So, it is Stupid Question Time once again. I noticed when I had the bird upside down that there is a drip of the Stainless Steel Alclad II paint on the surface of the wing, on top of the Polished Aluminum base coat. Looks awful, I have to fix it. What is the best way to correct it without ruining the underlying Polished Aluminum finish?
One thought: lightly brush a Q-tip with lacquer thinner over the spot to remove the offending Stainless Stell droplet, then respray the Polished Aluminum over it
Another thought: simply re-spray the Polished Aluminum coat back over the spot and hope it covers it
I’ve had similar problems when I’ve used Alclad. What I’ve done is take a very fine sanding pad, say, 6000 grit or higher, and lightly sand the spot. Just sand it enough to knock down the majority of the unwanted color and smooth out any ridges from the drip, but not enough to sand through the underlying Alclad layer(s) to the basecoat/primer. Once you’ve done that, wipe away any dust with a lint-free cloth and some Windex. After that, re-spray the Polished Aluminum. This method’s worked for me with Alclad boo-boos and even enamel overspray.
I don’t know if anyone will chime in with anything “better,” but I’ve used this “easy” method with success.
I used the Eduard wheel set and the mating holes were slightly out of size with the peg on the kit landing gear, so I had to clamp it in place while it dried.
I liked the Eduard wheel set because they were molded with a slight bulge in the tires to reflect the weight of the aircraft, which appealed to me.
Next is to finish the bottom details (gun turrets and radar dome) and get the gear doors installed. So far so good! Then I go on to the top details and finally to decals and installing the engines last. Recall I completed all the engines, nacelles and propellors in the ill-fated first version, and they have been patiently waiting in a plastic container for their hour to shine.
Almost done…Today I installed the decalls and the upper turrets and things. Only step left is to install the four engines (already completed) and the tail gunners turret, and then I can mount it on the base.
Here is the nose detail, with the crew’s three Purple Hearts, three Jap flags for the downed planes, and their fourteen bombing missions. Names on the side are the authentic crewmen from June 1945.
Those who have followed this trail of tears from the beginning will realize that this is the step (mounting the engines) where I dropped the model last time and caused me to start all over again. I am not going to do that this time…
I’ll epoxy the engines on tomorrow and send another photo!
Thanks, Groot. I would have been happier if it hadn’t required quite so much perseverance because I dropped it…but alls well that ends well. It’ll be awhile before I tackle something that large again! But I’m happy with how it came out.
I set the model up in the same configuration as the final product, to be sure I had the right size in mind for the base. It will be 27" square, the interior dimensions of the blue tape in the photo. The plaques on the left and right are actual size (although just printed on paper, versus the brass I will use in the final product.
The plaque on the right has his name, the aircraft identification and unit, and his medals (which are displayed in front of the bird: a Distinguished Flying Cross and four Air Medals, along with his Air Observer wings they gave NCO radar operators).
The plaque on the left shows a photo of this aircraft on Iwo Jima the day after the raid on Kobe in which they won the Distinguished Flying Cross. My friend is sure, because it was their only stop on Iwo in the war.
Mike: I had the earlier version mounted in a set of two fuselage vises while she was tied to a trial base of wood, and I was carrying her out to the garage. My intent then was to mount the base (and the bird) in a vertical position so gravity could help me hold the engine nacelles level while they dried. However, in my fear of damaging the paint where the vise gripped the fuselage sides, I did not have the bird in tight enough. As I went out into the garage she slipped free and crashed to the hardwood floor, splitting the upper fuselage seam open and destroying the canopy glass. It was a Significant Emotional Event for me…but I resolved to start over and built a new one. I still have the old one (and the pieces) and if I run out of things to do I may try to salvage her for my own use. This one is going to my WWII friend.
Bob, it is a great joy to see that wonderful piece of work completed and ready to get mounted. I admire your perseverance in seeing this through. You have created a stunning memorial to the crew of this aircraft. Thank you for sharing your journey.
John: thanks very much, I appreciate all the advice I got from the Forum members. It kept me from making some major mistakes. I’m glad I have it finished while he is in good enough health to enjoy it for awhile. I will post another picture when I have the base completed.
Untitled by robertholcomb73, on Flickr
