A few of you might remember my earlier post of this kit - the Toko / Eastern Express 1/72 Sopwith Snipe. Here’s another progress shot. I’ll yabber on more later after the pic …
Just for a sense of scale - she’s perched atop a pad of 3" square post-it notes.
You might notice she looks a little shaggy in the rigging. It’s a new method I am using for installing rigging - and I’m only halfway done. So far it’s working out better than the method I used on a Fairy Swordfish of the same scale. The stretched sprue is glued into #80 sized “socket” holes in the upper wing, then they’ll be threaded through “thru” holes in the bottom wing. It will require some finishing to the bottom wing surface when I’m done - but I figured it would give me a good tight wire, and if I need to, I can heat them a little to tighten them up all the way.
I’m a little dissappointed in the resolution of the pics cuz I thought the wood grain on the cabane struts came out nicely. Still gotta do the prop.
This one has been great fun and I cant wait to finish it up and get to the other WWI Biplane in the TB pile: an Albatross. That one has less rigging - so Although it will be the Albatross around my neck - it won’t be a pain there.
Enjoy,
Chris
Very nice build Chris. Looks great so far. Thanks for sharing.
Regards, Rick
You rigged a 1/72 scale Snipe? Looks great. Are you going to compliment it with a DR-1? I’ve been working on an old Lindberg Jenny for a couple of years and I’m at the rigging stage now. What did you use for your rigging?
I plan on using very fine wire. I just recently found a good reference source for the rigging and have to get up the ambition to start doing it. How did you attach your rigging? Super glue? Is there a “trick” to getting it taut ?
Sorry to ask so many questions but your Snipe is impressive.
Thanks for the compliments guys. Here’s another pic from the hind end…
This shot shows a personal modelling record for me. That tail skid is definitely the smallest part I have ever had to deal with - and it is painted silver on both ends and wood grain in the middle. No doubt other superdetailers can beat me on this one - but I’m pretty proud of it !
Ranjer - as far as the rigging goes - The first kit I ever rigged was the Swordfish I mentioned. I didn’t have any problem at all getting the rigging tight - that’s the easy part about using stretched sprue for rigging - tightness is a piece of cake ! I don’t expect I’ll have any probs with tightness on this one either - this is only the second one I have done.
The hard part is attaching the ends to the different surfaces without making a mess. I use a #80 pin drill to create holes to put the ends of the “wire” into.
The big problem I have is somehow dispensing enough superglue so that it adheres the sprue but doesn’t become a visible puddle on the surface. The sprue is so small that when I run the end of the “wire” through a bubble of glue - nothing sticks ! The end doesn’t pick up a ball of glue because there isn’t enough surface tension. The best way I have found so far is to use a sharpened toothpic to lay down a dab of superglue in the holes I create on the surfaces. I’m not satisfied with this - but right now it’s the best I’ve got. If anyone has any suggestions on this issue - I’m all ears !
Chris
Greetings Bossman and all; Forgive me but your giving yourself more headaches than you need. Since its almost done try “geltype” Cyanoacrylate in your puddlehole and then add just a small drop of Cyano accelerator to the rigging. You may be familiar with “Duras” or “Cat’s Cradle” rigging where you drill small hole through the wings and theen leaving the upper surfaces of the top wing and the undersurface of the lower wing un finished until the rigging with monofilament or invisible (smoke coloured) sewing thread is completed. This is my favorite method and it seems to work well especially with the Sopwith types.
My hats off to you, Chris; anyone with eyes good enough to make such a small aircraft look that GOOD has my vote!! [:)]
Thank you for sharing your progress… very impressive! [:)]
Take care,
Frank