Early Aviation
Discuss World War I and the early years of aviation thru 1934.
Jenny a great old girl
dolly15
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Posted: Friday, November 24, 2006 - 08:23 PM UTC
This is a pic of the interior of the engine shop doors.I have yet to add the hardware and some final weathering which will be done upon installation.
Right now the plan is to leave these doors open so that the engine can be more easily seen from the loading dock ,as well as through the wall panel windows.
dolly15
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Posted: Friday, November 24, 2006 - 09:32 PM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Friday, November 24, 2006 - 09:50 PM UTC
I finally found the scale button and reduced the pics by 50%(harder now to see the mistakes)
This is the exterior of the same doors.I havent quite decided to show the nailheads on the green exterior as they are not as noticable as on the light grey and besides they probably would be covered with paint.Maybe just a few rusty ones along the bottom may be in order.I have yet to finish weathering this panel.
JackFlash
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Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 01:27 AM UTC
John, You never cease to amaze!
dolly15
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Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 02:21 AM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 02:43 AM UTC
Here is a fun project! I was looking around for a design of a worktable on wheels that I could use in the engine shop.Because there is only limited space in the shop ,I need something small but efficient.So I thought why not design my own? there must of been at lot of this going on before the days of Walmart so I decided to give it a go.
Whenever I am in a craft store I tend to pick up wooden odds and ends that may be useful in the future.This is a piece of hardwood(birch) that had already been shaped as you see in the pic.I enjoy carving wood so I took out my trusty #11 xacto and a pencil and began to design something.I wanted a workbench that would be convenient to use and had some storage space as well as drawers.I like the idea of the round shape in a confined space so that you would not be constantly stabbing your legs on the sharp corners.This is a rough idea of what I came up with.Looks like fun!
dolly15
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Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 04:19 AM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 04:31 AM UTC
Next step
dolly15
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Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 08:09 PM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2006 - 09:05 PM UTC
I decided to weather the doors afterall.They just didn't look interesting enough for my liking.
Funny thing about weathering,the more subtle you try to be in your work the longer it takes to do.Beleive it or not ,there is over two hours of work(fun) to add what looks like a few nail holes to the L/H door.These jobs I usually save for a time when I can listen/watch TV at the same time as it really does not require a lot of brain power to do ,just patience.
The secret is to build up the weathering slowly.On those visible nail holes I used very watery raw umber over and over until I got just the right look.You don't want just a dark point but a soft , weathered look.I will now take a little burnt sienna pastel and further soften a few of the fake nailheads at the bottom to give it a slightly rusty look where the door may have come in contact with water.
Raw umber in its various watery consistencies really makes the best crud and in heavier applications great WW1 mud.Various other earth tones, and black and white, can be mixed in to produce a variety of colors.
In my opinion if you are trying to simulate wood in scale it is best to use wood and not some other medium .There really is no substiute for using the real thing if your looking for the nice weathered look.For barn siding,old fences etc... use it dry with no sealers.Paint it with watery gouche acrylics or watercolors and seal over with a fixative if you must.
The most important thing is not to rush .I happen to like weathering,fooling around and being creative with it.I know that there are probably lots of you who would rather do the airplane or car part.But for dioramists it is most important to treat each part you are doing with equal precision, yes even that board behind the toilet in the washroom that hardly ever would be seen.You must be consistent in the quality of your work and not just blow it off because it is not your favorite thing to do.Some of the best advise that I was ever given is to "Treat each part with respect and as a little work of art of its own ,take the time to do it right ,and in the end your final composition will truly be a work of art.
dolly15
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Posted: Sunday, November 26, 2006 - 11:17 PM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Monday, November 27, 2006 - 05:55 AM UTC
Another view
dolly15
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Posted: Monday, November 27, 2006 - 08:37 AM UTC
Just under the table top I am planning 3 drawers(false) complete with pulls.There will be a shelf at the bottom for tool storage.I will put it on the same type of casters as the engine stand has.The tabletop will be covered with oil spotted newspaper on top of which will be those left over exhaust parts and a few tools.The whole thing will be painted Reid& Sons french blue and then weathered.
I find it a real joy to sit down with a knife and carve something every once and awhile ,although if I was to build it again totally from scratch ,I would use basswood as it would take about half the time.Unfortunately ,most of these craft store parts are made of birch which can, for a novice ,be a little hard to carve with just an xacto.I recommend that you change the blade quite often to avoid having to force the tool and remember for safety sake always carve in a direction away from yourself .
dolly15
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Posted: Monday, November 27, 2006 - 08:44 PM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Monday, November 27, 2006 - 08:58 PM UTC

The above is a pic of the Nieuport 28 model that I built 4 or 5 years ago for a diorama.It is in 1/16th scale and is adapted from a Model Expo kit.
I am posting these pics for your info only ,as I really don't recommend this kit other than as a starting point for a semi-scratch build .I won't repeat all of that here but you can see from the pic the metal fittings leave a lot to be desired.
dolly15
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 05:44 AM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 06:26 AM UTC
Note:These pics all look a little distorted because of the scanner.

after sealing it with laquer ,I used brown gesso overpainted with french blue ,followed by a light sanding with 600 sandpaper.Don't use white gesso as it leaves very notocable white flecks over everything.
Next will come a little weathering with acrylics and pastels,then drawer pulls and the casters.
dolly15
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 06:41 AM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 06:52 PM UTC

Another one
dolly15
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 07:05 PM UTC

another view
dolly15
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 07:17 PM UTC
The tail assembly of the Nieuport 28 is very interesting as it is completely sheathed in thin wooden strips at a 45% angle.It is fun but very time consuming to do properly.
dolly15
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 08:05 PM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 11:23 PM UTC
Another
dolly15
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Posted: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 04:32 AM UTC
dolly15
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Posted: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 - 04:45 AM UTC
another