StuartMont Posted November 16 Report Share Posted November 16 (edited) So I tore my rotator cuff playing pickle ball and am currently rehabbing from the surgery. After months of not being able to build models it’s time to start up again. Family and friends pooled together and bought me this one as a get better gift and because they got tired of me complaining about rigging the 1/32 and 1/48 biplanes I have built. 😀 I know I said no more large scale planes but I am excited to build this one. Here is what I have completed so far, my usual “please help me” questions are embedded. I hope you don’t mind me sharing the build progress of this one. The rigging of the control cables was interesting but the cord supplied with the model is quite difficult to deal with, it curls and unwinds very easily. The next step is to mount the floorboard to the fuselage with all of the cables in front of and behind the floorboard hanging loose. Any thoughts on how to “manage” these during this stage of assembly? Also, I think my Tamiya clear orange paint must be kaput, it did not go over the wood brown paint very well, you’ll see if you zoom in on that one. The instrument panel gets painted the same way, wood brown under clear orange. The engine went together very well. I researched the Clerget 9b engines on the internet and was frustrated by all of the different colors I saw. Therefore I decided to stick with the colors in the kit instructions, a mixture of silver, steel and gold. The ignition wires took me some time but once I figured out the best method (for me) they went pretty well. You can see my trimming isn’t great but I was worried I would cut something I didn’t want to. This model includes plated parts and the plating must be removed from the cemented surfaces. I learned the hard way that I have to wear gloves when working with these pieces or my fingerprints will be all over them. You can see the marks all over the fuel tank that are my doing. The tape you see at the bottom was used to hold the straps in place while I glued them. How do you guys work with the seams on these plated parts? I don’t think I have a paint that will perfectly match the finish. As usual, I would love to hear (and would greatly appreciate) critical comments and suggestions. Edited November 16 by StuartMont 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted November 16 Report Share Posted November 16 Snaking your cables through their respective fuselage holes and then taping them to the fuselage to keep them out off the way til later is the only idea that comes to mind for them. The engine looks fabulous as is IMO. As for the plated parts, if their seams aren't going to be directly visible (like that gas tank?) then I'd just glue it together carefully and avoid fingerprints and glue runs. On any assemblies where the plated seams are visible, I sand the seams like normal, polish them, prime the entire part in gloss black and then use Alclad Chrome or Polished Aluminum in place of the kit plating. Hope this helps! Gil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmarc Posted November 16 Report Share Posted November 16 CCCCCCCCCCCCCCOOL ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bell Posted November 17 Report Share Posted November 17 i usually strip the plating off the parts then treat the seams normally. Then I re-coat the parts with a suitable metalizer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartMont Posted November 17 Author Report Share Posted November 17 23 hours ago, ghodges said: prime the entire part in gloss black Thanks Gil, I don’t think I could do those ignition wires on something 1/2 the size of this model. And, your responses are always helpful. I assume I need a different kind of primer that would adhere to the plating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartMont Posted November 17 Author Report Share Posted November 17 20 hours ago, Ron Bell said: usually strip the plating off the parts then treat the seams normally. Hi Ron, thanks for responding. Can you explain why you remove the plating? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartMont Posted November 17 Author Report Share Posted November 17 22 hours ago, Jmarc said: CCCCCCCCCCCCCCOOL ! Thanks Jean-Marc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghodges Posted November 18 Report Share Posted November 18 In my experience the kit plating is just a metallic paint that was factory applied so that the builder could skip painting it themselves. It should accept paint over it like putting paint over any other painted surface. That said, since some paints can interact, it would be wise to test whatever gloss black you choose to use on a plated area that will not be seen and could be "sacrificed" or hidden if things went wrong. My main point is that unlike most modelers who take the extra time and steps to strip off kit chrome or other plating types; I don't. I just assemble it, sand seams and remove mold lines, polish it so it has a glass smooth surface, and then prime the entire part in the gloss black. I've found that to be enough for my purposes.... but you may not. Gil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Bell Posted November 18 Report Share Posted November 18 15 hours ago, StuartMont said: Hi Ron, thanks for responding. Can you explain why you remove the plating? If I keep the plating on and fill, file or sand the seam and/or sprue attachment points smooth, the plating gets damaged and cannot be matched for a repair. If I remove all the plating I can treat these things normally. I primer it to blend the fix in with the plastic and then use a metalizing system like Alclad or the old Testers Metalizers. (There are almost too many to name nowadays.) This way the seam is hidden and all the metal finish matches. Usually the plating on kit parts will come off with just a soaking in household ammonia. Some parts take a day or so, but a quick scrub with an old toothbrush does the trick. Under that plating there could be a coat of clear lacquer. It's put on by the manufacturer to ensure a completely smooth surface for the plating. Don't worry about removing that. You're going to prime over it and then probably have to add some sort of base coat for the new metalizer anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartMont Posted November 19 Author Report Share Posted November 19 On 11/17/2023 at 9:13 PM, ghodges said: It should accept paint over it like putting paint over any other painted surface. Thanks for the clarification Gil. I see the “philosophical” differences in the two responses to my question about treating seams with plated parts. There is only one more plated assembly with this model and it will be exposed so decision necessary soon. Your willingness to assist with my needy modeling is very much appreciated!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartMont Posted November 19 Author Report Share Posted November 19 On 11/18/2023 at 7:08 AM, Ron Bell said: If I remove all the plating I can treat these things normally. Thanks for taking the time to explain your take on this issue Ron. As I explained to Gil I will have one more opportunity with a plated assembly with this model. The specifics regarding an easy method to remove the plating is appreciated. Passing on your significant knowledge of modeling sure helps this old novice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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