Hello guys and gals…this is my first post but ive gleaned plenty of useful information from this forum. i was reading the “Warbirds” issue of FSM and notice the guy that built the spitfire said that several rivets had to be added. I buy cheap models with not many parts so i can get right to the finish and practice and some of the fits are horrifying. I’m working on a P-40 tiger shark and have sanded off many rivets and raised panel lines. any ideas on how to replace? [V]
First of welcome to FSM saltydog. Rivets I’ve replaces but I’ll leave the raised panel lines to the Wingy Thingy Crew.
Rivets can easily be replaced with a little daub of white glue. Just place it where you want it to go, and let it dry.
to ease up the headache and watery eyes, get yourself some coloured wood glue or best even, some dimensional fabric paint (such as made by Plaid) from WalMart or your local fabric or craft shop.
I picked up a Short Line arbor press with rivet attachment and it works great for pressing rivets onto styrene sheet. Not too sure how it would work on heavier or odd shaped parts, and pricey, but if you have a lot to do it might be worth considering.
hey saltydog…it sounds like you’re building the same kit i am…the revell-monogram 1/48 p-40b tiger shark…and you are right, this thing’s fit is just atrocious…anyway, i too have sanded away all the panel lines and rivets. Now I’ve re-scribed the panel lines using blackwolf’s awesome technique but I’m not going to replace the rivets since greggers suggested, on one of my last planes, always sanding away the rivets because they ar the wrong scale for 1/48 and you shouldnt be able to see them at all…so I suggest not worrying about them. Good luck on the kit!
hello mer1122 from saltydog. youre right on with the same model thing. ive used about a half a tube of super glue and ten or 12 dobs of squadron green on where the fusalage joins the wings. this is the first model ive put together in about 16 yrs so i’m practicing on cheaper ones just to try out some of these cool professional techniques ive found in this forum and the FSM issues. i’m not into the scale thing as far as trying to achieve a perfectly “scaled” model. i appreciate very much everybody’s input though, so keep em rolling in. esta la vista…BABY!!! I’ll be back!
salty i’m doing the same thing you are…practicing on less expensive kits before i bust out for the tamiya and hasegawa kits (cha-ching)…but i was shocked at the way this kit barely fits together at all…lol…anyway, good luck on your kits!
sounds like we’re on the same wave length mer1122. those 2 big dawgs you mentioned above seem to be really cool to put together but im like you…major cha-ching just to basically ruin one. but im striving to have one in FSM by 2008 if ya know what i mean. it may very well be possible if i spend a couple of hours a week with my eyes glued to this forum. by the way, i just recieved my brand spanking new Thayer & Chandler Omni 5000 gravity feed today from dixie-art. im so so pumped. i have a Paasche H single action which is also awesome but i get impatient with the color cup and having to stop and tweak the tip when tip dry occurs. anyway, back to the rivet thing, i just took a fine point xacto knife and made me some very tiny “recessed” rivets (i know thats laughable to you pro’s but give a rookie a break will ya) from a distance they give the look that i like for right now. i hope you get all the pleasure that im having with your P-40.
p.s. i seriously thinking about making a crash diorama with my kit…(ha,ha) see ya
Hi saltydog!!! the key on modeling is practice, only that way you can improve your models, my first ones look ugly (and my fingers… well imagine try to use some super glue to put together a plane), but whit time a patiens, my models are staring to look something like a real one…
so, lets glue our fingers
Jeremy
Ps: is “Hasta la vista… baby”
Saltydog and mer1122 here a couple of shots of Revell’s 1/32 P-40, I feel your pain.
hey claymore…lol…those pictures show exactly the kind of sadness i’m dealing with! good thing i learned to putty on my p-38j [:)]…and salty sounds like the xacto-rivet soution was a good one! glad you’re happy with the results! Keep me posted on how she looks when finished will ya? Maybe we can compare notes!
Claymore. Ouch. Looks like you got your work cut out (literally) for you. I remember buying those big Revell kits as a kid when they came out. I loved them then. I guess we never remember things as they actually were. I’m gonna have to stay away from those reminescences, though. If you’ve seen my pic, you’ll realize I’ve no hair left to pull. Good luck ! let us know what she looks like post-op.
Hi Saltydog it looks like Merideth beat me to the input that i was going to give. your idea with the countersunk rivets has given me an idea, take a metal cog out of an old clock and mount it on a handle so it will rotate(similar to a glass cutting wheel) and run this with a bit of pressure along the panel that you want rivets on. i don’t know how well it’ll work yet because i just thought of it but it may be worth a try. I built that 1/32 P40 about 10 years ago the kit i used was an early release and thus was done when the moulds where new and it went together without too much trouble. only the wing/fuselage joints where a bit big… later…Greg