geedubelyer Posted May 5, 2009 Share Posted May 5, 2009 (edited) Hello all, This is a little project that I've been meaning to attempt for quite a while now. I have been spurred into action after seeing Peter Doll's recent "Hun" builds. On the base board, Peter had placed a fire extinguisher which really added to the realism and scale of the diorama. As it turns out, the extinguisher was a kit produced by a company called Aero Bonus. I tried to contact them but to no avail. From what I can gather, the company has been bought by Aires. After a fruitless quest to get a reply from Aires I'm left with the task of building an extinguisher from scratch if I want one....... Now, before we begin, let me explain. I'm no Helo_dud!! ^_^ I have done very little scratch building, preferring instead to let someone else take the strain. If I can buy a resin set I'll take that option every time over building something from raw materials. That said, I'm going to give this little beastie a whirl and see what transpires so follow along if you like,......who knows,.....it might be good for a laugh :D For those that have n't a clue what I've been banging on about, here is a pic of the article in question. I've decided to start with the cylinder. Searching for a suitable sized tube resulted in the use of an old bomb. :huh: Yep, seriously! An old bomb..... Two halves of a spare from the F-15E kit. (You can see the Gunship grey overspray) After cutting a chunk off, I used two pack (Green Stuff from Games Workshop) putty to mold the domed ends. At this stage, the ends are too pronounced so I'll put this to one side for a while to set up thoroughly and then sand them to the correct profile. Now for a start on the framework. 1mm round section plastic rod from Evergreen is bent to shape (-ish) and the cross bars (Evergreen strip this time) are glued in place. It's pretty fragile at the moment so again, I'll let the glue set up before I try to do any more. Here's a shot of the first two components together...... So far so good There are a couple of areas where I forsee some work ahead. One issue will be to bend the top frame to an identical shape to match this frame. The second and potentially "project busting" issue will be the wheels. I hope to attempt a technique used by Eastern for his Fulcrum wheel masters so watch this space...... Cheers for now guys, Edited May 5, 2009 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Youngtiger1 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Guy, Looks like your off to a good start. I've never seen this thing in any build. So, for me it a first. I will have to see Peter's Hun build you are talking about. As usual, you sure know how to document a build ;) Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
strikeeagle801 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Guy You have to be one of the more humble men that I've run across. You can't honestly say that you are not good at scratch building. Take a look at your F-15E...now look under the intakes...you see that longish pointy thingy hanging there? Yeah, the Sniper pod? YOU BUILT THAT!!! And did an amazing job at it too. So good in fact that someone picked it up and is now doing it in resin. That's pretty good my friend. You may prefer to have someone else do it if possible, and you may not scratch build very much...but when you do, watch out! I'll be watching this one closely, as I have your previous builds. Aaron Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JRobinsonUSAF Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I'm an old flightline puke from the mid 70s, and that looks like the chlorobromomethane (CB) extinguishers we had around F-4s. Did they switch to filling these with Halon? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted May 6, 2009 Author Share Posted May 6, 2009 Hi guys, Thanks for stopping by. I'm encouraged by your enthusiastic support and I'll do my best not to disappoint you. Guy, Looks like your off to a good start. I've never seen this thing in any build. So, for me it a first. I will have to see Peter's Hun build you are talking about. As usual, you sure know how to document a build Mike Hi Mike, glad you like the start of the project. Have a look here You'll be mega impressed I'm sure. Scroll down the page a bit to see the fire extinguisher in red in front of the aircraft. It certainly adds a touch more realism. GuyYou have to be one of the more humble men that I've run across. You can't honestly say that you are not good at scratch building. Take a look at your F-15E...now look under the intakes...you see that longish pointy thingy hanging there? Yeah, the Sniper pod? YOU BUILT THAT!!! And did an amazing job at it too. So good in fact that someone picked it up and is now doing it in resin. That's pretty good my friend. You may prefer to have someone else do it if possible, and you may not scratch build very much...but when you do, watch out! I'll be watching this one closely, as I have your previous builds. Aaron Hi Aaron, thanks buddy. I appreciate your kind words.Hmmm,....I don't see myself as particularly humble, just a realist. ;) I suppose we are all our own worst critics at times. (You know that as well as anyone eh?) I have high expectations and my scratch-building rarely matches up to what I desire. When I see some of the artisans on this site make scratch built components look so crisp, square and precise I am awed by their undoubted talent. I'll see how this goes. In fact, I've wanted one of these fire extinguishers since I completed my first big Eagle back in '04 so that's how long it's taken me to pluck up the courage and enthusiasm to tackle this little project. I'm an old flightline puke from the mid 70s, and that looks like the chlorobromomethane (CB) extinguishers we had around F-4s. Did they switch to filling these with Halon? Hello JRobinsonUSAF, thanks for looking in. That's an interesting question. Hopefully, one of our other members will have the answer. This is the spec of the current extinguisher. More soon..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eastern Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 The second and potentially "project busting" issue will be the wheels. I hope to attempt a technique used by Eastern for his Fulcrum wheel masters so watch this space...... Wow! Guy, it's something of the other kind. That will be nice addition to 1/32 scale dio. ;) Is it just for joy as a respit from your current mammoth project? I hope your Cat haven't made you feel bored? Nice start and I'm sure the wheels will come out as nicely as all your builds. ;) Cheers and happy modeling! Alexander. ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Youngtiger1 Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Hi Mike, glad you like the start of the project. Have a look hereYou'll be mega impressed I'm sure. Scroll down the page a bit to see the fire extinguisher in red in front of the aircraft. It certainly adds a touch more realism. Wow, now that is impressive work on that fire extinguisher. It sure bring the dio into life. Not to mention the awesome job on those Hun. Man, I want to build that jet so bad. Now looking at Pete's build I'm going to have get that kit. OK, Guy your next project..........The F-100!! You got do it man!! I need the lesson on "how to" and you'd be the right guy for it. Of course, no hurry but after the Cat is finished.......lol Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) Hi folks, I managed a little time at the hobby bench this afternoon and I'm finding tis project surprisingly entertaining. I started by re-profiling the ends of the canister and adding the weld seams with Tamiya tape. Compare this pic to the one above and you'll see that the ends are shallower now. The handle of the extinguisher is next. Plastic rod bent to shape with a towing eye made from solder. Finally it was time to assemble the frame and add the canister. In order to hold everything in place I laid the base on its' side and taped it to my cutting mat. I then carefully placed the handle in the correct position and added a drop of plastic cement to the top of the first upright. Adding the vertical support rod parallel to the upright brought some stability and allowed me to turn the assembly over and glue the other side. The canister mounting brackets were formed from metal foil and CAed in place before adding the canister to the framework. In turn , foil brackets were glued to the front of the canister to locate the aluminium hose support frame. Various bolt heads and washers were punched out of plasticard to be fixed to the brackets and the two "heels" and axle mounts are strips of plastic extrusion. I'm letting the glue dry now before a coat of primer tomorrow and then I've got to figure out what to use for the hose. While this has been going on I glued two sheets of plasticard together and cut out rough circles for the wheels. More of that soon...... Cheers, Edited May 9, 2009 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spruemeister Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 This is awesome! When you need something, BUILD IT! Real model inspiration, I tell ya. Rick L. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Huey Gunner Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 (edited) Dude-You are just too friggin' much. You got skills. I'm going to use your F-15 thread as a bible for my build. I just scratch built a 1/48 gunsight for my Fiat G.55, but I'm not going to post until this cools down. Awesome work my friend. Edited May 10, 2009 by Huey Gunner Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eastern Posted May 10, 2009 Share Posted May 10, 2009 Great stuff! Very impressive! Very neatly done. Very nice presentation as well. Cheers and happy modeling! Alexander. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted May 10, 2009 Author Share Posted May 10, 2009 (edited) Helloo again,..... Rick, thanks for the kind words. Believe me,...if I could buy a resin kit of this thing, I'd do it! That said, I am actually enjoying the project thus far so I guess I should n't complain. ............ I'm going to use your F-15 thread as a bible for my build. I just scratch built a 1/48 gunsight for my Fiat G.55, but I'm not going to post until this cools down. Awesome work my friend. Hi Huey Gunner, thanks for the generous praise, I appreciate your kind comments man. I hope you find something you can use in your Eagle build buddy. I'll keep an eye out for the build thread. Hi Alexander, good to see you again. Thanks for stopping by. I meant to answer the question you asked before but I forgot,...sorry! Yes, I did pull away from the Big Cat for a while. I was getting bogged down with the intake trunking and not enjoying things so I though I'd take a break. Normal service will be resumed shortly. :D Today I attempted the wheels. I say attempted because things did n't go according to plan. I'd hoped to turn a pair of wheels out of discs of plasticard but my power drill was having fits and things did n't go well....... I mis-calculated the size of disc and started way too big but even then, I still could n't get a constant speed out of the drill to allow for smooth turning. Instead, I hunted around for a suitable replacement and finally settled on a pair of 1/72nd scale F-15A main undercarriage wheels. With the spoke detail removed and some replacement plastic detail added, these wheels are just about right. -_- Next up were the hose details. The nozzle at one end and connection to the cannister at the other. At some point I'll have to try to thread the hose into these two fittings.......that should be fun!! :wacko: I'm using solder for the fire hose, wrapped around a cardboard template and then slotted over the support brackets. Here are the components.... .....and here's how they look before paint. Cheers, :) Edited May 10, 2009 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
petebuilt Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 That looks really sharp. Excellent work. Thanks for posting all of your pics and building techniques. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spruemeister Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Red, or stomach turning greenish-yellow? You really could sell these..... Rick L. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted May 13, 2009 Author Share Posted May 13, 2009 Hi guys, That looks really sharp.Excellent work. Thanks for posting all of your pics and building techniques. Pete You're welcome Pete, thanks, glad you enjoy the buildRed, or stomach turning greenish-yellow?You really could sell these..... Rick L. Hi Rick,.....yep, you guessed it....stomach turning greenish yellow....... :lol: I wonder if there's a market for this? Here are a couple of pics about 95% complete. Stencil data to finish and pick out the various bolt heads. I don't know whether to try to make my own decals or just hand paint the markings on....... Oh yes,...I almost forgot...must remember to put the tyre valves on the wheel rims too Cheers, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eastern Posted May 13, 2009 Share Posted May 13, 2009 Wow! Guy, that looks really great! I love it! But...why yellow? I always thought fireextinguishers should be painted red. Did I miss something? Cheers and happy modeling! Alexander. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
petebuilt Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 (edited) Certainly not to detract from your project, but there is one already on the market: http://www.largescaleplanes.com/reviews/Af...04/AB32004.html But I'd say put yours out there too! Pete Edited May 14, 2009 by petebuilt Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Huey Gunner Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Wow! Guy, that looks really great! I love it! But...why yellow? I always thought fireextinguishers should be painted red. Did I miss something? Cheers and happy modeling! Alexander. :D Halon extinguishers are that color. At least everyone I saw on the flight line at Pt. Mugu were. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eastern Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Halon extinguishers are that color. At least everyone I saw on the flight line at Pt. Mugu were. Oh, silly me! :D Thanks for explanation, now I do know that the color was correct. :blink: Cheers! Alexander. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted May 14, 2009 Author Share Posted May 14, 2009 Wow! Guy, that looks really great! I love it! ................... Cheers and happy modeling! Alexander. Hi Alexander, glad you like it. As Paul explained, this version of fire extinguisher is a greenish yellow colour. (Have a look at the link in the first post for a glimpse of the real thing ;) )Certainly not to detract from your project, but there is one already on the market:http://www.largescaleplanes.com/reviews/Af...04/AB32004.html But I'd say put yours out there too! Pete Hi Pete, no problem buddy. It was that product that I saw on Peter Dolls' "Hun" builds and that is what inspired this project.I tried to locate the AeroBonus product but without success. It used to be marketed by Meteor Products before their demise. I asked around and was told that Aires had purchased the masters but I had no luck contacting either AeroBonus or Aires. It's a shame because it looks like a great little kit and would have saved me some effort. Halon extinguishers are that color. At least everyone I saw on the flight line at Pt. Mugu were.Thanks Paul. Say, you don't happen to have any pics showing the data placards in any detail do you?Apart from the labels, this little build is complete. I'm hoping to wait for some kind weather to take some outdoor shots of the extinguisher in-situ alongside on of my jets. 'Til then, thanks for following along. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Huey Gunner Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Thanks Paul. Say, you don't happen to have any pics showing the data placards in any detail do you?Apart from the labels, this little build is complete. I'm hoping to wait for some kind weather to take some outdoor shots of the extinguisher in-situ alongside on of my jets. 'Til then, thanks for following along. :o I'm sure I do. But they wont be close ups if that's what you need.LMK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Reddog Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Holy crap, that looks just like the real thing!! If anyone ever wants to do them for their Tomcats and Hornets, that's exactly what they looked like at Oceana. :) Man, you nailed that thing. :) Reddog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spruemeister Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 If they are painted red, do they have a different charge than Halon? There's a thread on HS in the Jet Page back a page about black T-38s from Beale and a nice pic of a jet with a red extinguisher behind it. Rick L. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
53 Marine Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Outstanding work - from my memory, it looks spot on. Seeing it in that color brings back alot of memories. Thanks for showing us the "How To" - might have to make a go at doing one of these myself. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted May 15, 2009 Author Share Posted May 15, 2009 Hi guys, Thanks for the positive feedback. I'm sure I do. But they wont be close ups if that's what you need.LMK Hi Paul, yes,...close-ups would have been ideal. No sweat bro', I'll wing it. The finished item is intended as background set dressing so won't be seen in detail.Hi Reddog, thanks buddy. Hearing that is a great buzz, I appreciate it and it's good to know it looks right. :D If they are painted red, do they have a different charge than Halon? There's a thread on HS in the Jet Page back a page about black T-38s from Beale and a nice pic of a jet with a red extinguisher behind it.Rick L. Hi Rick, I saw the red extinguisher next to the black T-38. Red looks cool but most of the extinguishers that I have pics of are this limey yellow colour. I'd be interested to know if the colour is specific to the charge contained within the cylinder. Joel mentioned earlier that the ones he was used to were red and contained ChloroBromoMethane or somesuch.Hi Harold, good to hear from you and thanks for the kind words. Give it a go, it's alot of fun. ;) The weather has been lousy here lately but I had a 5 minute window this afternoon so dashed outside and snapped a few pics. Here's what the thing looks like in context...... I took these very quickly and just in time too. No sooner had I finished than the heavens opened again. I was just carrying the last thing inside as I felt drops of rain on my bald bonce!! :lol: Let me thank everyone once more for all of the kind words and encouragement. Cheers guys.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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