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1/18 Scale P-38 Lightning


JayW

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JW,

 

I'm sorry to see your bad luck, but I'm sure you can fix it. Your process looks good and think your material is the issue. Make them from aluminum -or- use machining wax and I'll cast them for you. I have a lot of casting work to do for myself and I can pour yours at the same time or maybe JR will lend a hand.

 

I know you won't give up and you're surely more than capable of making it happen. Even though it blew up, it's still über cool. Can't wait to see more.

 

On a separate note, you again have put temptation in front of me. Now I want a lathe. I bid on one on eBay but didn't get it. But- I did get a brandy new vac form machine. :) If you need a canopy or other stuff for the 38, just give a holler. I gotta get a lathe....soon as I get my new hip.

 

Looking forward to your next update. I love what you're doing...

 

Best

 

G

Edited by Ironwing
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You guys quit pining about that fractured part.  It's been replaced!  Geoff - you will like that lathe if/when you get one.  If you can get your hands on a Sherline that might be even better.  I am not particularly impressed with the accuracy of mine, although a new 3-jaw chuck may be what I need.  Mine is a little tired apparently.

 

Paul, and all others making suggestions on material - thank you.  I hear you loud and clear.  I turned an axle cap out of .25 inch dia aluminum rod tonight and it is much stronger material, and machines well too.  I'll bet brass is better still.  I think though that I will use the acrylic some more unless my application is just too fragile.  I got a bunch of it after all, it seems to be cheaper than metal especially in larger sizes, and I think the tool bits practically never wear out cutting it.

 

Also Paul - I totally agree with your comments WRT machining and different ways to set up a part.  I have learned alot already and will learn alot more.  There are so many things to think about when setting up operations on a part, and I think you just have to do it over and over before you start getting a feel for the best way to do it.  I still have a ways to go.  Still to come are the end mill parts where I have almost no experience.  Wish me luck.

 

This weekend I will have plenty to show you all on the wheels/tires - all three.  They are just about done.

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Jw

 

Pining? I thought that was something you did over Mrs Brown's daughter?:-) Maybe I'm dating myself with that comment. But, I'm looking forward to your next creation.

 

Regards

 

Geoff

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Finally I got some time to wail away at this project. I have much to show.

 

The front wheels were successfully machined without more breakage and they look like this:

 

001_zpsc911bdf8.jpg

 

Sorry a little blurry. You see the center alum tube along with the rest of the machined parts. Here is a better shot:

 

002_zpsccbbd846.jpg

 

Next is putting in 6 little PITA ribs behind the spokes kinda like the main wheels. They are made out of .020 styrene sheet cut out with scissors and x-acto. Lots of whittling had to happen trying to fit them in. Once in it looks like this.

 

004_zpsd82fa3ce.jpg

 

Yes, P-38 wheels really have those ribs.

 

And the total wheel dry fitted (cannot bond together yet, it would be tough to stretch an acrylic wheel over the rim). :)

 

005_zps287559c2.jpg

 

Meanwhile, I cut a flat on the front tire, at a slant, because the nose gear is going to be turned about 20 deg. This picture shows the slant (but not very well, sorry).

 

007_zpse7e93525.jpg

 

That flat was done on the lathe/mill with the head tilted about 4 deg. Once that was done I added some putty to give the flat a little bulge:

 

006_zps327091b8.jpg

 

It took time for that Tamiya putty to cure, so I machined some more parts while I waited. Here are the main gear brake drums which will fit in those big cavities in the wheels:

 

003_zps9610871f.jpg

 

Very easy to turn, made from the clear acrylic. Also, I tried metal for the first time and turned the axle caps for the main wheels:

 

008_zps76cbed34.jpg

 

They are a quarter inch diameter, and about .12 inch tall, made from 7075-T6 aluminum rod. Tough stuff - wish it was annealed; it would machine faster. Next post I will show the finished products.

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I am back with more pictures and update.

 

After the putty cured on the front tire,and I sanded it into shape, I applied the paint to the front tires, and bonded in the wheel halves. Also I applied some water color to get some dirt into the tread pattern. Here is the finished front wheel/tire, at long last:

 

011_zps251f7e3d.jpg

 

010_zps9e44399a.jpg

 

Those three little bosses on one side of the wheel are there to hold on the wheel cover (this model will not have wheel covers).

 

Finally, a shot of all three wheel/tire assemblies. What a fantastic amount of time I spent on these three assemblies:

 

009_zps77ab790c.jpg

 

Now I am going to attack the lower MLG strut. I have a very difficult fitting to do at the elbow. The rest is a piece of cake.

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Yep! I'll second that! Excellent work there mate and those wheels certainly reflect all the time and effort you put into them. I've just started playing around with brass and seeing what kind of results can be achieved with a lathe and a little ingenuity is really spectacular. Can't wait to see the rest of the build!

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

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JW

 

"...a fantastic amount of time" has yielded a fantastic end item that sets the bar at a new standard of scale excellence. Just simply sierra hotel Bud. My hats off to you.

 

G

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I have always thought P-38 landing gear looked nasty cool.  This project is my attempt to do them justice.  I am very happy with how the tires and wheels turned out - I see now that a mini-lathe opens up alot of opportunities in modelling, as I hoped when I bought the thing.  There is a long way to go, and the fittings are going to be really tough (torque links, clevis lugs on the struts, gear support beams, etc).  Those parts cannot simply be turned; they have to be end mill machined and whittled away at.  And the nose gear shimmy damper installation - OMG an exercise in micro-modelling 1/18 scale.  You will see it all if you (and I) live long enough.  :) 

 

Thanks for the very kind words and support. 

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Hello Jayw,

 

Fantastic work! They look awesome! I would like to commission you to cast some copies, and also the revamped wheels for miss Velma ( when you do them) - and if you felt the urge, I would love some wheels / tyres in 1/18 for a p 47, a p 40e and a me109g2, too! Cheeky, I know, but I am firm believer in "if you don't ask... You won't get!" For some reason I have always found wheels/ tyres to be the hardest part of a scratch build ( I am going to try doing the ones for the Spitfire, however), and I have no qualms about using someone else's work - especially when it's done to your standards! Gave a bit of thought to where /how you could display the 38..., but afraid all I can come up with is a display cabinet/ coffee table. Of course, the biggest drawback with that is you'd have to be on you hands and knees to even see the undercart! Ah well, didn't say it was a perfect plan!

 

Please give it some thought; I'm sure I'm not the only one who would like some accurate wheels on their p38 - might be some modelling funds available there!

 

Regards

Duncan

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Hmmmm - I should shut up and quit revealing secrets, learn how to cast parts from masters, and go into the 1/18 silk-purse-from-sows-ear business, make some bucks.  It appears there might be a market!!

 

And Duncan - funny you should mention.....at the time I purchased the P-38 from my local hobby shop (which was the beneficiary of a huge donation of 1/18 21CT airplanes about last Christmas), I also purchased a 1/18 P-47D Razorback Thunderbolt, and a F4U-1A Corsair all for good prices.  It took two years to complete the Miss Velma P-51D in 1/18.  I estimate the P-38 will take just about as long, and I have no reason to believe the P-47 and F4U will take any less time.  Heck - it will take a couple of months to do the wheels/tires update for Miss Velma.  It took me almost a year to get to the point where I was interested in modelling at all after the Miss Velma marathon.  I will probably take a similar hiatus after each of the others I have.  Add all that up (nine years?), and I will be a very old man when I finish up what I have in the queue!  Well, not really - I will retire before then and be able to put more time into the projects.

 

Still, I don't think I have time to go into the 1/18 re-build sales business, certainly not anytime soon!  I thank you though - your offer is an honor.

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