RC-135V Rivet Joint restoration

Skyhiker
I've started this restoration as a side project. Let see if I can save this old model.

Skyhiker
Repairs to broken areas under way.

Skyhiker
Thank you Marco, this restoration has its challenges because many of the original parts need to be rebuilt from scratch. The original canopy is giving me a hard time right now because the plastic is brittle. I replaced several windows in the windshield and when I was finished and glued in the canopy the remaining windows from the original part cracked. I have to start over and rebuild it again. 10 hours of work just turned into 10 hours of practice.

Marco Preto
From what I can see in your photos, you are doing a cracking job restoring the model.
Have you tried to vacform a replacement part for the canopy? My experiences with vacforming have been somewhat hit'n miss, but once in a while it results nicely (well, I have an improvised vac-forming rig and I blame my unsucsseful experiences on it :-D). In this blog post you can check one of my better experiments: mpminiatures.wordpre..-3-172-scale-part-2/
I hope it helps and best of luck with the Rivet Joint model.
Cheers

mpminiatures.wordpress.com

Skyhiker
My scratch built engines seem to be working out OK.

playtime 222
Yep, they do 😄

Cuajete
Great restoration job so far... Following!

Skyhiker
Just finished sanding up to 3000 grit. The previous owner had painted over large scratched areas where the wings join the fuselage where he had used 80 grit sandpaper!

Sven Schönyan
Great job on the engines!

Skyhiker
Thanks guys. It's a bit of a challenge working on a kit that was half built. Fixing some areas is almost impossible without dissecting the whole kit. But I hope to make it at least presentable.

Skyhiker
Marco, I have a few vacuform kits but I have never tried doing vacuforming myself. Normally I would cast new pieces. I'd be interested in learning how to build a vacuform machine.

Cuajete
Skywalker, I made myself a rudimentary vacuum machine, cutting some boards, making some holes and using a vacuum cleaner to be able to make a vacuum and a hair dryer to adjust the shape and give heat to the acetate sheet. It is not very professional, but something does. You can see it in my Comet Racer project, between pics 66 and 72:

DH.88 Comet Racer Project | Album by Cuajete (1:72)

In some sites they sell vacuum machines of different sizes. You may be more interested in buying one like these:

1. feroca.com/en/vacuum..-a5-para-worbla.html

2. feroca.com/en/vacuum..-a4-para-worbla.html

I hope that in some way it helps you.

Skyhiker
Cuajete, thanks for the links. I really like what you made. Maybe I will try my hand at making one.

Cuajete
🙂👍

David Taylor
Will you be doing USAF or RAF.

Skyhiker
The decals that come with the kit are USAF from the 80s. I will probably use them.

Łukasz Gliński
What a cool project, my old Frog's Canberra is undergoing similar operation too. 👍

Finn
This looks interesting, will follow

Spanjaard
lots of work to return this to life. but the result promises to be excellent, so well worth it. those turbines look really great by the way.

Spanjaard
there is an alternative to make transparents parts that does not require the vacuum. you can make piece with same shape you need, but a bit smaller. then take a piece of wood and cut a hole a bit bigger than the piece you made. attach transparent plastic to the wood (fix it with staples for example). heat it up an press against the piece so the transparent plastic will take the right shape. i did use this technique years ago to make a canopy for a Mig-29 (Early Builds or Hall of Shame - 1980's and 1990's | Album by hetspanjaard), or a dome for the top of a scratch R2-D2

Łukasz Gliński
Or you can use some PVA glue or Kristal Klear-like stuff. Some UV glues are sandable too (after curing)

Ben Marshall
Looking great so far! Following 🙂

Cuajete
Fantastic job with engines and other repairs 👍

Marius
Looking good! Good luck with the project, definitely challenging.