daneel

Thanks everyone! Really proud how this one turned out 😀 @Hook these are AK real color paints, their MiG 29 gray and green. Wonderful paints to use, and they give great finish. Really can't recommend them enough. @Bertie McBoatface no lightbox, just used neutral setting on my picture control, as I don't like the standard setting for model images. You my be right though, the images do look a bit too much washed out. Next time I may try to add just a bit of colour to the mix

like Michelangelo used to say, "Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it"... I guess the same goes for Matchbox kits, and you have really revealed a great kit that was inside waiting

Whoa! This is gonna be one impressive build! Good luck!

Yes, it's Revell's 1/72 version, a gem of a kit. Got a couple myself, eduard reboxings too... really wish Revell kept this standard for all of their 1/72 kits after this Tornado... If only the F-14, Gripen, or even the Typhoon were like this, I've never would have stopped buying them! 😀😀

Like others have said, dry to the touch doesn't mean it's fully cured... and different varnishes have different curing times. While 24h is a bare minimum, you're much better off letting it cure for more than that. At least 3 days would be my recommendation. I have developed a workflow where I pause for a week with a model right after varnishing, and in the meantime I work on other models. This proved to be a good solution, and never had a problem since.

Tbh, I never had particular luck with acrylic type varnishes, they would always end up too thick to be of any use. To make matters worse, you'd need to experiment with enamel washes to make sure the wash won't harm the varnish on the model. Oil washes would always be iffy because their volatility would depend on the thinner medium and the length of time it stays on the model. Now I use lacquer varnishes exclusively and avoid the problem altogether. Gunze GX100 is tough as nails and goes on the model perfectly. It can also be sprayed in a super thin layer that won't obscure the details. And you can put any kind of wash on top, it won't harm the varnish.

Fighter pilots make movies, A-6 pilots make... history!

Some good advice right here. Like our colleagues have said, the more you paint, easier it will get. I would suggest getting a few cheap kits and using them to experiment with paint. You can also experiment on plaatic card stock, but I have found that it's actually better to use real kits. Firstly, clean the assembled kit with some IPA (not the beer :)), and spray away. Also, for the thinning, get some revell mixing cups, or similar. Revell cups come with markings on the side so it's pretty easy to mix exact quantities, and get repeatable results. This should get you started and spraying in no time.

Try AK real color, you'll forget all your troubles with other paints

Yep, like others had said above, hold the blocked needle above a lighter flame, this will remove the blockage. Then, to stop it from happening again, insert a length of steel guitar wire inside. I like to place a yellow tab made out of tamiya tape on the end of the wire. This makes the wire more noticeable on my cluttered desk, and also makes a handy handle for the wire. Hth.

AK real color acrylic lacquer. Simply the best paints for either brush or airbrush application. They have good WWII USA, UK, USSR and RLM coverage, don't know about other nations, but I think you won't have to worry. I have been a long time user of Gunze and MRP paints, but AK real color is my new absolute favorite.

Beautiphul Phantom!

One advice regarding te nozzle tip tightening: The threads are usually very sensitive to overtightening, and it's always a battle finding just the right amount of torque to tighten the nozzle enough that it seals, but not enough to strip the threads. I find it useful to coat the threads with chapstick (beeswax or similar) before putting the nozzle on. This will lubricate the threads, so it will be easier to thread the nozzle and unthread it again later, and it will also help to keep the air seal.

Yep, I did something similar with a cappucino frother too, but never was quite happy using it, because of spillage. To curb that, I used an empty roll of toilet paper, inside which I put the paint bottle, and stirred. sometimes the paint would end up only on the walls of the toilet roll, but most of the time it would bounce in all the possible directions. Finally it was just irritating to use, that's why I wanted to try something better.

Hello everyone, Probably most of you have been, as I have, sometimes frustrated with paint which, after long time sitting on a shelf, would have pigment settle on bottom. Then you would have to give it a proverbial good shake to return the paint into somewhat usable condition. I made this to help with such paints: The shaft is excentrically drilled through the cap, so when spinning in a drill chuck, it acts as a vortex shaker. Place the paint bottle in the cup, and start spinning. Hope this will help someone else dealing with the issue of settled paint as well.

Very niiice!

I've always found that polishing the needle works much better than lubing it. Of course, if planning not to use the brush for a longer time, then it is a good idea to lube the moving parts. In that case, I would still clean the brush before first use after a long pause, and shoot a cup of thinner first, before letting any paint through.

I can offer you my experience from years before: a buddy of mine just got into modelling at that time, and after a couple of good builds, he tried Hasegawa's 1/48 Harrier. He finished it really well, especially for someone actually really new to modelling. However, because of lack of experience, he never noticed he placed the intakes upside down. Instead of posting a criticism below his gallery, I just sent him a pm explaining where he went wrong and how. I also complimented the rest of his build and encouradged him to continue. Even though this was after the fact, as the Harrier was finished then, it still helped him along his way. This seems like a good way to help people, while avoiding shaming them in public.

Now that's an idea! 😀

I can recommend Ammo liquid mask. Over the years, I've used many different masking fluids, from maskol to graphigum, but was never completely satisfied. Of all I tried, Ammo stuff is definitely the best. Never had a problem with it so far, and it's easy to use. However, every time I do use it, I make sure the paint below had a couple of days to cure, and I never leave it on for a long time. A week to a month is my maximum, I never leave it on for more than that. Use these simple percautions and you won't have a problem

This is what I waited for!!

Revell does a pretty decent navy lynx in 1/32... would fit well with kittyhawk blackhawks...