I’ve done a lot searching of images of the Ye Olde Pub B-17F Fortress’s battle scars on both sides of the fuselage and an artist image of the the nose.
My question is what is the best way to create flak holes through the fuselage and wings> Do you make scrape through the plastic pieces and somehowpull them upwards as the plastic softens? I think I can create grids of steel on the nub of reat stabilizer and tail IF I work at it on a junk model.
I came across a company that’s no longer in business called Meteor Productions that did sell damaged tail section of the B-17 Fortress but from what I’ve gathered they shut down due to bad business practice. Too bad because they look like they produced some really good resin products.
Try using a ball burr in your Dremel to thin the plastic on the insides of your fuselage and wing parts. Watch the speed and how much pressure you place on the burr - you want to remove the plastic slowly, not melt through it. Aim for a thiness which allows you to just begin to see light passing through the plastic. From there, use a sharp awl to push holes into your part. Remember to include a point where the flak entered the airframe (push the awl from the outside in) and also where it exited (from the inside out). Once the damage is in place, you can refine the thickness of the plastic with files and sandpaper to maintain a sense of scale. Look around for Shep Paine’s B-17G diorama. Monogram used to include a booklet with their kit which showed how he beat up his Fortress. It included tips on modelling parts of the airframe and interior which would be visible in the extensively damaged areas. The same piece was also included in Shep’s “How to Build Dioramas” book. Well worth the search, Black Sheep!
http://sheperdpaine.com/monogram/index.htm Shep’s website has the Monogram B-17 booklet in a .PDF format for download. I’m on my phone right now, so I can’t seem to paste a direct link to the file for you, but I think you’ll enjoy looking over his other work.
Awesome! Finally found what I was looking for! THANK YOU!!! Now I can practice on an old kit…
Oh how I wished I still had my grandfather’s dremel tool. Then again, I wonder if it’s still at my dad’s house. LOL!
You’re quite welcome, Black Sheep! When you get your project started, please let us tag along for the build by sharing some photos with us - I’m sure that there are plenty of fans of the Flying Fortress here in the FSM forums.