Junkers Ju87B-1 Stuka Airfix 1/72 New Tool

[CedB]

Absolutely no need for sorries Ced, it's hardly your fault I'm addicted to buying rubbish...!!

Keith

Thanks Keith, me too!

I'd echo the sentiments with the tape, It's not too good at sticking but with some care and very thin strips (<1mm) it can be used with reasonable success around small curves (e.g. around a wing root fillet). Useless for masking camo patterns or anything though it just won't stick and follow the tight curves.

However I have found it to be a good scribing guide due to it's thickness if doubled down.

Great work so far.

Thanks Squibby, good tips

Coming along nicely Ced.

I managed to get the wings on, puttied and sanded and the tailplanes added before I drove down for my daughter's High School graduation. Back today but probably won't get time to get back to the model until Monday.

I am still thinking about investing in some window masks but will probably just hand paint the frames. Usually faster for me.

Also think I will live the landing gear separate and off to ease painting.

Thanks Phil Congrats to the daughter!

Hand paint the frames? You're a better man than I am, some of them are really, really thin...

Leaving off the landing gear AND the pitots is a good idea (see below)

Good progress there Ced for all the potential problems with the tape...

Too late to teach you to suck eggs now, but in addition to leaving the gear spats off, I'd put the tailplane struts in position without glue until the tailplanes had set in position then remove them for painting and re-add them once all the tricky paintwork had been done... if that makes sense (sorry, still on my first coffee...)

Cheers,

Stew

Thanks Stew, great tip I do wish I could think ahead like this... and remember things I'd already thought of (see below)

Strong work Ced. Really hope the masking tape hasn't let anything through and if it has it minimal! Good luck mate

Rob

Thanks Rob Not too bad, but bad enough (see below)

"What better way to spend Saturday Morning than masking a Stuka". Volumes I and II now available at good bookshops everywhere.

Nightmare.

I decided the only way I could get the very thin points on the nose and behind the canopy was to use paper masks, so I scanned and printed the scheme and cut out the bits I thought I couldn't tape (easily), spayed the 3M Remount^TM on the back and, when it was dry, positioned the bits on the model:

Untitled by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

Then came a few happy hours (not) of trying to get the sharp lines on a knobbly model, one side and then the other:

Messier than usual as I used Nigel's tip of keeping the odd bits of tape on the bench and using it for jobs like this.

The bits under the canopy were challenging and the ones on the nose, over the exhausts, just a pain. Eventually I got to spray the Donkel Dunkal other colour:

I then waited the minimum amount of time before the best bit, ripping taking off the masking carefully, but not carefully enough:

Rats. Other than that quite pleased with the results:

except where I'd used the 'tape for curves':

and the undercarriage, which I'd completely forgotten to mask and spray. Double rats.

Daughter down this afternoon so I may not get much done but you'll see the results of the touching up hopefully tomorrow.

[CedB]

Anyone noticed yet? I just have.

I have masked the wrong colour and the model scheme is completely reversed.

No, I'm not going to do it again, I'll just keep quiet.

:weep:

[TheBaron]

Stirling work as ever Ced. I'm interested to see your experience with the paper masks as I'm considering trying this procedure out for myself.

Tony

PS. The paint scheme isn't a mistake. It's correct in the other universe

Edited May 21, 2016 by TheBaron

[Duncan B]

Nobody would have noticed if you hadn't said, it's the type B scheme.

Duncan B

[rob85]

You have probably answered this, what paints are you using?

The masking has come of quite well, I thought it would be much worse on the curved tape section. The printed masks with m3 on have worked well to get you a sharpe line/point as well... Looks good in the b scheme as well.... Very rare scheme used to trick us during the battle to make us think the aircraft was the wrong way round.... Fortunately it didn't work....

Rob

[MikeW]

"What better way to spend Saturday Morning than masking a Stuka". Volumes I and II now available at good bookshops everywhere.

Nightmare.

Thanks Ced - That started my Saturday out very nicely. Love a good chuckle over morning coffee.

Re the 'masking backwards' scenario, like woodwork, is one not supposed to paint a large white X over the beautifully finished bit to remind one not to work that bit again?

[CedB]

Thanks guys - very supportive

Tony I like using the paper masks / templates where the pattern is hard to mask - working for me

Duncan and Rob I love it! B scheme...

Thanks Mike - great tip! I shall do that in fut... HEY wait a minute

Mrs B had just let in the men in the white coats when I said "No, wait, I know I'm an idiot but..."

Now I know that I've been mixing confusing my Gruns but this is such a school boy mistake I wanted to make sure I didn't do it again.

Retrace steps:

- choose a colour for the first coat. Usually the lightest but I chose the colour of the prop / spinner as we'd agreed the bombs could be that too

- spray everything that colour:

- Looks like Black Green? Probably

- get confused over Schwarzgrun and Dunkelgrun so make sure to double check the scheme and the paint pot

- convince myself this is Schwarzgrun so mask that off and spray the other colour

- unmask

- call the ambulance

Now, we all know I'm an idiot but really, REALLY? Check again. Could it be possible Airfix have the scheme index wrong? Looks OK. But wait, the green bits on the scheme are the grey bits on the model and I thought I'd done the green bits first. I must have picked up the wrong paint. Check the bottles. Nope. I'm just so confused. What does the paint look like?

Speechless. Looks like someone at Vallejo got confused too...

On better news the spinner band worked OKish:

[CedB]

I was pondering how to correct Vallejo's error (other than voting 'out', that'll teach the Spaniards!).

I could switch the labels (they won't come off).

I could pour the paint out of one, wash the bottle... not practical.

Then I remembered the sick joke about the Blonde Mortician (you have been warned!) and that made me laugh, a lot.

So I just did it the blonde way, wrote out some labels and stuck them on.

[Duncan B]

Airfix show a grey colour when we all know it should be two shades of green.

So have Vallejo got the paints mixed up then?

Duncan B

[CedB]

Two shades of green? Black green and Dark green, got it. I guess the main colour I painted first can be 'interpreted' as black green - it certainly didn't 'hit me' as grey when I spayed it.

I'm just so confused... I don't even know which emoticon to use...

I'll go with the 'B' scheme story though, love it!

[Duncan B]

Two shades of green like this one (in the A type scheme) and they should be very low contrast like that, hope that helps.

Duncan B

I hope you don't ind me sticking this photo in your thread?

[keefr22]

Then I remembered the sick joke about the Blonde Mortician (you have been warned!) and that made me laugh, a lot.

Brilliant!! I like that a lot too, & actually did LOL at it!

It's probably my monitor, or eyes, or both Ced, but I'm confused by those colours too - they look like dark green & grey to me, rather than the two greens like Duncan's lovely build - have Valejo actually put the completely wrong paint in one of the bottles??

Keith, Confuddled in Swansea (that's the sequel to Sleepless in Seattle by the way...)

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Is your scheme actually backwards Ced? If your wings are backwards then both Duncan and myself have done the same thing.

I've used Revell's guide which shows RLM70 at the port wingtip then RLM71 inboard from that.

[TonyTiger66]

Erm. This is probably useless information but: In the early Stukas, the Ju 87 A, in the Soecisl Hobby kit pain instructions it has the same scheme reversed for different aircraft. It actually says the Luftwaffe varied the camo like that.

Maybe they did it on the early 'B's too?

Just being optimistic.

I'll get my coat

Best

Tony

[CedB]

Thanks guys

Nice photo Duncan and I have no problem with people posting anything in my threads, especially if they're helpful and of great models like yours.

Keith I've checked the Vallejo colours and charts again tonight and I'm still confused. I think the paints might be wrong or swapped?

Jamie I think it's the paint - your scheme matches the Airfix one the colours on the bottles - just not the ones inside!

Thanks Tony - I'm thinking the Spanish are the problem here.

Another shot of the paint on the scheme now it's dryer:

Oh well, I'm going to press on, touch up and get this finished I think.

[keefr22]

Is it possible the paint might not be mixed properly Ced? I always have trouble with those Valejo bottles as I find shaking them just doesn't mix the pigment & carrier properly. A friend in the model club gave me a pile of them that he didn't want & I got so fed up with prising the little dropper off them to stir the paint with a cocktail stick that I invested in some airtight screw top bottles off flea bay. Now if I need to use one of the colours I just lop the top off the Valejo bottle, squeeze all the paint into one of the jars & then it can be stirred normally. I did the first one getting on for a year ago now, & the paint is still fine.

Keith

[rob85]

To my limited knowledge it looks like airfix gave you the same scheme as the old ar 196 which I thought was the German nautical scheme??

Anyhow, your model looks very good and very much like a Stuka in the Luftwaffe!.... And if you are worried, don't, it won't last long as soon as it comes out of its dive it will get shot down.....

Rob

[rob85]

Two shades of green like this one (in the A type scheme) and they should be very low contrast like that, hope that helps.

Duncan B

I hope you don't ind me sticking this photo in your thread?

Duncan, what paint has been used on this??

Rob

[Duncan B]

Duncan, what paint has been used on this??

Rob

That was my first use of Mr Paint acrylics, they are not to be confused with Mr Color etc. They are from Slovakia, very nice paints that come pre thinned in glass bottles similar to Alclad's.

I think that Airfix are mostly to blame for the confusion here with their dodgy colours on the painting instructions (if you had matched those colours it would have looked awful) however Vallejo's Luftwaffe colour matches are known to be iffy too (unless it's their new Luftwaffe colours which might be better, I haven't tried them).

Onward to glory Ced, it'll look grand when finished.

Duncan B

[CedB]

Thanks Keith You're right that they do settle from the factory - you can see the different components in the bottles before first use. I bought some of those little balls and I pop one in the bottle and shake it to death until I can see through the bottom of the bottle, hopefully ensuring all the pigment is mixed. I've given the 021 another good shaking this morning and brushed some on a part of the u/c:

Untitled by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

Can you see which bit I've painted over? No? Good. I think the black green is just wrong (see below).

Thanks Rob Perhaps some flames and smoke might cover it up?

Thanks Duncan I agree that the Airfix scheme doesn't match the actual colours but I guess they're trying to make the pattern obvious as the two real colours aren't that far apart?

"Onward to glory Ced, it'll look grand when finished" - thanks Duncan, good idea!

Before I stop going on about the paint I looked at my (small) Luftwaffe collection and thought 'what did I use to paint those, before I bought the Vallejo set?' I used to hairybrush with Humbrol so I looked at the colour spreadsheet I keep and saw that I'd marked H91 as RLM70 and H117 as 71 (this was before the Humbrol RLM colours came out):

I think the 117 matches quite well (I've torn my new label off the bottle) and I can now see that it's just the black green that's iffy. I've had a look at the Vallejo colour chart and it does look grey.

Perhaps I could hairybrush a thin coat of 91 over the 'grey'? Perhaps.

Out with the family for lunch so I might have a go later. Or not.

[jrlx]

Hi Ced,

Great progress till now and the paint finish is superb. It's a pity you got this colour scheme confusion, possibly due to not-so-accurate Vallejo colours. Whatever you decide to do, choose the option that won't make you look at the finished model in the display shelf and think you should have done something differently.

Anyway, the build is shaping up superbly and you have given us a lot of very useful tips for future builds!

Keep up the good work

Cheers

Jaime

[CedB]

Thanks Jaime

OK, I tried the H91 on the u/c and then painted some bombs and part of the spinner. Can you see the difference?

Untitled by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

I can't. Hmmm. I shall now declare this paint OK.

It's the tip of the spinner, the left two little bombs and the big one I've painted. Weird eh?

[AlexN]

Hmm...it wasn't just me: I was thnking "that looks more like RLM 66 (Schwartzgrau) than RLM 70 (Schwarzgrun)". That really does it for me. NO Vallejo et alia paints will end up in my collection, ever. A total disgrace. What mind-bending substances are those dweebs on? Harumph.

Looking great despite the efforts by the incompetent paint vendors to derail you, Ced .

Cheers,

Alex.

[CedB]

Thanks Alex - grau, grun, perhaps they don't translate well to Spanish? And it looks like Humbrol have a similar problem?

Transfers on the bottom (fnaar fnaar):

Untitled by Ced Bufton, on Flickr

The Revell kit I built before had extra decals for the speed brakes which were a nightmare - no problem with these!

[ianpolinar]

You did a great work, mate and wrote an amazing Post.

I congratulate you!

Cheers.