all time and money.

 

Cheers,

Martin

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Fascinating and fantastic work, Torben. Can I just ask ONE question, though. Do you have three pairs of hands??? That jig looks like it could be a monster to manipulate!  ;)  :D

 

Can't wait to see more of this beautiful Blue and Silver beast.

 

Kev

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Torben,

    That is quite a structure.  But I'm glad it did the trick.  Alignment can be so difficult and I'm glad you're getting it sorted and sharing your method.

 

Gaz

 

Cheers Gaz, slowly slowly does it.

 

Heath Robinson maybe - it works!

 

I think there are a few key stages in jig making. The first is getting really, really frustrated with a model and realising you do need a jig.

 

The second is putting in enough sophistication so you are no longer balancing bits together and hoping they won't shift - they always do

 

The third is realising you are going way over the top with this jig, just get on with it!

 

:D

 

Richard

 

Too true by half Richard  :rolleyes:

 

 

Excellent work Torben, really like what you are doing with this one, keep going its looking fantastic!

 

Regards. Andy

 

Cheers Andy, much appreciated. 

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I have read intermittently of Aerotech kits that they are not that great for the money. A shame considering the subject matter.  I used to know John Simons of Marsh Models years ago and he was always a fussy devil.  He usually used a particulat pattern maker who was very much flavour of the year for years, but has more recently suffered quite bad health. That may have been the answer with this model IF he is still used.  Also he is very much a racing car man, so may not have much affinity with racing aircraft.

The evidence of this kit suggests a new pattern maker should be seriously considered AND, Mr. Simons needs to be more critical. I would have sent this model back once I'd opened it.

 

On techniques, you are obviously happy with sanding sticks and white Milliput, but may I suggest you get a set of Swiss files and save hours of sanding, then Yellow/green Milliput instead of white?  White, in my experience tends to chalk off and never sets hard enough. Yellow/green is every bit as hard and smooth as you could wish for and the cheapest option. I cook mine on the top of the radiator.  I use a pack every month when making slot racing body patterns as I use it mainly as a vac-forming pattern material for the windows, as well as making up for the odd over-eager cut or chisel stroke.

 

You can get some decent old, but unused Swiss needle files from Sunday markets for pennies. I once got a handful for 50p!  Keep a stick of file carding handy to clean the files out after each few strokes.   

Finish any filing session with a quick sand to blend the inevitably flat file strokes.

 

Just trying to save you all time and money.

 

Cheers,

Martin

 

I second the Swiss File recommendation, they have replaced most of my sanding implements.

I use an old tooth brush to clean them after I use em as they will and do load up with removed material.

 

Cheers Martin and Shawn,

 

I couldn't agree more with your comments - I'm a total sucker for quality tools and have quite a number of fine metal files ranging from cheap and cheerful market stalls to those  purchased from jewellery making suppliers in Hatton Garden. Talking of quality tools I treated myself to a bumper pack of sanding sticks (both card and foam backed) from the Flory stand at Telford and cannot recommend them highly enough. On thinning my S5's legs the broad flat board ones were ideal, the more coarse on one side giving me shape with the fine on the other helping polish up to a smooth finish. When it came to shaping the shoes (which follows on in th enext post) I reverted back to fine rat-tail jewels files, essential for such fine work.

 

Regarding cleaning files, have you ever tried pre-coating with talc or graphite powder, depending what you're filing it can help after although the extra mess can negate any gains in cleaning up afterwards! I find a wire brush or rotary wire disc in a mini-drill can work well if applied in the direction of the file's grain. As you've already commented, some metals, especially pewter just have to be teased out with the back of an old scalpel blade.

 

Martin, you point on Green vs White Milliput is known to me, I used do a bit of figure sculpture and used the properties of both to each of their advantages - I've been using the white mostly on this build as the resin is quite soft but you definitely got me thinking that I should have used green on the sculpting of the shoes as you're right, the white is more brittle and chalky and I needed the strength of green. Thanks for your suggestion, as you'll see shortly, my second attempt was far more successful.

 

Torben

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Torben, fine work with that jig! Getting all parts well aligned is a lot of work but in the end there is (almost) no hassle for final assembly. 

 

Alain

 

Thanks Alain, the pain was indeed definitely worth it!

 

Fascinating and fantastic work, Torben. Can I just ask ONE question, though. Do you have three pairs of hands??? That jig looks like it could be a monster to manipulate!  ;)  :D

 

Can't wait to see more of this beautiful Blue and Silver beast.

 

Kev

 

Cheers Kev much appreciated. Yup, and my feet and my toes!!! 

 

DSC02543-X2.jpg

 

... and some ad hoc weight when I ran out of those!

 

DSC02541-X2.jpg

 

I started roughly forming the outside shape of shoes with white Milliput once everything was weighted down. I added some small scraps of cling film first so the Milliput wouldn't stick to the floats as I wanted to be able to remove the legs/shoes to work on further.

 

Once outside was fully cured with the legs now set at the right height I removed the jig....

 

DSC02547-X2.jpg

 

 and roughly formed the inside shapes; a wrap of masking tape now holding the legs firmly to the floats.

 

DSC02551-X2.jpg

 

DSC02552-X2.jpg

 

DSC02557-X2.jpg

 

My first attempt to carve and file these back to the right shape revealed (beyond not taking photos to share :doh: ) 4 things:

 

1. White Milliput definitely too brittle when thin! I know, I know, you told me so...

2. Not (again) trust to plans as photographic references show the shows to be much smaller than all drawings  :fight:

3. Carving/filing the shape should be done as much as possible in situ

4. Both my port legs were minutely twisted out of true, the rear worse than the fore.  :BANGHEAD2:

 

more to follow tomorrow...

 

Torben

Edited by TorbenD
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