funkey6

Jan. 18, 2001
Painted the white today! It turned out pretty good, no runs! Lots of pics 'cause I'm trying to show the rivet detail. It really stands out now that there's gloss paint on it.

That's the paints I'm using and the spray gun I used as well. It's a Badger model 400-2.

After installing the screens in the engine compartment vents, I'll begin masking off the black. The vertical fin and the horizontal portion of the boom fins are painted red, so I'll have to mask and paint them, too. After that, I'll do decals and letters, then clearcoat the entire thing. Then install the mechanics and fly!! I'll post more pics as I mask and paint....

Jan 21, 2001
Since we last met I've painted the vertical fin and the horizontal portion of the stabilizers on the tailboom red, and installed the screens in the engine compartment. Masking of and painting the black is next.

I decided to try to make some wirecutters more for the experience of it than anything else, but it also helps my heli look more scale!

After getting some good ideas on how to build them from Joe Howard aka "vario" over at the scale forum of rcwatch.com, I went to the LHS and got some sheet plastic, two pieces, one thick, and one thinner than the other.. I drew what I thought looked like a decent wirecutter. I used my pics of the CHP Long Ranger and the Vario wirecutters to get the looks right. I sized them to fit the small flat portion just above the front windshield before it slopes up to the main shaft. There was 22mm between the rivet lines, so I made the bases 21mm long! After cutting out my drawing to use as a template, I cut the center pieces out of the thick sheet and sanded the edges. I used my x-acto to trim the leading edge to a knife edge. I then made a template of the side plates and cut them out of the thinner sheet, sanded them to fit, then glued them on with plastic model cement. I cut the bases to size, rounded the edges, then cut a slot in the middle of the base to fit the tab I had made on the bottom of the wirecutter. Glued those together, applied some rivets, and wa-lah, you see the pics! I still have to add the support rods and figure out how to attach them to the fuse, but I'm sure I'll work it out!

The pic of the windshield is there for those who have never seen or used the liquid masking film. I have never used it until today. I attached my windshield with slow CA and kicker, then sprayed the liquid mask on both sides of the windshield. I trimmed away the parts of the winshield frame I want to paint, and hopefully, weather permitting, I'll spray the window frame tomorrow. So far, I like the liquid film a lot. It cuts nicely with an x-acto and seems to peel off easily. We'll see how nice of a line it leaves when I peel it off after painting. BTW, I sprayed the inside of the windshield to protect it from overspray while painting the window frames....