Robert Stuart Posted February 6, 2018 Author Share Posted February 6, 2018 2 minutes ago, Badder said: Great stuff that! I'm experimenting with the possibilities brought about by mixing it with various substances, AND applicators. For instance, I've used black ink as a wash (mixed with water)and have a load of technical drawing pens (Rotring) and used the 0.18mm to colour in periscopes. So it's great to see someone else using the stuff. Rearguards, Badder Sounds good Badder, One thing I find useful is to paint the ink on, and then use a kitchen towel to wipe most of it off again. This works well if the underlaying layershave begun to set-up (i.e. well advanced in stage 2 of acrylic drying). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Great work on the radio and cage! Very nicely done! Kind regards, Stix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted February 6, 2018 Share Posted February 6, 2018 Nice progress Robert, I did a bit of a cop out with my radio I put a lead foil curtain covering it all. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 Thanks @Ozzy, the curtain is often seen on these, and was an option I had in mind ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 Looks as though I've hit the first real problem with this build - and I don't mean the paint splatter The rear engine deck and back plate (?) are about 11/2 mm wider than allowed for in the chassis. I'm not sure if it has been mentioned before in this forum, but the problem is not unknown with the Dragon Sexton - I just need to come up with a solution ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 Ye gods, that's almost as bad as the gaps in my kits! Guess it's a case of shaving the sides down until the blighter will fit, or are there other complications? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 That does not look good I had a small issue with mine but it was the front end of the side panels that were out by a small margin when I joined mine up I used tape to dry fit and glued when happy this may be a bit to late on the info front But as sarge has said might need just a small clean shave from each side to get a neat tight fit beefy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 That's not good at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 12, 2018 Author Share Posted February 12, 2018 We saw the problem with the engine deck in my last post. At the time, I was thinking of cutting out the top deck, and reducing it in width ... Well, getting that right would have been a lot of work, so, over the weekend, I've been musing on the problem. Playing around (i.e. measuring and testing) with the hull sides and rear components, I came up with the idea that I could trim a little plastic from the inner sides of the rear fenders, giving a simpler solution. Now, I shouldn't claim credit for this idea, I'm sure I've seen it mentioned in a previous build/review the Dragon Sexton, but cannot find the source ATM. Following that testing and measuring, this is the current state of the model ... The front still needs details, including the instrument panel (see below), and fire extinguishers. The following is dry fitted. It looks like I've got around some of the problems I've seen in other builds of this kit. The side armour does fit, but does have to be pressed forward, so gluing up will be done in stages, taking time and patience. I found that I also had to trim a bit off the back face of the rear fenders to make things work. Not shown in the photos above, I've also done some work on the driver's instrument panel using transfers from Archer's M4 tractor instruments. This is shot from brutally short close up, it doesn't look as bad IRL (the bottle in this photo is the same as in the previous image). 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted February 12, 2018 Share Posted February 12, 2018 Nice job with the rear deck Robert, you've got some nice detail on the instrument pannel. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hewy Posted February 13, 2018 Share Posted February 13, 2018 Nice ip, you can just about read how many miles its done Glynn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 I really haven't been happy with the quality of my airbrushing ... So I've stripped back the worst of the paint and started again ... the following image is after re-priming: First I tried Mr Muscle oven cleaner, but that had very little effect (I suspect my technique was poor). I then tried Dettol, which is quicker, and (for me) much more effective. There were patches of paint that it didn't reach, but these are reasonably smooth and flat, so not an issue (I hope). I don't know the cause of my problems, the priming coat looks fine, so it shouldn't be the plastic, and I've used MiG Ammo paint before with no problems (though not this colour). Any thoughts guys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefy66 Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 5 hours ago, Robert Stuart said: I don't know the cause of my problems, the priming coat looks fine, so it shouldn't be the plastic, and I've used MiG Ammo paint before with no problems (though not this colour). hello Robert could your paint woes be because of the cold temperatures I have my airbrush set up in the garage and i have been having some problems lately because of the cold ans moist air?? just my thoughts on the matter beefy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 You may have a point there beefy, I have to spray outdoors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 (edited) I used to have to paint outdoors. I found anyhing under 60* Fahrenheit/16* Celsius and I would have paint issues. I would have to build all winter and then spray as soon as the weather warmed up. Edited February 16, 2018 by Corsairfoxfouruncle 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 Thanks Corsairfoxuncle, I'll assume that's the source of my problem - it makes sense of the variabile quality in paint that I'm seeing ATM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 19, 2018 Author Share Posted February 19, 2018 A few days ago, I received a delivery of a few Ultracast bits & pieces ... ... of course, I started painting them up before taking a photograph. Note - in practice, a Sexton crew seems to have consisted of between four and seven men - my two figures will have to stand in for the whole complement, the rest having been called away for other duties. I've decided to apply the travel lock. These locks seem to be left unused by modelers, though photos of the vehicles on the move show a remarkable consistence in gun positions. A few other bits and pieces have been done, the fire extinguishers are now brass - which adds a little colour to the scene, and the whole thing is beginning to come together ... The gun carriage (beams?) are dry fitted in the two pictures above, and the helmets and ammo boxes are just plonked in. That map case looks a bit dull there, above the fire extinguishers. I wonder, what were they made of, and could I change the colour? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Nice progress Robert, the paint work looks a lot better. The map case is leather if I'm not mistaken, there are a few other leather bits that hold various bits for the sighting system. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 19, 2018 Author Share Posted February 19, 2018 Thanks @Ozzy, that'll allow me to add a bit more colour 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Great to see more progress Robert and your detailing looks really good. The figures should be excellent when in place. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 Thanks Stix, it's getting there... I'm beginning to look at mud and basic weathering ... Note to self - must not get carried away with weathering too far, this thing still needs decals! You can see in this photo, one of the bogies has been knocked off - irritating, but that should be easily solved. What I'm looking for is a generic damp day, maybe some rain yesterday, but not too cold (my crew are in shirt sleeves ) on a chalky soil. A bit like a warmer version of what I saw driving around this morning - even to the thin pale dry mud, with thicker, darker, damper patches near by. @Badder This, a little acrylic ink mixed into Milliput. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 4 hours ago, Robert Stuart said: @Badder This, a little acrylic ink mixed into Milliput. Interesting effect Robert, I've had no success at all with Milliput. I've tried making various objects with it; kit bags, rolled up tarps, and such like, but finding that moment when it's perfect for forming into shape and then sculpting details has proven very difficult and I either end up with a tacky mess which gets thrown in the bin, or a featureless lump of solid rock. (hmmm the last bit of that sentence is very nearly the title of an album by Saxon) Rearguards, Badder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted February 21, 2018 Author Share Posted February 21, 2018 1 hour ago, Badder said: Interesting effect Robert, I've had no success at all with Milliput. I've tried making various objects with it; kit bags, rolled up tarps, and such like, but finding that moment when it's perfect for forming into shape and then sculpting details has proven very difficult and I either end up with a tacky mess which gets thrown in the bin, or a featureless lump of solid rock. (hmmm the last bit of that sentence is very nearly the title of an album by Saxon) Well, I don't like modelling with Milliput - clay or wax are easier and more forgiving. But as model filler, I feel Milliput is underestimated - the trick is to work quickly and to use water. The water makes Milliput smooth and slippery, but I can avoid an awful lot of sanding and carving that way. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted February 22, 2018 Share Posted February 22, 2018 3 hours ago, Robert Stuart said: - the trick is to work quickly and to use water. Ah! Now that is a useful tip. It never even entered my mind to try that! Thanks Robert. Rearguards, Badder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted March 4, 2018 Author Share Posted March 4, 2018 We have a little progress to note ... I stripped back some nasty paint splatter on the rear of the fighting compartment - seems I don't have a photo, but it was as bad or worse than this ... The hull sides and engine deck have been added, and glued. The left side needed a bit of fettling to fit - odd 'cause it seemed fine before. There was ome damage caused in the process, another bogie popped off, the ?hand rail? above the radio broke - oh and the radio cage popped out. Just saying, nothin irreperable there, just things sent to try us (me). There is a little filler needed to blend the front armour with the sides, not much, but a little ... While this is setting, and I'm waiting for a a chance to add more paint, I've added the pioneer tools: A lot of these will be hidden by other baggage. Overview, in current state ... A bit of retouching with paint is needed, and then I can get on with the transfers/decals before baggage and weathering. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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