TAMIYA P-51D OLD CROW: UPDATE 1/4/14: FINISHED & IN THE BOOK

[Guest Peterpools]

Chuch

Appreciate the offer but I really like your idea about filling the tiny hole and I mean TINY!

Peter

[Guest Peterpools]

Chuck

Thanks for the link. Read all the posts and it's no antenna wire. The canopy is back in the shop under a small repair

Thanks

Peter

[Maurice]

Just looked the decals on her, and Peter she looks gorgeous, inspiring and could spend hours looking at her. Congratulations.

 

Are you expecting to do some oil washes on riveting and panel lines? Is the process with Future floor wax the same with Alclad? 

 

Cheers

Mauricio

Edited December 29, 2013 by Maurice

[Guest Peterpools]

Mauricio

Thank you and so very much appreciated. I've been testing with the washes and right now, the jury is still out. The polished aluminum is way too slippery for the Flory wash and it won't bite at all into the panel lines and rivets. On the aluminum, dura aluminum and steel, no problems at all. I'm still testing to see how the  sealer effects the polished aluminum NMF and then I'll go from there. I have found in the past that if the finish is actually too glossy and slippery, the Flory Washes do not work very well, as I have used them more then any other wash. I wouldn't even attempt an oil pin wash directly on the Alclad for who knows what will happen. Just too much work up to this point to take a chance.

Peter

[Ferry NL]

Living on the edge Peter! But indeed, if the oilwash ruins your work.... Pfffff, I'd go ballistic.....

[Guest Peterpools]

Ferry

This time around, nerves of steel I surely don't have.

Peter

[Maurice]

Hi Peter,

 

Thank you for the valued feedback and understand very well the fear.

 

What kind of clear coating are you expecting to seal everything with? Without having any experience with Alclad, and being perhaps too confident, maybe a coat or two of Tamiya Acrilic X-22 clear gloss could isolate the Alclad from washes and at the same time could allow the wash to bite the surface, because as tested before, not with alclad though, it's not as glossy as Future. Not expecting you to test it Peter, just looking for ideas and not to waste the gorgeous engraved features in the fuselage at least. I'll give it a try with parts I wont be using.

Cheers.

Mauricio

Edited December 29, 2013 by Maurice

[chuck540z3]

Peter,

 

I used the Flory washes on my Mustang as well, but I just used the sediment on the bottom of the bottle and spread it in all the panel lines and rivet depressions and let it dry thoroughly before wiping it off.  As a mixture, it doesn't work very well as you've already noted, but as a paste, it worked very well.  Also, and this is a tip for the use of Flory washes on any model, if you find it's tough to remove like on slightly rough surfaces, use a bit of Windex on your cloth before removal.  This works really well, even with a Future base, but you obviously can't soak the removal cloth with too much Windex or you might wind up with a mess.  The Windex breaks down the surface tension and releases tiny bits of the wash that are stuck to "microbumps" on the painted surface.  Do NOT use spirit based washes, because they will attack the Alclad.

 

I also used a coat of Alclad clear gloss to seal in the decals before using the wash.  This was the lacquer based gloss and not the "Aqua" version, which I've heard makes the Alclad paints look a bit unrealistic, sort of like using Future.

 

Cheers,

 

Chuck

Edited December 29, 2013 by chuck540z3

[Guest Peterpools]

Thanks Chuck for the info on the Flory wash.  I started testing both Alclad Gloss Klear Kote (ALC-310) and Metailizer sealer as well. Both seem to work very well on on all the Alclad finishes except polished aluminum and chrome, as there is little change to the metallic finish. On the polished aluminum, it does take the shine down a bit but I'm hoping using the Flory Weathering Wash as suggested, will do the trick.

Chuck did a bit more research on the antenna and you were 100% correct! The tiny hole has been filled in and is toast!

It's week 16 of the NFL schedule and it's almost kickoff time. Of course Big Blue (NY Giant's) set all types of records for horrible play and one of their worst seasons ever!

Peter

[Dan Paxton]

Peter

When will Bud Anderson climb on the wing and jump in???  

 

EXCELLENT JOB SIR!!!

 

 

 

Happy New Year

 

V/R

Dan

[shepard]

Peter... what a fantastic job you done sir....

 

awesome!!

 

 

happy new year to you and family!

 

cheers

 

shep

[Guest Peterpools]

Shep

So very much appreciated. I've made some good progress since my last update and hopefully will be doing one more update before finishing. Did I say finishing? I have worked through the gear screw problem and the gear is now done, most of the smaller assemblies are finished and installed and I am starting at the PE canopy rails as the next tiny bits to add.

Shep ...

Happy New Year to you and your family as well; hoping the New Year is a healthy and happy for all.

Your friend

Peter

[Ironwing]

Pete

 

Overall, a truly top shelf build....

 

Geoff

[Guest Peterpools]

Geoff

Thanks so much or the kind words. Progress has been moving along and today I hope to post the last build update before the final photos. Just a few more parts to add and Old Crow will be nearly done

Peter

[Guest Peterpools]

UPDATE 1/1/14: LOOSE ENDS AND THE FINISH LINE IS IN SIGHT

I'm pretty sure this will be the last update before crossing the finish line, as only a few parts need to be added and/or painted. Slowly working my way through all the small assemblies and loose ends that needed to be completed and gladly, most are now done and glued into place. The biggest headache and 'fix' was correcting the one landing gear screw that just wouldn't thread all the way home and lock the left gear in place (the port side – hope I got that right). No matter how many times I removed and carefully threaded the screw back in, nothing worked, including exchanging the screws. Problem is the nut (I know I left myself wide open on that one) and not the screw. Who knows what I did when I installed them. Anyway, my POA, was to cut down the length of the screw by the amount that refused to thread. Wonders never cease and it worked … problem solved! Talk about luck!

Chuck's information on the antenna was 100% correct, so I had to spend a little time filling in the hole I drilled through the canopy and it's history as well. The second set of Eduard PE ammo bay doors are finished as well and installed. One problem I didn't foresee is keeping the doors in place on the wings without glue or double sided tape – the wings are just too slippery and the doors keep sliding off!

Drop tanks are done and and installed and of course, I forgot to drill out the locating holes before assembling the wings – no way to do it at this late stage in the game. I held my breath, check my reference photos, reached for the CCA and hoped for the best. They are on, in place and hopefully will remain there.

I had quite few sets of canopy rails in the parts stash for Mustangs and decided to go with the Barracuda set, as they match the photos I found on Bud Anderson's Old Crow site the best and are a bit beefier then the Eduard ones; they would be easier to work with; bending them was another story. They are now held in place with CCA and all that remains is a bit of paint and they will be done.

Still needs to be completed:

Decide how to attach the ammo buy doors, make and add the ammo bay door braces

Add the Vertical Antenna and nav light on top of the fuselage spine

Add the leading edge gear cover plates

Finish up the vignette

That should be it unless I missed some, which I normally do. See you on the other side of the finish line

Thanks for checking in

Peter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2014 by Peterpools