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Airfix Spitfire MkIIa 1:48


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29-07-2008

Hi there! Excellent job. I didn't think you could thin acrylic with cellouse thinners! Or have I misunderstood? Also....you matt'd the spinner and prop blades?

Liam

Hi Liam:

No, there's no misunderstanding. Tamiya and Gunze acrylics are happily cut with cellulose (or the equivalent suitable US lacquer). Marcus Nicholls in Tamiya Magazine published this quite some years ago. The concoction gives a very fast drying / curing combo that airbrushes as good as it gets and 'etches' the surface of the plastic giving unrivalled paint grip. The down side is cellulose is exceedingly dangerous, which is why I spray into the open air (from my modelling shed 75 feet from the house), wearing latex gloves and a double cartridge respirator with organic filters and pre-filters.

I use X1 Tamiya black cut with cellulose as a routine base for Alclad II. At average room temperature or warmer (circa 65 degrees) I can overcoat with Alclad II within two hours with no substrate cracking. Marvellous.

Steve

Edited by Ogri
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Hi Paul:

Gunze acrylics cut with cellulose thinners; similar to certain brands of lacquer thinners in the US (but by no means all) - e.g. Model Master Lacquer Thinners.

Thanks

Steve

Ah, thanks for that, it seems they are hard to get in the UK, where do you get yours from? (if you don't mind me asking)

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Ah, thanks for that, it seems they are hard to get in the UK, where do you get yours from? (if you don't mind me asking)

Hi Paul:

No problem asking - mine are obtained perfectly legally...lol. Hannants in Colindale is my normal port of call for them.

Best regards

Steve

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Hi Liam:

No, there's no misunderstanding. Tamiya and Gunze acrylics are happily cut with cellulose (or the equivalent suitable US lacquer). Marcus Nicholls in Tamiya Magazine published this quite some years ago. The concoction gives a very fast drying / curing combo that airbrushes as good as it gets and 'etches' the surface of the plastic giving unrivalled paint grip. The down side is cellulose is exceedingly dangerous, which is why I spray into the open air (from my modelling shed 75 feet from the house), wearing latex gloves and a double cartridge respirator with organic filters and pre-filters.

I use X1 Tamiya black cut with cellulose as a routine base for Alclad II. At average room temperature or warmer (circa 65 degrees) I can overcoat with Alclad II within two hours with no substrate cracking. Marvellous.

Steve

Pukka job!! Looks very nice indeed. In fact, it looks, well, real!

BTW, Tamiya acrylics mix very well with cellulose thinners as well - I use the Humbrol version at the moment but have a tin of Halfords to use at some point. For ultra quick drying, use Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) available via a specialist chemical suppliers. Double cartridge organic vapour filter is a must. That dries in minutes.

Humbrol acrylics react very badly with organic solvents. they become more glue than paint...hard to spray... :oops:

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Beautiful model of a beautiful aircraft. I really like the weathering, it looks just right :thumbsup2: In fact, it all looks just right. Absolutely gorgeous. I love it :wub:

Thanks for sharing with us.

Regards

Andy :)

Thanks Andy:

With a bunch of Tam Spit 1s in the loft I wasn't going to fork out for the Airfix jobbie - then I ran into some comments elsewhere that said the kit was best avoided and it piqued my interest to see what could be made of it. With a limited number of refinements I thought it built into a great representation of the real thing.

Thanks again.

Steve

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Pukka job!! Looks very nice indeed. In fact, it looks, well, real!

BTW, Tamiya acrylics mix very well with cellulose thinners as well - I use the Humbrol version at the moment but have a tin of Halfords to use at some point. For ultra quick drying, use Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK) available via a specialist chemical suppliers. Double cartridge organic vapour filter is a must. That dries in minutes.

Humbrol acrylics react very badly with organic solvents. they become more glue than paint...hard to spray... :oops:

Hi Lead:

For me, trying to make a miniature look as real as possible is a bit of a Grail quest. We read a lot about weathering styles and so on but I confess I prefer chasing reality - which transcends 'style' and is infinitely variable and interesting as a result. It's also difficult to get right in a model so thanks for the nod - it's much appreciated.

The quest goes on...lol.

Steve

Beautiful finish , nicely worn camo .... good job,

Andy

G'day Andy:

Thanks for this.

Best regards

Steve

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  • 2 months later...
Hi Ogri :) , that has to be one off the best Spitfires :gobsmacked: I've seen in a long time mate well done :thumbsup:

Blimey,

I'm just building one of these and I've got a huge seam to fill round the wing root where the lower wing fixes to the fuselage- I was cursing Airfix for a rotten pressing but maybe I just didn't clamp it right??

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  • 1 month later...
Blimey,

I'm just building one of these and I've got a huge seam to fill round the wing root where the lower wing fixes to the fuselage- I was cursing Airfix for a rotten pressing but maybe I just didn't clamp it right??

Sorry I got to this late - the problem you mention was cured on mine by use of a spreader bar cut from sprue supplied in the kit. The gap then reduces to nearly nothing. Hope you cured yours alright.

Steve

Edited by Ogri
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