sandbagger Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 (edited) Hi all, I thought it was about time I took on another resin kit, as the last resin model I built was the DFW T28 'Floh' from 'Planet Models'. I've had the 'HPH Models' 1:32 scale Aviatik 'Berg' D.I in my stash for quite awhile, so thought it was about time I gave it a go. Already I've encountered a couple of things that may cause problems. 1. The instruction manual, normal I think for 'HPH Models', consists of a small booklet with photographs and arrows showing where parts fit. However these illustrations leave a lot to be desired, especially those for assembling the engine, which has many parts and the smallest in the entire kit. Some of the call out illustrations for parts are not the same as the actually resin parts supplied in the kit, which is a bit confusing. 2. More of a concern is that the kit is supplied with mask sheets for painting the lozenge - not the easiest route to take. So I ordered the optional decal sheets. These arrived in polythene bags and without the normal tissue paper protection sheets. Consequently the bags stuck to the exposed decals and despite being careful extracting the decal sheets, some were chipped where they's stuck to the bag. Also the bags had left an imprint across every decal, which I'm not sure will show after the decals are applied. Thinking this might have been a 'one off' I ordered another set of decals, but these packaged the same way and in the same condition. I emailed 'HPH' and suggested they revise how the package these decals - I haven't had a reply!! Anyway we are modellers, not assemblers, so on I go. I decided to work on the engine first, contrary to the instruction manual. Unless I'm very carefully, some of the tiny engine parts may end up feeding the 'carpet monster' - we'll, but at least the kit is supplied with some spare parts. I'm using 'Alclad' lacquers on the engine and have dulled down the copper water jackets on the cylinders and the intake manifolds by applying 'Tamiya' Weathering Master (Set D - Oil Stain', which gives the copper an older, heated look. Long way to go on this one I think, Mike Edited October 8, 2019 by sandbagger Lothar, Tnarg, blackbetty and 13 others 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorbenD Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 Ok, I’m in Torben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monthebiff Posted October 5, 2019 Share Posted October 5, 2019 (edited) Cool, love HpH stuff and looking forward to watching you bring this one together, however I agree with you Mike, HpH sometimes dint really seem to bothered when it comes to customer care. I have had both really good and really rubbish after sales care from them. Very hot and miss. Regards.Andy Edited October 5, 2019 by monthebiff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncarina Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Mike, if anyone can turn this into a stellar build, you can! Cheers, Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMaben Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kagemusha Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 Nice choice, can't recall seeing one built before, shame about the decal issues, hope they prove usable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandbagger Posted October 6, 2019 Author Share Posted October 6, 2019 Hi all, The basic engine build is done. This involved assembling the engine block, cylinders' cam shaft, overhead valve gear housing, magnetos and drive shaft, ignition rail and the carburettor housing and intake manifolds., The paints used were primarily 'Alclad' lacquers (Duraluminium, Aluminium, Steel, Copper and Brass). The only weathering applied so far is the 'Tamiya' Weathering Master (Set D - Oil Stain), which was sponged onto the copper cylinder heads and intake manifolds, in order to give an old, heated look. There will be more weathering applied once the engine is complete. Now onto the fiddly bits - support frame, pipe and water pump, timing handle assembly, valve gear, spark plugs, ignition leads etc, Mike scvrobeson, LSP_Kevin, Uncarina and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzas Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 Nice start on a coll-looking project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 Very cool! Im still not a fan of the "resin pool" method of making resin parts HpH seems so fond of. Actually I have to admit I hate it. Even as thin as the resin pool is in some of their new kits, it makes so, SO much more work for the modeler. And you really never seem to know how far down to sand when things need to fit right/tight. This one seems to be a really interesting looking model though. Looking forward to more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandbagger Posted October 8, 2019 Author Share Posted October 8, 2019 (edited) Hi all, The engine is now completed. I've added the ignition leads and spark plugs, timing mechanism, oil filler caps, water pump and coolant pipe, vale levers and springs and carburettor lever. I've also made the exhaust pipes from 1.8 mm diameter brass tube mounted onto 1.4 mm tube - the kit items had 'solid' bores. Test fitted into its mounting frames. Mike Edited October 14, 2019 by sandbagger R Palimaka, 109, tucohoward and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted October 8, 2019 Share Posted October 8, 2019 Amazing! Really top notch work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandbagger Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 (edited) 21 hours ago, Out2gtcha said: Very cool! Im still not a fan of the "resin pool" method of making resin parts HpH seems so fond of. Actually I have to admit I hate it. Even as thin as the resin pool is in some of their new kits, it makes so, SO much more work for the modeler. And you really never seem to know how far down to sand when things need to fit right/tight. This one seems to be a really interesting looking model though. Looking forward to more! Hi Brian, I agree resin kits are maybe not the easiest to work with and a lot depends on the manufacturer of the kit. My recent Sopwith 'Swallow' was partly resin converted but in fact the only part of the set I used was the wing, as the rest was unusable or had shape issues. Even then the wing was full of 'blow holes' etc. The HPH Models kit does not suffer from these issues and as resin is well moulded. However, like most resin kits it does have the usual problem of having no location peg/holes, for example around the seam joint for the fuselage halves. Also each part has to be cut from its backing resin and carefully cleaned up before it can be used. Resin by its very nature is brittle and small parts are easily broken. Lastly of course is that the entire assembly of the model needs to be done using CA adhesive, as normal styrene cements have no effect. I guess one good thing about resin is that unlike cemented styrene joints, you tend not to get joint 'melt' and ghost seams appearing after a while, as the CA adhesive dries more or less straight away and doesn't melt into and weld the resin, as happens with styrene. Strange - I nearly talked myself out of building resin kits Mike Edited October 9, 2019 by sandbagger Out2gtcha and blackbetty 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 Honestly I like resin kits very much, and build them a lot. I have no problem with resin kits in general what-so-ever...............its only the resin pool method HpH uses VS say a pour block type of resin molding that I hate. Kits like SW or FM&P, or Planet models kits are very nice kits to build, and to me are about the same as building IM. Its just that the resin "pool" method HpH uses puts the attached resin on places on the parts you actually have to use, and as thin as it is, it really makes things hard to judge how much to sand off, especially if its a rib or something else delicate that has an exacting fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Palimaka Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 That engine looks like you could start it up! Beautiful work. I'll be following this build for sure. Your Sopwith Swallow was superb. It's great to see something different, the Austro-Hungarian aircraft are very appealing to me and seem to be ignored. That being said I'm looking forward to the Copper State Starstrutter. Thanks for taking this kit on. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandbagger Posted October 9, 2019 Author Share Posted October 9, 2019 Hi all, Contrary to the models instruction manual, I'm making a start on some of the internal fuselage details, as I need to see how the completed engine sits in the nose. The reason being I want to cut out the engine access panels from the one piece fuselage halves, so more of the engine can be exposed. After removing the various parts from their resin backing and base blocks, I spent a few hours cutting and sanding away the residue resin, which is normal for resin kits, Mike TorbenD, karimb, Alain Gadbois and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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