Does anyone have any tips on reproducing rivets on aircraft? My Aurora Chinook kit is smooth as a babies bottom, and i need a (hopefully) quick way of adding them to the fuselage.
The only thing i can think of would be to apply some CA with a toothpick, or fine wire, but i would have to add it drop, by drop, by drop, by drop, and about another 1,000 drops after that.
I’m sure i answered my own question, but i’m trying to get this thing ready for the '05 Nats and i’m not sure if ‘shaded’ panels would go over well with the judges.
Thoughts?
I know I read about doing this in an issue of FSM some time ago. If memory serves me correctly, the author had used a mechanical pencil and foil. I believe he used the lead holder as a punch to punch rivets out of foil. Since I’m on the office computer, I can’t dig through my back issues right now but the FSM archive shows an article about “rivet replacement” in the Jan’96 issue. I’ll dig through my back issues tonight to see if this is the article I’m thinking of and get back to you tomorrow.
Try dimensional fabric paint. It’s like wood glue, but it stands out much better when cured, and comes in many different colours so that you can use one that will ‘stand out’ against the colour of the plastic. Use a cocktail stick to apply little dots.
You could also do recessed panel lines and rivets (although in the case of a Ch-47, raised rivets would be more appropriate). Anyway, the technique is described by Daniel Garsonnin in a feb. 1994 FSM article about replicating stressed skin on aircraft. He suggested a dressmaker’s tracing wheel (with all those little spikes) to make depressions in the plastic. For 1/48 scale, the rivest would be too far apart though… The hard way would be to individually make them with a needle in a pin vise or something similar. Harder to get even spacing that way though. If you want to do raised rivets, you could buy a punch and die set to make your own, then apply with a minute drop of CA. Very zen [;)].
Oh, for the recessed panel lines I suggest using Olfa’s P cutter which removes a thin thread of plastic, minimizing the need to sand. Good luck!
Thanks for the input guys! All good ideas, and right along the lines of what i had in mind as well. I’m leaning toward the CA route.
Just curious, but has anyone tried this method:
http://www.ww2modelmaker.com/articlepub/ISrivtip.htm
My only advice would be to use white glue rather than CA. That way, if you mess up, it’s easy to fix.
Regards,
Jeff:
There is another old tried and true method. Depending on the size of rivet – and since I know yr project I know they need to be really small – go to your regular pharmacist, and ask him for an insulin syringe and/or a needle one or two sizes larger. Tell him what you need it for so he won’t think you are a…well, you know. Anyway, simply sand off the angled point (don’t clip, it’ll squish the round tubing of the needle) till it’s even. Then, apply the hollow needle to the plastic and twist. It makes beautiful engraved rivets that stick up just enough in the middle. It’s even easier than I’ve made it sound. I’ve seen these armor guys, who sometimes need really big rivets, use beveled brass or stainless steel tubing to make different sizes. But the syringe really works well. I’ve used it.
A few years back I was doing a scratch - built U-boat and what worked for me was using a syringe and cold glue. Using different gauge needles gave the correct size of rivet. You do need a steady hand tho’
Thanks Shark/Phoenix - I’m starting to dig this syringe idea.
I’ll try both methods you suggested and see what works best for my application.
Thanks again for all of your input - that’s what makes this forum so great. I can come to get answer/suggestions without driving myself crazy figuring out how to do something, or worst still, coming down with a case of “modeler’s block”.