1/48 Bristol Beaufort Mk VII commenced May2013 Completed 26th December '14

[Boomerang]

  Fillets just about done.
  Working on cowlings, nacelles and inlets.

[lastvautour]

Your Beaufort looks beautiful. How did you make your engines or are they store bought? What type of wood are you using? Why 1/48?

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Looks great Boomerang.
Barry.

[Boomerang]

  Engines are made with a balsa dowel for the crankcase. Cylinder heads from balsa dowel thats been run through an appropriately
  nut to give the fin effect. Push rods from thin copper wire.

  Cowlings are from a thick walled cardboard tube salvaged when the last garbage bag was used. Had to adjust circumference slightly.
  Finished off with two laminations of 1/8 balsa at rightangles and sanded to shape. Next time I'll use thinner laminations. Gills are from .4mm  ply steamed around a former. Brass tube /rod propeller shaft.

  Gordon
 

[Balsabasher]

Well Gordon your ideas and materials have worked well,its surprising what scrap we can use in making our models and you have proved it.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

I like the nut cylinder maker. I never would have thought of that. I must try it soon.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Lou you can also use a die as well,they cut wood really well,look out for old thread chasers as well,a brilliant tool that you hold and thread the bolt through,instead of a bolt use dowel and produce as many cylinders as you want.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

I have used taps and die a few times in my career but never envisaged using them on my hobby. Sometimes things just don't connect. Thanks for the idea. Please place a post in the Tips and Technique area for others to see.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Lou when I get a minute will gather tools and dowel together to do a photo shoot of the technique plus building a simple radial engine this way,bear with me lots of projects on the go as we work towards the end of the years model folder.
Barry.

[lastvautour]

We have a group engine build on the go as they never close. You may consider placing your contribution here or in the tip section

Lou

http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/SMF/index.php?topic=365.0#top

[Balsabasher]

I had forgotton about that particular build in the cook up section,something to work on for the future and work up more ideas for radial engine builds.
Barry.

[Boomerang]

  Working on nacelles cowlings and inlets.

  One propeller started.

 

[lastvautour]

What are you using for a propeller hub? I used wooden dowels to do mine. It looks fairly good from a distance.

Lou

[Boomerang]

 
  Lou,
   
I used a piece of brass tube with some brass rod soldered at the appropriate angles. Bit fiddly but it seems to work.
that's the way I've done all the others.

  Gordon

[lastvautour]

There is always more than one way to skin a cat or in our case, build a prop.
I have no skills when it comes to soldering.
Lou