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Post by alfie on Mar 19, 2009 18:36:43 GMT
Hi I've received a plea for help that I hope someone can help me with. Does anyone have any advice for reversing the darkening/discolouration of vacform transparencies? Or is it terminal? All I've found on the net is this www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php?topic=21078.0TIA Regards, Alfie
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Post by heraldcoupe on Mar 25, 2009 13:10:55 GMT
I haven't found any effective method of reversing this. It's down to the material used for the canopy, PETG doesn't discolour, whereas clear styrene does. It is possible to make a cast of the exisitng canopy by filling it with plaster, then making a new moulding over the cast with PETG, Cheers, Bill.
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Post by Simon Cornes on Mar 26, 2009 8:51:40 GMT
As Bill syas, not possible to reverse and a major pain. For what its worth, I e-mailed Falcon in New Zealand recently about the very question and I had a very prompt reply to the effect that the material they use is the same as used in coke bottles and he has used the same stuff for a canopy outside his house, it has withstood 20 years of NZ high UV sunshine and is a bit brittle and 'whitened' but is fine almost indefinately for model use, unless you park your kits outdoors! Might be worth trying some DIY vacforming with part of a coke bottle though? I asked the question initially because I had a canopy go yellowy-brown whilst inside a kit box in the loft for over 10 years and was woried that canopies I might use in the future may do the same and couldn't bear the thought of having to replace them in the future! It pays to aske the manufacturer the question - I don't know what Squadron would say, Cheers
Simon
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Post by heraldcoupe on Mar 26, 2009 18:02:29 GMT
I'm not sure if clear PETG is widely available from model shops, but I have started buying it from a wholesaler, who I normally use for industrial plastics. I am happy to sell on some of what I have in stock as I can get more on my next trade order, Cheers, Bill.
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Post by rayness on May 28, 2009 11:36:27 GMT
I have recently fitted some B&Q blinds, and I find the clear packaging for them very good for moulding canopies, does not bubble if too hot and moulds crystal clear.
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Post by outcastjack on Jun 1, 2009 21:31:40 GMT
Rayness how are you forming your canopies?
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Post by rayness on Jun 4, 2009 11:59:58 GMT
Being biasd to WW1 stuff, I tend not to need canopys very often, Normaly limited to a small cut out windscreen! but when I do experience any injection canopies, they always seem unfeasably chubby. So...
1. I make a resin mould of the canopy in Play-Do as it takes detail much beter than Plasticine.
2. whilst the resin is curing, dip a supported cocktail stick or bamboo skewer in to act as a handle during moulding.
3. Rub down, and polish out any canopy frame lines from the completed resin male mould, as they will come out fuzzy on the final canopy.
4. Support the mould firmly in a mini-vice or similar.
5. When softening the clear plastic, just hold it between two large bulldog cilps. This has two advantages: a. You can see how far away fron the heat scouce you are b. when moulding, the softened plastic can be draped around the mould more effectivley.
6. Trim to fit. Bear in mind that the trimming will compensate somewhat for the fact that the canopy is slightly oversize.
7. Dip in Klear. Add frameing from painted decal strips. Float into position with Klear (even Klearer!)
All of the above works well for me,(in 1/72nd) but it WILL almost always takes several moulding attempts to get a really good final result, especially the trimming stage!. Hence the hoarding of clear blind packaging !
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