FF Sport and Scale
Fernando Ramos, 19361 Mesa Dr., Villa Park CA 92861; E-mail: [email protected]
DURING THE COMPLETION of my Flying Aces Club (FAC) entry for this year, I learned a great deal about what shouldn't be done! I'd get an idea and try it out, only to learn that the tried-and-proven method is still the best.
Painting the model included the use of nitrate dope, Floquil model-railroad paint mixed with nitrate dope, Floquil only, and Testors Model Master enamel paints. If these are not used in the proper order, all kinds of havoc can occur. What I am about to write is what I have done throughout the years, but the review is good even for me. (It is good to remember what works best and not to deviate from it!)
Nitrate dope should be the base coat, followed by nitrate mixed with any of the many model plastic paints available, or Floquil, to give you the color you want your model to be. I shot part of the model with enamel (used for plastic models), forgetting that you can't put anything but more enamel over it. If I had mixed nitrate with another color to go over the previously painted enamel surface, for numbers or letters, the enamel would lift as the result of the nitrate.
The other problem I encountered was that the stencil I made had an adhesive backing which came part of the way off when I was removing the stencil after painting. Normally this would not be a problem, but when I used cigarette lighter fluid (naphtha) to try to remove it from the enamel, the color came off as well. I was a bit tweaked!
The simple solution is to stay with what has worked in the past, and leave well enough alone. The basic color of my model is silver. I mixed Floquil silver into nitrate dope and shot the fuselage. The next step for me should have been to use the trim color (Testors Model Master enamel paint) and add it to more nitrate dope, and shoot that over the silver.
When it came time to add the numbers to the trim color, I should have used pure Floquil (that is, straight out of the bottle). The advantage is that if the paint bleeds under the stencil, etc., I could use a bit of Floquil thinner to remove any of the "overspray" without harming any of the nitrate-painted surfaces. If the stencil transferred any of the "stick-um" onto the surface, removal would be easy with the naphtha because it doesn't touch the nitrate dope.
I was trying to outsmart myself because I thought I would save a step in not having to mix another batch of nitrate dope with the appropriate color. You can rest assured that I won't be doing that again.
Tapes: There are many different kinds of tapes that can be used for painting models. I want to mention two and for what they should be used. While painting full-scale airplanes, I learned a lesson I want to share because it can be applied to models as well.
Sometime ago 3M® came out with a blue stripping tape that is a plastic of some type. The 1/8-inch-wide version is ideal for making sharp curves, whereas any wider than that is mostly for straight lines.
I used this tape for trim and making the registration letters and numbers. The paint used was butyrate. As soon as the paint was dry to the touch, I removed all tape and paper. What I encountered was sheer horror! In approximately half the registration the paint bridged across the tape, not leaving a sharp, crisp edge.
To rectify the problem, I had to carefully cut away the bridged material with a new X-Acto® blade without cutting into the fabric. I found out that this blue tape should be used for enamel-type paints or urethane. (Urethane-type paints will put you in the grave if you do not use the proper respirator—one with a self-contained breathing source.) For nitrate and butyrate paints, you should use the good, old reliable masking tape. It can also be obtained in 1/8-inch widths.
Through the years I have used numerous types of spray adhesives to make stencils. Some are plain awful in the sense that they do not stay put. I have finally found one that really works—1077 Super Spray Adhesive—but you have to follow the directions on the can for the best results. (How many of us read directions on spray cans?) The product’s company name is V&G Sale Company, Inc. On the can it reads that it is made for V&G, but supports that it is made by 3M®.
Spray on an even coat of the 1077 adhesive, and let it dry for five minutes. It will stay where you put it until you are finished using it. Then you can remove the stencil with very little transfer of the adhesive. It will not, too, be a problem; if you spray more and let it dry, you will end up with a stencil that is very hard to remove safely from your work. It really does stick!
How many of you have encountered plans that read "make a paper tube"? Have you ever tried to make one? In preparing an Indoor Scale model, I decided that the time had come for me to make several paper tubes to hold dowel or wire. I came up with an idea that really works.
I tightly rolled lightweight tracing paper into a tube the appropriate size. I wrapped the paper around the dowel to hold it in place. (I could have used tissue paper just as easily.) I removed the backing paper from a Parcel Post label (they have a sticky backing), and rolled it tightly onto the tube. I cut the excess, and placed a fine bead of cyanoacrylate glue on the seam.
Then I slid the paper tube off the aluminum tube, leaving a round, lightweight tube. You are probably aware that the wrapping is between the two pieces of the tube. I have even made a paper over a five-inch-diameter aluminum tube with no difficulty.
I found another use for the Parcel Post labels. The model I am building has rather pronounced rib protrusions under the rib tapes on the vertical and horizontal stabilizers. I wanted to incorporate these on my model.
My first thought was to slice 3 x 5 inch file-card stock the necessary width required. This would involve carefully gluing each narrow strip over each rib after the surfaces have been covered and dope. It would entail a lot of careful gluing—without measuring. There had to be a better way!
It turns out that the Parcel Post labels worked perfectly. I simply pushed the narrow strips into place—no fuss or muss.
As I was writing this, a thought hit me: Parcel Post labels would be good for making stencils as well. Because of their limited size, the stencils could be too large, and one large letter or number could be made from one label. I will have to give that a try.
I must admit I am not fond of the coated type paper used for kitchen matches. At first glance it looks as though it would be great for stencil making. However, the adhesive on the back is too strong for our use, and I found that the paint bridges across the edges of the stencil (meaning that when you pull off the stencil, the paint on the stencil will also pull the paint off the paper or plastic letter).
The only solution is to use a #11 blade to carefully cut around the edge of the stencil before pulling it off. How do I know this? I held a friend of mine paint a 1/5-scale Radio Control scale model. He wanted a checkerboard pattern, so many squares of the sheeting material were cut and placed.
After spraying the first color, the squares were pulled off. There was not one clean edge on any of the squares. It was horrible! The wing had to be recovered, and another color scheme was chosen.
This sheeting paper is often used when making stencils on the computer. Some machine-cut stencils also use this paper, so beware!
I know of a simple approach to making, for lack of a better word, thrust buttons. You might ask what the big deal is regarding a thrust button.
I use rocket tubes which come in a variety of sizes. After deciding which size I need, I cut off a length the width of the nose block. I use a Forstner bit to drill (mentioned in a previous column) a hole in the nose block. Then I make a couple of 1/16 plywood discs that will go on either end of the rocket tube, and I epoxy the discs into the tube.
When dry, I drill a hole dead-center on one end with a 1/16-inch bit and off-center at the other end. Why such large holes? If I need a 1/16-inch shaft, I drill a couple of holes this size into a sheet of brass. If a 1/8-inch shaft is required, I drill a couple of holes that size in the brass sheet. Using my Whitney punch, I make a couple washers with the required holes. These, in turn, are epoxied onto the plywood discs. The front is dead-center, and the rear one is off-center.
The reason for the large holes is that there is no friction since the shaft is bearing on either end of the tube—not on the brass washers. Some modelers like to use a brass or aluminum tube to place the shaft in. If the shaft gets bent for whatever reason, you will have a shaft binding in the tube. This requires making a new shaft and removing the entire tube in the nose block.
The bonus for using this type of thrust button comes during the trimming stage. I start by putting in the button so that I have down- and some right thrust. By twisting the button, you can get more side thrust, and if more or less down thrust is required, you can get an additional amount by removing the rear brass washer and switching it accordingly.
Once you are satisfied with the thrust adjustments, you can glue a strip of 1/16 balsa onto the top surface of the tube with a matching groove in the nose block. That way, the button revolves during the unwinding stage. I use a small ball-bearing washer between the thrust button and the propeller.
I received Easy Built Models’ latest kit for evaluation. It is a model of the Russian Kharkov R-10 with a 22-inch wingspan. It is designed by well-known designer, builder, and flier Tom Nallen Sr.
All the parts are laser-cut, and the quality of the wood is first-rate. Plans are neatly drawn and a clear-cut and easy to follow. The decals are water-slide, and three colors of tissue are provided, giving the modeler a choice of all white or the usual two-tone—typical of Russian aircraft.
There is no doubt that Easy Built Models’ new owner is making strides to improve the quality of this kit as this company is offering 3 plans on building this kit. The Web site is www.easybuiltmodels.com.
I’m sure many will be reading this long after the FAC Nationals has taken place. I hope I get a chance to visit with many of you Free Flight Scale modelers while I am
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
