Fouga CM175 Zephyr

[Roger]

Wizzel, I think the older ones are fine, you just need a bit more care cleaning up parts, and sometimes a bit of strengthening of joints, particularly wing to fuselage and tailbone to fuselage.  A short length of brass rod does the job.  They are really nice kits of cool subjects though so get them made.
Brid lufc - the plastic is about the same as the stuff new Airfix are using in my opinion.  The parts are best cut from the runners with a fine razor saw (and I mean a razor saw, not one of those chunky miniature tenon saws I used for years - see pic below of my small collection of saws, the razor saw I like best is the wooden handled one), but they clean up fine.  The detail looks a little soft in the close up photos, but don't forget these models are pretty small and the camera lens was very close.  Not tried an A Model, are they OK?
I have also included a photo of the clear parts.  I have painted the clear Zephyr parts with black acrylic on the edges to reduce internal reflections.  Hopefully you can see the difference between the treated Zephyr parts and the unpainted Magister parts on the same sprue.
Happy Modelling,
Roger

[Kiteman]

Now that is an interesting tip, thanks.

[Bigkev]

Hi Roger,
Love the build so far. The tip of painting the edges of the transparencies' is a good one. I too have found that it reduces the optical refraction in the plastic.
My biggest headache with it, is using the right glue to attach the now painted surfaces together.
I use Microset 'Kristal-Kleer' and it seems to do the job okay. However, if you've got a better solution, I'm all ears!!   
Cheers,
Bigkev

[Wizzel]

Every day's a school day at www.bridscalemodelclub.org.uk.  Many thanks Roger.

[Roger]

I used to use Krystal Klear (fairly thin PVA glue), until I got GS Hypo off the internet - £1 a tube from somewhere in Bradford if I remember correctly.  Seems to make a stronger join, and the hypo needle applicator is really good.
PVA asked products do have the advantage of being water soluble, so you can wipe any excess off with a damp cotton bud of course.
I thought it was you that recommended the GS Hypo to me BigKev, but I am getting old!
Anyone else got any tips here?
Roger

[Bigkev]

Tis true, Young Roger.........

I did recommend Hypo GS, but I did not and still do not use it on 'painted' surfaces.

We are all getting older, just some of us look older quicker.............

Bigkev

[Roger]

Ah, got you.  GS Hypo seems to glue OK with Acrylic paints (though they would presumably give even more adhesion without the paint), but I haven't tried it with oil based paints (i.e. enamels).
Incidentally, i have found that Tamiya extra thin will glue acrylic painted parts, though not enamel painted parts.  Not much use for clear parts, as it would run and ruin them.
I do scrape paint off wherever possible of course, gluing canopies is one of the few exceptions. The Bronco canopies were all glued on with GS Hypo and stood a lot of handling throughout the painting and finishing process without any problem.
On the zephyrs I will glue the fixed glazing on with GS Hypo, and then tack the sliding sections in place with Krystal Klear so that I can remove them later to fix in the open position.
Roger

[Roger]

Progress has been slow on the Zephyrs. Prompted by Zak sharing why he hasn't done so much modelling, I thought I would share the project that I have been working on that has slowed me down.

It is a 1/1 scale 1976 Honda XL125K, purchased new in April 76 from Freddie Frith's in Grimsby.  It was a rusty heap in the back of a barn when I found it, and has taken me two years of very stop/start work to get to where you see it today, with a concentrated effort in the last week or thereabouts.

Anyway, sorry for the diversion - when I have finished my coffee I will go and paint the Zephyrs.
Cheers for now,
Roger

[zak]

Looks just the job.

[bridlufc]

The plastic of Amodel kits is rather soft and some parts are thickly moulded and they tend to not have locating pins and corresponding holes. Considering the price of some of the larger kits I would be very reluctant to pay the asking price knowing how much work needs to be done to get anything near a decent finished model.  Shame really, because they produce model kits of some rather interesting aircraft, have a look on ebay for Amodel and  you will see what I mean about the kits and the prices.

[bridlufc]

To avoid painting the edges that need to be glued you can mask it off with thin strips of masking tape, it is a bit laborious and time consuming but it is easier to peel a bit of masking tape off rather than scraping the paint off and risk scraping and slipping and gouging somewhere you don't really want to.

Bridlufc

[Kiteman]

I have build a couple of A Model models and I agree with you wholeheartedly.

[Roger]

As promised I have slapped some paint on.  That silver looks a bit bright, but will get duller as I weather it a bit.
Happy modelling,
R

[Kiteman]

Nice bike by the way, I used to have a TL 125 in the 70`s.

[Roger]

I liked the TL, and thought about using the xl engine with a sammy  miller frame, as I do a bit of trials. As you see I just went down the restoration route in the end.
No progress on the Zephyrs, currently waiting for the rain to stop and go out on a horse again!
Happy modelling,
Roger