specky

Having re-read your WIP, it seems we have had similar experiences with the instructional/assessment film clips on Youtube and manufacturer websites, in that they are, for the most part, pretty much useless! In the case of AK paints, the clips initially sent me in completely the wrong direction, suggesting that they could be applied over bare plastic with multiple coats and so on. In the end, the method I'm using has been 'borrowed' from other modellers using other makes of paint, since it seemed to make sense that 'metal' paints would all be basically similar in their fundamental characteristics. Whilst I appreciate that this is quite sophisticated stuff that would, usually, only be used by the more experienced/demanding modeller, since we all have to start somewhere, would it really be that difficult for the manufacturer to show, 'step-by-step', how to get the best from them? It would certainly have saved me a load of time and frustration and now I've sussed it, I will be buying this brand again - which I obviously wouldn't do if I hadn't got them to work! But, I'm not 'out of the woods' yet, successful tests on scrap wings is one thing, replicating that finish across a whole model is something else entirely! More to follow Craig

Hi Guys - I'm back - again! This is proving to be one of those projects that just will not lay down and die! Every time I give up and put it away, a few days later I stumble across something on the internet or some film on Youtube that suggests a very slightly different method, which I then feel compelled to try, which means digging it all out again. However, I think I've finally made a breakthrough I wont bore you with a 'blow-by-blow' account of all my failed tests and experiments, but I will share my 'top-tip' with these paints. If, for whatever reason, you need to remove it, a drop of 'T-Cut' applied with a soft cloth turns the paint into a 'goo', which can be easily wiped off without effort and within seconds, almost, you're back to clean, bare plastic ready to repaint. The trick, certainly with the 'reflective' colours, 'polished aluminium' and 'chrome', appears to be low air pressure and very light coats....... .....not the best photos ever, but bare or natural metal finishes are difficult to capture on a still image. With my hardware, a cheap, but surprisingly versatile, Chinese double action gravity feed 'brush with a 0.3mm needle/tip combo, spray 3 light coats, the second should just complete coverage of the gloss black base and the third gives the finish, at 12-13 psi. After a couple of hours to harden, a very light buff with cotton wool balls produces the best representation of 'sheet metal' so far. Now, after taking a deep breath, time to try it on the model! More to follow, Craig

They are a nice build & I'm sure you will enjoy it, but my advice, for what its worth, don't forget to add the landing light transparency before fixing wings to fuselage and do try thinning the wing trailing edges. I'll sort my missing light with 'Glue'n'glaze' but for me, its too late to refine the wings. Have a look at Basilisk's build for suggestions on how to tackle it. Cheers Craig

Hi guys, so, after a ridiculous amount of time phaffing about masking around the air intake and radiator shroud, the most difficult part of this scheme is done.... ....not the best photo ever, the lighting in the 'man-cave' makes it seem literally like a cave! In the 'flesh', more by luck than judgement, I've managed a nice balance of 'shade & fade' between the two colours so they look like they were painted at the same time and have faded to the same degree - result! Assuming the temperature doesn't fall through the floor, as they are forecasting, looks like I could have to topside painted by the end of the weekend Cheers for now Craig

Hi Guys, Grabbed this at the weekend.... .....which has thrown my carefully laid plans into total disarray Any suggestions as to where I might score some crew figures in winter gear? Craig

Add me as well please

I absolutely agree with you. Complication, just for the sake of it? I ended up 'ditching' a new tool 1/48 Hurricane during last years BoB GB after just slightly misaligning a wing spar - it through everything out of whack from there on. My error, obviously, but it was one of those areas that was tooled to be far more complex than it needed to be to achieve an acceptable representation. Craig

Hi guys, I finally got my act together and finished the basic assembly.... ....so its ready for some paint. A search through my decal stash has failed to produce an alternative identity for a fabric wing aircraft, so its 'out of the box', which is a bit of a pain since it would have been so much easier to pre-paint the black and white area inside the radiator housing before fitting it Anyway, some white is on.... .... in this photo, the post shade looks a bit 'fierce' - but its just the rubbish lighting in my lounge - honest! More to come soon. Cheers for now Craig

Apologies for 'hijacking' your topic, but allow me to share my experiences with AK paint. Take care with your choice of colours, only 'polished aluminium' and 'chrome' are formulated to produce a 'mirror' or reflective finish and they need to go down over a very smooth gloss black primer. The other 'metal' colours are really quite 'dull', very matt in finish. Don't bother pre-shading - it wont show after the top colour has been applied. Better to post-shade, if that's the effect you're after. Don't try and physically mix the colours, lay one on top of another - no problem, but you cannot mix them to lighten or darken the shade. After my tests and experiments, the only colour which produced the 'smooth' finish of 'bare metal' was chrome, but only after buffing the living daylights out of it, which you're not supposed to do, with cotton wool balls, almost back to the gloss black primer... ...in the flesh, this actually looks very convincing, but it was a lot of effort and all the rubbing has marked the finish. Sorry if this has upset your plans, but I have to say that I'm rather disappointed with the stuff. I've put my P-47 to one side until I can get hold of Alclad, because I have no confidence in AK to deliver the smooth surface finish I want Cheers Craig

Hi Homer, if you think what you've seen so far looks simplified, wait until I post an image of the one piece engine bay - it will make you smile! Despite only being a couple of years old (new tool 2014), these are really basic compared to Aoshima, its just a shame that they appear to be the only plastic,1/24 'short tails' available. I have to admit a preference for the original version, since I was at Le Mans in 95. Unfortunately, I was rather drunk for the whole weekend and have only very vague recollections of the race - but I do remember the wine was very nice! Referring to your build, the metal paint on the brakes looks stunning - how tough is the finish? I've read that 'buffable' paints can be rather fragile. Cheers Craig P.S. Love the user name! - Can I have it when you quit Britmodeller?

Hi Cliff, I was already aware that its not the most 'refined' of kits, but since its the only injection moulded, 1/24 'short tail' on the market, you just have to make the best of it! Despite the irritations, I am enjoying the experience and I'm optimistic of a decent result. Cheers Craig

This is the perfect excuse to delay starting my Airfix Dambuster Lancaster! Count me in please! Craig

The canopy is quite possibly the worst for transparency I have seen!! I got the Q Tips and Colgate out initially, now drying having had a dip in the Klear polish..... Even the edges of the frames are dodgy!! Toothpaste to polish canopies? Does that really work? Craig

Hi guys Well, I'm way overdue to update this project, but that's what happens when you put 4 builds on my bench simultaneously - they all slow to a crawl! The kit is actually even worse than I thought, which is a worry, since I have 2 more in the stash! Although Fujimi have, in my opinion, done a decent job with the body, the rest is rather pants, compromised by the fact that its based on their earlier 'road' car kit. This 'racer' kit has the road brakes, exhaust system and 'ride height' plus totally incorrect front suspension - God knows what they were looking at when they were tooling that! After market sets have been released over the years, but it seems the only one currently available is from Studio 27. It doesn't include any correction parts, so despite being marked GTR, its really only suitable for a 'road' car build. Due to the lack of AM support and with the clock ticking, this will be 'out of the box' and I'll concentrate on the external finish to draw the eye away from the errors and simplifications - but keep that to yourself, its our secret! So, under tray, carbon fibre in reality, but since the rest of the kit is a bit rubbish, I'm reluctant to spend pots of money, so 'shades of grey' will do.... ....incorrect brakes assembled and painted..... ....'dry-fitted' to the under tray with a couple of wheels and the body.... ....and here's the ride height issue, front, about 2mm too high.... ...and rear, about 2.5mm too high..... ....on the race car, the top of the tyres should be level with the top of the wheel arches. Work required on the wishbones - so much for 'out of the box'! I'm still at the early stages with the interior, seat harness on order Lots to do, so I'd better keep cracking on Cheers for now Craig

Hi guys, sorry, I've been really slack when it comes to updates on this, but I guess that's what happens when its a bit of a 'fill-in' project - no disrespect intended to Hurricane enthusiasts! Ignore the green paint - that's just something to quickly check the joints and seams. Rather more messing about than I would have expected was required to resolve a step at the wing to fuselage joint on the chin - but its all good now. Sink marks to be sorted on the tail plane fairings, fit-up a few odds and ends and it will be ready for some paint Cheers for now Craig

Hi Guys - I'm back! So, after nearly three weeks of trying, my third attempt to import metal paint as paid-off..... ...unfortunately its too late to test them this evening, but first thing tomorrow morning, my neighbours will be waking to the 'knock-knock-knock' of a compressor. I love the smell of enamel thinner in the morning - its the smell of victory! Cheers for now Craig

Looking forward to this one - looks like a Corsair - but just a bit more 'mental' ! Cheers Craig

You're right Col, this is a rather simplified 'kerb-side' kit. However, what you do get in the box has a pleasing level of 'finesse', but, due to the brittle plastic, requires very careful removal from the sprues - all I can say is 'thank God for Tamiya extra thin' to make good the odd crack and split! Cheers Craig

Hi Guys, due to the sudden, but hopefully only temporary, collapse of enthusiasm and motivation for 'flying things with wings', time for something a little different..... .....not the most comprehensive kit you will ever see.... ....but 'a change is as good as a rest' - as they say! Cheers for now Craig

Me too!

I'm always looking for excuses to build Me 262's, so would an Avia Turbina qualify? Built in Czechoslovakia, post-war, using parts, tools, jigs etc, captured by the Soviets as the Germans retreated Cheers Craig

Hi Tony I love home-made tools like your scriber and even though you've waited 30 years to use it, I'm sure it was worth it! Your pilot looks great - at least he has some animation and looks like he's hanging onto the controls, unlike the rubbish that Airfix stick in their kits Cheers Craig

Good grief ! That is a spectacularly busy assembly guide Best of luck Craig

Hi Guys, for the sake of maintaining the WIP, here are a couple of rather boring shots of the initial painting stages..... .....nothing that you wont see on every other build here! This will be an oob build because I want to get to the painting stage. The box top illustration shows this aircraft in a rather scruffy state and I'm very keen to try and replicate that appearance. Cheers for now Craig

Hi Rich, those are just a couple of shots of a lot of tests and experiments to evaluate as many variables as I could think of. But even though it came to nothing, its never a waste, as long as you learn from the experience! Having researched the options, I'm going with AK xtreme metal metallic paint - partly because of some very positive reviews regarding its durability and resistance to masking and washes and partly because my preferred supplier doesn't do Alclad ! Regular model making consumables - paint, thinner, glue even filler are on the Royal Mail 'Verboten' list, so I count myself lucky to have found a retailer who's prepared to try and post from the UK Cheers Craig