chuck540z3 Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 (edited) Hi Chuck, I'm not sure how far you've got on your Merlin but I can tell you that if you add the ignition wires on the sides of the engine they WILL be visible at the bottom end where they exit the ignition conduit. At the top, where they enter the cylinder head they disappear altogether because of the exhaust shield. That's why I simply inserted my lead wire leads in to holes drilled in to the sides of the cylinder heads. You can just make out the ignition leads below the exhaust stacks. As well, just about everything you add to the engine and supercharger will be very visible. There's a lot of empty space around the Merlin and between it and the firewall. Unless your added details are over scale you shouldn't have any issues with fouling. The only place I had issues is when I rebuilt the lower air cleaner assembly. It made the baffle plate that sits above the air filter, which prevents engine oil from leaking in to the air cleaner assembly, a very tight fit. Of course test fitting everything as you go along goes without saying. You'll also want to add the oil filler neck and it's brace to the oil tank below the engine. Man, it's all starting to come back to me now................ Have fun my friend! Cheers, Wolf Hi Wolf and thanks for chiming in. That pic of your engine still makes me cry. We are not worthy!! :bow: I guess I didn't explain myself very well in my post earlier, which is posted again below: "The top and much of the rear is totally exposed, so the upper electrical conduit and plug leads can be seen fairly easily, but forget about the side plug leads, since you'll be lucky to get a wire into the plug holes as it is, much less a plug cap. I'm going to be using lead wire, so it is very flexible and can crush a bit if required." What I was talking about is the metallic spark plug cap assembly at the end of the wires, which sticks out from the engine, not the wire itself. I was going to make them until it was pointed out above that it would be both hidden and in the way if it was raised at all, which it is. I should have known in hindsight, since it's the same way with the P-51D kit which I've built already. Now a tiny update. As with the cockpit, there's always the dilemma of what to paint and when, if you're going to add wiring and hydraulic details. For my Mustang Merlin, I painted the engine entirely, then added the detail later so that it stood out from the engine with different colors and finishes. This required a LOT of handling of the tiny engine, which resulted in me rubbing off the enamel paint in several areas with my greasy fingers. Repainting these parts was a pain and the final paint finish was nowhere near as good as the original. Lesson learned. For this Merlin, I'm still going to paint the engine first again, but this time I'm using Tamiya gloss black lacquer (decanted from the spray can), which is more tolerant of handling than enamels, but also a coat of Tamiya gloss acrylic X-22, to seal the paint from my greasy hands. This also brings up another point that I've mentioned before in my other builds: I never use flat black any more, even when I need flat black. Flat finishes are naturally a bit rough, to reduce reflections off the paint. The problem with using flat black on a tiny engine like this one is that the finish is also rough, usually too much for scale. I get a much better flat black finish by using gloss black, followed by a clear flat coat, where I can also control the degree of flatness to the paint. Below is the assembled and painted engine, with the following build strategy in mind: 1) Assemble major engine components as units, drilling out holes for subsequent plumbing and electrical detail, then paint them individually before final assembly. This method allows you to paint the parts in recessed areas cleanly without air turbulence and the resultant "paint dust" that it can create. 2) Glue the sub-assemblies together, leaving off smaller parts that should be painted a different color, like aluminum, etc. 3) Spray the entire engine with a good coat or two of acrylic X-22. 4) After the X-22 has dried for 2 days, add wiring, etc and handle the engine all you want, without fear of ruining the paint finish. 5) Brush paint small detail in different colors as required. This part I sort of hate, because I'm not very good at using a brush, although I'm getting better. 6) Dry brush the entire engine with silver or similar metallic color to make detail "pop" and show wear. Add extra wear to those areas that require them to show contrast over the rest of the engine. This is when to add a tiny spot of silver paint to all those fasteners! If you do this earlier, much of it will rub off with handling. 7) When you're happy with the above, spray a coat of either semi-gloss or a flat finish- or both as required. The valve covers are pretty flat while the rear of the engine can be fairly glossy, so a bit of both can look very realistic. 8) Apply weathering washes as required to dirty up those areas that should be. So here is where I am today with this engine. All sub-assemblies have been painted and glued together, with several small parts left off or dry fitted for these pictures. In order to create a realistic looking Merlin with lots of wear and oil staining, you need to start off with a perfectly painted engine- or at least as good as possible. It turned out pretty good it I do say so myself..... So how do I get such a smooth paint finish? I cheat, with an Iwata Custom Micron-C Plus, which has a very tiny 0.18mm needle, allowing me to spray a very fine mist at very low pressures. It's very expensive, but for a painting task like this, it is priceless. Next up, if I can ever find the time, will be the wiring and hydraulic detail. Meanwhile, I soldier on with other parts of this build, like the engine cradle and fire wall. Cheers, Chuck Edited March 11, 2018 by chuck540z3 LSP_Kevin, Wolf Buddee, Jeff and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Buddee Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 At one point, to avoid rubbing the paint off the engine during handling, I started wearing latex surgical gloves. They work great. I found they caused small children and most household pets concern but they kept the painted engine much cleaner. Cheers, Wolf chuck540z3 and Jim E 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck540z3 Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 (edited) Since I'm doing it anyway, here's a pic of the engine with a good coat of Tamiya X-22. All detail is retained, but the paint is sealed. One thing I should have mentioned for those who have not made the Tamiya Mustang or Spitfire kits before is what you see below is OOB. Unbelievable!, even for someone who has made this engine already (like me). Edited March 12, 2018 by chuck540z3 LSP_Kevin, Jim Barry, MarioS and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 OOOO, shiny !......Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck540z3 Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 At one point, to avoid rubbing the paint off the engine during handling, I started wearing latex surgical gloves. They work great. I found they caused small children and most household pets concern but they kept the painted engine much cleaner. Cheers, Wolf Ha! Too funny Wolf, but to be honest, I have tried the latex glove deal already. With my old ham-fisted hands, I am lucky to get the two big fuselage halves together with gloves, much less tiny kit pieces or scratch detail. Cheers, Chuck Jeff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerhard Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Yep gloves dont work for me either, our climate is way too hot and my hands sweat too much with gloves. chuck540z3 and Jeff 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Scarborough Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Neat stuff going on here. I'm loving the attention to detail and dedication to getting it right. I think I said that before but it's clear it will continue. Bravo. You've inspired me to ask for a Tamiya Spitfire for my birthday which has now been delivered. Hard not to jump in. Cheers from NYC, MIchael Jeff and chuck540z3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bstarr3 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 A very good reference that I used for the Merlin on my Mosquito is the instruction sheet from the Eduard Brassin engine. There is quite a lot more detail on that engine kit than on the one out of the box, and the instructions show a very clear picture of all the additional wiring and plumbing. Pictures of the real engine can be difficult because they either are all hidden behind the engine bearers, or the engine is out on a stand and all the ancillary wires and pipes have been removed. chuck540z3 and Nick32 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck540z3 Posted March 12, 2018 Author Share Posted March 12, 2018 A very good reference that I used for the Merlin on my Mosquito is the instruction sheet from the Eduard Brassin engine. There is quite a lot more detail on that engine kit than on the one out of the box, and the instructions show a very clear picture of all the additional wiring and plumbing. Pictures of the real engine can be difficult because they either are all hidden behind the engine bearers, or the engine is out on a stand and all the ancillary wires and pipes have been removed. Great idea, except much of that detail will be specific to the Mosquito engine and maybe not this Spitfire version. The supercharger is different (and resultant plumbing) and likely many other things like electrical conduits etc. I found that when I made my Mustang using a Lancaster engine for a reference. About half the detail was common and the rest was not even close. FYI, it was pointed out that the museum engine I photographed was likely a Mosquito Merlin and was not applicable to this build. It can be found on Post #133 below: http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=72158&page=9 It is clearly for show and almost none of the chrome was used in a real aircraft, but I can still use some of the plumbing as a reference. Cheers, Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bstarr3 Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Great idea, except much of that detail will be specific to the Mosquito engine and maybe not this Spitfire version. The supercharger is different (and resultant plumbing) and likely many other things like electrical conduits etc. I found that when I made my Mustang using a Lancaster engine for a reference. About half the detail was common and the rest was not even close. FYI, it was pointed out that the museum engine I photographed was likely a Mosquito Merlin and was not applicable to this build. It can be found on Post #133 below: http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=72158&page=9 It is clearly for show and almost none of the chrome was used in a real aircraft, but I can still use some of the plumbing as a reference. Cheers, Chuck True, you will need to reference the specific engine, but I believe Eduard make a resin Merlin specific for the Tamiya Spit as well. I'd find the link for you, but my work computer won't let me go to Eduard's site becuase it's a .cz Michael Scarborough and chuck540z3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Scarborough Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Thanks for sharing this Eduard/Merlin/Mossie/Spit info with the rest of us, guys. The Mrs. S got me the Spitfire for my B'day (inspired by the build here) and the pull is strong.....but, step away from the kit, Michael.....YOI NEED TO FINSIH THE AEG DIORAMA FIRST!! Cheers from NYC, MIchael chuck540z3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted March 13, 2018 Share Posted March 13, 2018 Chuck Just love your progress on the Merlin to date- and of course, meticulous paint work. Still taking notes and learning as you go. I have to admit I'm an closet air brush junky and need to keep reminding myself to stop even think about buying #5! So far I've managed seven Tamiya Merlin's: 3- Mustangs , 2 Spitifres and 1 Mossie and am amazed with every one as to the detail, crispness of molding and the beautiful fit. I've finally settled on Tamya Semi Gloss Black, heavily thinned out and applied with numerous layers and no primer until the final coats flow on crystal smooth. Keep 'em comin Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck540z3 Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 (edited) March 31/18 A small update after a LOT of work! The engine is mostly done. I added a lot of additional hydraulic and electrical tubes and wires, using several references and Wolf Buddee's epic build. As much as I admired Wolf's work from about 5 years ago, I appreciate what he has accomplished even more now that I have played with the same pieces of plastic. The guy is a complete modeling wizard! While I found just drilling holes to be tricky, Wolf hand built tiny connectors and valve bodies that I can hardly see, much less try to replicate- so I didn't. In random order, here is what I did or used: 1) Spark plug wires were made of 0.3 mm lead wire. This wire is super flexible and as long as you don't kink it, quite strong. 2) Electrical conduit was made of 0.88mm styrene rod, with holes drilled for the above wire with a #80 drill bit. 3) Flexible conduit was made using 0.8m lead wire. 4) Many connectors were made from aluminum bare metal foil. 5) L-shaped coolant tubes from the front of the engine to the glycol tank were made from spare parts, in this case landing gear from an F-18 kit. Coolant hoses were made from black electrical tape and the clamps are from the Model Car Garage (another tip I learned from Wolf many years ago). 6) Other hydraulic lines are made from both coated and non-coated #26 and #28 electrical wire. 7) Fuel primer lines on the left side of engine (painted copper) are from the Eduard #32-249 PE kit. Unfortunately there is only one set for the left side, since the right side has the electrical rail which covers the detail of the primer lines underneath. I would have tried to replicate something similar with tiny copper wire, but I'm just not good enough. Sometimes less is more, if you're going to make a mess. 8) No scratch-built linkages at the rear of the engine from me. See above. 9) I found that the electrical conduit and spark plug wires were often black, but in order to see them and add some contrast, I kept them aluminum in color. 10) I am really glad I sealed the paint with X-22 before handling the engine. To add this much detail, you need to handle the engine constantly, which rubs off the paint. Anyway, here's the pics. From shiny museum looking engine.... To a dirty and weathered engine that is used constantly. A real shortcoming of this kit is no connection from the front of the engine to the glycol tank. A little scratch-building fixes this problem and the coolant flow is now complete. Next up is the engine cradle and firewall, with a lot more plumbing and electrical detail. This build is finally starting to be fun, now that the really hard stuff is behind me! Cheers, Chuck Edited April 1, 2018 by chuck540z3 johncrow, Nick32, Pascal and 13 others 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolf Buddee Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Hhmmmmmm, can't quite put my finger on it but I feel it's missing something............. Just kidding Chuck! Cheers, Wolf chuck540z3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck540z3 Posted March 31, 2018 Author Share Posted March 31, 2018 (edited) Hhmmmmmm, can't quite put my finger on it but I feel it's missing something............. Just kidding Chuck! Cheers, Wolf :bow: No Wolf, the engine is missing a thousand things! As I said above, when checking your engine build and seeing what the actual scale of your tiny additions are, it is mind blowing that you got that much detail in there. Amazing! A question since I have your attention. For the side electrical conduit for the spark plugs, yours are sort of evenly spaced, but I didn't see that on any of the engine references that I have. Like the top conduit rail, the ones I found were bunched, especially the 2nd and 3rd plug wires at the back. Is that normal or is your spacing the correct one? Once the wires are jammed behind the exhaust stack you can't see this detail very easily anyway, but I was wondering nonetheless. Thanks, Chuck Edited March 31, 2018 by chuck540z3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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