Jump to content

Hasegawa 1/48 Bf109-F4/B JG53


Recommended Posts

Cheers for the encouragement guys. Stu, I use Tamiya acrylics, thinned with meths. Since I came back to the hobby they are all I have used, and they are the only paints that I've airbrushed with. I get on with them well, the main issue is that you have to be prepared to mix your own colours for a lot of shades. It's not that arduous though, I can usually mix something that looks about right to my eyes. They aren't the greatest for brush painting though!

Chris

Cheers for the tip Chris - just used Tamiya acrylics for the first time on a recent spitfire, love how they spray but have been put off using them on a luft subject as you cant get many RLM colours straight out of the pot - yours look great though so might have to give mixing it up a go!

Any particular reason why you use meths instead of the Tamiya thinners?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any particular reason why you use meths instead of the Tamiya thinners?

I find the meths taste nicer :banghead:

Seriously though, I use meths because I'm a cheapskate. To buy 1 litre of meths in a supermarket here in NZ costs me NZ$4 to NZ$5- about 2 quid. To buy 1 litre of Tamiya x20a acrylic thinners from a hobby shop here, I'd have to buy 4 x 250ml bottles. At NZ$17.50 each that works out to the equivalent of 36 quid. Now, I'm sure that the Tamiya thinners would absolutely be the best thing to thin your Tamiya acrylic paint with, it stands to reason & a lot of other folks here wouldn't want to risk their paintwork by using anything other than the recommended product. But I figured there wasn't any harm in trying the cheap option first, and it worked for me so I've stuck with it; I've never used the proper thinners, so I don't have anything to compare my experiences with. The purple dye doesn't tint the paint at all for the amount that I use, even when spraying white. It will dry quicker than if you use the proper thinner, as I understand the proper thinner has retardants in it to slow the drying process.

Another option could be to use the proper thinners for thinning the paints, but use meths for cleanup. That way you get the finish you like, but without burning through litres of the expensive stuff.

I did find a formula on another forum for what is in x20a, but as I'm not a chemist it doesn't mean much to me http://www.network54...nal formulation

Chris

Edited by cheeley
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chris I use Isocol rubbing alcohol from the supermarket, readily available here in NZ's western islands (Oz). It behaves more like thinner which I understand is mostly the same stuff, and is AUS$9/345ml, in a useful dispensing bottle. But from your results you might want to just keep on with metho.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another impressive 109 in your collection mate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Heck, that looks really good! Impressed with that instrument panel as well..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the nice comments guys!

Rest of the stickers are on, and for panel lines I did an acrylic sludge wash for a change (I usually use oil). I don't think it has made much of a difference really, oh well...

DSCF2515.jpg

Top coat over the decals looks a bit on the gloss side here, it's supposed to be more satin, but I think it's the strong light exaggerating the effect.

DSCF2516.jpg

Just the knock-offable bits to do, as well as a bit of chipping & weathering, and she should be done - although possibly not in time for Christmas!

Chris

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent Chris ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
×
×
  • Create New...