Group Build: Biplane - barnstormer to fighter

[Rockin' Rob]

Decal day!

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Kinda stinks though when you think you trimmed close enough but when you slide it onto the model you can see the white rim.

You know? This might seem kind of funny but all the time I hear you guys talk about trimming decals. I've never trimmed a decal in my life. Not once. Never occurred to me. Just saying. I'm not saying your way is needless or anything just that I've never done that. Hmm

 

[Tommergun]

You know? This might seem kind of funny but all the time I hear you guys talk about trimming decals. I've never trimmed a decal in my life. Not once. Never occurred to me. Just saying. I'm not saying your way is needless or anything just that I've never done that. Hmm

These are older decals and there was a lot of extra film around them, hence trimming. It all depends on the decal.

 

[wjbrandel]

And I've started on the rigging after painting the wing struts, no photos sorry I forgot to take any.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

It's getting there, boys. It's coming along nicely a lot still to do but it's taking shape

 

[BarleyBop]

It's getting there

That's looking amazing!
What are you using for the rigging?

 

[Rockin' Rob]

That's looking amazing!
What are you using for the rigging?

Thank you. The rigging is Ace Hardware. I went to Hobby Bench and looked at their wire and and rods and plastic and such but his selection of brass wire was picked over. So I just headed down the road to the local Ace Hardware and man they got everything. They even have balsa wood there. But every kind of Rod and thickness and wire of brass and steel and aluminum. I was like a kid in a candy store.

 

[Bob T]

It's getting there, boys. It's coming along nicely a lot still to do but it's taking shape

It really looks good...Nice work!

 

[Bob T]

I made a rookie mistake* and had to step away for a couple days, but I am back to fix my error, and Roden's errors.

*Wanted to paint the prop black, but no gloss black in house. Went to Hobby Lobby because it's much closer (15 minutes) than Hobbytown (1 hour round trip). The Hobby Lobby near me has been getting rid of their modeling stuff and now only carries Testor's enamel and some no name acrylic paint. So rather than go to the west side for the right stuff, I grabbed a rattle can of gloss black Testor's. I was thinking the prop was primed with two coats of Tamiya's grey fine surface primer, so it'll be fine.

It was in fact, not fine. It was a sticky mess. (sorry no photos - I wasn't happy though)

So yes. Took a few days off from the kit. Prop is now cleaned up and going to get a second primer coat shortly.
Tamiya gloss black standing by.

 

[Rockin' Rob]

It really looks good...Nice work!

Thank you Bob t. I had my doubts at first. Especially with all that rigging. But why do you think that tester's enamel turned into stickiness? I used to have some cans of that I probably still do in the garage but I never liked it. Took forever to dry

 

[Rockin' Rob]

Now remember the reason I used wire is because I screwed up the PE initially. That rigging is definitely not scale model accurate. The real rigging on an MK was actually straps kind of shaped like an airfoil and they did not use Barrel turnbuckles. It had a specialized doohickey that hooked it right into the wing. But if you have to scratch build and you go off scale then just make it look good to your eye. The first brass Rod I used was too thick. I kept looking at it going there's something wrong, that just doesn't look good. So you tear it out and then you get exasperated and let it sit there for a couple days until your mojo gets going again