Airfix 1/24 Mosquito build log
Ahhh progress :drinks
Today's update will be a step by step (get that song out of my head pls) on shimming.
The problem here begins with the Nacelles. They're one of the few parts that have a means of fitting positively and squarely - a series of walls in the bottom of the wing aligns everything with no room to move. Mine lined up with the top of the nacelles at the rear of the wing, but I hear that's not always the case.
The problem is that there is an unsightly gap on either side of both nacelles.
It's in a place that would be frustrating to fill and sand, so I elected to shim with some stock styrene.
First you'll need to find the thickest stock that will fit.
IIRC for this case it was .015
Now, slide the shim to one end of the hole it's going to fill. Then slide it through to the other end.
Now that we know how much we're going to lay down, slide it to one end and mark the other
I'm using sheet and not strip because with a square of sheet I essentially have a handle. If I used stip, it might fall up into the wing (in this case) and rattle around the plane for the rest of its life.
Now with your sheet cut for length and a reasonable height so you can maneuver the piece, insert it into the gap. You'll likely need to dip one corner in, slide it to the intended end and then drop the other end down, gradually feeding the length of the plastic in as you go.
End result;
Now apply your favorite plastic cement and the thin styrene becomes a little more like putty, it will squeeze out lengthwise and close the gap better as well as expand width wise a little to join to both surfaces.
The gap you're dealing with changes in width?
Not a problem, do as above but before gluing add a second layer of shim measured the same way as above.(look carefully and you'll see a smaller shim in front
Once dry - shouldn't take long at all, take a knife at right angle to the piece and it will cut off easily. Voila no more gap and at worst - a tiny little bit of filling you would've had to do anyway.
In other news, remember this?
After fitting and fixing and repeating, it was still too thick, the gap due to the fuselage offset was too wide and the fairing was too long regardless.
Separated to sand down some length - I couldn't do this at the rear of the panel when it was in one piece because of the rivet marks which I didn't want to rescribe.
Used my Mission Models chisel and my dremel and thinned and thinned and thinned...
Do they fit? They do, but you'll have to wait and see.
Also - update on the fuselage step;
It feels good once you have it done well.
Ahhh progress :drinks
Today's update will be a step by step (get that song out of my head pls) on shimming.
The problem here begins with the Nacelles. They're one of the few parts that have a means of fitting positively and squarely - a series of walls in the bottom of the wing aligns everything with no room to move. Mine lined up with the top of the nacelles at the rear of the wing, but I hear that's not always the case.
The problem is that there is an unsightly gap on either side of both nacelles.
It's in a place that would be frustrating to fill and sand, so I elected to shim with some stock styrene.
First you'll need to find the thickest stock that will fit.
IIRC for this case it was .015
Now, slide the shim to one end of the hole it's going to fill. Then slide it through to the other end.
Now that we know how much we're going to lay down, slide it to one end and mark the other
I'm using sheet and not strip because with a square of sheet I essentially have a handle. If I used stip, it might fall up into the wing (in this case) and rattle around the plane for the rest of its life.
Now with your sheet cut for length and a reasonable height so you can maneuver the piece, insert it into the gap. You'll likely need to dip one corner in, slide it to the intended end and then drop the other end down, gradually feeding the length of the plastic in as you go.
End result;
Now apply your favorite plastic cement and the thin styrene becomes a little more like putty, it will squeeze out lengthwise and close the gap better as well as expand width wise a little to join to both surfaces.
The gap you're dealing with changes in width?
Not a problem, do as above but before gluing add a second layer of shim measured the same way as above.(look carefully and you'll see a smaller shim in front
Once dry - shouldn't take long at all, take a knife at right angle to the piece and it will cut off easily. Voila no more gap and at worst - a tiny little bit of filling you would've had to do anyway.
In other news, remember this?
After fitting and fixing and repeating, it was still too thick, the gap due to the fuselage offset was too wide and the fairing was too long regardless.
Separated to sand down some length - I couldn't do this at the rear of the panel when it was in one piece because of the rivet marks which I didn't want to rescribe.
Used my Mission Models chisel and my dremel and thinned and thinned and thinned...
Do they fit? They do, but you'll have to wait and see.
Also - update on the fuselage step;
It feels good once you have it done well.
