Ki-44 Shoki in 1/33rd by GPM - Page 6

**smithdr** · #51 12-02-2021, 01:41 PM

Thanks everybody! Isaac: thanks for those shots. I shall strive for something similar.

Glen: We'll see how it goes. Thanks for the tutorial note. I'll check that out for sure.

Making some plaster right now...

Dan

**birder** · #52 12-02-2021, 01:45 PM

Good fun, I use sculpy for molds I'm too impatient for the water to get out of the plaster, both work fine. I seem to be able to get less fine inside mold markings with sculpy if I can get all the defects out...(wet sand)

have at it!

**T haf** · #53 12-02-2021, 04:53 PM

The plane looks great. You've done a great job keeping the model clean and tight. How does one go about getting the right mold for the vacuum forming?

**smithdr** · #54 12-02-2021, 06:42 PM

Hello T haf,

I am just making the non-clear option pattern in the kit as my general mold. I've glued it together and now I'm buttressing it a bit with pieces of balsa so it won't sag or bulge when I pour the plaster into it. Once it's cured, I hope to pull off the paper and sand off any oddness and then put the plaster cast in my vacform machine. I'll take some pictures as I go and post them soon.

Especially if it works! Thanks for the interest and the nice post.

Dan

**Erik Zwaan** · #55 12-03-2021, 02:13 AM

Yes Dan, Glen (birder) has a very good advice: Look at the way Yoav makes his molds and does the vacuuming. I learned a lot from it and it pays the effort to make a simple vacuum box for builds to come as well. A one time right vacuumed canopy is like the chance of winning the lottery.... but one learns as one goes.

Good luck!

Erik

**smithdr** · #56 12-03-2021, 10:09 PM

Well, Folks...here is my progress in pictures thus far. Tonight I dipped the canopies into liquid acrylic floor wax (the equivalent of "Future") to get little scratches out and they are drying. Tomorrow I'll attempt to add the framing and we'll see how things go!

Thanks for all the interest...Dan

**smithdr** · #57 12-04-2021, 12:00 PM

All,

Here it is all done. The canopy turned out fine if not perfect. It really does set it off, though. The model makes a great addition to anyone's display. This is my first GPM model and it was really nice. The paper was bit thick and some parts needed delamination but it wasn't hard to do. Parts fit was great. Just make sure you decide which variant you want to make (more complicated or simplified) as I accidentally mixed a few parts (like bulkheads in the cowling) making some assembly a bit creative! The hardest part was the lower wing center section leading edge where it matches with the wheel wells. Mine are not correct but I just won't display it upside down!

Thanks for looking,
Dan