JockMcPlock

I have had a browse through previous topics and yet to find anything covering this question. I can make very clear decals, however stepping it up a level is eluding me, and that is to do with shaped transfer film. Professional companies know how to and can do this, but they have not shared what the process is with me. Currently I print on a full transfer sheet, however professional decals come pre-shaped to the individual decal/transfer. Images below show this as a reference. Does anyone know how I can achieve a shaped film for the decals?

I can but will be in about 4 weeks till I get eyes on them again.

Here is the 1982 Series 6 Handley Page Halifax B Mk.III, Airfix 06008 (1982) (scalemates.com)https://www.scalemates.com/kits/airfix-06008-handley-page-halifax-b-mkiii--146962 It actually shows the timelines and boxes below it

Hello, This is my large scale project. Kits in use are pretty much everything excluding Matchbox. There are Airfix kits from 1961, 1963, 1970, 1975, 1982, 1990 & 2005, along with the majority of kits being Revell 04936. Thank you very much @dogsbody for getting those up to a rule.

Hello, I have been reading quite a few threads in the decal section however I still not much the wiser. I have seen people offering out a free (basic) art creation service, people recommending various peoples work and a fair few going the DIY avenue, only to see plenty of complaint threads later about wrinkling, fading, peeling etc. This alone has told me not to even consider the DIY route. What I am looking for is a sizable amount of decals for numerous aircraft in both 1/72 & 1/48, about 50-55 aircraft in total. 70% will be letters, numbers and roundels, the usual stuff, however I also need some complex nose-art images made from historic images of varied quality and clarity. I have no problem in paying for such a service if it can be completely achieved and produce unquestionable quality products. Is there a reputable company or individual out there who can take on such a project?

As you say, its a small workshop style compressor instead of the conventional scale modelling airbrush compressor. Simply because I also like my cars and I can now use some air tools and can do a bit of shot blasting rather than sending to companies and paying for it. I did see a video on youtube before buying where someone used a similar system and for the two minutes of noise to fill, it gave him his day worth of painting from it. It does go up to about 115PSI, I know, far too much, but I believe 20PSI is suitable for airbrushing, give or take? The compressor I bought was fairly cheap and in the link below: https://www.thedandys.ie/product/aerlik-50l-compressor-2.0hp-8-bar-230v You mentioned a moisture trap. Is there certain ones to go for? Ones better than others?

I'm completely new to all of this and so I have bought myself a 50 litre compressor and an Iwata HP-CS Airbrush. The little problem I have is that there is nothing in between to connect the two...! I went onto the Iwata website and was just bamboozled with all sorts of connections and fitments, and with nothing actually in the paperwork regarding thread sizes or internal or external diameters, I'm just left wondering, "What the hell do I need!" Does anyone has some insight into making this as simple as possible?

A very splendid job you have done on this! The efforts over the years have clearly paid off.

On the 24th of August 1944, this aircraft along with 11 others from 158 Squadron took off from RAF Lissett to deliver their payloads at targets in Brest, France. Exert from the Pilots logbook: ‘Just because we were knocking poo-poo out of the German submarine pens in Brest, they took umbrage and decided to knock poo-poo out of us. They did to a certain extent but with much reference to Jesus, God and a lot of sweat, we were seen by two Mustang fighters who were in the area and saw we were having a problem. They escorted us back across the Channel to the English coast and we got home half an hour after we should have done. Everyone else had gone! Much beer was consumed that night (again). Splendidly well made that chap! Edit: poo-poo was not in the logbook, this forum has changed the word. Ha Ha

This looks absolutely superb! As an A-6 fan you get a big ole thumbs up!

They're all good examples of different levels of complexity. Certainly useful and food for thought.

This is a little checklist for what I have and what I want for the shelves. I'm sure we all have something similar and just getting back into this I thought I would start somewhere with a wee list. There obviously is included a couple of very large projects, and no helicopters added yet, but hopefully this list will alter over time. OWNED 1:48 4 x Handley Page Halifax B.III B-17 - 'Memphis Belle' B25 Mitchell - 'Doolittle Raider' 3 x A-6E Grumman Intruder - 'Flight of the Intruder - VA-196' Gladiator Sea Gladiator Sea Harrier - Falklands War Hawker Typhoon - 183 Sqn JR383 Spitfire Mk2 1:72 35 x Handley Page Halifax B.III Warrior MCV - '1 Highlanders No.23' 3 x A-6E Grumman Intruder 1:200 USS Missouri BB63 1:350 HMS Campbell - 'The Greatest Raid of Them All' 1:670 USS Voyager NCC-74656 1:800 USS Enterprise CVN-65 STILL TO BUY 1:48 Avro Lancaster - 617 Sqn Dambuster C47 Spitfire - Malta Sqn Spitfire - Battle of Britain Nightfighter Spitfire - Battle of Britain Spitfire - 602 Sqn Spitfire - Eagle Squadron Handley Page Hastings C1 - 511 Sqn Avro Anson - RAF Cark LT146 Avro Anson - Southern Rhodesia Tiger Moth - Southern Rhodesia T6 Harvard - Southern Rhodesia Hurricane - Battle of Britain Hurricane - Battle of Britain Nightfighter Hurricane - Malta Nimrod Lysander - Special Duties Avro Shackleton B-24 Liberator B-29 Superfortress - Enola Gay Vickers Wellington Beaufighter - Malta Seafire Buccaneer Tornado Tomahawk - Hawaii Dec 1941 Stuka A10 Warthog 2 x Sea Gladiator - N5519, N5520, N5531 Whitley Stirling F117 Nighthawk AC-130 Spectre Gunship C-130 Hercules Handley Page Victor Avro Vulcan - Falklands War Unknown Scale HMS Hermes - Centaur Class HMS Invincible - Invincible Class HMS Fearless - LPD HMS Intrepid - LPD HMS Bristol - Type 82 HMS Sheffield - Type 42 HMS Coventry - Type 42 HMS Glasgow - Type 42 HMS Cardiff - Type 42 HMS - Exeter - Type 42 HMS Glamorgan - County Class HMS Antrim - County Class HMS Brilliant- Type 22 HMS Broadsword - Type 22 HMS Active - Type 21 HMS Alacrity - Type 21 HMS Antelope - Type 21 HMS Ardent - Type 21 HMS Ambuscade - Type 21 HMS Avenger - Type 21 HMS Arrow - Type 21 HMS Andromeda - Leander Class HMS Argonaut - Leander Class HMS Minerva - Leander Class HMS Penelope - Leander Class HMS Yarmouth - Rothesay Class HMS Plymouth - Rothesay Class HMS Endurance - Ice Patrol Ship HMS Conqueror - Churchill Class HMS Courageous - Churchill Class HMS Onyx - Oberon Class HMS Valiant - Valiant Class HMS Spartan- Swiftsure Class HMS Splendid - Swiftsure Class

Let me clear this up... Truly if it was a case of "how hard can it be" then I don't presume I would have had a need to ask for advice or assistance initially and create this thread. The poor insult of "truly spoken as a home handy man who has watched a youtube video" was pretty uncalled for given that you know nothing about me and degrading to those who produce their youtube video guides to assist others, of which you will find many with suitable step by step guides producing very impressive works of art, and they are works of art. You may find that you're inadvertently causing offence to many others yourself. Just be friendly and a little less on the negative.

Well this is the problem with reading text, you read it in the manner that you choose, and not the manner in which it was written.

Hence the respirator, but we all die sometime, you might as well go doing something you enjoy. "Bob died today making a scale model" Heard on the evening news... never.

I would say that I've never made dioramas before, but "how hard can it be". That site is much cheaper than the Coastalkits boards you can buy, the only thing I would say is that it's a little limited on types of surface and for me, since accuracy is important for me, I couldn't use the generic stuff they have on there. I will have a look around for some of those other sites you mention to see if they have the surface type that I need.

I was just thinking about getting one, but when I saw they were £80.00 and over, I thought, A cardboard box is pretty cheap. Buy a respirator for £15.00 and Bob's your uncle and Fanny's your Aunt!

It may have to be those CoastalKits, though at £25.00 each for a flat dispersal pan, plus whatever extra, this could turn out to be quite expensive. I really like how you've used fine grit sand paper for concrete! The dioramas I need will not be so overwhelming with so many intricacies, but I wonder if there's a diy way to produce many from bulk material.

Hi, I assume you’re talking about snap VCPs, so everything for them, you would have to take with you. In NI you would have a sign in either direction ‘Checkpoint Ahead’ or words to that effect. But you would literally have just your two or three vehicles and a section or multiple of eight or twelve men respectively dismounted. You might also consider a stinger hidden behind the controlling vehicle for fast movers running the CP and a cone or two. For the Middle East, let’s say Iraq, HESCO arrived much later on during the conflict, by which point, WMIKs were not used for VCPs. WMIKs generally were only used up until mid to late 2004 when the threat changed from man on man to IED’s and the unarmoured WMIK was restricted to the like of internal wire QRF. (Someone breaches a fence at the airport). WMIKs were more used in Afghan as fire support vehicles for companies clearing compounds. I would say, the use of WMIKs, RAF Police and RAF Regt doing snap VCPs is highly unlikely. They would have more established checkpoints at say Basrah APOD with Jersey barriers then T walls (the big ones) with sangers. If you switched from the RAF angle and went for the Royal Marines or Para Regt in early 2003, then WMIKs were everywhere doing snap VCPs, but you wouldn’t have much checkpoint apparatus. Perhaps just a battered up Toyota or Mercedes from the 80s in the old white and orange taxi colours.

So much detail in such a small space, and to occupy five and a half years, that's dedication to the cause.

Dioramas! Never made one but I've seen a couple of short videos on YouTube about them, and the seem quite involved to say the least. I'm going to be looking for a few, and specifically a circular RAF dispersal pan from WW2 for a Heavy Bomber in 1/72 and 1/48 scales. I was wondering, what is available out there, made and ready to go? I have seen the sort of flat rectangular cardboard types (not really a fan of these), but what do people know about others with texture, foliage and a little bit of undulation etc? I was also wondering if there are companies, or people on here that will commission and create dioramas to a clients request? What experience do people here have with either of these avenues and the cost implications? Would be great to see some images from anyone that has made or bought some of these dioramas!

Thank you, I take a look.

Thank you very much. I have a few outbuildings, one of which I can renovate in to a display building. We have a selection of military history throughout the generations so it would be a fine idea for the family to have our own museum as such.

Thank you for the heads up. If that's the route to go, I'll need to find an artist to do the pre leg work as that's beyond my skills.

Thank you very much. I only started on this forum yesterday and already people have stepped forward and offering to lend a hand and doing some research for me to get things moving. Humbling Sir, humbling.