specky Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Hi Guys - I'm back!! Spotted behind the counter of the only local hobby shop that sells acrylics....... ....to paraphrase Britmodeller, 'you can never have too many B-17's', but in this case, I'm far more interested in the P-47 element of this 3 kit gift set.... ....and thanks to the very helpful young man behind the counter who was happy to open the box, I could see that it was, indeed, the same tool as the one I had just screwed-up - result! So, I'll try again and thanks to my new acrylics, I may even get it closed-up tonight! Cheers for now Craig 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Glad you got it sorted Craig, that interior work was too good to go to waste. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted January 14, 2016 Share Posted January 14, 2016 Great news! Onwards and upwards now :) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted January 14, 2016 Author Share Posted January 14, 2016 Glad you got it sorted Craig, that interior work was too good to go to waste. Great news! Onwards and upwards now :) Thanks guys and as a bit of a bonus, its also provided another P-51 option, in unusual colours, for the STB 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 that's great news Craig, I agree it would have been a shame to loose that interior after the lovely job you did on it! Plus by the looks of it we'll be seeing you as well in the Mustang STGB! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeELL Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Craig, You might well find it necessary to file some of the detail off the cylinder heads of those cylinders in the 9 oclock thru'12 to 3 oclock, otherwise the engine will not sit in the cowling. I still have more to do on mine although it is sitting better. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Craig, You might well find it necessary to file some of the detail off the cylinder heads of those cylinders in the 9 oclock thru'12 to 3 oclock, otherwise the engine will not sit in the cowling. I still have more to do on mine although it is sitting better. Tony Hi Tony. Thanks for the heads-up. I had noted that in one of your earlier posts, which came as something of a relief, since after fitting the air and oil cooler intake ducting to the cowl, suddenly my motor didn't want to fit too well whilst test fitting! This is what I like about Britmodeller - sharing the experiences! Cheers for now Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted January 16, 2016 Author Share Posted January 16, 2016 Hi Guys So, the second attempt at closing-up using the new fuselage halves has gone without a hitch . Many thanks to all who offered advice on how best to use CA accelerator. Although it might seem something of an over-reaction to abandon a project over the apparently minor issue of a couple of finger-prints, everything I've read regarding the creation of a bmf suggests that its all about the preparation. The finish is, apparently, even less tolerant of imperfections than gloss black, for example, so to have fundamentally compromised any chance of a consistent finish killed my motivation stone dead! But, luckily, I've had the opportunity to start again, so from now on, every step will be very carefully considered - which almost certainly means that it wont be a quick job! I had planned to get some paint onto my Made in GB Harrier this weekend, but since Winter has finally decided to make an appearance and the temperature has fallen through the floor, I think it best to stay in my nice warm lounge and fiddle with this some more Cheers for now Craig 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz23 Posted January 16, 2016 Share Posted January 16, 2016 Im glad you're able to carry on with this build and didn't have to abandon it in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 same here, glad you are back on this "project". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Good to see this one back on course,excellent cockpit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted January 23, 2016 Author Share Posted January 23, 2016 Hi Guys, despite real lifes best efforts to interfere, this is still moving forward - slowly but surely! The moulds are showing their age, which is unfortunate, meaning that adding all the 'sticky out bits' took rather longer than I anticipated. Conscious that slapping loads of filler over joints is not really an option with a bmf, extra time and care was required to get the best, tightest joints possible. So after a lot of test fitting and trimming/adjusting, job done with only a dribble of Tippex around the lower wing root joints - result! Assuming there are no major dramas with the remaining few odds and ends, I'm aiming to lay on some paint middle of next week - weather permitting! It's all over the place at the minute - struggling for 3 degrees on Wednesday, then up to 11 on Friday - what's all that about? Cheers for now Craig 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 the extra time spent shows, nicely done. oh and it's been 40°C here for the past two days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Hi Guys Well, this is ready for some colour - in fact it has been sat in Tamiya surface primer for most of the week whilst I complete the metallic paint test program.... Unfortunately, tests on Revell and Humbrol metallics have been rather disappointing. Between them, there is a nice range of 'aluminium' shades, but none of them has the 'finish' that I'm looking for. All 'sparkle' rather than 'gleam', if you can appreciate the distinction... So, not for the first time, my attempts to do it on the 'cheap and nasty' has backfired and I've had to bite the bullet and place an order for some far more sophisticated and, by extension, more expensive metal look paints - I just hope its worth it! Cheers for now Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 you've got a very nice base finish, the seem work is great! No for a good metallic finish you do need to look past the normal Revell and Humbrol enamels, as you're right they sparkle rather than gleam. So what are you going for, Alclad, Model Master Metalizer (Cookie likes that one) of one of the new acrylic ones? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 Hi Rich, those are just a couple of shots of a lot of tests and experiments to evaluate as many variables as I could think of. But even though it came to nothing, its never a waste, as long as you learn from the experience! Having researched the options, I'm going with AK xtreme metal metallic paint - partly because of some very positive reviews regarding its durability and resistance to masking and washes and partly because my preferred supplier doesn't do Alclad ! Regular model making consumables - paint, thinner, glue even filler are on the Royal Mail 'Verboten' list, so I count myself lucky to have found a retailer who's prepared to try and post from the UK Cheers Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 I'll be very interested to see how the AK paints come out, have heard lots of good things about them! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisk Posted January 31, 2016 Share Posted January 31, 2016 Hi Craig. As my build has a metallic underside, I experimented with some silver paint too and the AK xtreme metal metallic paint is stunning. Extremely fine pigments, durable and easy to airbrush. Alclad II isn't bad either, but the AK paint has the edge in the comparison. I am sure you will like it. Cheers, Peter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted February 12, 2016 Author Share Posted February 12, 2016 Hi Guys - I'm back! So, after nearly three weeks of trying, my third attempt to import metal paint as paid-off..... ...unfortunately its too late to test them this evening, but first thing tomorrow morning, my neighbours will be waking to the 'knock-knock-knock' of a compressor. I love the smell of enamel thinner in the morning - its the smell of victory! Cheers for now Craig 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Hi Craig, Have you had a chance to try those paints out yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 Hi Guys - I'm back - again! This is proving to be one of those projects that just will not lay down and die! Every time I give up and put it away, a few days later I stumble across something on the internet or some film on Youtube that suggests a very slightly different method, which I then feel compelled to try, which means digging it all out again. However, I think I've finally made a breakthrough I wont bore you with a 'blow-by-blow' account of all my failed tests and experiments, but I will share my 'top-tip' with these paints. If, for whatever reason, you need to remove it, a drop of 'T-Cut' applied with a soft cloth turns the paint into a 'goo', which can be easily wiped off without effort and within seconds, almost, you're back to clean, bare plastic ready to repaint. The trick, certainly with the 'reflective' colours, 'polished aluminium' and 'chrome', appears to be low air pressure and very light coats....... .....not the best photos ever, but bare or natural metal finishes are difficult to capture on a still image. With my hardware, a cheap, but surprisingly versatile, Chinese double action gravity feed 'brush with a 0.3mm needle/tip combo, spray 3 light coats, the second should just complete coverage of the gloss black base and the third gives the finish, at 12-13 psi. After a couple of hours to harden, a very light buff with cotton wool balls produces the best representation of 'sheet metal' so far. Now, after taking a deep breath, time to try it on the model! More to follow, Craig 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wimbledon99 Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Very nice!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 WOW, the paint job looks amazing!! I have just been reading up on these paints and I may have to get some....gosh does that mean I have to do a NMF model!! The one thing I did read was that it's best to leave it cure for 24hrs, it's pretty tough after that. I'm dying to see the final product! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeELL Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Thank you for this information. It certainly puts my disappointing finish to shame, I shall aim to do better with my F-51 Cuban Mustang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted March 2, 2016 Author Share Posted March 2, 2016 (edited) Thank you for this information. It certainly puts my disappointing finish to shame, I shall aim to do better with my F-51 Cuban Mustang. Having re-read your WIP, it seems we have had similar experiences with the instructional/assessment film clips on Youtube and manufacturer websites, in that they are, for the most part, pretty much useless! In the case of AK paints, the clips initially sent me in completely the wrong direction, suggesting that they could be applied over bare plastic with multiple coats and so on. In the end, the method I'm using has been 'borrowed' from other modellers using other makes of paint, since it seemed to make sense that 'metal' paints would all be basically similar in their fundamental characteristics. Whilst I appreciate that this is quite sophisticated stuff that would, usually, only be used by the more experienced/demanding modeller, since we all have to start somewhere, would it really be that difficult for the manufacturer to show, 'step-by-step', how to get the best from them? It would certainly have saved me a load of time and frustration and now I've sussed it, I will be buying this brand again - which I obviously wouldn't do if I hadn't got them to work! But, I'm not 'out of the woods' yet, successful tests on scrap wings is one thing, replicating that finish across a whole model is something else entirely! More to follow Craig Edited March 2, 2016 by specky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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