Fenlander's 1/350 Revell Bismarck

[Guest]

What a bugger of a day

OK, I know I am not firing on all cylinders due to a really heavy bronchial cough and not breathing or sleeping well but I am really struggling with the Bizzy.

This simple conversion of the funnel top took me over two hours. Cutting the plastic away was bad enough but the PE parts would just not stick using superglue even using spray accelerator, the bits just kept falling apart.

So, it has gone from this
[ATTACH]274410[/ATTACH]

To this
[ATTACH]274409[/ATTACH]

Next up was a short length of railings that need to go round the edge of a sticky out deck piece (I know all the nautical terms) that then slots into the main funnel piece, I assume it is the access deck to the two large searchlights on either side of the funnel. Got it roughly curved to shape, attached one end with a drop of superglue and took dog for a walk to give this anchor point plenty of time to harden. Came back and, after a cup of tea, picked up the part to anchor the next bend ( the idea is to anchor at specific points with superglue then run a bead of thin PVA to seal it). However, as soon as I picked it up, the railings part just fell off, not stuck at all. The PE has been cleaned with alcohol but it still doesn't stick.

Started again, this time using accelerator again, and finally got a single point stuck. Moved to the next point, added superglue held railings in place, sprayed accelerator and held for a few seconds more. Released my grip only to find railings stuck perfectly to my finger but not even touching the plastic. In separating the railing section from my finger, very gently, the railings broke at the 45° bend.

I said two very, very rude words, switched off the desk lamp and just walked away. Really, really peed off now. I have decided that I am definitely losing dexterity in my fingers and that this will be my last major PE project. Definitely will not be using all of it as I have said before but I will be using a lot less than I hoped I would.

[Ian M]

If you CA is really being a pain, try cleaning off the area with IPA I am only to familiar with your problem I used almost 15 minutes to place one tiny little PE part where three legs had to go in locating holes. After that I to walked away!
The thing I hate most about so called super glue is that in our line, it sticks to plastic as and when. Skin on the other hand just has to get close to the darn stuff and it sticks! Grrrrr

[Guest]

What a bugger of a day

OK, I know I am not firing on all cylinders due to a really heavy bronchial cough and not breathing or sleeping well but I am really struggling with the Bizzy.

This simple conversion of the funnel top took me over two hours. Cutting the plastic away was bad enough but the PE parts would just not stick using superglue even using spray accelerator, the bits just kept falling apart.

So, it has gone from this
[ATTACH]274410[/ATTACH]

To this
[ATTACH]274409[/ATTACH]

Next up was a short length of railings that need to go round the edge of a sticky out deck piece (I know all the nautical terms) that then slots into the main funnel piece, I assume it is the access deck to the two large searchlights on either side of the funnel. Got it roughly curved to shape, attached one end with a drop of superglue and took dog for a walk to give this anchor point plenty of time to harden. Came back and, after a cup of tea, picked up the part to anchor the next bend ( the idea is to anchor at specific points with superglue then run a bead of thin PVA to seal it). However, as soon as I picked it up, the railings part just fell off, not stuck at all. The PE has been cleaned with alcohol but it still doesn't stick.

Started again, this time using accelerator again, and finally got a single point stuck. Moved to the next point, added superglue held railings in place, sprayed accelerator and held for a few seconds more. Released my grip only to find railings stuck perfectly to my finger but not even touching the plastic. In separating the railing section from my finger, very gently, the railings broke at the 45° bend.

I said two very, very rude words, switched off the desk lamp and just walked away. Really, really peed off now. I have decided that I am definitely losing dexterity in my fingers and that this will be my last major PE project. Definitely will not be using all of it as I have said before but I will be using a lot less than I hoped I would.

I feel your pain. With railings just put a spot of glue on the ends and any bends. When it drys, thin down PVA, and use a brush to 'wick' the glue between the deck and the railings.

[Guest]

I feel your pain. With railings just put a spot of glue on the ends and any bends. When it drys, thin down PVA, and use a brush to 'wick' the glue between the deck and the railings.

Cheers Graham but that is exactly what I was trying to as I said in my post. I have always used the tack with superglue and fill with PVA. Fir some reason, I just cannot get this stuff to work with the superglue.

[Pikeman]

great work Graham looking good

[Guest]

Cheers Graham but that is exactly what I was trying to as I said in my post. I have always used the tack with superglue and fill with PVA. Fir some reason, I just cannot get this stuff to work with the superglue.

I should learn to read posts more carefully. I had the same problems with my last build regarding cyno not sticking PE. I thought it was just me

[Guest]

Have you tried a gentle sweep across the surface of the PE with some 1000 or finer wet &dry? May just give the surface enough key to grip to, some of those PE sheets are mighty shiny and smooth!

[Guest]

...also, the deck might look nice, but check the scale of the planks and caulking... The grain of the teak would be completely invisible at this scale, and the colour of them is, in my opinion, all wrong. Having sailed boats for years with teak decking, even after a good scrubbing with bleach your powder, they are basically a greyish brown, but mostly grey, albeit very pale!

[tr1ckey66]

Looking real good Graham. The wooden deck does look the biz but at the end of the day a model is judged on the whole and I guess it's your choice as how best to get the best result. Choose what you do, with the quality on show so far, it's bound o be good.
Keep up the great work
P

[Guest]

...also, the deck might look nice, but check the scale of the planks and caulking... The grain of the teak would be completely invisible at this scale, and the colour of them is, in my opinion, all wrong. Having sailed boats for years with teak decking, even after a good scrubbing with bleach your powder, they are basically a greyish brown, but mostly grey, albeit very pale!

I agree about the scale thing but Scale isn't everything. To keep to scale I would have to sand the plastic deck totally smooth as the lines and plank ends are just as pronounced, if not more so, in that as the wood. We cannot work to scale or aircraft would have no panel lines below 1/32 scale. Modelling is about creating an illusion, much more fun than trying to replicate scale

[Guest]

Well, this is coming as close to beating me as anything I have ever built! Nothing wrong with the kit at all but I am doing the worst modelling on it that I have done in years!

Spent another two hours today trying to attach the brass railings to a very small deck piece. It was broken in so many places but finally went on. Ten minutes later I picked it up to check the join when it broke again. I am not ashamed to say I lost it and ripped the whole lot off.
[ATTACH]274484[/ATTACH]

I then replaced it in five minutes with the plastic fencing and yes, it is not in scale but it fits and it looks a hell of a lot better than the over fragile brass.

[ATTACH]274485[/ATTACH]

I can see more of the plastic stuff being used no matter how overscale. At least it has shape and form and doesn't snap when you look at it lol

[Snowman]

Now that is a shame, but at that scale it will test the sanity of a Saint!

[Ian M]

Time to sit back and do something else for a day or two Graham?
My Hood is considerably bigger in 1/200 and it is testing me as well. I can fully understand your grief as he PE for your one must be tiny! Another thing that is testing me is the constant stick two parts together then.... Find you have to paint it befor you can go on to the next part. I now know why I build boats and not ships!

[spanner570]

Graham, I built this a few years back and it'll make a superb model without P.E. Modelling is supposed to be fun. No sense in suffering old lad.

I'm not being patronizing either, but I just don't see the point in getting wound up about making a model....or anything else for that matter.

It's not defeatist talk, just a quiet observation and hope you take it as such.

Good luck with the build, whichever route you eventually take.

Ron.

P.S. Believe you me, you will need all your sanity in one piece when you tackle the paper and card 'Belfast'.......!

[Guest]

That PE is looking very tricky, if you can get it to work it'll look good.
Overall looking good