Revell 1/72nd Supermarine Walrus Mk.1

[Screaming Eagle]

very nice matt!

 

[rochie]

great job

 

[Wayne Little]

Sweet Matt!

 

[Trebor]

beauty, Matt! I use regular masking tape on my models...prolly why they look like crap. >.>

 

[Matt308]

That's what I use too, Trebor. Just the cheap crap from the hardware store.

 

[Catch22]

Looks good! I've found that the normal masking tape has been taking the paint off as of late. I use the green painter's tape. It has enough adherence, but it doesn't take anything off.

 

[Matt308]

Let the fun begin!

I began the glueing of the wing supports. Revell engineers should be shot for how they built the GD model. You see that in a few minutes. Les is unmotivated by hit paint fiasco. Well I'm about to demonstrate to him that I am much more capable of failure.

Here are pics of the engine housing now glued to the lower wing. Followed by the wing struts put into place.

 

[Matt308]

Looking good so far.

But alas the dry fitting appears to show that the engine support pins DO NOT ALIGN with the upper wing holes. In addition, the engine housing pins are crooked. Oh and they are too long. Ah yes, and the wing alignment is wrong in two axis.

So during all of my fiddle effing around, I put too much fatigue on the engine housing struts and broke every GD one of them. The second pic shows the remaining engine strut literally hanging by a glue thread.

I was pissed, but all is not lost. I have a strand of motivation remaining.

 

[Matt308]

Wait for it, Les. This gets real good. I'll have you motivated for your build after you see this train wreck.

 

[Lucky13]

Still banging your head against the wall Matt?? She looks good despite the wee incident...!

 

[Matt308]

Yeah that was recoverable.

So I spend some time next trimming the engine support struts. Oh a couple of hours between trimming, resetting and glueing with tweezers. Looks good again. Not satisfied with the upper/lower wing relationship, but passable for my high frustration level.

So singing holiday songs again, I'm off for some weathering using some aluminum dry brushed in strategic areas. Next plan was to add some rust and then include some grime and oil stains. But before I do that, I wanted to put the decals on.

About hour two... BAM! The whole upper wing assembly snaps off from the lower wing assembly. Engine struts are kaput. Wing struts all snap off. Only the two flimsy inner wing struts prevent a complete separation.

Now I'm really pissed. My youngest is sitting next to me so the expletives were put on hold. But I hissed and sputtered more than a tea kettle. See this is why I like to build models in MY garage so that I can act like an @ss with these things happen.

I made a half hearted attempt to make repairs with Loctite Super Glue Gel. That effing glue aint so super. I swear on my kids lives that this must be the only cyanocrylate glue that has a set time measure in 10s of minutes. Being too pissed off, I abandoned my repair until later.

Oh... and Revell? I'm gonna build this pig of a model despite your shoddy engineering.

 

[Matt308]

So this morning brings a cooler head.

Taking a break from the wings, I'm regrouping and have come up with a new plan of attack. So I'm going to:

1) Completely separate the upper wing from the lower.

2) Remove all struts.

3) Finish decal work.

4) Put in panel lines.

5) Remove stock on rear hatch to make hatch windows.

6) Scratch build new engine housing struts.

7) Drill holes in engine housing to ensure struts have a solid foundation for glueing.

8) Fill all existing strut holes in upperwing.

9) Dry fit upper wing and trim struts to fit.

10) Glue that SOB for the fourth effing time.

11) Buy new superglue.

Now if the snow storm would end, I could actually get my truck out of the driveway. Not gonna happen today however.

 

[Lucky13]

I thought that it was an volcanic eruption somewhere in the neighbourhood, with all the noice and smell...so it was just you then? I'm impressed Matt, had it been me, even though I don't build in 1/72, it would probably been in the bin by now....

 

[Catch22]

Looks good Matt!

 

[Wayne Little]

Sorry to see you having issues Matt, deep breath man deep breath....

As the struts are so fragile can you replace a couple of short supports around the engine and the two long vertical ones each side of the engine with brass rod to give it some strength?

 

[109ROAMING]

Thats it Matt you show that F**ker whose boss !

Looks bloody good from where I'm sitting

 

[Matt308]

Yeah, that is what I was thinking too, Wayne. Just checked the electronics bin and nothing that enables any real strengh. I don't have any brass rod handy. Would have to purchase that somewhere and we have 10-12 inches of snow on the ground right now.

I think I'm going to scratch build some engine struts with melted sprue.

Meanwhile while I'm contemplating the wings, and to soothe my nerves, I completed the rear hatch assembly. I cut out the hatch windows so that the window panes remained. I scratch built the open/close latch based upon museum pics. I hated the just use the plain jane version included with the kit. I also made the handle from wire sprue and then painted her up with Model Master RAF Interior Green.

The hatch has not been clearcoated with Future and still needs some weathering. Thus the large difference in color. Should clean up in final assembly.

 

[Matt308]

Thats it Matt you show that F**ker whose boss !

Looks bloody good from where I'm sitting

I assure you 109, I will build this kit even though Revell must be laughing their @sses off. I'll show them.

 

[Lucky13]

Build it and then sue them for Posttraumatic Stress, Battle Fatigue or something....

 

[109ROAMING]

Good on ya Matt

Love that scheme!8)