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Me too - largely because I use a mix of CC, Xtracolour and if necessary, Humbrol - just easier to have one workflow for all enamels rather than inevitably making a mistake. I just had a sniff of CC thinner and household white spirit - I'd say CC is between 50-75% less smelly Cheers Colin

Been looking into the same question myself - I thought I had read that some MiG 3 had a factory applied white finish. Now found where I read it https://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/mig3/colors4.html Cheers Colin

Certainly true in my case - while I don't do GB I do watch them and I have been inspired to order a few Heller items, with more on my wish list. It would be interesting to know if companies like Hannants have noticed an increase in sales in a particular area as a result of GBs Cheers Colin

The whole point of canopy glue (yes, basically PVA) is that it doesn't interact with plastic so there is no risk of damaging clear parts. The down side is that the bond is not as strong as using polystyrene cement. But because there is no interaction, it doesn't matter if the mating surface is painted or not. Cheers Colin

Lets accept that for now, but still 1 - were these drawings actually used in practice - or did the painters say "stuff that, too complicated" ... or perhaps this was a proposal that was not in fact adopted. 2 - if they are genuine, and were used, is the zig zag edges peculiar to Messerchmitt? Just the 109? Or was it more widely used across the industry To my mind given the amount of research that's been done into Luftwaffe paint schemes the fact the this has only recently come to light seems strange. I think in this case context is everything - exactly where did the drawings originate and what was their purpose? After all there are plenty of official plans for aircraft that never got past the drawing board . Cheers Colin

You'll be lucky ... more like 25 years in my case. Congratulations on your son, but you have to realise your life has now changed in more ways than you ever imagined. You won't think this now, but new babies are relatively easy. The demands on your time are only going to increase for the next 15 - 20 years. I tried to continue modelling for a while, but at first I felt guilty having "me time" when there was so much else I could/should be doing ... then when my first born got to toddler stage there were so many things I'd rather be doing. Maybe in a few years you can try introducing your son to modelling ... didn't work with mine though ... modelling was time not spent kicking a football! On the plus side, when I returned after my hiatus, it was really exciting to find how much things had changed. And anyway anything you build now he's going to break sooner or later 😁 (I had a wonderful - if I say so myself - wooden sailing ship scuppered by a teddy bear flying across the room. I think only 20% of the models I made pre-kids remained intact after they'd moved out). Cheers Colin

That is interesting and surprising ... never come across this before. Out of curiosity I carefully tore a post-it note and I'd say the ragged edge might be useable as a mask in 1/48th. But I work in 1/72, so I'm wondering if thin blue tack masking would be a better representation than hard lines? Colin

Or you can sand any sprue to the required shape then stretch But you can use the hot blade/screwdriver to shrink it taught once attached. In fact I do this with all my stretched sprue (eg. antennas). Rather than trying to glue the sprue taught, I glue it slightly slack (which is a lot easier) then heat up an old screwdriver over a candle flame then hold it near (but not on!) the sprue. The plastic shrinks and tightens the line. Easy enough for an antenna line, but would need a steady hand when working with complex rigging. Cheers Colin

Good question which i wish I knew the answer to - I suspect that by weighing all the individual parts then laying these weights out on a diagram you could calculate the centre of gravity - but sounds like a lot of work. What I do is 1 - ignore the instructions. I've used the suggested weights in the past - almost never enough! 2 - assemble the aircraft as much as possible with tape and then tape weights to the nose (or elsewhere if necessary) until I get it about right 3 - add 10% more for safety Of course quite often you won't have enough space in the nose to add the necessary amount (unless you have access to a supply of osmium) and of course adding weight further aft means adding even more weight! I use lead tape (stuff used by golfers to make their clubs something or other), and it's quite easy to shape this into parts to fit under floors etc. or even replace parts - radio boxes, panels etc. Of course you can overdo it, so while stuffing lead into every available crevasse, you need to think about how strong the landing gear is - it may need reinforcing or replacing with brass rod or similar. Cheers Colin

I see the Do 335 is listed - could this be a re-release? Can't find it in UK stock anywhere - and I don't think it has been since 2010 Cheers Colin

I think a water based liquid mask might work (Mr Masking Sol R) which can be soaked off afterward or Parafilm M which is just wax, no adhesive Cheers Colin

I think its a piece of dirt. Aside from anything else, the edges are very sharp which seems unlikely with the sort of shutter speeds available. Cheers Colin

Best get started on the shed extension then 😀 Cheers Colin

Best of luck and I hope it works out for you. But a word of caution that was passed on to me when I turned a passion (photography) into a business - there is a risk that doing this may make you money but kill your passion. I found a fair bit of truth in this - deadlines, having to work to a cost etc. etc. can make something that used to relax you become a major source of stress. Cheers Colin

There are a number of approaches (there was a time when no one sold masks!) 1 - hand paint, then use a toothpick to scrape away any overspill 2 - Use thin strips of Tamiya tape to mask along the edges of the frame then fill the middle with masking fluid or more tape 3 - mask the canopy with tape then cut away the tape over the frames 4 - paint clear decal sheet the required color, cut into thin strips and apply to frame work ... I'm sure there are more, and variations (these are just the ones I've used). I don't think there's a single best way - a lot will depend on how well and crisply the frames work is defined on the canopy, whether its lots of small panes or a large area. Some people hate doing this (hence the popularity of masks) but I quite enjoy it - with some good music playing I find it quite relaxing Cheers Colin

You will need to be careful of the structural integrity of the model - don't cut away too much or across critical joints One bugbear I have with opening up panels and doors is that the kit parts are not scale thickness. In the majority of cases I think this will require both thinning the opened door/panel and in many cases adding some structure to the inner facing surface. Ditto for the visible area surrounding the opening. Cheers Colin

Welcome Ben! Sounds to me like you're looking for someone to convince you to do what you really want to do anyway! I too am a returning modeller. In my previous modelling life I had an airbrush but was not really very successful with it. I have another one now, and am very happy with it. What changed? Previously I did not have a good modelling space. To use the airbrush required good weather (so I could open the loft window wide) no rain, no wind and not too cold. I had to clear a table, set everything up and then clean up and put it all away again. Hence I didn't use it much, and did not get the necessary practice. Also as the whole thing was such a chore, I was seldom in a good 'mind set' when I actually got spraying. Now, with kids gone, I have turned a bedroom into a man cave/modelling room. I have my spray area as a permanent set up, with a spray booth and extractor fan and everything I need ready to go. I now use the airbrush all the time - even for tiny jobs. As a result my skills have improved greatly and I enjoy using it. So IMHO while the airbrush can achieve great finishes, its not a magic wand and takes a lot of practice. If you don't have an environment where you will be able to use the airbrush on a regular basis, stick with brushes. There are many here who brush paint, and to be honest, in skilled hands brush finishes can produce equally impressive results. Quite possibly both can produce the same results if the same level of practice is applied. I would not consider going the airbrush route unless I had the necessary space, a spray booth and compressor. Cheers Colin

There really aren't any wrong choices (well, within reason). Part of the fun of modelling is finding solutions to problems that work for you. As well as the specific issue, everyone has a whole range of related issues (can't use spray paints, allergic reactions to certain products etc. etc.) Myself, after couple of experiences with Revell Aqua I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole - but it must have been me that was doing something wrong as clearly many thousands of others don't find it unusable.

Even without the masks, there kits are still great value - just compare the price to what some of the original fujigawa kits are going for. And in the case of the old Japanese kits, the new Cartograph decals are a massive improvement. Personally, I find masks overrated anyway - I don't think accurately placing tiny bits of vinyl or pre-cut tape is significantly faster than any of the do it yourself Tamy tape methods ... and it sure is a lot more expensive (there are, as always, exceptions). Cheers Colin

SW have a tool for doing that safely. I have nothing against X-acto ... I used to use them all the time, but, in the UK getting hold of genuine blades (there are plenty of look a likes) is not as easy as SW - and definitely more expensive - which in my case at least led to me using a blade for much longer than I should have! As for the cheap hobby knife sets widely available - best avoided. They're cheap for a reason and the blades do not hold an edge. Cheers Colin

I think you may find a razor saw is the correct tool for this job As to knife blades - I'd go with Swann Morton as well. I buy packs of 100 at a time, and change very frequently. For many modelling applications you want the sharpest blade possible which means putting a new blade in the holder. You may also find it helpful to have a number of handles a some different blades - sometimes a straight blade (eg SW #11) is best, other times a curved (eg. SW #10) Cheers Colin

I found these pretty good with regard to the look, but they are very fragile and the finish easily damaged by masking or any handling, MetalCote is my paint of choice for brush painting small parts - quick drying, robust, buffs up well but I don't think I'd use it for painting a large area - its quick drying properties make it difficult to get an even finish. I think the best metal paints require an airbrush. But have you considered the metal foil approach? Cheers Colin

About 3 years ago I bought a compressor which came with 2 'free' Chinese airbrushes. I already had an H&S, but I thought I would give them a try for less precise work. The first's insides turned into black sludge the moment a blew some cleaner though it - the seals disintegrated. The 2nd has been going strong as my primer airbrush (Mr Surfacer 1200 and cleaned with cellulose thinner) ever since. Seems £50 is a lot to pay with no certainty of success. On the other hand, if you were in the market for a compressor you could get a kit with a free airbrush or two (as I did) and see if you get lucky before buying a brush from a reputable maker. Cheers Colin

Yes, I'm fairly sure the length of time is the problem, which I don't have with Tamy tape or similar. Unfortunately my work flow seldom leads to quick removal as tape goes on at a fairly early stage of the build then stays until the bitter end! Less than a week would be nothing short of miraculous Cheers Colin

Should have said - it was over Future. Not had any problem with any other masking material (various tapes), but these masks just didn't work for me Cheers Colin