Starting a new build - images soon...

[backyardbalsapilot]

I know you've probably said this already, but what sort of paint do you use?

[heywooood]

paint is a rattle can - Touch 'n Tone..usually
I also use Testors spray paints and Model Masters little jars of brushables for small items and touch up

[heywooood]

So a couple of snags...this kit is fighting me a bit.
Dropped a wing while I was masking the tips for the brown and orange accent stripes...so I had to repair and repaint.
Out of paint so i opened the new can...but it is a completely different shade of white...same brand and SKU#...just a different batch and much darker than the first can. Soooo.
I have already applied the first accent stripe to the fuselage...I have to either mask around it - uufff- or paint it over and redo it - uuuffff
But I cant leave it this way. Oh well - gives me something to do I guess lofl

[heywooood]

Moving ahead....


I had to carefullymask the brown accent stripe and redo all of the white surfaces in the new 'off tone' white per my previous post...tedious but it worked. I have added the blood orange accent color to the forward fuse.
Still have to paint the verticle fin and rudder but I like the scheme so far. What do you think?

[heywooood]

If anyone is interested the paints are Testors spray enamel 1240 gloss brown and 1628 competition orange...
The base white is Touch n Tone all purpose household spray paint bright white.

[heywooood]

Ok - the wings are on, the verticle fin has been painted along with the wingtips.
I have started to apply panel lines and control surface outlines.
Once thats done I can apply the decals..registration numbers only in this case, then clear coat with a gloss clear acrylic spray...
When thats done, the windows and windscreen and the wheels will go on. The prop tips painted and the prop attached
along with fuel caps, step bars and antennae...
In progress

[NcGunny]

Heywood did you ever find a balsa stripper? Several different kinds on the market depending on your dollar spendability. The worst being Master Airscrew. 1/20,1/16 it does okay after that you get blade deflection and have to mess with cutting depth and make several passes. (Blade depth isnt adjustable on the go with this headache) if its all you can afford then I suggest stropping new blades and going slow. Or better yet..use a straight edge and blade. The cadillac is Dan Mcleod stripper..but they are top dollar..seems to have been made by the guy that threw his Airscrew across the room and said "Enough"!!
I tend to use a steel straight edge mostly and can strip a sheet in no time now.

[heywooood]

Haven't yet but I think it will be the next tool I buy for this hobby..
Thanks for putting me on to them, I hadn't thought to look online to see if there was such a thing until you mentioned them.
As to the strip stock provided by Guillow I now see that they come in two widths on purpose.
The thicker strips being for use on the tail surfaces and 1/16" sq stringers for the fuse and wings only...
but in this case it looks like the balsa sheet they stripped was not centered or tight to the guide because I had some strips that were less than 1/16" and all were wider at one end than the other...

[heywooood]

Registration numbers applied to the wings...
Gloss clear coat applied.
Attaching the windscreen....Hellraiser lol






This might take a few tries...getting it centered and well cemented is a real trick..
Doing it without smearing adhesive everywhere and shouting profanities is a miracle

[Chris A.]

I use an X-Acto stripper which works well for 1/16th strips. Using #11 blades it works well when the balsa sheet is clamped down on my cutting board underneath a piece of u-channel aluminum as a guide. I also recommend being careful with the direction of the grain, cutting into the grain on an angle results in uneven width strips. Better to cut with the grain so you have to hold the stripper firmly against the guide. Having to clamp and unclamp takes time, but I get uniform 1/16th strips. When I have enough, plus a couple of spares, I stack them in a round oatmeal box. Length-wise on wings I use hard balsa for strength, laminate glue 2x1/16th strips for 1/8th leading and trailing edges. Soft balsa get used for fuselage strips which have to bend. I use hard balsa 1/16th for rudders and stabilizers too, I don't get much warping.

[heywooood]

that's very helpful, Chris - thanks
I just learned there was a difference in the stiffness of the balsa strip stock on my last purchase...didn't pay any attention when I was taking them from the bin at the store, but when I examined them before use
I realized what I had bought was not what I was used to...very light and flimsy compared to what I had on hand. Used it as you suggest, on the fuselage but I will take more time in selecting sheets or strips, if I buy strips again before I come up with a stripper or stripping method I like..

[heywooood]

I think these are final..fuel caps, antennae, nav lights, beacon and step bars have been added..








This is what I was going for..

[Coloradoken]

Beautiful work

[heywooood]

thanks man, I appreciate the encouragement.
I have to say I wouldn't have tried the infill method if not for this forum and specifically the work of Dave Duckett.
These Guillow kits capture the shape of these airframes with accuracy, and since there is no source for plastic kits of these types, this is the only way to have large scale models of civilian single engine aircraft on the shelf...aside from scratch building them.

[woundedbear]

Congrats on your build it looks great!