Anyone else build models?

[freakazoid]

Recently started working on this wood model that my wife's mother gave me. It's been many, many, many years since I've built a plastic model, never built a wood model before. Not only have I not built any sort of model in a long time, but I also can't really read/understand Japanese. I can read/write katakana and hiragana and I do know a few kanji, but I can't actually understanding anything. Luckily I have a phone app that can translate what I need, when my wife get's mad for pestering her to translate for me lol, but for the most part you can understand what you need to do just by looking at the pictures.
This is a model of a 5 story pagoda in Nara prefecture, Japan at the temple grounds of Hōryū-ji; apparently one of the worlds oldest wooden buildings with it's center pillar being dated to have been felled in 594.
Started yesterday actually. Just about finished step two. Been a fun challenge so far figuring out the best course of doing things. You can see that the square base isn't exactly perfect. I had glued two pieces together forming two sections, let them dry for about 30 minutes, then glued the two sections together forming a square. But when putting them together it was a little off which then gave the square board a tight fight which a gave a light sanding.
Have to give the sides of the stairs a trim on top and bottom to make them flat, letting the pieces dry for now. On the short corner pieces you can see little squares. Had to trim those down from longer pieces, and the corner squares I had to shave an angle so they would meet up correctly. Fun figuring out the best way to go about doing this stuff.
Need to get something like a picture frame glass so I can do the trimming with my X-acto knife without marring up our table... :)

Clickable images to take you to full size view.

[Boomhauer]

Nice work!

I’ve got three airplane models (XB-70,F-4N, F/A-18) waiting on me to work on them I want to do it for some relaxation at night instead of vegging out on the tv

[Brad Johnson]

Nice!

In my teens I was a model building fiend. Mostly cars and airplanes. I was only okay at it, though. I hated dealing with the decals and that's usually where the build ended.

Brad

[bscl]

That pagoda model looks beautiful, yet very intimidating.  I'm sure that will be very satisfying once it's completed.

I have a couple plastic models that I bought over the last few years (JU-88G6 night fighter, F-8 Crusader, and a Macross Frontier VF-25) but decided not to build them until we moved to our new home state.  I already had about 10 completed models (different variants of FW-190, a P-38L, F4U-1D, F6F-5 in 1/72, and a couple jets in 1/144) that we managed to successfully transport by packing them into tupperware boxes stuffed with toilet paper and taking them in carry-on baggage.  I can't wait to get back to building them in between my War Thunder gaming sessions.

[castle key]

Boomhauer:

Please get cracking on building the F18 model. When you finish, please use these exact markings.

http://decals.kitreview.com/decals/ced48229decalreviewrk_1.htm

I stumbled across this and was stunned.

Regbo was a friend, a Navy pilot, a diplomat, a musician, and a golfer. Hell of a man... one of the best I knew. Legion of Merit and DFC w/ valor. Sadly he died a few years ago and left behind a lovely wife, two daughters, and a Leonberger..... the uncle to Mike I's Seren.

[TommyGunn]

I used to make model kits up.   I still have a few,  but these days I am happy to own premade die-cast models.  No glue marks,  and the markings are all on straight.   

[freakazoid]

Update! Got a little bit further. This section took a little bit of time. All those little windows, 32 total, had to be shaved on one side to get them to fit in their spot. When in they are recessed back and fit flush with the back, so to get them glued in I ended up putting the piece on the wax paper I've been using, put a dab of glue in the wind, and then move it around to coat the inside and then press in the window. Worked pretty well.

[grislyatoms]

Built many, many models. Learn to use an airbrush. My best -  I did a Vietnam era US mortar pit diorama that won a blue ribbon. Sculpey on a finished oak plank. Also built a type VII U-boat model - the paint was called "perfect". Mixed the paint myself on that one. Look into books by Francois Verlinden, if you really want to get serious. He's mainly armor/infantry but many tips apply to air/naval units.

[Cliffh]

Need to get something like a picture frame glass so I can do the trimming with my X-acto knife without marring up our table... :)

I prefer to use tempered glass, the piece I use came from an old scanner.  When I get back into building I'd like to try one of the metal boards with magnetic jigs like this:  https://www.micromark.com/Magnetic-Gluing-Jig-10-1-4-Inch-Square  It won't help with the 15+ plastic kits that are on the shelf but will help with the 3 wood plane kits.

Started building back in the mid-60's, rubber band free flight, plastic cars & planes, kit bashing, kept building until just about 2000.  Sold off the computer shop (for pennies), moved to AZ and got too busy trying to keep the money coming in to continue.  May be able to pick it up again in 6 or 7 years, if current plans work out.

[freakazoid]

I prefer to use tempered glass, the piece I use came from an old scanner.  When I get back into building I'd like to try one of the metal boards with magnetic jigs like this:  https://www.micromark.com/Magnetic-Gluing-Jig-10-1-4-Inch-Square  It won't help with the 15+ plastic kits that are on the shelf but will help with the 3 wood plane kits.

Started building back in the mid-60's, rubber band free flight, plastic cars & planes, kit bashing, kept building until just about 2000.  Sold off the computer shop (for pennies), moved to AZ and got too busy trying to keep the money coming in to continue.  May be able to pick it up again in 6 or 7 years, if current plans work out.

Is tempered glass better for that?
That looks like it would be pretty useful, and pretty inexpensive.

[Cliffh]

Don't know if it's better per se, but it's not as likely to break.  Or at least it'll break into "safer" pieces.

Expanding the metal/magnet system looks to be easy enough, bigger plate isn't hard to find and magnets are everywhere.  One of the planes has a 60" wing span, that little plate's going to be a bit small.

[freakazoid]

Making more progress! Finished with the bottom layer, also did a little work on the next session while I was waiting for other parts to dry. Now it's on to finishing up the next layers.
When putting on the "tiles" I found that one of the pieces it came with was the exact width I needed so that really helped with the spacing. But one thing I should of done differently is do the angled cut pieces first then work out from them. What I ended up doing was put one piece exactly in the middle then work out from it. The problem is that they really weren't exactly in the middle so when I got to the corners I had to fudge them a bit because those areas are where it is more noticeable when they don't align on the two sides.
I also recently ordered that magnetic gluing jig, hasn't arrived yet. Looks like it will be pretty useful for certain things. Also ordered a cutting mat. That Micro Mark website is awesome!

[Cliffh]

Making more progress! Finished with the bottom layer, also did a little work on the next session while I was waiting for other parts to dry. Now it's on to finishing up the next layers.
When putting on the "tiles" I found that one of the pieces it came with was the exact width I needed so that really helped with the spacing. But one thing I should of done differently is do the angled cut pieces first then work out from them. What I ended up doing was put one piece exactly in the middle then work out from it. The problem is that they really weren't exactly in the middle so when I got to the corners I had to fudge them a bit because those areas are where it is more noticeable when they don't align on the two sides.
I also recently ordered that magnetic gluing jig, hasn't arrived yet. Looks like it will be pretty useful for certain things. Also ordered a cutting mat. That Micro Mark website is awesome!

It's looking good!  How many hours have you got in it so far?

Have you thought of making you own parts out of matching material for areas like the floor corners? 

How are you placing the small parts?  Tweezers?

Let me know how well the mag jig works out, will you?  I could melt down a credit card at Micro Mark.

[dogmush]

That looks good, I'm impressed.

I'm starting to get back into model making as a cheaper (hah!) alternative to building more guns.  I did a lot of plastic planes and such in my preteens, but now I'm leaning towards 3D printed modeling (i.e doing the design myself and printing the model) for plastic, and model engines in metal and wood.  I'm working on my first engine (a single cylinder type A Stirling) but I got distracted because I decided I wanted to cast a piece instead of machining it, and then got distracted from the foundry building by issues with the 3D printer.  SQUIRREL!*

It keeps me busy, out of trouble, and off the couch so I call all of it a win.


*Terry REF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdLV_L0RlNo

[freakazoid]

It's looking good!  How many hours have you got in it so far?

Have you thought of making you own parts out of matching material for areas like the floor corners? 

How are you placing the small parts?  Tweezers?

Let me know how well the mag jig works out, will you?  I could melt down a credit card at Micro Mark.

Thanks. Not sure really. Was spending an hour or three every night and then other things came up so it became less consistent.
Not planning on doing any custom work with this one.
My fingers are my tweezers lol. There were a few places where tweezers would of been helpful though.
Should be getting it soon.

That looks good, I'm impressed.

I'm starting to get back into model making as a cheaper (hah!) alternative to building more guns.  I did a lot of plastic planes and such in my preteens, but now I'm leaning towards 3D printed modeling (i.e doing the design myself and printing the model) for plastic, and model engines in metal and wood.  I'm working on my first engine (a single cylinder type A Stirling) but I got distracted because I decided I wanted to cast a piece instead of machining it, and then got distracted from the foundry building by issues with the 3D printer.  SQUIRREL!*

It keeps me busy, out of trouble, and off the couch so I call all of it a win.

*Terry REF: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdLV_L0RlNo

Thanks.
Really want to get into metal machining, I've watched all of Clickspring's videos on Youtube. Would like to try building some stirling engines.

"Terry REF"

[dogmush]

Clicking "Subscribe" on Clickspring's channel has directly cost me several thousand dollars.  One day I'm going to make a clock, because just how cool is that?

[Cliffh]

A couple other small parts holders are hemostats and some type of sticky gum I can't remember the name of; it's what's used to hold new credit cards on the paper they're mailed with.  Put a piece on the end of a toothpick, stick it to the part and glue in place.  If the gum sticks to the part leave it in place 'til the glue dries.