In the event that, after a few days, my posts here are suddenly reduced to incoherent babbling and random words and letters, permit me to explain while I am still in possession of my faculties: I am just preparing the building part of an article which is to be a sort of “how to” piece on the newest photoetching technology, such as the new folding and bending tools, pre-painted parts, different alloys being used, etc., and how to deal with these things.
Well, having not attempted one of these tiny sculptures of pure evil in brass in a long time, and my memory not being what it once was, I agreed to do a sidebar in which I would build one of the old Eduard “Strip-Down” all-PE skeleton kits.
For those of you who remember them, they doubtless sent many a good and competent modeler to the asylum. Never has any sadist concocted such models, where the tiniest misplacement of pressure could ruin the entire build. I once balled up a nearly finished Sopwith Camel and dashed it against the wall. These things are in 1/72, so they are extremely tiny.
I am doing the Piper L-4 Grasshopper, which has only one wing, and the struts are among the four or five plastic items, which include the cowling and most of the engine. However, a close examination clearly shows that those struts will have to carry a wing whose ribs are supported by framework that is no bigger than two human hairs wide. As is the entire fuselage.
Anyway, I’ll see you guys on the other side of the nightmare.
TOM
Tom, I’ll look at this as you doing it so that I don’t have to. Best of luck to you and may you retain all your facilities when you emerge from the other side.
Tom could this Ideal help you in your insanity.Take a long strip of cardboard from the box in which the kit came in.Cut same strip to the width of the P.E. you have to glue and making sure that there is enought clearance for the end to face out to glue.Then fold the lenght of the cardboard together and put your P.E. part inbetween like a sandwitch.Then when glued and set let the cardboard fall away.Would this help in this insanity?If not I will keep you in my prays tonight,Digger.
sharkskin,
I must be one of those sick individuals that really enjoyed the stripdown I built. Kind of amazing how all those little flimsy parts actually were very rigid once assembled. I learned early on that you must relax and enjoy the build. I hope this advice helps, and you enjoy your build