1/48 Brewster SBA Scratch Build

Started by Robert Knaack · 43 · 9 months ago · 1/48, Brewster, dive bomber, SBA, vacu-form
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    Louis Gardner said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Robert Knaack (@robgenev665)
    This is incredible ! I have always been fascinated with vacuum forming, but yet to have try it. There's a fellow on here named Marc Barris, who builds all of his models from scratch. It's a true art form, and something that I might someday try out. I tinker around with 1/6 scale flying RC models I scratch build mostly from the WW1 / early flight era. Vacuum forming would come in handy there with making things like cowlings and various engine covers.

    How do you secure the plastic to the metal frame (the one used in the oven for heating) ?

    You are well on your way to having a model ! Well done ... 🙂

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    Robert Knaack said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    @lgardner Thanks, Louis! The sheet of styrene is simply sandwiched between the two aluminum frames, and four bolts go through both frames and the plastic to secure them together. There's no real tension on the sheet when you put it onto the vacu-form box, as it is very soft (saggy, in fact) and easily stretches over the forms.

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    Louis Gardner said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Robert Knaack (@robgenev665)
    Thanks for the description. Now I have a really good idea of how to do it. I will first have to make a vacuum box though.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Superb results so far, my friend @robgenev665! Really amazing!

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    gary sausmikat said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Man o Man! You are killing it Robert. Love the vac forming.

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    Robert Knaack said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    @fiveten Thanks, Spiros!

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    Robert Knaack said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    @lgardner Louis, I'm trying to figure out the clear canopy part now. That's a little different animal from the regular sheet styrene...

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    Tom Bebout said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Man oh man you are really stepping up to a solid future here Robert. Keep it up.

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    Louis Gardner said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Robert Knaack (@robgenev665)

    At one time you could get thermal plastic in clear from Squadron Mail Order. Since they have recently began releasing a lot of the stuff they used to have, it might be worthwhile to look into it, to see if they have started selling this stuff again. I used it occasionally to "heat and smash" replacement canopies for some of my mistakes. This stuff worked really good.

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    Robert Knaack said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    I got my clear PETG plastic sheets in the mail today and immediately set about making a canopy. My second attempt yielded this result, which looks pretty good to me! This was .020 thickness, in the toaster oven for 60 seconds.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

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    Carl Smoot said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Ever since I read ScratchBuilt years ago, really even before that, I have wanted to do this someday. Whether vacuform or some other process, it just strikes my fancy. I try to satisfy that desire right now by doing extra detailing on existing kits and in fact I have an old Airfix Hudson that I will be vacu-forming cowlings for someday.

    Nice initial efforts and I look forward to seeing more work on this as you go along.

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    Spiros Pendedekas said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Fantastic result, my friend @robgenev665! Still cannot believe that everything is scratch built!

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    John vd Biggelaar said 10 months, 3 weeks ago:

    Very impressive, Robert @robgenev665

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    Robert Knaack said 10 months, 1 week ago:

    I've been making good progress on the fuselage. Haven't decided yet whether to have canopies open or closed, but I'm going to mask them off and white glue them on for eventual painting. Next step is to work on a new set of wing molds. The current ones seem to "flat", not enough curve on the top surfaces for my liking.

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    Brian Mennenoh said 10 months, 1 week ago:

    @robgenev665 - Amazing work Robert. The wood carving is a specialized skill in and of itself. Then to have built your own vacuum table... wow... quite impressive.