Solid Model Memories.net

Quote from: lastvautour on October 03, 2013, 02:28:01 PM
Anybody can join in at any time or select another aircraft if they so wish.

Would I still be in time to select the Mosquito instead?
I have a stronger bond with this aircraft.

Please let me know if this is still possible.

Thanks.

Jorrit

Yes, I will make a separate post for the Mossie. I already made one and it did turn out quite well.

That turned out a masterpiece!
Can't wait to start on one for myself.

The Mossie has a lot of colour schemes and many versions. We will do the bomber version as per the F Series of WWII ID plans at http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/thumbnails.php?album=115


(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/normal_F-9_De_Havilland_Mosquito_plan.gif)(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/normal_F-9_De_Havilland_Mosquito_patterns.gif)

Scale drawings forthcoming

If you don't already have one, here are instructions on making a bench hook.

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/SMF/index.php?topic=1122.0

Lou

Once printed and measured, cut out the patterns and glue to cardboard. I find cereal boxes are best. I have selected my wood. I need to know what tools you have at your disposal. This will affect how we cut and shape the model. My first models were done using my mom's paring knife. We still joke about it at family reunion time.

Lou

Hi Lou, it seems the measurements are not accurate. Waiting for your reply by mail.

My tools are limited:
- fretsaw
- wood rasp
- sanding papers
- paint necessities

Can you please let me know what more I will need?
A carving knife perhaps?

Also, what kind of wood should I choose?
And where do you normally get it?

BR,
Jorrit

Jorrit, you should have the following:

A blade of some sort such as a chisel or even a blade from a hand planer. A hobby knife will also do the trick but will take longer. If need be, a paring knife will also do the trick.

A saw The fretsaw is ideal, I have one and will use it to demonstrate how to cut your wood.

As to wood itself, a soft tight grain such as basswood, pine or similar is ideal. I don't know what is available in the Netherlands. Balsa can be used but it is soft and will require much more work in preparing the wood for painting. I get my wood from the local lumber yards and try to pick up left overs of short pieces of wood. If impossible to get wood with no knots, try to find a piece that will have a clear area large enough for you to cut out the wing and fuselage. Packaged door frames are normally fairly straight grain and have few knots but can run you a few Euros. Salvage wood work just as good and can save you a few bucks. Over half my models are recycled wood of some sort. You need not find exact measurement, just something that will be slightly larger than the piece you want to make. In my last photo you will note that I have two pieces of wood that will be cut and reduced in thickness to fit the various parts. I will show you how to do that also. Your next task is to find the wood required. So you are now on a scavenge hunt to find suitable building materiel.

Lou

Tools can vary. I have selected some tools to show you. The first photo has 4 grades of sand paper I place on nails for convenience. The next is a full sheet of medium grit paper with my favorite sanding block. Blocks can be any size. Last is a photo of various tools. You don't need them all but you should have one blade tool. I have two chisels and the blade from a small hand planer I no longer use. The blade work well by itself. The rasp you mentioned. A hobby knife or utility knife comes in handy. The second photo shows how to cut out a part using a coping saw (European Fret Saw). That we will discuss later.

First and foremost we will straighten the problem with the plan.

Lou

This is going to encourage so many people to build solids,well done Lou.
Barry.

Hey Lou,

Thanks for the wing, I think this time I have the right measurements.
All I need now is the rest of the plans.  :)

Concerning the tools, I think I have almost everything.
I think I will pick up a chisel and a hobby knife just to be safe.

The wood will be a challenge though.
I think I will have to visit some different stores.
I saw someone was renovating his house in the city.
Throwing away the old window frames.
Think I will have to go on a scavenge hunt this evening.
See if the wood can be used.

I don't know about the Netherlands, but here in Canada most window frames are good quality pine. Knotty pine would make it hard to paint as the knots usual show through even after several coats of paint. Good luck on your hunt.

Lou

Thanks Lou,
I think I have printed it all now.


Hunting for wood now, I will stop by that container during my lunchbreak.
Can you give me any tips about the size and thickness of what I will need?
Certain things I have to keep in the back of my mind?
I saw on your pictures that your wood is slightly bigger than what the final result will be.
Did you find it like this in plates?
Or is your first piece of wood much bigger?

Did you slice it up? If yes, how?

Sorry for all the questions.
I guess I am just really eager to start on it :-).

Edit: container was already gone, local wood dump was not allowed to give me any wood, so will try the woodstore around the corner later.

Jorrit

Sorry about you missing out. I normally start with boards which are approx. 20cm thick and of various sizes. If I need thicker I laminate or on rare occasion I can buy a 2" thick plank costing around $4.00 CDN per running foot. I have used recycled baseboards, window and door casings. It is are that you will find the exact thickness you need so improvisation is the key. Working with various thickness of wood is not a problem as it is relatively easy to cut it down to what you need. One area is perhaps a craft store where people paint pictures on wooden boards. Sometimes they use 1/2 or 3/4 inch wood and if long and wide enough, their artistic talents can be removed easily. If the picture is poor, maybe the price will be lower.

Where did you find the wood for your Mustang and Geebee racer?

Lou

Hi Lou,
My profile planes were made out of MDF (mustang) and 3-sheet plywood (GeeBee).
This is available in every woodshop here.
It will be more difficult to get thicker sheets.

We will see how it goes, I will just keep my eyes open.

Jorrit, mdf or plywood are not good sources for solid models. Keep looking.

Lou

Jorritt just a thought ? do you have any second hand furniture stores around you,quite often they yield good souces of timber,or failing that whitewood furniture from those large household stores,stick to proper wood Lou is right.
Barry.

Just scored a nice block of wood this morning on my way to the dentist.
From a container of a construction store I picked this piece:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/wood1.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/wood2.jpg)

I am not a specialist, but it looks like whitewood (Vurenhout in Dutch) to me.
It is kind of soft, if you stab it with a screwdriver it will leave a scar.

Will this be suitable for solid model making?

Edit corrected the size of the photo's since they were stretched

Quote from: Balsabasher on October 10, 2013, 12:47:44 AM
Jorritt just a thought ? do you have any second hand furniture stores around you,quite often they yield good souces of timber,or failing that whitewood furniture from those large household stores,stick to proper wood Lou is right.
Barry.

Hey Barry, thanks for the suggestion.
I guess I will just have to be very resourceful, and keep my eyes open.
From now on, I am afraid my wife is going to see me bringing home chunks of wood more often than she would like to see. ;D

Congratulations Jorrit. That looks like spruce to me but as long as the section required is knot free, we are under way. I have attached an example of a spruce model I made some time ago.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/normal_Red_Knight_Multi.JPG)(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/normal_DSCF8474.JPG) Same model, different colour schemes.

I will secure a piece of spruce from the garage as I have some. Spruce is a little harder to work with and there are some dangers to avoid while cutting, but we will sort that out as we go along. Just lay the wing and side fuselage paper patterns on the wood to see where you will need to cut. The other pieces are quite a bit smaller and will come out of just about any knot free area you have left.  The block appears to be approx. 3.5 X 1.5 inches. Please confirm this and send a photo of the patterns in place.

Lou

Jorrit there looks to be some useable areas there between the knots,you can usually place your templates onto the wood and work things out,well done you have the right idea,keep looking for timber its all over the place,good luck and enjoy your build you are in very good hands with Lous terrific tutorials.
Barry.

I found a piece of wood not all that dissimilar to yours Jorrit. It has some small cracks running through it but hopefully they will not be a hindrance to the project. I initially place the wing (black outline)at the wrong end when I realized the thickness of the fuselage would not fit at the other end. The screw hole would have been hidden by the fuselage. The red outline made for a better choice.

Lou

Separation of the fuselage from the wing was done using the coping saw as that is  the cutting tool you currently have. In future, you should consider a good short blade hand saw.

Photo 1/2
It took me the better part of three hours to get this far. I had forgotten what I did before power tools. Good memories regardless of the stiff hand and shoulder.

Photo 3/4 You may recall my mentioning problems with spruce if that is what you have. You will note that I was cutting out a  wedge to get a better angle at removing the fuselage. The broken piece just fell out as the wood fibers are not fused to the remaining piece of wood. This can be advantageous and also a disaster depending on where the spit occurs. In my case it worked out perfect.

Photo 5
Fuselage is separated.

Lou

I feel like I am lagging behind a bit.
Work is busy, and social life is seriously interfering with my scarce hobby time.

Went out for my lunchbreak today to buy a set of chisels, a hobby knife and some extra sanding paper.

This evening I will withdraw in the shed and make some progress.
Pictures coming soon.
Keep you guys posted.

BTW Love the spruce models you made earlier, Lou.
P-80/T-33 If I am not mistaken.
Very nice!

Don't worry about real life getting in the way of hobby stuff. Lou and everyone else on SSM are very patient.

Peter

OK, here we go
Added the outlines to the wood.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101101.jpg)

Picked up the handsaw to get through the thick wood (7x7cm)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101102.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101103.jpg)

Now how can I make this chunk thinner?
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101104.jpg)

Thanks in advance.

Quote from: Peter on October 11, 2013, 05:46:40 PM
Don't worry about real life getting in the way of hobby stuff. Lou and everyone else on SSM are very patient.

Peter

Thanks Peter, I have noticed how friendly everybody is here.
If only everybody on the internet was this nice and patient..  ;D

My next series of pictures will show you how to thin it down. I used the coping/fretsaw to remove the wing from the block. You can use your hand saw to cut down the thickness of the block Remember to always leave a few mm just in case the saw wanders. I would provide picture, but I am typing from my workshop computer and the pictures are upstairs. We are off to supper now so no more until later tonight.

In the old days before power tools I would sit and clasp the hand saw between my legs with the handle against my chest and run the piece back and forth. When I return from supper I will show you what I mean by cuting out my fuselage.

I have been married for 38 years. Patience is not my middle name it is my only name. All kidding aside, life with the misses is pretty good.

Lou

Great work Gorritt,it really is a thrill to see you making a real solid model Mosquito,wait until you get to the stage whereby the first parts are fitted,its a real buzz,just keep nipping into the shed doing a bit at a time,this is an hobby so there is no rush and t will give Lou a breather as well !
Barry.

Back from supper. It was fantastic, good food and good friends.

Back to modeling. I cut the wood lengthwise to remove the wing. There was enough room to place the vertical and horizon planes also. Once I had cut approx. 1/3 of the way I inserted a small wedge to reduce the stick of the saw blade and the wood just popped apart. It surprised the heck out of me but fortunately it spit fairly straight.

Photo 1  Fuselage removed from block
Photo 2  Note the blue line where I plan on removing all that is to the right of it. A chisel will probably be my tool of choice. Photos will follow.
Photo 3  The outline of all major parts are drawn and now the task of cutting them out and removing the excess wood. I will use the coping saw to cut out the outline  of the parts but being careful in not getting to close to the lines.

Lou

P.S. More tomorrow. Jorrit, the progress is as fast or slow as you want it. While I have been tutoring you, I also tutor Peter and also making a 1/72 Piper Apache, a 1/48 scale Vampire, and 2 CF-5s. So do not think you are lagging behind. Rushing cause you to miss out on all that daydreaming one does while building and planning. Take you own good time until you are ready for more.

Jorrit,

It's fun to watch you participate in the novice build!  I especially enjoyed seeing your "hout-dragende fiets". I once made a small carving with wood from a cheese crate I found discarded after a farmer's market in France.  It had tight grain and was easy to carve, but my model smelled like brie!  But the Dutch cheese I've seen in places like Gouda just comes in those big wheels, with no wooden crate.

Beste,
Garet

Photo 1
Place the saw securely between your feet, knees or vice and work the wood back and forth. Watch out for your fingers as the stationary saw will cut a moving finger quite nicely.

Photo 2
Mark the direction of the grain

Photo 3
Cut down the other side to create somewhat of a block

Lou

Photo 1
Remember the slope of the grain

Photo 2
Find the slope of the grain and place the top template of the fuselage where the grain wavers least.

Photo 3
Using the previous method with the handsaw, cut down the excess wood

Lou

Photo 1
Mark off the width of the fuselage top view template. Go all the way around.

Photo 2
If the wood is hard, take just a 1/2 or 1/4 of the blade to remove a bit of wood at a time working your way across the piece.

Photo 3
When(if) you hit an area where the grain changes direction, angle you blade sideways and take your time going over that section.

Lou

The block is now the thickness of the fuselage viewed from the top. I located the side view where the wood was least damaged and had the best grain.

As there is no rush, I will stop here for now as I need a nap. At my age, even if I get a decent night's sleep I occasionally still need my nap. Jorrit, take your time and when ready to proceed, do so at your paste, This is your build and you should not feel you need to keep up. It is I who must feed you only as much info as you currently need. So far you are doing great.

Lou

Hi Lou,
I have a nice block for the wing now.
It is 2 cm thick and square.
Should I saw out the contours of the wing with my fretsaw? Or wait with this step?
If yes, should I follow the lines exactly or leave a margin for error.
I have a similar block with the fuselage drawn out on it.
This is 3.5 cm in thickness and I can't really use my handsaw as I can't manage to saw a straight line with it as it has a tendency to go to the left.
Do you have another suggestion how I can reduce the thickness?
Should I start using a chisel at this point.
Sorry if the answers to my questions are obvious, but I am complete newbie to this. I dont even know how I am supposed to handle a chisel.
Thanks again,
Jorrit

Hi Jorrit. You may start using the chisel to reduce the fuselage block.  Just go slow to reduce heartaches.  The wing can be cut to the outline at this point. I have been concentrating on the fuselage but will go to the wing tomorrow.

In using the chisel just lay flat on the piece of wood. The bevel should be up. Now lift the handle just 1/8 of and inch and push forward about an inch. You should get a small curl. If you do not have a bench hook, place the piece of wood against the bench and hold it in place with your stomach. Start at the end closest to the bench and remove a small amount working your way back on the piece of wood. If the pushing is quite hard to do, reduce the amount of wood the blade cuts by just using 1/4 or less.

There are no bad questions Jorrit. I appreciate you wish to do this right.

Lou

If you have not cut the wing out, always leave a bit for error when using any saw.

Lou

Quote from: lastvautour on October 13, 2013, 11:30:04 AM
If you have not cut the wing out, always leave a bit for error when using any saw.

I am about to start on it right now.
It has been raining here for three days straight now, a perfect opportunity to spend some time in the shed on this drowsy sunday.

This is where I am right now:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101301.jpg)

Do you have a suggestion on what my next steps should be?

Quote from: Oceaneer99 on October 11, 2013, 11:10:20 PM
Jorrit,

It's fun to watch you participate in the novice build!  I especially enjoyed seeing your "hout-dragende fiets". I once made a small carving with wood from a cheese crate I found discarded after a farmer's market in France.  It had tight grain and was easy to carve, but my model smelled like brie!  But the Dutch cheese I've seen in places like Gouda just comes in those big wheels, with no wooden crate.

Beste,
Garet

Hi Garet,

Thanks.. I am so grateful you brought me to this forum.
I would not have imagined to ever learn the trade of solid wood modelling.

And yes, the fiets :-)
We do everything on the bicycle here.
From home to work on the bicycle is 10 km... takes me 30 minutes on the bike.
Or I could take the car and be stuck in traffic for an hour and a half.
Easy choice to make!

Lets work on the fuselage a bit more. Relocate your side view closer to the edge of the wood. Mark a line through the fuselage and continue the line all the way around. Mark the location of the line on both sides of template and position the template on the other side. You should have both template aligned with each other.

Lou

Misses calling, be back in 1/2 hour. Maybe.

The last post will place most of the excess wood on one side of the block we want for the fuselage. Using your hand saw, do the hold the saw move the wood trick to slice the wood.

Lou

When you get half way through the wood piece, turn it around and do the second half. It takes time but not as much time as chiseling it our from both sides. When you have removed the excess, post a picture.

Lou

PS Ignore the marks on the wood.

Made some progress by using the chisel on the fuselage to remove some excess wood.

Also sawed out the wing with the fretsaw, leaving a margin of 0.5 cm.
Probably will have some muscle pain tomorrow  :D

As the handsaw does not work straight, I will use the chisel some more on the fuselage part.
It is nice to practice this skill likes this.

Not sure if I am doing it right, but at least I am having fun

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101302.jpg)

Just keep taking a bit off at a time and dream on. This is the best time of all. The planning of the next step and sometimes thinking of the next project. Each model will teach you something for the next one or the next 100. Enjoy.

I will wait until you have the fuselage block within a few mm of the line. Post lots of photos.


Lou

Well done Gorrit,we are proud of you,you are hooked already.
Barry.

Thanks Barry!

Got to bed early yesterday and could not catch sleep.
The only thing I could see in front of me was wooden curls...

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101303.jpg)

I normally line up the template on both sides of the wood and then start the close in work.

Lou

Quote from: lastvautour on October 14, 2013, 02:36:50 PM
I normally line up the template on both sides of the wood and then start the close in work.

Lou

Hey Lou,
That's what I am about to start on this evening.
I suppose I will have to be more and more careful with what I will be doing from now on.
Should I just continue to the lines?

You may continue on to the lines.
Photo 1,2,3
Here you must go easy to avoid removing to much. If the wood shavings don't curl, you are taking to much wood away.

Photo 4,5,6
If you don't have one, make yourself a square to measure the angle on the sides. The bottom is fairly easy, now come the fun part.

Photo 7,8,9
Don't forget to clean up and brush yourself off before going in the house. The misses will not like wood shavings on her floor or in her bed. Start at the top of the canopy.

Photo 10,11,12
In the second from last photo I reversed the chisel and carefully pop out the wood curls. At this point you can cut the fuselage top with the fretsaw or a blade to stop the wood from spitting past the end of the canopy. Do not cut pass the line.

Lou

Photo 1,2,3
Working from the back start curling the wood to join the bottom of the cut you made previously at the base of the canopy.

Photo 4,5,6
Work the fuselage down to the end. You can notice in photo 6 that just to the left of the shavings there is a knot and the darker wood colour grain shapes upwards which means I can push my chisel from the front without fear of ripping into the fuselage.

Photo 7,8,9,
Coming around the fuselage end I encounter a problem. Although my blade is sharp, at first it cut cleanly (7) and then starts to crush (8) the wood rather than cut. If this happens, use a sawing motion to push the blade through the wood.

Photo 1
Sand off the rear fuselage a bit for looks only. More to come.

Photo 2
Now the front of the canopy.

Photo 3
I started with the hobby knife. It can be done this way but will add a second method.

Photo 4
Using the square mark off a straight line across the fuselage.

Photo 5,6
Make a couple of cuts but do not touch the line.

Photo 7
Using the chisel just carefully pop out the blocks.

Photo 8,9
Finish off with a hobby knife.

Photo 10,11
Mark off the front blister sides, top and bottom.

Photo 12
The fuselage has been done to the rough block form. Congratulation when you reach this stage

And the 55th photo in the fuselage block series is pleasant dreams.

Lou
PS. Take lots of photos at this stage.

Lou congratulations on some fine tutorial and photography work to illustrate this lovely Mosquito,you are doing such justice to solid modelling in this way,and also I love this fly on the wall peep into your workspace !
Barry.

Rather messy workplace. Once a year or so I do clean up. Having to much fun cutting, shaping and photographing. If my son was here he would make a video for me, but alas I am relegated to kitchen duty when it come to being a vid star.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5Pbwai6jHQ

Lou

Lou you need a cover for your cups of coffee on the bench ! unless you are used to the dust now like me.
Barry.

Dust adds body to the coffee. Pine dust is my favorite. It is a bit mellow, but smooth.

Lou

I always think that there is so much balsa dust and shavings created by me that its a wonder there is not a balsa tree growing outside !
Barry.

I was wondering what that new taste to my coffee was.. Now I know  ;)

OK, I am closing in on the lines and also getting more nervous.

Lou,
I need some specific guidance on how to cut out the part in front of the cockpit.
With the chisel this does not work really well.

Also please tell me which part I should focus on first now.
Do I bring it down completely to the outlines?
This is more difficult than I thought.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101401.jpg)

Seeing your fuselage begin using the hobby knife starting at the top of the canopy cutting from rear to front and down. The angle on the wood makes it hard to use a chisel as you may have found  out. Holding the nose of the fuselage in your thumb, pull the knife slowly towards you. Keep removing wood from the windscreen until your reach the base.

Lou

Next turn the fuselage around and push with the left thumb to shape the top forward slope of the fuselage nose.

Lou

Thanks Lou!

I will get on it later this evening.

Next turn the fuselage upside down and remove the excess wood in front of the forward blister.  Using your hobby knife or sanding block clean up the fuselage of any wood outside the lines. post a picture once you have achieved this.

Lou

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101501.jpg)(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101502.jpg)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101503.jpg)(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101504.jpg)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101505.jpg)(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101506.jpg)(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101507.jpg)

I see the chips are really flying Gorrit ! nice job on your Mossie.
Barry.

Excellent job Jorrit. We will work on the wing later today.

Lou

I got ahead of myself on the next post. here is a photo series that should have preceded the next instructions.
Lou

The wing need to be tapered once you have shaped the outside edges.

Photo 1/2
Once squared off, mark the taper of the wing. The easiest is to make vertical cuts in the wood you wish to remove.

Photo 3/4
It makes it easier to chip it out. Next use your chisel to remove the majority of the wood from the bottom of the wing. Take care at the wing tips as I normally have a tendency to take to much away.

Photo 5/6
Sand the rough spots on the bottom of the wing as shown.

Show us your photos when you get here.

Lou

Quote from: lastvautour on October 16, 2013, 01:49:26 PM
The wing need to be tapered once you have shaped the outside edges.

Hi Lou,
I am not sure what you mean by this.
Can you please try to explain in other words?
Sorry, but this may be because English is not my native language.

Also I notice that the centre of the wing should be thicker than the tips?
What measurements should I follow?

Thanks in advance.

Jorrit

If you look at the upper center of the instruction sheets it shows that the center wing should be 9/32 or just a bit more than 1/4 inch. The tips are just 1/16 inches. Try this link http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pid=883 Once open, left on the image for a bigger view.

Lou

Jorrit, the bottom part will be our wing. The line is slightly more than 1/4 inch.

Lou

In this photo the top part will be our wing. The center is 9/32 or just slight more than 1/4 inch and the tip will be just a bit over 1/16.

Lou

Once all the wood has been removed you should be left with something like this.

Lou

Lou, it is perfectly clear to me now.
I will get to it tomorrow.
Thank you.

You are welcome. Take photos along the way for other to see.

Lou

Went to the final outlines of the wing yesterday evening:
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013101601.jpg)

An English colleague explained me what tapering is (adding a slope).
So this evening I will draw the line on the side and start removing the excess wood.

Never imagined this would be so much fun...

As I am getting closer an closer to the desired thickness of the wing I am getting more nervous with the chisel.
Should I continue carefully or switch to more delicate tools?
Hobby knife or sanding paper.
Some guidance would be appreciated.
I will upload progress pictures as soon as I have the chance.

Once you get close to the line, switch to coarse sandpaper. I use 80 grit paper but you can get coarser than that if you wish. Sand cross grain rather than with the grain. The attached photo give shows the directions I use to sand down. Once we have the desired thickness we will start on block shaping other parts.

Lou

Hi Lou,

I have now one fuselage block, and a wing brought down to the right dimensions (just noticed the bottom picture, I still have some sanding to do).
Can you please advise the next steps?

Thanks.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102101.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102102.jpg)

It certainly looks like a Mosquito now Jorrit. Nice work you are doing.
Cliff.

One think I forgot to tell you is to keep marking your center lines. You can barely see it in this photo but it is there. Once you have the wing tapered on both sides we will go at it again.

Lou

However I find it boring just to be doing one thing so I usually have a few things going on at once. Cut out the nacelles once you have reduce the thickness of the block using your chisel and sand paper. Next cut out the nacelle from the block using your fretsaw, or hobby knife or chisel until you are very close to the outline. You will note that I deviated from the plans by cutting out the wing area just aft of the leading edge of the wing. I will explain when we mate the wing and nacelles.

Lou

The only other major components are the stab and fin. I used my fretsaw and cut the stab down to about 7 or 8 mm. Once done you can trim the edges of the stab.

Lou

Another is to wait until you have thinned the wood before cutting the stab out. Either way is acceptable. Just do the same for the vertical fin. The block of wood can be spit using your chisel if you feel the grain runs fairly straight. Once the wood is down to approx. 3/16 or 4mm run a line in the center of the outside edge. It does not matter that the wood is not perfectly sanded down the final dimension. Place a line approx. 7mm from the outer edge on both sides. More on that later. Do the same for the vertical fin.

I have added a teaser photo to let you know what your will look like shortly.

As with all of your models Lou I can sense that joy in their construction from the photographs and instructions you are giving here,and what better way than to pass on that knowledge to other potential solid modellers,back in my own days there was no internet to share knowledge in this way,instead I used to watch my father sanding away at small solids thinking to myself one day I will be making them just like that ! its good to give something back to the hobby in the way that you are doing,its priceless in fact and truly keeping the tradition alive.
Barry.

I get up in the morning and turn on the PC hoping that Jorrit and Peter have posted something so I can carry on. This is the spirit of the hobby and I am loving it. I wish more would join in on the group builds.

Lou

Quote from: cliff strachan on October 22, 2013, 04:14:55 PM
It certainly looks like a Mosquito now Jorrit. Nice work you are doing.
Cliff.

Thanks Cliff.
It's a pleasure to see the model coming to life slowly.
I am really glad Lou is taking the time to teach me how to do it.

Made a block first and extracted the fin and stab.
Here's a picture of what it looks like now:
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102301.jpg)

Next on the agenda are the nacelles.
I will probably get to it this evening.

I am maybe moving a bit slow, but I am really happy it is like this.
I have 2 jobs, I am married and my daughter is 9 years old.
The days are flying by, but after my daughter goes to bed and the dog has had her round I can find some time for myself.

I withdraw into the shed with some coffee, turn on the tuberadio from the 1930's which was a present from my dad.
I light a pipe and start working on the mosquito model.
This hour or so, really keeps me going, it is almost like therapy :D
During the day I dream about it, and also how the model will look when it is finished.

Gorrit you paint a wonderful picture of your surroundings and I can relate to them so well,you are so right as solid modelling is so theraputic and we can engross ourselves in the joy of creating these little miniatures with our very own hands.

Just like Lou I look forward to seeing your progress no matter how small,its into the shed for me as well soon after breakfast and the sun is shining so may take a few circuits around the field with my small Tiger Moth flying model as well later.

Barry.

Quote from: Balsabasher on October 24, 2013, 09:01:15 AM
the sun is shining so may take a few circuits around the field with my small Tiger Moth flying model as well later.

Barry.

That's great! Is it a remote control version or a "Rubber powered" version?

My brother gifted me a Balsa model of the Ju-87 Stuka that is rubber powered and can even be converted to RC if necessary.
I think somewhere between the Mosquito and the Beaver I will start on that.

Guillow 1/32 Ju-87 Stuka Balsa Model Kit  http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/guillow-132-ju-87-stuka/ (http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/guillow-132-ju-87-stuka/)

That is great Jorrit. Just reduce the thickness of the stab and fin to approx. 4mm and we will go from there. There is no rush to finish the model as long as you are enjoying it. Some of my projects have been ongoing for years.

Lou

Gorrit I fly small electric powered models literally from my garden that backs onto a very large field,they are quiet and fun,my lovely neighbours love watching them,here is my cache of small rubber models,I had to scrap this amount again when I moved in here.
I do not want to spoil this thread Lou so if you want to delete these thats fine,no problem.
Barry.


(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/packed_tight_in_storage_box.JPG)

Any and all comments are appreciated and encouraged. I wish other would follow suit. Hint. Hint.

Lou

Yesterday I finally found some time again to work on my Mossie.

The stabs and fin are reduced to 5mm, just taking some time to sand the last mm.
Also cut out the nacelles. and starting to reduce thickness.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102701.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102702.jpg)

Looking great Jorrit. You seem to have the knack.

Lou

My intent was for you to reduce the stab to 4mm for further sanding down to 3mm later. Sorry for the confusion Jorrit.

Lou

Great progress Gorrit,following this project with interest.
Barry.

Quote from: lastvautour on October 28, 2013, 06:55:40 PM
My intent was for you to reduce the stab to 4mm for further sanding down to 3mm later. Sorry for the confusion Jorrit.

No harm done, Lou.
Just before I resumed I saw your message.
Both stab and fin are at 4mm now.
Cut out to the lines (left a bit of a margin still).
And closing in on the outlines of the nacelles.

It would be great if you could give me some pointers on where I should focus on now.

Quote from: Balsabasher on October 29, 2013, 09:08:23 AM
Great progress Gorrit,following this project with interest.
Barry.

Thanks, Barry.
I'm having a blast making my first solid model.
I still cannot imagine how this will look one day like the finished model that Lou posted at the beginning of this thread.
But I will continue to follow his lead, and trust that everything will be OK.
  :)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102801.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102802.jpg)

I see a tea pot outline. You have been holding out on us. We will now start doing some contour carving to get the shape of the parts. So we are both roughly at this stage.

Lou

Now cut and sand the outline of the horizontal stab. Now place a line in the center of the outer edge. This will guide you to avoid cutting in to much.

Lou

ha! You noticed the teapot..
The wife asked me friendly if I could make something useful for a change.  :D

She does not see the added value of the wonderful aircraft models..

Now drawing a line 5 to 6 mm from the edge on top of the stab.

Lou

Ah yes, the sideline projects like mitten storage box, flower boxes etc, you must keep them happy.

Lou

Place the trailing edge line 7 to 8 mm from the rear of the stab.
Do this to both top and bottom as the airfoil is symmetrical

Lou

Now you may choose to shape the airfoil using your knife chisel or sanding paper. I prefer the sanding paper at this stage as it saves me having to make another stab.

Photo 1
I place lines on the part using a felt marker

Photo 2
Then tilt the part slightly and sand it down to airfoil shape

Photo 3
Check frequently on your progress as it is easy to get carried away. Once both sides are sanded down just use light pressure on the sandpaper to round off the edges.

Lou

Repeat the process for the vertical fin.

Lou

Here is a drawing tip I use to draw lines on the block shaped parts. It helps when doing the contour shapes.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_Edgeline_zps0bea94f5.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/Edgeline_zps0bea94f5.mp4)

Lou

Hi Lou,

Thank you for the clear instructions, they have helped me tremendously.
And I must tell you, it felt like a little bit of magic happened in my shed yesterday:
When sanding the stab and fin, I must say it all came to life a little bit:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102901.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102902.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102903.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013102904.jpg)

Looking forward to what will be next.

Jorrit

That is great Jorrit. The nacelles will be tackled next.

Using the template, mark off the top profile of the nacelle.

Lou

Placing the nacelle against your bench hook or against the edge of the bench, shape the rear nacelle's top profile.

Lou

Turn the nacelle about and shape the spinner. Now we have a square spinner and nacelle.

Lou

Mark the location of the spinner and make a vertical cut into the corner of the spinner block as per the photo. The diagram shows where you want to place your lines. Follow the contour of the spinner as per the video that shows how to make inner lines.

Carefully remove the corners of the spinner taking care not to cut into the nacelle. This is what you should have.

Lou

Using a shape blade knife, slowly shape the spinner as per the video. Click on the image to start it.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_DSCF3030_zpsa1a871b5.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/DSCF3030_zpsa1a871b5.mp4)

Lou

Using coarse or medium grit sandpaper sand the spinner to shape. Small imperfections at this time is not a worry as we will be sanding some more later. Click on image to start video.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_DSCF3032_zpsc98ea515.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/DSCF3032_zpsc98ea515.mp4)

Lou

Shaping of the  rear end of the nacelle is next. Note that the template for the nacelle is higher on the outside than the inside of the nacelle. Just mark the inside of the nacelle approx. 1mm from the top edge but do not cut at this point. Take care to flip the other nacelle insuring the marks are both on the inside. That is why I numbered and named the nacelles.

Lou

Using the same method as the spinner, mark the portions of the nacelle we want to remove.

Lou

Once marked, shape the bottom of the nacelle as per the photo. Be careful that the forward nacelle matches the diameter of the spinner. Leave the top of the nacelle for now.

Lou

Using coarse or medium sandpaper, shape the nacelle as per the photo.

Lou

Our nacelles should look something like this.

Lou

Great progress Jorrit, you seem to be enjoying the build, I followed Lou's tutorial for my first Airtoon and it was excellent for a novice like myself. Keep up the good work. Regards Paul J.

Those engine nacelles are really coming to life now Lou,the Mosquito is such a lovely subject to model.
Barry.

Quote from: buccfan on October 30, 2013, 09:44:29 PM
Great progress Jorrit, you seem to be enjoying the build, I followed Lou's tutorial for my first Airtoon and it was excellent for a novice like myself. Keep up the good work. Regards Paul J.

Thanks Paul!

I am really enjoying this indeed.
Moving slow on the nacelles now, I feel a bit insecure and am afraid I will chop off too much.
It will take me a while until I will have them finished.
Here's yesterday's progress:
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013103001.jpg)

You will be fine Gorrit,just keep taking a bit off at a time then having a break and coming back to it,you are building a lovely model there.
Barry.

I am truly amazed with how nice everything starts to look:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013103101.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013103102.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013103103.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013103104.jpg)

Will continue this evening... Already looking forward to it...

Jorrit, the nacelles look great. I still feel that youthful enthusiasm when looking forward to carving new airplanes.
Now we will do some marking and a bit of cutting to fit the nacelle to the wing. I usually make several templates for the major parts as I cut them up for various reasons. This is a deviation from the plans. Cut out the width of the nacelle from the leading edge back to the tip of the nacelle top outline. Place the template on the wing and mark that off. I suggest you use the wing center line as a measuring point. Flip the template over and mark the other wing. This will make sure both engines are the same distance from the fuselage side.

Lou

If you have not already done so, mark the leading edge of the wing with two lines approx. 1/3 of the thickness of the wing at the center point and a point a few cm from the very tip. These long triangles will help in carving the wing. The single line on the trailing edge will be used to carved the rear of the wing. Cut the lines that form the opening that will house the nacelle.

Lou

PS Yes I do have two Mossie wings. Actually I have three.

Remove the materiel where the nacelle will be housed. I used the fretsaw to cut down to the line and then used the hobby knife to make the recess. repeat for the other side.

Lou

Note that the nacelle mid block does not quite come up to the level of the top wing. That is normal at this stage. You may have to trip and shave a bit here and there to get the nacelles to fit snuggly. If they are too loose we will shim them to tighten things up. Post some more pictures when you get to this step.

Lou

Hey Lou,
I am not 100% certain if I have made the cut deep enough:
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110101.jpg)

Trying to upload more pictures, but apparently I have exceeded my upload quotum.
I was hoping you could help me get more space in the gallery.

Thanks,

Jorrit

Jorrit, it looks ok at this point. We will trim to get a better fit later. I will ask Garet about the picture uploads. What setting are you using on your camera? I use the small image setting and it make a smaller file but the photo is still large enough to enlarge to 8"X10" for a closer look. I have another way of reducing the file size without compromising the image quality but I would need to find out what programs you are using on your PC.
I have use Microsoft Windows 7.
Lou

so far I have always used medium settings.
I take the pictures with my (I-)Phone then send them to my mail address compressing to medium size.
The files are all between 80 and 120Kb, which is small enough I would say.

Any suggestions are welcome.

Gorrit I would be really surprised if you have exceeded the upload limit,I am wondering if that means your server imposing limits ?
Barry.

Hi Barry,

This is the error I get:

Critical error
Disk quota exceeded.

You have a space quota of 25000K, your files currently use 24956K, adding this file would make you exceed your quota.

Maybe some of my old pictures are too large..
I will look into it.

Jorrit

If you look at my gallery photos I have closer to a TB of photos uploaded. How many pictures are you attempting to upload at once? Even there, I have uploaded 10 photos at once with no problem. I will send an email to Garet on the matter.

Lou

Moving on. Lets give our Mossie fuselage some shape.

Using the template, mark off the top and bottom of the rear fuselage from the canopy back to the tail. Note that I have removed the canopy from the template to mark off the canopy lines. When lining up the tail end, check twice to ensure the template is centered.

Lou

Using your chisel, shave off the wood slowly until you are down to the line.

Lou

Cut the canopy out of the side template and drawing the canopy outline.

Lou

You like your templates like me Lou,they are so useful throughout the construction of any model,I cut bits out of them as well as I go along to get datums and other things.
Barry.

So true Barry.

Now use the template to draw the nose profile looking down and up. Place the template as vertical as possible and looking down make your line. Laying the template on the top of the fuselage will distort the profile as it will be tilted downward at the front. Once done it should look something like photo 2. The bomber's aiming window should be drawn oval by looking at pictures on line as it is not well presented  in the plan.

Lou

Next, chisel off the larger portions of the material and finish off with the hobby knife. Take care not to cut into the bomber aiming window area. At this point we should have a squared fuselage block.

Lou

Now cut out the forward fuselage template at the base of the canopy. This image is taken while look straight down from the top. The line drawn runs up the windscreen for now. Note when looking at the V shape line, it only looks straight when viewed from the top (photo 2). That is OK.

Lou

PS I forgot, mark off the rear of the canopy outline using the previous template.

The Mosquito canopy shape is very distinctive and really makes the model come alive,your carving and marking up say it all.
Barry.

Hi Lou,
Thanks for contacting Garet to give me more space.
I have the square fuselage now as indicated.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110401.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110402.jpg)

You sure do not look like an amateur. Your work is coming along at a great pace. We now work on the forward fuselage.

First, make a vertical cut on the base of the forward canopy. Rock the knife blade back and forth to get down when cutting cross grain like this. Next turn your blade 90 degrees and remove the excess wood.
Next looking at the template for the shape of the forward fuselage place line to make a removal triangle to start shaping. Although the photo does not show it, make lines on the top of the forward fuselage as well. The next post has a video to show how to remove the triangular parts and start getting some shape to the forward portion.

Lou

Click on the image to view video of shaping the forward fuselage.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_DSCF3265_zps4115668e.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/DSCF3265_zps4115668e.mp4)

Lou

Love the videos Lou they explain some things that are difficult to describe in print.
Barry.

The biggest problem is making the video short enough to be able to upload it.

Lou

Canopy windscreen work. Click on image for video.

Lou

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_MyMovie_zps3a5395a0.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/MyMovie_zps3a5395a0.mp4)

Lou just a thought if video length is an issue,have you thought about using Yotube as you can have as long as you like there ?
Barry.

Rear canopy work. Click on image for video.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_DSCF3273_zpse596a85b.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/DSCF3273_zpse596a85b.mp4)

Lou

Hi Lou,

Did exactly as you suggested in the instructions:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110601.jpg)(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110602.jpg)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110603.jpg)(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110604.jpg)

You have done very well there Gorrit,carving in the canopy on any model is a difficult job let alone on a Mosquito.
Barry.

Quote from: Balsabasher on November 06, 2013, 10:07:36 AM
You have done very well there Gorrit,carving in the canopy on any model is a difficult job let alone on a Mosquito.
Barry.

Thanks Barry.
I must admit that I was quite nervous doing it, really don't want to mess up at this point.
I also wonder if I have removed enough, I was being very careful.
Waiting for Lou his approval  :D

Now come some contour work on the bottom fuselage. Taking the template measure the distance between the edges to remove the triangular area in the lower corners of the fuselage block. Using the finger pencil method draw your lines. Note that the distance should decrease as you approach the tail area. Now using the knife or chisel, remove the triangle formed by your lines. I have a video, unfortunately it is two big to uplaod and I don,t have another Mossie fuselage to take shorter videos.

As you carve always cut down from the bombay area to the tail and bombay area to the nose. That will prevent you taking too big a chuck of wood.
Lou

Now once the corners are taken off, remark the areas taking smaller triangular shapes until you are fairly close to what the template shape is showing you. Things are still fairly rough at this point. Mine is a bit lumpsided but that will be fixed shortly.

Lou

Taking out your sanding block and paper round the bottom of the fuselage so it is even on both sides. Take care at the forward end not to cut into the bombardier aiming window. There is no need to get it perfect yet, but whenever you get a few minutes, look it over and roll it around to different angle to see if you have high spots.

Lou

Making pencil lines around the fuselage will help gauge the shape of your part.

Lou

Again with the finger pencil method mark off the area for removal from the top fuselage. Once the first triangular part is removed, remark to make additonal areas to take off and do so using either the knife or chisel.

Lou

Now take the sanding block and paper and round things off all over the fuselage. You can make contour lines using a paper guide to see how you are doing.

Lou

Although It was not mentioned yet, I see you marked off the wing plug. Using the fuselage side view template locate the leading edge wing center point. I used a pin to punch a pin hole in the fuselage at both leading and trailing edge. Flip the template over and mark the other side. Compare both side to ensure these points line up. Using the forward pin point mark off 15mm and 20mm as show. Using a saw cut down to the line that stretches between the forward and rear wing edges. The section between 2 and 3 will be removed later.

Lou

Its a great feeling when the model starts to take on its shape like this,hope that I am not spoiling your thread Lou by commenting on your progress and Gorrits excellent efforts.
Barry.

Not at all Barry. I wish others would comment. For those who may not know it, just select the reply icon in the lower left of the comment box and type away. Once done, merely select post afterwards and it is done..

Lou

Barry, I am really glad you are commenting.
It motivates me to try harder.
Since I am completely new to this, I feel insecure about my progress.
Not sure if I am doing it the right way.
The comments from others encourage me to keep going.

I certainly realize it will not be a perfect model, but as it is my first I am actually really proud of the progress I made so far.
And very thankful towards Lou for the time and effort he is taking to guide me.

Lou,
thank you for posting updates for me every day.
This really keeps the pace up and I am glad everyday to find your new instructions.

Except for the last step (sawing into the fuselage, really??) I am up to speed.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110701.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110702.jpg)

Jorrit

Gorrit the work and dedication that you are putting into this is paying off nicely,here we are seeing the results of your labours and its a good feeling when the shape evolves as it is doing,dont worry about perfection that takes time,more important is the enjoyment that you are getting from this build,all done with your own hands,you are doing just great and every day brings with it something new to learn.
Barry.

Jorrit you are ready for the fuselage to wing mating. It is the same as inserting the nacelles to the wing. Take your time cutting the fuselage. If you cut a bit too much, a bit of putty will hide a multitude of sins. I talk from experience.

Lou

Cut from the bottom fuselage up to the line. The two cuts (green/yellow pointers) should be parallel so the plug will slide out easily. Center the fuselage on top of the wing and mark the width of the fuselage. Next line up the leading edge of the wing with the forward location on the fuselage (red pointer).

Following the lines you drew on the wing using the fuselage. Next cut 15mm into the leading edge of the wing.(Red to yellow). Measure 20mm as the center spar of the wing and cut from the trailing edge (blue) to the rear of the spar (green). I hope you are not colour blind!!! Do not remove any sections until we shape the wing.

Lou

Hi Lou,

I admire the precision in your work.
Yesterday I was trying to start on the cuts in the fuselage and wing.
High blood pressure and trembling hands and what more....
Finally I did it, and I saw my saw wonder off the lines I had drawn.
I have made the correction and calculated how the wing should be done...

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013110801.jpg)

Nice job. We will now carry on with the shaping of the wing. Again, similar to the wing we will identify triangular pieces, remove them, re-draw another and remove until we have a rough airfoil shape.

Photo 1 & 2
Start by drawing lines to evenly divided the top and bottom wing areas into thirds.

Photo 3
Further divide the top and bottom wing in halves giving you sections that are 1/6 of the wing's cord.

Photo 4
Note that I have two wings. Next turn the wing on edge and run a line in the center of the trailing edge face, (bottom wing in image ) Move to the leading edge and divided the center line mark by 1/3s and run lines to a point close to the tip. (top wing in image)

Photo 5
This will form a triangle on the outside of the nacelle location that we will shape later using sandpaper. The portion of the leading edge inside the nacelle will be handled separately.

Lou

Remove the trailing edge triangular section formed by the last top line and the line running down the center of the trailing edge face. Remember to leave approx 1mm at that center line to ensure we do not overly sharpen the trailing edge. Mark the center of the remove section in halves and remove the triangular portions. At this point the wing center section fuselage cutout may be removed.

Lou

Photo 1 & 2
Continue removing and re-dividing the upper and lower sections until you have attained a long slopping airfoil shape from the center to the trailing edge of the wing. As you remove wood closer to the wing tip, care is to be taken not to take too much away. Sandpaper will do the finishing work. The bottom surface should be shaved from center to tip to avoid the blade digging in and reverse when doing the top of the wing.

Photo 3
Roll the wing slowly as you shape the airfoil shape on the top and bottom rear halves of the wing.

Lou

Once both wings rear halves are sanded, divided the forward outer sections as shown and remove the triangular sections. Note that we are leaving a small flat surface in the face of the leading edge. When placing the nacelle into the wing, you will be able to see the leading edge shape against it.

Lou

Round off the outer leading edge using the flat bench sandpaper. Roll the wing back and forth to avoid flat spots. Once nicely rounded remove the remaing center section plug. Concentrate the pressure at the section closest to the center wing to avoid taking too much away from the wing tip.

Lou

Next remove the fuselage plug to enable the wing to mate to the fuselage. Some trimming may be required.

Lou

Insert your blade on both sides. Try to enter the wood in a fashion that will make the cuts meet in the middle.

Lou

Test fit the wing to the fuselage. If it is too tight, remove a bit from the wing. If the wing does not sit high enough, remove wood from the fuselage. Bring the top of the wing in line with the line we made between the red and blue arrows.

Lou

Once the fuselage is lined up, remove the wing then take your fretsaw and cut half way through of the wing spar on both sides of the fuselage line as per the photo. Remove 1/2 thickness from the wing spar.

Lou

This should make for a close fit and a solid joint. Now just trim a bit on the fuselage to raise the wing to its proper alignment. Note the bottom fuselage plug is just held for photo effects. Once satisfied with the fit and placement we will work on the radiator extensions.

Lou

Hi Lou,

Sorry it took a while before I posted an update.
We had an exercise with the air force on Friday and Saturday, so I was away from home.

I am having some trouble to bring the main wing to the desired thickness..
After removing the plug, I made the below picture:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013111001.jpg)

I have a question: Should I still make the wing slimmer or does it look OK like this?
I am wondering because the nacelles do not stick out over the wing...
Or maybe I should be a bit more patient.

Still to do: cutting half way the wing spar to make the tight fit, it looks like it will fit perfect.
I will probably get around to doing this, this evening.

You are getting the hang of it Jorrit. How thick is the portion of your wing at the side of the fuselage?

Lou

Lou, on the leading edge of the wing close to the fuselage it is 7.5 mm. The trailing edge is smoothing out to 1mm at the rear end.
I did not yet touch the leading edge of the wing between the nacelles.
Was I supposed to do that?
Thanks.
Jorrit

No not yet. We will deal with that later. Please take a photo directly from the front but not too close.

Lou

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013111101.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013111102.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013111103.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013111104.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013111105.jpg)

It's pretty nice the way the wood grain formed patterns on the bottom of the wing. I am down stairs and don't have my photos available. I will post more instructions and photos later today.

Lou

Excellent Gorrit,your Mossie is coming along really well.
Barry.

Some modelers like Pete Morro can use the grain to his advantage as he used clear finish on his models.  As for me it never or rarely works out.

Lou

The radiators are next. Select two small pieces of wood as thick as your wing leading edge. Note that the top view has an angle. Make the grain of the wood parallel to the grain in the wing. Install your nacelles and the fuselage for measuring the length of the pieces and that it makes a tight fit. Once you are satisfied with the fit. you may remove the nacelles and fuselage and then glue them in place. Set aside and leave alone overnight.

Lou

Photo 1
Next, take your side view template and using a pointed object mark the location of the forward edge of the tail plane.

Photo 2
Run a line between the point you just made and the center of the fuselage tail cone. (My apologies for the  poor quality of this photo.)

Photo 3
I used the Eye Ball Mk 1 to make a line on the opposite side.

Lou

Now measure the thickness of your tail plane and using sandpaper, sand it down to approx. 2.5mm. Next take your fretsaw and cut FROM THE BOTTOM  up to the lines we just made. This is a deviation from the plan. If the tail piece does not fit well, I would rather it be on the bottom.

Lou

Using your hobby knife, score along the line on both sides until the bottom rear fuselage drops off. Note I did not fully score the sides and it split a bit. Remove these bits to flatten the area where the top of the tail plane will rest once sanded down.

Lou

Test fit the tail plane with the main wings in place (after or before the radiator are glued and dry) and align them together. If they do not align, trim the rear fuselage a bit at a time until they are aligned. I used a clothespin to hold it in place while the glue dried.

Lou

Once the tail plane is dry,
Photo 1
Test fit the bottom piece

Photo 2
Trim the bottom piece ensuring you leave the rear tip intact.

Photo 3
If it is not quite there, trim a bit more and test fit.

Photo 4
Oops, too much taken off. We will fix that in the next post.

Lou

Should you be as clumsy as me, take a sliver or curl of wood and place it on the forward edge of the tail plane and test fit the bottom piece again. Adjust the sliver/curl to get the proper fit and glue in place. It does not matter at this point if there are gaps between the fuselage and the tail plane. We will fix that later.

Lou

Hi Lou,
Having some trouble to keep up.
I am trimming the tail wing to the correct thickness with sanding paper.
It is taking some time, but I am getting there.
Also the radiator parts are quite a pain to make, I have tried 2 pieces, but it looked so unprofessional; will start over with this.

This is your build and no keeping up needed, When you are ready we will move on to other things. As for not being satisfied and redoing parts, that is the story of my life. I quite often go through several attempts before getting it the way I want it or as close as I can get it. Take your time.

Lou

Lou, any specific glue you would recommend?
Or will the standard woodglue be fine?

Jorrit

I use standard white glue myself. It is cheap and easy to get.

Lou

Click on the Radiator shaping videos for instructions.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_DSCF3389_zps1824c638.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/DSCF3389_zps1824c638.mp4)   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_DSCF3390_zps74811ffe.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/DSCF3390_zps74811ffe.mp4)   (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_DSCF3391_zpsd9154139.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/DSCF3391_zpsd9154139.mp4)


Lou

Hi Lou,

It has been a while, I did not forget about the project.
I got stuck, and then I got really busy.

I am at a point with this model that I am not sure how to move forward.
I have a couple of things that I am uncertain about.
I need to find some time to lay them out and ask specific questions.

More soon.

Thanks.

Jorrit

I will wait until you are ready. I have photos and videos that take me to the 95% completion mark, so whenever you are ready, I am also. Or would you prefer I continue on?

Lou

Hi Lou,

Thanks, please hold with new instructions until I catch up, if you dont mind.

OK, my first question is about the tailwing and the tailsection.

i made the cut like you suggested, but now I am not sure if I can glue the tailwing in place, it is still rather thick (2.8mm).
When I want to place the piece of the tailsection, there will be some space between the ends of the original section: see photo below:
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013112701.JPG)

Also one of my main concerns are the nacelles.
They do not "hang" over the wing like on your pics, did I neglect to carve the wing enough?
Or my shape of the nacelles are not correct?
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013112702.JPG)

I would be glad if you could answer my questions.

Thanks.

Jorrit

Look at the attached photo. I had the same situation. I removed material starting at the extreme tail end working forward so that the block would line up with the fuselage.

If it looks like the wing is still too thick, you can place the fuselage over the tail plane and draw lines on either side. This will mark the location of the fuselage on the tail wing. Now take and score the lines with the tip of your hobby knife blade and thin down the center section using the knife or chisel. This will position your tail wing higher in the fuselage when looking from the side and give you more space to place your bottom fuselage block. I can make a small video if you wish but that may take a day or two but I don't mind. Any gaps that are missing will be filled with putty later.

Lou

The fitting of the nacelles to the wing are the next thing we are about to tackle when you are ready.


Lou

Hi Lou, I glued the tailwing to the fuselage and the radiators to the main wing.
This evening I will finish on the last parts as you described.

Looking forward to new instructions.

Thanks.

Jorrit

Now the nacelles must be fitted to the wing. The inner top portion of the nacelle where it mates with the wing is slanted to make the nacelle perpendicular to the top of the wing.

Photo 1
Nacelle as cut originally

Photo 2
Note angle of the materiel removed. A greater amount of wood is removed from the inner side closest to the fuselage.

Lou

Photo 1 & 2Insert nacelle and remove as much materiel as necessary to have the top of the nacelle level with the top of the wing. If you take too much off, we can add shims during the gluing process.

Photo 3
A look from the bottom.

Lou

Those nacelles on the Mossie are such a delightful shape,when I was at school the Mosquito was my favourite drawing subject and I did hundreds of sketches for my classmates who used to form a queue in free lessons,always in demand !

Barry.

This is the video on Mossie nacelles. Note that the nacelles are not glued yet. I waited to make sure that if I messed one up really bad I could replace it. Click on image to view.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_MossieNacelles_zpsa90bd055.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/MossieNacelles_zpsa90bd055.mp4)

Lou

PS the original post mentioned additional videos. I have found out how to join them together (by accident) and how to add titles at the beginning and credits at the end. Learning something new each day!!

Hi Lou,
Followed your instructions on the nacelles..
Not quite there yet, but getting there.
Please see my progress below, think I will finish this part this evening:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013120301.jpg)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013120302.jpg)
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013120303.jpg)

Looks great Gorrit!

I agree with Peter, you are doing exceedingly well.

Lou

Thanks Guys! I am really happy with the result so far

Well done Gorrit your Mosquito is a credit to your patience and will to learn.
Barry.

Excellent work Jorrit, coming on nicely. Excellent work and tutorial Lou as always. Regards Paul J.

This strange looking craft just flew by.

Lou

I've heard of the pusher prop mossie. It flew backwards to confuse the Germans unfortunately they bomb Ireland by mistake. You still have to carve the giant rear view mirror for the pilot.

Peter

Lou I have just sold my model of the Projected Jet Mosquito,the original was made in mock up form at Hatfield and painted all yellow,as a pusher it looks quite convincing !
Barry.

Wow! What are the odds, I have spotted the same aircraft this evening! ;D

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013120701.jpg)

Although yours seems to be more detailed...
I see exhausts on the nacelles and a tail on yours.

Do you have instructions to add those ?

Jorrit

More instruction forthcoming. First of two videos on the Mossie canopy. The vertical fin may be attached at anytime of your choosing.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_MossieCanopy_zpsd38838db.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/MossieCanopy_zpsd38838db.mp4)

The next video is a series of still shots and is currently being up loaded to Photobucket.

Lou
P.S. You know those spy planes can show up just about anywhere.

Hopefully this will assist you in making your canopy. Let me know if this is insufficient for your needs.

Lou

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/th_MossieCanopyPtII_zps6519f670.jpg) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v435/Vautour/MossieCanopyPtII_zps6519f670.mp4)

Don't be shy applying the glue. Use lots until it oozes out and then wipe before it dries. I put glue on the nacelle and coat the entire gluing surface. I then do the same for the mating parts of the wing. Once pushed in place, use a clamp or Elastic bands to hold firm as glue will try to pull/push the parts as it sets.

Lou

Love the Loutorial's & the SMM link at the end.
Barry.

Thanks Barry. These are specific instructions for a Mossie, so this is not the type of video I would like to post to You Tube. I want to lay out a plan for filming a video but I am not quite there yet.

Lou

Once dry, apply a bit of wood filler or putty to make the joint seamless. Sand with fine sandpaper. The final little dents and nicks will be done when we prime.

Lou

Now we will fair in the nacelles rear section to the top of the wing. The piece of wood seen in the photo is of constant thickness enough to reach the top of the trailing edge. Mine measured 1.5mm. This will also thicken the rear of the nacelle. Glue and let dry overnight.  Note the direction of the grain. I will show how to shape it in the next post. I have a dart tournament this afternoon, so hopefully I will be back on line by tomorrow morning.

Lou

Trim the fairing to a point and sand flush with the upper wing. Apply a bit of putty to the bottom sides and sand smooth.

Lou

The air scoops under the forward section of the nacelles varied greatly depending on the aircraft Mk so check your reference pictures. I made mine using the plan diagram and one piece of wood that was then spit it down as per the attached photo.

Lou

Once separated, sand the bottom to make a flush mount to the nacelle. Check reference materiel to locate the scoops. I finished sanding after the scoops were glued in place and left to dry overnight.

Lou

The scoops stuck out quite a bit so they were sanded down some more after this picture was taken.

Lou

The attached photo shows a block of wood approx. 2mm thick. Round off the front of the piece and measure off the length of the exhaust covers.

Lou

Cut off the top 2mm and flatten the bottom for attachment to the nacelles.

Lou

Align the exhaust covers with the plan directions and using the center line of the spinner as a reference point. Let dry overnight.

Lou

Do your fine grade sanding to the wing nacelle assembly. Note the shape of the scoop has been flattened out in relation to the original shape taken from the plans.

Lou

Putting the wings aside we move back to the fuselage canopy where we add the small observation blisters. I took a piece of scrap wood and shaped the rear of the blister and then cut it off the stick and rounded the front end. They are not very big and I had to make 5 before I finally had two that would fit. Apart from losing two to the floor monster that keeps eating every small piece I drop, they were finally glued and needed a bit of putty to smooth into place.

Lou

Test fit the bottom fuselage plug and trim the mating surface to the bottom of the wing. flattening the bottom of the wing at that position will help align the plug.

Lou

Do not spare the glue in fitting the wing into the fuselage recess. Clamp or use elastic bands to hold in place while gluing. Wipe off excess glue once secured in place.

Lou

Once the wing/fuselage joint is dry, attached the plug and let dry. Once that is dry use a bit of putty to fill the voids and sand with fine sand paper. I redid the canopy lines for my enjoyment and is not necessary at this point. We will be adding masking tape frame later. Being Thursday, we have our day at the local mall so that will be all for now.

Lou

Its turned out a lovely Mossie Lou,enjoy your day at the mall.
Barry.

A few quick shots of primer to see where the defects are and sanding with fine paper will begin. This will be repeated as many times as needed to get the result you are satisfied with. You will be your worst critic so go easy on yourself.

And again, primer, putty and sand.

Lou

Hi Lou,

Wow! She is turning into a nice piece of work.

Just glued on the tailfin and fixed the nacelles to the main wing.
Will continue tomorrow.
My model is finally starting to look like a mossie indeed.
Although she looks a bit overweight to me.
For some reason the model looks "fatter" than the real thing.
Will post some pictures again soon.

Cheers.

Jorrit

Dont worry Gorritt,every subsequent model gets that bit better,you have been plunged into the deep end with what is a fairly complex aircraft from which to make a model,you will have learned so much from doing this model and I know that you have enjoyed every minute of the build,looking forward to seeing your little masterpiece which is what it is.
Barry.

When looking at your photos, your Mossie matches mine in every respect. The drawing used are a decent representation but far from an accurate rendition so your eyeball Mk I makes up for the variations. Place your Mossie a few meters away and walk around it, the extra weight you saw will melt away magically. Remember what I said about being your own worst critic. I eagerly await your next photos.

Lou

In actual fact Lou there were very few really accurate plans produced during WW2,most were produced by eyeball from photographs provided by the Ministry of aircraft production MAP,the highly inaccurate Tiger Moth drawing done by Mr Cooper and his lady tracers for the publications 'Aircraft of the Fighting Powers' transpired into the Airfix Tiger Moth then the bigger one done by Aurora,it took another 30 years before Airfix finally brought out the accurate version,personally to me the charm of these old drawings warts and all is why I like them,remember a while back we discussed the worst Spitfire drawing ! if you look at C.A.Pollits Spitfire 1 published as a free plan in the old Aeromodeller in the thirties it leaves a lot to be desired but still holds the character of the first Spitfire's.
Once more as you say we become our own worst critics as we spend a lot of time studying and carving in the shapes,I prefer eyeball scale and the subsequent freedom it gives us,nothing is perfect and many things especially in models a compromise,thats my two penneth anyway !
Barry.

Very good indeed, Barry. Thank heaven we aren't looking for perfection.
Cliff.

Following a bit more sanding and some primer. Colour scheme?

Lou

Why not make it into that Canadian racing Mosquito ? they did a book on it,or Spartan Air Services used them for magnetometer research work in Canada,just in case you would like something a bit different ?
Barry.

Hi Lou,
Looking at your model, I must say that mine looks about the same.
Just working on the last details.
- the scoops
- the exhaust caps
- the blisters
I am genetically blessed with huge hands, so these little parts are causing me some frustration.
About the paintscheme: was thinking about doing a mail delivery or racing mossie at first, but right now I intend to go with the regular military scheme.
Looking forward to what you will choose for yours.

Jorrit

Here's a quick progress update:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013121701.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2013121702.jpg)

Your Mossie looks great Jorrit. The military version has many schemes to choose from. I will do the all yellow prototype. I have started to spray the white primer as a base and will follow with bright yellow although the paint I have looks to be maybe a bit to bright, but we will see.

Lou

Lou,

The Mosquito prototype had shorter nacelles than the production types.  They had to be extended past the trailing edge to improve the aerodynamics.  I'm not sure whether the first plane was modified, but I believe it still exists.

Nonetheless your model looks great, just thought I'd give a heads-up before you commit to a colour scheme.

Will

Another fairly straightforward scheme were the all Cerulean blue Photo Recce versions of the Mosquito,the higher PRU aircraft flew the lighter the shade of blue was used,there were also silver Mosquitoe's with yellow training bands used by the Civilian anti aircraft co-operation units of the RAF at Exeter,just thought that I would mention some of the more basic coloured aircraft that are suitable for matching to auto rattle cans that make for easier schemes.
W4050 was modified with the extended nacelles as can be seen in a picture after this posting,it is in the museum at London Colney,UK so Lou is safe on that aspect on the later modded aircraft.

Barry.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10005/Yellow_mosy__3.jpg)

This will also help with the yellow shade Lou,cadmium yellow.

Barry.

OOPS, forgot the tail wheel. I wrapped sandpaper around a paint brush handle and sanded the recess. I slice of 1/8 dowel made the wheel and a flat toothpick for the wheel strut. Once glued down. a bit of sanding to fair the forward end of the strut to the fuselage will tidy things up. The white primer will dry to a matt finish but looks high gloss at this point. I will try the rattle can yellow I have. After all if it does not work out, a few days from now some sandpaper will do the trick before reapplying some more primer for another colour scheme. That is the good thing about wooden models, a bit of sanding does not hurt them.

Lou
Barry. Thanks for the info.

Another excellent build Lou, looking forward to seeing that colour scheme.Regards Paul J.

I don't know what cadmium yellow is suppose to be, but this closely matches the colour in my Mossie in Action booklet I have.

Lou

It appears that the original W4050 had short nacelles but the refurbished W4050 has the long nacelles, hence my will represent the refurbished version.

Lou

Way to go Lou,I think the longer extended nacelles improve the looks a lot besides the aerodynamic properties.
Barry.

The canopy framing is done with narrow masking tape cut on a jig using a pane of glass and lines printed on paper. The tape is applied over the glass and that placed over the printed lines. A metal straight edge and shape blade does the cutting. I lift the tape with the tip of a hobby knife blade and apply using tweezers. Works much better on a gloss finish such as W4050. In this case Testor's enamel flat black is used as flat black acrylic does not adhere well to gloss finishes. I was planning on gloss black, but alas the roads are icy and I am all out of gloss black. I first applied a light coat over the tape to reduce bleeding and then applies a second coat. Same thing goes for the spinners. I have not decided if I will add whirling blades yet. As the photos show, a bit of touch up will be required once the paint has cured some more. A shape blade can carefully remove the excess paint and smooth out the framework.

Lou

Lou that yellow shade is not a bad match.

Barry.

Jorrit, any news to report on your Mossie. I have two decals to add to mine. I was hoping to add you Mossie to the 2013 builds.

Lou

Lou a bit of information that you only find here on SMM-Cadmium yellow is made from extracted cadmium,Stromeyer discovered metallic cadmium in 1817 but production of the cadmium pigments was delayed until about 1840 because of the scarcity of the metal. A natural mineral, green ochite, is known in nature but was not used for pigments. Cadmium sulfide was prepared with an acid solution of cadmium salt (either chloride or sulfate) which was heated with hydrogen sulfide gas until a powder was formed. Hues ranging from a lemon yellow to a deep orange were made in this way.

The deeper varieties of cadmium yellow and orange were the most permanent. The paler varieties were known to fade on exposure to sunlight. All of the cadmiums were brilliant and the deeper shades had the greatest tinting strength. Field claimed that the best cadmiums were those produced without an excess of sulfur and that the permanence of a carefully made cadmium was improved when mixed with lead white using only an ivory knife. They were used in both oil and watercolor but could not be mixed with copper-based pigments.

Prior to the discovery of these ingredients for making yellow another bizarre method was used,ince ancient times in the Far East, Indian yellow was introduced into India from Persia in the fifteenth century. The amateur painter, Roger Dewhurst, recorded the use of Indian yellow in 1786. He noted, in letters to friends, that it was an organic substance made from the urine of animals fed on turmeric and suggested that it should be washed to prepare it for use as a pigment. Its source remained a mystery for many years. Mérimée, in his book on painting of 1830, didn't believe it was made from urine, in spite of its odor. George Field believed it was made from camel urine.

It was not until 1886 that the Journal of the Society of Arts in London embarked on a systematic inquiry of the pigment known as purée of India. An investigator began his search at Calcutta. He was sent to Monghyr, a city in Bengal. There, he found a small group of cattle owners who fed their cows on mango leaves and water. The cows' urine was a bright yellow. They were extremely undernourished as they only received normal fodder occasionally. Other Indian dairy cattle farmers of the same caste despised these 'colormen' and limited their production. They were reportedly producing one thousand to fifteen hundred pounds of the pigment per year but the investigator doubted the production figures when he saw the small number of cows involved.

Indian yellow was used in both oil and watercolor painting. It was favored for its great body and depth of tone. It had a peculiar characteristic in watercolor for it faded in artificial light and in the dark but was fairly stable in direct sunlight. In 0il, it dried slowly, as it required one hundred percent for grinding; the addition of varnish improved its drying. It could be mixed with all other pigments but in oil its lightfastness was improved when isolated between layers of varnish.

Law prohibited the production of Indian yellow in the early years of the twentieth century. Wehlte adds that its departure may have been due to the Indians for whom the torture of sacred animals was against their religion. It also may have been due to British laws that prohibited cruelty to animal.

So now you know !

Barry.

That yellow certainly glows at you Lou, it looks a good match to the picture. Regards Paul J.

W4050 is ready for roll out.

Lou

A fantastic Mosquito, Lou.
Cliff.

It looks truly stunning Lou,a job well done.
Barry.

I appreciate your comments.

Lou

Quote from: lastvautour on December 24, 2013, 04:30:53 PM
W4050 is ready for roll out.

Lou

Really a great job done here, Lou!
My Mossie will not be included as finished in 2013.
I will wait for the holidays to pass and continue with the painting in January.
Construction is complete, will keep you informed of any progress.

Jorrit

I look forward to it.

Lou

 ;D  ::)   :P  ;D

May all members of SMM and all prospective members have a wonderful New Year. (My car wouldn't start this AM. Even I'm getting fed up with this cold this year  -34C [-29F] Soon they will be equal. Good grief!)
Cliff.

Happy New Years to you Cliff and all the other members of SMM.

Peter

I had forgotten the radiator inlets. These are represented by black electrical tape.

Lou

  A very nice model. Well done Lou.

Thank you Gordon.

Lou

I have to say Lou it was a good choice of colour and makes for a welcome change from all of the camouflaged examples.

Barry.

Thank you Barry. The totally yellow scheme only lasted a very short time. Four days after they camouflaged the upper surfaces it needed some repair, so they decided to add the longer nacelles at that time. I read that somewhere recently but cannot remember where they sent it for repairs. I have so many facts about so many aircraft that my slow working mind Mk I has trouble sorting it all out these days.

Lou

The first test flight was undertaken in secrecy from Salisbury Hall not far away from its museum home at London Colney,London Colney is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It is located to the north of London,this aircraft has quite some history attached to it as follows.

Barry.

W4050 took shape, in a small hangar, disguised as a barn, on the other side of the moat at Salisbury Hall. It was an elegant two-seater, with the navigator sitting slightly behind and to the left of the pilot. The fuselage was made of a lightweight plywood/balsa/plywood 'sandwich' which was formed over two mahogany moulds, liberally coated with glue (initially a casein-based adhesive, made from milk proteins) then 'cured' by the application of pressure and heat. The wing was built in one piece, with a laminated spar of Canadian Yellow Spruce, and skinned with birch ply. Two Rolls-Royce RM.3SM Merlins of 1,298hp were fitted, driving three-bladed constant-speed propellers.

The great moment came on 25th November, 1940, when the prototype was wheeled out, painted all-over Trainer Yellow, with black spinners, and carrying the second class Registration Mark of E0234. Geoffrey de Havilland Jnr. and John Walker, the Chief Engine Installation Designer, took off from the company airfield on the very first proving flight. All went relatively smoothly during the test programme; the Handley Page automatic slats on the outer wing panels were not necessary, and were wired shut (they can be seen to this day); there was vibration at high speed caused by disturbed airflow behind the short engine nacelles, but this was cured by fitting longer, more aerodynamic ones. W4050 showed blazing speed – 30 mph faster than the RAF Spitfire of the day – and was highly manoeuverable, too. When it was demonstrated in front of a mixed group of British and American military personnel, it screamed across the airfield at 400 mph, then performed a series of upward rolls – with one engine feathered! General H. H. Arnold was there, and tried very hard to have the Mosquito built in the United States (it was rejected by all the U.S. companies which were approached as being 'made from an out-dated material') Later the USAAF would operate both British and Canadian-built Mosquito aircraft.

By December 1940, the aircraft's upper surfaces had been painted in the standard RAF Dark Earth/Dark Green camouflage pattern, and it was readied for its official trials, which would take place at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, RAF Boscombe Down. Then came a most unfortunate mishap; on 24th February, 1941, following a routine landing, the tailwheel caught in a patch of rough ground, and the rear fuselage was severely fractured near the rear fuselage hatch. The machine was rebuilt using the fuselage from the next machine on the line (the photo-reconnaissance prototype), and a strengthening 'strake' fitted externally (visible on every Mosquito); a special, low-drag Dunlop-Marstrand tailwheel was also fitted. A heavy landing happened in May, 1941, further damaging the fuselage, which was repaired with a large plywood patch (still visible). Engine developments meant that W4050 was used to trial various R/R Merlins; in July, 1942, a pair of 2-speed, 2-stage supercharged Merlin 61s were flown, and on the 8th of August, 1943, when fitted with two Merlin 77 engines, the prototype became the fastest Mosquito in level flight, ever – 439 mph! By December, 1943, W4050?s usefulness had come to an end, and she was retired.

She stayed at Hatfield for a while, fitted with Merlin 25 engines like the standard fighter-bomber version, the FB.VI, and was used to teach apprentices. Post-war a long period of storage at Hatfield, Chester and other company sites ensued. W4050 was publicly exhibited at the Society of British Aircraft Constructors annual shows in 1946 and 1947, after the company bought it back from the Air Ministry. Unfortunately, plans to publicly exhibit it at Hatfield fell through, and orders went out for it to be burnt! By great good fortune, the new owners of Salisbury Hall, Walter and Audrey Goldsmith, were looking for some Mosquito parts to exhibit at their new home, and the company allowed them to acquire W4050, provided money could be raised for a small hangar. The £1,800 needed was quickly raised from friends and ex-aircrew, and W4050 came home. She formed the core of what has now become a major aviation museum, focusing on de Havilland aircraft, and machines from successor companies – the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre.

Thank you Barry for the accurate rendition of the Mosquito.

Lou

Keep your feet dry!

Have to agree with Barry, Lou, a very nice model and choice of scheme. Regards Paul J.

Hi Lou,

I am finally able to show you some progress again:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014011601.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014011602.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014011603.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014011604.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014011605.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014011606.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014011607.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014011608.jpg)

Jorrit, your Mossie looks great. What will you be using for primer/paint?

Lou

Jorrit what a lovely little Mosquito you have built,its full of the character of the full sized beauty.

Barry.

Quote from: lastvautour on January 16, 2014, 11:17:38 AM
Jorrit, your Mossie looks great. What will you be using for primer/paint?

Lou

Thanks, Lou.
I have used a tinner based primer.
Will use Revell model paint to paint it.
Not sure, how to do the decals.
I want to try painting them, unless you strongly advise me not to.

Any thoughts on this?

The choice of decals markings is yours. The easiest I found was printing on ordinary paper and gluing. Home made water slide decals take time to master. If you have some plastic kit decals, that would also do the trick. If you have a steady hand painting them is also a good option.

Lou

Jorrit, have you made any progress on your Mossie?

Lou

Hi Lou,
Sorry for coming back so late.
I have just purchased the different colors in paint for my mossie.
To be honest I am a bit afraid to start painting the model.
I really don't want to mess it up.
I think I will overcome my fear in the course of this week and send some pictures along.

Thank you and hoping all is well on your side.

Jorrit

One of the good things about solid wood models is that if you mess up the paint job a quick sanding and reapplication of paint is always possible without danger to the model. Hope to see some photos soon.

Lou

You will be fine with any paintwork Jorritt,Lou is right any mistakes can be easily put right,spend a little time with the preparation and primer and the paint will flow on nicely.

Barry.

Here is the first progress report on the paintjob:

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014021601.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014021602.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014021603.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014021604.jpg)

Slowly but surely.
Thanks for the support, guys.
I appreciate it.

Slowly but surely your Mossie is turning out to be a great model. What did you use for the upper wing decals?

Lou

Looking really good Jorrit,you are tackling the paintwork well.
Barry.

Jorrit, I had a closer look at your photos and notice you marked off the camouflage with pencil lines. An excellent idea that I should use more often.

Lou

 
  Coming along nicely. Well Done !

  Gordon

Thanks for the nice words, guys!

@Lou,
Correct, I mark the camouflage with a pencil and you will never tell once the paint is on there.

Concerning the upper wing decals.. I decide to paint them on.
I am quite happy how it came out.

Hope to do some more work on it soon.
My wife thought it was a good idea to redecorate my daughter's room in our spare time.
I'd rather paint something else than walls :-(

Gorrit, your roundels are very good  especially considering that you've painted them on. The rest is fine also. Looking forward to the finished product.

Cliff.

Your Mossie has turned out great Jorrit, the roundels look good, I always draw the camo lines on with pencil as well. Regards Paul J.

Thanks guys,

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014021801.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014021802.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014021803.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014021804.jpg)

Jorrit, the camouflage s really bringing out your Mossie. I await further progress reports.

Lou

Jorrit that looks like Revell tinlets of enamel paint you are using there ? if so its not the easiest paint to use as it tends to dry very quickly,yes its coming alive now.

Barry.

Quote from: Balsabasher on February 20, 2014, 11:19:26 PM
Jorrit that looks like Revell tinlets of enamel paint you are using there ? if so its not the easiest paint to use as it tends to dry very quickly,yes its coming alive now.

Barry.

Hi Barry, yes it is...
I did not face any real difficulties.
What's the downside of fast drying paint?

I was just having a morning coffee and pipe in the backyard, until I heard the distant roar of piston-engines.
When the sound came closer I recognized the distinctive sound of 2 merlins.

I was quick enough to make a picture  ;D

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022401.jpg)

On a more serious note:
The model is closing towards completion, the things to do list becomes shorter:
1) Perfect the paint on some small points
2) Add a radio antenna on top of the fuselage behind the cockpit?
3) Add a finish coat over the paintlayer
4) Attach the model to the displaystand

On the points 2-4 I could use your input and suggestions:
2) How can this be done?
3) Is this necessary? If so, what do you normally use?
4) I am thinking about heating a nail and inserting it into the displaystand, then taking the cap of the nail of with a pair of pliers. Drilling a small hole in the underside of the fuselage.
Do you know an easier way to do this?

Looking forward to some guidance here.

And here are some pictures of the displaystand I made from high quality Baltic birch 10 layer plywood.
(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022402.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022403.jpg)

Jorrit

Very realistic flyby Jorrit. I predict a highly successful future as a solid model builder. Just let your imagination run wild.

For my radio mast I normally use flat toothpicks or any scrap of hardwood. The Hampden build shows the method I used, http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/SMF/index.php?topic=1114.msg11844#msg11844

Mounting to the stand involves using a round dowel or in my case a round toothpick. I drill a hole in the bottom of the aircraft at the point of balance and a similar hole in the top of the stand, I do not glue the toothpick/dowel. Check out the tip section at http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/SMF/index.php?topic=1154.msg11530#msg11530

Lou

Lou,
Again thank you!
Points 2 and 4 are marked done.
Last question:
After painting, do you finish it with a layer of veneer?
Or the paintlayer is enough?
I'd like to hear your opinion.

Jorrit

Unless it calls for a high gloss finish I usually just leave the paint finish. Looking forward to more photos.

Lou

Yesterday I finished my Mossie.
Really strange how you apply the last changes and then you are looking at your finished model.

Lou,
I really don't know how I could ever thank you.
For all the instructions you sent me.
For the patience you had.
For the motivating mentorship you have provided.
For the trust you have had in me.
You have taught me how to make a solid model.
Something that I did not believe I could ever do.
I thought this was only for the big boys, and look at me now  :D
Words cannot explain how proud I feel that I made this model.

It is not perfect maybe..
The roundels I painted are not 100% straight and accurate.
But this is MY model, and I made it!

I wish I could show you how grateful I am that I had this chance.

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022801.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022802.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022803.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022804.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022805.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022806.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022807.jpg) (http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022808.jpg)

(http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/albums/userpics/10080/2014022809.jpg)


Thank you.

Jorrit

Congratulations on your first solid Jorrit.  Well done!

Quote from: Mark Braunlich on February 28, 2014, 01:17:34 PM
Congratulations on your first solid Jorrit.  Well done!

Thank you, Mark
I am confident more will follow.

An excellent first project Jorrit. You captured the essence of the Mossie with your carving and painting. You are well on your way to becoming an accomplished model maker. I echo Mark's comments on congratulating you. May there be many more models in your future.

Lou

P.S. Assistance is just an email away. Keep your blade sharp.

Hi Jorrit. A very nice Mosquito. I hope that you will always be able to say:" . .  this is MY model and I made it." I believe that you will and such sentiments are what keeps SMM going. Congratulations!

Cliff.

Jorritt you have experienced the full joy of building a solid model,it is a wonderful feeling that will grow and grow as your next model takes shape,your Mosquito is a joy to see especially as Lou has guided you so well to produce it,I love the outdoor shots,well done all round ! start gathering together more wood to build another model,welcome to the magical world of building solids !

Barry.

Jorrit, I have posted your picture to flickr for greater exposure including the attached.

Lou

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8416077@N08/

Thanks guys, it means a lot!-

Well done Jorrit, you have made a model to be proud of. Keep up the good work, you will  see a model in every piece of scrap wood you pick up now, I save all my off cuts now. Best regards Paul J.

 
  Well Done Jorrit ! The Mossie looks great.

  Cheers

  Gordon

Nice job, Jorrit.  The "before" and after photo is inspiring: truly amazing what you did with a piece of scrap wood!

Garet

I had neglected to place your wonderful Mosquito to the Model of the Year post. I have corrected my omission. http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/SMF/index.php?topic=1205.msg13332#msg13332

Lou