Challenge Build 737-268C - AIR SAUDIA -

[TheChronicOne]

Progress is still slow, but it IS progress! Engines are done as far as I'm concerned. This is my first attempt at anything this complicated so I decided not to push my luck. They are now the correct length. The "shape" is correct with no weird transitions in the nacelle. The correct pylon structure is present at the front. They don't look that pretty but once in the midst of the entire build they should be fine.




I've done other things with this as well..... I got in the sheet of decals. I applied a coat of liquid decal film on them to be safe and normally that solves all the problems. I love the stuff.... anyway... not this time. Cheatlines still came apart and I was very careful not to let them curl up, etc. Also, the stuff did not want to conform to the nose. I was making progress on that with the Microsol but it just kept getting worse and worse. The other portion of the decal was drying up and I could position it because I didn't have the nose decal in its final position.... and this was taking forever with the Microsol so..... all that side of cheatlines wound up in the trash. Luckily I have some stuff to make up the difference from the folded sheet but if this happens again.. I just don't know if I even WANT to get a FOURTH decal sheet.

BUT..... we're not giving up YET. I'm trying again. This time I will lay down TWO coats of liquid decal, one in each direction. Probably going to try a couple other things, too, to make things go better. I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

If this doesn't work I might just buy some Alaskan decals or something because this eating my way through the entire planetary supply of 737 Saudia decals is starting to get a bit ridiculous.

[TheChronicOne]

More work today. I put the second coat of decal film on. I also trimmed them out and cut my relief slits into the nose section. I did this last time, too, but I added an additional one this time and trimmed the upper one wider. They'll wrap better this way and if I have any gaps I'll used some of the "gap fill" color splotches on the sheet.



Found another reference photo as well. I have a copy of this closer to its original size (it's an old post card) but this one was enlarged at least double. I shrunk it back down to post here but I have the full size copy on my desktop for later use.



My stuff as of now:






More soon, I'm sure.

[TheChronicOne]

The old Avigraphics decals are just too thick and brittle. I tried liquid decal multiple times in multiple ways and it's just a no-go. I'm sure decades ago when they were fresh they were glorious but no inked material that thick can last 40 years without degrading.

What I'm saying is that the last attempt at decalling this thing have failed.

This isn't the end, however.. Back at the very beginning I started with ATP decals. I still had a tiny scrap of that cheatline material left. When I first tried them, I didn't use decal fix and the cheatlines disintegrated. This time I have knowledge on my side and elect to apply decal fix ahead of time to be safe. IT WORKED. The ATP cheatline material is much thinner than the avigraphics stuff. It works.

SO... My buddy, Kit in the UK, was sitting on an ATP sheet so I have that inbound and when it gets here I'll coat the bits with decal fix and we'll be underway once again.

For those counting, this is now the FOURTH decal sheet sunk into this.

[Uros]

For those counting, this is now the FOURTH decal sheet sunk into this.

Don't let it stop you! I'm sure sadisfaction will be much greater when you finish it.

[F-27pax]

The other thing you might do, if you have the equipment, is to scan the decal sheet and then print it out. Just to be on the safe side I scan every decal sheet I use and occasionally I need to print out a decal that has gone wrong. Getting a new decal sheet, which is what I'm doing for a Fokker 100 I'm currently making, is better, but sometimes having a backup helps.

[TheChronicOne]

Cheers, fellas!!! Damn good point about the scanner. Why do I always forget this?!!? Thank you!! I have access to one but never remember when the time comes. I bet you I won't next time... I just needed someone to tell me.


Nothing new yet. Transfers are still on the way. Could be here next week or could be here next year. Just no telling with overseas stuff sometimes. Canada, for instance. We're nex door neighbors but depending on shipping options and maybe a couple other things I've had stuff show up 4 days later and I've had stuff show up 4 weeks later.

[TheChronicOne]

Quick update. The new ATP transfers are in so I'll get them scanned and tomorrow I'll make a go of getting them put on. I'm pretty confident in them working this time. After all the trial and error I've honed in on what I need and what I need to do. I tested ATP material and it worked with liquid decal film so that will be the order of the day.

[TheChronicOne]

Back on track, finally. Fourth time is a charm this time.

[TheChronicOne]

Phase II of transfer application. More to come soon.

[hrtpaul]

Very nice mate