PlaStix Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 Hi Tony. I am glad you are making yours just ahead of me - you're providing loads of helpful advice which I am very grateful for - thank you. Have you got your build online anywhere? I know I'd find it useful and I'm sure others would too. It looks like your experience and modifications would benefit anyone making this kit. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmaci6 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 I should also mention that both Revell's and Humbrol's paints work best when thinned and applied in several thin coats rather than one coat with the paint neat. I use water to thin mine. I put a small amount of water on an old plate and then put some paint also on the plate, but not too near the water and then mix the paint with small amounts of water until I get a consistency I can work with. Unfortunately I cannot give any precise ratios as I do it more by trial and error. Again it would be worth practicing on something you aren't worried about before doing it on the actual Spitfire. Kind regards, Stix Do you apply thinned paint straight to the model? because i remember somewhere someone said you should either prime it first and then use thinned paint or use a thick non thinned coat and then use thinned coats is this true? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Progress this weekend - all in the cockpit areas. Airfix cockpit lower side walls - on the sprue: .........and now off the sprue: Airfix starboard fuselage inside: ....... And lower walls held in place with BluTack: All of the above is as provided by Airfix. Tamiya cockpit sides with additional detailing from the Eduard set for this kit: The oxygen bottle isn't provided by Tamiya so I made it from a bit of sprue - it still needs the harness making. I think, if I can find some good enough wire, that I may add some additional tubing and wiring to these to busy them up more. I also need to make the oxygen hoses in a similar way to the one I made for the Mk.IX I made recently - as seen here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234961927-eduard-148-mkixc-spitfire-as-flown-by-jerry-billing-on-7th-june-44-finished/?p=1668968 I also have some ideas for making other cockpit features using micro-strip. And finally a photo of the rest of the cockpit parts done so far. These should hopefully be combined with the above next weekend All comments and suggestions welcome. Kind regards, Stix Beautiful!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Kesterton Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 What a useful thread - thank you for taking the time to provide such detail. I have the old Airfix Vb and Eduard bits for that - tempted to just forget that one and buy the new Vb based on this thread (or build the old one as a "practice"). anthony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 (edited) Do you apply thinned paint straight to the model? because i remember somewhere someone said you should either prime it first and then use thinned paint or use a thick non thinned coat and then use thinned coats is this true? Hi tmaci6. I apply the thinned paint straight onto the model. I don't prime them first and I do know I might be unusual in this but, so far, I haven't had any issues. Sometimes if the paint is too thin it doesn't settle straight away onto the plastic surface but I usually either wipe it away quickly and/or remix the paint a little thicker and try again. I have to say the Humbrol paints I've used on the larger surfaces, so far, have been very good at going on straight away. I tend to use the Revell paints for more of the detailing stuff but again they have performed well. If you aren't certain you could prime first - if you don't have an airbrush I know you can buy aerosol primer and a lot of people like the primer from Halfords (although I think I've read some people have not had good results with it). I'm sure somebody with more experience with primer than me will offer advice. I did try brushing the Humbrol primer onto one kit but I didn't find it easy to use. As I mentioned above it really would be an idea to try out painting/priming on something you are not worried about spoiling - before I made the more expensive Eduard Mk.IX Spitfire I worked my way through three 1/72 Spitfires and one Revell 1/48 one just to make sure I didn't spoil the more expensive kit! - And I thoroughly enjoyed making them too but I think I've become a bit addicted to Spitfires in the process! Hope it goes well! Beautiful!!! That made me smile - thank you! What a useful thread - thank you for taking the time to provide such detail. I have the old Airfix Vb and Eduard bits for that - tempted to just forget that one and buy the new Vb based on this thread (or build the old one as a "practice"). anthony Hi Anthony, thank you for stopping by. I must admit, as I mentioned above, I did practice on a few kits before I got to the one I knew I wanted to be as good as it could be. Having said that the detail in this new Airfix version is very good. Whichever you go for are you going to do a WIP? - I'd certainly be interested in following. SATURDAY TOMORROW!! Kit building! Kind regards, Stix Edited November 14, 2014 by PlaStix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 SATURDAY TOMORROW!! Kit building! C'mon Stix, hold yourself! No, wait ... tomorrow is Saturday! Kit building, me too! Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbell Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Hi Stix Wow, I didn't realize you've been brush painting everything. Honestly, I never would have known. Obviously the Revell and Humbrol acrylics are working out well for you, but you also might look into Vallejo as well. I've found that they brush beautifully. Armour and figure modellers use them all the time with great results. Yet another potential tool in the box... I haven't been posting my build anywhere as I'm going to be writing it up for Military Illustrated Modeller magazine but if you don't mind, I'll post any potential stumbling blocks and/or fixes that I run across in your thread here. Cheers, Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted November 14, 2014 Author Share Posted November 14, 2014 Hi Tony. Yes all my kits are brush painted except for the final coat of varnish for which I usually use Humbrol rattle cans. On the Revell fire engine I made a while back I did use Humbrol rattle cans for the larger gloss areas. I currently don't have the money to be able to afford an airbrush and I don't have anywhere I could use it anyway. When I do the rattle can varnishing it's usually in the rather small shed we have or in the garden if the weather is okay. I have heard Vallejo paints are supposed to be good.- I shall take a look - thank you. Let me know when your article for Military Illustrated Modeller magazine is available and I will look out for a copy. And I certainly don't mind you posting any of your stumbling blocks/fixes in this thread - it's all useful stuff and I think that others looking in are finding it very useful to have your's and others' hints and tips all in one place. Thank you again. Kind regards, Stix 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Kiker Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 This is for Tony regarding the shimming, When you described adding shims at the rear end of the cowling and at the rear end of the saddle (for the internal armored windscreen), I am a little unclear. Are you adding these shims around the edges of the pieces in order to lenghten them, or are you adding a wedge, especially on the cowling, in order to make it wider? Thanks, Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Hi Stix, I don't always use primer either, especially with a well fitting kit, but when I do I invariable use Halfords plastic primer which I've not had any problems with. Why not Friday evening? John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 Hi Stix, I don't always use primer either, especially with a well fitting kit, but when I do I invariable use Halfords plastic primer which I've not had any problems with. Why not Friday evening? John Why not Friday evening? Is that not beer time?? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theanorak73 Posted November 14, 2014 Share Posted November 14, 2014 loving the thread. just working on a couple of the new Airfix Vb's and i've got to say im not a fan of the "cock-pit tub" way of doing things. i think its a little over engineered and unnecessarily fiddly. much prefer the method of slipping the bulkheads into the fuselage from below like in the other new Airfix Spits also not keen on the new undercarriage fixing. apart from this it's a very nice kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 ...but I think I've become a bit addicted to Spitfires in the process! Nowt wrong with that! bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) Hi Stix, I don't always use primer either, especially with a well fitting kit, but when I do I invariable use Halfords plastic primer which I've not had any problems with. Why not Friday evening? John Hi John. Thank you for your comments regarding Halfords primer. It's the one I've read that a lot of people like using - I think I have also read somewhere that there have been occasions when it's not worked as people would have liked it to but that's the same with anything. There will always be a duff one once in a while.Why not Friday evening! Good question - Unfortunately I often don't get home until late from work (I travel by buses and trains - need I say more?!) and I also don't have a dedicated modelling space - I use a corner of our kitchen counter and the kitchen is usually in use in the evening for cooking tea. Hey ho. loving the thread. just working on a couple of the new Airfix Vb's and i've got to say im not a fan of the "cock-pit tub" way of doing things. i think its a little over engineered and unnecessarily fiddly. much prefer the method of slipping the bulkheads into the fuselage from below like in the other new Airfix Spits also not keen on the new undercarriage fixing. apart from this it's a very nice kit. Thank you. I haven't got as far as properly trying anything with the tub itself yet but I can see what you mean. This is my first so there could be interesting times ahead. Tony has already advised me about a couple of issues. Nowt wrong with that! bob Absolutely! ........ I think........I actually managed to get a few bits and pieces done this morning. First off I assembled the pedals for both and, after attaching a cable down the back of the Airfix control column, I glued both columns in place. I then took a couple of photos to compare the two setups so far - Airfix on the left: Then I started work on the oxygen hoses for both. I used the same method I learnt from Marek that I used on the Eduard Mk.IX using 5 and 15amp fuse wire. You can see how old the 15amp is as it came from Woolworths: The method involves winding the 5amp wire around the 15amp - partly done: One done and the ends have been given a touch of CA glue to keep everything in place: Both done: Bent roughly to shape to fit each cockpit - Tamiya version at the top: And finally painting, wash and dry-brushing done: The other things I got made were the red, emergency undercarriage retraction levers which I made from micro-strip plastic - Tamiya: Airfix: Just after I'd taken the last photo I was trying to take another slightly closer photo when I realised the lever wasn't there anymore! I have no idea what happened to it! I know what the first job is tomorrow! Going to do the extra bits of detailing tomorrow too. Comments and suggestions welcome. Kind regards, Stix Edited November 15, 2014 by PlaStix 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Ah, the magically disappearing lever trick. Happens to me all the time. Memsahib blames it on dementia - I only thought I made the lever to begin with. I usually win that argument when I find the lever several months after the completion of the kit, laying right on my workbench in plain sight. Cheers, Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Just had a large glass of wine so I may be slightly unfocused but isn't the photo with the lever of the Tamiya kit and the other one the Airfix kit, so all may not be lost ( well at least not the lever ). Keep calm and carry on John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted November 15, 2014 Share Posted November 15, 2014 Just had a large glass of wine so I may be slightly unfocused but isn't the photo with the lever of the Tamiya kit and the other one the Airfix kit, so all may not be lost ( well at least not the lever ). Keep calm and carry on John I'm glad you said that - I thought I was seeing things that weren't there!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted November 15, 2014 Author Share Posted November 15, 2014 (edited) Ah, the magically disappearing lever trick. Happens to me all the time. Memsahib blames it on dementia - I only thought I made the lever to begin with. I usually win that argument when I find the lever several months after the completion of the kit, laying right on my workbench in plain sight. Cheers, Bill Mrs PlaStix even took a look around where I do the kit building and couldn't find it - she did, however, find one of the rockets I lost for my D-Day Typhoon! The lever is probably too small to turn up ever again. Just had a large glass of wine so I may be slightly unfocused but isn't the photo with the lever of the Tamiya kit and the other one the Airfix kit, so all may not be lost ( well at least not the lever ). Keep calm and carry on John I'm glad you said that - I thought I was seeing things that weren't there!! Now look here you two! - I haven't been drinking and you two have got me properly confused! I've been back over what I wrote and checked the labelling for the photos and it all seems correct.I think the confusion is (and you can correct me if I'm wrong) that I said I had taken the last photo seen and was about to take another one closer in, but realised that that since taking the last photo I had managed to lose the lever - not that I'd taken a photo of the side with the lever missing. And it hasn't been found yet! Now I need a drink! Kind regards, Stix Edited November 15, 2014 by PlaStix 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Don't blame it on the sunshine Dont blame it on the moonlight Don't blame it on the good times Blame it on the boose!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbell Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 This is for Tony regarding the shimming, When you described adding shims at the rear end of the cowling and at the rear end of the saddle (for the internal armored windscreen), I am a little unclear. Are you adding these shims around the edges of the pieces in order to lenghten them, or are you adding a wedge, especially on the cowling, in order to make it wider? Thanks, Jim Hi Jim,It's both; 0.015" wedge here: ...and 0.010" to lengthen here: The aft edge of the saddle also had to be forced inward, as it was too wide by almost a full mm. I had to glue the piece on in stages, working from front to back and forcing the sides in so that they were flush with the fuselage. Hope this helps! Cheers, Tony 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 OK it was the wine induced blurring of the mental processes! I'm unconfused now. I like the way you dealt with the cowling/saddle problem, I can't believe you had n't had a drink by 9:14PM on a Saturday night though. Cheers John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geedubelyer Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 Sharp work Stix. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted November 16, 2014 Author Share Posted November 16, 2014 (edited) Cheers Wimbledon and John! Drunken singing as well - excellent! Yes I don't know why I wasn't drinking! And John are you sure you're not still drinking? - The saddle solution was Tony's not mine - I'm not that far yet. Thank you Tony for more helpful advice. Hi geedubelyer - thank you for dropping in and your comment. Not had as much time to work on these as I'd hoped today. And can I apologise (especially to anyone who is looking in regularly) for my slow progress on these two. I know I'm not the quickest of modellers anyway, but this project seems to be slower than even my norm! It doesn't help that I only really get chance to do any kit building early on weekend mornings. Anyway - First job this morning was to make a replacement for the red lever lost yesterday - it looks pretty much the same as the lost one so I haven't bothered taking a separate photo. Next up I replicated the IFF unit for the Tamiya cockpit wall basing it on the one provided on the Airfix wall. I used micro-strip and rod. I also fitted one cable and still need to add a few more. Finally for the Tamiya wall this morning I cut and spent far too long fitting the oxygen hose. Sorry about the variable quality of the photos from this morning but the light in our kitchen wasn't particularly good first thing - a very dull day around here! I thought someone might be interested in seeing the Tamiya starboard cockpit sides alongside the Airfix lower wall - Tamiya at the top: And for the sake of balance the port cockpit sides - this time the Airfix one is above: Next I test fitted the seat bulkhead and pedal/control column unit on the Tamiya starboard side: And then on the port side: I next glued the Tamiya IP frame in place: Slightly closer photo shows the Eduard IP panel: ........and then repeated the test fitting on the sides - starboard: Port: Seems like a reasonable fit so far although I'm a bit concerned about the height of the seat frame top - it looks to me like it might foul the rear fixed canopy section if I'm not careful. I will do some more test fitting before doing any major gluing together. And that's where my time working on this ran out. Oh well only five days to wait. Comments and suggestions welcome. Kind regards, Stix Edited November 16, 2014 by PlaStix 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck63 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 (edited) Clean and sharp work!Aces bud CheersManu Edited November 16, 2014 by Canuck63 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted November 16, 2014 Share Posted November 16, 2014 I think I'll just change my name to Confused87 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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