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Hello all!

Casemate UK are sponsoring a group build on britmodeller and we distribute loads of modelling books (Kagero's etc), but do we really know what is involved in the art of creating and building these model kits?
I decided that it was definitely time to give it a go and *attempt to* build my very first model!

:newb:

I have bought a 1:72 Scale Lancaster B.III Dambusters kit from Revell and will be posting my progress on here.

Please feel free to let me know any hints or tips and feel free to tell me off for any blinding blunders and modelling faux-pas that I'm making - all advice will be needed and welcome!

- Casemate UK
(Andy)

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Well I don't know how many tips I'll be able to offer, but I got started a little last night and put on my very first decal! Was more excited than I probably should have been!

IMG_20150228_222401209.jpg

I may have been over excited and placed the decal prior to painting... I think patience may be something I'll have to learn quickly! :oops:

Wasn't the neatest fit onto the plastic, but I think it looks good!

Small start but it is underway! Hoping to get a little bit done every night or every other if not!


Cheers!
Andy

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What ever you do with it it can't be as bad as my first attempt at a model. I think I'd put too much glue on the undercarridge so the glue never set plus you couldn't see the cockpit through the canopy with the amount of glue I used there.

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What ever you do with it it can't be as bad as my first attempt at a model. I think I'd put too much glue on the undercarridge so the glue never set plus you couldn't see the cockpit through the canopy with the amount of glue I used there.

I'm already terrified of handling the clear plastic for the glass! I can imagine the fingerprints glued onto it already!

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Thanks for posting this. Takes a brave person to post their first ever build.

Ask questions and check the build threads here for your kit. Knowledge and practice will make for an easier path.

All the best on your build.

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Try something like Humbrol clearfix. Although I've had some luck with Tamiya extra thin I just place the canopy in place and let a very small bead run along where paint would be.

Edited by logical
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For the canopy (when you get there) just use white glue, then any mistakes can be fixed easily.

K

Try something like Humbrol clearfix. Although I've had some luck with Tamiya extra thin I just place the canopy in place and let a very small bead run along where paint would be.

Cheers for the tips guys, will let you know how it goes when I get there!

Should be doing some more tonight!

Andy

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Hello all!

Have a few more images - slow and steady progress! I think it is coming along nicely - it's much bigger than what I was expecting!

IMG_20150301_215748575-Copy.jpg

The colour wasn't really that fluorescent - I swear! Put a nicer coat on top of this too!

IMG_20150308_141147191-Copy.jpg

This was fun - felt like it was coming together quickly at this point!

IMG_20150308_145553661-Copy.jpg

IMG_20150308_145602448-Copy.jpg

IMG_20150308_145620102-Copy.jpg

This is where we are up to now! I am pretty happy with it so far! Had to put some clear pieces in as the windows on the fuselage which was a little daunting but they all went in fine.
I wasn't sure about when is best to paint the main body and wings of the plane? Has assumed I should do it before putting together, but the instructions seem to suggest doing it at the end? Thoughts?

Let me know what you guys think!

Andy

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I wasn't sure about when is best to paint the main body and wings of the plane? Has assumed I should do it before putting together, but the instructions seem to suggest doing it at the end? Thoughts?

Let me know what you guys think!

Andy

The Lancaster camo pattern lends itself well to painting the (otherwise completed) fuselage and wing assemblies seperately- and then joing them all together after painting. This method helps you get a perfectly crisp demarcation between the black fuselage sides and the camo pattern on the wings without masking it off. Alternatively, if you're brush painting and you're careful- you can paint the whole airframe after assembly- you'll just need to be careful to make sure no camouflage colours stray on to the black fuselage sides.

By the way- there's a good lesson right there- model kit instructions will usually tell you what needs gluing to what, but often they don't tell you the best or most logical order in which to do it! Doubly so when it comes to when to start painting the various sub-assemblies.

cheers,

Will

Edited by Killingholme
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The Lancaster camo pattern lends itself well to painting the (otherwise completed) fuselage and wing assemblies seperately- and then joing them all together after painting. This method helps you get a perfectly crisp demarcation between the black fuselage sides and the camo pattern on the wings without masking it off. Alternatively, if you're brush painting and you're careful- you can paint the whole airframe after assembly- you'll just need to be careful to make sure no camouflage colours stray on to the black fuselage sides.

By the way- there's a good lesson right there- model kit instructions will usually tell you what needs gluing to what, but often they don't tell you the best or most logical order in which to do it! Doubly so when it comes to when to start painting the various sub-assemblies.

cheers,

Will

Oh dear... First kit blunder! I'm surprised it took this long. I am painting it with a brush, though so hopefully I can just go really carefully from now on!

Will have a hunt for some nice reference pics to use for the painting too since I'm no longer trusting my instructions!

Do you recommend painting all pieces prior to taking them out the plastic grids and gluing together? Is this a debated topic?

Thanks for the advice Will!

Andy

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Oh dear... First kit blunder! I'm surprised it took this long. I am painting it with a brush, though so hopefully I can just go really carefully from now on!

Will have a hunt for some nice reference pics to use for the painting too since I'm no longer trusting my instructions!

Do you recommend painting all pieces prior to taking them out the plastic grids and gluing together? Is this a debated topic?

Thanks for the advice Will!Andy

Small parts I paint on the sprue. Then just a touch up where they were detached.

I've glued the wings onto my Lanc before painting too. So you're not alone.

Out of interest how did you do those seat belts? We're they in the kit?

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I wouldn't say blunder! Just suggesting one possible approach of many! I admit the last time I built a Lancaster I actually glued everything together and then painted it all at the end- I used masking tape to keep the paint edges nice and neat.

As far as I'm aware, the Revell painting diagrams are accurate.

I don't usually paint parts on the frame (referred to by modellers as a 'sprue') because you are inevitably left with a small unpainted area where the part attaches to the frame. If they're tiny and need to be painted before they are attached to the model, I usually cut the parts off the sprue and attach them to cocktail sticks or modified clothes pegs to use as handles whilst painting them. That way the 'attachment point' can be somewhere it won't show when the part is glued in place. That method saves me time, but hey, there's not much in it.

Certainly, there's no 'correct' way to assemble a model kit!

Will

Edited by Killingholme
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Hi Andy,

Sorry, just caught up with your build. I built one of these in 2012. Depends how accurate you want to be, but worth reading through this to understand some of the issues with the Revell kit so you can make your choices :)

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234931795-dambuster-aj-z-zebra-revell-172-finished-at-last/

The wing dihedral can be corrected by cutting the lower surface and inserting some plasticard to 'push' it up, quite an easy correction.

You're not hanging around there, great progress :)

Neil

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I never paint straight onto the plastic, I always spray primer first.

Halfords sell some great grey primer .You might want to try some.

They also sell it in Matt black so you would only need the green + Brown

for the top.

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Looks like you're off to a good start. I shall follow your progress with interest and there will be lots of people on here to offer advice. Good luck!

Kind regards,

Stix

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  • 2 weeks later...

Morning all!

It has been pretty busy here at Casemate UK so sadly I haven't had much chance the past week to get any modelling done, but last night I picked up the plastic again!

Put together a couple of engine pieces

IMG_20150323_215046.jpg

and then these bits I found to be tricky since they didn't fit or slot together

IMG_20150323_221952.jpg

Slow progress, but progress none-the-less! I decided to try painting on the sprue for these smaller bits and then touching up once I had removed them - this was obviously a little more time consuming but I think made it a bit easier for me and saved me worrying about steady hands when painting!

Hopefully will be able to get a little more done soon!

- Andy

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  • 4 months later...

Hi all!

Sincere apologies for the radio silence on my part for posting progress. I must admit I got pretty frustrated with the kit after the engine pieces didn't fit together and broke apart for the millionth time so I had my half finished kit sat on the side for the past months.

However. Last week I thought it was time to get back in the saddle and give it another shot...

Photos coming imminently...


- Andy

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