Well 2011 is almost upon us. Yes, I know, I should be working on finishing my first plane before thinking about future projects. But that's not how hobbies work, right? Besides I'm stuck at work typing this on my Blackberry surround by very grumpy gamblers!
So here are my solid modelling goals for 2011;
-Finish my 1/72 ID spitfire. I have now decided to paint it properly instead of just black.
-Build a 1/60 scale Sopwith Tabloid based on the Fiddlersgreen card model.
-Build a 1/144th scale Battle of Britain mobile for my nephews bed room ceiling. This will be two German and two British fighters chasing each other in circles. My plan will be to reduce ID models to 1/144 scale.
-Build the Seth Parker schooner in the file section but convert it to a ship in a bottle.
Also several non solid model wood working projects. Does anyone else have any goals or plans for 2011 yet?
Peter
I vow to finish:
1/72 Yukon
1/48 Argus
1/32 Sabre
1/24 Hawk
As too what I will do next:
1/72 ID + Texan/Harvard and F4U Corsair
Attempt placing undercarriage on ID + models
Do some work on the Bonnie, and
Build whatever inspires me.
Happy New Years to all and keep your blade sharp.
Lou
Happy New Year Again To All Our Members. As to plans I got this far and that's planning enough for now. But I hope to finish my P51, Hellcats and redo a Mosquito in the New Year - maybe more but never as many models as some of our members are able to complete.Also, perhaps we could rethink our general approach to cook ups. Could we have a cook up that included a subject- eg. an era, or aircraft that in total were of a particular historical significance regardless of say, country of origin. In this way we may be able to contribute more as a group to model building's importance.
Cliff.
Cliff, only requirement for the cook ups is two people agreeing to do them. If you have an idea for one, feel free to post it. If someone else seconds it, Ray will happily sends us on our way.
As my main project for the year, unless someone changes my mind, I would like to build a Sopwith Triplane in 1/32 scale. I wanted to build it the year after the Pup but others bumped that project. It doesn't technically fit the WWI cook up but that's what I want to build!
Cliff, I hope you come up with something different and interesting. I like a challenge.
Ken Pugh
Why doesn't the Sopwith Triplane fit in the WWI cook-up?
Lou
It had to be an allied biplane.
Thanks Dave. I forgot that criteria. Does anyone know how many WWI triplane type there were. Perhaps we can have a Triplane cook-up. 1/32 is not a bad scale for WWI size crafts.
Lou
Quote from: lastvautour on January 01, 2011, 07:45:26 PM
Does anyone know how many WWI triplane type there were. Lou
Lou, according to the excellent book
The Fighting Triplanes by Evan Hadingham there were approximately 90 different triplane types built during 1914-1918. Of these only two made it into operational use in any number.....the Sopwith Triplane followed by the Fokker Dr.I.
There are many aircraft from WWI I would love to build, triplanes, monoplanes, and biplanes. It might get out of hand creating a different cookup for each. Maybe we should consider what many other modeling forums do and that is have categories for different eras. We can have an aircraft category, at the same level as general category. Inside that category, we can have all the different eras setup by admin, i.e. pioneer, WWI, golden age, WWII, air racing, flying boats, lighter than air, helicopters, early jets, cold war jets, and a next generation era of jets topic. The last topic title would need some thought, maybe 21st century jets? Members would post threads inside these topic areas within the categories.
I say set up an aircraft category because as we expand, we may have specialists in cars, ships, scifi, etc. that can all have separate categories. Admin can also create subcategories in each of these.
Our active community has grown so much maybe it is time to provide the structure for specialization. With the introduction of categories and eras, this would allow members to post their thoughts, research, techniques, etc. that are specific to particular types of aircraft. I, for one, build my WWI planes differently from the other solids. I build the fuselage stick and tissue style but everything else is solid. I have also seen some beautiful WWI models created entirely from paper, not the typical paper models but built up with different colored paper with different textures. I think it would be interesting if eventually some of us build our models in the Japanese style with built up interiors and clear canopies. Having these different categories can also encourage someone who is a ship modeler or car modeler contribute instead of thinking this is an airplane only forum. It would be great if the scifi modelers contributed their electronic techniques for light and sound.
This site could become a repository of research into the many fields that we model. As others come here to take advantage of the research, they may see how easy and satisfying building models from solid wood, or any other scratchbuilding technique, truly is. I get tired of seeing plastic sites continually say scratchbuilding is too hard and you can't make wood look like metal. As far as I am concerned, you can't really make plastic look like metal either, especially in really small scales. We may also consider giving an idea of actual costs in our models threads. Some plastic modelers may be shocked to find how much money they can save by building models this way. Imagine how incredible it would be if someone like Rojas Bazan joined and divulged the technique of building models entirely from metal.
http://www.rojasbazan.com/index.html (http://www.rojasbazan.com/index.html)
This is just a thought for future growth. This past year we have added several members who have contributed different ideas and techniques. What is great is that they may not have felt they were up to par with the group, but have actually contributed many new ideas and different approaches that have benefited other members and are inspiring new model ideas. I am sure there are many who look over this site daily and who are not showing their models, but who are actually coming around to this style of model building and may contribute in the future.
So, I raised the flag, commence firing at it! We can debate whether we want to expand in this general way or if we would rather keep this specialized on solid wood only in the style of ID models. There is merit in both philosophies.
Ken Pugh
You don't need to wait for a cook-up to build something/anything you want.
I agree with everything you say Ken. I think as the Forum grows diversifying the boards will attract a wider variety of model builders. Also we shouldn't forget attracting wood carvers too. In my opinion solid modeling is as much a wood carving
as it is a model. Maybe a beginners board would be a good idea? It would be less intimidating for new guys like me to show their stuff.
Peter
For a while I lurked the old SMM, when it was an MSN forum, then I carved three or four small airliner models in my top-secret skunkworks facility before I joining up, just to be sure they would work out. It's great to see members willing to give it a try for the first time here, brave. :)
Hi Ken. I believe that I agree with the substance of all you have said. In particular with your views regarding the requirement for specific categories of models or modelling and the Groups' contribution to the field as a "repository of research."
My ultimate aim was to encourage the Group to somehow adopt a method so as to be able to contribute to the historic place that aviation has played in overall economic development - widening of the market, mapping and aerial photography, exploration, mining of scarce resources, basic transportation to remote sites, development of aviation vehicles (improvements in speed and distance capabilities) - to think of a few. In brief, to contribute historically and uniquely as only this type of hobby activity may be in position to do. That is, because the models chosen are independent of external pressures of supply - the choice of model does not depend on a commercial supplier - we are uniquely able to provide a historic perspective.
In turn, because of the time involved to individually pursue such a goal, a group effort - possibly relying on a collective agreement in the form of "cook up" - is likely required.
Finally, its likely because of age that I am forced to encourage group activity and a societal or universal benefit.
Cliff
Ken wrote -
'I get tired of seeing plastic sites continually say scratchbuilding is too hard and you can't make wood look like metal. As far as I am concerned, you can't really make plastic look like metal either, especially in really small scales'
Well here is a good idea for a cook up,lets prove that you can make wood look like metal in fact you can make wood look like anything you want to regardless of scale,despite what modellers think plastic does have its limitations,manufacturers sell detail these days but personally I enjoyed building the more robust plastic kits years ago,anyway regardless of this we build in wood for many reasons,why do I build solids ? mostly because you can build what you want to any scale and any degree of detail or finish,I used to display my solids mixed amongst the plastic models at shows and got fed up of people saying 'Which kit is that' ? so a bit of grain proves useful to prove it was a solid after all ! there are some excellent scratch builders of the plastic model variety out there that would be perfectly capable of carving a model given a little guidance,perhaps by infiltrating the plastic model groups as myself and Lou do our work can be shown and make others think,I am not after converting anyone but you do get a buzz from proudly showing something that was built from the ground up in scrap wood etc.
Yes this group is really growing nicely,the output on last years models is quite staggering,I bet that not many plastic modellers can equal this ? solid models are far from dead,in fact in some ways they are going full circle thanks to this group again,the pooling of plans and ideas is excellent.
So get out your best filler,the shiny silver buffed up and build your favourite metal airplane,I will even do one in balsa if needs be to show what can be done,well on reflection I did it last year with the Sikorsky S-34 in fact,almost forgot that !
Some great ideas Ken.
Barry.
I was just talking to a friend on the phone last night about painting the bare-metal effect on solid models. One 1930s Popular Science magazine recommended stripping the foil from the inside of toothpaste tubes and rubbing pieces of it, gold-leaf style, with a burnisher onto the model. That technique might be a bit difficult now, though someone, I think Jeff H, recommended ding something similar with thin budget brand aluminum foil and adhesive. I think some past discussions here covered various paints.
Barry, I loved seeing those two Sikorsky models develop. I hope to build one too.
You can do the same thing with a material called 'Rub-N-Buff' it comes in gold,silver,aluminium etc and is sold for picture framing,you apply Japan gold size,allow this to go tacky and rub on the foil with the back of a spoon etc,the foil covers straight over the grain of the wood and hides it ! the toothpaste tube idea was the same but doubtful if materials like that are used on tubes any more due to safety issues,most tube material is now inert or even polythene plastic flexi tubes.
You can buy aluminium iron on material called Solarfilm,it is basically for flying models but I have used it successfully on solids and it irons on like a dream,they do a really shiny finish in Monocote the American equivalent,and in Germany 'Orocover'
My father used to use the inside silver paper from cigarette packets stuck on with clear varnish allowed to half cure when it is tacky,he did the engine cowl of an Hawker Hind and it looked superb.
Some Christmas gift wrapping has really shiny silver finish,then the inners of card boxes this time of year can be split apart layer by layer revealing a silver membrane on the outside,the trace of card/paper deposit is ideal for glueing down.
Just a few ideas to try.
Barry.
For years I have been searching for a metal foil adhesive to apply cheap aluminum foil to models. I wanted to replace the Metal Foil Adhesive available for plastic models that was pretty expensive. At the local craft store I found Speedball Metal Leaf Adhesive Size. Because I can get it at A.C. Moore/Michael's, I can use the weekly 40% coupons to get it really cheap. I don't remember which of the two stores had it but they both have a very extensive amount of foil products. You can find several different foil metals, adhesives, burnishers, etc. Once my filling techniques are up to par I will be very eager to try this product.
I still haven't gotten my surface finishing technique to the point that the surface is smooth, hard, and totally devoid of grain. I know it is possible but I must not be doing something right. I tend to try to get the surface really smooth before using sanding sealer, maybe I need to use it earlier in the process to strengthen and seal the surface.
As far as paints go, I had really good success using cheap craft metallic paint. The Fireball XL5 is a case in point. I started with Krylon aluminum paint that looked great, but completely changed when clear coated. It also flaked off when the clear coat was lightly sanded. This was applied over a Krylon primer so I won't be using it again.
The metallic acrylics worked great, could be sanded, and did not flake. They produce a highly durable finish I promptly went out and bought a bunch of colors in metallic for future use.
As far as subjects go, one has to be careful about what was bare aluminum and what was actually aluminum lacquer. The F-101 had severe corrosion problems and was converted to lacquer very early. WWII subjects are great bare aluminum prospects. They weren't expected to last very long and the bare aluminum was not a problem. We see some private aircraft and warbirds today that are not only bare aluminum, but are also highly polished.
If our group had several bare metal models for display we would really turn some heads!
Ken Pugh
Speaking of polishing metal as used on full sized aircraft this is the worst thing that any owner can do,I know they buff em up for Oshkosh and the like but successive buffs takes off the this but vital surface protection on the alloy leaving it open to corrosion,also a lot of buffing makes the alloy thin,there was a chap who used to keep his Beech 18 sparkling,they had to scrap it in the end because of the latter problem,thickness of the metal skinning,the British Queens Flight stopped doing it for this very reason,they used to have De Havilland Heron's that you could shave with ! airworthiness authorities are getting wise to this problem and advising owners not to do it.
Barry.
Dare I suggest a metal finish B-36 Bomber as a subject ! lots of work but boy it would look good.
Barry.
One big puzzle I need to solve before using actual metal is how to paint it. I know acrylics easily wear off aluminum unless there is a primer underneath. Will I have to mask off and prime every thing separately, like anti-glare paint? How well to decals hold up on aluminum? It would be nice to clear coat the aluminum and that is something I plan to experiment on. If I find the answers I will share them all.
I have the Guillow's B-29 in 1/32 scale waiting to be built, got it when a business shut it's doors. I have always thought it would look great covered in aluminum, probably the roof flashing that is fairly cheap.
Ken Pugh
soda cans ;D
Soda cans have a coating on the inside and outside. They may also have to be annealed to bend, which scorches the coating. I have had great results with roof flashing, which is fairly soft but can probably be annealed even further. A large roll costs about $10 at the big hardware stores and has lots of material. That was my aluminum source for the monster Hellcat.
Ken Pugh
Quote from: Ken Pugh on January 05, 2011, 02:06:32 PM
One big puzzle I need to solve before using actual metal is how to paint it. I know acrylics easily wear off aluminum unless there is a primer underneath. Will I have to mask off and prime every thing separately, like anti-glare paint? How well to decals hold up on aluminum? It would be nice to clear coat the aluminum and that is something I plan to experiment on. If I find the answers I will share them all.
I have the Guillow's B-29 in 1/32 scale waiting to be built, got it when a business shut it's doors. I have always thought it would look great covered in aluminum, probably the roof flashing that is fairly cheap.
Ken Pugh
I use sunday roast containers,you can shape the parts with the back of a spoon laid onto two layers of carpet underlay.
Barry.
Let's keep the conversation on topic gentleman. Is this the kind of formality you want on the site. I don't quite understand, I've asked for ideas and feedback till blue in the face and got very little. Save for Cliff, Barry and Lou.
Is this site not a successful site? You can build what you want and post it on your own board, don't have a board? Ask. Is there anyone here who has asked me for one and been turned down? Do you want a cook-off?
Propose one, get ONE member to second it, Clarify it, It is done and they never end in case someone wants to join in later. No winners, no losers, so anyone, at any level of skill can join in. I have never said no to a cook-off proposal. I can't make people participate in them. I can't make new members who don't build and post, build and post. When I had to face the fact that due to my health I could not fully participate in the site as I had hoped, I asked for help. Those few who answered the call can only do so much. Yet as far as growth and output this has been our greatest year ever.
When I started this site I made some rules.
1. All models must be of primarily solid wood construction. Exceptions can been made for the benefit of educating/inspiring the group.
2. All levels of skill are welcome and will be encouraged. This is an educational site in part.
3. No overbearing administrators or members will be allowed to discourage participation. You will note that each is the admin of his own board.
4. No politics or Way off topic chatter, personal arguments. "How about those Seahawks!"
5. This site must always be completely free. The information free to access, without need to register.
I don't understand why people can't realize, this site is what you make of it. We go for months at a time without any posts. Then everyone shows up and says, "What happened?"
I started this site, not a group of us, it was me. Then I said here, have at it.
If you think it's time I walked away, I nominate Garet.
Rant over.
Sorry if I offended. I wasn't making a demand just entering a discussion. I will make sure I don't step on toes anymore and will no longer post anything other than solid wood models or information regarding anything other than solid wood. Again, sorry. I wasn't making any judgement of anyone.
Ken Pugh
QuoteSo, I raised the flag, commence firing at it! We can debate whether we want to expand in this general way or if we would rather keep this specialized on solid wood only in the style of ID models. There is merit in both philosophies.
Was I not to participate in the discussion?
See Rule 1 about exceptions.
After all, the site is named Solid Model Memories.
I think that this Forum is being run extremely well. Believe me I know. I belong to over 40 Forums and email groups. I moderate or own 10 of them. Its quite often a stressful, thankless job. All that being said. I think raising awareness of SSM to other groups and other modelers will only strengthen solid modeling as a hobby. Has there been any thought given to an off topic board? Call it the Pilot's Lounge or The Officer's Mess etc. This would keep the solid model boards pure but give a place for members to talk about off topic hobbies, say Merry Christmas etc.
Peter
The General Discussion Board is labeled "Feel free to talk about anything and everything in this board. "
The Ping Board is also a response board as to what is happening and important at the moment in the poster's/group's life. Your suggestion of an Officer's mess (We Don't all build planes) Is a good Idea and will be implemented in a few days. I will also post a more accessible link to the chat-room at the top of the page. As far as further promotion of the site. That is always an ongoing process, but it has been impeded by my health.
We have a staggering Spam-bot registration problem that leads me to be very careful about where I promote the site. Lou is also pushing the site hard and anyone else who wishes to do there part by posting to links boards is welcome. I only ask that the rules of THAT site about posting links be followed.
Spambots are a huge problem all over the internet. I am willing to volunteer to help out anyway I can just let me know how.
Peter