Another Revell (ICM) 1/48 Mk.XVI Spitfire - All Finished

[PlaStix]

Guess this bank holiday turned out in a very productive day!

It certainly did giemme! Thank you.

Congratulations, you will have far less gap filling and sanding to do than i had.

It's a nice trick to glue the upper parts of the wings before the lower parts.

Hi Pascal,

It's a nice trick I learnt here on BM. I realised early on, when I came back to making planes after many, many years, that it's one of the most noticeable areas of a plane kit once it's together. Luckily the two Airfix 1/72 Spitfires were a very good fit all round but a few people mentioned how poor the Italeri Mk.IX was and a few people suggested attaching the upper wings first. And it worked out well.

I got some of the filling done this evening but didn't take any photos.

I hope you both have a pleasant evening.

Kind regards,

Stix

[PlaStix]

Only a brief update:

Not had much time over the last few days so in between applying filler, waiting for it to dry and sanding down I decided to work on some of the other parts. I've painted the insides of the engine covers with Revell's Aluminium and worked on the undercarriage.

Fuse wire and plastic rod added for more detail:

The filler on the worst join area after being smoothed down - still needs more work:

I've just about finished filling/sanding other areas and will then give them a coat of primer before starting some pre-shading.

Kind regards,

Stix

[Dreamcatcher]

Hello !

Congratulations once again Stix, really neat work !

What is the filler you use please ? this white putty seems far better than my grey Tamyia "Classic putty".

Have a nice day !

Kind regards

Pascal

[PlaStix]

Hi Pascal,

Hope you are well.

Thank you.

The putty I've been using is Squadron Products Fast Drying White Putty.

It comes in a tube and I usually squeeze a small amount out onto a plate and then apply it with something small, often a micro screwdriver! It can be smoothed out reasonably well there and then with the tool but, like the name says, it does dry fast - hence why I only squeeze out a small amount at a time - I often get back to the plate to find the bit I've put out has set!

It does smooth down well with fine wet'n'dry.

I hope you have a good day too!

Kind regards,

Stix

[PlaStix]

Filler on, smoothed down and painted with thinned primer. A couple of places still need some sanding but I'll start the pre-shading next.

The poor wing root joint starting to look better:

Kind regards,

Stix

[giemme]

Terrific job with that joint, now it looks right. What kind of primer do you use? And I assume you've airbrushed it, right?

Cheers

[PlaStix]

Hi giemme,

Thanks for the comment. I think I may have misled everyone a bit - I should have said I hand painted primer but only on the bits where I've put the filler - not all over. Yeah it would have been a good finish for hand brushing if it had been all over the kit!!

So the areas where I had to apply filler have now been smoothed down and a final coat of thinned primer applied to just those areas again. I have now started doing the panel line pre-shading. Photos to follow later.

Kind regards,

Stix

[giemme]

So the areas where I had to apply filler have now been smoothed down and a final coat of thinned primer applied to just those areas again. I have now started doing the panel line pre-shading. Photos to follow later.

Forgive me if I bother, but I'm not sure I got this right: you mean you're doing the pre-shading without spraying primer all over the model? Or that, in the meantime, you've already sprayed the primer? The reason I ask is that I'm just curious about any alternative way to put primer on, I mainly use the Tamiya grey or white out of the rattle can with all related flow control problems

Cheers

[PlaStix]

No problem. I don't use primer on my kits, apart from over the filler. I do the pre-shading straight onto the kit and then I will do the painting straight over that. Perhaps it's because I paint using brushes and acrylic paints rather than using an air-brush that I perhaps don't have to many problems with the painted finish. If you want you could check out my finished kits in the links in my signature and the bottom of this post.

Kind regards,

Stix

[giemme]

Ok, now I understand. I already had a (perhaps too quick) look at your models, but I took them for airbrushed! Well, you're really good with a brush

[rwoolven76]

Stix, your lack of primer surprises me. As a fellow brush painter I prime my models because my paint is so thin when I brush it. I realise spraying from a can is cheating really, but the consistent finish the primer gives is quite handy for getting the shading to work too, I found with the He-111.

The airfix mustang is just falling together. I swear to God that it wasn't injection moulded, but made whole and then cut up like a jigsaw, the fit is so good.

Will be painting time soon so we'll see how the whole brushed NMF comes out. Anyway, didn't mean to hijack your thread. It's all looking brilliant. Love the gun ports especially.

Keep up the good work mate.

Richard

[Miggers]

Good stuff Stix.

That's about the same gaps that I had on mine around it's wing roots,filled with a mix of

superglue and bi-carbonate of soda(baking powder).

Here's what you and Pascal need for drilling small holes:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tiny-Very-Small-Micro-HSS-Twist-Drill-Bit-Set-0-3mm-1-6mm-Model-Craft-NEW-UK-/111003382143?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item19d851317f

This is the set that I have and at £3.48(about 4 Euro for Pascal)with free postage(same for Pascal),

I think great value.

Right,off to Pascal's thread to have a shufty at his.

[PlaStix]

Ok, now I understand. I already had a (perhaps too quick) look at your models, but I took them for airbrushed! Well, you're really good with a brush

Thanks giemme. At the moment, for a variety of reasons, I'm going to stick with brush painting. I think this 1/48 kit could be the one to put my painting to the test - up until now I've been doing 1/72 planes where there isn't as much area to cover.

Richard - when I read others' posts I do realise I'm probably in the minority in not using primer (apart from over filler). As yet, and I'm probably going to regret saying this, I haven't had any issues with the paint finish I'm trying to achieve....................all the paint will fall off this time now I've said that! I did have a practice go at hand painting some Humbrol primer all over the 1/144 Revell Spitfire I made recently but I don't think I spent enough time applying it correctly and so I wasn't awfully impressed with the finish. I have used rattle can paint before but I'm always concerned that it's so quick for something to go wrong, whereas with brush painting I feel more in control. Having said that I usually risk giving my finished kits a coat of rattle can varnish. At some point I'm sure I will get an airbrush and will try all the correct procedures to get a good finish.

Thank you for your comment.

Miggers - thank you. That set looks very good. I have something similar that I used for for the holes I drilled.

Another small update:

I managed to get the pre-shading done - I used Revell Anthracite, thinned with water this time. It needs a bit of softening with some fine wet'n'dry but hopefully I'll be onto painting tomorrow.

Thank you for looking.

Kind regards,

Stix

[Wolwe82]

Nice work stix, realy nice, keep up that great job

a bit OT - whats the wet´n ´dry? i can read about it all the time around on BM. I could guess its something for "sandpapering"?

[Pawel Szczudlyk]

Tour preshade looks great i still have a problem to draw straight line even when im sober

[Wolwe82]

no worry sdk, for the preshading you dont have to make straight lines at all some variability or even missing a bit here and there only adds a bit of reality touch to the finish

[Dreamcatcher]

Tour preshade looks great i still have a problem to draw straight line even when im sober

The same here !

I shall use a kind of guide if i want to be able to draw a rather straight line.... very very nice job, Stix you are a real Brush Master !

(Thx a lot for the answer about the putty - And Thx too to Miggers for the HSS drill link !)

kind regards

Pascal

Edited May 31, 2014 by Dreamcatcher

[PlaStix]

Hi Wolwe82 and sdk_uk,

Thank you for your comments.

Wolwe - wet'n'dry is Wet and Dry paper. Rather than me try and explain:

This is the packet I buy from a DIY store:

This is a sample of some of the actual sheets:

Now don't laugh....... these are the two pieces I currently use:

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The piece on the left is still slightly abrasive, the piece on the right would probably count as just a piece of paper by now, but it gives a very fine finish.

sdk_uk

I agree with wolwe82. The lines don't need to be straight. Most people paint them with an airbrush and they look better if they're not regimented. I just happen to use hairy stick and end up painting reasonably straight lines - I do try and randomise them a bit!

Anyway - this morning I got the underside painted. I ended up using a satin finish paint as it was the closest match to the colour I wanted:

Painting the upper side is next.

Hope you have a good Saturday.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited May 31, 2014 by PlaStix

[PlaStix]

Hi Pascal,

Your post appeared while I was replying to Wolwe82 and sdk_uk.

Thank you for your too kind comments. I'm still learning how to paint like this! The first time I tried was on the last three 1/72 Spitfires. I'm still not sure each time I come to each coat! I just put a small amount of paint on the plate, add some water, mix it a bit and the go for it. I have started using a flat brush on the last two Kits following some advice here on BM. As I mentioned above, I'm going to paint the upper sides next but I'm not sure whether to put the front part of the canopy on first so I can blend it the paint in around it. I did do the latter on my previous Spitfires.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited May 31, 2014 by PlaStix

[Dreamcatcher]

i'm currently asking me the same question aboute the front part canopy...

On my spitfire Mk XVI It seems it will need some putty between the fuselage and this part too...

I hesitate...

Kind regards and keep up the good job !

[PlaStix]

Hi Pascal,

Yeah I checked the fit of the front canopy part - it's not a good and I cannot see why!! Weird!

So I decided to paint the upper side with the Humbrol Ocean Grey coat before I attach the front part of the canopy, which I will then do the filling around before painting the Dark Green.

This is what it looks like after a few coats of the grey:

Hope you have a pleasant evening.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited May 31, 2014 by PlaStix

[Dreamcatcher]

Pleasant evening indeed with a very nice rugby match for the french championship final (Toulon vs Castres) and Toulon won the match :-)

This afternoon i painted a new preshading and sprayed a new light grey coat on the plane's bottom.

The front part canopy is also on the plane now (i have to play with putty once again...)

I will post some pictures tomorrow.

Your painting job is very nice. I am admirative ...

Congratulations !!!

Good night !

Pascal

[PlaStix]

Hi Pascal,

Hope you are well and glad you had a good evening and your team won!

Like you I decided to glue the front part of the canopy on but first of all I painted and installed the gun sight:

This photo shows the front part in place and you can see the gaps that need filling.

I started doing the filling using thinned PVA and while it was drying I decided to get the prop and spinner painted and assembled:

I hope your kit is coming along well and that you have a good Sunday.

Kind regards,

Stix

[PlaStix]

Last update for today and possibly the next week.

I managed to get the filling sorted around the canopy front and decided it was time to get the green camouflage on. I decided to stick with the green I'd used on my other Spitfires - Humbrol US Dark Green no.116:

There's still some tidying up I need to do around the canopy itself and in a couple of other places around the gun bays, etc. but I was glad to get this stage done!

..........and finally, for this weekend, I thought I'd include a photo of all the parts I've done some work on so far with this kit:

Next up I think I need to get some yellow paint on the front edges of the wings and then it will be time to give everything a coat of Pledge before I start applying the decals.

Thank you for looking - comments and suggestions welcome.

Kind regards,

Stix

[Dreamcatcher]

Hi Stix,

I'm doing good, thank you !

This morning i fought against my Italeri paintings and my airbrush but after 3 hours of torture, i I managed to repaint my plane

Your Spitfire looks more and more beautifull Stix !

You worked a lot this week end She looks like more and more a wonderfull Spitfire

I stay tuned !

(Just a thought : I hope you have not stick the spinner with his back plate... Unless the propeller + spinner will be stuck on the axis of rotation, otherwise i don't see how to stick the part A18 that allows the prop to be fixed on the plane and free to turn)