dutik Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Heaven, Hell or Hungary: We are always on your side Regards - dutik p.s. Welcome aboard the continent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted May 18, 2015 Author Share Posted May 18, 2015 Haha thanks - have not seen a single model shop in Hungary yet! Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 Haha thanks - have not seen a single model shop in Hungary yet! Thats why they made the interwebs! Although I do have to say it would be an entire PITA to NOT have a LHS just to "run down to" for a tin bottle of paint or glue................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 I am tempted to open one myself! lol but the 388 has to come first Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wouter Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Just got my conversion for the Ju388 form John. Should be a fun build. It won't be a walk in the park, but that's part of the fun I think. John did a excellent job on this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ray Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Just arranged a trade for another Ju-88 in preparation for a 388 nightfighter conversion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mywifehatesmodels Posted July 10, 2015 Share Posted July 10, 2015 I got mine, today. WOW! For me and my modeling budget, this was a rather large financial undertaking, especially since I've been away from the bench for a while and other summer activities/hobbies are sucking away my time and money. However, I feel that this set is well worth the price, considering the subject and especially what comes in the box. A ton of work went into this and it shows. Very high quality in every regard. Also,I was more than a little surprised by how fast John got this out to me. From Hungary to Minnesota, USA in only EIGHT days! Thank you, John, for your passion for the Ju 88 family, the work you put into it, the great customer service and, most of all, your friendly and easy going nature. I greatly appreciate it! Cheers, John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Kind words but I have made a big mistake which I am ashamed off. with all the delays with the factory and then moving house I forgot to take the time to test fit the vac form clear parts sent to me. Now I know many people hate vacs - not too keen on them myself - but anyway the master moulds fitted the shape perfectly so it went out of my mind as i say, well I wanted to get my own test shot finished and so I Started getting the cockpit and clear parts ready and that is when I noticed that the nose vac does not want to conform to the model without pressure (no pun intended as this is serious!) I hoped that simple little tabs inside around the opening like normal plus very strong CA would do the trick and that was fine for the bottom and one side but the remaining side just kept popping back open. I have resorted to drilling holes in vac and resin tub and basically sawing the sides in place by using wire threaded through then twisted tight. I also realised that I needed to trim back the vac-form main canopy sill till I had a frame 0.5.mm high - this not only then just peeped over the outer moulded seam on the resin tub - just like in real life - but also then fitted the nose section. With the nose secure and in the right place strong clear epoxy can be used to weld the part in place - heat might also have helped make the sides a touch more malleable? All this means you must start with this nose section and make sure everything fits - don't leave it to the end of the model for goodness sake - o help please don't hate me! As these are suck over vacs I can only assume that the nose vac is not hugging the sides well enough and that is why it is hard to draw them in. Edited July 14, 2015 by Pastor John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Well this has got to be the craziest thing I have ever had to do with a model - now there's a conversation starter!......Anyway the strong CA ruined the clear nose so i am starting again using only clear epoxy and a few more cable ties. I am so sorry about this! I placed a vac over my solid master and there is a 0.5mm loss of definition on both sides meaning when you cut the line you do see it is different to the curves at the side of the cockpit tub. Before gluing I did two things with just the cable ties being used - 1. I went over the sides with a hair dryer a few times (holding my breath and praying also helps at this stage) 2. I made sure that the canopy fitted - where it did not I trimmed and/or used a cable tie to tighten or loosen the angle. Once happy I applied clear epoxy where i could - we will see........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Phew it worked! Rick Griewski and Lars Befring 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Griewski Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Nice recovery! I am not familiar enough with the ,386 type. Would it be easier or "less dicey" to scratch build the external framing structure (representative) that on the real ac would have connected the canopy system to the fuselage? The canopy would then be trimmed to fit? BTW, this delemma reminds me of the Scratchbuilders Me-410 vac canopy. It to looks like dragon fly eye structure with very little glue purchase area without adding extra fuselage structure to make a "snap-like fit". Please advise. Thanks, Rick Griewski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardcore Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Radu Brinzan, iirc. does a PE frame for a bf 109 canopy. I have no idea how it works, or IF it does, but it look interesting. Edited July 14, 2015 by Hardcore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Dog Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I think this is an issue that most folks who do these sort of conversions experience on a regular basis. I don't think issues like this are a problem as long as I know about them in advance. I appreciate you being forth coming on this. It's certain something that I would want to find a fix for before detailing the interior or attaching to the rest of the model. It will be a while before I start on mine and maybe before then others will chime in with possible fixes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 Yes I agree, I have just finished a test shot of the cockpit and with nose in place not only could I not get to things - an item full of wet CA also fell off slap onto the inside! Its just not practical. It is also not good to have the nose on first because bracing for console and FuG goes to the framing of the canopy which if you are putting on last you cannot do without hoping your measurements and positioning are spot on. I think the model has to be started with the clear parts, get the best fit possible using ties or whatever and then put them to one side till after painting. I really would have preferred to have done the test shot before I started selling them but I had no cockpit as it was the master and was sent off, and then with all the delays - when the parts did come customers had to take priority as they had waited too long already - then I moved house. Well by doing the cockpit i have found a short list of issues - non of which are serious and I will write it all down and send to my customers. What you see below is just to give me a model with all the parts I sell located on it for a table display here in Hungary next April, to that end only the barest of essential scratch building that I give instructions on is represented - wiring and head cushions etc are omitted. Still i enjoyed it - Ju 88 cockpits are very busy places and I love the detail. Hope you enjoy to. That pilot seat is one crazy peace of engineering - all so it could fold back for pilot to get out of the roof! Anyway here are some shots without the pilot station in the way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pastor John Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Here is the pilot station Edited July 14, 2015 by Pastor John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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