Dave Hopkin Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 First ever attempt so it can only get better (I hope) when the size has dried a bit going to burnish it with the back of a spoon And thanks looking forwards to seeing how the package pans out when I try it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Nice looking Maggie Delta Foxtrot.... the plane has a real charm about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Its one of the options percy..... still experimenting! Got some lithoplate arriving shortly we shall see what sort of dogs dinner I can make of that! Still got the wings to build so not in a rush for the cowl - so have time to experiment!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Foxtrot Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Posted by Dave Hopkin on 21/07/2015 12:50:51: Nice looking Maggie Delta Foxtrot.... the plane has a real charm about it Thanks Dave! I am following your build with interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Foxtrot Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I saw the 1/2 scale version at Cosford on Saturday and it was one of the best aircraft on display for me. it was flown in a nice scale fashion and looked spot on. Lovely model. I think the AS strakes were added after several accidents when early Maggies failed to recover from spins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 21, 2015 Author Share Posted July 21, 2015 Yes I saw the 1/2 scale one at Cosford on Sunday - gorgeous model but missed it flying somehow! Yep the early ones could get into a terminal spin, they raised the tailplane a bit and added the strakes, but I think it was a fairly common thing, Tiggies and Chippies have them too...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 Well given up on the aluminium gilding foil - probably a skill that takes a while to learn - fallen back on Humbrol Metalcote - only partly burnished yet but its passable (just) Spot were the masking tape didnt!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 No!!, don't give up, Dave. To be brutally honest, you need a much smoother surface than what I can see there, before putting any kind of foil on, but...you could make the bulk of the cowl with an overlay of litho plate, which will need bending in one direction only. Then, if you can get the nose piece smooth enough, you could try the much better Sellotape aluminium or even a beaten piece of malleable ally, but you would have to carve a wooden or Ureol hammer form for that, first. I'm afraid there ain't no quick way round foiling, mate. It's like electro-plating. You only get the finish that's underneath. Maybe this is where Depron has to hold it's hands up and say, "OK, I give up, I can't take a glossy finish". Considering its other advantages, I'd say that was not too high a price to pay. Cheers, MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 I think we - well certainly I !! have found a limit with Depron, In that it seems virtually impossible to get a smooth enough surface to take a finish to take a layering that is so unforgiving... yep its a small price to pay!!! I dont think I am going to make a former for the cowl - I think the next time I tackle something with a large expanse of naked ali I will do a former and try the lithoplate method - but not for this one Want to get it in the air before what passes for our summer vanishes into memory! and I have a set of wings to do as well.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 I'm pretty much certain that from experience with the Barnstormer, which used 17gm glass-cloth with Ezekote over Depron and the XB42, which is just Depron and EzeKote, that you won't get a durable smooth finish without the glass cloth. The surface on the Barnstormer was as good as balsa, but the XB42 is more like a relief map. As I've mentioned elsewhere, there's no doubt that gloss silver is just about the worst possible choice though, it really shows it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 I think that's perfectly fair, Dave. But don't try to hammer litho plate round a hammer form. It's too hard without softening and that's a bloomin' minefield! Use the malleable ally. You can hammer that (where you can't just push it) with hard wood. I use odd ends of Lignum Vitae, but boxwood or something like pear will do it. Use the end grain. Leaves no marks. An actual hammer would be a bit brutal. This 8" long Bentley body was entirely hammered over pear forms in softened copper with a Lignum Vitae "palm hammer". A rush job...took 3 weeks and 3 days. Couldn't do it now! Cheers, MrTin Edited By Foxfan on 24/07/2015 22:05:51 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 Was just reading your comments about silver on the Mixmaster thread.... I am tempted to give is a layer of glass tissue and multiple coats of Floor varnish, then try the humbrol metal cote again - the frustrating thing is that despite the surface feeling like a babies bum the metalic paint makes it look like the surface of the moon.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 I think you could improve this no end with an application of lightweight filler and then the lightweight glass with Ezecoat and flat that back. Model boaters do that and you can't tell it's been done on a varnished hull! MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 24, 2015 Author Share Posted July 24, 2015 Mr Tin I have friends who restore wooden canal barges (and drag me in as "acting upaind labourers mate" from time to time when something needs more hands (or a right mug to get covered in 100 years old crud!) but they have some Greenheart wood there, with a little arm twisting I am sure a minature malletty thingy could be produced on their machinery Edited By Dave Hopkin on 24/07/2015 22:23:20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 Dave, greenheart is wonderful stuff and I used two planks of it in my canal boat restoration, BUT...it is very toxic. A splinter of that stuff will fester and go septic in no time, so be very careful if using it to make a malletty thing! I could send you some pear if you like. I have a lump handy. just need to put a new blade in the bandsaw. You'll know, then, what my dear wife and I went through restoring Heather Bell for two years! I hate oak! Cheers, MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 You're right Mr. Tin, I've found the best result is to use lightweight filler, but always to put a couple of coats of Ezekote on the filler because it sinks in and makes it far more robust. With patience then you can get a reasonable result. It's a lot of work though. The glass-cloth doesn't add a lot of weight and it transforms the structure stiffness and surface smoothness. I've deliberately not done it on the Mixmaster because I wanted to make the comparison between with and without. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 25, 2015 Author Share Posted July 25, 2015 Well bit the bullet late last night and slapped around a lot of filler found the cowl - started the process of sanding back and buffing with some foam sponge before floor vanishing it (Ezecote equivalent but half the price!) probably going to take three or fout coats and sands to get a good finish on it, I have glass tissue in reserve if I have to add that! Also went into the art shop and picked up several types of metal paint - Silver Gilding Liquid (by pebeo) and some chrome (by plastikote) - test pieces show neither attack depron and both have decidely aluminium look to them Edited By Dave Hopkin on 25/07/2015 12:01:14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 25, 2015 Share Posted July 25, 2015 Ah, now Plastikote do make (or used to) a very highly pigmented metallic. I once used their gold on a sign and from a short distance it really looked brassy. Trouble is, they are now acrylic based, where they used to be enamel and I had their acrylic attack itself and ruin a resto. job on an old model boat. I contacted the firm in high dudgeon and they sent me the last pots of enamel in the office free! Much better than the thin, non covering acrylic muck. You could try Alclad, but it is seriously fussy stuff. It goes on a gloss black base and cannot be over coated. If you want the cowl to look like a McLaren F1 car, it's fine, but not easy stuff to use. MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electriflier Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Dave, Pleasure to see you again today and what a thrill to see the lovely little Magister in the flesh. As discussed, the Aluminium foil used on the Texan can be seen around the exhaust area. Keep up the good work! Regards Roy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Cheers for the Ali tip Roy, I will call in at Toolstation and get some of the tape,I have roughly similar spare cowl to practise on - so we will see And a treat to see the Vulcan with its wings on too... Nice coffee btw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Dave, if you can't get any, I can send you some as mentioned several posts back. PM me if so. Cheers, MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Wing structure done, just got to true up the spar ends and join the sections then skin it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Hopkin Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Grey strip on the TE is 3mm Depron as the underplate will be heavily sanded away to make the upcast on the Clark-YH section Likewise the 6mm strip on the LE is there to a) give a bigger glueing area b) the underside will be sanded away to give the correct profile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Looking very promising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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