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Fillers
For
fiberglass: Holes and
gaps in the fiberglass
can be filled using a
"soft" paste car-body filler available from car accessory shops
(e.g. Isopon P38 or Bondo). When the filler has set, sand with
fine Wet and Dry paper.
For plastic:
Again, you can use car-body filler or Humbrol plastic Model
Filler, available from model shops. Or you can even make your
own filler by adding styrene shavings to solvent in a small jar
and leave overnight. The plastic will dissolve and form a putty.
Die-Cut
& CNC Cut Parts
This kit contains several sheets of die-cut styrene (the
part numbers are shown on the reduced sheet drawings in your
manual.) The parts are not fully cut through. Ease them out by
cutting around the shapes with a sharp knife. Do not try to cut
with a heavy stroke, use gentle pressure and repeated strokes.
Cut the parts only as you require them or you will have a box
full of parts you do not recognize! It is very helpful to
identify the parts with pencil and write the part numbers onto
the pieces, with a soft pencil, then erase them out before
painting.
Printed Parts
Look at the printed styrene sheet and make sure you know what the parts
are. Only cut out the pieces as you need them. Again use a steel
rule with a sharp knife and cut away from "the fingers with
gentle and repeated strokes.
Click on image to enlarge
Bending A Styrene Part
This can be done several ways: either place the area to be bent in hot
water and gently bend, or place the area to be bent over the
edge of a flat piece of plywood, holding the styrene flat to the
ply, gently bend the outer edge down and roll backwards and
forward over the edge; the styrene 'will start to curve, the
further you bend it down the sharper the curve will be.
If you have to curve strips along their length, hold them between you
fingers and thumb at center and pull your hands apart. As you
pull your hands apart bend them upwards as you pull, this will
curve the strip to a gentle radius.
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Dowels
It helps to get a good finish onto wood dowels if, before you cut them up
or final coat paint them, you paint them. Model Slipway
reccommends that you paint them with 2 or 3 coats of "Humbrol®"
clear cellulose primer filler. I used a couple coats of Krylon®
primer. Then rub them down between coats to a glass smooth
finish. When they are then cut and assembled, they can be
painted with the straight finish coat of paint.
White Metal Fittings
Do not remove the
fittings from the bags until you are ready to use them. You may
prefer to empty the contents of each bag into a separate
container such as an old tobacco tin or similar container as the
polythene bags may wear with much use and split. I used small
plastic storage drawers and small plastic bins.
Click on image to enlarge
When you use the fittings, it
is advisable first to clean up any flash or mould marks. Also
file flat some surfaces using fine files and wet & dry
sandpaper. Model Slipway has found it helpful to glue half a
sheet of wet & dry to a good flat piece of ply (use a contact
adhesive or similar) and to rub the fitting onto it. It also
helps if you clean up the castings with a brass suede brush. If
you brush the fittings well, they will polish up nicely and
supply a good finish for painting. Model Slipway has also found
that the finish on the fittings is better if they are first
sprayed or painted with a matt white or grey.
When gluing fittings together, or to the model, you can use either thick
superglue or a two-part Epoxy resin adhesive. You may please
yourself as to which glue you use and when. You may, if you
wish, solder the fittings together (if you are good using
solder).
Painting
There is an entire area devoted to painting. |
