karl h Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 (edited) thanx for the tip, now i know a use for the light curing putty, i have not found one before. i think mixing the putty, so all of its components are together properly is critical Edited August 13, 2013 by karl h Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 Simple yet effective, very well done Chuck. Another tip for the collection, thanks. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share Posted August 13, 2013 Thanks Guys. I'm glad this ultra simple part creation method is of some interest. For those who might think this can only work on crudely shaped parts with little detail, here's a pic of a shell belt I replicated next to the original part. Although it has a few air bubbles (it was my first try- ever), you can see how the detail is actually quite good. I have since learned to work the putty into the tiny detail with a toothpick to reduce air bubbles. A closer look.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragan_mig31 Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 This looks great.Is that japanese rubber type mould reusable? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 This looks great.Is that japanese rubber type mould reusable? Yes, very much so. All you need to do is immerse it back into hot water and it "melts" into any new shape you want. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 15, 2013 Author Share Posted August 15, 2013 (edited) A little progress using Jake's Modern Hog Guide, Pages 12,15 and 22. Looking at many pics of the front fuselage, I found another thing or two missing from modern Hogs. Although the starboard side of the nose has very little detail, it does have two circular ports just behind the nose AN/ALR-69 antenna. The one just aft of the nose is the grounding port, where I drilled a simple hole where a much larger circular decal will go on later. Behind that and up a bit, is the windshield washer port, which consists of an internal latch mechanism and a bit of a hole to the lower right. I had a tough time finding a close-up of this latch, but I assume the "hole" is really a depression to allow finger access underneath the latch. Can you A-10 experts confirm this? Anyway, after scribing a circle within a circle and adding screw holes, I attached a brass piece to replicate the latch. After painting it won't look like it sticks out so much, because it should really be fairly flush. Behind the latch are two rows of very tightly spaced rivets, presumably to hold the windshield washer tank in place (that I made earlier in the front gear well). You might also note the Grand Canyon seam line beneath that wasn't there before. Although I carefully glued the upper and lower fuselage halves together, this seam keeps cracking and I've repaired it twice already. It is obviously under some stress, so after it cracked again last night, I used my scriber to gouge a nice deep crevasse releasing the stress of the join, then I jammed plenty of CA glue inside to hold it together. What you see is the end result after careful sanding and it's better to get it fixed now than after painting! You can still see where the join used to curve up behind the nose and it was nice to have the fuel door on the nose removable to gain access inside for the repairs. I've known for some time that the front antenna needed to be thinned down, but I discovered that it should also be moved entirely. Note the gun shroud attachment plates I made earlier out of brass on each side of the gun..... It is called the UHF/TACAN antenna and modern Hogs have it moved to the rear, where I have placed one of the Cutting Edge versions. The remnants of where it used be located are still visible with a cover plate, so I just cut off the kit one and sanded down the base, retaining the rivet detail. Just in front of this antenna in its new postion is the thin elongated ILS marker beacon, which is missing from the kit, but Trumpeter left a rectangular panel here instead. Fortunately the CE kit has one of these as well and it fits in the panel perfectly. Note the offset between the two antennae- which will be glued on at the end of the build to avoid breakage. The front circular plate on the kit is the old ADF antenna, which has been replaced with a more modern square fairing in its place, which I'm guessing is a more modern version. To replicate this new antenna, I simply made one out of brass and then scribed panel lines and rivets, then glued it on the old circular one. When painted, the interior square of the panel within the frame should be a yellowish color, much like the formation lights. I also noticed that all jets with this new fairing had 7 fairly prominent screws along each side, so I added some from the Archer rivet decals I used on the windscreen, then sealed them with Future. The spacing of the Archer rivets are bang on what I can find in pics of the real deal, so it was super easy to do. Here's a pic of what the real deal looks like: New Panel Well, that's it for another week or so boys. The weather looks great for the next week, so there's no way I'm staying indoors and modeling. The snow will be flying before you know it- then I'll go really crazy with this build! Edited August 15, 2013 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Finn Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 (edited) Chuck, here is what the cap looks like: http://cliff.hostkansas.com/pffimages3/Gas_cap_1.jpg it's the same design they use for fuel tanks. Jari Edited August 15, 2013 by Finn Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rogier77 Posted August 15, 2013 Share Posted August 15, 2013 Amazing build, rebuild so far. Good luck with the rest. Gr Rogiér Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 15, 2013 Author Share Posted August 15, 2013 Chuck, here is what the cap looks like: http://cliff.hostkansas.com/pffimages3/Gas_cap_1.jpg it's the same design they use for fuel tanks. Jari Thank you sir! Now that I have a better idea what it should really look like, I'll pluck off what I made and make a better one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JesniF-16 Posted August 17, 2013 Share Posted August 17, 2013 (edited) Looking gorgeous /> Thanks for sharing the "tricks of the trade" Chuck! Surely modeler's out there know about this quick n easy molding process, but you are willing to take the time and share your experience's with the rest of the world /> The light curing putty was added to my tool box right after you molded the rounds for the Mustang!!! I have a question for you regarding the brass panel that you replaced the ADF antenna with... When working with brass or pop cans, how do you go about cutting the metal? Scissors tend to curl the edges when cutting & my rotary tool is way too crude for cutting these very thin metals.... TIA /Jesse Edited August 17, 2013 by JesniF-16 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 17, 2013 Author Share Posted August 17, 2013 When working with brass or pop cans, how do you go about cutting the metal? Scissors tend to curl the edges when cutting & my rotary tool is way too crude for cutting these very thin metals.... TIA /Jesse Thanks Jesse. The answer is Xuron photo etch scissors. I bought these on a whim about a year ago and I am very happy with them. They look kind of big for small jobs, but they are very precise and you don't have to worry about dulling the blades cutting metal. Here's a link to the manufacturer, but you can buy them from many suppliers... Xuron Shears Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richdlc Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 another awesome build so far chuck! What a shame - I was selling the very rare 30mm metal cannon by Airmo on eBay the other month - I would have happily sold it to you instead if I'd seen this in time... anyway I'm sure you'll be able to scratch something equally as impressive... watching with interest Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) another awesome build so far chuck! What a shame - I was selling the very rare 30mm metal cannon by Airmo on eBay the other month - I would have happily sold it to you instead if I'd seen this in time... :crying2:/>/>/>/> anyway I'm sure you'll be able to scratch something equally as impressive... watching with interest No problem Rich- and thanks for thinking of me. As it turns out, Gary (ghatherly) offered me the same gun for FREE!- but I declined it because it would be a waste on this build. The thick resin CE cockpit made the inclusion of the gun almost impossible, so I deleted it anyway. Summer is still here and I’m enjoying the remaining days of it before the snow flies, so modeling has been put on temporary hold. Jesse’s question above about what I use to cut brass made me think of similar questions I’ve had about some of the stuff I use to make our hobby more enjoyable, so I thought I would re-visit some of them for those who might be interested in the interim. At the risk of sounding a bit like Oprah, here’s 20 of my favorite things I use for modeling: 1) Good airbrush- in this case the Iwata CM-C Plus to give me total control, especially for ultra-fine work with a 0.23 mm needle and head system. I also have a HP-C Plus (0.3 mm needle) for broader spraying like a Future coat. While there are many airbrushes out there that are likely just as good, I really doubt that any are better. They spray flawlessly and are very easy to clean. As a matter of fact, I often load the paint, spray and have the airbrush totally clean again within 5 minutes when I’m doing touch-ups. You can’t beat that… 2) Hold and Fold from the Small Shop. I use a lot of photo-etch in my models and while you can bend many pieces OK using tweezers, etc., many times you need a proper tool to bend long or complicated parts. You place the part you want to bend under the various fingers of the vice and then use a razor blade to bend the parts, with a lot more precision than without such a tool- and the upper portion rotates so that you can bend long pieces as well. 3) Lead wire from UMM. I used to use mostly copper wire to detail my gear wells and engine compartments, but now that I’ve found this product from UMM, I use it a lot more than copper. It can be purchased in just about any diameter from fairly thick to ultra-thin and it’s a lot stronger than you might think. Obviously the main attraction is the ultimate flexibility, so that you can conform the wire into just about any shape or configuration and for many applications where it the part should be aluminum colored, you don’t even have to paint it. 4) Flory ProModeler weathering wash. I use enamels and lacquers exclusively and although a spirit based wash can do wonders to highlighting panel lines and rivets, I have had many bad experiences with the wash rubbing off the paint- even with a thick coat of Future to protect it. This water based wash is super easy to use and you can scrub it without any worries about paint erosion. If you ever find that it’s hard to remove, just dip a rag into some Future and it will all come off easily. 5) The Detailer weathering wash from The Model Car Garage. Although I use mostly ProModeler washes, I found a really cool wash recently during my bare metal finish Mustang build. This acrylic based wash is really good for fine details like cockpits and gear wells where removal of excess wash could be a problem. Even after drying for days, you can still remove some or all of it with plain water. 6) Mega Tool rivet punches. I think this set is a MUST for any modeler, with 23 different sized punches to recreate or add rivet and fastener detail. The steel in each punch is very hard, so there are no worries about harming the face detail of each punch as you press it into the plastic. 7) Razor saws from CMK. I have lots of different razor saws, but nothing cuts as fine and precisely as this product from the Czech Republic. This saw allowed me to cut fine grooves into the plastic for the front gear well brass ribbing and the front gun shroud lip. There’s no way I could have done this without it. 8) Mr. Laplos polishing cloths. These ultra-fine polishing cloths are very useful for canopy seam removal and buffing your paint between coats. Don’t let the grit numbers fool you, because they are about half what the package says compared to modeling sandpapers like Tamiya’s- ie: 6000 grit is really closer to 3000 grit sandpaper. 9) Krylon lacquers in a rattle can. I discovered this product when I needed a gloss-black lacquer as a primer base for Alclad on my Phantom build. This version in the pic below is even made for plastic, so there are no issues about it harming your model. I decant the paint from the can, let it de-gas for about an hour, then add about 25% Tamiya lacquer thinner in a sealed jar. It sprays beautifully and dries quickly and because it’s thin lacquer, there is no thick paint build-up on fine details like instrument panels, etc. For flat black, I now use Krylon gloss followed by some dull coat, which creates a much finer finish than plain flat black enamel ever could. I also use the white color for gear wells, which can be very difficult to cover with several coats. Because it dries to the touch so quickly, I just keep spraying until I get the paint saturation I want in one spray session. 10) Rivet templates and rotary tool. Adding rivets can be hard enough, so using these guides can save you a lot of time and create a much cleaner look than you ever could free-hand. I use the various straight guides the most and rarely the Trumpeter rotary tool, but they all come in handy now and then. Edited August 23, 2013 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) 11) Trumpeter scriber tool. As you can see in the pic below, I’ve tried just about every scriber made, but I always come back to my Trumpeter scribers for clean and precise work. I use two of them, with the newer sharper one on the left (with tape) for the first few scribing cuts, followed by the duller older one just right of it. The sharper scriber creates the necessary groove, while the duller one widens the panel line when and if required. The rest of these tools are still used on occasion, but I still can’t get the hang of the UMM scriber just to the right of the Trumpeter ones. User error no doubt, because many modelers swear by it. 12) Microbrushes! While these handy little brushes are used by many modelers, I was surprised to find that a few very skilled local modelers hadn’t tried them yet. For everything from removing dust, adding glue and cleaning out airbrushes, I use several different sizes of them all the time. When the fuzzy heads becomes contaminated or hard with glue, I simply yank it off and have an excellent glue applicator in its place. 13) Pin Vices. While most modelers have a pin vice, I have two of them so that I can get the full spectrum of drill bit sizes, all the way down to #80. I also often use broken drill bits for very strong pins in my model, like I did for the canopy hinge on this build. 14) Shurtape. This masking tape from Sherwin Williams allows me to mask large areas of my build for very little cost- and it looks and feels just like Tamiya tape. The adhesive on the tape, however, is not as strong as Tamiya’s, so it will never be a substitute, but if you want a low-tack tape or cover an entire wing on a build, you can’t beat it. 15) Tamiya lacquer and Tamiya polishing compounds. OK, this is two items, but it’s an old pic and I didn’t want to take another! The lacquer is a great paint thinner for everything from lacquers, enamels and even acrylics and it won’t harm the plastic like other lacquer thinners. It also can be used to thin or remove Tamiya basic putty and I think it’s the very same stuff used in the putty because it smells identical to it. I have used many different polishing compounds and I find the Tamiya Coarse followed by Fine gives me the best results. It is particularly useful for removing sanding scratches from seam line removal on canopies and it yields such a smooth finish, I rarely use Future on my canopies any more- with this Hog build as an exception for other reasons. 16) Plexus plastic cleaner and polish. This stuff is actually used on real airplane windscreens and motorcycle visors and I discovered it while bringing back the shine to the soft plastic window on my wife’s little sports car convertible. I always use it on my windscreens and canopies after using the Tamiya polishing compounds to really make the shine pop. It has micro-fillers than fill scratches, smoothing out the plastic and it smells and works very similar to furniture polish. 17) Nothing makes a weathered model look complete like the application of various Tamiya weathering pastels. You can even melt the pastel dust in plain water to create a weathering wash if you want a specific color. I use the dark “Oil Stain” the most. 18) UMM sanding sticks. I love these little sandpaper chop sticks that come in a variety of grits to get into tight places and provide a flat and rigid surface. When I fill the grit with sanding dust at one end, I just cut the sanding stick with sprue cutters (an older pair) to refresh the sanding surface. 19) Speaking of sprue cutters, you can’t beat these cutters from Xuron. They are very precise, allowing very delicate cuts and the metal is very strong. The top cutter is used exclusively for photo-etch brass and aluminum, while the bottom orange one is used for plastic sprue. I have other sprue cutters, but these ones blow them away for ease of use and precision. 20) The Chopper styrene cutter. Having trouble getting straight cuts when cutting Evergreen styrene? This guillotine-like chopper has mitered attachments that allow you to create just about any angle or cut you want. The cutter is a plain razor blade, so you don’t need to worry about replacements. So there you have it, some of my favorite modeling tools which you may or may not own already. Please don’t ask me where I bought all this stuff, because I don’t really remember. Google is your friend! Cheers, Chuck Edited August 23, 2013 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nate Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 Who makes the rivet templates you show in #10? I've never seen those before and they look super helpful! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 (edited) Who makes the rivet templates you show in #10? I've never seen those before and they look super helpful! Hasegawa Trytool- for the most part Edited August 23, 2013 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flying Pancake Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Thanks for the top 20 list! I always love posts like these. Also reminds me I need to order those lead wires and sanding sticks from UMM. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Youngtiger1 Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Chuck, that's a fancy airbrush...meaning expensive version of Iwata.. I like rest of the setup as well. :thumbsup:/> Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Check Six Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Just found this thread. And spent the last five hours reading it! Great build you have going there, dude! Thanks for sharing your tools and finishing products list. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 25, 2013 Author Share Posted August 25, 2013 I'm glad some of you enjoyed reading the list and there was maybe something here that you weren't aware of. Chuck, that's a fancy airbrush...meaning expensive version of Iwata.. I like rest of the setup as well. :thumbsup:/>/> Yes, it is expensive, but it really is a jewel to work with. If I could have done it over again, I would have bought the CM-C only and not the "Plus" version to save a few bucks, which has it's own air regulator screw on the bottom that I never use. I almost always know exactly what air pressure I need at the compressor regulator, so the extra valve is redundant and I always leave it wide open. For the best air brush for the money that does about 80% of the CM-C for 1/2 the cost (~$200), I highly recommend the Iwata HP-C Plus. It is super easy to use and clean and it sprays really well. Once I started using this airbrush, all of my Aztecs went in the garbage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tripio Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Hi Chuck, many thanks for the list of tools. You just left out the two main things from the pictures: your hands. Reading with maximum pleasure. Regards,Laz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
coneheadff Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Thanks a lot for the list, Chuck!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Wow that's gonna be one super-accurate A-10. Amazing how you guys do weathering - makes things look ultra-realistic. And thanks for sharing the list, too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share Posted August 26, 2013 (edited) Thanks Guys! I'm glad you enjoyed the "Oprah" Top 20 list. I could have included a good camera (for posting on ARC) and about 10 other things, so maybe I'll show some of other items later if you're still interested. What does this have to do with a 1/32 A-10 build? Not much, I agree, but I need to keep things interesting, even if it's only for me. I will also post a few other things, like a Grizzly Bear (!!) next to my cabin last week while I was on vacation. We had friends from England over for the weekend and I tried everything I could to show them some local wildlife on the way to my cabin, but to no avail. It didn't matter, however, because the main attraction was in my own back yard! Pics aren't fantastic with my wife's point and shoot camera, but a Grizz is a Grizz. I will have some real modeling updates in the week ahead. It's time to get after the rear fuselage. Thank you for your continued interest in this challenging project. Edited August 26, 2013 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Waiting for the grizzly and the next batch of tools with bated breath. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.