(2) F-104 Builds one mild and one wild

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AfterBurners said:
Found out that main to the house is leaking so I'm gonna tackle it Saturday. If I get the LOC tubing tomorrow I'll cut the scoops. I'm tired of digging...need a break!
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Oh, that sucks ! Been there , done that. Mine ran under the drive way and I had to jack hammer it out and re pour, thankfully it was late fall and cool outside. Looking forward to your answer to the scoops---H
 
I had a little time on my hands so I decided to start sanding and filling. My focus for the moment is on the top of the air frame. The first thing I did was spray a couple of coats of Deft sanding sealer on both sides of the wings. Within about 15 minutes I was able to do a light sanding and knock down some of the surface imperfections. Next I used a sanding sponge to sand down the FG resin. 20160616_183939.jpg--Most of this was done with 150grit. Next I put a thin layer of spot putty on most of the surface. This dried quickly in the 90+ heat and I blocked everything down with a 220 sanding sponge--dry--20160617_165925.jpg-20160617_165903.jpg20160617_165914.jpg--It may look ugly, but after a coat of sand-able primmer--20160618_124252.jpg---it's starting to take shape. I'll let this set for a couple hours and then spot putty any little areas that need it , block it down again and re-prime. I also went ahead and filled and contoured the bottom. When this is dry I'll glass it and continue the process.
 
Aahhh the fill / sand /primer / fill / sand /primer repeat - lol .
Im building a Bomark- I know it well .....
Worth it it the end- its just the getting to the end part.
 
Andy Greene said:
Aahhh the fill / sand /primer / fill / sand /primer repeat - lol .
Im building a Bomark- I know it well .....
Worth it it the end- its just the getting to the end part.
Click to expand...

No kidding, I figure over the next week in my spare time I should have it pretty close to done with that part ! I did get the glass on the bottom today and sanded and filled and sanded and filled-------I'll sand and prime later tonight. I used a thinner blend of resin on the bottom. It didn't need a thick coat to fill areas and it lays down a lot smoother. After a round of sanding and filling and sanding, I'm here--20160618_191717.jpg a bit more filling and sanding and then the primer--that should be done tonight. After that it's detail ,detail, detail. The final sanding will be with 400 grit. While that's going on I'll prime up the tail section and sand and install it. There's actually a little bit of work to be done back there to get the profile correct but no Biggie. I still need to get the shock cones on and I may make some extensions for them to extend back into the intakes(haven't worked that part out yet). I'll get the resin on the nose cone tomorrow(just lazy today), and then start getting it into shape. I have been working out a way to get the needed nose weight as far forward as possible but that's a project for another day !--more later--H
 
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I started another build on my Dynastar Snarky while waiting for some parts to arrive for the F-104. Big difference in the body tubes. Very thin and lite weight, which is the way it should be. I also ordered (2) AP 24mm retainers for the Snarky and the Lexxjet, which I will be building next. I also bought some Aerogloss Sanding Sealing 3.5 oz off BRS Hobbies since its being discontinued along with low power mmt rings for reinforcing the mmt on the Snarky. So yeah I figure these kits aint gonna build themselves.
 
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The worst of the filling and major sanding is behind us, so 20% done and 80% to go! There's a ton of compound curves and bends on this thing so it's time to start "MINI-BLOCKING" . With so many curves and such , there is no way to use a normal 6+ inch block to sand with so I'll downsize to a 3 inch block. This will work better around the tight areas and won't gouge out areas or sand areas I don't want. is it time consuming? OH HELL YES ! but the rewards are well worth it! ----- I've already blocked and sanded a couple of times to get the rough stuff done. That's the easy part. When all that's done the next step is to put down a good coat of primer and let it dry. The primer can take a week or more to cure all the way but, It's ready to work with in about a day or two if it's warm enough. It will continue to shrink and the surface sanding will help with the out gassing and speed things up a bit. If your new to painting or have problems with priming and sanding or having scratch marks show up a week later, here are some tips. All paints, even lacquers, take quite a while to cure and they all shrink as they do so. So don't rush any paint or primer but you can push them along. Sand-able primer tend to dry a bit quicker than others. With this knowledge in hand you can master the art of prime -sand -paint. Now back to the build and how we use this .I got the really bad sanding out of the way and laid down a thick coat of primer . I had the luck of having a nice hot day so I let it sit for about 5 hours. now it's time to mini-block. This takes time. The block is about 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. The idea is to take down all the areas that just are not right--high spots--reveal low areas and contour where needed. It is not a one shot deal but takes several passes to get it right. with the small block you can hit the surface from several angles and follow the actual contours better. This it the top of the air frame after the first pass and I have revealed some areas the need a little TLC--20160619_202333.jpg20160619_202336.jpg20160619_202348.jpg20160619_202355.jpg--Overall it's not too bad but should require a couple more passes with primer and the block--H
 
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And the bottom--this needs a little more attention but still not too bad.--After I'm satisfied with the look I'll prime one more time and let it sit for a week to shrink--remember each layer of paint you apply, re wets the one below it and they all shrink, so give it time. When I'm done I'll sand everything with 400 grit. That's about the perfect grit to finish the surface with and still get a good adhesion surface(mechanical bond) for the paint.--20160619_202406.jpg20160619_202413.jpg20160619_202423.jpg20160619_202641.jpg--While this whole process is quite boring, I'll continue to post pics , There are more than a few of you out there that have trouble with this stuff and get frustrated with the process. So sit back and learn a little now for later---H
 
Looking good Bill! Hey have you ever tried these for sanding? They work great!!

https://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=20183&cat=1,42500

I like that your is turning out. I'm all too familiar with the process, but its true. It just takes time to lay down that nice paint job and all starts with prep work.

I'm still waiting on the parts. I might do a build thread on a 4" Snarky later after I finish the 2.2 which is pretty easy. I do like the Dynastar kits. Talk about well doucemented instructions and pictures. It makes it really easy!
 
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I do have a couple of those ! Had them for years and have managed to loose a couple along the way. They are wonderful for sanding fillets! Like I said before , this part gets a bit boring but, I'll post the pics. If for no better reason, you can go back and compare as I go. I did a little blocking today. I also changed primer to a high fill type--Rusto--. The top is coming out a little faster and better than expected so after another round of "Micro block" and fill I primed the rough areas once and then went back and hit the entire rocket. There are a couple of tiny areas that need attention but, the top is about ready for final sand except for the tail area. Those surfaces will need another coat and sanding. after that I can glue them in place and fillet the base. I'll let this sit for a day or so. In the mean time I'll work on the bottom. It has a couple areas that are going to be a small challenge but not a worry. Frankly, It's coming out a bit better and quicker than expected.The intakes are starting to take shape. I still need to add the little fillet at the rear of the wing. I'm running behind on the cone and will get the resin on it in the morning. That should set in a couple days and I'll be able to start working over that surface. Here's some pics of the good stuff and the current flaws --20160620_233844.jpg20160620_233853.jpg20160620_233859.jpg20160620_233908.jpg20160620_233925.jpg20160620_233941.jpg20160620_234027.jpg
 
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It's about this time I start thinking of a color scheme. Right now I have no idea what I'm gonna do.
 
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Ya know , back in the 80's, the AF and Navy started to go to a grey/grey color scheme they were all variations on a theme- EYE CANDY TIME !!-f4_1.jpg-F-15 1.jpg-a-10.jpg-F-16_Fighting_Falcon-Thomas_Ireland.jpg-fa-18_sup_1454495144.jpg(STILL LOVE THAT GIRL)--on up to today--f-35 landing.jpg---The 104 even got it and I like it so that's the scheme I'm going with !!!---F104J_635_207SQ_841107.JPG
 
I almost got ahead of myself. The 104 has a small spine running along the back of the fuselage. I needed to get that on and blended in. Upon further review( like think before you do) I took the hardest approach. The smart move would have been to use a 1/4 x1//8 balsa strip and sand it to shape after gluing it in place. But, being the cone head I am, I used a piece of hardwood dowel and sanded the ends to the needed shape to fit the body.Next , I epoxied the spine on the bt and taped it down until it set. This was followed by a couple of coats of filler. I sanded between coats . the pics are of the first coat un-sanded. The second and final coat are drying as I post this. It is what it is and now I have to live with it! (STUPID)It will come out fine but it's one of those straight line in the opposite direction deals. It also clipped the front of the tail to be a little more accurate---20160621_211144.jpg20160621_211350.jpg20160621_214653.jpg20160621_215005.jpg20160622_161335.jpg---H
 
ITza gonna be so PURDY! You can never go wrong with that shark mouth motif. It sure scared the Japs back in '41 with the AVG, not so much anymore. But The Duke was not scared of the Nakajimas, the gnarly old flying tiger and even flying leather neck he was! Look out fer them Mitsubishi Zeros, but the F-104 was latter assembled by Mitsubishi.

I am sure this version will fly safe, no matter what "Bubi" aka "The Blond Knight" aka "The Black Devil" might say. No need to bribe anyone to put this beauty into service. The Germans just need to learn how to fly those hot American ships. Heck, Italy kept them around til '04! Mamma Mia that is a pretty rocket ship! It might even put a Cube Sat into space! I take my MIG Cap off to you!
 
Not only is it a more unique scheme, but it lends itself to a little weathering . That should give it a little depth and --may I say--hide my screw-ups !!! --I got the vert installed today and the spine sanded. I'm pretty happy with it and I'll get pics out later. I let the 104 sit in the 90+ heat for the last couple days and sure enough some of the old scratches or low spots showed back up a little--THE LESSON--Don't rush the damn paint boys and girls !!!!!
 
Work progressed on the 104. I continued to massage the spine and tail area. There was one more small modification needed. The Tail is more representative of the 104 G/S. So the bt was a bit short and profiled wrong. This was a simple fix. I just cut a piece of bt to the shape I needed and glued the tiny addition on. The first couple of pics are of my fix --20160624_175725.jpg20160624_192633(1).jpg-- and this is a good comparison shot lockheed_f_104_starfighter_3.jpg
 
I did get the cone/nose covered today with a coat of epoxy. With any luck it should be cured enough tomorrow to prime and sand. It's pretty close to what I want and with a little tweeking it should be good to go. After a lot of thought I decided to go with the BB's in the nose and bought some today. I'll still have a hardwood tip or possibly lead, still working that part out. Originally I had planned on a threaded rod and washers but the BB's let me get more weight forward where it's needed instead of spreading it out over a distance , which in the long run meant less weight overall. ---H
 
Well, it looks like the better part of my day off will be spent making the nose fit correctly. I did get it sanded--primed--filled---sanded--filled--sanded--primed. All in all it's about what I expected at this stage and I really only have about an hours real work in it.----20160625_081030.jpg20160625_090516.jpg20160625_090525.jpg20160625_114249.jpg--but I do have a problem with no easy fix. Initially I sanded one side of the nose a bit thin. It does not line up well with the bt. Also the top is a bit high but not as big of a problem.--20160625_114309.jpg20160625_114320.jpg-- The solution is simple enough but will take the better part of the day to execute. First I'll wrap a couple of rubber bands around the forward bt to put some inward pressure on it. After that I'll coat the inside with some fg resin. This should wet it enough to let it give a little and then stabilize as it cures. After that a redo of the shoulder will be needed, this was already planned. Once that is complete and the cone is stabilized in it's final position I'll add a little material to the low areas on the cheeks of the cone and sand to shape--that will take a while. I'm not too worried about weight here since this is well ahead of the desired CG and I'll just be trading ballast for filler. I'll get some pics back out of the process this evening.---H
 
After the better part of the day , the nose fix is in !! The pics will take a couple posts , so bare with me. First I wrapped the bt with a couple rubber bands followed by a coat of FG resin on the inside--20160625_114538.jpg20160625_132838.jpg--I mixed the resin -HOT-(MORE HARDENER) , so the dry time was reduced. Once that had hardened , I made a new shoulder out of left over bt. It was simply a matter of cut and fit. I did sand the inside of the main bt smooth. Since the old shoulder was foam it was only a matter of crushing it to shape and sliding to new one over it--20160625_135323.jpg20160625_135351.jpg20160625_135412.jpg--- this gave me a nice tight , positive fit that I could work with. After this it was just a matter of spreading filler over the areas needed--(almost paper thin) SEE NEXT POST !
 
After some thought , I decided to go with the sheet rock mud. It was going to be thin . I sanded the areas before applying and used a broad blade to follow the contour of the fuselage. This gave me a nice thin coat . I let it set for a couple hours to dry. Before It had dried , I ran a razor knife along the edge of the bt to get a separation line. After sanding I got this result--20160625_184704.jpg20160625_184711.jpg-- Next I mixed a batch of resin cold (less hardener). This would give it more time to soak in to the filler. The down side of this is, in very thin layers , the resin could take a LONG time to set. Not to worry, we have a trick up our sleeve !--20160625_193131.jpg20160625_193139.jpg--After about an hour the resin on the repair was still tacky but the mixing pot had hardened--Perfect ! Everything was sprayed with primer. For what ever reason, the primer will activate the thin resin , as it hardens it will shrink under the dry primer and leave cracks(that is supposed to happen) After about a half hour I hit it with primer again and an hour later I wet sanded the area you see--20160625_214549.jpg20160625_215233.jpg-- A little more work and I should have a nice clean fix as well as a nice seam to work with----H
 
Believe it or not, that cigarette butt is my wife's and I used it as a tool to spread some mud along the back edge--use what ya got I guess !
 
I've got the cone pretty close so here's a pic of the project in it's current state. Of course , sanding will take care of the pretty looks--20160626_112326.jpg20160626_112335.jpg-- It's time to tackle the tip of the nose. I really gave this a lot of thought and had a few options but in the end, making a paper cone and filling it with resin made the most sense and was the quickest option. After I had re- blocked the nose yet again , I fashioned a small paper cone using the lines of the existing nose profile-20160627_171426.jpg--- Once I was happy with the fit I trimmed off the excess in the rear---20160627_183245.jpg---There was a small hole in the front which I filled with yellow glue. Next I poured 5 minute resin in the nose piece and attached it to the cone. I had forgotten how hot this stuff gets will setting up as I adjusted it into position. After about 30 minutes it had cooled down enough for me to put a thin coat of FG resin over it. This soaked in nicely and I should have a nice surface to sand and finish. Since it seemed to be nose cone night , I decided to get the gun port installed. This was a simple matter of cutting a small piece of dowel and sanding it to a basic shape that I could fill around and sculpt. I epoxied it in place and got a couple coats of glazing putty on. Once this is sanded to shape the rest of the nose prep should be done in a couple days with most of that time spent waiting for things to dry----20160627_192754.jpg20160627_195011.jpg
 
More sanding and priming to do over the next few days but I'm pleased with the current form---20160628_095418.jpg20160628_095428.jpg20160628_095451.jpg20160628_095534.jpg--I'll let this bake in the Texas heat today and sand more this evening-- The horizontal tail plane is not yet glued in place, everything in that area will be final sanded before the final attachment to make finishing easier-H
 
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Aw man, the secrets to a hornet driver build: sheet rock mud and cigarette butts ! :) Really diggin' this one.
 
If you have ever wondered what 12 oz of BB's looks like !20160628_145742.jpg--YIKES ! I'm still having a hard time wrapping my head around that much ballast. I shoved a G-78 up the butt and poured the BB's in the nose followed by a plug. 12 oz. was way more than I needed to hit the CG mark. After some futzing around, the final weight was 6oz. to hit the CG mark that the kit asks for. I'm going to play with some figures some more but I really think the CG is too far forward by about 3/4 in. Well, more on that later. I also laid out the canopy area. I new my profile was a little off on the cone but there's no going back now and I wanted to see how it would look--20160628_154636.jpg---I'm pretty pleased with it and can live with it !-- "WHAT'S THAT CRAZY AMERICAN CAPITALIST DOING IN THE BACKGROUND?"--20160628_180006.jpg
 

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