Scale Model Shop

**minitnkr** · 25 February 2021, 20:16

I would add filler to all the inside walls then trim/file/sand to suit. Then clean up the outside as needed. PaulE

**scottie3158** · 25 February 2021, 20:20

Chris,
Your doing a great job of licking this in to shape.

**Guest** · 26 February 2021, 12:06

Thanks all.

I think I know what I'm going to do, thanks especially to Paul for bringing me back to starting from a simple starting point!

**yak face** · 26 February 2021, 21:06

Nice work on fixing the misaligned panel lines chris . The exhausts look like another poorly moulded PITA , good luck with sorting them , cheers tony

**Guest** · 05 March 2021, 13:33

So...I have been agonising over these exhausts since my last post and what by any measure would be considered a disproportionate amount of time given the object.

I started out with Paul's inspired idea to fill them and shape them, which I did and made mess of it.

So I thought I might fill them completely and make a template, then drill them out by hand. The logic being the drilled holes would have a more uniform profile and the template would ensure consistency.

But it didn't go as I had planned or hoped and the result is still cack-handed.

Then I remembered Bobs (Bowcat) latest acquisition in the form of the drill. I have a low torque 1/4" driver for ikea furniture, so I bought a 1/4" chuck for it.

But this too messed up the holes.

So this is mainly a story of woe, misadventure and starting from scratch.

I'm going to take Jims advice and make new face plates!

**Guest** · 06 March 2021, 09:22

I’m going to finish these up as they are and move on. Much happier with this result. Not perfect but good enough and need to get on with it!

**scottie3158** · 06 March 2021, 09:35

A great improvement on what you started with.

**adt70hk** · 06 March 2021, 09:45

Chris

Well done for persevering. I think I would have given up.

ATB.,

Andrew

**Guest** · 06 March 2021, 11:05

Thanks chaps.

I hope it’s an improvement. Couldn’t be worse (could it)?

**flyjoe180** · 07 March 2021, 02:58

You have much patience Chris. Looking at it, and if you haven't already lost the will to deal with this PITA, would it be an option to cut off the face, and precut styrene sheet faces onto the exhaust box? Having said that, it looks like once you smooth them down they'll look okay under the dark OD or gun metal (?) colour.

**Guest** · 07 March 2021, 06:25

Originally posted by flyjoe180

You have much patience Chris. Looking at it, and if you haven't already lost the will to deal with this PITA, would it be an option to cut off the face, and precut styrene sheet faces onto the exhaust box? Having said that, it looks like once you smooth them down they'll look okay under the dark OD or gun metal (?) colour.

Hi Joe. That is the solution I have implemented...great minds eh!

**Guest** · 07 March 2021, 09:20

I've been pretty busy this morning.

Before I could even consider fitting the sponsons or the engines I needed to evaluate the 'wings'. Unsurprisingly the fit was less than ideal.

The main problem here, and is a consistent problem, is that the rivet heads and panel lines are moulded underneath the mating area, so I took all these off with a flat headed blade.
Next I removed the locating tabs and using 600 grit wet and dry laid on a flat surface I sanded the face flat.

Next I finished up the engines, added the intake cover plate and blended it in. I also needed to graft in some plasticard to fill a void where the intake part was shorter than the engine housing.

The wings and the sponsons were fitted in one and then the engines were added.

There is going to be a decent amount of filling and shaping around the sponsons, particularly around the front, the wings and undersides.

It is beginning to look like an apache though!

**yak face** · 07 March 2021, 19:30

Its putting up a fight isnt it chris , but youre winning so far , keep at it mate , cheers tony

**Guest** · 07 March 2021, 20:08

Cheers Tony. I feel like I’m fighting it to be honest, it hasn’t done a great deal wrong. It is how it was meant to be and I’m asking it to be something else!

Enjoying it though! A different subject, a different challenge. 1/72 doesn’t offer up this kind of thing in the same way so it’s a nice change.

The canopy is the next challenge...you’ll see why soon!