Gentlemen,
I am at the stage with my Sopwith Camel where it is time to mount the top wing. There are, as you know 8 struts to be put in that perfect position in very, very tiny holes. How to go about it? [:^)]
Use a super glue and work fast? Or ordinary Tamiya glue and take my time? Is it easier then I think it is? [*-)]
Thanks for your tips [:)]
Cheers…
I would focus on the fuselage (cabane) struts first. Get the allignment down on them only to begin. A sheet of graph paper under the model helps here a lot to show straight top wing placement. With those struts fixed and secure, the wing struts should click into place.
Ditto… Always start with the cabane struts… If you’re of the mind-set to do so, you can also build a couple of alignment jigs from strip styrene as well… Mine just slip over the top & bottom wing-tips to hold them in place while the glue sets… Or, you could tape them in place, once the cabane struts are installed. More often than not, the Inter-plane (main) struts will be just a skoshi-bit shorter or longer than you want, and usually are on the same side, and taping the wings down will help with that issue…
I prefer Testor’s Model Master Liquid Cement for the cabane struts, as I can get some working-time to align the wings easier… I’ll use CA on the inter-plane struts…
well we will be learning together im up th that point with my bristol f2.b fighter i have got 8 struts in between the wings aswell and are cabane struts the struts the go from the fuselage to the wings if so i have on on each side
Yeah… The others, that run from lower to upper wings are the interplane struts…
the alignment jig sounds like a good idea had alot of trouble on the last two i built will try that next time.
Ron
It’s definately worth the extra time it takes to build the jigs…
You don’t mention with kit but since the holes are very tiny I am guessing the Eduard. 2 Eduard Camels are the extent of me WWI experienced. I will pass along a tip I got that will help you immensely. Add wire pins to the struts. Leaving them long gives you someting to hold to paint them. If the wire fits snugly in the holes you can put it all together and the friction should hold it all in place and there is wiggle room to align the wings without too much worry of the strut detaching.
This was just an easy way to hold everything in place. The lower wing is shimmed and taped to hold it dead level. Then the upper wing can be sighted form different angles to align. The best one was looking down at an angle to line up the leading edges. Get that straight and then even the wing tips and that’s it.
I used the CA gel that is slow setting.
Here’s a quick sketch of my jig-design… Each one has to be custom-made to the kit, but only one is needed to be built with any real measuring… The other one is simply a copy of the first one, using the first jig as a template, construction time of the second jig is about 25% of the first…
I cut 2 sets of L-shaped jigs from the box the kit came in. Using a side view drawing, align 2 L-shaped pieces so they fit under the upper wing and above the lower wing. Use clothespins to hold together. Glue with either superglue or white glue and let it dry thoroughly.
Tape the model down (as the photo earlier in the thread showed) and place the jigs on the lower wing. Place the upper wing on the jig, install cabane struts first, using liquid cement (or superglue if not plastic) and let it sit for awhile. Then go back and do the inter-plane struts.
Tim
Wingnut Wings offers the following tip for alignment…may be not as useful with a kit that only has tiny holes for mounting the struts.
!(http://wingnutwings.com/ww/www/hintsandtips/simple wing alignment jig.jpg)
Check out what this guy did. Looks like he transfered the holes locations from the upper wing to a card to get the struts in the right place. I think it would still be a good idea to use a jig for the upper wing but this is a simple step that sure does get things started off right.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/644810/message/1300545954/Eduard´s+Junkers+J1+by+Afonso+Giordano.
Well growing up next to the nuclear power plant had its benefits, the extra arms have proven useful building WW1 aircraft. [:D]
This probably wouldn’t work as well for larger scales (I work in 1/72), but I glue the lower end of the struts in place with the upper wing laying bottom up in front so I can estimate the placement of the struts. Once they have set up a bit they will statnd alone. then I just start to line up the holes and work from one side to the other getting the top end of the struts into the holes on the top wing. Once in place I just move the wing into proper alignment.
It involves a lot of patience and cursing, but it works for me. I will admit some have come very close to flying out a window, but it is good practice for not beating your children when they act up. [:P]