ta152da_best

Its a shame that the foil had a mind of its own in some places, but I doubt I could've done a better job, so good on you for actually trying. I've been staying clear of models that required me to paint anything shiny and metallic, because getting a good reflective surface has always been difficult for me. So overall, congrats on getting a decent shiny result!

And I thought I had seen all there was to see when it comes to A-4 and their camo schemes, but I guess I still have more to discover! This one just looks awesome, and fits in well with the "test squadron" this aircraft is a part of. Reminds me also of some of the spitfires and the underside of their wings painted in black and white...

My god this is one awesome razorback! At first I thought it was all very simple, but looking at the chipping on the wing root, I think it couldn't have been done any better. Tail section is also really well painted and weathered. The only thing I would do differently is try and have a bit more of a smooth transition on the dust you applied to your wheels, as I feel like the sides would also get some contact with dirt and dust. But at this point I'm just being picky...

Simple yet very nice to look at. This kit really turned out well. Good job on the panel lines all popping-out evenly, and the masking on the nose looks impeccable!

Honestly that wing walk line is done very well. I often try and use the decals but end up unsatisfied with the results You've made the right choice. Wing root chipping is pretty neat too. Did you also manage to get the correct colour for the prop? I usually always use black/rubber black because I can't be bothered with trying to get the right dark green/black tone.

1/48th Eduard P-400 Air-a-Cutie Hello all, After much procrastinating, I've finally finished my first P-400. It goes without saying that the decals were the reason why I wanted to build this kit. Would've loved to find the original Eduard/Hasegawa kits, but these seem to have vanished off the surface of the earth, so I had to settle with some aftermarket decals for the pin-ups, serial numbers and insignias, at a rather expensive price, but excellent quality nonetheless... The other decals were provided from the original Eduard Kit, which means I'll have lots of other options if I ever get my hands on some other P-400 sprues. Overall, kit assembly, engineering and fit was very good, with some lovely PE parts for extra details in the cockpit. The usual high quality from Eduard. However the masking sheet was unusually inaccurate, with everything 10-20% too big, which made masking the cockpit (inside and out) rather challenging. Painting took some time, and finding the accurate colours mixes took a long time. I ended up with XF-19 on the lower surface (meh?), and a mix of XF-67, 55, 4 in 9:2:2 ratios for the top surface, which should in theory be OD-41. I used the 12-per-side exhaust, because I liked the look of it better than the classic 6-per-side, but I think I could've used any one really, as it looks the internet couldn't settle on which one was the original one. If anyone wishes to build this kit, be very careful that you have enough weight in the nose (half a gram less and my kit would have been a nose sitter), and beware of the gear assembly: it's very easy to end up with gear struts pointing sideways. I would also recommend some resin exhausts and wheels if you are willing to go the extra mile. Any criticism you have is welcome. I'm still scared of oil paints, so maybe one day I'll have enough courage to take 'em on. Hopefully the pictures are good enough when it comes to the colour balance, as I've don't have the best of track records in that department. The most eagle eyed of you will also notice that patience got the better of me, and I still need to assemble antennas, rigging, a pitot tube, and a part or two on the nose gear. But no one will notice anyways! 😁 Enough rambling, have some pictures. You deserve them for reading until the end: Mat B. Wow you still here? Here, have a cookie 🍪

Yes I've tried the sharp needle/xacto blade through the creases, but some are just too small for me to pick out individually. And even then, it only seems to work if the creases are big/wide enough

Thanks for the help. I have indeed been thinking for a while now about getting a stronger decal setting solution, as I've had a few instances of decals not being very cooperative. I assume it would be possible to apply the stronger decal solution and leave the aircraft alone while it dries, and then go with your method contrary to the instructions if the wrinkles are still present? Thanks again for the help, Mat

Hello everyone, I've been working on the Polish MiG-21 MF kit from academy for a while now, and the time has come for me to put the decals in position. Considering the potential final result, I was both excited and also worried at the prospect of facing some issues with getting those long and thin decals to conform to the surface properly... Unfortunately, I am now facing some issues with the decals. More specifically, wrinkling issues (see below). Decals were applied on three layers of gloss (result probably closer to semi gloss TBH), and some micro set. I've already gone over the decals 4-5 times with micro sol, and I am at a point where I don't even know if the decal solution is having more of a positive or a negative effect. Do you have any thoughts on what I could do to get rid of the wrinkles? (Or at least reduce their appearance as much as possible). I've also cut through the decal where the wrinkles were wide enough, and that has helped a bit in a few cases. I'm thinking of applying quite a few gloss coats (Mr Color GX Super Clear III thinned with Mr Leveling thinner), and then slowly sanding down the excess gloss, and with it the protruding wrinkles. I have access to sanding sponges all the way to 12000 Grit. Thank you all for taking some time, Best, Mat

you are right on that one! Removes most of it, but still leaves a bit, even when using the q-tip. The glitches are very small, and as long as I apply my wash with caution, they should barely be seen. Thanks for the advice, Mat

Unfortunately, it isn't! The problem can be found all over the aircraft, but as you said, it is rather small. I do wonder if I should just continue without bothering too much... I will go ahead and try to use a water based wash, and hopefully it should help. If that doesn't work, I will try using lighter fuel as you've mentioned. Thanks for your advice, Mat

Hello everyone, New member here, with just a few years of experience building models. After a few disappointing results when I was young, I have decided to invest time and resources to make better models, and therefore enjoy this hobby even more! I am currently finishing my latest project, a 1/48 Eduard BF 109 F-2, and ask, humbly, for your help and experience. After setting all the decals, and spending too much time on YouTube, I understood that the next step was to protect everything with a gloss clear coat before moving on to weathering and emphasizing the details. I've used Mr Color Super Clear III (UV cut) diluted with Mr Color Leveling thinner 400, 1 part clear for 3 parts thinner, as recommended by Plasmo. Sprayed with an airbrush, it works wonders! Now time for the panel line wash from Tamiya, and the start of my problems... From looking at various modellers and their works, the panel liner is meant to flow quickly in the panel lines, and stay there. Only a small amount of enamel paint should be left on the panels themselves, and it should be easy to remove with a brush or a cloth dampened in enamel thinner. This can bee seen in the circled areas in the picture bellow (scalespot.com for credits): When I tried to do so, the result was quite different. The panel liner flowed onto the panels themselves, and it looked like it was getting mixed with the grey paint itself: (the paint is Tamiya acrylics, thinned with X-20A thinner, covered with at least three layers of gloss clear coat, as described at the top of the post) The excess panel liner was therefore quickly removed with a brush dampened in enamel thinners. Most of the excess panel liner could be removed, but it left a small but noticeable dark spot on the model, while removing what little paint had managed to stay between the panels: What should I do? Are the clear coats and the panel liner made from the same solvent, which explains the "mixing"? If yes, should change one of the two ? Should I try and polish my model with Tamiya polishing compounds, to create and glossy and hard shell over my paints and decals ? Should I add more layers of Mr Color Super Clear III ? Should I use Tamiya X-22 instead of Mr Color Super Clear III ? Am I missing something else ? Or is everything normal, and I'm just worrying for no reason ? 😁 I thank you all for your help and advice. Cheers, Mat