matthew9447 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 (edited) Hello fellow enthusiasts! Today(well, actually a few days ago) I started on the DHC Chipmunk as my 1st kit! Ive been reading and learning a whole lot on the net before gathering enough courage to start on an actual kit, and I had no idea why I was so scared before of messing up a kit! airfix really is a great brand to start the journey of modeling with! After I got started I was having so much fun I literally had to force myself away from the modeling table to start on my homework xD Oh yes, regarding my age, from what Ive seen around here, I gather I would be near, if not the youngest on this forum at 15 years old(turning 16 this december! woohoo! wonder if i can get another kit as a present ^^). Anyways, enough with the self introduction and on with the build. I started by painting the figures, seats, and masking the canopy(seriously, does anyone like doing this? has got to be the low point of modeling xD, wonder how im going to survive when I build a zero). I then painted various other small parts and joined the fuse and wing! and thats where I left off for today! Sorry about the sloppy arrangement of the photos, hontou ni gomenasai(If anyone is learning japanese or knows japanese remember to contact me, im lacking japanese friends right now xD)I had to get inside the code of flickr to actually find the URL to the image itself instead of the webpage. I didnt really bother to find the right size though, looking inside the code is time consuming enough xD Also, how do you guys get the insane level of detail?! I thought my eyes were great until I tried to paint the figure's face and goggles ∑(O_O；) Edited November 12, 2014 by matthew9447 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckb1 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Good start, for some weird reason I enjoy the masking process, as for painting in mirco detail, I use my trusty magnifying glasses and my glasses and a very steady hand.Wait until you progress on to using etch then the patience really gets tested!! Looking good on the Chipmunk sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwaterous Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Welcome to the hobby! I was about the same age when I started into the hobby, although my first build certainly didn't look this good. About the detail, many people use an optivisor, or something similar to see the parts better. The chipmunk is looking good, I look forward to seeing more progress on it. K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Welcome to the Forum... and to the hobby. The Chipmunk is a grand introduction kit... do not be over awed by some of the builds you see on here, there are quite a few exceptionally talented modellers out there but they all started with one kit... just have fun with your builds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightning 17 Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I've been 16 for about 2 months, it's good to find another young person who enjoys modelling! Great start on the Chipmunk! Simon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 I've been 16 for 30 years now... and I don't plan to stop any time soon. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew9447 Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Hehe, thanks all for the encouragement! I knew this community was full of a bunch of nice and entertaining people (^～^) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew9447 Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 I have a question though, to get rid of all sanding dust, is it safe to dip the model in water after the paint has dried? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 not sure what you mean... why would it have sanding dust after painting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew9447 Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 The cockpit is the only thing painted right now, I just sanded down the seams, but some dust got inside and in some small indents, so i was wondering if the paint would be safe if I washed the dust out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwaterous Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 It depends on whether you're using acrylics or enamels. Some acrylics could be harmed by the water, but I think enamels will be ok. I've never tried it, so I'd wait for somebody more knowledgeable than me to explain it Another alternative might be to use an air compressor of some kind to blow the dust out. K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew9447 Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Yup, using acrylics so kindof afraid of water here. I blew on it to get most of the dust out so it should be fine. anyways, since theyre such fine grains I dont think a few will even show up if i paint over it. thnx! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomjw Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Welcome, and a great start to your Chippie. To avoid dust getting into the cockpit next time, you may want to consider covering the hole with masking tape, or cutting a sponge to the correct size to plug the top of the cockpit. Keep up the good work and keep posting. Cheers, Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew9447 Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Thanks for the advise! I found a testors clear parts cement/window maker that was left over from who knows when, but it seems to still be usable. I tried going about the net but couldnt really find much info on it. Can I use this for gluing the canopy? whats the difference between using this vs the testors plastic cement that i use to glue normal parts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gelfin Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Welcome to the forum, great start of a great little plane. Take your time, be patient with yourself and most of all enjoy every minute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew9447 Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Here brings us to the end of day 2, I actually mated the fuse and the elevator/wings yesterday, and started filling in the gaps today. 1st time using squadron's white putty, and I have to say, its pretty easy to use and I like it alot! Wondering how to take care of the prop since ill have to glue it on before painting, but ive already put down the 1st coat of semigloss black...prob will just mask it Finally starting to look like a plane ^^ You can see some of the filler if you look closely at the wing roots: Some of the painted small parts: Canopy is on! Now I plan to put on the primer via spray can(hopefully by tomorrow), and then go onto the final coat of semigloss black(1/3 thinner 2/3 paint is what tamiya said, But I think this is for airbrushing. Considering that, should I thin at all?). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwaterous Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 I looks like you've gotten a good join on the canopy. The reason that there is special cement for clear parts is because normal plastic glue can sometimes fog the clear parts. I wish you luck brush painting Tamiya acrylics, I've never had much success with it, but then I've only tried once. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to the next update K Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winenut Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Welcome aboard young man. Great start on a great kit! Good luck with the rest of the build.......I bet you show up a few of us old timers! Cheers Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MolarDoc Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Hi, Already looking good with a fairly basic and tough Aifix kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 With Acrylics, it would be safe to wash them once the paint has dried. It is not the pigment that is water soluble, but the medium the pigment is carried in. Once dried the water soluble medium has gone. Be sure to leave the paint for a day or two before washing though. If you're not sure you believe me, the Type 45 destroyers were the first ships to use an acrylic paint, and these live in water with no ill effects. Good luck with the model, and if you want to expand I would recommend joining a local club, and if possible go to a model show. People behind the tables are usually willing to give their time to help people out, especially the younger generation. (I've been nearly 16 for 44 years now). Ted 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Hi and welcome to the hobby Before you spray the primer coat you may want to paint the canopy first with the interior colour so that it shows up the correct shade and not primer colour. You can then over paint with the primer and then the outside colour. Good work on the Chippy so far Roger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
depressed lemur Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Looking good so far. I built this not so long ago and IIRC the propeller fits into the nose section. As you are brush painting, why not paint the nose piece separately and then you can apply the propeller and glue the assembly to the fuselage after that. The fit was very good on mine, and possibly the only place where I didn't use filler. That way you can leave the prop off till the end to avoid damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Telboy1999 Posted October 30, 2014 Share Posted October 30, 2014 Welcome to the hobby and to the forums! You've made a great start on that kit and I'm sure you'll keep on learning - I'm still learning at the advanced age of...whatever. Someone else mentioned an optivisor or something like that for small parts and I can endorse that, it's really helpful. And no, nobody enjoys masking canopies, least of all me, but it's worth it for the result. When I brush with Tamiya acrylics I always use thinners, but not a lot. It does help to prevent the paint turning into porridge and helps reduce brush marks IMHO. Keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew9447 Posted October 30, 2014 Author Share Posted October 30, 2014 Haha, thanks! The brief insight into the Type 45 destroyers is really interesting! I have an uncontrollable attraction towards anything that has to do with warships or aviation. Have a revell 1:1200 Enterprise in my stack too(look at me, not done with my 1st model, yet already have a huge stack xD), I hope to have a go at that once I acquire some bluetac from the mom. I guess mom could also be referred to as SWMBO? xD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew9447 Posted October 31, 2014 Author Share Posted October 31, 2014 A small update. Also, might I ask what ratio telboy1999 thin the paint as? Im thinking of 20%-25% Thinner and 75-80% paint, since the paint is already quite thin by itself. Aggh! i already put on the primer! oh well, I guess I can live with grey window frames. But I will remember to do that next time! Onto the build:Primer and prop on! I wanted the prop to spin, so I put it on first before attaching the nose, but in the end i put too much glue and now its stuck in place. So all for nothing I guess. I hope the mask works out xD Couldnt get much more than that done today, had a doctors appointment which lasted forever and i was impaled twice T-T 1st didnt hurt but the 2nd one always hurts.つ づく(To be continued) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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