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Building/Painting/Masking Tutorial: Heller Citroen 15 CV


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Hi David,

love this thread as a newbie I'm watching and learning from yourself and the others posting.

We all aspire to be as fantastic as the modellers on here but best advice I have recieved is 'its a hobby, build for yourself not for others' as I was finding myself trying to do too much too soon. Now I'm back to enjoying the hobby and adding more detail that my experience allows while also trying something new on each build.

Thanks for the thread.

Cheers Dave.

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Hi David,

love this thread as a newbie I'm watching and learning from yourself and the others posting.

We all aspire to be as fantastic as the modellers on here but best advice I have recieved is 'its a hobby, build for yourself not for others' as I was finding myself trying to do too much too soon. Now I'm back to enjoying the hobby and adding more detail that my experience allows while also trying something new on each build.

Thanks for the thread.

Cheers Dave.

Happy that you like it…. I've experienced that I learn much more quickly with the advice of so many expert builders….

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Some more progress:

axel3_zpsweyf5unc.jpg

The wheel is painted with a RAL ivory from zero paints, using 2K for gloss. Result is not too bad.

But here, I have encountered a technical non-paint problem.

The front axles (pieces 25, 26 and 74 on the Manual) are too long. The result is that they don't fit between where they are supposed to go in the engine block and pieces 69/70.

I am attempting the following solution:

  • I've assembled pieces 25, 26 and 74.
  • I've cut off part of the axle that is behind pieces 25/26.
  • I've inserted and glued the assembled pieces 25, 26 and 74 (with the latter part of the axle now removed) into the wheel, while fixing the latter to pieces 69/70.
  • I'll cut off the right amount of the axle on the side where it joined pieces 25/26, so that it gets the right length to reach the engine block.
  • I'll insert the other end of the cut off axle into the engine block, and glue the other part back onto pieces 25/26.

That's the only way I found I could make this work. Now we have to see whether I succeed.

Oh that little Traction Avant is a real devil!!!!

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David, why not consider making your won axle scratch ? plenty of styfene or metal rods out there.

As Roy said this is not a simple kit.

I don't think I am good enough to build something from scratch.

I think I managed to fix the problem:

axle%20fixed%201_zpsvujkfupa.jpg

axle%20fixed%202_zpsuquixqgm.jpg

I just need to touch up the glue marks with a fine brush. Provided I don't break anything (very easy to do on this kit), I think this should be alright.

Roy is right: this ain't a simple kit!!!!

Edited by David_64
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Friends and Tutors,

I am now close to painting the body of the model.

I have a question which might sound very basic to you, but I really have no experience with this.

Should I first paint the outside, including clear coating it. Or should I first paint the inside?

In addition, is it possible to mask the inside or outside well enough to avoid any paint intended for one side from seeping through to the other side?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

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I always shoot the inside first and mask it after it dries and then shoot the outside. It's easier to touch up the interior if any over spray gets in there than to try and fix the exterior paint job.

I will follow this advice. Many thanks.

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  • 2 weeks later...

David,

I've posted in my Rolls thread some mask / paint test results of materials and methods used on large surfaces. You may find some value there as it all works regardless of scale.

it's why I support using large pieces to learn on; it's just easier to practice and get results faster.

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I primer both sides, usually. Then I paint the outside base and clear coats, without masking anything -- though you can crumple up kitchen roll inside to stop gross overspray if you want, but I don't bother. Then I do any BMF-ing that will wrap into the inside. Finally, I brush paint the interior over the slightly rough overspray, primer and bare plastic, as much as needs it, with Vallejo or Citadel acrylics usually in black, German grey or some beige/pale sand shade. Being water-based, it's easy to wipe off if you get any on the outside where it shouldn't be. It won't bear close inspection, but then it isn't going to get any. It's either behind closed windows, behind a moulded one-piece clear glasshouse, or behind the walls of a "tub". If there's a full moulded glasshouse with roof, then I'll mask all the clear parts, primer and brush paint the roof area and unmask before installing. It may all sound a bit rough and ready, but you're welcome to look over the shelves, or my RFI threads, to see if you can tell...

d135-interior.jpg

headliner.jpg

bestest,

M.

Edited by cmatthewbacon
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Good afternoon Friends and Tutors,

Thanks for the latest advice about masking.

I've been terribly taken by work things lately, and haven't been able to make much progress.

I did manage to get some painting done this afternoon of the dash and several interior pieces.

The next steps for me are (1) to finish the front suspension assembly, including touch-ups by brush painting, (2) complete the dash (that's going to be tricky with the silver strips), and (3) put together the inside floor with seats, etc….

After that it's painting the body interior and exterior.

As soon as I have results, I'll post them.

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The exterior body of the little Avant needs to be gloss black.

I painted it before with a Tamiya can, put on about six layers with lots of wet sanding in between, and micro-polish at the end. The result was reasonably good for a first try. See the posts of the body earlier on in this thread.

I stripped everything off, because now I want to try painting it with an airbrush (learning experience)

I've bought zero-paints gloss black. However, I just used it on smaller parts and I am not all that happy with it. If you try to put on thin layers, it quickly ends up very "velvety". I've adjusted air pressure and distance, but still quickly ends up looking "velvety". You have to sort of put it on thick immediately with just a couple of layers. The result is ok for small parts, but it's not ideal; it looks a bit too thick and patchy.

On the other hand, I airbrushed the wheels with a zero-paints RAL ivory, put 2K gloss on it, and the result is really good.

So, I think this is a problem that is particular to the zero-paints gloss black. I've been in touch with someone outside of this site who has a great deal of experience with zero-paints, and he told me he does not use zero-paints gloss black for the exterior body of cars (only for small parts). He recommended that I use zero paints normal black and 2K.

What would be your advice?

Remember: the goal is to achieve a gloss black finish with an airbrush.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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Here's a front and rear view of the front suspension, parts airbrushed with zero-paints matt black and then touched up with Tamiya acrylic flat black:

front%20suspension2_zpskg2wdqjn.jpg

front%20suspension%203_zpssulvui1i.jpg

Getting all the little pieces to fit wasn't easy, but you learn a lot!

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Hi David,

Good results.

Zero paint glossy black: in your place i would use either glossy black enamels hand painted for small parts in glossy black, or airbrush acrylic glossy black paint ( AK interactive or even Tamiya is very good, Vallejo also etc. )

Zero paint pigments are engineered to be for painting car body surfaces, not small parts. So the matt effect is studied in this way, so the proper car shine/gloss effect results from adding their special gloss / varnishes interacting on the matt pigment. But you need a bit of surface to see this. Giving the modern cars gloss effect.

same with Gravity colors. the color layers are matt and you can see it is almost the grain of a primer, even when super buffed smooth to shine before applying the varnish, for the varnish to cling onto well etc.

Therefore i am not surprised it looks velvety. it was engineered for larger surfaces.

Edited by sharknose156
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I've managed to put in the dash decal and transparent with a reasonably good result:

silver%20lines%201_zpsrwsv0ltl.jpg

The ivory color comes nicely through the decal and transparent.

The most difficult part is now to apply the four silver lines in the middle of the dash.

As advised by John, I first tried this with Bare Metal foil, but I found it impossible to cut the strips thin enough without crumpling them.

So, I am going to refer to the initial plan: masking the strip as well as I can and then applying a silver line with a pain brush. In the picture you can see how I masked the first silver line. This is anything but easy for a novice. I hope the results are not disastrous; the main worrying is the paint seeping through the masking tape. I'll show you the result when I am done with the first strip.

Edited by David_64
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This seems to be what you're aiming for:

P1020247.jpg

I wouldn't paint it at all. Scribe a slight trench where the lines are with a pin. Then cut some 3A fuse wire to length, rolling it gently with a steel ruler to make it dead straight, and then glue it into the scribed lines with the smallest amount of Serious Glue, thin PVA or at worst thin superglue that you can handle...

Paint's almost certain to bleed where you have to mask over the knobs and logo... and fuse wire is bright silver already.

bestest,

M.

Edited by cmatthewbacon
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This seems to be what you're aiming for:

P1020247.jpg

I wouldn't paint it at all. Scribe a slight trench where the lines are with a pin. Then cut some 3A fuse wire to length, rolling it gently with a steel ruler to make it dead straight, and then glue it into the scribed lines with the smallest amount of Serious Glue, thin PVA or at worst thin superglue that you can handle...

Paint's almost certain to bleed where you have to mask over the knobs and logo... and fuse wire is bright silver already.

bestest,

M.

Thanks, Matt.

Yeah…. this is indeed the result I am looking for….

I thought I could avoid the bleeding over the knobs and logo by:

  • first painting the knobs and logo before painting the line that intersects with them;
  • not painting the whole line that intersects with the logo or knobs;
  • only painting part of those lines, namely up to where the logo or knobs are situated;
  • and therefore also only masking the edges of those intersecting lines to where the logo or knobs are situated.

Carving a straight edge into this little piece give me the shivers.

What do you think of my alternative approach?

In an event, can you point me to a link where I can find this 3A fuse wire in silver ? I've been looking around the internet, but couldn't find any place where they sell this stuff.

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What do you think of my alternative approach?

In an event, can you point me to a link where I can find this 3A fuse wire in silver ? I've been looking around the internet, but couldn't find any place where they sell this stuff.

I think if you try to mask it as you suggest, you're going to drive yourself nuts with tiny slivers of masking tape that will be very hard to be sure are fully stuck down... ;-(

I had a look at the dash in the kit in my stash. The problem is that the engraving on the dash isn't very pronounced, and what there is doesn't seem to match up with the real life example above... Otherwise I'd suggest drybrushing, but there isn't enough relief...

Fuse wire should be available in any hardware store.. or it certainly is round here.

This is the stuff:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Assorted-Fuse-Wire-15-Amp/dp/B0040ADD0A

bestest,

M.

...alternatively, you could just go for this version of the dash:

5996529452_2fff32b0e0.jpg

..which seems quite typical as well!

bestest,

M.

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First silver line:

first%20silver%20line_zpsn7ibqixa.jpg

Not perfect, but not disastrous either.

The white tamiya tape worked better than the blue 3M tape, so I'll use the former for the rest of the lines.

Fingers crossed.

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