The Sullivans DD-537 by Jack12477 - FINISHED - Trumpeter - 1:350 - PLASTIC

[lmagna]

I think those doors are going to look much better than the kit doors and when they are painted will look just fine.

[cog]

The more often you work with these little parts the easier it becomes, Jack. Looking good for a first time P&PE ship

[RGL]

Well done mate, I’m due another US ship after the German one. I like the Ww2 tin cans. 

[John Allen]

Coming along nicely, do not see how you folks adding the PE don't go blind.

Well done Jack.

[Canute]

Optivisors, stronger reading glasses and more light will do the trick. The newer LEDs put out more lumens. And I'd get the ones in the sunlight temperature  range for painting purposes.

[Jack12477]

Actually, I find taking off my distance glasses makes it easier to see, no magnifier needed [YET]. I do have sunlight/daylight LED bulbs in both work lamps, 100 watt

 

@COG , @RGL , do you guys have any tricks you use to keep the PE in place while you apply the glue? It's applying the glue that causes the part to move. 

Edited November 29, 2018 by Jack12477

[Jack12477]

1 hour ago, RGL said:

Well done mate, I’m due another US ship after the German one. I like the Ww2 tin cans. 

Thanks, Greg.  What US ship did you order? 

[cog]

I either apply the glue to the PE, or to the plastic before I attach the item ... if ever I do apply glue when the part is positioned, I press it against the underground with tweezers and use a very thin drill to apply the CA, something like a 0.5mm  (broken) drill

[Old Collingwood]

I used (later stages anyway)  gaitor PVA glue,  I applied a small amont with a thin dowel or sharpened tooth pick  to the area, then placed the part with tweezers and moved into place using a small dowel/tooth pick type thing.

 

OC.

[marktiedens]

Hi Jack - I found this item at Micro-Mark.  It`s a sticky wax-like substance on the end of a plastic stick. Works pretty good for holding tiny parts so you can put a spot of glue on the part. It comes in a large "matchbook" & you just snap off a new one when the wax gets to where it doesn`t stick well anymore. It comes in a package of 2 matchbooks with 15 sticks in each matchbook.

Edited November 29, 2018 by marktiedens

[lmagna]

These are available as well:

http://www.radubstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=77_122&products_id=434

 

I have never used them personally but they have some reviews at the bottom of the page. 

[RGL]

The tiny pliers I got from U-Star are the best tool I have bought for placement. I use acupuncture needles for glue application 

Edited November 30, 2018 by RGL

[Jack12477]

Thanks everyone for the Likes, Comments and suggestions.  I'm not having a problem picking up and placing the pieces. I have a very good quality set of jeweler tweezers that work well. The problem is keeping the part in place while I apply the glue to it; as soon as the CA touches it the part moves.  I'm going to trying the PVA glue that OC uses and a variation on Carl's tweezers to hold the part in place while I apply the glue.

[cog]

Why don't you apply the CA to the part, or on the spoit where you will place the part?

[Jack12477]

27 minutes ago, cog said:

Why don't you apply the CA to the part, or on the spoit where you will place the part?

I've done both ! If I apply to part, it immediately seizes when it contacts the plastic and won't let me adjust it, even with medium/slow/15 sec CA.   Thin CA is too fast setting.  There is an even slower setting CA but it may be too thick to use - never used it before so I would have to buy some.  I'm still experimenting.

[cog]

Strange, I don't have the seizing problem with either ...

[lmagna]

This may help a little. He seems to mostly follow Carl's technique. The Glue seems to give plenty of time and strength.

https://youtu.be/dSNKh3rFTSA 

[Koppalakki]

Gator Grip white glue is worth a try. It works really well for PE doors and other details you want to adjust. Though you need to be patient with it as it can take over 15 minutes to cure so you might "adjust" the part unintentionally!

[Jack12477]

5 minutes ago, Koppalakki said:

Gator Grip white glue is worth a try. It works really well for PE doors and other details you want to adjust. Though you need to be patient with it as it can take over 15 minutes to cure so you might "adjust" the part unintentionally!

Is that available in US ?  I've never seen it before . Only ones I seem to find are Elmers brand.

Edited November 30, 2018 by Jack12477

[Koppalakki]

Just search it for from your hobby shop. Atleast freetime has it https://freetimehobbies.com/gator-grip-hobby-acrylic-glue-original/

[Jack12477]

Thanks, Kop!

[popeye the sailor]

yea.......you just have to experiment and come up with a strategy that works for you.   it still a bit of a bear for me.......I do think that the type of cement you depends a lot on the outcome.   CA can be troublesome........seeping everywhere in a tight space.  I do wish that regular model cement {testor's} would work.......I have the tube and the bottle.  both are different thicknesses.

 

another option to Mark's suggestion,  can be found at Billing USA.   they are called pick 'n place.   they look like a pen with a sticky substance on the end.   to clean them,  you simply press them on the sticky side of tape.  I have one of every size.........I know it's not the problem your having,  but these little guys work well for what they do.  just something I thought I'd throw out there   

[Old Collingwood]

I stand corrected,   I use Gorilla Wood glue  its in a plastic bottle with a orange label and  pic of a gorilla and a brown cap,   it is so good  un diluted  I have glued plastic to plastic, wood to plastic, brass to plastic, brass to wood  and of course wood to wood,  it grips in about 10 minutes and I use heat to set it quicker and of course using a damp fine brush you can clean up around the part glued.

Its my go to glue  where  pure plastic styrene glue isnt needed.

 

OC.

[Jack12477]

Thanks, OC, I think I have some of that glue. Wiil try it. 

[Jack12477]

Question for everyone : the PE ship's doors have a single very very thin brass band linking the  doot to the door frame. I have been cutting the two apart, glueing the frame on first, then glueing the door onto the frame. I tried to fold the door over onto the frame but with only one thin brass piece holding them together they don't align correctly. How do you guys handle the doors ? One folded piece or two separate pieces ? 

Edited November 30, 2018 by Jack12477

[Koppalakki]

Just fold them.

 

It's best to fold them in a hold and fold using a sharp knifes blade to do the bend so it comes as sharp as possible.

[Jack12477]

Thanks, Kop, I do have a hold and fold and the appropriate blade. Got them a while back from The Small Shop in Oregon/Washington area.

[cog]

3 hours ago, Old Collingwood said:

I stand corrected,   I use Gorilla Wood glue  its in a plastic bottle with a orange label and  pic of a gorilla and a brown cap,   it is so good  un diluted  I have glued plastic to plastic, wood to plastic, brass to plastic, brass to wood  and of course wood to wood,  it grips in about 10 minutes and I use heat to set it quicker and of course using a damp fine brush you can clean up around the part glued.

Its my go to glue  where  pure plastic styrene glue isnt needed.

 

OC.

Anything you don't heat ...?

[Old Collingwood]

12 minutes ago, cog said:

Anything you don't heat ...?

I think even if I was making a model ice cream I would still heat it to  glue/paint it.

 

OC.

[Jack12477]

I am NOT liking this paint scheme even tho it is authentic to the period (1945).  Looks horrible. And I don't know why I bothered with the PE add-ons because the paint is so thick it obliterates the detail.  God, I miss the Floquil/Poly-S paints, never had that problem with them, nor did I have a problem with the colors being too dark.

And I painted myself into a corner so to speak - I painted the main deck component Navy blue but forgot to paint the roof/decks of all the substructures  BEFORE I attached all the guns etc. Even with a 10/0 brush it was a bear getting into the small areas without getting the dark blue all over the sidewalls of the structures - left a few of  the deck areas dark gray. It was suggested to me offline that I tone down the blue with a 25% mixture of  gray.  I may consider that on a future model but given how far I am on this one and given the problems of repainting around the installed guns, etc. I don't think I will do it now. Repainting the main deck would be easy; it's the superstructure deck/roofs that is the major problem.  I'm brush painting; not air-brushing this time around.

 

The photos :  Sorry for the poor quality ! My Pentax K50 DSLR is broken, all the pictures come out black, a search of the Internet reveals it's most likely the "Aperture Control Module", apparently a common problem in the K30 and K50 models,  but Ricoh, who now owns Pentax, doesn't consider it a manufacturing defect so no recall or warrantee repair.   The Canon point-and-shoot has close-up capability but not to the extent of the Pentax; the Canon can only stop down to F/8 while the Pentax can stop down to F/32 giving a lot more depth of focus.

Anyway here's the photos.