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


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Another request for help please.

From some angles and in some lights the seam looks OK:

9ADED8B9-6FFE-4F3C-AD37-80BD214594C5_zps

The lumps around the bomb bay are intentional - Maskol - the doors will be opened later (qv). The problems are this seam and the filled 'hatch' on the nose:

CCF3EE31-9EFC-408E-B4A2-805894FB7714_zps999973A8-58FC-4EE6-BBF9-C5220F191C19_zps

Easy question first - the hatch. Can I blob some Mr Surfacer 1000 on there, brush paint and do some 'weathering' later?

The seam. I suspect that the Vallejo putty is discolouring the paint on the seam - I had similar problems with 'not cleaned up properly excess' on the Brigand wing roots:

4148B1C3-C1A1-4E1D-BCB4-BF5128D5D519_zps

Some people never learn and I'm obviously one of them! In future I shall only use the Vallejo in small gaps and make sure I clean up afterwards. Or perhaps just throw it out. It may be the cause of 'obvious' seams on my and others' models? I have some PPP that I've been saving, for some strange reason, so that'll come out in the future.

For this one it looks as though I need to sand it all down, ignore the fuselage flattening and re-scribe / re-paint. Unless anyone has a quicker method?

I'll be masking up and spraying the top today (if I get time) so I'll let you ponder! Any ideas appreciated!

Thanks guys and thanks for looking.

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I can't think of another way Ced but then I don't know much... Other than that your bottom looks great! (Snigger)

The rattle can did give a very good finish

Rob

Edited by rob85
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Looking good Ced. Seam work is a bit hit an miss for me, when in doubt i get a bit OTT with the sanding sticks. As you say it looks better from different angles or lighting. I would go with lighter grade sanding/polishing till it looks right to you. These are the tasks that involve persistance/patience, and in my case can make or (hopefully not) break a model. Good luck mate!

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Easy question first - the hatch. Can I blob some Mr Surfacer 1000 on there, brush paint and do some 'weathering' later?

It looks like it needs a bit more sanding and filling. Mr Surfacer 1000 is very thin and I doubt it would be able to hide the lumpiness there.

The seam. I suspect that the Vallejo putty is discolouring the paint on the seam

I'm not sure about it discolouring paint but it is very prone to shrinkage, its really best suited to very fine gaps. Don't throw it out, it certainly has its uses.

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Thanks Rob and Greg - looks like a big sanding job is on the cards then!

Thanks Nigel - I'll keep the Vallejo for fine gaps, do some more sanding on the nose and then out with the PPP!

All daunting jobs next on Belle - the sanding and masking. I may roll some a lot of Blutak ready for the fuzzy demarcation masking whilst watching some rubbish relaxing TV tonight.

Thanks guys!

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I use the Vallejo myself, and have never got that discolouring, but then I brush paint with Humbrol. It might be

better to brush a coat of paint down the seam perhaps?

Sean

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Thanks Sean, interesting! Perhaps it's the Tamiya / Vallejo mix?

I rushed upstairs and ran some of the Tamiya brush acrylic down the seam. It looks darker at the moment but may calm down (hopefully) otherwise it's out with the sanders tomorrow!

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Well, not only did the seam fairies not turn up again but I've found that the Tamiya pot is not the same colour as the spray. Rats - I bought that for touching up. It's also quite grainy when brushed un-thinned. Another lesson learnt. I also thought 'Crikey, I hope I haven't left that Maskol on for too long':

2BD5B7B4-957C-40F8-8208-2B8E41086ACD_zpsF8940F26-C787-4B56-9617-A3B109CD873B_zps

Either I left the Maskol on for too long or I didn't wait long enough for the primer to go off. :(

So, looks like sanding, sanding, sanding. And then some re-scribe. I may be gone some time...

Thanks for looking.

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Good morning Ced. I don't know if you're following Suddensky's thread on the 1/32 B17, if not have a look now, I think you'll be impressed by his exhaust painting. It might give you some ideas.

Good luck with the sanding

John

Edited by Biggles87
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Thanks Jon - I'll start fine and only get rough if she's not behaving - chin elevated! :)

Thanks John - I'll have a look at Suddensky's thread; I must admit I usually only look at 1/72 (WWII) threads but i do need some tips!

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Thanks Rob, I needed that motivation! :D

Thanks again John for the link to Suddensky's thread for tips on painting the exhausts. He points to a thread here. I'll try to do that 1/72 with the exhausts fitted! :)

I don't know whether you ever get this feeling, but sanding is one of those jobs where I think "I can't be bothered to do that" for a while and then all of a sudden the urge comes over me and off I go! And then I do the sanding*. So this afternoon I sanded the seam. To recap (with photos) despite my multi-stage close up I ended up with a small step in the seam. To correct this and to avoid a flattened profile I filled the lower part of the seam with Vallejo plastic putty and sanded it. This gave me a discolouration problem which I tried to correct with brushed paint ending up with this:

672E908A-F541-4097-A3DA-6023453DC134_zps

Initial sanding exposed the white putty, of course, so I angled the (wet) sanding stick to the higher edge of the seam and sanded until the feathered white putty vanished:

D3E0FE3A-B54B-4BE9-9371-9A238A68B29B_zps1BE9A575-420C-4009-9E98-D1E66BA60F4C_zps

I then went over the brushed paint with a fine belt sander to polish it off (thanks Jon!). Here she is now, drying and waiting to be re-scribed:

625D8408-965D-4650-A774-2A9200CA3937_zps

I don't know whether you ever get this feeling but re-scribing is one of those jobs... you know the rest - I now need to wait for the urge to take me. After that I'll airbrush the bottom* with some of the decanted spray paint.

Does anyone have any idea why the jar of Tamiya 'Neutral Grey' XF-53 is darker when brushed than the spray AS-7? It's going to be a pain.

* Dbl-E, score 1, fnaar fnaar

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I have noticed that with a couple of Tamiya paints. Hence the reason I spray the can into a container for touch ups.

Unfortunately I have no good explanation for them.

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Thanks Phil and Cookie!

Urges fulfilled:

07230E96-8E92-412E-8E82-2DC8A99FAAF6_zps

Ta da. So, back to where I was on Monday with a tidy seam. Finally.

Masking for the OD next. I don't know whether you ever get this feeling but masking is one of those jobs... just kidding! Better leave that to dry overnight.

Question - soft or hard? And the demarcation lines (fnaar fnaar). I can't see in the reference shots. Hard is easier, otherwise a packet of Blutak is going to get rolled (lucky Blutak, fnaar fnaar)

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Nice save Ced, although I feel slightly embarrassed that you've had to do this, who knew

one colour could be two? I shall keep my ideas to myself from now on :blush:

Sean

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Nice work ced that has come up a treat! Took some work but I paid off.

I have always thought the belle had soft lines... I will try and find something to back that up though.

Cheers

Rob

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Thanks Sean and please don't worry about the paint - it was a good idea and who knew about the Tamiya colours? Not me. If we don't try things we don't learn... :)

Thanks Rob. You prompted me to have another look and found this:

Memphis_Belle_crew_zpshzevzjoq.jpg

All rights recognised

So hardish. Blu Tak saved! It's weird that I can't just look at a photo like that now - I have to 'reference check' all the details!!

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So hardish. Blu Tak saved! It's weird that I can't just look at a photo like that now - I have to 'reference check' all the details!!

It's crazy, isn't it? I remember when I didn't feel a need to see a photo of the aircraft I was modelling.

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Nice save on the seams Ced, as for pics for reference, they can be mis-leading, unless you are build a specific plane/tank whatever.

A lot of camo was applied in the field so to speak.

Keep up the good work mate.

Simon.

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Yes! Remember when you were young and would paint your model the way you wanted.... But I just couldn't fully do that now, it would drive me a bit potty if I thought it might be wrong!

Rob

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Yes! Remember when you were young and would paint your model the way you wanted.... But I just couldn't fully do that now, it would drive me a bit potty if I thought it might be wrong!

Rob

One reason I like doing what ifs. Color what you want and no one can tell you it is wrong. Case in point, my Mormon Mustang.

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One reason I like doing what ifs. Color what you want and no one can tell you it is wrong. Case in point, my Mormon Mustang.

i respect your work and others on what its... I do wish I could do them as they look good fun. Maybe one day I will be able to once I have chilled out a bit!

Rob

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Thanks PC, Simon and Rob. I'm doing the same watching films! I must remember Simon's comments on field camo and, of course, the fact that film makers use models too! :)

Thanks Phil - those WhIfs look great and there's even a picture of you under one of them - great look, what a handsome chap (I have a similar 'tache and beard!) :D

Hi Rob - Whifs are fun - have a go!

Today I need to do some paid work and then I can mask Belle for the OD - tape is a lot easier than tak but she is big! That doesn't scare me (just takes time and patience) but I do wish they'd done more straight lines and that they hadn't done those fiddly bits on the cowlings :shutup:

MemphisBelle%20Cowlings_zpsehthoasq.jpg

Just had one of those WWND moments so now thinking (as you do Nigel!) about making some templates... :hmmm:

Thanks for looking

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