a wannabe modeler?
Hopefully, a good looking airplane!
John (jwb), this build is for you Bubba. I know you’re a Spitfire freak. As such, any technical info you (or anyone else can send my way, or point me to), will be much appreciated.
I finally started my Revell 1/48 Spitfire.
Not being too pleased with the wimpy-looking landing gear, I set about making my own.
If the pics loaded, what you see is the first iteration of one gear almost complete. I’ve still got to make the king pin and lower strut cuff.
Of course, all this stuff will be painted, so I’m not too concerned with the surface finish right now.
All criticism is appreciated.
For comparison, the strut piston is the size of a medium paper clip, .040" diameter, or about one millimeter.
What say ye?
Camo
As a former gunsmith, though, I’m not going to comment until I can see your results punched in paper[:)]. Bench-rest is expected.[8]
What size lathe are you turning that on? Man, you’re taking this stuff to the eXtreme! Very cool! Will you spring-load the Strut? Brownells has coils smaller than BIC pens, as I’m sure you know.
Thanks for the good words Preston. I’ll leave the shooting to the experts tho…
My lathe is one my Dad had in his machine shop school that I trained in, many years ago. It’s a 1940-something Southbend Model A, 13 inch. I’ll take some pics and post 'em for you. Making parts this small is hard on my 49 year old eyes.
Wow this is really nice. I have some machinist experience and I can tell you that this small stuff is not easy to work with. Keep up the good work.[:)]
Ditto. I worked as a machinist for about 28 years, mostly operating the old Bridgeport manual-feed milling machines with some lathe work mixed in. That is indeed fine work.
Dontcha just love taking modelling out of the plastics.
It’s liberating to use other materials on models. i commend
you on your creativity, and even more so for your result.
IL2windhawk, thanks for the encouraging words. I appreciate the fact that other people can appreciate the work that goes into this type of detail.
I’m a machinist by trade (and Jack of all trades), and just can’t leave well enough alone. I’m always looking at something, and wondering how I can improve on it or make it better,etc. As in this case, I wind up making more work for myself, and swear I’ll never do it again. As it stands, I have two 21st Century Toys planes in my stash, so I guess they’ll get some type of makeover too. Jwb did a great job on his 21st Corsair, so I’ve got a goal to shoot for.
Besides, I’m more familiar with metal working than plastic modeling, so it becomes a learning experience as well.
Jwb, I hadn’t thought of making a mold of these things. I didn’t really think anyone would be interested in them, or this project either, for that matter. Everyone else posts in-progress and finished pics of their work (a great thing for noobs like me to learn from), so I figured I’d do the same. If you like this part of the build, hopefully you’ll be diggin’ on some other stuff I got planned for this pitiful little kit. And thanks for the good words John, it means a lot, coming from an accomplished modeler such as yourself, and the others who have taken the time to post.
Beautiful work on the struts. My father was a tool & die maker/machinist at Caterpillar Tractor Company for 40 years. He had a metal lathe and several other machines in his basement workshop that I got to use some times. My minimal experience is still enough to realize how good your work is.
Unbelievable! I’ve worked a little with lathes, and about all I managed to really learn from them is how much skill is needed and how little skill I had! I admire your work. Keep posting the WIP pics, many of us are watching with envious eyes! [tup]
Thanks for the compliments, Daywalker and Yardbird. It’s things like this that keep most of us inspired to complete a seemingly insurmountable task.
I’ve worked in various aspects of machining my whole career; everything from diesel/automotive machinist, to aerospace machinist, and everything in-between. I still don’t feel my work is “good”, but I have picked up some tricks along the way. The adage in machining is “You can have 10 years’ experience, or one years’ experience ten times”. I’m somewhere in the middle.
Now, if I can just learn the modeling tricks ya’ll have, I’ll be doing something.
If you like this so far, hopefully I’ll be able to pull out a few more modeling tricks I want to try.
I did get the port gear in today, but didn’t have time for pics. I won’t get much more done for a while; I’ve got to make up a slew of Structo parts for a buyer, which will keep me busy for a bit.
If you katz really are diggin’ on this, keep checking back in. I’ll post what I can, when I can.
You’d be surprised- people really like adding detail and more realistic looking parts, but most folks don’t have the time, equipment or knowledge to do work like you’re doing. That’s why I build mostly OOB! [:)] You’ve done fine work there- what a talent you have been blessed with!
Yes, I have been blessed, and I don’t mean that in a big-headed manner. I was blessed to have a Dad with a computer for a brain, who’s forgotten more about machining than I’ll ever know. He made sure I wouldn’t become another street punk, by putting me in trade school with him as my instructor, at a young age. I finished that four year course, and missed the last part of my teen years doing so. I haven’t regretted that either, especially since becoming an adult.
If more kids had a Dad like mine growing up, there wouldn’t be as many thugs running loose today. And Dad worked a job and a half for the first twenty years of my life,and still had time for me.
Yeh, I have been blessed John, and thanks for reminding me of it. Bless YOU Brother.
