Building the vark

Augie
New build just baby steps at momemt

Hunter Cummins
Me like 😄

Augie
Lol glad one of us does... Begining to wonder if i should of replaced them with Hobby Boss kits...

Hunter Cummins
Nahhhhh lol itsall good😉

babak chalangi
alright this the one from our trade right ?

Augie
🙂 it is babak

Augie
Weee update and yes.. thats a lot of weight in its nose

Hunter Cummins
Is this one a tail sitter😉

Augie
hehe Yeah its a tail sitter.. I was supprised they said 20g was needed...

Hunter Cummins
Holy crap
Are the engins metal😉
That is very suprising
Tisk tisk to academy😢

babak chalangi
all right.😉 go Augie

Augie
thanks babak

Anthony Flanagan
👍

Dirk Heyer
Hmmm, I think that must be coins! It is no longer possible to bring financial assets to Switzerland to save for tax.
Augie has her own solution. She is glueing all her money into the models.
Augie you are absolutely creative!
Chapeau!
🙂

Augie
Lol thanks guys,

1 an 2 p coins are really not worth the metal in my opinion so why not...

🙂

Dirk Heyer
I agree, Augie!😉
It`s the same matter with those f.....g Cent`s.
I`m always exploding if I do recognize prices like 1,99 or 3,97 Euro......Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...
At any rate, your project has my full attention.

Augie
Lol thanks dirk

Clifford Keesler
I'm watching this one, Love the Vark.

Augie
slight update with paint..

Frank Krause
👍 Looking good to me. This the third attempt?

Augie
Hehe yeah third time.. the greens were ok.. the tan I could not get right.

B
Awesome!! It seems the 3rd attempt worked

Augie
Thanks Brandon.. It might be cause of the 3 attempts I'm still not happy with it... will leave it for a few days see if it grows on me

Clifford Keesler
It looks pretty darn close to me Augie.

Augie
thanks clifford, its certainly better than the first attempts lol

Vitor Costa
Looking good 😄

Augie
Thanks Vitor 🙂 still not sure myself.. but i guess that's just me

Vitor Costa
Till now i don't see nothing wrong with it!

Bill Gilman
Looks nice, Augie! What don't you like about the tan? Not going on well, or not the colour you want? I personally think that Gunze make the best looking SEA camo, but I wouldn't want to brush them on. Whose paints are you using?

Augie
Cool thanks Vitor,

Hey Bill, this one killed me cause every reference for UK Based F-111E/F shows the tan as a more sandy beige.

FS 30219 translate to humbrol 118/119... both of which are more orangey tone to them

Problem i had was it went on then when it dried I was not happy with the colour tone.

I think i have it now.. but i am noy sure so going to leave it a few days so it settles and i calm down lol

Bill Gilman
30219 is definitely the right colour. Gunze H310 is their version, and it has just a touch of orange (red) in the tan. I suspect that the real colour fades after a while and gives you more of that sand appearance.

Augie
Yeah pics of them show it to be more beige than orange suspect usafe oddities

Bill Gilman
Picture #87 in my Udvar-Hazy album is a freshly painted F-105. Not the best picture, but it gives you an idea of what 30219 looks like right out of the can. The colour most model paints get wrong is 34079, it has a bit of grey in it.
Udvar-Hazy Museum, Dulles Airport Virginia | Album by Navy Bird

Clifford Keesler
It,s looking good to me Augie. I just ordered one,cost a whole 10.00

Augie
Thanks Guys 🙂

I am considering one of the hobby boss ones for a version i dont have in academy (EF-111A FB-111) so will be able to compare an maybe decide..

End of the day might not be perfect but sure looks like a vark

Phil Marchese
Over the years the model paint companies have shifted the tam to this toned yellow; the SEA tan was a very "neutral" brown tint.

Augie
Hi phil thats what I thought looming at pics of uk based varks. Looked almost grey tinted

Bill Gilman
Hey Augie, here is a cool tool:
colorserver.net/show..19+34079+34102+36622
This representation is approximate, using the Munsell values for the paint standards, converting them to RGB (which has a reduced gamut and therefore can't display all colors), and puts them on your monitor for you. It's a way to get an idea of what the colors should be, and I find it useful when looking at photos on my monitor (which are not true color for many reasons). I pre-populated the link with the USAF SEA colors, but you can enter any colors you want, as long as they are part of FS595C.

Augie
Thanks bill 🙂 don't worry screens dont catch me out I fix computers lol

Phil Marchese
The four touching blocks may be introducing so color sharing.

Bill Gilman
I've asked a friend to do some research on 30219. He has found its Munsell values to be 6.4 YR 4.9/3.1 - this puts the colour in the category of Yellow Red (YR). The actual pigments used in this paint are rutile titanium dioxide (white) + molybdate orange + chrome yellow medium + carbon black. In short, the paint has a slight yellow/red cast. Photos which show a light sand tone are most likely showing the effects of fading and chalking. My personal preference for this colour is Gunze, in fact for all of the SEA colours I'm a Gunze man.

B
Hey Bill do you use model master paints? That's all I use for Federal Standard colors. For other colors I use the regular Testors paint

Augie
Cheers Bill,

Not arguing just the varks always looked realitivly clean 🙂 either way the one i have on it has grown on me

Bill Gilman
Augie, I think your paint job looks quite nice. I'm surprised that you didn't do a "what if" paint scheme, though, like maybe blues and purples. LOL 🙂 Which paint did you end up using, or did you make a mix?
Brandon, I only use Model Master occasionally.

Clifford Keesler
The hobby boss Vark's are by far the best on the market,but a little pricey. But I guess they are still cheaper than 85.00 for a set of wings if you want the flaps and slats extended. I think they look really cool with everything hanging out. I think I am going to try the Veredlin cockpit detail set on mine. I hate it when I lose parts. The carpet monster has eaten a set of wheels and a propeller, how do you lose a three bladed prop? LOL.

Augie
lol am trying to work out how i lost the canopy... it was painted.. its not small olol

Clifford Keesler
I know it's crazy sometimes.

Augie
Found the F*(&^er... need to pull part of it out of my foot.. but found it

B
Ouch! Well,at least you found it....

Bill Gilman
Ever drop an X-Acto knife and have to pull it out of your foot? Been there, done that!

B
The closest I've gotten to that was when I dropped mine and it got stuck in the floor...that must if hurt Bill!

Augie
Yeah did that once....
All sorted now my fault for being barefoot

Clifford Keesler
Mine rolled off the desk once and implanted itself in my leg. Ouch!!!

Phil Marchese
I ve added those pencil triangles to my blade handles years ago. No roll no more.

Dutch
@ Phil. Amen, me too. While I've never impaled myself, I have split open my thumb more times than I care to count when trimming against it for leverage. Then I have to stop what I'm doing to stem the flow of "precious bodily fluids", to quote one of my favorite actors, Brig Gen Jack D. Ripper.

Augie
Good idea 🙂

Bill Gilman
I've also implanted one in my thigh - and it's always because I've dropped it, not because it's rolled off the workbench. Clumsy! No more barefoot or short pants for me while I'm modelling - maybe a suit of armor!
So Augie, we need more Vark pix! 🙂

Augie
working on it 🙂

currently rebuilding the canopy

gimme 5 mins will get some up

Bill Gilman
Waited with bated breath... 🙂

Augie
So there we go.. two of the canopy repairs with my superglue forming technique.. one of ordinance production and how she looks

alsoe spot the Su-25 weapons in production

Clifford Keesler
looking good Augie. How did you cut your canapoy? I ordered vacuform canopies for mine.

Augie
Hey Clifford,

The canopy cut was done with a sharp knife.. and scoring along the frame lines until it seperates.

Clifford Keesler
OK that was how I was going to do mine. Bought vaac-u-form spares in case I mess up. LOL.

Phil Marchese
May be common knowledge however, when I do close trim on vac canopies, I backfill with soft modeling clay for shape and mild resistance while making the cuts. Then remove the clay and wash. You can vegatable oil the inside first very slightly to boundry the clay.

B
Hey Phil,thanks for the tip 🙂 I'm afraid to cut them because they're so thin,but you solved my problem 😄

Dutch
@Phil. A most excellent and useful tip. Thanks.

Clifford Keesler
Yes thank you Phil.

Clifford Keesler
Hey Augie, I bought 2 Vacuform canopies just in case!!!!LOL.

Augie
Lol good idea 🙂

Dirk Heyer
She looks pretty nice!!

Augie
Thanks phil 🙂 not as good as your builds

Phil Marchese
Nay, the measure is how well the model speaks to the subject the way. you experence the subect

Dutch
That would depend on how many Brandies or Scotches I've had.

Phil Marchese
Dutch...yeah when you start to think you re hearing plastic models, well that s an issue I suppose.

Bill Spargo
Seeing your weights Augie, an alternative is to use fishing sinkers. I use the small split sinkers, a whack from the hammer flattens it for a greater gluing surface area. You get more weight into a confined space. I use super glue first to tack them in place then 5 minute Epoxy resin glue or white timber glue over the top to make certain the weight doesnt come loose, nothing worse than a rattle. Keep the joint of the fuselage clear of weight and glue to allow the two halves to join together. Dont go higher than the height of the fuselage half otherwise the lead will hit against each other and the two halves wont join together. I bought model train rail cutters to cut the lead up to suitable size. Just a thought for you, when things are tight and confined.

Augie
Hehe thanks bill, biggest problem was I didnt have any to hand 🙂

Phil Marchese
I have not fastened nose wgt in decades. I merely stuff cosmetic puffs (cotton balls) into the remaining area. no risk of leaks, heat distortion, or later disloging. (Think pill bottle)

Augie
Hi phil,

I used PVA glue..worked a treat

Clifford Keesler
My EF-111A is finally on the bench.

Augie
hehe good luck

Steve Wilson
Hey!!! Augie...
Great progress, bet it cost a few pennies (((😄 )))Lol!!!

Augie
thanks steve, I have an update to put up soon.. its much further along now

Clifford Keesler
Thanks.

Clifford Keesler
My EF-111A is finished. Final pictures when I get it mounted to it's display base and finish ground figures.

Kerry COX
I can now see and understand why there is a world economic crisis. Its because some modellers are throwing their "Pennies" into their hobbies. Literally. !!!!

Andre Hoencher
Wow, looks very good. 👍

Soeren R.
Looks nice and if you ever get out of money you have always something left 😛

Augie
Lol thanks guys, The coppers were the only thing i had to hand to give enough weight up front of this thing...

Just noticed I never added the completed pictures to the album, will add some over the weekend.

Kerry COX
Looking forward to them mate 🙂