Cheap e-bay win. Airfix 737.

Pan_Am_Clipper_Girl · 14-02-2008

My flea-bay Airfix 1/144th 737 arrived Tuesday. It came built as a Lufthansa machine and the poor old thing was a bit tatty and damaged. I'm going a re-build into a Pan American 737-200 using the Two-Six decal sheet.

First thing to do was to break off as gently as possible any part that was liable to snap off or hinder the stripping/filling/rubbing down. This is where the trusty Mr. Muscle oven cleaner comes into it as does our rusty old baking tray. I read once that modellers were great recyclers, how true that is!

I'm currently on the second strip. Gloopy silver paint, as you all know, is a monster to remove.
Here are the first few pics of the project and for the £2.50 or so it cost me I'm looking forward to having yet another cute Pan Am aircraft on my shelf. This project isn't really a priority as I have to wait for the decals to be printed. Though any progress will be posted here in time.

I'm not a brilliant or even a reasonable modeller and I make big mistakes often, though I enjoy what I do. So please don't expect great things from it.

**Bunkerbarge** · 14-02-2008

The very fact that you enjoy doing it is all that matters and anyone who ever looses sight of that fact is missing the point.

Enjoy what you do and continue to show us because I am sure there will be many out there who can learn something from your techniques.

As for paint stripping from plastic, have you tried brake fluid? We have discussed it a number of times on here and, if I remember correctly, Dot3 is the best stuff to use and a number of members here swear by it.

Pan_Am_Clipper_Girl · 14-02-2008

Yes. Brake fluid is good. It really strips that overscale chrome on kits. Did that to an R2-D2 kit years ago.

Don't know anout members learning how to...more like not to *giggles*

Pan_Am_Clipper_Girl · 15-02-2008

Here is the second strip. In stripping the fuselage I found the nose "melted" for want of a better word by a grey car filler. I asked Matt if he could do something with if for me in Milliput. It now has a better shape.

It has been scraped down, nose weight added, re-glued and Matt filled the windows with Milliput again.
It's quite good being allergic to it as it means I don't get the messy boring bits to do

With luck I shall be rubbing down and priming this weekend after the 747 and DC10's get another top coat.

**wonwinglo** · 15-02-2008

Clipper girl,I like this type of modelling,bringing a wreck up to scratch is very rewarding,you should have a really presentable Boeing 737 as the end product.
You say that you are waiting to have the decals printed ? are they a special order then ? I am only familiar with standard decal sets,tell us more please.
I have to ask how you manage to fit in your housework ? especially with all of this much more rewarding model making !

Pan_Am_Clipper_Girl · 15-02-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonwinglo

Clipper girl,I like this type of modelling,bringing a wreck up to scratch is very rewarding,you should have a really presentable Boeing 737 as the end product.
You say that you are waiting to have the decals printed ? are they a special order then ? I am only familiar with standard decal sets,tell us more please.
I have to ask how you manage to fit in your housework ? especially with all of this much more rewarding model making !

Thanks, I hope so, a cheap alternative to buying a "collectors" price for an early 737. Neither Matt or myself are frightened of "written off" kits!

Housework? What housework? Seriously that takes a back seat. I have more important things to do than dusting, after all I witnessed first hand the devestation a feather duster can wreak on an Airfix HMS Victory and the poor old 1/72nd Vosper M.T.B my dad built with me when I was younger. Noooo housework can go hang!

The decals are from Two-Six. Available from Martlesham models. Really nice, silk printed too. Take a look: Martlesham Models Product Search Page

**wonwinglo** · 15-02-2008

Thank you for the link Pan Am,the Flying Fish accessories look interesting,but who does an Airbus A.320 kit ? will have to try some of those decals in the future,are they colour fast ? ie some decals are printed with water soluble printer inks and need proofing before application,just wondering ?

Pan_Am_Clipper_Girl · 16-02-2008

Revell do an Airbus A320 Martlesham do them.
Martlesham Models Scale Model Kits and Accessories: Aircraft Civilian (1:144)

I'm not a great lover of Condor Airlines, a lot of those no frills types don't have the class of a "proper" stewardess like me

. Sorry better be careful I might go off on one again.

I'm not sure if Antics in Coventry sell them as the first and only time we went there they had only just opened and it was mainly full of Die-cast stuff. Flea-bay is a good place and look out for Plastic Pastimes (polarbears3kitscatcat). They do a few airliners at times, that's where my 747's originate from.

Good question about the Two-Six decals. To be honest I'm not sure, I have only used some spare codes and letters from the big 747 sheet to do the Pan-Am Concorde. The instructions don't say either. I think I will proof just to be on the safe side and maybe with another 727 I might try naked, there is a terrible thought

, oops didn't mean it that way, soz!
To be honest there is a slight bleed on the American flag, should be negligible, I have enough of those from a 747/747sp/DC10/L1011 Billboard sheet if I have a problem.
Those windows are to die for on those Two-Six sheets. I really can't wait to decal now, though it's going to be more like nextweekend the way they are going.

**wonwinglo** · 17-02-2008

It is still full of diecasts with only a smattering of kits,the manager told me they have warehouse full of them,that used to be a Black & Decker shop by the way,it is huge and the rent must be as big.
You came a long way to buy kits,we do not have hardly any Model shops around these parts now,they are dieing fast.

Pan_Am_Clipper_Girl · 17-02-2008

It's a sad sort of affair isn't it. There is possibly more models avaialable now but no-where to buy them. I suppose die-cast is easy, you just get them and put them on the shelf and your collection is only as small as your pocket so to speak. I like to see the results of some personal effort in my collections, besides decalling is fun!
Admittedly I have 4 die-cast airliners in with my plastic, though that is as much as I will get.
Antics in bristol when we went a few years ago after the Helicopter Museum at Weston and the FAA musem had a few nice kits, though again pretty well dominated by die-cast all the same.