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Hi Mstor,

Thanks, I will try to do it.

 

Hi janman,

You are welcome and glad you like what you see. 

 

Hi sabre45,

Thanks. It looks nice and I try to contact them and see what they have. Looking through the site there were no parts in stock of what I am looking for but there is a chance that they have an idea.

 

Thanks again to all of you with idea of help!

 

Best regards

Gabor 

 

 

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6 hours ago, Mstor said:

Another idea is to go on eBay and see if you can pick up one for cheap to use for parts. For an airbrush that old there doesn't seem to be too many options.

 

I know the DeVilbiss Super 63 airbrush is not the “youngest” equipment but it works perfectly and still one of the best professional tools ( in my opinion but of course everyone have they own preferences ). The current problems is fully due to my mistake in handling it but it served perfectly 26 years and I hope it will do still more in the future.

There are tools which work perfectly and no matter how old they are or how fancy new or flashy digital ones come around the trusty old ones still produce an excellent result. So why change. Yeah I am an old man you could say. . .

 

The option of getting another one from E Bay to cannibalize for spares is a strong possibility.  

 

OK, here is an idea, till I have the spare part or a replacement here is an option.  :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin:

 

 

 dPHPwuL.jpg

 

 

After all they are the ones which were used to paint the original aircraft so they should work just as well for my 72nd kit. Why???   :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin: 

Now which setting should I use?    :hmmm:  :hmmm:  :hmmm:   Should I go for the gravity feed version . . .  :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin: 

 

Searching in my workshop I have found some genuine DeVilbiss spares but of course they are not for the Super 63.

 

 VKnxYKB.jpg

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Hi Speedy,

 

Yes, i like things which work and work well. Like my old analogue Nikon cameras with lenses which were made to last and to work well. Or the digital one which is 2002 "vintage" but has superb Macro settings! All the photos you see in my posts are still made with it. Only because it is old (by todays standards when people change gadgets every year) it does not mean that it is bad and should be replaced instantaneously. 

 

The DeVilbiss Super 63 was almost 200 UK Pounds in 1992! A lot of money in those days. It is worth every penny even today! This is why I cared for it in all those years and why I want to use it in future too.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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2 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

Now which setting should I use?    :hmmm:  :hmmm:  :hmmm:   Should I go for the gravity feed version . . .  :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin:  :D  :winkgrin: 

 

Oh, the gravity feed by all means 😉

 

I agree with you also in regards to quality tools. Makes no difference how old they are, a well made tool is a joy to behold. Too many people will try to get away with spending less money on a tool just to save a few bucks, but they end up regretting it when the tool breaks down or under performs. Penny wise, Pound foolish, i.e. you get what you pay for. Whenever I can, I will spend the extra money to get the quality tool as I know it will more than likely provide superior performance and outlast any cheap alternative.

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This has just turned up in my letter box. Two 72nd scale sets from Begemot, the 72-075 is for red stars and 72-021 for stencils. Sincerest gratitude to Kotey from Begemot for the decals!!!  :worthy:   :worthy:   :worthy:   :worthy:  

 

 

 

ZHKRWoW.jpg

 

 

 

 

So now there are no excuses for me for postponing the Russian version of the Gorkiy built MF in Russian colours. Superb set of decals are included and just in time (released few months ago) for my project. All sizes of Soviet era (1955 style to last days) red stars are on the two big decals in the set. More about it later.

 

Also in the package is a MiG-21 stencil set. Excellent! While the kit has Edu stencils they are mainly of the Czech version. OK, how much of the text is legible? Not much, but the size, the number of text lines and position is typical. On Czech airframes one would find stencils which were typical only for Czech aircraft. And some of them are not present on any other nations aircraft, while the Edu instruction gives them as universal.

 

 

One more thing about the colours of the engine exhaust. Looked around for variable nozzle petals and here is a well used one from a MiG-21MF engine. This is the outer side of it. Judge for yourself the colour. It is dark grey, even the area where the constriction ring “polishes” its surface with friction is a grey with just a very slight metallic sheen to it in places. On the rest of the petal one can see only “heat stains” here and there, where there is decolourization.   

 

 

 

k8mxqfG.jpg

 

 

 

Hope this is of help to ones building the kit.

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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One another thing which was in the back of my mind is the afterburner flame holder ring from the Edu set. This photoetch completely flat and OK it is so deep inside that you will probably not see any difference, but still the challenge is there. If one looks at the Modelsvit afterburner flame holder ring the question arises. Why wasn’t Eduard able to produce something similar in plastic with far superior technical background in comparison to a little newcomer firm like Modelsvit???

 

Here are the plastic parts side by side from Modelsvit and Eduard. I think it is obvious that the first one is much better and closer to reality out of the box. I simply love that 3 dimensional afterburner flame holder ring of the Modelsvit kit.    :worthy:  :worthy:  :worthy:  :worthy:

 

 

jMJ2dy7.jpg

 

 

 

And here is the aftermarket Edu exhaust and the Modelsvit next to it. Now this is closer but still.

 

 

 

jKNkvpl.jpg

 

 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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14 minutes ago, sabre45 said:

How is Modelsvit? I know they got some MiG-21 kits.

 

Han

Hi Han,

Actually they have just one kit, the 72021 MiG-21F. They do make some prototype Migs also and I know some people love them too. But I would be interested more in the F-13 version. With some extra work one can build it from this 21F kit. Since Edu has no plans for the F-13 (in the near future 4-6 years) I will consider doing it.

 

How is Modelsvit? Well, I would say, (and still say after building the Edu 21MF) that it is the BEST MiG-21 kit in 72nd scale!!!  The company has developed at drastic speed and the kits they do now are fantastic. OK they are short runs but surface detailing is good, fantastic fine details, inovative design  . . . What is very important is that they do go out to see what the real aircraft is like, do a lot of first hand research. Speaking of research I dont know how they did the Mirage III kit but for Russian subjects they are perfect!

Can only recommend the 21F kit, the Su-17 M3 or the T-10-10/11 kit!

 

Best regards

Gabor  

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Going back to the flat, 2 dimensional photoetch in the Edu aftermarket set. Actually the solution to make it a bit more realistic is very easy. Just cut it up and it works fine.

I mean cut up the ring in the middle into sections for each “leg”. You get a kind of T shaped part. A piece of hard plexiglass as a base and an old scalpel blade was used which I would no longer use for fine work. It cuts up the photoetch perfectly.

 

 

L8v6ngP.jpg

 

 

 

Now to bend all the “legs” in the right direction. To avoid bending the outer ring to an unrecognizable spaghetti piece I used a photoetch bending tool to have a firm grip on the etched part (the outer ring). Locking the ring and bending just next to it, in this case with nothing more than a toothpick with a cut end. It is hard enough but still gentle to the paint job. If bending at the base of the “leg” it will remain nice and straight with a fairly sharp edge even if there is no half etched line on the other side to help in bending. One more thing I did the cutting and bending while the afterburner ring was still on the photoetch fret to give it just that bit more rigidity.

 

 

 

6G3pSSg.jpg

 

 

 

The shorter “legs” are looking backwards while the long ones are towards the front. Don’t ask me the precise angle, just give it a nice and noticeable 3 dimensional feel. After all this is only 72 nd scale we are talking about.

 

 

QGIdAGA.jpg

 

 

Here is what it all looks like in profile after bending is complete. The outer ring is nice and level thanks to using the photoetch tool.

 

 

 

LrpjZD9.jpg

 

 

 

The crown (one of them) was cut from the fret and placed in the middle of the flame holder ring to see what it will look like. This is only a dry run. But it looks like what I had in my mind initially and far better than the original flat etched part!

 

 

 

49l1AXg.jpg

 

 

 

Now my only problem is that the “crown” is in fact a deep affair on its own with an igniter chamber in the middle protruding backwards. Have to sleep on it and decide if I want to deal with it or leave it as it is, flat and featureless. The alternative is to turn a new part with right 3 dimensional details and maybe add from the photoetch the outer ring of the “crown”.  Do I want to do this? Probably yes, but will see.

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

 

8 hours ago, sabre45 said:

 

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More on the engine parts.

Here are the stock Edu kit parts. The centre body after the turbine stage is glued in place. Looking at the parts it became apparent that near the edges inside the main engine pipe details do go “shallow” or blurred and in some places simply disappear. All this is due to the two sided nature of the pipe (Part D49 and D54) and the injection moulding technology limitation. No undercuts are possible, so a compromise was made and the corrugated details go less noticeable at the edges or lost completely.

 

 

HwIA5qj.jpg

 

 

 

G4x3yCi.jpg

 

 

Here is the solution by Modelsvit to the same technological problem. Make it from three pieces and the corrugated heat shield will be almost perfect, the fit is good, seamless with these parts. In addition Modelsvit added a small grove on one side of the corrugated parts and a corresponding step on the main tube parts to make sure of correct fit. There is only the right way that you can fit the corrugated parts. :worthy: :worthy:

 

 

pJ2UEeD.jpg

 

 

OK what can we do. I have glued D54 and D 49 together. A noticeable joint line was visible on the inside. I did not like it. Stretched sprue was made from the frame plastic of the kit. Using liquid cement the joint lines were “filled” on both inner sides. It was put aside to dry our completely. If you don’t leave enough time and sand it down shortly after gluing the line will sink-in as the plastic cures. Of course one can use super glue and speed up the process but you will get different materials with different hardness. Everyone have their own preferences.

 

 

Vdm0OPi.jpg

 

 

I left it to dry and sanded it down. Did not care much for the damage of the corrugated parts. Later they will have to be replaced anyway. A “polishing” was given to the surface with liquid cement revealing some inaccuracies which were corrected with further sanding. The end result is an engine exhaust pipe with virtually no sign of the joint lines. A bit better than the original. B)

 

There are some visible weld lines inside the pipe too. They were also sanded down completely since there was a gap near the joint line. Now that the pipe was perfect there was no problem in adding the weld rings from fine stretched sprue. I was asked how the inner ribs were added on the tail pipe. Same process as here. Stretched sprue was “curled” to the appropriate diameter, cut to size and glued in place. The position of the original weld lines was still visible after the “polishing” so they were used as a guide for gluing the weld lines. Liquid cement was used here too and it was not a problem if it “eat” too much into the stretched sprue, after all it is a joint / weld line.  

 

 

qOe3yst.jpg

 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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A comparison of the Modelsvit and Edu kits engine pipe. These are stock kit parts out of the box. The Modelsvit pipe is in paining process with primer grey so partly masked and the corrugated part is missing.

 

 

TknupbC.jpg

 

 

 

Here is what it looks like with a dry run assembly. The afterburner ring fits perfectly in diameter into the engine pipe on the Modelsvit kit. I like it!!! Try to make something similar with the Edu kit.

 

To cut the pipe (Part D2x2) in two parts, front and back is just an idea if you want to the pipe assembled, joint line filled, sanded and painted before further assembly.

 

 

 

QRk9IhN.jpg

 

 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited by ya-gabor
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Added the corrugated heat shield inside the kit engine pipe to replace the missing surface details and to add the correct thin trailing to the heat shield.

 

 

jGNnmAI.jpg 

 

 

Now what is this? While work is on with the engine, the cockpit, the ejection seat, gear bays . . .   I did some gluing of bits and pieces which need some drying time (about 3-5 days at least) before I can attack them with sanding paper. Kit Part A1 is made as one piece in the kit but it has a considerable “step” or ridge where the two halves of the injection moulding tool meet.

Here is the original part with the “step”.

 

 

Wxe4MEK.jpg

 

 

 

 

OK, one can simply sand it down but it could result in a “flat spot” on top of the dorsal fuel tank (№ 7 tank).

I prefer filling it up the natural way using the same plastic as the kit. From the frame pieces some stretched sprue is made. Using liquid glue (a lot of it) it is fixed in place. Now a little time is needed before it dries thoroughly. It will sink in if the glue solvent is still “working” inside the plastic and it is sanded too early. But I have time to set it aside while working on other areas of the kit.

 

 

OWhZHoC.jpg 

 

 

After sanding the excess sprue from the surface the original “step” almost completely disappeared. On the forward part the step was little bigger so one more go with stretched sprue is needed.

 

 

 

RJKVuP8.jpg

 

 

What I like in this approach is that the nice round cross section of the back is saved while the step is eliminated. Well it takes some drying time but the plastic is plastic and it is easy to correct the panel lines on it. You have a uniform plastic surface to work on. When using super glue you get on the surface different materials (super glue is much harder than plastic).

 

 

Thanks for watching! Have fun!!!  :D  :D  :D

Any questions?

 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor  

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Guess what has turned up today by post from Holland???

 

 

l6mWApq.jpg

 

 

 

Yes, it is the “square piece” named spare part for my DeVilbiss Super 63 air brush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:yahoo: :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:

It’s not new, but it is exactly what I was looking for and works perfectly. The second hand part arrived from Airbrush Services Almere in Holland. Professional service, speedy delivery and a satisfied customer at this end of the line!

 

Thanks Eric!!!

 

They are at:

 

www.airbrush-services-almere.nl

 

And you can reach them at:

 

info@airbrush-services-almere.nl

 

If you have a problem with your airbrush I can only recommend them. Well worth visiting the sight (or the shop if you are in Holland) to see what they have. Basically everything as you can see from my case, even the most obscure spare part from a brush which has long been out of production. Well worth asking! You never know what they find! Like this second hand piece for my brush.

They had the last one of these “square pieces”, but they did have it! This is the most important thing for me.

 

As to the old one. I could try to mend it in time only need to learn how to solder professionally. To turn a new one would be the ultimate solution but that is far beyond my capabilities. Fortunately my nozzle is OK, as that is another thing which is not easy to get by. But let’s touch wood and learn a lesson from the mishap. I should be careful with my trusted airbrush in future.

 

Back in business! :D  Well, OK there was never any stopping, work was continuing only at a slower pace (can you get any slower than what I have been doing so far???) so should be able to show some progress soon.

 

The Eduard E Day is at this weekend but for me it is:

- far too far both from Budapest and even from Prague,

- far too short with just one day,

- not enough time to meet with friends (or people who don’t like me)

- not enough time to sit down for workshops

- to see the actual competition, the kits on show

- to see all the manufacturers

- or to shop around

- and it is on Friday. :(  :hmmm:

 

Anyway if you are going to the show, have fun and peek into that fantastic MiG-21 cockpit that the restoration team has put together. Well worth having a closer look and getting few ideas on how you detail your own kits cockpit! What the colour are like. How much wear and tear on it. How the weathering looks like on a real aircraft. This is very important to see so that you don’t overdo it! 

 

Just remember it is a Gorkiy produced MF! Last time I seen this cockpit, inside the ejection seat was from a two seater but it is close enough in 72nd scale to see what needs to be up graded on the plastic parts.

 

Anyway have fun at the show!!!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Hey Gabor,

 

I know, they are the best shop for Airbrushes and parts. Very nice owner, who know's a lot of AB. And I'm glad your AB is function again. I always try, to help other modellers...😀

 

Han

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Gabor - just wanted to:

 

A) Compliment you on a simply outstanding build.   This MiG is turning out great. 

 

 and..

 

B) Thank you for the time you are putting into this thread to not only showcase your modeling skills but also educate us on the kit, the real thing and your approach to building it.  

 

Thanks again!

 

John

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2 hours ago, sabre45 said:

Hey Gabor,

 

I know, they are the best shop for Airbrushes and parts. Very nice owner, who know's a lot of AB. And I'm glad your AB is function again. I always try, to help other modellers...😀

 

Han

Hi Han,

 

Thanks again for giving the contact to Airbrush Services Almere!!!!!!! :worthy: :worthy: :worthy:

 

Without you I would be still crying in the corner over the remains of my airbrush! :D:D:D:D:D:D

 

Thanks again!

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

 

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Hi John,

 

Thanks for the kind words! Try to do my best and show how I get there. (Now, will I get there any time soon?????  This is the million Dollar, Euro or Forint question! :D  B)  :winkgrin: )

 

I do my build, but if people can get some ideas from it then that is the bonus for me! :winkgrin: 

 

Thanks for following the build!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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