Thanks, Gaston- overall I'd definitely say that the kit is worth the effort. I just don't know when to stop! ;D I thought those intakes would be the death of me- I just kept calm and kept filing until things looked right. It helped to have a nice photo or two of these little widgets. They remind me of German-styled household appliances- the same aesthetic is in play!

Thanks, Roxter- I brushed a bit of Future/Pledge with Future Shine/whatever on the inside before gluing- it creates the perfect barrier against CYA fumes. Best tip I ever learned!

More to come this weekend- cheers!
chuk

Happy new year, everybody! It's been a while- life, health, work- all have conspired to keep me from the bench. I've had the last week off, and put in a lot of effort! The results are, um... mixed. Read on- if you dare!

Awwww, man! You gotta hate it when that happens. But it's not a setback, it's an opportunity to create even better wheelwells.

Regards;

Automaton

Chuck, watching the amazing work you do having the wheel wells in the wrong wings is a minor hic-up for you. It will just be another reason for the rest of us meir mortals to keep watching and see how you over come this.

Oh tell Pfennig if he doesn't get better you will replace him with a Euro!!

LMAO ha ha ha

very nice work chuck, i'm sure it will all work out in the end!

paul

Thank you, My friends!

Help is on the way- from Sprue Brothers! It should (knock on wood) be a relatively easy fix. The kit wells are basically bare, so any changes will be solely structural. It's just a matter of getting the alignment right- good thing I have that foamcore jig! Careful examination of drawings indicate that the gear angle out about 2 degrees, with slight toe-out of the wheels. The kit instructions say 90 degrees- phfft!

I have reviewed some PE for a Wolf Defender with a bit of help from Queen Pence- take a look here:

http://www.modelersalliance.com/aftermarket/77-others/771-ph-designs-wmik-

The package has arrived- and I think I've nailed it. Fritzi agrees!

Good save, Chuk. I know you're glad to have that out of the way.

Regards;

Automaton

Nice save Chuck! Can't wait to see how this model will look when it is finished!

Doug

Thanks, gents!

I'm home with a virus and should have been painting pictures of robots all day, but here's what I've gotten done this weekend. Cheers!

Looks great Chuck! I'll have to try that technique with the airbrush blowing on the brush to get spatters. Looks great on your gear

Doug

Thanks, Doug!

Just time for a quick update- all has been kinds crazy at Chez ChukkenMarc. We're cool, though- and I've even done some modeling! Let Hannah be your guide...

Perfection on every stage! If I would be a main editor of something like SAMI (scale aviation modelling international) I would buy this for printed version of this in-progress build. This will definitely become classics!

Can't wait to see how the canopy and masking goes on!

Suspense, as we say in French...

Gaston

Again, nice work!!!

My thanks, gents!

Mini-Update time! For some reason this was all I got done this weekend, but It's one more step in this long, long journey. Fritzi's still got plenty of pep- take it away, Fraulein!

Every update really makes my day Chuck! I'll save your "copying PE to plastic with the airbrush"-trick for my own use in the future.



Magnus

I really like your work Mr. Chuck
Keep it up


Cheers Nick

Much appreciated, my friends!

In the midst of the vortex of life I've gotten in a little modeling- Fritzi will be be your guide.

Great work Chuck!: I think I know what Pfenning is referring to about the spinners!

The glass frames looks sharp and crisp on your model: I have found that paint adhesion can be a problem when unmasking these flexible vacu form plastic parts: The paint wants to come off across the frames if the frames are not "crisp" enough, and this effect seems worsened by the "slickness" of this kind of plastic under mask pulling: Paint just doesn't seem to stick to it as well: On mask pulling the edges are often "rough" and "crackled" instead of smooth straight lines: Terrible...

I am wondering if a good neat brush-painting of these canopies, before glueing and fairing them in place, might not be a good option for neater frames? I am using Falcon/Squadron parts on a B-29 and will try both methods, to see what works best with these troublesome canopies...

I recommend thick Testors tube glue, applied with a #11 blade tip, to "stabilize" the thin flexible plastic without those disastrous Cyano fumes: The thickness of that glue, when dry, is a big help to make the joints more "stiff", yet not brittle, especially where the the two clear parts are butt-joined to each other...

Good luck!

Gaston

I'm back, guys! Here's what I've been up to- a little this-and-that...

Good update I never noticed those counterwights before.

I have been lurking for some time in the weeds. I am quite impressed with the work you have done. Quite meticulous in the detail you have created. I for one am not that detail orientated. The progress that you have shown has given me some helpful hints in creating a better model. I do have a 1/48 388 conversion waiting to be used. Thanks again.

Wonderful work on that prop alignment Chuck!

How exactly did you regulate the pitch alignment?

Aligning resin props is the one thing I fear the most (after airbrushes), and I fear individual blade plastic props as well: Give me a one-piece prop anytime!

The distance between the prop blades and the cooling fan seems too great in your assembly compared to the picture you have included: Look at how close the prop blades are to the fan...

You remember the comment I made about the spinners putting the prop too far away from the cowling?

Lovely work on the turret as well: It seems oddly assymetrical, I suppose it was like that...

Gaston

Thanks, guys! I'm glad to see folks are still reading.

Jim, those darn weights were a real surprise to me, too! Well, you know how I love an extra layer of detail- and I had to build an alignment jig nayway, so why not go for it?

Trevor, thanks for the kind owrds- I'm glad all my ramblings have given you a pointer or two. I think I've seen the conversion set you've mentioned- it will, in all likelihood, be a lot easier than this all-resin beastie!

Gaston, in the words of Mr Spock, "I gave it my best guess." I'll check the whole prop-to-cowling thing. I'd hate to have to mess with trimming the spinners at this point!

More to come-
chuk