I.D. Models

[Jim]

I guess I'm playing "catchup" with everyone else here, as all the great modelers on this site have made me a been a bit shy about posting pictures of my own. But what the heck, this is all for fun and sharing right? So here's a few I've bashed together in the last couple years; now that I'm, retired, I figure I'll have more time for this great hobby.

I'll start with the first laminated model I tried my hand at, the P-40. It has several obvious flaws and the stand was awful, but I learned a lot from the experience. I've since thrown away the stand and built a much better one...

[Jim]

Next is a Corsair my wife asked me to make for her. I have a fondness for the natural grain of the wood, and I just happened to have had a piece of thin maple that had a really cool dark streak through it. I used that for the top of the wing, and laminated mahogany to the bottom for contrast...

[Jim]

Next is a pair of Mustangs -- Christmas presents for my secretary's two sons. Thedark wood is cocobolo, IIRC...

[lastvautour]

Excellent models. Were they made this year?

Lou

[Jim]

No, Lou, they're a couple years old.

[Balsabasher]

They are all really beautiful models Fingers,your style is your trademark.
Barry.

[Jim]

Thanks you, Barry. To be honest, I'd like to make a couple that have the fine canopy frame detailing that I've seen done by many builders here. I just haven't been able to figure out how to do it without making a hash of it!

[lastvautour]

Fingers, I would suggest you make the canopy by laminating small strips of the desired colour and carving it as a separate piece and attaching it after it is done.  A canopy such as a Firefly or a Kingfisher would need quite a few pieces of wood but would look fantastic once done.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Thanks you, Barry. To be honest, I'd like to make a couple that have the fine canopy frame detailing that I've seen done by many builders here. I just haven't been able to figure out how to do it without making a hash of it!

The easiest way is to use a material called 'Chart tape' it comes in coloured rolls from stationers,you place the tape where the canopy frames are then seal it with whatever is to hand,I use ordinary car primer,alternatively you can make your own by placing tape onto glass then cutting fine strips using an old industrial hacksaw blade,the offset teeth stop the straight edge from moving,clever stuff.

Barry.

[Jim]

Thanks you, Barry. To be honest, I'd like to make a couple that have the fine canopy frame detailing that I've seen done by many builders here. I just haven't been able to figure out how to do it without making a hash of it!

The easiest way is to use a material called 'Chart tape' it comes in coloured rolls from stationers,you place the tape where the canopy frames are then seal it with whatever is to hand,I use ordinary car primer,alternatively you can make your own by placing tape onto glass then cutting fine strips using an old industrial hacksaw blade,the offset teeth stop the straight edge from moving,clever stuff.

Barry.

Barry: Okay, I think I understand your process. It seems like it would work fine with a painted model, but not with a natural wood finish, which is what I was referring to.

Lou's suggestion for laminating strips onto a glued-in canopy "plug" seems like it could work, but only if there were no underlying laminations that you'd have to align with in the fuselage. Look at the Corsair model, for example: You'd be working across at least five different layers of lamination; if you were the least bit "off" it would ruin the look of the whole thing. Not to mention the fact that you'd have an ugly seam all around the plug...

Maybe the answer is that instead of trying to make the actual frames themselves, I should try to carve and sand the individual canopy "panes" as flattened planes. I don't think I could do that with a "greenhouse" canopy, like on a Hurricane or a JU-88, in 1/72 scale, though; you'd go blind trying to make all the individual panels, and one little slip with the knife and you'd ruin the whole thing.

There was something in the original instructions for the I.D. Models project about drilling holes at the corners of each panel or pane and carving to the points where the holes intersected -- "Pinpoints Do the Trick", I think they called it -- but I could never makes any sense out of those instructions!

[Balsabasher]

OK what about marquetry shim wood ? lay masking tape along the material before you slice the canopy strips,this stops them from splitting.
Barry.

[Jim]

Barry:

Yes, that's similar to what Lou was saying...

As I recall, somewhere I saw a couple photos of a Hawker Typhoon done in "sandwich" laminations similar to those I've done, and the builder did his canopy frames along similar lines. I wonder if I can find those photos...?

[Jim]

Here we go. I found it:  http://www.collectair.com/Articles.html#typh

"...cockpit frames are paper backed 1/56" mahogany veneer, sanded. "

That certainly sounds doable!

[Balsabasher]

Split the canopy build into two main sections ie rear portion,and the front piece where it comes down at the angle with the frame line,so by incorporating the coloured wood into the laminations at just the corresponding spot needed,that is the way that I would tackle this,the final carve/sand would bring out the canopy framework beautifully.
Barryy

[Jim]

I'm afraid you've lost me completely now...