| The cowl is covered with a combination of litho plate and printer paper. Where there are compound curves use litho but for flat plates printer paper is lighter and easier to stick, it’s also a lot cheaper, if you can’t find a friendly printer. The rivet lines are embossed from the rear using a dressmaker’s pattern copying wheel, the spacing may not be correct but who knows? At least they’re evenly spaced. For individual rivets use an old “Biro”.
The louvers are a simple job on the Elf as they are separate items riveted on. They are made from strips of litho bent to shape and glued through holes cut in the side panels. Don’t be tempted to just stick them on the outside; they’ll look terrible and won’t help to keep your precious engine cool! The secret is to mark out all the holes, cut the first hole and glue the louver in before cutting the next hole. This maintains the curvature of the panel. I also strengthened the strips between the louvers with a few carbon fibre tows but this is not really necessary, it was just a bit of “belt and braces”.
The exhaust is from paper rolled around a felt tip pen. Use medium cyano and then roll the pen on the workbench adding more glue as needed. I use kitchen foil, as it appears to be about the only thing cyano won’t bond to, to stop the lot sticking to the pen. Coating with a mixture of 30min. epoxy and micro balloons produces the pitted surface if you keep dabbing it with a “suitable implement” for the first few minutes as it cures.
The “suitable implement” I used was my finger but I’m sure the Health and Safety establishment would tell me I’m storing up all manner of ills for the future, so the choice is yours! |