Wombat Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Already there down here mate but likewise, Happy New Year to you and all that journey into this thread. 🙂 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crowe-t Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Happy New Year! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted January 2, 2019 Author Share Posted January 2, 2019 Thanks my friends and a Happy New Year to you as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted January 16, 2019 Author Share Posted January 16, 2019 (edited) Hello everybody, well then, let's start 2019 with fresh power and full motivation. In the old year I had still registered in the Dental laboratory ChiliDent for another ultrasonic cleaning, in order to clean the Early LWT Intertank (FUD) of the support wax. Last Friday I visited the Dental lab, wherefore I packed not only the IT but also all Track Shoes and Main Sprockets, in order to speak about their still pending cleaning. The cleaning in the ultrasonic bath took place again under the same conditions as the first time with TICKOPURR 60 (20 %) at approx. 70 °C, whereby I turned the flat lying IT every half hour by 180°. In the interim, I've read further in Scott Phillips's book Remove Before Flight, which I can really recommend because it's easy , and was even provided by the nice guys with espresso and fresh soda. Here is an image of the IT after 2 h cleaning, on which unfortunately one can not see too much, at least but so much, that still some areas remained with wax residues, so cleaning was continued for a total of 4 h. After that, the IT had adopted the familiar white color, which is generally a sign that all wax remains are removed and the IT is completely cleaned, which can be seen very nicely in these images. And with this result, I was then more than satisfied and could ride home after appointment for the next cleaning. And here are a few shots of the clean IT after my return, on which one also can recognize well the details of the Close-outs. And even in the provisionally installed state, the IT looks really good. Here again for comparison the uncleaned tank after Shapeways' delivery, which this time, unlike previous prints, had strangely felt rather oily, which I was wondering about. Now this IT really fits to the original Lightweight Tank (LWT) ET-8, as flown for the first time during STS-6, which finally satisfies me absolutely - All's well that ends well. Edited January 16, 2019 by spaceman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 11, 2019 Author Share Posted February 11, 2019 (edited) Hello everybody, after a short detour to the moon in the year of the 50th Anniversary of the first Moon landing by Apollo 11 in our German Raumcon Forum, in order to comment on the events around Paul Van Hoeydonck's unique sculpture "Man in Space", which was laid down on the moon by David Scott during Apollo 15 mission as "Fallen Astronaut" along with a plaque with the fourteen names of astronauts and cosmonauts who have died in the pursuit of Space exploration, Source: BILD (Ken Glover) I'm back on track again. Today I want to start with the preparations for the creation of the wavy SOFI Ring Structure, for which I famously wanted to apply a combined Flour&Strip Method. Last summer I had first determined the shape and then the geometry of the SOFI Texture and started with first preliminary experiments, s. Posted July 24, 2018 For the starting pattern (left) that time I had glued single rings of 1 mm wide Rai-Ro-Tape next to each other onto my ET dummy and used a magnet strip loop of Evergreen strip 0,25 mm x 0,5 mm as a spacer. In the meantime, I also got me the required different width masking tapes and thought about some more patterns. For the 2nd pattern I have successively glued single turns of 0,75 mm tape and in between at the same time as spacer a black 0,5 mm tape as continuous spirals (Barber pole), which was rather tricky, but has worked well nevertheless. For the 3rd pattern I've glued Evergreen strips 0,25 mm x 0,75 mm in the same way by using MEK, which are thicker than the used Tape strip (about 0,1 mm). Before the Flour test, the spacer tapes (0,5 mm) are removed again. For the 4th pattern I have glued onto the 0,75 mm tape one more layer 0,5 mm tape, to get something more thickness, and for the 5th pattern I have cut some 0,75 mm wide strips of Evergreen Sheet Styrene (0,1 mm) and glued them also by using MEK with 0,5 mm spacing. Next up follows the Flour test by using spray glue, which I am very curious about. Edited February 11, 2019 by spaceman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 12, 2019 Author Share Posted February 12, 2019 Hello everybody, the ingredients for the Flour orgy are ready and waiting for their application. The flour is fresh from the supermarket, and the Pattex spray glue I have precautionally tested once more, because I did not use it for a long time, but it still glues like hell! But now I have to go to the basement, because here I ultimately want to continue with building ... That's why it could then also start soon. Now I just have to think about how I can hold best the Dummy when spraying and sprinkling with flour ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted February 12, 2019 Share Posted February 12, 2019 Looking forward to your results. Hopefully there aren't any hungry silverfish in your basement. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 12, 2019 Author Share Posted February 12, 2019 (edited) Thanks Joe for looking in on me again, but I'm not afraid of big animals ... Hello friends, in the meantime, I came up with the following solution for handling the Dummy ET and imagine a simple small holding jig from cardboard, much like a Rotary spit for suckling pigs, the dummy being the suckling pig. Source: chefkoch.de For this I will fill the Dummy tube on both sides with Styrofoam and insert a rod. And then I'll turn this spit slowly by hand, both when spraying with the Spray adhesive and during the subsequent dusting with flour, that's all. Edited February 12, 2019 by spaceman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 13, 2019 Author Share Posted February 13, 2019 Hello friends, and thus from the idea to the practical implementation, this is my Hi-Tech Holding jig for dusting the ET Dummy with flour, which looks cool, right? I do not want to win a Designer prize, and so the purpose justifies the means! Therefore, please keep all available fingers pressed that the test works well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 (edited) Hello everybody, well then let's go into the cellar bakery and get to the sticky Flour pleasure. So that not everything is made sticky afterwards, I have precautionally covered the environment with foil. For a more even flour application I used this sieve instead of the small shovel, which is very suitable for this. And then the Pattex Adhesive Spray was applicated, whereby I've turned the Dummy slowly several times during the spraying process. The spray layer looked strangely flaky, whereat I've wondered about, especially because I remembered the image of the formerly used UHU Adhesive Spray which looked somehow more fluidly ... After the photo, I've immediately taken up the flour sieve. While I was shooting the Dummy, I then sprinkled up a lot of flour and subsequently pressed it lightly with my fingers. Then I've gently tapped the Dummy around with my finger, causing much of the flour to fall off. So now I let stand the whole thing once over night, so that the glue can dry through. Here is a close-up of the first two patterns, where one can still recognize the stripes of the cover tape. In the meantime I've taken the LH2Tank and started to remove this Pressurization line, which had not existed on the ET-8 during STS-6. That was pretty good doable with the Chisel cutter, whereby it is advantageous to put the blade with the slope downwards to produce no unsightly nicks. Tomorrow I will then remove the excess flour with a brush and present you the result of this Flour test application, which I myself am very curious. Edited February 20, 2019 by spaceman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K2Pete Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 I'm still watching ... This is such a unique solution, putting the test piece on a spit, and then using flour ... I'm curious to see the results too! And seeing all that clear wrap all over, after applying the flour, was it really that messy? Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 Thanks Pete, as you know: Discretion is the better part of valor. Better like sticky stuff and tools afterwards, besides the flour was a rather harmless matter ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 Hello everybody, these are some photos from brushing off the excess flour, whereupon the patterns have reappeared. The long-haired soft brush was perfectly suited for it, and I was amazed how easily the flour was removed. And this is how the cleanly brushed Dummy looks like with the following patterns: 1 - single rings of 1 mm Tape, distance 0,5 mm, 2 - single turns of 0,75 mm Tape, distance 0,5 mm, as a continuous spiral (Barber pole), 3 - single turns of Evergreen Strips 0,25 mm x 0,75 mm, distance 0,5 mm, as a continuous spiral, 4 - single turns of 0,75 mm Tape, distance 0,5 mm, on it one more layer 0,5 mm Tape, as a continuous spiral, 5 - single turns of 0,75 mm Evergreen Sheet Styrene (0,1 mm), distance 0,5 mm, as a continuous spiral. And now to the evaluation, whereby it is to be noted that all patterns will still be leveled a little bit by the following priming and airbrushing. After that, I think the Patterns 2 and 4 are most likely to be considered, as well as possibly also Pattern 5, which correspond with the geometry (width, distance, thickness) of the SOFI Texture I had previously estimated on the basis of original photos. Pattern 3 seems to me to be a little bit too much raised because of the thickness (0,25 mm). On this image, the thicknesses become a bit clearer. And here is once more a comparison of the Dummy with and without the flour structure, which I also have imagined more or less like this and which I like quite well. As I said, a better impression one will receive only in the primed and painted state and only then can be made a final choice. And now I'm curious about your opinion of how you see it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wombat Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 You do come up with some ingenious ideas! Great to see your technique and the results from the trial. Only thing I would question is if perhaps the flour is a little too course for the scale of the subject? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 Thanks Phil for your nice compliment. You mean that the flour might be too coarse, right? This flour structure will surely appear even more leveled after priming and painting and therefore still a bit more realistic, I hope so. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wombat Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 (edited) That should help tone it down and hopefully enough. I know when I painted my 1/72 tank I had no idea on how I was going to get a slight texture back on the tank after sanding all the pre moulded off. Someone suggested to me to heat up my the room I was going to spray in, crank the air pressure right up and spray it from a distance. The paint was almost dry when hitting the tank and gave a real fine texture to it that I was pretty happy with for the size of the ET. You could also give that a try perhaps if the current test doesn't go to plan? Edited February 21, 2019 by Wombat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 Thanks Phil for your nice tip, but I think it will work in some way ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Slartibartfast Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 If you find flour too coarse, take a look at cement. Not premix concrete, but the cement binder used to make concrete. It's very fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 I suspect that it is more due to the Pattex Adhesive spray and will try the UHU Spray glue again. And then the same procedure once more: Silently trickles the flour ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 25, 2019 Author Share Posted February 25, 2019 (edited) Hello everybody, since during my first test the Pattex Adhesive Spray came out of the spray nozzle in a strangely flaky way, today I did another Flour test with the UHU Spray Adhesive, wherefore I've applied again the Pattern 2 (right) and Pattern 4 (left) on the rest dummy, which are my favorites so far. Pattern 2 - single turns of 0,75 mm Tape, distance 0,5 mm, as a continuous spiral (Barber pole) Pattern 4 - single turns of 0,75 mm Tape, distance 0,5 mm, on it one more layer 0,5 mm Tape, as a continuous spiral Then it went back to the flour cellar. This time around, the application of the spray adhesive looked more regular and smoother than when tested with the Pattex Adhesive Spray and was by no means flaky, but as homogeneous as I remembered it, as one can see here again at a slightly higher magnification. Then I've besprinkled the the Dummy again with flour from the sieve, while turning the dummy, and then lightly pressed the flour with my fingers. And so looked the Dummy then after the knocking off the loose flour, and I think the result looks already more even than the first test. After the glue will has been dried through, the remaining flour is then brushed off tomorrow, and then I can make a comparison. Edited February 25, 2019 by spaceman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 27, 2019 Author Share Posted February 27, 2019 (edited) Hello everyone, now I can also take a closer look on the result of the 2nd Flour test. And my first impression when spraying the UHU Spray Adhesive did not deceive me. The floured surface of the Dummy looks much smoother and more fine-grained after brushing off the loose flour than with 1st Test with the Pattex Adhesive Spray, which I had suspected. Presumably, the Pattex adhesive was not quite okay and the application worked so flocky. Maybe I should have sprayed a little more glue, so that more flour would have stuck, because the layer is indeed nicely even, but looks relatively thin. On this image one can see very nicely the different heights of the two patterns, whereby the Pattern 2 rests relatively flat and the doubled Pattern 4 looks more like the half-rounded form of the SOFI Pattern, which might even prove more favorable in terms of the final look after priming/varnishing, depending on how much of the texture is covered by the primer/varnish. A close comparison of the patterns of both tests is somewhat difficult to accomplish due to the removal of both Dummies and the focusing of the autofocus, but on this image one can clearly see the finer and more homogeneous coating of the 2nd Test (right). And since today the white Vallejo primer has arrived too, I can now prime both dummies, and then one will see, what will be left to see from the patterns under the Flour surface, whereon I am again very curious. Edited February 27, 2019 by spaceman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hotdog Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 Great experimentation, Spaceman. I feel this is leading to a favorable result. If you still do not have a satisfactory texture after spraying the primer, might I suggest a second application of the spray adhesive + flour? I think you are getting close. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 27, 2019 Author Share Posted February 27, 2019 Thanks Brian for your helpful comment. I'm thinking in the same direction, so I'll do a further layer with UHU Spray Adhesive and Flour on one half of the little dummy before priming and so I can then compare both halves. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
niart17 Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 This is really cool problem solving. I like where you're heading with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spaceman Posted February 27, 2019 Author Share Posted February 27, 2019 Thanks Bill for your nice comment. Hello friends, no sooner said than done! Or- Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. After I had masked one half of the Dummy, I've sprayed the other half full with the UHU Spray Adhesive and then immediately besprinkled it with the flour. After that, I've lightly pressed the flour with my fingers, and then shortly after, I've carefully removed the loose flour from the Dummy by knocking off. Now it's time again to await for the glue to dry, and then tomorrow it remains to be seen, whether a more intensive spraying with the spray glue before the flour apply makes sense, I think so ... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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