roym Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Please. I know there are plenty of posts and info on how a tough build this is, but really, everything seems to be twice as difficult as it needs to be. This is my first Has new tool. I have 2 more -D kits, VF-31 and -213 last cruise boxings that I really want, and the -B boxing that I bought specially for the VF-103 decals, as well as another -A. Just wrapping up a kit I started nearly 2 years ago, for the ARC F-14 GB (the first one, not the Sunset build). After bouts of neglect from fatigue with it's fit issues, and fiddly-ness of some of the components, I've tried to make a spurt on it recently, just to get it off the bench once and for all. I'm really, really sick of it. In the time I've been working on it, I've got 2 airfix and 3 Fujimi F-14s together. Why oh why did I buy 4 more of these kits (As, Bs and Ds)? The Fujimi one is sooooo easier. The decals fought me a month ago. In the last two evenings alone, I managed to lose both upper, and one lower glove vane lights, one fin light and one wingtip light. I've dropped it twice; the satin cote still hasn't cured after 2 weeks, despite being thinned with cellulouse, so now there are deep fingerprints on the upper surfaces; I forgot to drill the holes for the glove pylons; the canopy now won't fit closed, as I wanted it; it won't sit right in the open position; the xtracolour gloss gull grey is orangepeeled; and last night I broke the mounting lugs for the tailhook off the housing. AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH! I am a Tomcat fan, so motivation should not be a problem, but I am considering selling off my beloved F-14 Stash. :huh: If that happens, I may as well get out of the hobby. It's that serious. Andy Mullen and others here have built multiples of this kit. What am I doing wrong? Roy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 I have to say that despite the incredible finished product, it is NOT a fun build. I've done an A and a B. Really killed a lot of the enjoyment. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
///Mflossin Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 I have to say that despite the incredible finished product, it is NOT a fun build. I've done an A and a B. Really killed a lot of the enjoyment. I posted yesterday regarding a Hasegawa 1:48 scale last cruise that I purchased. I sat down with the kit for no longer than 20 minutes when I turned around and re-boxed it for half price. I will never buy another Hasegawa kit again unless I have heard confirmation from here that the fit is great. I like being a craftsman but there is a point where sanding and filling and being ridiculous about parts that should fit right out of the mold ....is not appealing to me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andre Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 I have several Hasegawa F-14s in the stash and I must confess they intimidate me to a point where I haven't actually built any of 'em... Cheers, Andre Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Platypus Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Must be lucky I built 2 or 3 (only) Hasegawa F-14 A & B new tool and no such big deals, except the usual issues : front section/main body junction and air intakes fitting, a bit of beaver tail also but not that much. As regards the light issues, proper tools help a lot though I admit these are tiny bits. Maybe move on to 1/48 ? Might sound dumb, but parts are somewhat bigger. Though the final product is bigger as well (doh am I captain obvious ?) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Mullen Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Sorry to hear you are having problems with your build Roy. In the last two evenings alone, I managed to lose both upper, and one lower glove vane lights, one fin light and one wingtip light. If you have (or can get) Humbrol Clearfix this is much easier to use. I have lost quite a few in the past. I forgot to drill the holes for the glove pylons If you hold it up to a strong light, you can usually see the holes enough to drill them out the canopy now won't fit closed, as I wanted it Not sure on this one but I have had instances where I have had to sand the frames to fit. If there are gaps and I want the canopy closed, I would use white glue to fill them I broke the mounting lugs for the tailhook off the housing. The only ways to fix this one are , CA it place, or use some wire to replace the lugs I hope this helps is some way :o Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 I had the same frustration with the Hase new tool F-4B. It looks terrific when finished also, but man, ya gotta work for it, and in nitpicking ways. At least with a KP kit or other Eastern European kit you can feel what you're working for more clearly. I find those fun...but then that's always been my problem. <_< Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roym Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 (edited) Not sure on this one but I have had instances where I have had to sand the frames to fit. If there are gaps and I want the canopy closed, I would use white glue to fill them Thanks Andy, The issue with the canopy is that it fits on the forward sill line, or the rear, but not both. Also, the angle of the rear frame doesn't match with the surrounding fuselage area! And if I put the 'shelf' in the canopy (bit behind the RIO's seat) the canopy wont touch the sills at all behind the front frame. Only for your site I would have ran into more trouble. Admittedly, I am not happy about a lot of this build that is a result of my own fault (orange-peel and not full coverage of topcoat paint). But then I put the seats in and when placing the canopy on top it bent the ejection handles down to the vertical! Roy, (thinking about becoming an AFV modeller). Edited December 22, 2006 by roym Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brian P: Fightertown Decals Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Roy - sorry you're having so much trouble... Personally, I absolutely love this kit. I feel it's the best tomcat model ever done and aside from a couple issues (front wheels looking a little 'off' to me, the GE engines for B/D not being fully opened, TV pod too long) it's my favorite kit ever! It is certainly not a 'shake and bake' kit, but once you figure out a few hiccups, it fits and looks beautiful, at least to me. Keep up the efforts if you want...or if you need to sell them - give me a shout! -brian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Roy - sorry you're having so much trouble...Personally, I absolutely love this kit. I feel it's the best tomcat model ever done and aside from a couple issues (front wheels looking a little 'off' to me, the GE engines for B/D not being fully opened, TV pod too long) it's my favorite kit ever! It is certainly not a 'shake and bake' kit, but once you figure out a few hiccups, it fits and looks beautiful, at least to me. Keep up the efforts if you want...or if you need to sell them - give me a shout! -brian And believe me, this man knows! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eric B. Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Wow I am sorry to hear you are having problem with the Hasegawa "new tool" F-14. I am 100% with Brian and Andy. I have built 4 so far (2 As, 1 B, 1D) and am currently building a second D. I have had no major problem with them, just some point of care as Platypus said (the very same points). But I have always been satisfied with the end result. I have built the Airfix, Monogram, Matchbox, old Hasegawa, Academy, and Fujimi and I have seen the Revell, Italeri or Esci (I am talking about 1/72nd scale here) and I would consider no other Tomcat but the Hasegawa tool in 1/72nd scale (and probably 1/48th scale if I had to build one). OK then, if ever Tamiya was to realease a superb 1/72nd easy-to-build-perfect-Tamiya-style-Tomcat I'd be glad, but until then I believe all my future Tomcats will be Hasegawa. Cheers Eric B. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
raptor22 Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 (edited) Ok ok ok ok... Roy... Let me give you some words of encouragement... first off, I understand that the Hasegawa F-14 1/72 kit is a difficult kit with all the known troubles and all. What you really need is practice. I've built 6 of them total and I'll tell you that my earlier ones looked like CRAP! Simply because I didn't not know the kit that well. But towards my latter batch, things were starting to look better. It got to a point where I didn't even need the instruction manual because I knew what went where and when. Give the kit some love and patience. If you're a TRUE Tomcat fan, you're going to go back at it and keep on hacking away at them... ALL of the ones that you bought. Why??? Because it's WORTH IT! The end result of it will be a beautiful and gorgeous model! Also, you're a modeler, you always want a challenge right? If it wasn't challenging, why build it right? What I would recommend is start building ones of squadrons that are "less favorable" to you. So even if you mess up, it wasn't your fave squad that you messed up on. That's why my final sixth Tomcat was VF-103 Jolly Rogers. By the time I can build a 103 bird, I would have already mastered the kit already and I wouldn't mess up a Jolly Rogers bird! Now that I've fully understand how to build the 1/72 Tomcat kit, it's time for a new challenge for me... the Hasegawa 1/48 Tomcat kit! If you think the 1/72 kit is bad, wait to you try the 1/48 kit! Hang in there bud! You'll make an excellent Tomcat! Edited December 22, 2006 by raptor22 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
f5guy Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 I have several Hasegawa F-14s in the stash and I must confess they intimidate me to a point where I haven't actually built any of 'em...Cheers, Andre Yup, same for me too. I must have 5 or 6 of them and haven't touched a one for the very same reason. If I could trade them off for some Academy kits, I would. Fred K Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roym Posted December 22, 2006 Author Share Posted December 22, 2006 Thanks folks, maybe I was spoiled by building 3 Fujimi F-14As first before this? But it's not any one big issue, but the loads and loads of little things that are getting to me. Like the gap under the vertical fins, the ones painted and decalled before being attached (yes, I did dryfit and trimmed off the mould lines before doing anything.....) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bullet101 Posted December 22, 2006 Share Posted December 22, 2006 Hmm i can't say i've ever had any of the problems you're talking about Roy, and i've built a few. Only issues i've ever had where the usual forward fuse to main fuse and intake issues, but i don't really get those anymore thanks to Brian P's tip on joing the fuse and taking a little time with the intakes. As Ming has said practice with them will make perfect, and also taking it slowly and patiently. Its worth the effort as they will turn out to be the best tomcats you've ever made, i know thats how i feel about mine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skull Leader Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 If you have been building 1/72 Fujimi kits, then yeah, you've become spoiled. I do not think there is a Tomcat kit that goes together easier with fewer fit problems than a Fujumi 1/72 kit. I love it way better than the hasegawa (just as much detail, a full weapons set, and typically about half the price... now only if they'd make the proper engine fairings for their Super Tomcat kits and not those lousy excuses they give you) I do not find the Hasegawa kit to be the end-all-be-all 1/72 kit that others do, but I've built a few now and I didn't have any major issues with them. The fit issues in the 1/72 kit are way more easily overcome than it's 1/48 counterpart Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Jeez...I'd probably love the Fujimi Tomcats if only they could get the shape of the forward fuselage right...too squat/flat. Okay, the fictional tab on the back of the canopy with the fictional slot for it in the spine is an easy fix, admittedly. Come to think of it, why is it so often Fujimi who can't get the forward fuselages of their planes right? MiG-29, MiG-21, F-14, et al.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brian P: Fightertown Decals Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 The fuselage/canopy shape issue, the engine fairings for the B/D were a few of the turnoffs from the fugimi (built those before I found the hasegawa kit), but I also never understood why they only have the original 70's style wheels and the cockpit tub/pilot ip/seat alignment are off. The pilot's seat and panel are too far forward and if you put a pilot in, his chest hits the coaming. I found that if you cut the tub in half and move the pilot's part back, it helps out. Of course you get full weapons, but not the phoenix shoulder option or lantirn. Oh, the other bugger is the A exhausts are too closed (exaggerated). I always love the p/e option on the hasegawa tub and it's design and fit is so nice! Back to original topic - 3 things to help the hasegawa build. 1 Assemble and attach the intake trunks to the lower body before gluing the top and bottom fuselage. 2 Glue cockpit setion to the top aft body, then attach top and bottom. 3 I also add a spacer between the top and bottom - cut a section of rod and work it back until it wedges between the two. It keeps the alignment better for the intakes and phoenix pallets and ultimately the landing gear so it sits correct. Doing those things makes the kit pieces fit together perfect - including the boat tail and aft body attachment section behind the wing bags. good luck, and if anybody still wants to get rid of kits, lmk...(I think I bought a good chunk of Ming's 1/72 collection already!) -brian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewS Posted December 23, 2006 Share Posted December 23, 2006 Hi Roy, sorry to hear that your latest build is giving you grief.... based on what I've seen of your other work, you certainly know how to make a kit look very presentable. I've not finished a Hasegawa F-14 (several changes of mind over schemes), but have also encountered many of the issues that you and others have described here. I'm glad that you've mentioned your difficulties though, as the kind advice from all is greatly appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you when the Santa Cat decals arrive; hope that the current hassles don't deter you from getting them on a kit in the near future. Cheers, Andrew (still looking for a complete set of VF-84 'Atlantic Fleet Squadrons' markings). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roym Posted December 26, 2006 Author Share Posted December 26, 2006 (edited) As Ming has said practice with them will make perfect, and also taking it slowly and patiently. Well 2 years in the making.... Well, as a thanks for all the help and advice Here's a few pics of the damn thing.... Notice the canopy gap here.. Notice the different paint between the two here... AJ207 is the Fujimi kit started at the same time as the Has.. Aeroclub seats fitted better that the kit ones, decals are a mix of kit-supplied, Fujimi, Hasegawa old tool Hi Vis, and some Expert's Choice for the Nat Insig. Engine fairings turned out a different shade than the rest of the fuse, as did the u/c doors but you don't see it there.. Considering all the grief I got from this, the upper fuse joint didn't bother me that much (but I was expecting that) to the point I got away without using filler. I did shim the lower joint with some plastic strip though. The intakes were tricky but again I had prepared by reading up on this kit. It's all the other little stuff that nearly drove me over the edge. Paint, decals, fiddly bits, wheels toed-out, canopy, rear cockpit shelf, lights, etc...... Pulled out my only tamiya 1/72 kit for sanity's sake as my next build. It's the Bell X-1 with the clear fuse. Thought, 'I'll have to do the clear version...' and promptly put it back. Currently working on a 1/25 Ford Mustang and 1/400 HMS Illustrious. Ah well, it's over now. Edited December 26, 2006 by roym Quote Link to post Share on other sites
roym Posted December 26, 2006 Author Share Posted December 26, 2006 Oh, and if anyone is wondering why I have two from the same squadron, see here.... http://s102164210.onlinehome.us/forums/ind...00346&st=15 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bullet101 Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Can't see anything wrong with it Roy, came out fine imho Quote Link to post Share on other sites
raptor22 Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Looks great to me! :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Oh, and if anyone is wondering why I have two from the same squadron, see here.... hehe...and what, pray tell, is wrong with having two from that squadron? Oughtta see MY shelves... :D :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 Well, the pointy end is facing the right way and the landing gear is holding er up nicely ... Looks like Victory 200 to me ... Nice Save ! I've built about five of those kits over time and I must say, I've liked it since my first one when it really was a New Tooling back in 1988 ... Gregg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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