P51D Nose Art

[MalX]

23 minutes ago, Work In Progress said:

Why on earth did you apply a three layer matt coat?!?

Scuff it up with a new paper towel or two, give it a light coat of satin and then what I'd do is apply a coat of a good quality car wax and give it a gentle buffing. I'm not going to suggest yo do that on yours until you;ve tried it on some scrappy test subject first like an old drop tank but I do like the effect. It looks like a shiny aeroplane that isn't toylike wet-look.

i had to, to protect the metalcoat, i couldn't touch her without damaging it............she actually looks damned good and similar to those WW2 photos, just needs polishing up in a few areas

Edited January 12, 2017 by MalX

[MalX]

i'm very cross and upset

 

the Humbrol Matt coat  (in a bottle) left a chalky white cloudy finish on the Fueselage............why is Humbrol lacquer still doing this ???????????? i thought they resolved this problem 20 years ago  and this is much newer Acrylic and not the tin of polyurethane that used to do it.

 

luckily the model had 3 coats of lacquer already on it, so i was able to strip it off with wire wool without damaging the decals, but that was a close shave today, i came close to loosing her

 

it's this rubbish below, just dont use it.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 14, 2017 by MalX

[Work In Progress]

Try Games Workshop for decent quality water-based acrylics in generic colours, including varnishes, or just use artists' supplies. I often use Winsor & Newton products including their flow improver and retarder and matt / satin varnishes. For water-based gloss I use Quickshine in a lifetime-supply bottle for a tenner or so.

[Gwart]

Vallejo Game Colour matt varnish is very good also.

[MalX]

3 hours ago, Work In Progress said:

Try Games Workshop for decent quality water-based acrylics in generic colours, including varnishes, or just use artists' supplies. I often use Winsor & Newton products including their flow improver and retarder and matt / satin varnishes. For water-based gloss I use Quickshine in a lifetime-supply bottle for a tenner or so.

thanks

 

Vallejo Game Colour matt varnish or similar looks great, Humbrol is ok for the colours but is useless for the finish coats, it just isn't good enough,  i want something that's already diluted and sprays straight out of the bottle and is high quality only. 

 

my lacquer is just too thick and heavy.....but the quality is perfect, it's a roller paint for Doors and Bookshelves  it isn't supposed to be sprayed through a delicate Airbrush onto a model that's taken 3 weeks to make.

 

finally, in this cold weather the lacquer is much thicker than in the summer, it's semi congealed, i have to heat it up first before spraying it

 

i'm not going to carry on model making until i've solved this problem.

Edited January 14, 2017 by MalX

[MalX]

she's hanging from the ceiling and i'm not that happy, the paint finish isn't convincing enough.

 

the greens/ greys spray beautifully, they're smooth and flat and usually perfect 1st time, but the Aluminium has been touched up and botched over too often, i'll upload photos tomorrow, it's too dark now. 

 

maybe she'll look better tomorrow because to be honest i'm a bit fed up with her.

 

what have i learnt ? Aluminium finish isn't for me, it drives me nuts, tomorrow i'll return to the B17 

Edited January 14, 2017 by MalX

[Greenshirt]

1 hour ago, MalX said:

what have i learnt ? Aluminium finish isn't for me, it drives me nuts, tomorrow i'll return to the B17 

 

I've never seen a NMF scheme done well the first time. Or second...or third. Most successful models (in the eye of the builder) in a NMF scheme are the result of practice, mistakes, and multiple attempts. I've seen a fellow modeler strip a kit 3-4 times to get the NMF right. 

 

If its the scheme you want, keep at it and you'll be rewarded. 

[MalX]

1 hour ago, Greenshirt said:

 

I've never seen a NMF scheme done well the first time. Or second...or third. Most successful models (in the eye of the builder) in a NMF scheme are the result of practice, mistakes, and multiple attempts. I've seen a fellow modeler strip a kit 3-4 times to get the NMF right. 

 

If its the scheme you want, keep at it and you'll be rewarded. 

yes i can see it taking a few more attempts, it's loosing the rivet detail that didn't help, plus all the oversprays. i suppose she looks ok but my other models look miles better.

 

i think it's because ``this model`` is not metal and yet it's supposed to be, instead, it looks like my Mobile phone, silver plastic

 

the only metal paint finish i've seen that looks awesome is Alclad...........it's miles more realistic than the Metalcoat

[72modeler]

2 hours ago, MalX said:

yes i can see it taking a few more attempts, it's loosing the rivet detail that didn't help, plus all the oversprays. i suppose she looks ok but my other models look miles better.

 

i think it's because ``this model`` is not metal and yet it's supposed to be, instead, it looks like my Mobile phone, silver plastic

 

the only metal paint finish i've seen that looks awesome is Alclad...........it's miles more realistic than the Metalcoat

Don't be discouraged and don't give up! If you model long enough and learn from written modeling resources and conversations with fellow plastic benders, you will find each successive model looks better than the previous one. I did a 1/72 conversion years ago of the XP-40, using the Monogram P-36 and Frog P-40B; it was my first attempt at a natural metal model. Bottom line- I shot the model with Floquil grey primer and then with flat aluminum; the model looked like it was made of cast iron! Ruined a really nice build with a horrible finish, but I learned what not to do on the next attempt!

 

One of the most difficult tasks in model aircraft building is how to make plastic look like metal, made  doubly difficult by the small size of the model compared to . the real article. 

 

Mike

[MalX]

14 minutes ago, 72modeler said:

Don't be discouraged and don't give up! If you model long enough and learn from written modeling resources and conversations with fellow plastic benders, you will find each successive model looks better than the previous one. I did a 1/72 conversion years ago of the XP-40, using the Monogram P-36 and Frog P-40B; it was my first attempt at a natural metal model. Bottom line- I shot the model with Floquil grey primer and then with flat aluminum; the model looked like it was made of cast iron! Ruined a really nice build with a horrible finish, but I learned what not to do on the next attempt!

 

One of the most difficult tasks in model aircraft building is how to make plastic look like metal, made  doubly difficult by the small size of the model compared to . the real article. 

 

Mike

thanks for the encouragement.

 

Yes you deffo learn what not to do the 2nd time, but for me it's back to normal camouflage, finish the B17 and then the BF109

[MalX]

 

 

 

 

 

there she is, when i look at her the 1st thing i notice is the underside was better with more weathering on her radiator, but i cant see that area from where i view her, it's too dark during the day and esp at night, so that's not what's wrong with her.

 

she looks like a plastic toy, she's neat and tidy but looks like injection molded silver plastic, the weathering doesn't effect this feeling, it's still weathering over a plastic toy , she looks great hanging from the ceiling but nowhere near as good as the Vulcan or Spit

 

to get her right it means another kit...........you cant strip off the paint with white spirit and start again, it dissolves the glue joints, it's too much hassle, i think i also went wrong by worrying about the amount of weathering, i had it right the 1st time.... never mind one lives and learns.

 

it's not Humbrol metalcoat 2002 , it's far too bright, sparkly and rough textured, because the 1st time i did it, it was Aluminium paint, that below was the most realistic finish i had. the Metalcoat jumps out at you too much, it looks like very fine Metalflake........it's not, it's dull Aluminium 

 

 

Edited January 15, 2017 by MalX

[MalX]

getting her right next time is a challenge for the summertime, a project, because it's defeated me and i dont like it.

 

 

 

that above has lost MASSIVE realism because i lost the rivets and everything else 

 

i need to take a close look at the tamiya kit for its panel detailing but use the same decals as this one, my guess is the Tamiya kit is way better anyway

 

Edited January 16, 2017 by MalX

[MalX]

 

oh WOW , now you see the difference straight away, he's not lost his panel detailing and it looks like he's not used Metalcoat, that's an Aluminium paint of some kind, it also has far better panel detailing than the Hasegawa kit.

 

that is painted perfectly the 1st time to give it a very flat and smooth finish, it's not coat after coat like mine, the quality of spray is the same as mine, he just got it right the 1st time.

 

that looks like real metal 

Edited January 16, 2017 by MalX

[MalX]

i've been looking on youtube, i think my Mustang can be weathered much more, she's far from finished, she actually looks really good 

 

 

Edited January 16, 2017 by MalX

[MalX]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There she is, she looks really nice now, the underside is as she was, the photo isn't good she's much more weathered than that.

the fueselage side is a big difference, she's sprayed and hand brushed mid grey and olive drab mixed together, she's grimy and tarnished looking...............not plasticy any more.

 

again she looks miles better than the photos, but she can never be right because she has no rivets and panels, great shame BECAUSE IT TOTALLY KILLS HER

 

even so,  she now looks good hanging from the ceiling

Edited January 16, 2017 by MalX

[MalX]

i quote :-

 

This model is the plated version and I thought that, if the worst came to the worst, I could always paint it.  You might have expected a high-chrome effect if you’ve ever built any of the old Hawk plated kits but I was in for a surprise; the plating is deliciously restrained and looks very realistic; really just like polished aluminium.  So, the main mission is to make sure that the surfaces remained blemish-free because touching up a damaged surface with paint is just not possible; it’s too obvious.  To this end, Tamiya have made sure that all the sprue attachments are on the inside or on invisible surfaces.  What I mean is that the bits that you have to trim away when separating the parts from the sprues are on mating surfaces, not on the surfaces you see, so you never have to damage the plating.  Of course, you need to scrape the plating away from those surfaces where you intend to use liquid poly which, incidentally, does not mark the plated surface.  I also used superglue here and there for small items where I couldn’t be bothered to scrape the plating away but don’t get this on the plating as it does mark it. 

 

 

If you’re worried about the joints that normally need a little work, such as between fuselage sides, don’t worry.  In this case, those joints don’t exist on the upper surface (there are seam-free parts over the engine and aft of the cockpit) but do exist underneath, near the radiator inlet; I can live with that.  Frankly, if you want to find a kit where the joints need minimal attention; go for Tamiya.  I wouldn’t want to try anyone else’s plated kit.

 

 

 

uum liquid poly doesn't attack the plating and all the parts fit perfectly without needing touching up or making a mess !!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

why am i suspicious of this, because you'll still see feint join marks on mating surfaces, this is interesting but i'm highly skeptical 

[Greenshirt]

13 hours ago, MalX said:

um liquid poly doesn't attack the plating and all the parts fit perfectly without needing touching up or making a mess !!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

why am i suspicious of this, because you'll still see feint join marks on mating surfaces, this is interesting but i'm highly skeptical 

 

Engineering. When done properly it's a beautiful thing. 

[Work In Progress]

Indeed, this is why we pay the big money for a big Tamiya kit.

[MalX]

yes........uuuuuuuuuuuuum (a lot of thought is needed here)

 

big money and it could be a big cockup too, there's far too much detail on the inside when all i'm interested in is the outside, imagine doing all that work and you make a mistake on the outside...which is bound to happen with me.

 

you can patch up a Vulcan/Spit on the outside easily, but not one that's aluminium plated, in fact, i've never made a model aircraft that i havent damaged on the outside.....who has !!!!

 

you're taking about a model that you cant even scratch 

 

what's its advanage ?....................it has the perfect finish already ( except for the Puttied wings) and with the Mustang this is REALLY HARD to achieve

Edited January 17, 2017 by MalX

[Work In Progress]

Well, no-one including Tamiya has ever thought of this as anything other than a speciality item for the minority who like the plated approach, feel confident enough in their assembly and handling of the airframe, and are prepared to pay a premium.  If that makes it a kit aimed at other people rather than for you, fortunately the plain one is readily available and cheaper!

 

Personally I'd rather buy the plain one and do the fuselage with BMF and/or Alclad, but it's good that the market supports choice.

[MalX]

hi

 

yea, i think the plated version will be fine, but i'll need to slow down my work rate and take far greater care

[MalX]

mine is easy to fix, i only have to buy the decals from Hannants.

 

all i need do is respray metalcote over the areas that are wrong/mask the rest and then simply put new decals exactly over the old......it wont be cheap but it's doable............i dont have to remove the old decals at all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

the canopy will have to be removed though.