Really like who you thin down the panels Paul, everyone leaves exposed panels plastic thick.
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Revell Ju88 A1 in 1/32 scale
- Thread starter Heavens Eagle
- Start date
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Thanks Bob. I figured that little process out a long time ago when I was working on a limited run kit (before I came here) I really needed to thin down the sides of the fuselage a lot and get it consistent. I have a 1/32 B-25, B-24, and P-61 that I will use this process on with the tail to lighten the back end and reduce the amount of weight that is needed to hold the nose down. It is really quite safe and easy to do if you just take some care and it turns out really nice.Really like who you thin down the panels Paul, everyone leaves exposed panels plastic thick.
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Thanks Warren!Whoa, that's some CRAZY work on the gear bays!!!
I finally just sat down today and have gone through and finished getting all this put together for posting. I think that there is a bit more done on the kit than is shown here. Once I get into it fully things will be brought up to current. As there are so many pics this will be a couple of posts. As Warren said, "Some crazy stuff here!" Enjoy!
The only difference between the two sides is the slot to clear the mold line in the kit part. You can see the one in the photo. The other side has the needed relief slot cut on the other side. If you look close you can barely see little spots in the blue part for where the other slot would be.
If anyone is interested in obtaining one of these tools, Esslinger carries 2 sets one is $19 and the other is $29. The difference is the cheaper one has less tool sizes and the expensive one has all the tool sizes. (you really don't need the full set) the cheap one basically is just like mine but has a nice plastic holder.
Here is a link to the cheaper set if you are interested:
Esslinger beading tool set.
Part 2 with the landing gear mods coming right up.
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Here is where you get the low down on how to mod and upgrade the main landing gear. Enjoy!
OK, all caught up. (well mostly as I know the tail wheel well has paint in it) (Not happy with that paint either) That will be for another day though. Enjoy!
OK, all caught up. (well mostly as I know the tail wheel well has paint in it) (Not happy with that paint either) That will be for another day though. Enjoy!
Really nice work Paul, it wouldn't take but a couple of pins to make the oleo yokes work. Great eye for detail, looks good.
I know some that would smash form (a cheap man's version of vacuum-forming) the cowling covers. Kit cowling then became the structural innards. Unless it is a working cowl cover, the slightly large covers weren't noticeable.Really like who you thin down the panels Paul, everyone leaves exposed panels plastic thick.
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Not cowling covers the are the firewall just in front of the main gear wells. The cowlings are then in front of that.
Understood but many modelers open cowling covers to display the engine without thinning them. Others have used the smash forming, or vacuum-forming, over the original kit parts. This is the most tedious (but accurate) way I have seen. My thinning with a ball burr on a Dremel (freehanded) almost caused disaster when trying to fit the Vector Resin wheel well bays to the Hasegawa P-39. Yours is fantastic!
I still want to do the abomination of installing a milling table on my drill press. I mean it's not going to bust the drill milling our soft plastic and resin stuff.
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Oh my! Yeah, this is something I thought up when I was building on a 1/48th Eduard Hanover kit. The sides were way too thick and I needed to thin them down and get a nice consistent thickness. To do that I had to have some kind of guide, and the drill thing made the most sense. Here is an example of EXTREME thinning of some plastic parts. I did this on the Italeri Me323 a while back. It is another shelf queen, but this part is done.
If it can work on a part this large and this well, it will work on about anything. If you look at the left side that is on the bottom of the photo, you can see the little shiny divots from the bottom support. I don't think I used any tape on these so that is why the little shiny spots. It wasn't going to be an issue as there was going to be some work on the outside surface that would do away with the little spots.
paddy
Well-known member
A master class Paul, well done . Most after market panels in resin for example are almost transparent thin but thinning the plastic parts is an art in itself in my opinion. 
out of interest Paul what is your lathe ? more and more i think i need to go down this route if i am going to improve my builds ?
out of interest Paul what is your lathe ? more and more i think i need to go down this route if i am going to improve my builds ?
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Thanks for the complement Paddy, glad you like and find my content helpful.A master class Paul, well done . Most after market panels in resin for example are almost transparent thin but thinning the plastic parts is an art in itself in my opinion.
out of interest Paul what is your lathe ? more and more i think i need to go down this route if i am going to improve my builds ?
As to lathe and such, I have a Boley watchmaker lathe (I am a watchmaker so needed equipment) and a small table top mill that has been modified a little bit. Will post some photos later. Thing is that is only the start. Once you have the lathe or mill, then you have to obtain the tooling to do things with, and that can be where you run into costs. I will gladly post some basics, but would rather discuss specifics over PM.
One time someone asked me what I planned on doing with the mill. My response was that it wasn't what I was planning, but what it allows me to plan and create.
paddy
Well-known member
Ha ha yes i spent 40 years as a tool maker and i know all about the cost of tool bits, taps and drills especially if you want to work stainless or titanium. 
For a while i still had use of the company workshop but its now closed, Hitler couldn't stop it making Spitfire parts during the war but 10 years in the EU finished us so i i guess Germany won in the End
I was looking at a watchmakers lathe in an auction the other day but it was all collet based rather than having a chuck
For a while i still had use of the company workshop but its now closed, Hitler couldn't stop it making Spitfire parts during the war but 10 years in the EU finished us so i i guess Germany won in the End I was looking at a watchmakers lathe in an auction the other day but it was all collet based rather than having a chuck
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Yes the watchmaker lathes are collet based especially as they usually are working with very small diameter parts. The collets actually work quite well for the small parts though. Most of what I do with it even hobby wise is with the wire chucks.Ha ha yes i spent 40 years as a tool maker and i know all about the cost of tool bits, taps and drills especially if you want to work stainless or titanium.
I was looking at a watchmakers lathe in an auction the other day but it was all collet based rather than having a chuck
Here is my lathe and it gets used a fair amount for a watchmaker lathe. Most of them these days gather dust and rust more than anything else.
It has the basic Boley brand lathe in front, a mid shaft in the middle (which probably isn't really needed) and the Levin motor and power supply. Most lathes have a motor and foot speed control which I have grown to dislike greatly. All those parts are mounted on a mini table that can slide on the desk top.
A close up of the lathe and mid shaft. The tail stock will also hold collets and thus it allows me to hold drills and other items in the tail stock as well. By using the different pulley sizes on the mid shaft and on the head stock etc. it gives me a lot more possible range on speeds from stable super slow to mega fast.
The tooling drawer.
The wire collets all of which are used tools. There is some mismatch in them where I need to use brass spacer washers on the draw bar, but they all work really well. Some sizes like 32 I have several chucks as they are used for 1/8 inch tools like carbide drill bits etc. The smallest size is 2 (0.02mm) and 60 (6.00mm)
These are wheel and specialty chucks. Not used a lot, but have come in handy for a number of weird things I wanted to work on.
I guess these are what you were referring to about chucks. 3 jaw chuck, 4 jaw independent jaws chuck, faceplate chuck, and a 6 jaw bezel chuck.
Finally cross slides. Left is a 3 way cross slide rotated for storage. Center is a vertical milling attachment, and right is a 2 way cross slide.
The lathe I have with the tail stock makes it super useful. Otherwise it would be about 1/3 as useful. The large chucks and cross slides are the most difficult to find in decent shape.
The nicest thing about the watchmaker's lathe is that it is used mostly like a wood lathe with a tool rest. Precision cuts are made using really high skill levels and stopping to measure a lot.
Here is a little tool I made using my lathe and mill. It is a wobble stick that I use to center up a post on a watch plate when using the faceplate. I made it so it sets in the tool rest and is already at center of the lathe. I just have to line it up horizontally.
The tip has a cup which centers on the post and it is lightly spring loaded with a full gimbal.
You can just see the centering cup at the tip. The retainer screw to hold the spring loaded tip in place. The gimbal. The 7 inch wire out the back which shows an amplified offset to help centering, and the step in the post which presets the vertical level.
Partially assembled/disassembled.
The setup with a $600 watch plate that needs a post machined down so a bushing can be pressed on it. I set my square with fine ruler markings to help see how much wobble it has. I run this fairly slow and with a T rest replacing the wobble (once lined up) I hand machine the post from 0.66mm down to 0.39/0.38mm. If I am not careful the 3 clamps on the faceplate can whack me or the tool and cause a lot of damage even running slow.
I have pondered buying a bench lathe like the one in Micro Mark, but just don't really have that much use for it. This does everything I need and is probably more accurate and easier to set up.
paddy
Well-known member
Many thanks for that Paul, fascinating to see this all in miniature, When you think my collet lathe at work would take up to 2" dia
also interesting to see their answer for a running centre using a ball and cup, excellent..
This is something i need to look into as i retire this year and have plans to keep busy
Thanks for the detailed explanation and your time
best
P
also interesting to see their answer for a running centre using a ball and cup, excellent..
This is something i need to look into as i retire this year and have plans to keep busy
Thanks for the detailed explanation and your time
best
P
He has an excellent set of tools dude! 
Heavens Eagle
Well-known member
Just to be clear, I designed and MADE the wobble stick. from some aluminum bar, brass bar, and steel wire. I bought the aluminum and brass at the local hobby shop.Many thanks for that Paul, fascinating to see this all in miniature, When you think my collet lathe at work would take up to 2" dia
also interesting to see their answer for a running centre using a ball and cup, excellent..
This is something i need to look into as i retire this year and have plans to keep busy
Thanks for the detailed explanation and your time
best
P
Being a good watchmaker also means being a tool maker. Always have had that mind set and it sometimes blows my mind when I meet folks that have trouble changing a simple light bulb.He has an excellent set of tools dude!
Yesterday we had some guy come into the store with a Seiko watch. Somehow he managed to pry the bezel which holds the crystal on off. His comment was his watch press broke could we put it back together for him. The boss looked at it and asked where the gasket under the crystal was as that rubber o-ring was missing. The guy said just put it together anyway. The boss refused because the watch would have gotten water in it and sent him on his way.
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