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Obelix Build Log
- Thread starter Mucksmear
- Start date
This disconnect seems to be in the definition of “light coats”, like when I tell the deli to go easy on the mayo - and then they only use half the jar of mayo on my sandwich instead of the whole jar. I tend to be too cautious/conservative and also spray from too far away. So I’m trying to close the distance and slow the sweep speed to get a wetter coat. I often end up with orange peel effect.
I started off with light coats, which yielded a grainy spray texture, so wet sanded [almost] all the texture off and resprayed. My last coat (after these photos) is wetter. Will have to see how it levels out and dries. Might still have to do a very very light wet sand with 1500 or finer grit
I started off with light coats, which yielded a grainy spray texture, so wet sanded [almost] all the texture off and resprayed. My last coat (after these photos) is wetter. Will have to see how it levels out and dries. Might still have to do a very very light wet sand with 1500 or finer grit
Ok, this is definitely good enuf, especially since it’s going to get beat up on the slopes.
After wet sanding down to 1500 grit, I tried to spray a wetter, final color coat and let it dry a couple days.
For panel lines, I found a gray extra-fine point Sharpie online (black would be too much contrast). A see-through flexible straight edge is handy for laying out panel lines.
Rattle can aluminum, silver, etc. seems to yield a pretty weak surface finish that’s easily damaged by masking tape. I further de-tacked the tape by sticking it on my arm before sticking it onto the airframe. Light unidirectional rubbing of select panels with 0000 steel wool adds a “grain” to the panels. By varying adjacent panel grain by 90 degrees, you can get that neat natural aluminum panel effect where panels appear lighter or darker than adjacent panels depending on the light and viewing angles.
After wet sanding down to 1500 grit, I tried to spray a wetter, final color coat and let it dry a couple days.
For panel lines, I found a gray extra-fine point Sharpie online (black would be too much contrast). A see-through flexible straight edge is handy for laying out panel lines.
Rattle can aluminum, silver, etc. seems to yield a pretty weak surface finish that’s easily damaged by masking tape. I further de-tacked the tape by sticking it on my arm before sticking it onto the airframe. Light unidirectional rubbing of select panels with 0000 steel wool adds a “grain” to the panels. By varying adjacent panel grain by 90 degrees, you can get that neat natural aluminum panel effect where panels appear lighter or darker than adjacent panels depending on the light and viewing angles.
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Doc J
Very Strong User
Dayum, Mucky - Killer! Did you ever think of scale models or PSS?
That looks really good. Just needs a stitch of bullet holes across the wing...
Doc.
Doc, over the years I have done just a few sport/fun scale stuff and a PSS plus a few fictitious “what if” or “could have been” subjects, but the closest to bare metal I ever got was just plain Monokote, so this has been an interesting experiment. Credit goes to a fellow on RCG who shared this method from his glass F-100 which looked absolutely real. The finish on my Obelix while good enough for me, isn’t remotely close to the results on the F-100Dayum, Mucky - Killer! Did you ever think of scale models or PSS?
That looks really good. Just needs a stitch of bullet holes across the wing...
Doc.
Doc J
Very Strong User
I was really procrastinating on the canopy. Originally intended to have a clear canopy with pilot and a few cockpit details until I realized the smallest WW2 style canopy from Sig mfg was about 2x too big. Thought about carving a plug to vacu-form my own but then decided to go even simpler.
Hypothetically here, those would be fully internal stores, so no external hardpoints!
Almost done… got the control surfaces hinged with e6000, put in a bench for the elevator servo and finished the linkages. The elevator gets an adjustable threaded clevis on the servo end. Filled the nose cavity with tungsten shot, willl need to add an additional 4oz or so to get the CG right. Also printed out some waterslide decals. My inkjet printer seems to be having some issues but I think these will do.
Yeah! U can get waterslide decal paper online or even at Office Depot I think. Comes in white and clear - unless u have one of those ALPS printers, there’s no opaque white ink in the inkjet printer, ie. white prints as clear so u need to pre-paint a white background or use white decal paper if your graphic has any white or other really light colors like yellow it it. There’s also decal paper for laser printers.
Radio hatch latch is a simple “L” shaped rod that slides aft within a brass tube to engage a short piece of Sullivan inner Nyrod embedded in the top sheeting behind the hatch. Spring tension from a zig-zag piece thin steel wire pushes the latch aft:
One antenna is routed spanwise into the right wing to avoid shadowing by the Rx battery. The other antenna points straight aft (could also be vertical). Antenna conduits made from the yellow inner Nyrod.
A range test is now needed.
One antenna is routed spanwise into the right wing to avoid shadowing by the Rx battery. The other antenna points straight aft (could also be vertical). Antenna conduits made from the yellow inner Nyrod.
A range test is now needed.
Hawaii Sloper
Very Strong User
These are fantastic! Why software did you use to create them?
