Jimbot:
Funny about that, come to think of it, we never see you and Casper in the same room at the same time either!
Jim; My method for tacking doesn’t work if you’re using Tamiya acrylics, but I use a speck of future for the tack, and a drop of alcohol to unhinge it - i tend to go with lacquers and enamels though.
Good old Mucilage might work, -never tried it myself, but it redissolves with water, I know some white glues are resistant.
I use cheap generic glue sticks that you can snag at any office supply store. just a light brush and it tacks. When done, gently lift off the tacked piece and wipe with a moist paper towel to get the excess off. Just don’t use a whole lot, and just do two or three spot tacks.
Rich
Goes ta show ya when I grew up…lol…[whstl]
Need Beer
that kit is indeed the molding from the 1960’s,it has been released many times, mostly without the F-4B nose IR sensor bump,which is a shame, since an F-4B is what that kit is mostly useful for
it’s still being sold by Hasegawa as the F-4K/M model
the way I use them is to sand off the rivets and panel lines, and build “cheap F-4Bs with upgraded parts from modern Hasegawa kits”
that kit, the F-4E molding that Mike mentions,and the latest Hasegawa mulit part kits,all have different interpretations of the shape and size of the wings
don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate that kit,just pointing out what it was,I buy them on purpose now, to build cheaper F-4Bs with, to use up the hundreds of spare decals that accumulate in the collection,I do the same thing the real Navy did,I give the “lessor” aircraft to the Marines, lol,if you get to bargain hunting again,be aware that the Eastern Express F-4K kit is a poor copy of that same old molding,with boiler plate lines to replace those huge rivets (lines are in the style of a Lindberg ship kit,and all have to be sanded off)
also, one last tip about building those,the landing gear is far too long and needs to be snipped off to get the model to sit right,one theory is that photos of an aircraft coming in for a landing was used to create the landing gear struts
hope this helps
Rex
Bocs and Sparrow: thanks. Sounds like something I will have to try. I use MM enamels so that won’t be an issue there. I agree that the white glues do tend to be a bit resistant to removal with water afterwards. The polymers tend to resist as they are meant to do…
By the way, I ran across a Monogram F-4C/D in 1/72nd scale with the box labeled as “Tour of Duty” Any know of this kit? Good? Bad? Or just plain Ugly?
Jim
The great thing about the cheap glue sticks is that they DON’T stick as well as the better brands. It makes it a lot easier to get the parts back off without damaging paint.
Monogram F-4C/D and F-4J kits are pure candy,you’ll love them
they have the best F-4 cockpit for their day,later cockpits that are pretty good almost look like copies of the Monogram tooling
for a couple of decades, they were the only 1/72 source of centerline pylons for USAF birds, just cut away the gun pod and you have a weapons pylon for the centerline, now you can also get them from Fujimi F-4M kits in our scale
the F-4C/D kits come with the ALQ-87 and ALQ-101 (early) pods also, another plus for that kit,if you see the Accurate Miniatures boxing, it has a resin QRC pod and much better decals, with many decal options
I buy them to steal the cockpits from,for my “great” Hasegawa new tool builds,Monogram got the angle right on the sides of the tub,Hasegawa didn’t ,and the Monogram whole kit is cheaper than a resin set for just the cockpit
Rex
Hey jimbot, I tend to fix permanently into the place the fixed parts of the canopy and then decide if the other sections need a separate paint of a temporary fix. I usually tend to paint the separately and mask the remaining open parts of the cockpit. If I do tack the other canopies in it is with Blutak and only put into place when the plane is in an upright position.
Cheers
Jim – echoing Rex, the Monogram 1:72 Phantoms were stand-out kits in their day and build very well, IIRC they even have options for dropped flaps and open speed brakes, and a multipart canopy for showing off that cockpit. The only drawback I am aware of is raised panel lines, and that’s down to pure builder’s taste. The TOD edition was produced in the late 80s as a series tie-in and is something of a collector’s item, but there are plenty of these kits around. Enjoy!
Mike/TB379
Rex:
I hear you have a lot of 1/72 Monogram F-4’s without tubs you need to get off your hands…lol…[whstl]
Hi Rex
Thanks for your input …
This is my my first F4 project. It was cheap, definitely needs more detail, but its been a good learning experience,thanks to all the members here…
Next one will be 1/48 and better quality - any recommendations?
NB
NeedBeer;
Given the older kit, there’s no shame leaving it as is in regards to detail, some poor schlub put all those rivets on it…gosh…and 100 years later someone wants to sand them off…[:'(]
Besides, there are lot’s of great kits to spend your time super detailing…
Welcome back to the tribe of Styrene-o-holics…
My name is Dominic, and I am a Styrene-o-holic…hey, someone get me a beer…lol…
PS…I’ll leave the 1/48 recommendations to someone else…if it’s got some styrene in it I like 'em all…hic…lol…
And gents, it must be winter again, I fired up the lights in the model room, cut and sanded parts, holy cow, was that summer…apologies to our Texas fellows…lol…
Well in OH today we went from the upper nineties to the mid 50s. I don’t know whether to clean the windows or get out the winter coats.
I’m very sorry, I don’t have any recommendations in 1/48, I only build in one scale,I’d help if I could, though
Bocks, also sorry,I don’t throw the kits out, they get “another option” for cockpits,I stick the Air Force with most of them, lol, sometimes they become Jarhead J’s
whenever I get this @#$#%$@#% cam going again, I’ll share my method for making Phantom cockpits when I don’t have something like resin, monogram or “new Fujimi” to work with
Rex
OK,
So here I am sitting at my desk, thinking that I’m finally making progress. As I sit waiting for glue to dry, staring at two fuselage assemblies, I begin to make a mental list of what I have to do before I can start spraying paint.
Then it dawns on me…
I’m nowhere close to paint.
There are still a million little things to do, but the big things left to do are rescribe the spine and wings of the Hase -C, and replace the raised details on the Revellogram -D.
Oh well. Progress, no matter how small, is still progress. Right? At least that’s what I keep telling myself…
-O
Hi NeedBeer!
In 1/48 scale the general consensus is the Hasegawa kits are the best. However, the F-4C/D kits have raised panel lines. In fact, the older kits have a mixed bag of raised and engraved panel lines. Here is a web page that gives a very detailed description of all the Hasegawa Phantom II kits:
http://modelingmadness.com/splfeat/kr/has48d.htm
So, depending on the exact model of the Phantom you want, you can figure out the kit to look for. Of course some kits are harder to find than others. And about the only place to find the older ones is on eBay. When it comes to eBay, I have found that if it is a kit that shows up on a semi-regular basis, it is hit or miss on getting it for a good price. It only takes one bidder that has an unlimited supply of funds to make the price go to ridiculous levels. So if you have patience, you can usually get one at a decent price. But if it is a limited edition, be prepared to pay through the nose if you want to win it.
The Hasegawa kits are more expensive than the Revell kits, so it is another matter of what you want. And another thing, since the Phantom II was around for such a long time, and was also used by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Marines, and a large number of other countries, you will need to pin point several other factors as well.
The good thing is that the F-4 Phantom II is a very popular subject, and being such, there are a great many kit makers and aftermarket parts available. I know that I have thrown a great deal of information at you for a simple question, but this is a great place to ask it! And with Berny here, we have a really great resource of information.
Ken
Hi “O”,
Remember, it is the journey that is important, not the destination!
Ken
Hi Rich,
I know what you mean. Yesterday we had a high in the upper 90s, tomorrow the forecast is calling for upper 60s for the high. A thirty degree swing in two days!
Ken
The thing I like least is that the only room in my house with an air conditioner is my bedroom. And when it gets this hot and humid, I can’t do any painting.