Scalefour Forum

Kristal Klear!

I support the above suggestion too. Easy to apply and looks good. Also accepts gloss varnish spray with no issue.

I wouldn't want to risk spraying matt or satin on though.

I have used Kristal Klear, and gloss medium successfully - I have also used a leather punch on clear styrene if the spectacle size is right, with the above or canopy glue to hold the glazing piece in place. http://alexnld.com/product/revolving-leather-canvas-belt-punch-punching-plier-hole-tool-6-tube/

Ambis sells thin clear acrylic, 0.2mm IIRC.

Gordon A

Monty wrote:Just one point regarding Krystal Klear. It says suitable for a gap up to 1/4 inch. The size aperture on my model is a little larger so will it work ok?
Regards.

Possibly. I'm sure the 1/4 is an approximation of a size easy to get a repeatable result. I've found Loading a cocktail stick with a lot on and spinning it around will layer the inside, then reloading and repeating will start to bridge the gap until the white bubble is formed.

Worth a shot for a couple of quid either way.

The problem with filling larger gaps is you tend to get a bulls-eye effect. Careful use of gravity (i.e. turning the model around as the KK dries) can alleviate this, but it's hard to entirely avoid the impact of surface tension and capillary effect making a form of lens. I suspect that's why Microscale quote the 1/4 inch limit, since as Knuckles says it's actually quite easy to build it up across a wider opening. I did this a while ago for the windows of a Sentinel steam lorry, but found it just didn't look right for the main windscreen, although the 'toplights', which were thinner, were fine. Of course, by the time the opening gets that big it is becoming easier to cut clear plasticard/glass/perspex to fit, and you can still use KK (or Revell canopy glue) to fix it.

I'm sure I remember someone cutting a slice of clear Perspex rod, polishing it and then sticking it in the hole. Getting the correct diameter could be tricky though unless you have a handy lathe (or a drill held in a vice?). I tried it with some 'clear' sprue from the windows of an American structure kit but it was not a success. The plastic was to soft and wouldn't polish.

If you get some brass tube of the appropriate diameter and file or turn the end down to a knife-edge, you can punch discs out of clear thin styrene.

Steve

I just used a hole punch and some clear plastic from a Bachmann box.