john stones 1 - Moderator Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Yep I thought BRG but left it be in case I got pulled by an enthusiast. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 Don't let the enthusiasts wear you down John. (don't know what the enthusiasts are though, I seem to be out of the loop!) I'm still not completely sure what the finished scheme is going to be but I do know that after Peter said that scallops are easy I had to have a go! They certainly don't look easy and I've never tried them before, mostly because they look very tricky! Tonight, like most of the week has been a late start in the shed. First job was to hinge up the tail end. The elevators and rudder were hinged with pin hinges and 20 minute epoxy. The elevator joiner was passed through the gap behind the tail plane and also lightly smeared with epoxy. A strip of packing tape was stuck to the tail plane behind the joiner to keep the glue away then the elevator halves were then fitted to the joiner and tail plane then clamped level with two strips of 1/4 sq spruce on top and below the tail plane on both sides. This should ensure that the elevator halves are in line with each other. Finally the rudder was fitted to the fin also using epoxy on the hinges. Then onto these scallops! This isn't necessarily the best or only way to do it and certainly no master class! First I fitted the wing to the fuselage and marked where the fuselage sides met the wing. I also made a mark 2" outside the fuselage line but that isn't needed! Then, after cutting two strips of covering I laid one out along a piece of plasterboard on the bench and taped it down. I then marked a line 25mm away from the strip. The distance from the tip of the wing to the fuselage side is 590mm so I devided that by ummm, 7 scallops which gave me a spacing of 84mm and a bit! The first spacing from the wing tip is only half that so the cross marks start at 42mm. The compass cutter was set to 100mm diameter and I set the pin on each mark and cautiously marked where each scallop was going to meet the edge of the strip. I don't know if the maths works out correctly or whether it doesn't matter but the intersections were pretty much spot on, so I cut them! Pulling the strip from the plaster board I laid it on the wing and was astounded how easy it was! Peter was right! It looks great but is so easy to do! To cut the strip for the other side I flipped the strip up side down so the backing was on top and repeated the simple operation. The backing was removed and the strip positioned on the wing with masking tape and ironing commenced, carefully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 I also added the tapered covering to the centre section to flow into the fuselage and after 30 minutes the wing was done! Like I said this is by no means a materclass, it's just really easy like Peter said! My covering skills aren't that good though! Whilst removing a stubborn wrinkle the covering on the underside of the wing "popped" I'll sort that out later when I'm not so annoyed about it! Still, if I leave it built up like this I'm sure I won't be annoyed for too long! Definitely doing scallops again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McG 6969 Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Great work, Chris ... and above all fantastic tutorial with a lot of how to's & pictures. Thanks again for that and for your visits & comments to my blog.. Hakuna matata ! Chris BRU - BE / CTR Scallop Control Edited By McG 6969 on 29/01/2016 08:48:05 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 I told you so!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 I like that very much, great choice of colours as well, not so sure i'll find it easy though. What's going off at the front end I don't see a cowl on there ? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Looking great. I am still working on another project (slowly) but am itching to get mine started seeing this! Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Nice job Chris. I don't bother with the trammel cutter, I just scour the kitchen for suitable sized saucers, plates, jar tops - whatever - and cut around them. I cut two strips at a time by folding the film double with the backing on the outside and cut through both layers at once. Backing on the outside? You can draw alignment marks on the backing to your hearts content and if you don't quite get through both layers at the first cut, it's only backing sheet that gets missed. Also, if you are cutting reducing sized scallops or a taper you end up with a handed pair. Green and yellow does look good Edited By Bob Cotsford on 29/01/2016 10:18:48 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Fold up doubled, I like that, the simple ideas are the little gems and the ones that often escape you. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whatgoesup.... Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 That colour combination does look the part Chris, a way to go before I get there but your build keeps the motivation going ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 That looks great Chris. I would never have thought of using that colour combination, but it really looks the wonderful Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 Looks very elegant and understated. I like it a lot and I wouldn't have picked dark green and yellow, either, but it gives the model a 1930s period look that suits the style of Peter's design. Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyD Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted January 29, 2016 Author Share Posted January 29, 2016 Posted by john stones 1 on 29/01/2016 09:39:44: I like that very much, great choice of colours as well, not so sure i'll find it easy though. What's going off at the front end I don't see a cowl on there ? John Nope not yet! Like the decoration I've still not completely decided what I'm doing there. You could say I make it up as I go along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Thomas Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 That looks superb Chris. Really like the look of that. Love the idea of those scallops. Might have a go with mine. Don't have a special cutter though, maybe I could cut around a Coke can? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Craig, you could do with something a bit bigger than a Coke can as my cutter was set to 100mm diameter. I think a coke can is about 70-80mm? But yes you could mark them out and just use something round as a template for cutting. Made a start on the undercarriage and wasn't really intending on posting much about it but realised 8swg wire is a bit hard to bend with pliers so... To start off this is my kit I will use. Bolt croppers to cut the wire quickly, a home made wire bender, brake cleaner to clean the wire, marker pen, steel ruler and finally some wire. The wire bender is very simple to make and is invaluable. It has bent up to 6swg wire for my A1 Skyraider! First off, clean the wire with the brake cleaner. The wire is usually coated with anti rust grease, oil and grease off hands. The wire was marked at 25mm to go into the wing, 220mm to go in the slot then 85mm to the wheel. This was marked on both ends and the remainder in the middle divided in half and cut with the croppers. The base plate for the bender is clamped in the vice and the wire positioned up to the mark The arm of the bender is then positioned over the base plate and the bolt is hooked around the wire. A steady pull and the wire is bent to 90 degrees. This is repeated for each of the bends with some thought for bend direction and the amount of rake required. After bending it looks like this with a little rake added at the inboard end that goes into the block in the wing and hopefully should fit like this Then another leg was made but in the opposite hand. Important for the rake angle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 How wide are your wheels John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Let's have a picture of what the vice is gripping please. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 I also quite fancied boots for my Ballerina, but not dainty boots of "shoes". I'm thinking long, kinky boots! I started off with 4 pieces of 1/8th lite ply about 4" x 5". I stood these up against the undercarriage and loosely drew around them with a marker and cut one roughly to shape. This was then refined a couple of times until I was happy with it. This was used as a template to cut the other 3 pieces. I then marked the wheel position on 2 of then and cut that out. I cut a strip of 1/2 balsa 1" wide and a strip of 1/4 ply 1/2" wide. The balsa was glued to the full side first then the 1/4 ply was glued to the back of the lite ply for the securing screws to fasten to. The cut out side was then glued on. The assembled boot was then test fitted to the undercarriage All trial and error at this stage but it's pretty close. The balsa was then sanded to a radius, £1 at the front and 1p at the back! A little concerned I was making lead boots I weighed a "normal" wheel spat. Then weighed one of my kinky boots. Now that was a surprise! The boots will be fixed to the undercarriage wire with brass strips soldered to the wire and screwed into the 1/4 ply inside the boot. The position of the wire was marked on the boot. I accurately marked the position of the 1/4 ply by pushing the tip of a scalpel through the lite ply from inside the boot next to the 1/4 ply. This gave me the angle required for the brass strip. The strip was bent around an offcut of wire to form an angled saddle clamp. The position drawn on the boot was transferred to a sacrificial piece of lite ply and the under carriage wire and clamp fitted in place after cleaning with emery cloth and flux. The clamp was then soldered by placing a 100W iron in the wire next to the brass strip and heating it untill the wire on the other side of the brass was hot enough to melt the solder. A wheel was placed under the lite ply to ensure the brass clamp was parallel to the wheel whilst being soldered. Because my wheels have aluminium hubs I didn't have to worry about the heat from soldering! After cooling and cleaning with a flat and round file the boots were tried on! They still need a little refining and more clearance at the rear where they meet the wing but overall I'm happy with them. Building ad hoc without a plan can be a messy business with lots of tools out to try different ideas! Now to make the other boot and tidy up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Posted by john stones 1 on 30/01/2016 19:45:52: Let's have a picture of what the vice is gripping please. John The vice isn't gripping very much at all John! Just the other ends of the bolts that you can see. There are nuts on the other side of the plate where you can see the 2 bolt heads. The other side of the "pin" is just a bolt head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I like them John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 A little tweaking, tinkering and covering later... And the other way up... I'm not sure I like the wheel cut outs and may make cover panels for them yet. I also thing they need a green detail on the leading edges? Opinions welcome please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted January 31, 2016 Author Share Posted January 31, 2016 Posted by john stones 1 on 30/01/2016 19:44:24: How wide are your wheels John Missed that post John! They're wide, really wide! Mew Gull wide! No fear of scuffing a wing tip on landing though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Ah you've surprised me there, I thought the cut away part was the inside ? yep they want some Green trim on. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 They will contain the mod ok. Not sure what I am doing about legs and spats yet. Jury still out but I agree they look the part nice one Chris m Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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