crackerjazz Posted April 21, 2023 Share Posted April 21, 2023 Thanks for sharing your techniques, RichB63 : ) Mind if I ask what size rods you use for the rivets which are inserted and cut off? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 (edited) @BuNo02100, @cruiz, @philippe.chauvin, @AD-4N, @SERNAK, @A-10 LOADER, @Mr.Happy, @kellyF15, @Janissary, @bashace, @wardog, @Dutch, @Planegeek and @crackerjazz… …Thanks very much for taking the time to comment. I appreciate the kind words, including the humor laced posts! Rich Edited April 21, 2023 by RichB63 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted April 21, 2023 Author Share Posted April 21, 2023 (edited) On 4/21/2023 at 8:32 AM, crackerjazz said: Thanks for sharing your techniques, RichB63 : ) Mind if I ask what size rods you use for the rivets which are inserted and cut off? Hi crackerjazz and thanks for the question. I think that I introduced confusion early on by posting a picture of stretched sprue rods sticking out of the tank. In fact, these were only used to fill holes, eliminating undesired fastener detail. The rods were later sanded completely flush to the surface. Archer Fine Transfers were used to depict the fuel tank's raised fastener detail: 0.5 inch diameter round head Phillips screws The product line (sadly defunct) included dozens of sheets of raised resin “rivets,” varying in size and pitch, printed on a continuous film of clear decal. Out of the package, they’re intended to be cut into thin strips and applied to the model’s surface to represent lines of structural riveting. I used a small homemade punch (a sharpened stainless steel hypodermic needle) to separate individual rivets from the sheet. This allows for the creation of custom patterns, such as the circle surrounding the fuel cap and the irregular placement of fasteners along the clamp bar. The process, while tedious and time consuming, yields good results: The punch is placed over a rivet and gently rocked in a circular motion. This releases and captures the rivet inside the punch. Two more are harvested in this manner before the collection is expelled from the punch into a bath of water using a wire plunger. The process is repeated, three rivets at a time, until a dozen or so are floating around in the pool (see second photo). A small paint brush is used to pick up and transfer each rivet onto the model. As I mentioned before, the individual resin rivets, having shed their decal film in the harvesting process, do not stick very well to the surface. Decal solvents help somewhat, but a light overcoat of primer is really needed to firmly affix them in place (see last photo). Hopefully this, along with the pictures below, helps answer the question. Thanks for your interest in the project! Rich Edited January 23 by RichB63 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bashace Posted April 21, 2023 Share Posted April 21, 2023 You can purchase this new release set at Spruebrothers: BBBB3D0031 1:48 Babibi Model 3D Detail Set - Rivets & Lines Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted May 5, 2023 Author Share Posted May 5, 2023 (edited) On 4/21/2023 at 10:12 AM, bashace said: You can purchase this new release set at Spruebrothers: BBBB3D0031 1:48 Babibi Model 3D Detail Set - Rivets & Lines bashace, thanks for the link. It’s good to see that other manufacturers are filling the void. Rich Edited July 14, 2023 by RichB63 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted May 5, 2023 Author Share Posted May 5, 2023 (edited) Tanks a Lot, Part Deux… The wing mounted 370 gallon tanks are finished. Tamiya have done a great job with these - more accurate and better detailed than anything previous. However, to facilitate some of this extra detail, each tank is comprised of three main sections: conventional left and right halves plus a bottom center piece, therefore complicating assembly and cleanup to a degree. Some of the raised surface features were inevitably lost in the filling and sanding stages…and I deliberately removed the rest, including the longitudinal clamp bar, so as to provide a blank canvas for the restoration work, ensuring a more uniform appearance in the end. Won’t Get Fueled Again… Past experience has taught me to avoid solvent cements when joining together fuel tanks. Here’s why… So, this time around, it was super glue all the way through. As with the big centerline tank from last month, girth and seam welds were simulated with thin, heat-stretched sprue, texturized with a fine beading tool. The raised collars at the section joins were restored with additional layers of gray primer… Archer Fine Transfers were once again used to depict the myriad raised fasteners that festoon the tanks…132 per unit. Also note the sunken (and shrunken) photo etched brass fuel cap - see previous installment on the centerline tank for details about these additions from Eduard. That’s all for now. The tanks were a welcome diversion. Now it’s back to those MLG wells. Thanks for tuning in! Rich Edited November 5, 2023 by RichB63 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted May 5, 2023 Share Posted May 5, 2023 Stunning work Rich ! Those tanks are models all by themselves. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BuNo02100 Posted May 5, 2023 Share Posted May 5, 2023 I take no consolation in the fact that even a master such as yourself has to deal with ghost seams like us mere mortals. Those tanks are fantastic though and will look magnificent slung under your Phantom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Memphis Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 14 hours ago, A-10 LOADER said: Stunning work Rich ! I think so too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted May 8, 2023 Share Posted May 8, 2023 Once complete it should be worthy of any museum display 🙂 -Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GeneK Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 On 1/29/2023 at 3:22 PM, wardog said: I've been following Rich on other modeling sites and often blown away at his creativeness and "out of the box" thinking. Are you allowed to mention the "other modeling sites" ... or post some thread links? Thanks, Gene K Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff C Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Incredible build. I’m following closely and appreciate the time you’ve talked to detail out your work. -Cliff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BillS Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 Truly, truly inspirational workmanship and creative skill. I really appreciate your penchant for technical accuaracy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted July 16, 2023 Author Share Posted July 16, 2023 (edited) @A-10 LOADER, @BuNo02100, @Memphis, @wardog, @lgl007, @Cliff C, @GeneK & @BillS… Thanks very much guys for browsing and taking the time and effort to post comments. As always, it’s most welcome and appreciated. As I’ve said before, my usual practice is to wait until the next update before acknowledging posts from the previous, simply as a way to reduce thread congestion. However, it’s been almost 3 months! The typical summer slowdown is mostly responsible for the lag. That said, I’ve been chipping away at the Phantom and should have something worthwhile sharing later this month. Cheers, Rich Edited July 17, 2023 by RichB63 Time line edited Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philippe.chauvin Posted July 16, 2023 Share Posted July 16, 2023 13 hours ago, RichB63 said: @A-10 LOADER, @BuNo02100, @Memphis, @wardog, @lgl007, @Cliff C, @GeneK & @BillS… Thanks very much guys for browsing and taking the time and effort to post comments. As always, it’s most welcome and appreciated. As I’ve said before, my usual practice is to wait until the next update before acknowledging posts from the previous, simply as a way to reduce thread congestion. However, it’s been 3 months! The typical summer slowdown is mostly responsible for the lag. That said, I’ve been chipping away at the Phantom and should have something worthwhile sharing later this month. Cheers, Rich Good morning we are all hoping to see this weasel 4 happen! seen all the improvements you have meticulously made. cheers philip Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted October 7, 2023 Author Share Posted October 7, 2023 (edited) No Man is an Island… …no modeler is either, despite the solitary nature of our pursuits. I’d like to acknowledge and thank a couple of ARC members for their help and support along the way. A few years ago @GW8345 sent me a file comprised of over a dozen detailed illustrations of external fuel tanks, including those used on Phantoms. They proved invaluable in the construction and detailing of the Royal Jet and Sargent Fletcher tanks which I covered here last Spring. Secondly, @Gene K sent me these beautiful 3D printed accessories for my build: Gerry and Gene: thanks for your generosity. And thanks for contributing here on a day-to-day basis. I’ve learned a great deal about fast jets from you both! And Back to Regularly Scheduled Programming… Well, it hasn’t been so regular of late…but I’m putting together the finishing touches on a new update that I’ll post here later this weekend. Edited October 9, 2023 by RichB63 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted October 8, 2023 Author Share Posted October 8, 2023 (edited) “Patches, Plugs and Spillways” Another sub assembly is complete - this time the broad and formidable shoulders of the beast. Once again, the Tamiya parts are accurate and well engineered, fitting together perfectly. I fabricated from scratch a couple of weasel specific antennas (patches), the early style intake covers (plugs) and the vari-ramp vent details (spillways)…a dam silly theme that (crudely) ties together this report! The patches For the AN/ALR-53 antenna fairings, I employed embossing techniques on .005” thick sheet plastic. First, a jeweler’s beading tool was used to create the small center circle. Next, the plastic was taped atop a steel circle scribing template, being careful to center things up. From behind, a sphere tipped embossing tool was rubbed against the plastic creating the dished impression. The parts were then separated and trimmed down to squares. Small tabs were added along the lower edges per references and the finished antennas were scabbed onto the air intakes. 1/48 scale HGW Rivets (the original black style) were applied individually to the antennas’ perimeter, mimicking, but not entirely replicating, the pattern shown in references. The lower rivet count maintains harmony with Tamiya’s more restrained approach to fastener depiction across the airframe. It also made my work easier! The Plugs There are any number of aftermarket Phantom intake covers available. But every set I’ve examined, including the one pictured below from Quickboost, depicts the late style design, introduced around the year 1976. Period photographs indicate that an earlier style cover, as seen on this USAFE F-4D, was used throughout the Vietnam War Era and slightly beyond. So I started from scratch. Going Retro The new covers (err, old covers) consist of 12 parts each…a baker’s dozen if we include the aluminum micro tube eyelets. Plastic used ranged in thickness from .005” to .040.” When fashioning smaller sections, like the eyelets, it’s often easier to start big and work your way down, as it makes for easier parts handling. “Glue holes” were punched into the thin backing sheets, allowing for an even, controlled application of low viscosity superglue, which ensures a strong, distortion free bond. Solvent cements are strictly forbidden when working with .005” sheet stock! To help create an even radius around the eyelet area, a punched brass disc was temporarily tack glued to the cover, forming a sanding template. The two handhold slots were formed by first drilling appropriately spaced holes in the thin plastic sheet. A Hasegawa Trytool Rivet Spacing Guide ensures precision alignment. Careful cutting and sanding between the holes create the elongated racetrack patterns. The hand grips are taking shape, again purposefully oversized at this stage. An engraved line was scored into the backside of the covers… …this in hopes of creating the illusion of an overlapping join with the intake lips, which themselves were trimmed back a couple of scale inches, reinforcing the look of fully seated ground covers enveloping the airframe. Primed and in place. Red, I want red, there’s no substitute for red! The Spillways More properly, the variable-ramp vents, part of a clever boundary layer air extraction system McDonnell engineers designed into the Phantom’s double-sonic rated jet intakes. Tamiya have depicted these vents; but the limitations of injection molding technology restrict their detail and finesse. I wanted to take it a step further, especially after measuring and photographing these interesting and complex features on a local museum example here in the Phoenix area. Again, the material of choice was sheet styrene: .005, .007 and .010 inch stock from Evergreen Plastics. Seven thousandth inch stock, you ask? In fact, my last two purchases of .005” sheet from Evergreen turned out to be 40% thicker than advertised; unexpected good fortune, as I now have an “in-between” option. Anyway, the vent side walls were thinned down or, where possible, replaced entirely with plastic card. Internal structure was added per references. The overlapping sleeves were also removed and replaced, along the way accounting for the noticeable gap seen in the lower sections. Thanks for tuning in! Rich Edited January 23 by RichB63 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wardog Posted October 8, 2023 Share Posted October 8, 2023 Stellar work, Rich! Again, your craftsmanship and attention to detail are unmatched. I can't wait to see what you have planned for the front office; whatever it is, I'm sure It'll be amazing. -Elmo Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BuNo02100 Posted October 8, 2023 Share Posted October 8, 2023 Wait, you included lightening holes on the back side of the covers that will never be seen? Not surprised at all, and such clean, precise work Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted October 8, 2023 Author Share Posted October 8, 2023 (edited) On 10/8/2023 at 1:01 AM, wardog said: Stellar work, Rich! Again, your craftsmanship and attention to detail are unmatched. I can't wait to see what you have planned for the front office; whatever it is, I'm sure It'll be amazing. -Elmo Thanks Elmo! I’ll get around to the cockpit eventually. I’m looking forward to it in fact. I’ve already acquired some aftermarket product, the centerpieces being the spectacular Sparkit Martin Bakers. All along, the assembly sequence for this build has been decidedly non-traditional - recall I started with the tail! Deviating from the instructions can be dangerous, but I think (and I certainly hope) that I’ve thought this through and not painted myself into any corners. We’ll see about that! My reasoning here is twofold: completing the underwing ordnance early on, for example, ensures these items get proper attention. When left until the end, they too often receive short shrift, as enthusiasm for the project inevitably wanes. Secondly, it allows for a degree of freedom and spontaneity, important factors in maintaining momentum over the long haul, which I’m certain you can relate to. Thanks again for the kind words. On 10/8/2023 at 4:59 AM, BuNo02100 said: Wait, you included lightening holes on the back side of the covers that will never be seen? Not surprised at all, and such clean, precise work Hi BuNo. And thanks for your continued support for this silly project! This latest update was heavy on pictures and light on explanatory text. On the overhanging back face of the covers, what appear to be lightening holes, are actually “glue holes.” I deliberately avoid the use of solvent cement on .005 inch thick plastic card as it can too easily distort the material. Instead, small drops of low viscosity superglue were applied through the holes (as well as around the perimeter). This method provides for a safe, controlled and distortion free bond. It also helps to ensure a flat planar join between parts, allowing the finished covers to fit snugly against the air intakes. Over the next day or two, I’ll go back and annotate this latest update which, admittedly, leaves a lot to the imagination! Edited October 11, 2023 by RichB63 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted October 8, 2023 Share Posted October 8, 2023 WOW, incredible scratch-building work Rich ! Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RichB63 Posted October 9, 2023 Author Share Posted October 9, 2023 3 hours ago, A-10 LOADER said: WOW, incredible scratch-building work Rich ! Steve Thanks Steve! I just finished editing yesterday’s update with additional explanatory text. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jenshb Posted October 9, 2023 Share Posted October 9, 2023 This is some of the crispest and cleanest modelling I've ever seen... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff C Posted October 10, 2023 Share Posted October 10, 2023 Amazing detailed and precise work. Thanks for taking the time to photograph and share. -Cliff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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