LSP_Ray Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 Brilliant, Eric, absolutely brilliant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainer Hoffmann Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 Eric, this is such a great NMF! Aluminum foil could hardly be better than that. Just amazing what you do with paint. Cheers Rainer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Eric Amazing build and finish as I am still catching up. I'm taking notes on your NMF and will surely try it down the road-looks brilliant! Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 Paul You mean to say, if Eric agrees to do the NMF on a 32nd scale B-58, you would consider molding one? I'll chip in for that and put me on the list for one of my own. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericg Posted August 9, 2016 Author Share Posted August 9, 2016 Sometimes, a build is going so well that it seems to good to be true. I was excited to get the final coat of clear onto the model so that it would be one step closer to completion. Tamiya laquer clear is a very hot paint and needs to be treated with extreme care. I have had plenty of experience using it with exceptional results, especially when it comes to polishing it to an ultra high gloss Despite a thorough pre-paint `threat and error' self brief on not applying it too heavily I found myself at the last moment deviating from SOP and spraying it directly from the can, a very perilous path. Not sure why I decided to do that, i was going so well up to that point with a nice mist coat applied with the airbrush. I reckon I held my finger down on the spray nozzle for a second too long, a seconds worth of clear coat that wasn't required in the first place. A second less maybe would have done the trick, but that's all it took. After a few seconds, the tell tale signs of the clear coats aggressive nature manifested itself in the top wings decals. It was as if I had applied paint stripper to the `USAF' and the roundel. The more time passed the more the decals writhed and contorted in agony, the clear coat showing no mercy. The more I looked the worse it got. Some of the delicately placed stencil data on the fuselage vaporised with no signs of resistance and then one fuselage roundel started lifting and peeling away from the hard fought metal paint job that I had worked so hard to get. Expecting more trouble I fell down beneath my workbench and curled up in the fetal position, my model career flashing before my eyes. With thoughts of basket weaving and stamp collecting filling my head I rose from that position after an eternity to confront what I thought would be the end. Maybe it was a bad dream? maybe the decals would have settled back down? Of course, delusional thoughts. The decals as mentioned above were melted into puddles of wrinkled shapes. A quick call to my modelling guru set my mind at ease, defining a clear path back to deep gloss and shine. I could either dwell on my mistake or get on with fixing it. I was going to take some pictures of the damage to the decals but the scene was too horrific. Even the most hardened modeller would not be able to stand seeing what had happened, so here is a pic of the X-1 after I had sanded off the decals, and the paint under them to bare resin. Luckily, the damage was only confined to the top wings, one side of the rear fuselage and a top side panel. Despite the damage done, it could have been far worse. I have re-primed the damaged areas. After priming the areas, I needed to blend the coat back into the surrounding areas, and then applied the AK Interaktive black base. I then followed to previous process of mottling with aluminium, and then repainted the areas with alclad Duraluminum, followed by repainting the large wing panels with Alclad Semi gloss Aluminium. An email to Paul was followed by a quick response that new decals were in the mail. Thanks mate. Now the nervous wait to see if the decals will show in time for me to be able to get this model finished in time for our local comp in just under two weeks. paul fisher, Shaka HI, shbemo13 and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Wow, bummer mate. So you're human after all! Kev paul fisher 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simmo.b Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 During my years in my job I have had to deal with trauma, wrecked property, lives in utter despair and tragidy. I have done my best over the years to counsel victims of the worst that life can throw at them but my talents were tested like never before when the phone rang and Eric told me of this disaster, after much soul searching I prescribed a can of concrete and as can be seen in the above pics a pheonix has arisen!! Looks great mate! paul fisher 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F`s are my favs Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Yeah, the bad thing in our hobby is that there is no backspace or undo. Yet we can do just about everything with our models. Great recovery so far, and try to make the finish even better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 bummer! Seems like an eminent recovery however.............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul fisher Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Ah, well....We have all been there. The decals went out yesterday, hopefully they will arrive in time for you to make the show with this little beauty. I can't recall how many times I have been that close to finished only to glue my self to the model in one way or another or decide the thing needs "just a bit more" of this or that and turned a nice bit of work into a disaster.That's what has held up the Firefly V for so long....I had to back track quite a ways to undo some nasty mistakes before going on. Took quite some time before I could even look in the box again! I have no doubt you will prevail! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ray Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 That is terrible! Looks like the recovery is in full swing, though, and on the way to another spectacular model! Good luck, Eric! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Molitor Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 The main chute fails and a reserve chute has been pulled and a splendid recovery is at hand. Now the soft landing. Nicely playing out. Way to go Eric. Love this build. Good luck. Troy Dragon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 Eric Great recovery and a gem is in the wings. Keep 'em coming Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericg Posted August 10, 2016 Author Share Posted August 10, 2016 Now that the repairs were finished, it was time to get onto the rest of the build. I want to have this model ready to slap the remaining decals on as soon as they get here. After spending some time fitting the undercarriage I used some 600 grit sandpaper to put flat spots on the bottom of the main wheels. Usually I will use my drill press to mill the flat spot on a wheel, but the mains do not sit perpendicular to the ground. By placing the sandpaper on a flat surface, and moving the model over it, the flat spots will be sanded on the wheels at the correct angle. Now that the undercarriage was fitted it was time to see how the model is travelling compared to my main reference photo. Looks OK. Starting to look like an X-1A now! Piprm, paul fisher, Babs and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitey Posted August 10, 2016 Share Posted August 10, 2016 As an amateur golfer I love watching the likes of Greg Norman three putt. (sorry Greg I luvs ya) As a modeller and mate of Eric, I have had a little chuckle. I had this very thing happen to my Mirage IIIC and he and I had a long discussion about the pitfalls of some clear coats. But the best thing is that it is only a setback and a part of our great hobby. Your recovery is a thing of beauty mate. Kudos to you and I'm looking forward to seeing the X-1A in all its glory. "Gutsyest move I've ever seen Eric." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now