Dual Monogram 1/72 Space Shuttle

[crackerjazz]

You're sick, egt95! 110 for patience and 110 for workmanship!

[egt95]

You're sick, egt95! 110 for patience and 110 for workmanship!

Thank you.

I'm just about done with the tail and will apply paint soon, then I'll get back to the windows on the orbiter.

[egt95]

Hello all.

I'm just about finised placing the TPS on the vertical stabilizer. I figured out away to bend the styrene around the fairly sharp curves of the wing without breaking the plastic, which happens when the cement comes in contact with it.

I started off by trimming a sliver of the HRSI's on the forward portion of the wing so that I can make even and square cuts. Unfortunately with this step, it was one tile at a time. So between each side it measured to be approximately 6mm.

I then cut the strip as square as I could and carefully bending it with tweezers until it was a nice curve.

After about 5 or 6 of these were done, I applied them to the front of the stabilizer.

As I worked my way up, the tile length did start to lose length because of the shape. In which I would just trim off the portion that was slightly too long.

I then went back after the glue dried and carefully scored each single tile that was originally glued down in to two tiles. Alternating sides to stay within the staggered effect.

Afterwards, I started working on the AFRSI's. I took athletic tape and cut approximately 10mm squares, then carefully placed them in their spots trying to keep as close to the design as the manufacturer did.

So. When the fabric has been placed, we'll take it back for a few coats of paint and see how the tape holds it.

:salute:/>/>

[K2Pete]

I really hate pointing this out, but do with this observation as you wish ...

On the above view, the AFRSI blanket squares are staggered and yet on this recent one showing the other side, the AFRSI blankets are even ... the seams between the blanket squares are different.

You're doing such a lovely job, and setting the bar pretty high at that ... but I still feel guilty nit-picking.

Keep doin' whatcher doin'!

Pete

[egt95]

I really hate pointing this out, but do with this observation as you wish ...

On the above view, the AFRSI blanket squares are staggered and yet on this recent one showing the other side, the AFRSI blankets are even ... the seams between the blanket squares are different.

You're doing such a lovely job, and setting the bar pretty high at that ... but I still feel guilty nit-picking. :tumble:/>/>

Keep doin' whatcher doin'!

Pete

You are right Pete. I plan on fixing that problem. I did something different to the other side which made the squares closer but still somewhat staggered. It turned out better than the first try so now I've got to fix it.

Thanks for the observation. I do appreciate the input.

Mike.

Edited September 16, 2014 by egt95

[egt95]

Hi all!!!

It's been a long grueling few weeks. I've hardly had any time to work on the model while I've been busy chasing new employment. But I'm getting closer.

I've have finally got the TPS finished on the tail of Columbia. Although it still needs to be painted. There is a few variations between the two sides that I didn't catch until it was too late. But it still looks good.

Pete, I know you'll catch them. But I don't think I'm going to correct the errors because it is minor and once it get a good coat of paint, it should hide them.

So here is what the majority of the orbiter will look like once it get it's .010 layer of tiles and thermal blankets....

I wish I had one of those silouette cutters. It would make scribing the tiles much more accurate that way I wouldn't have variations in sizes. But it's close enough.

[Hotdog]

Outstanding work! Can't wait to see it painted up. Any chance ya might go ahead and finish off the tail, painting it completely, before going on with covering the rest of the shuttle?

[egt95]

Outstanding work! Can't wait to see it painted up. Any chance ya might go ahead and finish off the tail, painting it completely, before going on with covering the rest of the shuttle?

Thanks Hotdog!

That is my plan. I'm kind of curious on how the athletic tape is going to hold the paint.

[crowe-t]

Beautiful job Mike!

BTW, what type of paint will you be using? Enamel, Acrylic???

Mike.

[K2Pete]

But it still looks good.

Pete, I know you'll catch them. But I don't think I'm going to correct the errors because it is minor and once it get a good coat of paint, it should hide them.

No-o-o worries ... it's only the 'aynall' part of me that points these little things out. ;)

If you were to enter this into a contest, no judge would ever notice anything like this!

I'm blown away by this technique ... and by the stik-to-it-iveness you've demonstrated.

It ... looks ... terrific!

Please keep it up!

Pete

[egt95]

Beautiful job Mike! :thumbsup:/>

BTW, what type of paint will you be using? Enamel, Acrylic???

Mike.

Good question.... What type of paint would be good for athletic tape?

I did try a white testors primer. But I goofed up.:doh:/> I painted the whole thing and the tape doesn't seem to be taking it very well. Luckily paint dried evenly on the tiles, so I will go back and mask off the tiles so the primer doesn't build up on them and make the seperation disappear.

I'm wondering if I'm going to have to brush paint the FIB's to seal the fabric before spray painting it. :hmmm:/>

Mike

[Hotdog]

I believe Phil Smith brushed the white onto the surgical tape when he built his masterful 1/72 Discovery. Something about getting frayed edges to lay down.

[niart17]

There is another product you may want to look into. I'd started playing around with different materials trying to get a good texture for the blankets and ran into this; http://www.mfasco.com/1180d.jpg It's not near as porous and doesn't fray around the edges when cut. It seems to take paint pretty well. Just an alternate idea.

Bill

[spaceman]

Hi Bill,

do you have an example of an application of this tape on your model, with or without painting?

[K2Pete]

When I painted my tape I just used a brush and Model Master Enamel. Now, I don't quite know what you mean by Athletic Tape but I used a very fine weave First Aid Tape and it took paint very nicely. It didn't dissolve the adhesive and needed 2 coats.

In addition did you know that at the base of the tail is an angled support? You've got it represented just as black tile triangles, but it is a cover over a structural support.

Once again, I'm just pointing out ... do with it as you wish.

Pete

[niart17]

Hi Bill,

do you have an example of an application of this tape on your model, with or without painting? :coolio:/>/>/>

:wave:/>/>/>

I think this might be the only picture I took of the model with the tape on it. This was just a test to see how the texture would look. The horizontal seams weren't cut to make it faster to check.

It's hard to see but there is a very subtle grid texture on it very close to what the shuttle blankets look like. It's more subtle than most of the tapes I tried. I sort of abandoned the idea of using tape though because I knew I would have to tackle bringing the tiles up to the same level somehow and I didn't want to go through all the work. I respect Mike for tackling this with the tiles. Amazing work and a LOT of patience.

Bill

[egt95]

Thank you all for the good words and suggestions.:thumbsup:/>/>

Well, my goof up wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. However, I still went back and brush painted the FIB's with testors white paint. It seemed to work well, but I'm not too impressed with the results. Although I will live with it. When I start on the blankets for the OMS pods, I'm going to use a different kind of first aid tape. I did a test run on it and the paint glided on smoothly and it doesn't leave a lot of loose ends.

Next up for the stablizer is to mask what was once the black tiles and hit it up with spray paint to even out the layers. Then once that dries, I'll mask the AFRSI's and white LRSI's and then paint the HRSI's it's black color.

Meanwhile. I have continued on the windows. I'm fighting the shape of both the window inserts itself and the orbiters. But patience will pay off by filing here and there and placing the windows within the pockets.

Above is a preview of what's to come. These window are only half done. There are three layers currently and will be finalized with a total of 5.

Here's is where I left it for the night.

Clear styrene is the fourth layer of the window group. It is the second so that I will have a double pane window. The fifth layer will be the window frames.

I also received another 1/72 model today. This one is the Revell version. I bought it because I wanted to see how it would go together versus the Monogram. It's an older model, one that was probably issued in the late 70's or early 80's. And because it is an older version, the decals are not as good as the last reissue. So I contacted Revell and asked them for a couple copies of the 1/72 Atlantis issue in 2010. I will also order the updated version of Real Space Models 1/72 decals.

:wave:/>/>

[egt95]

Well...I have to say. I was a little apprehensive about how the vertical stabilizer would turn out. It turned out better than I thought. :woot.gif:/>/>/>

After the priming stage, I masked the FIB's so that I can paint the HRSI's their appropriate color. One advantage that I have with layering it with a coat of white primer is that I can chip the black paint to replicate small debri strikes on the tail.

The rudder/speed brake assembly has not been painted yet.

Here is also a look of how the tiling turned out on the drag chute.

There's going to be a different type of medical tape to act as the AFRSI's on the OMS pods. But this gives you an idea of how the trio of 1/72 orbiter's should turn out.

Now it's time to tackle the windows...

:salute:/>/>/>

Edited October 6, 2014 by egt95

[niart17]

Looking great! That's one area of a large scale shuttle model that is most challenging I find, trying to get all the various textures looking right. You're doing a great job!

Bill

[K2Pete]

I wondered why you painted White over the Black tiles ... thanx for explaining your method, and it's a terrific idea!!

The white blankets look great, but if you're wondering if you can run a bit of sandpaper over it to knock down some of the high spots, it'll work just fine.

I'm really looking forward to the rest of the build!

Thanx

Pete

[spaceman]

Hello Mike,

stunning approach for simulating the TPS tiles and blankets and your patience is overwhelming.

I have found this tape for making the blankets, which is something similar to your tape, but seems not so much fraying.

Leukosilk is a white fixation plaster with polyacrylate adhesive. The support consists of cellulose acetate and is tension-proof.

BTW, I've also seen Bills amazing experiment with Linen paper what seems very promising, if it is thin enough. One has only to open his eyes and look around everywhere.

[egt95]

Now that we are in frenzy to find what could be the best use for the AFRSI's, I've continued on fitting the window's....

Of course, I didn't think about using the black styrene for the window frames until after I was done putting the set together.

This cap is what I cut off of the first model to fit Dutycat's 1/72 beany cap. I found it useful to see how the window sets would fit and how much adjustments I may need to make in the model that they are meant for. I think it will work...

Now I'm off to start the TPS on the OMS pods. I've got a couple of items to work with for the AFRSI's. We'll have to see how that works out.

:salute:/>/>

[Hotdog]

Looking good, Mike. How did you make those window frames? They look like they were die cut! Are those the frames from the AMP windows? How thick of a styrene did you use?

[egt95]

Thanks. The windows came from Johnlove and were scored on .010 styrene. I just stacked and glued them together with clear styrene. All of which were hand cut using the scoring as a pattern and a bit of patience.

Edited October 10, 2014 by egt95

[niart17]

Looking GREAT! those windows are really nice. Since you're building your surfaces up with tiles and blankets, it should be a little easier getting the windows to sit in there right and smooth it all out. Can't wait to see this thing progress. It's going to be a good one.

Bill