Alignment

[thegoodsgt]

Having judged at the IPMS Nats a couple of weeks ago I saw that alignment is critical to being a contender in the contest and enjoying the glory that accompanies a win.

Basic assembly has always been a challenge for me. I'm more an artist than an engineer. An old friend used to tell me that my ejection seats were always crooked. To those of you who are good at this sort of thing, how do you ensure that the landing gear and wheels are properly aligned? Are you simply eyeballing it or using a jig of some sort? I find 1/72 scale particularly challenging given that the mounting points can be inconsequential, allowing for a good deal of wiggle room and subsequently, misalignment.

I'm thinking that a jig, custom made for every model, is the way to go, but I hate the idea of having to build them!

Thanks in advance!

Steven Brown

Scale Model Soup

Edited August 29, 2013 by thegoodsgt

[NJJK]

I always eyeball it but then again I'm one of those people that notices crooked pictures all the time and straightens them. A jig would be awesome but building one for every model would suck!

[Shawn C.]

I always just eyeball it and it usually works out well for me. As an example, for tailplanes, I use the main wings as my horizontal guide. I glue on the tailplanes and then with the model facing me I check the alignment vs. the main wings. If I slowly rotate the model back do both tailplanes 'touch' at the same time? As far as landing gear, that is tougher, especially on some subject matter, for instance Bf-109's and Fw-190's as you have to account for a good amount of forward rake and outward splay.

What categories did you judge? I might have met you as I judged as well.

[Cyrus Tan]

Proper alignment is very critical at the Nats if you're competing at that level. It's a demonstration of a modeler's craftsmanship. You can add all the resin aftermarket or scratchbuild all you want, but if it's not well executed your efforts may work against you. On the other hand, if everything is well executed (alignment, scratch, seams, finish etc.) then it all works in your favor. It's not in the IPMS guidelines, but level of difficulty can determine the difference between 1st and 2nd if the model is well executed. More often than not, alignment is what judges look for to narrow down the entries in a given category. It's very objective as opposed to weathering which is some what subjective. (Realistic vs. artistic)

Now to answer your question(s): I personally don't use a jig to align my landing gear. I simply eyeball it and use a slow setting glue like Testors (black bottle) or white glue if the material is white metal or brass to buy myself more time to work. I also glue my landing gear after the model has been painted and decaled. I've noticed quite a few people here glue their landing gear long before painting and decaling has comennced. I wouldn't recommend that if you are competing. Too many things can go wrong. I also tend work on a mirror placed on a lazy susan so that I can see the alignment from all angles. I use a ruler to tweak here and there. Once I'm satisfied, then I add a drop of Tamiya extra thin to permanently secure the parts together. I add my gear doors next then the ordnance in the same manner. It might seem like a long drawn out process, but it will pay dividends at the contest table. I've been very successful using this process thus far so I know it works.

HTH?

:cheers:/>

Edited August 30, 2013 by Cyrus Tan

[Rex]

I am an alignment jig person. Once I get one to work for any certain aircraft, I permanently glue the Lego/Duplo blocks together for later builds.

[worldslaziestbusker]

I am an alignment jig person. Once I get one to work for any certain aircraft, I permanently glue the Lego/Duplo blocks together for later builds.

Genius!

Well played.

[balls47]

Hey Sarge, I'm an "eyeballer." If I was building a model for the NATS, I'd probably go all out and use a jig. Maybe. I have never had a problem, but I am blessed with great eyesight. If I need to line something up, I'll use a small, torpedo type level. I also have plenty of other squared up stuff in my modeling room that I can eyeball with. Most of my aircraft are built in-flight. However, if I build one with gear down, I will get the model ready for paint. Then, I tack the gear together with white glue or CA and attach them to the model. After everything is dry, I set the model on the landing gear and repair as necessary. After everything sits right, I detach the landing gear, paint the model and landing gear separately, then put it all together.

Edited August 30, 2013 by balls47

[toadwbg]

Hey Sarge, I'm an "eyeballer."

So Balls47 is a 'baller. Who would have guessed

[balls47]

So Balls47 is a 'baller. Who would have guessed :whistle:/>/>

toadwbg - I'm a Buck"eye-baller."

Your're a Hawk"eye-baller."

(and I though of that all on my own!!!) Who says we can't have fun!!!

Edited September 1, 2013 by balls47

[toadwbg]

toadwbg - I'm a Buck"eye-baller."

Your're a Hawk"eye-baller."

(and I though of that all on my own!!!) Who says we can't have fun!!!

Being a native Wisconsinite and Cheese-head (living in Iowa), I still go by a Bucky the Badger-baller to!

Not to be confused with a Buckyball (Buckminsterfullerene)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminsterfullerene

Edited September 2, 2013 by toadwbg

[balls47]

Being a native Wisconsinite and Cheese-head (living in Iowa), I still go by a Bucky the Badger-baller to!

Not to be confused with a Buckyball (Buckminsterfullerene)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminsterfullerene

I give up, bro. You win!!!

[toadwbg]

I give up, bro. You win!!!

Oh it ain't about winning, I just like to play

[Aaronw]

Eyeball and fingers works for me. There are times I've made up a simple jig for extra fiddly biplane struts but I've never even considered a jig for landing gear.

[Janissary]

I don't use a jig. But I do measure the alignment and try to fix any issues.

Long before the landing gears are attached, I place the constructed model on a flat glass surface (on its belly). I then measure the height of the tips of the wings. I make sure that they are very similar. This ensures that the starting fuselage body is level.

Then, I attach the landing gears and repeat the same process of measuring the wingtip heights. I do this at the symmetrically equivalent points (e.g., the front tip of the F-18 wing launchers).

If things are level great. If not, I try to see if the struts are not symmetrical (and in many cases, perpendicular to the ground). I have recently discovered that you could use a hairdryer to fix your mistakes and make small adjustments to glued parts. This is a delicate operation but it essentially involves gently heating the offending part with the hairdryer, and then when the plastic is sufficiently malleable, gently push the part to the correct configuration. It generally cools down rapidly. I have had very positive experiences with this technique.

However, you need to be careful with the hairdryer. If it is too close to the plastic, it may *suddenly* melt and deform the plastic. So, I never keep the hairdryer blowing on the part for more than 3-4 seconds. I actually use a periodic motion to heat up the region.