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So here is the start of the Rufe build, I got started on the 4th and was cruising along, but decided to take a little break until the Forum was up. Here's the kit that I'm using, I'm sure you're all familiar with this little beauty so there is no real need to go into whats in the kit

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I started with the float cart, not really too much to it, 6 pieces in all, easily assembled and painted with a crylon rattle can, then weathered with a Prismacolor silver pencil and brown pastel powder to give it a slight rusty look as I figure it would have gotten being submerged in salt water. Unfortunatly the brown doesn't show well in the photos, but its there

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Then it was on to the main float, as this is gonna be a serious tail sitter, I packed the front of the float with a lead fishing sinker and copper BB's, all held in with a copious ammount of white glue. Unfortunatlly, there is too much weight, so unless I set it on in the right place, it becomes a nose sitter. Hopefully the tail weight of the aircraft will equalize it all out, or it'll just get CA'd on so float and cart become one.

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Thats all I have for now, the interior is airbrushed, I still have to pick out the details, and weather and all that good stuff, but I work weekends so my progress will be limited until Monday

Thanks for looking!!

Bill

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As far along as I am, your going to truly enjoy this kit, it is Tamiya after all. The only thing I would caution so far is to make sure to balance the weight. It may equal out as I get along, so time will tell

Bill

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A little progress this morning, got the interior painted and some of the detail picked out. I ran out of pipe cleaneres for the airbrush, so after I go get some more I'll spray the interior with future. Tomorrow I'll add washes, pick out the rest of the detail, and have the cockpit put together.

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Thanks for looking!

Bill

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Well, I got some more work done, not much, but some. I washed and dullcoated the cockpit, then used a prisma color silver pencil to hi light and make some bare metal patches, heres a picture before glue

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After glue

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I still need to make a cushion out of kleenex, I know the chute would have been the cushion and it would be strapped to the pilots butt, but I megaloath the way the kit seat looks, and I know I said OOB, but some fine touches are ok here and there right? I wish I had some IJN etch seatbelts, but I'll live, its not like this one is going to IMPS or anything.

I have some erands to run, so later I'm going to glue the fuselage together as well as the wings. I hope to actually have the major assembely done today so I can paint everything aft of the cowling tomorrow. Friday I'll be heading out of town for two weeks work, if would be nice to be able to come home and know that the main bits are done and I can start fresh on the engine and cowl.

Thanks for looking

Bill

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That was quick reply Hamm, the answer is both. The IP in this kit is a decal and silvering would kill it, and also for the wash, I try to leave the wash in the cracks and corners only, unless its a really beat up war weary bird, then I'll leave it alone and cover it all in wash to give it that nice A/C grime look.

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Looks great so far. Crazy that this kit came out in the early 70s. Mine just showed up yesterday and I was actually amazed at the detail in the box for the price. Are you going to finish it in the overall gray scheme or the green and gray?

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So I just did some moer work to my bird, and here is a tip for everyone else that is going to build one, use absolutly as much wieght as you can cram in, this thing is an extreme tail sitter!!!! I already posted a picture of all the weight I packed in the front of the float, as far forward as it gets on this model, well, I just glued the fueslage and the wings togther, then did a dry fun before guling the two assembelies, got myself REALLY sexcited to sit it on the cart, float, wings and all, wah wah wahhhhhh, it dropped on its rear. If I slide it about a 1/4 inch forward in the cart it sits fine, so I'm cramming BB's in front of the cockpit, and will do the same in the cowling, and it "should" sit fine. Heres some pictures

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Thanks for looking!

Bill

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So I added more widget to the nose, and it's still just perfectly balanced that if you blow on it it will tail sit, and I have a feeling that adding the wing floats will push it back to being tail heavy. Hopefully packing the cowling will even things out. The one thing I did do was to add a couple pieces of snipped sprue to the inside of the fuselage where the back of the wings go, this defiantly made life easier to get the wings to line up right and not make a lip or a gap, and it worked

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This is about all I'm gonna get done before I leave in the morning, so no updates for about two weeks. Thanks for looking and I'll be watching all your builds with much anticipation!

Bill

Edited by rightwinger26
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So I added more widget to the nose, and it's still just perfectly balanced that if you blow on it it will tail sit, and I have a feeling that adding the wing floats will push it back to being tail heavy. Hopefully packing the cowling will even things out. The one thing I did do was to add a couple pieces of snipped sprue to the inside of the fuselage where the back of the wings go, this defiantly made life easier to get the wings to line up right and not make a lip or a gap, and it worked

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This is about all I'm gonna get done before I leave in the morning, so no updates for about two weeks. Thanks for looking and I'll be watching all your builds with much anticipation!

Bill

Gotta love a good sprue fix like that!

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  • 2 weeks later...

So after two weeks in sunny Key West,I'm back home and slowly working back into the bench. I started off with with one of my least favorite tasks, filling and sanding seams :( I have my way of doing it, which I'm sure you guys have seen a thousand times from other model leers, but I'll go over it in case there is some watching that hasn't seen it done this way. Since I hate sanding odd angles, I use the nail polish remover technique.

First, apply masking take as close to the seam in question as possible then press in Squadron green putty, but be sure not to make Mount Putty.

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Next, remove the tape and give it about 15 to 20 minutes to harden a little bit. It may not be pretty but it'll get better.

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Next all you need is regular strength polish remover and plenty of q-tips. (my wife gets frustrated with modeling sometimes, but she understands)

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Lastly, dip a q-tip in the remover then blot it on a paper towel, to much will eat plastic, I learned that the hard way, but incidentally if you are replicating battle damage and rust holes, use to much, it looks great. Anyway, slowly rub and roll the q-tip until its used up, then grab a new one. Dip, swab, roll, repeat until the seam is smooth. The only sanding you need to do is give it a light hit with 800 grit. The whole process takes maybe a half hour per seam and it's frustrating free.

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Thanks for looking!!!!!!

Bill

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So here is the Rufe, the major assembly is done, and all the seams are filled. I have some minor stuff to do to a 1/700th destroyer that I'm working on, so when that is done I'll take them both to the paint hangar (the garage) and prime the Rufe with Haze Grey when I'm done with the Shaws hull, tow birds with one stone.

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Thanks for looking!

Bill

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So it's finally cooled down enough for me to get some painting done. I preshaded with scharzgrau for a light effect. Next I put down the first light coat of IJN grey, she's staring to look like something. As you can see I've started to mask the canopy, like a ding dong I forgot to leave a little piece of sprue to give it a bath in future, oh well, it's not like there is a ton of detail in the cockpit anyway, so not being super clear will be just fine for me. Tomorrow I'll be putting down the last coat of grey and get the bird ready for a few gloss coats before the decals. After lunacy I'm going to start on the cowling and the engine.

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Thanks for looking!!

Bill

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Not a terribly great picture, but as you can see the decals are on, in the process of snugging them down with micro sol. I still need to paint the brown on the back of the prop. Once the markings are set I'll give it another coat of future, the put down a burnt sienna wash, and add some slight rust streaks with pastel, a shot of dullcoat and that should be it.

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Bill

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Well, there is no such thing as a non humid day when your flying down the slot!!!!!! Blame the japanese for wanting to cut off australia, not me :D. Tomorrow it's not supposed to be a hundred and stupid degrees, so I'm gonna put down the last coat of future, the wash it. Hopefully I can actually finish tomorrow. Now I'm thinking about what to build next, maybe a 1/700th Porter Class destroyer, or a Henderson Field Airacobra in 48th. Or maybe a full hull Arizona. Hmmmmm. I also have my co- GB, the Simple times GB (shameless plug) coming up soon. Merge tomorrow, I promise!

Bill

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