I wanna try the LM...

zathros

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I might consider find the right glass case, line it with clear U.V. protective film, or paint, and seal it adding some Argon gas. This will prevent any of the glue from oxidizing, and any moisture from warping the tunes. Painting coats of Liquid crazy glue will do the same thing, but that stuff is so nasty to work with. ;)
 

Tonino

Well-Known Member
I could say that the pleasure is all in the act of building and, at the end, it doesn't really matter what happens to the finished model ... ... ... ...
... but this would be a LIE! I'm very worried about the final home of my LM.
I really should consider ALL of your advices... :rolleyes:
 

zathros

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I'm worried, and I'm on the other side of the world!! :)
 

Tonino

Well-Known Member
Busy days... not a lot of spare time... but, in some way, I was able to finish the four big tanks...

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you cannot say I don't like tabs... I like them a lot, especially when making spheres, ovoids or other shapes like this

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the fit of the parts is perfect but some guide helps a lot when you have to join all the sections together edge to edge.

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as I did everytime I found black circles I punched them out... no mercy on black circles!

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And, after some days of "tanking", finally they are ready for their "boxes"

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completing the bottom side

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a close up of the "real holes" I like so much
 

McTschegsn

Active Member
Just had a look on your thread and I am completely amazed how perfect you build this thing... Thread title must get rid of the word "try" ;)
Awesome Stuff mate!
 

Tonino

Well-Known Member
Thank you my friends, you are too kind. But, believe me: I don't want to be false modest, when I started this thing I REALLY wasn't sure to be able to finish it.
That's the reason for the title.
I was so amazed by the images of the building posted by UHU02 on his webpages that I was wondering if building this model is really possible for an human being (and UHU02 perhaps is something more than this)... Nevertheless I was so intrigued by that LM that I wanted to build it at any cost.
I never builded an "UHU" before and I didn't know a simple thing: the design, the project that is on top of his realizations is so perfect, so cured in all details, that the build goes on easy as drinking a glass of water.
OK some technique, some skill is obviously needed to afford a model like this - this should not be choosen as a first model - but, believe me, this thing is so perfectly designed that the work goes on by itself... almost ;)
 
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McTschegsn

Active Member
This is exactly how I feel building the SHADO Interceptor from Uhu... This is my 4th more complex model and though I ran mad at some building stages with Uhus blog it is all perfectly buildable.
You did (as I mentioned before) an awesome job on your LEM!!!
 

DanBKing

Dan the Man
I will have to agree with you both @McTschegsn and @Tonino , @uhu02 is a PPME: Perfect Paper Model Engineer...!

His precision is exemplary, especially if you 'look between the lines'..... By that, I mean, if you completely cut away all the black cutting lines from each part, the fit between each part is absolute perfection.

It seems over the years, that the master has done away with tabs, and prefers to edge glue..... And because of that, his models have now become so stunningly complex, that the common mind can only boggle in awe, at what can be created from paper, using his templates.

And you two, are putting that engineering perfection provided by him, into absolute works of art!!!!! :Bravo:
 

Tonino

Well-Known Member
A little update on a detail that demonstrates I can be almost as crazy as UHU02!

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This is an element of a structure that acts as a protection for tubing on the underside. I didn't like the grey "trapezoids" and, as always, I tried to open all the spaces, but this time the braces are really microscopic... will they resist?

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After a little try to evaluate the sharpness of the knife (on the left) I opened the first one... it seems to be possible.

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And this is the complete element. I had to reinforce all with white glue diluted with water.

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Close up after final trimming

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It looks nice but it is way too much fragile. I'll keep it in a safe place and don't glue it until my descent stage has his own legs to keep this one away from the ground!
 

DanBKing

Dan the Man
You are crazy, you know that? :wideyed:

But, my God, this model of yours is gonna win GOLD every time you go to a model show!

Bloody amazing work! :Bravo:
 

Tonino

Well-Known Member
Now dealing with some leg components.
I don't like very much the "fold and pray" technique to have double sized pieces. Everytime - regardless of the amount of care I put on it - I finish with one side off-register and a bad finish. I prefer to cut both sides separately and then paste them together. Some more cutting but a better final result.
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Now I have a little DILEMMA :wideyed: : I need the advices of more experienced paper modelers, especially those who already have built the Aquarius, like you, @mk310149

The question is: I don't like the grey filling areas used sometimes to close openings who are difficult to render in paper models (see previous post in this thread :p) or to reinforce structures that should be too weak to sustain the weight of the model. In the leg structure grey areas are used for this purpose. As I said before I don't like those grey triangles and tried to darken them to mask their presence but the result was worse of the starting point (my opinion). See the photo for details: it seems to me that now they are noticed more than before.

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Now the question is: as I'm NOT interested in foldable legs (as in UHU02's intentions)
should I:
1) keep the original grey areas
2) darken them with black pen (as in the photo)
3) cut them away and reinforce with glue the thinner points

The 3 is my favourite but I'm afraid the legs could not bear LM weight at the end.

What to do?
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McTschegsn

Active Member
Are the legs double sided? In that case you could use some thin wire (0.3 mm or 0.2 mm) where you glue the legs around.
I would prefer that option or the third one. Maybe you can settle the finished LM on a small ring of clear plasic like UHU did it with his Aries 1B.
Just some suggestions.
 

DanBKing

Dan the Man
An idea..........
If you were going to make a diorama with the model, you could depict it at 3ft before the point of landing on the moon, with jet blast from the nozzle disguising a supporting rod. That will keep the weight off the legs and give the model even more life!!!
You could also fit a LED in the nozzle to emphasise the jet blast effect ......
Something like this .....

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Then you can cut your hated triangular bits out. I would still recommend strengthening the weak spots with CA glue or such.
That's my 10 cents worth....... :)
 

Lighter

New Member
Are the legs double sided? In that case you could use some thin wire (0.3 mm or 0.2 mm) where you glue the legs around.
I support the wire idea. The blackened areas draw my eye even more than the grey. DBKing has a right idea. Settle on the display method now, then do what is needed for enforcement as the model moves toward completion.
 

Nando

Designer Extraordinaire
In my opinion definitely the third option.
In my mini-LM I hardened the weak parts using cyanoacrylic glue.
The parts then was strength enough to easy manipulate them and to support relatively heavy loads. They are more similar to plastic parts.
An alternative could be to put between the two faces a thin sheet of plastic that you can cut around the contour of the paper part.
However good work so far!
Best, Nando
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zathros

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Gentleman, get fine Piano wire, tire one end solidly to something immoveable. Tie the other end, around 6 feet of wire, to a 1" diameter piece of wood.. Steadily pull the wire, keep pull till it "gives' and straightens and lengthen, you will know. The wire is now hardened. It will keep it's shape. You can only bend it a few times as it is now hardened, and could brake, but it will not ever sag. We used to make the wires that held the flags on aircraft instruments when they went bad or lost power. A little Red flag drops down, telling you the instrument is no good. The Red and White strips means an instrument failure. Tig welding wire also works really great.

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