Jez Harris 1 Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 A few gentle tweaks and a touch of scale grunting later... I simply slid some heatshrink tubing over the ali tues and used fuse wire to simulate the hose connectors. To make the metal attachment brackets I cut some simple strips of lithoplate and laid it accross a couple of similar diameter rods to the ali tube. Another rod over the top and a quick tap with something heavy... Leaves a suitable looking fixing bracket.... When fixed in place with 000 size screws I think it looks passable.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 The top is given the same treatment with the tubes tucked inside the covering. Other jobs completed include the staining of the turtle deck. Next jobs will the rigging and then covering the bottom wings. Its getting there!! Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Posted by Tim Hooper on 25/07/2014 21:30:08: OK. Spill. Where did you get the ball-link thingies from? tim Hi Tim - they are from Nexus - just under £5 each - they had loads at Cosford. They are made by Sullivan Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 More work completed... I came accross these beauties at a show recently and thought..Mmmmmm there must be loads of applications for those.. They are called eyebolts and these are m3 in size.. I reckoned uses could be rigging attachment points or similar so I thought I would experiment. First off a bit of servo installation - these 2 drive the rudder and elevator - the elevators are driven via closed loop via a large aluminium arm to give a chunk of mechanical advantage. The push rod connects to the innermost hole of the servo arm. The servos are Hitec 645's and are fitted on a removeable tray. So straight off there is a use for the eyebolts as adjustable connectors for the closed loop. Note the use of locknuts and petrol tubing to keep everything where I want it. Another tip when using closed loop is to run the wire through the ferrule twice - there is no way that it can slide undone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 It was then on with the rigging.. The instructions are a bit vague around this area but a quick google and a check in my Sopwith Pup book from JM Bruce gave the process for rigging the full size..if its good enough for a real plane then its ok for the model! First step - support the fus in the flying position with the top longeron horizontal. A few bits of string with plumb bobs attached to the absolute midde of the centre section allowed me to align it directly over the centre line of the fus, string from the back corners of the centre section to the fin post saw it aligned in a similar way to centering the wing on a smaller model. I want to get the rigging absolutely cock on so I am first of all rigging it with bicycle gear cable silver soldered to M3 adjusters fitted with standard adjustable clevis,,When happy I will use the flat rigging wires supplied with the kit. the reason for doing it this way is that the 2 clevis; allow over 20mm of adjustment whereas the MR wires give 5mm max. They are absolutely rock solid though - my other 3rd scale stuff fly using bike/gear cables as rigging. - no crappy plastic coating to knacker up the soldering like the thin stuff available in model shops. To get the dihedral correct I just lodged a box in the right place to give me the correct height at the tip. dead easy to then connect the landing wires to firstly the bottom wing, install the struts and connect the flying wires to the top panels. the is no wash in or wash out to set so nice straight rigging is order of the day. Lots of wires! But before long a fully rigged pup was sitting in the spare room - Result!!...Beer o'clock!! This has finally got me to the point where I can identify the exact point that the flying wires pass through the lower wing panel - The wires go through a channel iset n the covering and connect to the top of the undercarriage - no chance of the fittings pulling through wood on this kit like Balsa USA kits- they bolt to the metal struts of the U/C as per the full size. I can finally get on with the remainder of the covering. Got to leave the pup to one side for a few days as I need to do a couple of servicing and repair jobs on the Nieuport in readiness for Shuttleworth Main WW1 event on Sunday - Dawn Patrol will be doing a staic show there and also a spot of flying before the full size...Its an ace place and seeing the full size WW1 stuff fly is stunning! Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Fracica Posted August 15, 2014 Share Posted August 15, 2014 Jez, This is a great thread. I am currently building the Balsa USA 1/3 scale Pup. Because of the work that you are doing I am making various modifications to mine. One question, where did you purchase your 3mm eye bolts? I'm in the US and I have searched the internet but have not found anything like that. I am also working on a 1/4 scale SE5A with scale landing gear and I have been looking for something exactly like what you have. All the eye bolts I find are on line have a big opening and they are made out of wire instead of having the machined top. Thanks, Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Master class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Posted by Andy Fracica on 15/08/2014 20:55:59: Jez, This is a great thread. I am currently building the Balsa USA 1/3 scale Pup. Because of the work that you are doing I am making various modifications to mine. One question, where did you purchase your 3mm eye bolts? I'm in the US and I have searched the internet but have not found anything like that. I am also working on a 1/4 scale SE5A with scale landing gear and I have been looking for something exactly like what you have. All the eye bolts I find are on line have a big opening and they are made out of wire instead of having the machined top. Thanks, Andy Thank you Andy.. Try here for the eyebolts - its where I sourced mine.. http://www.slecuk.com/catalogue/General-Accessories.html Jez Thank ou for the encoragement Cymaz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 It's beautiful Jez, you make all the fine detail sound so easy and it's far from that John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Posted by Andy Fracica on 15/08/2014 20:55:59: Jez, This is a great thread. I am currently building the Balsa USA 1/3 scale Pup. Because of the work that you are doing I am making various modifications to mine. One question, where did you purchase your 3mm eye bolts? I'm in the US and I have searched the internet but have not found anything like that. I am also working on a 1/4 scale SE5A with scale landing gear and I have been looking for something exactly like what you have. All the eye bolts I find are on line have a big opening and they are made out of wire instead of having the machined top. Thanks, Andy Forgot to say - make the rigging attachment points better on the BUSA pup - they are very weak - we have had a couple of losses where the fitting pulled out. They fly superbly though!! Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Fracica Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Posted by Jez Harris 1 on 18/08/2014 18:19:24: Forgot to say - make the rigging attachment points better on the BUSA pup - they are very weak - we have had a couple of losses where the fitting pulled out. They fly superbly though!! Jez Thanks for the web address Jez. I have sent them an email to see if they can ship to the US and If they will sell in bulk. I'd like to order about 100 of the eye bolts. On the rigging points, I agree with you about them being weak. I am intending to make them more scale like. I am going to make the landing gear closer to scale using a combination of music wire, steel tubing, and thin steel ribbon to replicate the look of the original. I'm going to solder a rigging point bracket on the landing for the rear diagonal wire. I'm also making the cabane struts to scale as well and I am going to replicate the attachment points on the on the center section. So I have my work cut out for me but it will be a labor of love. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Yippee...... Finally finished all of the covering and all of the stitching, rib tapes and perimeter tapes!! So I can get on with some detailing again. First off the wheels... I want to get as close to these as possible...**LINK** Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 So it was back out with the Mick reeves wheels I built a few months ago. They are a bit light on detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 So once again I got the fibre washers out to add the rim to the valve hole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 The wheel covers are simple plastic covers held on with doubles sided tape..they can be a bit prone to falling off so I think I can kill 2 birds with one stone here. I want to both strengthen the attachment and add the rim detail. So I ironed a simple strip of text to the edge of the disc, which was then folded inside the rim and secured...I think the pictures explain it better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 I also managed to paint the forward metal panels and access panels.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 27, 2014 Author Share Posted August 27, 2014 The light makes the colour look a bit odd...they aren't pink honest !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Fracica Posted August 27, 2014 Share Posted August 27, 2014 Jez, This looks great! Thanks for the link to that great picture archive. You have inspired me. I have taken my Balsa USA Pup and completely reconfigured the fuse to look like the the full scale bird, at least in the areas that you will be able to see from the outside. Once it is a little further along, I'll post a picture for you to see. I struck out with that company that had the eye bolts, they were not going to stock them any more and they didn't know where the previous company owner bought them, so my search continues... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 28, 2014 Author Share Posted August 28, 2014 Posted by Andy Fracica on 27/08/2014 22:37:33: Jez, This looks great! Thanks for the link to that great picture archive. You have inspired me. I have taken my Balsa USA Pup and completely reconfigured the fuse to look like the the full scale bird, at least in the areas that you will be able to see from the outside. Once it is a little further along, I'll post a picture for you to see. I struck out with that company that had the eye bolts, they were not going to stock them any more and they didn't know where the previous company owner bought them, so my search continues... Thats a shame...try The Balsa Cabin - they also had some although you will need to email or phone them as their on line catalogue doesnt list them. Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Ok - the wheels are now primed and painted so time for finishing details. I have purchased a full set of masks, stencils and rubdowns from Nigel at Flightline Graphics. He is ace!! - really knowledgeable, very helpful and very well priced too!! He produced exactly the graphics I asked for and knocked up some tyre stencils too.. A quick application of proper rubber tyre paint ordered off evil bay and I quicly ended up with this.. I dont think thats too far off the original..just needs dirtying up a bit (couple of landings will do that!!) Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 29/08/2014 20:28:30 Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 29/08/2014 20:36:34 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 So you wanna know how the stencils work - OK... The stencils are supplied on easy to remove backing sheets.. They have wonderfully thought out alignment tabs built in -you can just make out a little greyish circle on the tab - it lines up perfectly with the centre of the axle, however I'm a maverick so I removed the tyres so I could work on both the tyres and the rims at the same time. The stencil backing is quite tacky so it grabs really well to most surfaces - its not 100% effective on rubber tyres but I dont think much is!! You rub the protective layer really well to get the stencil to stick thoroughly - then peel the protective layer off. The next photo isnt very good but you can see what is left behind - just the stencil/mask. I gave a another rubbing down to make sure it was fixed firmly. then its on with the tyre paint, I added loads of paint as I want a line of raised letters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Can you reuse the stencil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Next its a case of peeling the mask off - I do it whilst the paint is still going off as I dont want to risk cracking bits off. The only thing left to do is to remove the centres of letters like O and P and A etc..I use a scalpel to pick out the bits. Finally I have applied the rub downs on the inside of the wheel discs and given the discs a quick coat of Ronseal waterbased satin varnish. The varnish is still wet here so will dull down as it dries. I'm happy with the finish! Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jez Harris 1 Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 Posted by cymaz on 29/08/2014 21:54:52: Can you reuse the stencil? Sorry Cymaz - missed your question earlier... No they are not re-usable but Nigel supplied 6 in the set so no need to re-use anything. Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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