Every time I build a tank model, the barrel is fine when I glue it, but about a week later, the @#$%!? thing is warped and wrinkled! How the heck do I get these stupid thing to not warp and "wrinkle"!?

MEMB,
That sounds strange. Can you post a pic? I have never had a barrel warp a week after I glued it.

Shaun

what kind of glue are you using?

polystyrene cement used in large amounts would warp the plastic over time, especially if its trapped inside hollow parts such as barrels.

try using super glue, or smaller quantitys of whichever glue you are using

cheers

joe

Using too much glue can easily cause it to warp. The barrel is made thin, and if you're not careful to use just little bit on the seam, it can adversely affect it as the glue dries.

Hmmm, that's an odd one too, I've never had that happen...YET. For gluing up all of my vehicles, my glue of choice is the Tenax 7R Plastic Welder. Awesome stuff, but you just have to use it quick, as it evaporates within seconds. I put my two halves of the barrel together, and glue it up in small sections, from one end to the other. There will be some plastic that seeps out of the seam, but no biggie. After 20 min., the plastic will be hard again, I simply take my xacto blade, scrape off the excess, and add one more coat of the tenax, and it's finished. After painting, no seam lines, and it's nice and straight, which for me, eliminates the need for wasting money on an aluminum barrel.

Howdy MEBM,

O.K., here's what may sound like a 'wild & wooly' idea to you. But it's a technique that I had to develope out of necessity because I tend to shy away AM barrels unless the supplied barrel is just simply unacceptable (I even use the kit supplied M1A1 barrel instead of AM, and that barrel's a 'mother' to cleanup).
Anyway. It's pretty simple. I first apply one quick coat of liquid glue(Testor's is fine for it's longer 'working' time), I then lightly place the two barrel halves together, leaving just a thin crack between halves (inother words, the two pieces aren't completely tight together). I then take some Tenax (which I'm still trying to master), and I apply it to the sections of the barrel that have the most 'meat' to them. In the case of the M1A1 barrel, that would be at the base, the middle (extractor), and the tip, on both sides.
The technique I use to apply the Tenax (remember, I said I'm still trying to master it ), is, I take a set of small 'reverse' tweezers, and place either a small piece of flat toothpick, or a small piece of Evergreen flat stock (about the size of a 'chicklet' or smaller) in the jaws of the tweezers. This maintains the pointy 'jaws' of the tweezer in the slightly 'open' position.
I then dip the pointy tip of the tweezers into the jar of Tenax and pull them right back out again. What you will find is a 'suspended' micro-drop of the Tenax sitting between the slighty open points of the tweezers. You then just place your suspended micro-drop of Tenax at the desired locations along the seam between the two halves of the barrel. The ever-touted 'capillary' action will draw it along the seam. Then just clamp togeter the rest of the way and Voila!
In this way you are limiting the amount of glue you use to just what is necessary, and, using the metal tweezers, allows you to simply wipe off the tool to use again.
I tried using the little 'pipettes' for applying the Tenax, but between the lack of pinpoint application ability, and the fact that the end of the pipette becomes unusable after a bit, I found the 'Tread's Tweezer' method a much more comfortable, and controllable method for me
HTH some.

Tread.

Geez all I do is brush on some liquid cement and hold the barrel halves together for a minute and viola! A litle clean up afterwards and it's good to go. 10 seconds to glue, 1 minute to hold in place, sit down and let dry, when dry a few minutes to clean up the any extra and I'm done

If you can pick up a technical pen/drafting pen at a yard sale or office or art supply store, you'll get the same result a nd never a worry about dropping the tootpick or sheet. The tip opening is variable with a set screw. All metal construction makes for super easy clean up. :-)

Heck. I just treat gun barrels the same as any other assembly. I use Revell liquid glue ( the stuff with the needle tip applicator). Run it all along the edges of one barrel half and slap'em together, Clean up when dry.
Never had one warp at all after the glue is dry.

I started out using tenax, so when I started on an M1A2 (Italeri 1/35) with PE, I had to use CA. I hated CA because it was unreliable. Sometimes it would set before i put a piece on, sometimes I put the piece on, but before I could adjust it, it stuck, or it wouldn't stick period. I love Tenax. Also, I'm not sure if I'm the only one that does this, but I use a hyperdermic needle. I don't have to worry about constantly opening and closing the bottle - lest the solution evaporate. It doesn't come out too much, I don't contaminate the solution (for those of you that uses styrene as the applicator. You can get it at some major hobby stores - as I live in boondocks Indiana, I have to go to Hobbytown USA in Indiapolis. It was about $6, but it is worth it.
Get a little piece of rubber tubing - no more than an inch long - and attach it to the back. Then you can use an eyedropper to suck up the solution (not through the eyedropper, but through the needle point) Like I said you don't need much, about an inch in needle length, otherwise it just runs excessively. If you want anymore information, I'd be glad to give it. Oh one other thing, if you haven't done it, make a base (ie a hole cut in a cube) to keep the bottle of tenax from falling over with that possibility that you didn't put the lid on. "Experience is the best teacher."

Hey! I'm modeling the Italeri M1A2 too! What do you think of your kit so far?

Gunnie

Well, I'm almost done with the construction and effectively stalling on painting (never used an airbrush so I'm apprehensive at best. Oh well practice makes perfect).
As for the model, its pretty decent. I like that it came with ability to add stuff such as an engine. I wish they had included some interior, but I've already spent about $100 on this model (the model, Eduards PE set, and Tamiya accessories - mainly for the CID panels), so I didn't want to go through the trouble. I just closed the drivers hatch and have made the TC hatch in the covered (don't be confused with closed) position and probably will leave the Loaders hatch cracked open (those tanks get hot even with the EAPU). I was going to scratch build the battery section, but I thought I should just take it easy and will make it in "combat ready" condition (ie take the easy way out). I never go straight OOB. I LOVE Eduard's PE (though this is my first significant usage of PE so I'm biased).
Fit was decent overall. The tracks were a lady, the the second side went on fine. I have then in sections to be put on last after painting. The plan is to paint, do a little weathering in the under areas, glue in tracks, and then the body. I'm leaving the chassis and top deck seperate for now. The other fit problem I had was with the two turret pieces, particularily around the lower side of the gun mantlet. That and I realized a little too late the the turret storage boxes were attached on the top rung of the "stairs", if you know what I mean. So I pried it off (not a smart move, but, heh, I'm new ), stuck it back on in the right position. The handle bars that run along the length of the storage boxes and bustle rack were a pathethic fit, so I just used rod. The connections to the turret look like crap but they will be pretty well masked by the smoke dischargers.
Now that I'm done with my disertation; over all I like it, and can't wait to see what it looks like when it gets done.

I don't know where you are in your build, but you're probably going to want to put CID panels on even if your not modeling an OIF Abrams as they are standard and you will want to drill a hole in the back of the EAPU and run a couple wires through it and the hold in that "box" next to the blast panels, wires to the smoke dischargers. Also the mount (not the frame on the TC cupola) for the .50cal isn't easily to test fit or bend and I don't know what the breaking point is. All I know is that I'm flirting with it. It should fit. My advice is: when you connect the gun and the mount, make it for good.

okay, I looked at your pictures and your model looks worse than I got it (funny, I always the got the short end of the straw over all the others :-) )I had virtually no flash whatsoever. Now most of my pieces needed thinning, but then again, this being my first armor model, I have to remember this isn't the aluminum skin of a TBD-1 Devestator (one of my last models...geez that was fun...a aircraft not in existance anymore PERIOD - ie minimal reference pictures). Keep in mind, unless you intend to do something with the skirt, it will cover most of the upper running gear and track. In fact, much of the top side of the upper tracks can't be seen at all. And since I haven't connect the upper and lower sections of the hull, I can tell that the connection for the rear engine cover section is going to stink. My goal is is find a way to make the least amount of a gap. But again that will be one of the last things I do.

Heh heh - I must have gotten the Runt of the Litter! My kit has almost every flaw known to modeling tradition. This is gonna be a fun build though - like drawing a silk purse from a sow's ear.

It's amazing how different two different "pops" of a new mold can be...

Gunnie

30 years of building kits and never had a barrel warp. Unless you're packing the tube with plastic glue I cannot imagine why the warp. You could switch to turned brass or aluminium. A bit pricey, but they'll NEVER warp.

two words...............


turned aluminum they ar the greatest!