My first RFI: Airfix Spitfire IXc

[azureglo]

After multiple setbacks, un-cooperative decals and the joy that is Xtracolor enamel, here is Pilot Officer Abdul's mount, the lesser-spotted-not-sand-camo Spitfire ixc from the truly ‘orrible 1/72 Airfix kit (WIP here):

Port

Starboard

Front:

A touch heavy on the panel wash but all ended well if not exactly an IPMS show winner. The Begemot printed decals were truly terrifying as they actually decompose when using Microscale or Gunze solutions, it turns out you need near boiling water. My first ever finished model worked much better with OOB decals and Mr Softer.

Had a bit of nastiness inside the canopy from when I stuffed it with it blutac while I masked. Also a lot of chipping when I removed the BMF masking, should have done the new scalpel blade releasing thing.

Now some fun stuff:

Teeny tiny nav lights made from 0.3mm stretched clear sprue and Tamiya clear.

Even teenier rear light!

A pointless scratched mirror with 1 mm BMF chrome reflector, note how 1mm thick canopy perfectly hides all the scratch building I lovingly did in the WIP.

Over scale but fine looking but twangy Ezline aerial, yes it actually does go twang when you pluck it.

Loved using Rustall to do the exhausts:

So what have I learnt? Good modelling takes practise and patience: You don’t get be Mish or Nigey Heath overnight. Everything is fixable, even if you have to fix the fix. Xtracolor is nothing to be frightened of. Modelling is a hoot compared to abseiling or playing a blues gig in a pub full of well lubricated punters who have good throwing arms.

And the most important thing , keep going till you finish: As Ray from Plastic Pastimes said to me on Friday, “there are no bad kits, only lazy modellers”. He also said a lot of other things which would lead to me being arrested if I tried to repeat them here.

And finally, one of those lovingly Photoshopped-to-near-death beauty shots before I embark on my next wee styrene adventure;

Good night and good riddance.

[perdu]

Nailed it despite every setback, excellent

Nice Spit

I don't know how you did it either

You used Xtracolour, wow.

I hate the stuff, I tried to use the USAF Europe One colours last year on a scratch build

The stuff was junk, hours of stirring and the contents of the cans remained a mixed dollop of slurry

(at least the Airfix Mk lX has the underwing root fillet these days, remember carving the under-root bits with a half round file on the old Johnnie Johnson one)

I usually use a strip of sellotape (other tradenames are available) to lift a transfer off, might be less brutal than sanding the markings away, but I cant think of a way to stop you getting lift off unless you wipe the model with Humbrol thinners before you lay down paint

A few drops on a tissue might help, its a fairly mild way to degrease and you just let it dry thoroughly before the airbrush gets near

Very nice tools of your trade, when I was a boy and the Beatles were setting out on their journey the Tele was the best 'feeling' guitar I played with in Jack Woodroffe's music shop in Brum.

Wish I'd stuck with it enough to justify buying one

I only play my acoustic these days, fingers out of tune

Why does THAT happen?

I came late to this and enjoyed every word

Good stuff

redheads, mmmm

Edited October 25, 2014 by perdu

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

Ah man - dont be too hard on yerself. it looks great! You know - as we are on a sack cloth and ashes trip here - id have run the panel line wash into the decals too, but - hey line wash, line shwash!

I wont say, "should have gone with a vacform AM canopy - and left it open", as i guess you know that?

But stop the self-flogging - it looks look lovely. Its a Spit - it has unusual markings, and it's groovy.

Jonners - admiring

[426]

Cool Spit, love the scheme.

[Bangor Lad]

Wow! That is lovely.

[azureglo]

Ah man - dont be too hard on yerself. it looks great! You know - as we are on a sack cloth and ashes trip here - id have run the panel line wash into the decals too, but - hey line wash, line shwash!

Hey Jonners thanks for the kind words, if I came over as self pitying, its my dry tone when I write: I loved doing this as I wanted to practise and try as many key techniques as possible. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have already started on another dog, the Italeri 1/72 109f with gusto.

The decals I would have loved to panel line wash but if you look at the WIP you'll see that setting solutions killed them, even tried a new scalpel blade run into them- it worked on some but not others as the decals are so thick (hence opaque whites.) When I asked Begemot, they said use Testors solvent or seriously hot water. A lot of the Eastern Bloc ubermodellers love Begemot so they must be pretty good, just another thing to learn about snuggling down decals.

in case I didn't make it clear, I would strongly recommend building these "dog" kits and trying weird and wacky stuff like Xtracolor to all newbies, it will boost your confidence no end!

And for vac canopies, got a whole pile to try, first one will be on an Eduard LA7 after Xmas as it has an even thicker one than this beastie.

[azureglo]

Nailed it despite every setback, excellent

Nice Spit

I don't know how you did it either

You used Xtracolour, wow.

I hate the stuff, I tried to use the USAF Europe One colours last year on a scratch build

The stuff was junk, hours of stirring and the contents of the cans remained a mixed dollop of slurry

(at least the Airfix Mk lX has the underwing root fillet these days, remember carving the under-root bits with a half round file on the old Johnnie Johnson one)

I usually use a strip of sellotape (other tradenames are available) to lift a transfer off, might be less brutal than sanding the markings away, but I cant think of a way to stop you getting lift off unless you wipe the model with Humbrol thinners before you lay down paint

A few drops on a tissue might help, its a fairly mild way to degrease and you just let it dry thoroughly before the airbrush gets near

Very nice tools of your trade, when I was a boy and the Beatles were setting out on their journey the Tele was the best 'feeling' guitar I played with in Jack Woodroffe's music shop in Brum.

Wish I'd stuck with it enough to justify buying one

I only play my acoustic these days, fingers out of tune

Why does THAT happen?

I came late to this and enjoyed every word

Good stuff

redheads, mmmm

Many thanks Mr Perdu, I solved my degreasing problem by using good ol' 99% Isopropyl alcohol which I buy in industrial quantities and wearing latex gloves. Another thing I learnt was that paint, any paint takes a lot longer to dry than people think, hence the lifting.

According to a chap who restores the bodywork on Beaulieu's and the Haynes museum’s priceless cars, apart from modern lacquer paint for the automotive world, most paint can take up to three days to "gas", out even acrylics. He recommends a simple test, never mind if it feels dry, use Mk1 nostril and if it smells of "paint" then it’s still drying. Properly cured paint apparently will have near zero odour. He showed me what he uses and it looks and smells suspiciously like Mr Hobby lacquer, the stuff no-one will import to the UK

Xtracolor is excellent paint, brilliant for airbrushing provided you have something that will mix it properly: I use this highly expensive custom paint stirrer:

OK, it called Produkt, it’s from Ikea, cost £1 and I pulled off the spring that the top bit had for frothing milk. Oh, it will work in any Humrol type tinlet if you remember to hold the tin, and check its not too full, 2 mins and you will have perfectly mixed paint. You can also spend up to £14.99 buying something like this from Badger,

Also well known, but drop of this in the paint mix means dry in 24 hours not a week.

With paint, I reckon you persevere till you find what works and stick to it. I like enamels and solvents as my patience for continuous tip drying removal and degunking my airbrush is minimal . With enamels and solvents, I spray any weather, any humidity and clean up in minutes with a quick go in my ultrasonic cleaner. Additionally if I havent put on my facemask, I get high as a kite free of charge… I really like the fact the Xtracolor has just about every colour and the fidelity is remarkable, plus it dries super glossy so one less spraying session before the decals.

Does this look familiar?

As for guitars, I remember acquiring various ‘50s Strats and Les Pauls when I started playing in the 70’s and selling my ’54 Start to pay off my first mortgage in 1988! I don’t get sentimental about guitars, usually if some fool wants to hand over megabucks for some cheaply finished wood screwed together by a Mexican on minimum wage in 1954, I’ll happily accommodate their fantasy.

Tele’s on the other are workhorses, anything from Jazz to Led Zep's Whole Lotta Love, every guitarist, aspiring or not, should have a good USA Standard tele, you’ll be amazed how good it’ll make you sound.

In fact why not pay Mr Woodroffe’s son a visit? He’ll make you one of these: Now back to the styrene, my next victim awaits, bwahaha!

[azureglo]

@ 426 and Bangor, all encouragement gratefully accepted

[Darby]

A very nice Spit

[Dermo245]

Very tidy Spitfire!

[Cookenbacher]

A great finished build and a great build to have watched. Both inspiring and intimidating with regards to the Airfix Spit IX in my stash.

[pascal JMW]

Very Nice

[Mitch K]

Lovely!

[IrritableRabbit]

Excellent first RFI and those tiny lights!

And you'll find I have replied to your request for a duel over on the 'other' thread. Needless to say, after seeing the quality of this I'm currently running chicken.

[Vulcanicity]

Top notch stuff, and welcome! Particularly like the tiny lights.

[jer]

Super looking Spit, well done.

[Martian]

A nice and different take on the Spitfire, well done!

Martin

[Val]

Top spitfire mate, looks great

[azureglo]

Thanks guys, I'm now full of excess confidence and looking at my A Model pile, how difficult can you really be...Seriously, thanks for the kind words and coming from you guys, seeing the amazing models you turn out at the drop of a hat, it gives a newbie hope.

[PlaStix]

That's a very nice Spitfire! Lovely finish and of an older kit. Well done! Super first RFI.

[Robin-42]

Forget the model, this thread was worth the prose. Far more entertaining than the movie I sat through on the weekend! It is lovely though!

[Telboy1999]

Well it may be a horrible kit (have to take your word for it!) but you've done a smashing job. I love me a well done Spit and that's a cracker as we say round these parts.

[Robin-42]

OK,

I just went and read the work in progress thread. It is a prime example of why I love this site, funny, educational, self deprecating and no-one got hurt. (Well, maybe the Bieber, but to paraphrase Jamie Oliver "For what he has done to music, he should be indicted on crimes against humanity.")

[azureglo]

@ Robin42 Considering I have just quit my day job to write full time, its a good thing my prose is praiseworthy...

[HOUSTON]

Azureglo.

She is quite a STUNNER