willsm

Yeah, the rest of the model is great, I wrecked the original cockpit clear plastic and sourced a resin replacement, but it just doesn't fit as well as the original stuff from the sprues May have to buy a whole 1:48 f-14 kit just for the cockpit... I have found that when maskol is combined with layers of paint and varnish, it hardens over time and actually does not come off... Hence my destruction of it getting impatient and chucking Mr tool on it which is way too hot and just kinda melted it...

To be honest, I have a bigger problem than the figure now. I bought a replacement resin cockpit from falcon and it just doesn't fit nice 😞

Hi, Did you use a black undercoat for the paint job?

After much searching I opted for some standing pilots, as seen here: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/cmk-f48084-us-navy-pilots-modern-2-fig--113783 Very detailed. Guess I'll have to build a diorama to stick the jet and figures on now :)

They do look pretty detailed. Might invest

Wow they look awesome, thank you all, think I've found what I need. :-)

Hey all, I'm just starting a new build of the above model. I was after so resin pilots, specifically ones that are authentic to the era in which this plane flew. I've already built the cockpit and do not want them sitting. Ideally, I'd like to get at tleast one climbing the cockpit ladder... I looked on Hannants but couldn't really see what I was after...Anyone know where I might be able to get these pilots?

Andre, I've found a UK distributor (Hanants) and have ordered the clearvax set. Thank you very much! Glad I asked here.

Thank you very much indeed, that is very useful.

Hi all, Some advice needed. I was in the process of removing some maskol from the clear plastic canopy of the tomcat I am working on. Being a bit impatient I decided to use some Mr Tool cleaner to spedd up the process. Big mistake. Some sort of reaction took place and to cut a long story short, the canopy is FUBAR. No way to recover it, the plastic has just messed up completely. I have been working on this tomcat for months and so I am understandably freaking out! The model I am working on is a Hasegawa F-14A 1:48 tomcat, model number 51508, as seen here: https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/48-hasegawa-14a-plus-tomcat-special-1854032403 This model was made in 1989 and so the chances of finding a "spare" canopy sprue for sale anywhere is virtually zero. Hasewaga do not seem to have a presence for replacement parts? Is this the case? Does anyone know where I might be able to get a replacement canopy sprue for this model? I don't want to have to fork out for a whole new model just to use the canopy sprue! (But ultimately, if I have to, I probably will, as I have laboured on this model for a long time and it looks great). Thanks in advance.

Okay, where did you get the catalogue from?

That's good news! So after I varnish over the decals, I will be using some oil pints + odourless turpentine to do the panel lines. So the varnish must not react with these. I think I can use an acrylic based varnish for that. That's interesting what you say, maybe I will abandon the enamel varnish. I've been looking at the Mr Top Coat spray cans as an alternative but it does not say in the product description if they are lacquer / enamel / acrylic based. Thanks for the tip.

Hi, I have been using the Humbrol stuff in a can but it's quite expensive. I'm looking to move on to a clear coat that I can use in an airbrush. The coat has to be gloss enamel, since decals will be going over the top of it. I am under the impression that an acrylic based varnish would be a bad idea if I am putting decals over it. Correct me if I'm wrong. I have some Windsor and Newton galleries acrylic but haven't used it as a base varnish through fear of messing it up when putting decals on. Any recommendations?

That's interesting, I'll look them up. Never heard of that stuff before. I applied some Humbrol decal fix for the vertical stabiliser decals and the stuff daged the finish. The grey went speckly as the chemical attacked it. It actually got throuh the enamel varnish! I realised that I shouldn't be using it neat, lesson learned. Once I diluted the stuff it didn't react with the enamel varnish or underlying acrylic. Didn't say dilute it on the bottle mind..... Now I just gotta airbrush the messed up parts. I'll post some pics at some point. Thanks for all the advice.

Hi I mean odourless turpentine. Thanks for your thoughts on it, I think a Mule is needed to test it out. I have a crappy old phantom f4 I ruined a while back, I can use that. I just don't want to trash what I have spent months building / painting by a school boy error if you know what I mean!

Dave, thanks for the reply. I've not ventured into using lacquer products yet. Sticking to acrylics for now. So in relation to turps on acrylic varnish.... Any thoughts?

Hi all, I am new here, first post! I am currently building a 1:48 Hasegawa F14-A Tomcat. I have largely finished the build and am on to the painting. And here is where I need some advice. So I have used Mr Hobby color AQUEOUS acrylic paints for the pre shading and the subsequent coats of aircraft grey. Looks great! Now, I wish to apply decals, so I have varnished the paint with some Humbrol enamel stuff out of a can (i did not want to get water on to the acrylic paint through fear of damaging the paintwrok, hence the varnish coat). Looks good, then I have put some decals on, all good (except for the Humbrol decalfix actually attacking the surface!). Now I wish to varnish it again and then apply some further weathering on the panel lines using oils. If I use another layer of Enamel varnish I am under the impression the turps I use to dilute the oils and clean up around the lines, will attack the enamel varnish. So am I better off using an acrylic varnish over the top of the enamel varnish, the apply the oil weathering, then a coat of acrylic varnish to finish off? I am also under the impression that getting water on the surface of the aircraft, after a coat of acrylic varnish, would attack the varnish...Is this correct? So, to summarise.,...Will enamel varnish be attacked by turps? What about acrylic varnish? PS the acrylic varnish i have is Windsor&Newton Galleria Thanks !