Christmas Cook-Up

[lastvautour]

Does anybody wish to participate in a Christmas cook-up. Rules are
Must be carved between now and Christmas Eve
Must be given to a none carver this Christmas
Any scale/type/subject as long as it solid wood

Lou

I am leaning towards a concept aircraft that has not made it to production status and probably no bigger than 1/72 as we have less than a month to go..

[dave_t]

Sure, count me in.

[R.F.Bennett]

A cook-up has been Proposed and approved (It only takes two builders) and they never end.   
Let the chips fly Gents   

[Joe]

Strombecker F-94

Gents,

You have inspired me to tackle another beat-up Strombecker--this time it will be made according to the Christmas Cook-Up's rules:  

(1) I started it yesterday (November 28).
(2) It will be done before I begin my journey to spend Christmas with my son and grandson.
(3) It will be a Christmas gift to my 10 year-old grandson.

Attached are photos of:  

(1) The as-received F-94-top view.
(2) The as-received F-94 bottom view (with the prised-off cockpit)
(3) The model in the "Let the Sanding Begin" phase.

Photo (3) also includes two wing tanks that I had to make since the model I received was missing said components.  I made them with my lathe from 3/8" dowel.

Thanks for the inspiration!

Joe

[lastvautour]

Welcome aboard Joe.

Lou

[dave_t]

Joe,
   Did the original builder put the wings on incorrectly? It all looks so backward somehow. I'm sure it will look great when you're finished.

Dave

[Joe]

Hi, Dave,

Yes, he seems to have put both the wings and the horizontal stabilizer on backwards.  This is not the first time that I have encountered that with vintage boy-built Strombeckers.  I think, in part, it has to do with the skimpy instructions that came with these models.  In the event, I have attached a photo of the dry-fit model with the wings and stabilizer put on correctly.

By the way, my plan for painting the F-94 is to NOT attach the wing tanks until all the painting is done.  I.e., I will appropriately mask and paint the airplane and the tanks separately.  After the paint dries, I will glue on the tanks.  I think that will lead to a better result.  Any comments from the more experienced?

One item that I should mention is the use of Tamiya masking tape:  thanks to Paul's advice, I purchased some and used it to mask the cockpit of the F-94.  It works much better than standard masking tape or magic tape.  Thanks, again!

In regard to plastic cockpits, I would like to mention my method for attaching them.  Most vintage models that I have acquired feature fogged cockpits due to the glue that was used to attach them: the solvent attacks the plastic.  The glue I prefer is Alene's Tacky Glue.  It does not fog the plastic, does not run and seems to work fine on these models.  Of course, since these are display models, one does not have to worry about crashes!

Regards,

Joe

[dave_t]

I have not heard of Alene's glue, but have seen canopies attached with a light application of ordinary white glue (Elmer's etc). Reversing the wings would work as long as the airfoil wasn't well carved, otherwise you get a sharp leading edge:)

[Joe]

Hi, Dave,

Fortunately, the original builder did little or no sanding: thus, the leading and trailing edges became my task alone.  From my experience, most boy builders just glued the models together, painted them, and applied the decals.  Of course, this is what Strombecker suggested in their ads!  In reality, these models require(d) a bit more craftsmanship than a 7-12 year-old might exhibit.  One of the aspects of craftsmanship is patience, something lads of that age might be lacking!

In regard to Alene's vs. Elmer's, the viscosity of Alene's makes it very easy to work with.  I use a toothpick to apply it to small surfaces and it does not run at all.  Elmer's is somewhat less viscous and can run.

Another glue-related issue:  Strombecker provided casein glue with their kits.  It came in an envelope and was to be mixed with water.  If the original modeler used this glue, disassembling is a snap.  All one has to do, in my experience, is to insert an Exacto blade in the joint, wiggle it a bit, and the glue lets go with alacrity.  Unfortunately, I have encountered a few Strombeckers put together with better glues: in those cases I leave the model intact and sand as is.  

Joe

[Joe]

Hi, all,

I have now glued the model together, save the wing tanks, and begun the sanding/woodfilling process.  Photos attached. 

One question:  Should I put this model on Project Board Section, too?

Regards.

Joe

[lastvautour]

That is totally up to you Joe. At a minimum I normally place a link in the project board so that anyone looking at the project board gets a total picture of what I have made to date.

Lou

[lastvautour]

The final coat of varnish is drying and the decals have been printed and are ready to apply. The plane is laminated baseboard mohagany. The variance of colour is not large, but it does have a nice effect. I am waiting for the project to be fully completed before posting pictures. That should be later today, I hope.

[lastvautour]

My Christmas build turned out to be a F-18 Air-Toon for my "none carving" friend Ken Hartlen. Ken provided me with some pine clap board pieces made from fairly good quality pine which I used on several project. I will present it to him at the 19 Dec 09 Christmas party we hold annually at the Royal Canadian Air Force Association Wing.

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-3444

[dave_t]

I like it Lou (finished already of course). You live up near the North Pole don't you?

[Joe]

Lou,

Very nice--it even likes itself so much that it dropped out of the cumulus to look in a mirror!  I am sure your RCAF buddy will love it.  If not, I will email my address to you.

Joe