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Airfix Dambuster - 1/72 Avro Lancaster B.III


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1 hour ago, Tomoshenko said:

Washed down with Duff beer ...

30314152808_7c8f474c7b_b.jpg&key=edcd049

 

 

Edit

PS  Tom, see what you can do with a Cricut Explore Air cutter when you're bored and have to test some Alclad...try this with with a £70 circle cutter ( not sure why you would though)

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Right then. Masked up and ready for the Tamiya NATO Black:

 

IMG_4264.jpg

 

I intended to allow it to cure for a couple of hours, but the impetuous little lad inside me got the better of me.

 

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It’s come out okay.

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The pre-shading is barely noticeable. Perhaps I may emphasise it with some black pastels and black panel wash.

 

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The only “casualties” is a slight bit of overspray above the panel line where the engine nacelle meets the wing due to me not masking properly. This is barely noticeable and will be cloaked when I add some exhaust shading. Also, and it looks worse in the picture than it actually is, but just in front of the wing leading edge beneath the canopy  where there was some green dry spray, this has had the effect of making the black look a little lighter in directional lighting due to the refraction. It should diminish after a coat or two of klear and a final matt coat (hopefully, fingers crossed and offering incantations to the model airplane gods).

 

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Really minor little quips which are barely noticeable (don’t tell anyone…), but all the other masking has produced nice crisp lines.

 

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Klear, transfers, panel wash and weathering next.

 

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Very nice Tom. Good progress when you get to this point. Except

I find it nerve racking when you get so far down the line. Please

do not let things go wrong.

 

Apologies tom my pessimism.

 

If I may say so a very unusual tail Tom for a Lancaster. Not seen one

like that before. Is this an unknown MK. 😎

 

Laurie

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Apologies for the interjection but when out on a walk yesterday in Maida Vale I passed this house. 

 

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resized_ac61f00d-7336-4658-b61f-aecce6e2

 

Never knew he lived in London

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19 minutes ago, 825 said:

Apologies for the interjection but when out on a walk yesterday in Maida Vale I passed this house. 

 

resized_5bff8d4d-c281-4d04-991f-86cd2c54

 

 

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Never knew he lived in London

No not I either. His book Enemy Coastline Ahead mentions in his introductory passages Monkstone Beach Tenby Wales.

 

I did believe he lived there as it was a strange place to be if he lived in London.

 

Laurie

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On ‎1‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 5:43 PM, LaurieS said:

Please

do not let things go wrong.

Alas Laurie I am a mere mortal to be toyed and played with upon the whims of the modelling gods...

 

On ‎1‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 5:43 PM, LaurieS said:

If I may say so a very unusual tail Tom for a Lancaster. Not seen one

like that before. Is this an unknown MK. 😎

 

Laurie

 

On ‎1‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 11:45 PM, CedB said:

Looking good Tomo :) 

What's the aerial arrangement in your first photo? Are you doing a night bomber radar guided thingey? :coat: 

 

Ahh you’ve sussed me out. Top secret aerial designed to look like old bent coat hangers …

 

Well now as the build is going reasonably with just the odd hiccup here and there – that’s what modelling is all about I suppose. What couldn’t be better than getting the build to an advanced point and then doing something that may completely mess everything up?

 

With that in mind I thought I’d have a crack at foregoing the wing roundel transfers and replace them with painted versions. It’s something I wanted to have a go at for a while, and given the rather large wing roundels in two colours, it seems like a good opportunity to test out my latest tool gadgetry:

 

IMG_4217.jpg

 

It’s a circular cutter I purchased recently after seeing it demonstrated at Telford. It `aint cheap, but it’s a nice quality piece of kit. There is a discussion as to their merits and pros and cons vis-à-vis silhouette cutter on Bill’s CH-53 and Merlin build thread:

 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235048271-fifty-shades-other-numbers-are-available/&page=4

 

An interesting discussion ensued. As well as the usual mania that frequents itself on our fora, it’s also a rather nice build.

 

Anyroad I thought I’d have a go. First you have to use a little jig which I taped firmly down so it won’t move. The cutter fits inside the jig which makes sure the concentric circles are aligned. Not quite so important for this job, but imperative if you were cutting type A1 roundels.

 

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The measuring gauge has very fine increments, thus it is quite accurate. Well after some experimentation this is what I ended up with:

 

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So tools and implements at the ready – once more unto the breach - I will need to be mindful not to spray the roundels in Aspall cider and drink the colourcoats enamels, even though they smell rather nice…

 

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The downside about masking roundels is that it’s a right blinkin’ faff to get them in the right position. You can fiddle around and adjust the transfers but you only get one shot when you paint them. It’s a matter of using the panel lines as a reference, checking that the distances below as per the compass measurements match the port and starboard. The point of this is to be consistent. As we say at work, consistency is important because even if we’re wrong, at least we’re consistently wrong…

 

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Once in position to the best of my compass measurements and mark 1 eyeball, it was on with a coat of Alclad white. Only a light dusting. I wasn’t fussed about getting a deep white undercoat down.

 

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It was then on with the red.

 

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Once this was on I nipped up the pub for a few beers. On my return I subsequently cooked a spicy pork and bean casserole.

 

I forgot to take a picture of the outer roundel masks before I inserted the red mask, but hey I think you get the idea by now.

 

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It was then on with the blue. This was taken when the paint was still wet and with directional lighting, so as you can see the camo line shows through. It’s barely noticeable from normal angles (if there is such a thing as a normal angle), you’ll just have to take my word for it.

 

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I must say the colourcoats went on wonderfully well. They also smell like old school enamels, with the added advantage of lacking in lead additives and other carcinogenic and neurotoxin additives those old enamels had (one can’t have everything I suppose…)

 

After eagerly anticipating the result it was off with the masking:

 

…. Grrr There was some bleed. In fact if you look at the picture above towards the bottom right you can see that the masking tape is ever so slightly proud. Both roundels experienced this in the same position and I could have sworn the tape was nice and flush. It’s only slight but it sticks out like the proverbial cobbler’s thumb and looks as rough as the proverbial ursine posterior!

 

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Fortunately I had not yet disposed of the masking tape and was able to re-use to re-mask and touch up.

 

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It was then off with the masking a second time…and phew! Result.

 

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I really like the effect actually, even though I can’t quite capture it in this lighting.

 

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Some reflections then on painting roundels vis-à-vis transfers:

 

Cons:

Undoubtedly it is a faff and a half. Particularly aligning them as you get no second chances – didn’t help that I didn’t have the Tamiya sheet tape with the gridlines marked on it. Also it was my first attempt so naturally it would be quicker with practice.

 

It takes much longer (especially like me if you use enamels), and you have to be mindful not to go over the top with the coats to avoid building up a ridge. I have a very slight ridge top left but hardly noticeable – hopefully after klear and coats of varnish. That said if you put down a light coat of white primer (Alclad white is ideal I find), and are using well-thinned quality paint, with practice this won’t happen.

 

Pros:

Without a shadow of doubt, what all the posters and the YouTube videos (vloggers?) say is true in spades: they look exponentially better. Seriously, I was sceptical, and given the quality of transfers (oh go on then decals) these days, I thought nah; but I am a convert. My first attempt isn’t perfect I know, but they still look pretty good.

 

Consistency and ease for weathering / panel line washes etc. It can be difficult getting the consistency of the weathering of the decal matching that with the rest of the aircraft. Mainly panel line washes as the extra thickness of the decal makes it more difficult for the wash to take. Okay you can use pencils, but sometimes you can’t get the same colour as the other panel lines (well at least I can’t).

 

Resilience. Even if you coat the decal in umpteen layers of klear or super-duper-hard as nails-NASA-patented-space age varnish, the weak link is the adhesive quality of the decal to the model. So if have to mask over a decal, there’s always the risk that the tape will pull away the decal (you don’t need to ask how I know this!). This won’t happen with painted markings.

 

Okay I think I’ve droned on enough. In conclusion where you can you should give it a go, although I recommend practice on some donors first; but they do look much better.

 

Time for my reward.

 

IMG_4328.jpg

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Nice looking roundels (& cider!) Tomo, but I'm a tad confuddled - did you actually want the camo demarcation to show through the roundel? Have to admit it's not something I've ever noticed on the 'real thing', but maybe I've just not been looking hard enough!

 

Keith

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9 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

Nice looking roundels (& cider!) Tomo, but I'm a tad confuddled - did you actually want the camo demarcation to show through the roundel? Have to admit it's not something I've ever noticed on the 'real thing', but maybe I've just not been looking hard enough!

 

Keith

No. The reason it shows through is that I painted the roundels over some dry spray. And from a certain lighting angle it looks like the demarcation shows through, from others it doesn't. Once I've put down a couple of coats of klear and some matt varnish it should...it should disappear... :whistle:

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twice, so there

 

No doubt now the process is beginning to be understood the artist will leave the spaces unpainted Keith

 

Looks fine, can't wait for mine to arrive now - excitement builds

 

Lovely work Tom, now find serials and codes in mainly round shapes and you will have it sorted

 

(Ced and his damned Silhouette Cutter, blast their benighted hides) 

 

Guess who has been having dark thoughts about masked and painted single colour US Stars and Bars?

 

No I cant imagine either...

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49 minutes ago, Tomoshenko said:

Alas Laurie I am a mere mortal to be toyed and played with upon the whims of the modelling gods...

 

 

 

Ahh you’ve sussed me out. Top secret aerial designed to look like old bent coat hangers …

 

W

 

Time for my reward.

 

IMG_4328.jpg

Dedication to duty Tom. Darned fine effort on those roundels. Always a great satisfaction with DIY.

 

Plus I see you got it,satisfaction, hey "Premier Cru".

 

Laurie

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10 minutes ago, Tomoshenko said:

No. The reason it shows through is that I painted the roundels over some dry spray. And from a certain lighting angle it looks like the demarcation shows through, from others it doesn't. Once I've put down a couple of coats of klear and some matt varnish it should...it should disappear... :whistle:

 

Ah right, get it now, ta for un-confuddling me! :)

 

K

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8 minutes ago, LaurieS said:

Dedication to duty Tom. Darned fine effort on those roundels. Always a great satisfaction with DIY.

 

Plus I see you got it,satisfaction, hey "Permier Cru".

 

Laurie

Nothing's too good for the worker's Laurie!

 

10 minutes ago, perdu said:

twice, so there

 

No doubt now the process is beginning to be understood the artist will leave the spaces unpainted Keith

 

Looks fine, can't wait for mine to arrive now - excitement builds

 

Lovely work Tom, now find serials and codes in mainly round shapes and you will have it sorted

 

(Ced and his damned Silhouette Cutter, blast their benighted hides) 

 

Guess who has been having dark thoughts about masked and painted single colour US Stars and Bars?

 

No I cant imagine either...

Definitely a learning curve Bill and in future said spaces will be left unpainted. With plenty more RAF subjects in the stash, more experiments will ensue.

 

"Guess who has been having dark thoughts about masked and painted single colour US Stars and Bars?" Just keep listening to what those voices are saying in your head Bill and do what they say....

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14 hours ago, CedB said:

Nice work Tomo - another convert to painted roundels! :) 

Woohoo Tom, its fun doing markings using masks isn't it? You might want to tray some Oramask 810 vinyl, I found it much better  for flat/slightly curved surface like wings and fuselages as its stiff and holds it shape better. Its also a lot easier to burnish down as you can see where its down properly ( e.g your bleed issue)

 

balkenkreuzmask.jpg&key=18a7fe47bf068efa

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Cheers gents.

 

20 hours ago, CedB said:

Nice work Tomo - another convert to painted roundels! :) 

 

 

5 hours ago, azureglo said:

Woohoo Tom, its fun doing markings using masks isn't it? You might want to tray some Oramask 810 vinyl, I found it much better  for flat/slightly curved surface like wings and fuselages as its stiff and holds it shape better. Its also a lot easier to burnish down as you can see where its down properly ( e.g your bleed issue)

 

balkenkreuzmask.jpg&key=18a7fe47bf068efa

 

I must say you do get a nice buzz and sense of satisfaction and achievement (I'm trying not to sound pretentious so apologise if I sound full of it).

 

Those masks look the business Anil. I think I will be purchasing some Oramask, it looks excellent. Tell me of your silhouette cutter. I need some advice. I feel a CedB tool purchase is in the offing.

 

Tonight I got a few coats of klear on. It looks shiny as hell. Part of me wishes I could keep it this way. Alas the weathering fairies await ready to pounce.

 

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Next up will get the transfers on. More klear, then panel line washes and weathering. Feel I can relax a bit now.

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On 1/15/2019 at 8:06 PM, Tomoshenko said:

 

 

Those masks look the business Anil. I think I will be purchasing some Oramask, it looks excellent. Tell me of your silhouette cutter. I need some advice. I feel a CedB tool purchase is in the offing.

 

 

 

Ok Tom, the skinny:

 

Cricut Explore Air 2 = much finer detail cutting, can cut thicker material up to leather (!) but has cack software and the cutter software which you have to use for making cuts is online only. You need to be able to use something like coreldraw or adobe illustrator (CS2 version is free) and learn about exporting to the right format.  Illustrator aces the Silhouette software and I make canopy masks by tracing on Tam tape, scanning in  and "drawing" masks in illustrator which I send to the cutter. The fineness of detail makes it easily the right one for me as I do a lot of 1/72- I even used it to make slotted exhausts ( shades of your Fury build!) here, took about 10 minutes from drawing to sticking them on.

 

 

Silhouette = less detailed cutting ability, nicer software ( but no match for Photoshop/illustrator) and runs the software on your machine not the web.  Theres an option to use a Graphtec blade (google it) that allegedly makes it capable of making finer cuts. I tried one and found the cutting ragged and the software a bit clunky but then I'm a computer nerd ( and so for that matter is @CedB!!)

 

There's a massive reference here:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79025-a-guide-to-using-the-silhouette-cameo-cutter/

 

Either one will work but I tested  both and Cricut was easily the better cutter with the inferior software which I replaced. Either one will be an amazing asset for you and if you have the money something like the Silver Bullet ( there's someone on BM who has one?) is the daddy of them all but pushing £900 for the cheapest one in the UK.

 

Oh and it will spew out any amount of circles from 2mm to 200mm😉

 

Cheers 

 

Anil

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