Orlik PBJ-1H Mitchell - Page 50

**peter taft** · #**491** 10-16-2009, 06:01 PM

Very nice dome Mike, cant wait to see the canopy

All coming along nicely my friend - Hope the TOP doesn't give you any grief, but even if it does, you will BOMARC it.... and hey presto she's on

**Bomarc** · #**492** 10-16-2009, 08:59 PM

Thanks Peter, but it looks like the top reattachment has been pushed back as I had one of those “OH S**T” moments tonight…..

So I put in those two seats, thinking “great, now I can button this up”. Even attached the harnesses in the rear seat in an “animated” position:

One hanging out the hatch! Didn’t see that one coming did you? Anything to add a little interest in an otherwise drab interior. Now, how anyone gets up through that hatch with that seat where it is, well, ask Orlik, because I don’t know. The front seat is pretty pedestrian:

So I’m patting myself on the back ready to glue stuff back together, when I had the realization: I still needed to make the 75mm shells that go in the rack. ARRRRG! I could have easily ignore that, since I would still have (limited) access to that rack after the top went on, but discretion is the better part of valor, so I made ten, over a third of what Orlik gives in parts, but not nearly half.

The actual round is made using the petal method (I hate the petal method), and these were way too small to circumvent that with a dremel tool, so I made…wait for it….YES…a jig (this is what, my tenth one for this project? I don’t know, I lost count):

Made from brass rod. Actually it looked pretty good as the shell itself, but making ten of those would be cheating, this is a paper model after all (tongue firmly planted in cheek). Turns out this make shift, made at the last minute jig also made a good alignment tool when connecting the parts as well, a happy extra benefit:

Finally after rolling, gluing, repeating, I ended up with a little armory:

Not my greatest work, but some touch-up paint and they will more than suffice:

I’ll “load” these tonight.

Re-constructive surgery has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning….

Mike

**member_3** · #**493** 10-16-2009, 09:20 PM

Could that have been a folding seat in the real thing? This build and thread continue to be one of the best ever. Your additional detailing, clever jigs and outstanding craftsmanship are a joy to behold. Onward and upward!!

**Bomarc** · #**494** 10-16-2009, 09:36 PM

Thanks Ron. By the way, could you ask your Sculpey expert what temperature she bakes the stuff at? I've been using 275 degrees per the box instructions, but the "Home Improvemet" guy in me wants to "crank it up" (more power, urgh urgh!!!).

As a follow-up, I've loaded the rack. No way I could have done that remotely from the front end had I put the top on first. As it is, I could get three in a row. Orlik's smoking something funny if they thought I could get all 26 they supplied in there:

Oh look!!! Our lovely North American Aviation employee has come to help out:

Sorry dear, I have all I need at the moment. Yes, I know it's heavy, you can put it down now......

Mike

**willygoat** · #**495** 10-16-2009, 09:36 PM

You're right Old Troll. It is a folding seat. The museum here has two B-25s. One I got the pictures from that is all cut up, and a "whole" one (not much of an interior, and no cockpit). But, it did have the seats in the back. The one by the hatch, as well as the one in the forward area, had folding seat bottoms. They were similar to a jump seat.

**member_3** · #**496** 10-16-2009, 09:51 PM

She cooks it at 250 for 20-25 minutes. Most of her work is related to 25-30mm miniatures so about the largest size she deals with would be roughly equivalent to a 1:33 canopy plug in volume. Some of her work can be seen at Brushmistress Machinations, by the way...

**Bomarc** · #**497** 10-16-2009, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldTroll

Some of her work can be seen at Brushmistress Machinations, by the way...

OMG, those are terrific! Tell your "expert" she has a new fan. I love the Geisha the best....

Mike

**flying rasta** · #**498** 10-16-2009, 10:10 PM

Its the shells that got to me....wow....mike..take your time...you have a huge fan here...awesome, awsome build!

**Bomarc** · #**499** 10-17-2009, 12:34 PM

It took a couple of hours, but the reattachment is a qualified success, with only slight scarring to the patient.

Last look before it gets covered up for good:

Looks like its old self again:

Seams are fairly consistent. I don’t think they achieved “like it never happened” status, but close enough:

Done and done!

As Ron says, onward and upward!

Mike

**peter taft** · #**500** 10-17-2009, 01:00 PM

Did you detect a huge SIGH of relief coming from all of the guys following this build Mike ? The shells - the top, freakin awesome - A stunning piece of work thus far, and yet again we wait in the wings {no pun intended} for the next performance - Take a huge bow sir as we applaud you, and listen for the cries of encore... you soooo deserve this