xffw45343tg Posted October 27, 2008 Share Posted October 27, 2008 Good thinking Batman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share Posted October 28, 2008 (edited) Ha! Dunno about that, was a pretty bloody obvious thing to try really, I'm just a bit slow in realising such things! With the undercarriage issue in the main sorted, I've cracked on with the weathering. First I applied a pastel wash to the panel lines. I used a grey wash, ever so slightly darker than the DSG so that they're only very slightly highlighted- didn't want too stark a contrast. Once that was dried and wiped off, I've applied some black oil paint to accentuate some of the panel lines and define the various stains on the aircraft, namely the vortex generators and control surface hinges. It looks quite stark at the moment, but should tone down nicely after a matt coat A close up of the upper surface to show in more detail the filth that builds up Still need to spray some light exhaust staining over the sides of the rear fuselage, which will complete the weathering stage, so not long now Comments and criticism appreciated as always Cheers Shaun Edited October 28, 2008 by Seamus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Looking good to me Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share Posted October 28, 2008 Thanks Mish Bit more done this morning then and the weathering is complete. I've sprayed the exhaust stains along the sides of the rear fuselage, and also on the exhaust shields. I mixed a bit of brown with black to get a dirt oily colour before heavily thinning it and spraying it in very light coats, building up the effect slowly. It's a bit heavy in places where I got a bit too close with the AB, but this should tone down a bit after a matt coat, but overall I'm quite happy with them. Hopefully you can see the effect in the pics, though they aren't the best.... Hopefully I'll get the matt coat on this evening and let it cure fully overnight before completing the construction. In the meantime, I need to touch up some of the paint on the undercarriage and give them a coat of Klear in preparation for an oil wash. Thanks for looking, comments welcome as always Cheers Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgrease Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Outstanding job on that Harrier! I have been thoroughly enjoying your build! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexwh773 Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Looking pretty smart now Shaun, quite looking forwards to seeing the Lady finished, rather impressive so far my friend Bex P.S: No need to atleast you can get the colours right unike me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted October 29, 2008 Author Share Posted October 29, 2008 Thank you kindly you two More progress then and the matt coat is on. I've sprayed two light coats, which has left a slight sheen to the paint- I prefer this to completely matt as I've never seen any aircraft that doesn't shine even slightly. Had a bit or a problem with the matt coat, apparently, humbrol mattcote doesn't like the cold My workshop is in an uninsulated garage, which is pretty cold at the best of times, let alone now 'Global Warming' is kicking in. As a result, the solvent and matting agent would simply not mix together, so I left the jar indoors overnight and all seemed well, so a lesson learned Before spraying the matt, I attached the various aerials onto the Harrier and gave them a lick of paint- the spine aerial still needs a touch of silver. Also of note is the pitot tube which has been dryfitted. This is the kit part, but I'm not overly happy with the shape of it, seems a touch too fat to me, so I'm thinking of replacing it with a needle, though I'm having a job finding one thick enough. The main and nose wheel rims have been given an oil wash to dirty them up a bit and the tires have been painted. The stores, pylons, cannons and outrigger doors have also received a matt coat today after they were painted up along with the airframe. So, all that really remains now is to get everything that still needs assembly complete then she's done I'm also thinking of creating some sort of base for her, so I'll be putting my thinking cap on to come up with an idea for that. C&C welcome as always Cheers Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Regarding the pitot, it might be worth contacting Brooksy whose Britmodeller shop is here. He turns beautifully made bits and bobs and might be persuaded to do one for 1:24 Harriers. I think the kit part is reasonably to scale though it might be a little on the fat side. I suppose whether or not he's interested depends on the likely demand - certainly fewer of these beasts get finished than get bought - I'd buy a metal pitot though so that would be 2 if you wanted one! Wonder if it is the same pitot as on the Sea Harriers? I'm away from all my reference pics right now but someone on here is bound to know... Weathering on the wheels looks spot on. Are you doing anything with the canopy? The kit is missing a very visible bulkhead at the rear of the clear section and has no MDC or its firing mechanism. Bulkhead & detonator is a fairly straightforward "bit of card" fix and I was thinking of using solder wire for my MDC if I can find any thin enough. You're nearly there now. Keep up the good work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted October 29, 2008 Author Share Posted October 29, 2008 Cheers Kirk Re. the pitot, if I can't find a suitable needle then I'll just stick with the kit part. I want to have this one sewn up by Friday to meet the original deadline for the GB, so can't really afford the time taken for Andy to turn one, as good as that would be. As for the canopy, I've simply left it OOB. I'm a bit disappointed with the quality of the plastic; isn't all that clear, but I don't have the tools or the know how to polish it up properly, especially now I've painted the frame. Shame really, I'll have to see how it looks on the model when I complete the assembly. Hadn't given the MDC a thought to be honest; would have added some 5 Amp fuse wire had I done- I'd be worried at this late stage though of getting glue smears all over the canopy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted October 30, 2008 Author Share Posted October 30, 2008 Well, for all intensive purposes, she's done She though all the way to the end though; the engine became dislodged inside the fuselage, making gluing the nozzles tricky, and I knocked off just about every aerial during the final assembly. Also, I made a questionable job of masking the inside of the intakes, and there's some nasty overspray as a result. I was contemplating making some intake blanks anyway, but looks like I now don't have a choice The pitot is once again dryfitted as the old man thinks he's got a suitable alternative. I'm also probably gonna conjure up some sort of base for her, so once that and the FOD guards are sorted, I'll post the finished pics in the gallery, and hopefully make a better job of it than these photos Thank to all of you who have followed the build and offered kind words and encouragement throughout, really is appreciated Cheers Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xffw45343tg Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 You'll have to take it off your "On the bench" list now!! So, how about a 1:24 SHAR next then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cornish Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Great GR3, simply stunning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Very nice GR3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Now that's a big good Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgrease Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Outstanding job! It was enjoyable to watch your build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 That looks pretty good matey... everyone makes mistakes on kits, so don't beat yourself up about it... FODs would look good though & add a bit of color. You should send them to Mike Reeves & get him to cast them up for sale to the general populace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted October 30, 2008 Author Share Posted October 30, 2008 Thanks for the awesome feedback peeps, much appreciated You'll have to take it off your "On the bench" list now!!So, how about a 1:24 SHAR next then? Indeed I do, though it's been there for long enough! As for a SHAR, you're kidding right? as much as I love the Harrier and have enjoyed this build, I'm not looking to get the SHAR on the go anytime soon. Need a nice, therapeutic and simple build next, just to fill the time until the Tornado GB starts Thanks again Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbyeomanry Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Excellent build - really enjoyed it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted October 31, 2008 Author Share Posted October 31, 2008 Cheers matey, glad you enjoyed the build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 Ok, spent the last couple of days working on the FOD guards. As they are more like cushions on the Harrier, I wanted to give the impression of a textured surface. First, I cut some sponge to the right shape, using the intake from my FRS.1 kit as guide, then placed some Tamiya tape over the top to give it a flatter surface. Then, I built up 5 or 6 layers of tissue, each one glued down with PVA glue, so that it would give it that textured look, and make them more solid. The labels in the centre of each blank were made in photoshop, printed off and glued in place. The RBF tags were made using good old Tamiya tape. They look a little rough in the pics, but are better in the flesh.......honest Of note is the wonky pitot probe, which still hasn't been glued in place. My Dad has found me a metallic replacement, but it's roughly the same size, so if I can't find a better replacement I'll just stick with the kit part I think. Having never tried this sort of thing before, I'm fairly happy with the result, certainly looks better than before anyway Just need to get cracking with the base now Cheers Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bexwh773 Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Need a nice, therapeutic and simple build next, just to fill the time until the Tornado GB starts Thanks again Shaun A Phantom or a Canberra will fill that void for you Shaun Considering the agro this thing gave you shes turned out remarkably well my friend. Ok you know I dont think the GR3 is the prettiest bird around, but I'll stick to my previous statement of you turning this Ugly Duckling into a Regal Queen This is a very impressive build and youve every right to proud of your work Bex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted November 1, 2008 Author Share Posted November 1, 2008 Thanks for the kind words Bex, much appreciated If I were to be honest, I'm dead chuffed with the outcome with this one, and would probably say it's my best build to date. That said, it's still far from perfect, but I like to think I learn something from each build which can be applied in the next one, and this is no exception- she put up a good fight and has taught me plenty As for a Canberra or Phantom, both are glaring omissions from my stash (awaits the cries of "heretic" ) so I shall have to go with something a bit different, not sure what yet though Thanks again Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alrite Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 Brilliant job Shaun! The matt finish and weathering look perfect to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted November 9, 2008 Author Share Posted November 9, 2008 Thank for the kind words Will, much appreciated fella I'm hoping to get the base sorted for this one during tomorrow. If I do, I'll post some final pictures in the gallery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus Posted November 13, 2008 Author Share Posted November 13, 2008 Well, had to wait a bit longer to get the base done as Dad has been busy sorting his car out, but here it is done. I bought the photo frame for £7 from a cheapy-type shop. The main base is a sheet of black acrylic generously supplied my Dad and cut to shape in a laser engraver. Said engraver was then used to etch the text onto the plastic, which was then slotted into the frame in place of the glass. All in all, very simple, but looks pretty effective to my eye. I'm also thinking of engraving some of the kit details onto some gold acrylic (text would be black) which would be then bent in half to form a label, but I need to draw it to size before Dad can engrave it. Just a taster shot in here, I'll post the rest in the gallery. With the base done, I can now declare this build officially finished. Just hope there's enough space for her on the table at Telford Cheers Shaun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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