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'Memphis Belle' B-17f Revell 1/72 (Pic heavy)


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Nigel, PLEASE don' t encourage Ced to get his tools out in public. I doubt he needs much persuasion ;)

I know I should not encourage this - honestly I am not responsible for any collateral damage that might result. CedB, please put your tools away, innocents might be hurt.

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Morning!

Molding Flash Sanders: Clever tool - much safer than a blade (in terms of nicking the plastic, not me) and easier than sanding sticks or files. I found them on BM here. The first post is a link to a YouTube demo video. My posts on ordering details here. Hobby Elements is a one-man company founded by Vincent, a keen modeller, to solve his problems. His products are great but his sales and marketing could do with some improvement! He has another set of products, video here, but I haven't looked for reviews (yet!)

Thanks Nigel for the warning on pre-painted parts and I'll share any problems, of course.

Jamie I agree that Revell's colour instructions could be much better. I guess they're promoting their own paint brand but, with a limited range, they have to mix colours a lot and this makes finding the right colour from your stash / favourite brand difficult, as you say.

For example and help please (all ideas welcome) Belle's undersides are "75% stone grey (R75) + 25% white (R5)" - what the heck is that called? 'Light Stone Grey'? I have no idea if I have anything suitable in my stash, or whether I need to buy something (and it won't be two pots of Revell to mix!)

Jamie thanks also for the tips on painting your parts*. I see that this would make things easier but "glue them to a toothpick with super-glue" sounds scary - how do you get them off again? Applying the glue to the part's fixing point seems clever but doesn't it leave residue?

Philp I've painted the inside of the cheeks interior green as per the instructions but I've just searched the instructions and there's no guidance on fitting the windows to the cheeks? Step 46 shows fitting the guns but no windows. Huh? Do you have some guidance here or a link? Thanks.

Also thanks for the info on the airport AND the fact that 'the current Belle is a G' so isn't the Belle? I shall stop using pictures of her as a reference; I'm confused enough already!

Charlie and Nigel I'll keep my tools away for a bit* :D! I've been 'encouraged' down the Big Bomber route of late by my BM friends (who are all building little Spitfires at the moment... hmmm). I suppose I can't put all the blame on them as they were given a choice from my stash. I'm looking forward to something smaller in the near future!

Thanks Grayson, some progress as requested below!

There is method in my madness of not priming the parts and you've done very well not to mention it! I know that Vallejo Model Air sprays well and it also rubs off non-primed surfaces easily allowing me to clean the joins out with a flat cocktail stick:

CBD2736F-3CB7-444D-B6A8-31A2F82DBC4F_zps

(Do we like this idea of photos taken on the instruction step that's being worked on? Helpful?) Note that I build 'slightly dirty'* which is my excuse for varied paint coverage seen here; it's sort of intentional! Handling the parts will also lead to some 'chipping' which can be worked on after sub-assembly. We'll see how it comes out later*. Bear with me.

I've also cleaned up the joins on part #2. You can see here (??) that there's some flash on the end:

E1B08CE6-6B7C-4B1C-91D2-546C67324B46_zps

Can you see that? Cleaned off now. Easy to imagine how those little extra bits, and perhaps thick glue, could add up to fit problems later.

More later and thanks for looking!

* Dbl-E, score 1, fnaar fnaar. Is this getting tiresome now?

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Ced,

I haven't looked at my instructions in the F kit but thought the front check windows were included on a clear part that includes the fuselage around them. On the G kit it shows in Step 9, the parts being 76 and 77 (looking at your highlighted instructions it looks like parts 74 and 75). Thus my concern over painting them. I think I will be masking the windows themselves both inside and outside the part so that the interior green matches up to the rest of the nose interior.

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Good catch Phil!

I haven't even looked at, or washed, the clear sprues yet. My excuse is that I have the Eduard masking set (I like canopy masking, but not that much) so had left it, thinking that I could apply the masks in 'quiet times' whilst waiting for other things to dry. Looking at Andy's G build (no criticism here Andy, great reference for me) I'd completely missed the fact that these are clear parts and assumed* that they were normal plastic. Hence the happy highlighting on the 'interior green' shot. What a dork!

I shall attend to this forthwith. Or maybe fifthwith.

* Assume, as David Brent says in 'The Office', makes an 'a**' of 'u' and 'me'. It did it again!

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You do look very well organised Ced, especially the highlighting on the plans. I usually get as far as writing a key to the colours on the top margin of each page.

I hope you have a proper belt to hang all those tools onto.

John

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Hi Ced,

Good progress mate; I'm not too sure of Revell's colours but the underside of the B17 should be U.S. "Neutral Gray" - I don't know if you have that in your Vallejo's?

Cheers,

Stew

I second the above.... And good choice not to mix from revell I hate that they do that!

Also in defence of the tiny spitfires voting for a b17 most of them are multiple builds and mine is a spitfire in 1/48(why did I do that... I am losing patience with it and keep looking at my typhoon kit and wanting to start that :( ) so surely they add up to the same as a b17??

If you want something small.... We could club together for this https://s1.scalemates.com/products/img/3/8/7/145387-11185.jpg smaller no?

Lovely progress, I was little I build the old revell one of there as Memphis belle bit hand painted one of the engines yellow and black check, loved that plane, one of the few AC's I build in American get up... Not sure why just too many roundels I wanted I suppose. Brings back lot of memories.

Keep it up* Ced

Rob

*sorry too easy

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Thanks Stew! Vallejo don't do a neutral anything in Model Air and there isn't even a 'pretend colour' in their USAAF set (unusually). So I'll need to buy something (ooh, shopping!*).

She has a big bottom** so how about a rattle can of Tamiya AS-7 Neutral Gray (USAAF) and a pot of, er, why isn't there a pot of Neutral Gray (USAAF)?? I'm looking at Wonderland's website. Tamiya Mini XF-53 Flat Neutral Grey? I need something for touching up** and I'm not considering 'spraying some paint into a container' - imagine the mess opportunities! Or is it easy?

Thanks John, too kind. I'm trying to resist or kill off the Dbl-E thing so I will resist the 'tools' opportunity you so kindly presented. Proud of myself that I could let one go** Doh!

[snip]
If you want something small.... We could club together for this https://s1.scalemates.com/products/img/3/8/7/145387-11185.jpg smaller no?

[snip]

Keep it up* Ced

Rob
*sorry too easy

Ooh, a Bulldog! Nice. I have a Hannants watch out for AZ Models' promised Cessna 150 so that I can build the two I flew in my youth (oh, OK, in my late 20s). Promised for 3Q/14. What year is it now? In the meantime I think I'll build some Spitfires next, so there.

Score 1 for the Dbl-E and pleased to hear that you're "too easy"** - no need to apologise :D

* I hate 'shopping' but, like most blokes, I love buying things. Shopping is for girls.

** Dbl-E, fnaar fnaar

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If you're a serious modeler here me out, if you're just building it for fun, then proceed.

Having just finished one here are just a few words of advice:

The biggest problem of this quite flawed kit is the exterior. The trench like panels really spoil the looks of the finished model. Try to fill them in somehow and under a few layers of paint they'll look acceptable. Just let them be and don't try to point them out aftherwards with wash etc.

The impossibly thick nose blister is unnaceptable. Try to get Pavla vacuform nose or make your own using the kit par as a master..

Kids probably like movable flaps, tailplanes and opened cowling gills etc, but apart from the bomb bay doors all the rest is just gimmick. Glue/close them.

Apart from the bomb bay and waist windows area all the time and possible aftermarket invested in interrior are wasted away because it's all allmost invisible when you close the fuselage. Just paint the kit parts.

Try to get some better looking gun barrels for defensive armament and get at least a pair of additional bombs for the bomb bay.

And the final advice on the engines. Discard the kit pushrods and replace them with something much delicate. They really spoil the look.

Josip

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Hi Ced, looking good so far :popcorn: . I've got the "G" model in the stash so i'll be watching with interest. This is one of these kits I bought the moment it came out, full of enthusiasm it has languished in the un built bundle for years although i have often opened the box and read the instructions, looked at all the bits, put it all back and picked something less involved! I hope you enjoy it, and it inspires me to start mine. Cheers

Greg

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Nice work CedB, the good lady has this one in her stash to build.

As for the Revell paint guide, I write all the letters out and by each one the colour that I will be using.

Yes, I know another piece of paper to clutter up the bench, but it does keep the destructions sheet a bit clearer.

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

Simon.

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Jamie I agree that Revell's colour instructions could be much better. I guess they're promoting their own paint brand but, with a limited range, they have to mix colours a lot and this makes finding the right colour from your stash / favourite brand difficult, as you say.

For example and help please (all ideas welcome) Belle's undersides are "75% stone grey (R75) + 25% white (R5)" - what the heck is that called? 'Light Stone Grey'? I have no idea if I have anything suitable in my stash, or whether I need to buy something (and it won't be two pots of Revell to mix!)

Jamie thanks also for the tips on painting your parts*. I see that this would make things easier but "glue them to a toothpick with super-glue" sounds scary - how do you get them off again? Applying the glue to the part's fixing point seems clever but doesn't it leave residue?

Not that scary, really :) I just use a small drop of super-glue and glue the toothpick to a locator pin in the part or to an area that won't be visible after assembling. This is almost always possible. And the part can be very easily taken off the toothpick. In fact, I keep taking them apart by accident while working on the model.

Maybe this picture can better show what I mean (an example from my Fokker Dr.I WIP):

IMAG1705_zpsbv0wswzs.jpg

Regarding the correct colours of aircraft camouflages, I find that a good starting point is to check IPMS Stockholm's reference pages. Look for the United States link lower in the page. It seems the correct underside colour for Memphis Belle would be "43 Neutral Gray", which corresponds to FS 36173. Going then to the FS colour standard page (link near the top of the start page), it shows the following correspondences:

Humbrol: 156

Tamiya: XF-53

Gunze: H82

Cheers

Jaime

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CedB, I'm glad that you like Little Patches! Today she looks a little worse for wear with half of all .50-cals knocked off. Someday I'll replace them :)

Interior for B-17 is a mess!

Interior green, bronze green, natural metal, plywood, rubber and so on, it all depends on production block, versions, factory and plain luck I guess.

I guess there are lots of pictures of Bell though, so it should be fairly easy...

Nice start too BTW

With the amount of flash on your model it looks like Revells tool is wearing out quite fast.

But I guess it's just a matter of time before Airfix gives us a new "A Bit of Lace"!

I'll hang on to my Kits-world decals for that !

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A Cessna 150, nice... The bulldog was my first and last charge, flew it 3-4 times I think (why didn't I keep my 3822 book, why am I not more organised and about to keep these little snippets of my early life! ) I even did aerobatics on my first flight (well i sat there stunned as the chappy flung me about) after my flight Sargent said "remember to tell him its not your first time" scared me silly... It was amazing. Shame I had to become an adult really.

Rob

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For example and help please (all ideas welcome) Belle's undersides are "75% stone grey (R75) + 25% white (R5)" - what the heck is that called? 'Light Stone Grey'? I have no idea if I have anything suitable in my stash, or whether I need to buy something (and it won't be two pots of Revell to mix!)

I've used Vallejo model Air on my one - Pale Blue Grey for the underside, so looking at the chart, US Light grey should give a similar shade, but without the blueness.

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Ooh, page 3, fnaar fnaar....

Hi Josip. Gosh your post is BOLD! I am just building for fun really and usually OOB but I like fiddling with little parts* like the interiors. I model for enjoyment (although you wouldn't know it from my last two builds) and I'm quite lazy so a) I won't win any prizes at model shows and b ) I will pay attention to 'historical facts', just not a lot. I also enjoy sharing my experiences on BM and the conversations that ensue, a lot. That said your post was interesting and useful so thanks very much. :)

Hi Greg. Like you I bought my B-17 a long time ago and it's been out a few times, but the size always scared me so I just put it away*. When you've finished looking at your bits* perhaps you'll start yours too?

Hi Simon. Your good lady has a stash? Lucky man! (That's not rude, just envious). I'm still shuffling paper and lots of sprues so not as organised as I'd like, ho hum.

Jamie thanks very much for the advice. That looks like a really good tip and I'll start that method immediately! (Ced don't do the Fokker joke, stop it) Thanks too for the link to the IPMS Stockholm reference pages. I hadn't seen that before and have bookmarked it for a good read later on. Tamiya Neutral Gray (USAAF) AS-7 (spray) and XF-53 (pot) it is - I'll finally get a chance to see what the Tamiya paint fans are on about. (Better get those ordered - noted).

Christer thanks for the encouragement. Along with the 'B-17s were re-painted all the time' I feel free to mess around with the colours. Good

Rob get a Bulldog, you know you want to! I learnt to fly in 1986 BC (before children) and in those days PPL students were only expected to do stall avoidance and to be aware of situations that might cause a spin. My instructor (great bloke) thought that was silly and we spent several hours on 'aerobatics' - great fun if you have the stomach for it!

Andy thanks for the paint reference. i don't have either of this in my expensive, little used Vallejo sets (surprise surprise) and I'm keen to try Tamiya so I'll give those a go, but thanks.

Before we look at this morning's progress (yes I did get some work done) some more advice please on precision poly:

20891dba-a1d6-48e4-83b9-2b5feeee22c9_zps

I've had the bottle on the left since I re-started modelling some time ago but it was a bit cumbersome so I bought the little one on the right. It's always messy; I think the cap is made from something that the glue melts. Anyway, it's getting low. My idea was to top it up from the large bottle but guess what (you know what's coming don't you) the glue has set in the bottle. So I now need to buy some more precision poly.

My question to you, Humbrol, Revell or something I've never heard of? I have lots of other types of glue so it's this 'dab a small bit on' type I want to replace.

* Dbl-E, score 1, fnaar fnaar. Can't stop myself, sorry.

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OK, progress. By the way, I've just seen 'paintbrush' -> 89 at the bottom of this step which means I should have gone to the back page and painted the door / panels and applied the transfers. Better look at that soon and I hope it's not too late!!

Future builder warning - do step 89 before step 1. you know if makes sense.

So, Step 1 (yes, really) is:

20d1b0c1-315a-4fa7-b40f-d608bafbf1d0_zps

I thought it would be a good idea to use the fuselage as a jig. Really good fit (bliss) so a Berna to stop the wiggle and a few drops of TET. See the little clock on the instructions? Wait until 9:10? Rats, that's tomorrow now... oh, I get it, it's 'graphical'.

Step 2 - bomb racks - done.

Step 3:

1BFD14E1-A532-4A68-AC74-F096760B7F87_zps

(I'm having trouble with Photobucket not presenting re-sized photos - sorry if that is still big)

I love this kit. The racks have locating holes and there are little pegs on the crossbar. Sorry, I'm just not used to this anymore. Anyway, cleaned the paint off the pegs and out of the holes and completed step 3.

Step 4 and 5 - bomb assembly - done.

Step 6 - put bombs on racks. Now, why don't you have to wait for those to dry? Hmmm. Anyway I'll do that a bit later.

Step 7 and 8:

9F95BEBD-3ED1-4533-AA42-CF400135C2FA_zps21A340E7-443A-4C2A-B929-F844D65EF94F_zps

Note that there are two number 4 parts and two number 6s (don't forget to paint them both Ced - oh dear). It seems that the reason for two steps rather than a 'x 2' is that they want you to put part 6 on different sides. That would be a clear instruction if it was clear that the #4 in step 7 and 8 is the same way around. Clear now. Or is it just me?

Better skip to step 89 next - later, and thanks for looking.

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As an aside, for colours, have you ever looked in a hardware store?

I use rattlecans ( an airbrush still looks like the devils' work to my wary eyes ), and after spending hours and hours in a hobby shop trying to get an exact match for something I needed, and then had to settle for something 'hopefully close enough' in a small can for $7, my local hardware store ( admitedly with a huge painting section ) allows me - still to have to deal with something 'hopefully close enough' but in a huge can for $3. Usually Rust-oleum products, good for wood, metal and plastic. Now featuring "any angle spray" and a "comfort tip"* ( I'll take my point now thank you )

Looking at a can of "Stone Gray" as we speak - I use it oftentimes for corroguard on airliner wings. Not sure if anyone who has an airbrush would ever deign to touch a rattlecan, but there are some unusual colours out there, for very little money, especially for a one off.

I know my airliner builds must seem like the life of Riley, ( what, grey, white, silver ) but try finding anything like the Peacock blue / green that BEA used. I'd rather go looking for the Holy Grail.

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I had Stew ( but if I had not, I would be worshiping at your feet about now ). I have ordered two in my life - the first one was 'corroguard' ( wow, second time this morning using that word ) which has, shall we say, explosive qualities. See pic below. The second was Qantas Red, and that's when I discovered that employing the hairy stick, and wanting a decent result, took more talent than I presently have . I mean to say, a huge swath of ditch-like brush marks on the red tail of the Qantas 707 depicting the airliner I first crossed the equator on, well, it just wasn't on.

Getting my feet wet with some SAAF military stuff now, so am forcing myself to start working on improving myself.

ceiling_zpsbgdmfnax.jpg

Now what is this bland photo I hear you all asking. My kitchen ceiling ( of course, bet you feel silly now, you should have recognized it right off ). To be exact, my kitchen ceiling and the remnants of a pot of Xtra colour corroguard ( third) that I had just opened, without shaking, while sitting innocently below, just wanting to check the new toys the postie had brought me. Have since read stories from around the world of people having similar experiences, and indeed Skodadriver on this very forum, had to replace his wifes' favourite lampshade after having had the temerity to open this can in his home. I ran right back to "hopefully close enough" rattlecans.

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Thanks Cookie - what a star! I was just trying to work out how I could get some paint before the weekend (just in case I do progress) when I read your post and checked by Vallejo Model Air RAF paint set:

D6772A10-A82F-4E90-96BA-A404F5346B9F_zps

Oh 'base grey' - why didn't you say? I have some of that! (Oh good grief, what hope is there).

Perfect, onwards!

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Mike,

I don't yet have a place to set up the new airbrush and compressor I picked up at the US Nats in 2013 so have been using rattle cans whenever I can (yeah, I know, no double e but punny).

Had a lot of fun trying to find a color for Herbie the Love Bug (only TV/Movie type cars and Herbie is only the second since my teens) and ended up with 7 different cans to test for color. Now have to find a plane done up in ivory whitish so I can use one of these up. Maybe a sci fi build, hmmm.

I like Walmart's basic colors (white, black, grey, etc) and at a buck a can, heck of a deal. But usually resort to Tamiya or Model Master for my military colors. Guess I need to be a bit more adventurous.

Oh, yeah, model build, right.

Ced, nice racks. There, covered.

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Oh, yeah, model build, right.

Ced, nice racks. There, covered.

Back to Kate Upton again...

Fear not Ced, I've done the same as you, problem was it was the glued inside with me scratching my head wondering why the #>**+\ thing wouldn't go together. Worked it out eventually but was a little late by that point.

Speaking of spray cans, can someone recommend and closeasdamnit product for sky?

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