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1/48 Monogram B-29 as RAF Washington B.1 *Finished!*


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Thanks Guy, Bob and Tony.

Now it's time for the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good:

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Primer on.

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Cockpit interior frame colour painted.

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Gloss Black base applied - nice and smooth!

The Bad:

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I have no idea what I've done here. Same primer, same paint, but when I came back after painting, it had gone into this patchy horrible mess. Completely impossible base for the high gloss Alclad.

The Ugly:

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It's only affected these areas over the wings. Any idea what I've managed to do here?

I've tried respraying but the roughness remains. So I sanded it back, micromeshed it down and resprayed clear primer over it, then gloss acrylic black - still comes up rough. Finally, I've polished it with polishing compound to a shine, then brushed Klear all over - it still looks rough although it looks completely smooth under the light. I have no idea what Alclad will look like over this, but I'm quite miffed. There's no way I'm stripping it down again due to the size and all the PE.

I'll give you an update as soon as I see the end result..... :yikes:

Al

Edited by Alan P
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That's a pity. Might there be some oily residue or similar on the wings? Were the fuselage and wings painted from the exact same decantation of Alclad in to the airbrush jar/cup?

DuncanB's been playing around with an enamel based NMF product range (I've forgotten which already!) on his Javelin that might be an idea to look in to.

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That's a pity. Might there be some oily residue or similar on the wings? Were the fuselage and wings painted from the exact same decantation of Alclad in to the airbrush jar/cup?

DuncanB's been playing around with an enamel based NMF product range (I've forgotten which already!) on his Javelin that might be an idea to look in to.

Thanks Jamie - good points. I don't think the residue can be the reason because I washed and dried the whole thing before before and after primer.

The primer was used in two batches, but the wings were done from the same airbrush load as parts of the fuselage and definitely the same time as the engines, which have come out fine.

Al

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Some times these things just defy explanation! I think you've done the best thing by putting a barrier of dissimilar coating between that and the forthcoming aluminium colour(s) though. If there is something bleeding through, you want it kept away from the next coats!

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That's a pity. Might there be some oily residue or similar on the wings? Were the fuselage and wings painted from the exact same decantation of Alclad in to the airbrush jar/cup?

DuncanB's been playing around with an enamel based NMF product range (I've forgotten which already!) on his Javelin that might be an idea to look in to.

Hello,Alan - The NMF enamel-based range that our friend DuncanB may be referring to could be 'AK Interactive Extreme Metal'Range?I have no personal experience of this product,I'm afraid.If it was my build,I would make sure the previous treatments are fully dry/ cured and then apply two or three 'barrier' coats of Klear overall.I would then reach for my trusty Humbrol Metalcote Matt/Polished Aluminiums to do the rest,followed by another one or two coats of 'Klear' in readiness for the decalling stage.I know you'll resolve this annoying paint issue and wish you continued success with the build.;) All the very best,Paul.
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I have to admit that I have no idea as to what the paint blemish issue is. We can hope that barrier layers will allow the finish metal coat to go on without any problems. I am really looking forward to the finished product. Bob H.

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This is shaping up to be one of those "Historic" builds. I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am to see this kit (B-29) get the treatment that it deserves. The 29 is such a significant aircraft. Thanks again for permitting all of us to be "Along for the ride". Bob H.

I don't think we will ever see one produced by either Tamiya it or Hasegawa, I'd love to see a new tool 1/48 kit of it.

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Hello,Alan - The NMF enamel-based range that our friend DuncanB may be referring to could be 'AK Interactive Extreme Metal'Range?I have no personal experience of this product,I'm afraid.If it was my build,I would make sure the previous treatments are fully dry/ cured and then apply two or three 'barrier' coats of Klear overall.I would then reach for my trusty Humbrol Metalcote Matt/Polished Aluminiums to do the rest,followed by another one or two coats of 'Klear' in readiness for the decalling stage.I know you'll resolve this annoying paint issue and wish you continued success with the build. ;) All the very best,Paul.

Thanks very much Paul. Good advice :thumbsup2:

I have to admit that I have no idea as to what the paint blemish issue is. We can hope that barrier layers will allow the finish metal coat to go on without any problems. I am really looking forward to the finished product. Bob H.

Thanks Bob.

Very nice build Alan.

What brand of gloss black did you use? I've heard of people having the same problem with Alclads gloss black.

Thanks Scooby. I've had a lot of problems with Alclad Gloss Black Base (not drying, drying with artefacts in the finish) so i switched to what I thought was a foolproof black finish (Halfords rattle can Black).

I started a thread HERE which came up with some interesting answers.

I sprayed a bit of Alclad as a test this morning. It's not the best finish, but it looks interesting (varied texture) rather than horrible. I think I'll crack on.

Thanks for the kind words in the meantime!

Alan

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Positive mental vibes incoming Alan. I know how grievously frustrating those sudden bouts of paint chemistry can be. Good luck with the next stage,

Tony

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That is weird Alan. I would have said a contaminate on the surface but if you have washed it then no idea? Could this be the same issue with some clear coats frosting? Did you spray it misting it to build the layers or a thicker wet coat?

As to the AK Xtreme Metal stuff. I have used them and they spray lovely. Their gloss black base works a charm also. I used them on my Spitfire build recently. Shock out the build thread below regards the Xtreme Metal. Check out post #68 on page 4. Since then I have purchased more of the range with equally good results. The only one I'm disappointed with is the polished aluminium which is no where near as nice as the standard aluminium. I have tried it twice now so not sure if I have a bad batch?

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234998349-eduard-spitfire-mkxvi-17-sqn-farnborough-1950-finished/page-4

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It is the AK Interactive Extreme Metals stuff I'm playing with and I'm hooked, really nice stuff to work with as it's fast drying and very tough.

Duncan B

I'm very impressed with it.

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Hey hey, we have a result!

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This was after the first two coats of Alclad - I used Airframe Aluminium (darker shade) and Polished Aluminium. You can see how the uneven primer coat comes out in the finish.

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The even parts of the airframe have come out lovely.

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A lot of the spoiled paint is now hidden under this coat of Mr Metal Color Stainless, used for the darker, dull aluminium of the main spar area.

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The underside came out very well indeed.

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So here are the main parts completely painted - the panels aft of the main spar are still showing the uneven cover, but I am going to paint them with Mr Metal Color, or possibly foil, or a combination of both. I LOVE THIS SHINE!

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Engine masks off - I've left the de-icing boots masked until I've finished all the metallic painting.

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So - my verdict is this was a save of biblical proportions. I'm very happy continuing with it in this state. Thank you all so much for the positive reinforcements, advice and support. This is up there with my highest modelling achievements, going from disaster to near-triumph rather than the other way round!

Al

Edited by Alan P
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Hello,Alan - Well done indeed.She is looking really stunning.A save of biblical proportions? I'll name it 'Lazarus' then!! :D Superb work.;) All the very best,Paul.

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What a great save, it looks fantastic in the photos. I was never able to get a finish like that with Alclad. I'm looking forward to seeing the completed model in the RFI section.

Duncan B

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Thanks to everyone who commented, very much appreciate your kind words.

Here's a quick summary under natural light:

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Masks off, you can still see some seam along the aft edge. Never mind.

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I'm so pleased with how this came out. Everything now sealed with Klear, next job is the contrasting panels and heat-discoloured engine parts.

Unfortunately, something's come loose in the cockpit, I can hear it rattling around. I'm guessing it's part of the aft compartment (probably the desk table) so it'll hopefully stay hidden from view!

Al

Edited by Alan P
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WOW !!

What a recovery ! That looks absolutely brilliant love the shine you should be a happy chap with the result Alan , looking forward to RFI.

Well done mate.

Guy

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It is turning out rather nicely. I'm really looking forward to those next few steps that you mentioned. (contrasting panels and heat affected parts). Yeah, I'm taking notes !!

Bob H.

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