Rob G
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Posts posted by Rob G
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5 hours ago, flyboy2610 said:
Thanks, Rob! When I attach the battery grip it's rock solid on the body. I suppose I could get it to wobble, but that would take a LOT of force!
I priced those Arca Swiss heads. For a pro they probably make sense, but they're pretty pricey for this po' boy!
It's not the big wobble that causes the issue, it's the micro wobbles. They'll take the edge off the sharpness, usually as a result of mirror slap - undetectable by hand or eye, but can be seen in the image.
Never mind, if what you're doing is sufficient for you, keep on doing it. Enjoy!
Arca-Swiss brand heads are stupidly expensive, but there are cheaper options. Even some of the Chinese brands are getting good reviews these days. Sirui and Benro are two that come to mind. I have a Benro geared head, and it's very nice.
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A sturdy tripod is worth its weight in gold. I love my Gitzos.
Advice, if I may. Don't attach the camera to the tripod using the grip screw hole. They wobble (even genuine Nikon ones). Take it off and go straight onto the camera body. (Also, consider buying a good L plate (I like RRS, other brands are available) and an Arca Swiss head.)
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I say nowt. Won't support Das Mouse in any way at all.
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The best advice about using Lightroom is... don't.
You're much, much better off using Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw, and Photoshop for pixel wrangling.
For more details, see here:
https://damiensymonds.net/bridge-30-day-challenge/
I highly recommend Damien's classes, but at the very least, stay away from Lr.
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Bread, butter, bacon. That's all.
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What did you find when you looked?
A moment's work brought me to the Wingnut Wings website, where their instruction manuals are still available. The manual for the E.III shows no less than 4 examples in an olive green. That won't be paint, most likely it's dyed fabric, which is why the finish is a bit spotty. Very typical for WW1 machines to be dyed rather than painted- paint is heavy.
WNW were renowned for the quality of their research, so I'd say that you can trust it. A bit of browsing online should turn up other examples, I'd imagine.
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Is it too early to ask for an extension? Asking for umm... someone else.
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On 2/28/2024 at 6:59 PM, 26Decals said:
A company called Creative Colours also make the Air Canada paint which is available from Poland:
https://www.banzaisf.ig.pl/szukaj-produktu?func=productPage&wid=53&pid=2946&cid=&prid=
Ooh, thanks for that. They do Etihad Light Ivory, which may be a solution to a problem. Score!
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DrawDecal suggest:
"To match the Air Canada “Ice Blue” paint, we suggest using white pearl nail polish with a few drops of blue paint added to achieve the correct shade."
From my reading, the colour was originally a mica flake, but was heavy on the airframe and expensive to maintain, so AC went to a non-mica version of the colour, which gives you another option, if you can find a date for the change.
Maybe email AC and ask them for the colour code? Just don't call it the toothpaste or toiler cleaner colour, eh.
But I share your pain, I've been hanging for years to find a way to do the Etihad mica sand colour. The nail polish that was a good match became unavailable before I wanted it.
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Hmm. Even picking things powered by just one engine type, for example the 'R', could keep you building for many moons. Doubly so in this case, as many of the things that they powered aren't available as kits, ensuring that a lot of scratchbuilding would be required.
Not by me, mind you. I have difficulties finishing a Matchbox kit OOB in a GB time frame, so a scratchbuilt anything ain't gonna happen.
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5 hours ago, 959fan said:
The more I dig into this 1985 version, the more everything screams non-production
Well... the cars were so pre-production that they didn't have time to test them in any way at all before they headed off on the l'adventure grand (I know, terrible mock French). Which is one reason why they all DNFd.
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An update.
On the Thursday after my last post, I felt a bit off colour at work all day. Driving home, I was really off. Friday and Saturday were spent in bed, running a temperature, shivering and aching. On Sunday I managed to get out of bed, and Monday I went back out to work (yaaay...).
As you can guess, nowt got done on the Messer.
The time since then has been filled with all manner of schtuff, work and personal, with precious little spare for the bench. I have 'progressed' the nacelles (to use corporate nonspeak) and the Mr Surfacer can spend this week curing fully while I'm away. I've also managed to get a wipe of paint onto the wee crew chappies. Hopefully, I'll get some time next weekend to make further inroads.
Thanks for looking.
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A couple of thoughts on the lights...
The "headlights" on the full size car look to be standard spot/driving lights mounted inside the space where the headlight should go. The open area area behind the clear cover just screams "non-production" to me. Maybe have a look for good quality close-ups of this area, to see if a brand is visible? These '85 cars were prototypes, after all.
The twin black lights on the roof may be infra red beacons, they certainly have that look. If they are, I imagine that they'd be used as an aid to help find the car in the event of a no show at the end of a stage, in case the crew couldn't communicate their position due to equipment damage or injury. From the air, the flash would stand out for miles. Variations on this are used by modern soliders to indicate their positions to friendlies when needing support or extraction. If they're IR beacons, a very dark blue/nearly black would be an appropriate colour.
Edit. I've had a quick look at photos from '85, and it seems as if most vehicles have these (or similar) fitted. Given the requirements for contantly ON and impact activated satellite tracking devices to be fitted to this year's entries, I'd think that I'm not too far wrong in my IR strobe guess.
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Soooo.......
in Chat
Haven't had to worry about that particular affliction for 20+ years. For the rest, there's the calendar on the phone.
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This may help.
https://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/3/t/176543.aspx?page=2
Scroll down until you find a post with 4 links to files in it (after the painting stages of the build). The .cdr file is a CorelDraw file, the rest are standard jpgs.
I've had a look on my phone, and the jpgs work.
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@robstopper having had a look at the airbrush online, 2 thoughts come to mind. 1. Is the MAC valve (the small valve underneath the paint cup) fully open? If not, open it all the way.
2. It looks like your airbrush is a 3 needle set - have you inadvertently swapped needles and not changed the paint tip to match? That will cause issues.
Also, I can but agree with those saying that your paint is a big issue. Those kiddies poster paints ARE NOT user friendly. You can learn to use them, but I'd never use them to introduce someone to airbrushing, for many reasons (they're never consistent bottle to bottle, they don't stick to plastic, mixing them is a chore etc). You'd be much better off with Tamiya or Creos acrylics, or even Humbrol enamels.
Airbrushes are precision instruments, but they're not Rolls-Royce Merlins. There's a minimum of moving parts, one control (2 if you count the compressor regulator) and they only have one task. They're not difficult to get your head around. Get the paint mix close to right, get the air pressure close to right, they work. That's one step less than fire, which needs oxygen, heat and fuel! I'll happily admit to not being any sort of airbrush guru, but I can lay down RAF WW2 camo with one (and on a good day, with a following wind, I can make a fair stab at Luftwaffe squiggles), so if I can do it, any other numpty can too!
While yes, technically, lacquers, enamels and all the rest are unhealthy to inhale, at the quantities that average modellers use, I don't believe that it's an issue. ANY particulate or chemical matter isn't welcome in our bodies, and that includes droplets from latex based paints, cigarette smoke, wood and coal smoke, engine exhausts, fuel vapours from refuelling your vehicle/mower/LearJet, dust from the earth, dust from sanding (especially resin dust but some woods are highly toxic), the vapours from plastics outgassing (including your car interior and the vinyl on your floor), metal vapours from welding etc. What we inhale as modellers is so small a percentage of all the crud we intake every day that we exist in this crazy/amazing modern world (and most of that stuff travels a surprising distance) that if you take reasonable care (ie open a window or stand upwind) I don't believe that it's any sort of issue.
Finally, I'm still willing to visit and give you a hand if you're up for it. Not sure where in Suffolk you are, but I'll be arriving from Belfast, Ipswich is only an hour and a half from Stanstead, and I can fly in there as easily as anywhere. I drive 2 1/2 hours to get to work, a bit of seat time isn't a problem (and I'd quite like to revisit Great Yarmouth again anyway).
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Really finally. You say you'll run "a really thin mix' " through it. That there might be an issue. That paint really hates being too thin, it won't stick to anything. As I wrote, about the consistency of skim milk is all you need - the paint should stick to the side of the colour cup and run down quickly, but not like water. Ideally, it will leave a thin smear of colour behind, that slowly runs down (hopefully the word picture makes sense). Unless it's gluggy, try it direct from the bottle. If it's gluggy, it's probably u/s, so think about changing paint brands.
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What's written on the data plate?
If it's 30 years old, you can't complain. It seems to be based on a fridge compressor, which explains the oil smell. They're basically a small piston compressor in a housing, which are oil lubricated. If it's not raising pressure either it's worn out internally or it's developed a leak, which is where the oil smell comes from. They can be fixed, but it might be cheaper and easier to just buy something new. Have a look on YouTube for refrigerator compressor videos to see what goes on.
A quick google of Condor MDR2 reveals that they're available. If you're sure that that's the issue, buy one and fit it, it's not rocket science. Just be aware of your electrical connections and make sure to seal the air connections properly. I'd be opening the housing to check for leaks or damage before I bought any parts though. If you decide to repair it, do an oil change while the system is open, too. Use refrigeration oil, and you'll need to look up how much is required.
Or contact a fridge mechanic, they may be able to help.
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25 minutes ago, robstopper said:
I've tried all that. Jamie tested it and set it up before he sent it to me. He's an airbrushing zealot and puritan like you, says it should be easy for me
Should be.........
Well, for me, its not.
I've wasted too much time and effort trying to work with it, and just end up with the same repetitive issues. I'm done.
I'm neither zealot nor puritan, and if I was of a mind to, I could feel a mite resentful at being so painted. I simply want to point out that the airbrush isn't a scary demon, as so many people seem to believe and that it's not difficult to use, your apparent mindset to the contrary.
I'll be in the UK in April, and while I wasn't planning to visit the east this trip, I'm willing to make an plan change and visit you for half a day to help you sort things out, should you so desire. At the very worst, it will give me an excuse to visit Hannants, which I had planned to avoid this time... Let me know if you're up for it, via PM should you prefer.
I'd still like to know what model your airbrush is, what paint etc you use and how you get your air.
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I fail to see what the fuss is about, this is just the latest in a series of about a dozen female 'military themed' figures that HobbyFan have done so far (search for HobbyFan Valkyrie). Nothing new, there's been many of the same sort of thing done in the past, in different scales, some better, some worse (I'm looking at you, Mr Verlinden).
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I have two on order, can't wait. A very, very pretty little airyplane.
For those who have an interest, Twiss' autobiography, "Faster Than the Sun" is a highly recommended read.
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I don't understand why people get so het up about airbrushing - it's really not that difficult. I guess that there are some who feel that making it appear technical and challenging gives them some sort of standing and credibility, and they pass that on to those they tutor. And some people have the entrenched idea that it should be difficult, so they make it into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
First question is about your airbrush. Fengda isn't a brand I'm familiar with, do you have a model number? Did your friend do a test before he passed the tool on to you? There may be a mechanical issue causing a basic problem - difficult to diagnose via remote control, but we can have a go. Does it spray a consistent, fine cone of straight water? If that isn't right, it will never work with paint.
What's the tip diameter of your airbrush? Too small a diameter WILL cause issues with some paints.
What do you use for an air supply? Inadequate or inconsistent air flow will ruin any attempt to get it right.
Which paints are you using? Those are the biggest drivers of airbrush problems, in my experience. Different types are better or worse for airbrushing. Every formulation can be made to work, but some are easier than others. Be ruthless in not using any paint that is even slightly questionable in its' state of preservation, save it for the brush. (I do hope that you weren't trying to airbrush the Airfix Starter Set paints, they're certainly not a good thing to learn with.)
From what I read, it seems as if you're taking way too much time cleaning the thing. There's no need. Between colours, tip out the old paint, swab the residue from the cup, give it a quick flush with thinners, and roll straight into the next colour, giving a quick spray to get the new paint colour to the nozzle before you apply it to the model. At the end of the session, do the same, but spend more time ensuring that all the colour is removed. Stripping it each time you use it is counter-productive, not required and a waste of time.
Thin the paint to about the consistency of skim milk, set the air to 15-18 psi, distance about 4", spray. Vary distance and paint flow as required to get the coverage desired, then adjust the air pressure as needed. Move closer (and turn down the air / thin the paint more) to get thinner lines. Wash and repeat.
I have no further advice to give, except to remind you that it is neither difficult nor technical, though I do suggest some off-the-model practice - making a mess on a sheet of paper is a lot less traumatic than making a mess on a model!
Feel free to PM me if you like, I'll do what I can to assist.
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I would add that it's doubtful if the Blunty had enough on-board brain to run an AIM-9, given the steam-powered 1950's nature of its avionics.
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Didn't Trumpeter do a sort-of-almost Hornet in 48th a number of years ago?
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10 hours ago, 81-er said:
Nice progress. It's going to be worth the time spent on those nacelles when you're done with them
James
Thanks for the positivity, but past results say otherwise. Never mind, we shall see what we shall see.
Before early bed on Sunday evening (up at 0330 Monday to get ready for the drive out to work) I lined up and stuck the wings onto the fuselage. As I was walking out the door this morning, I did a quick check to make sure that they were in the right(ish) place, and they were, but close inspection showed that the nose piece was twisted. So... with a twisting and a tugging and a few harsh words, off it came. It will have to be altered, reglued, refilled and resanded when I'm home at the end of the week.
Thank you all for the support.
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What's your latest purchase?
in Chat
Posted
2 airyplane tickets to merrye olde. I'll be dropping Mum in Norn Iron at the end of March, then spending three weeks gallivanting around by myself. Big plans, hopefully the spring weather is welcoming!