Heather's Workbench - the French connection, 1940 style

[Brandy]

5 hours ago, stevehnz said:

As Long as it's only a name change Ian, we've got the Mrs Browns Boys episode on with Caitlyn Jenner in it & for a moment I got quite a start.  

Steve.

My last name is Brand. Mates have called me Brandy for as long as I can remember. Certainly before it became a fashionable girl's name!

 

Ian

[Heather Kay]

What with one thing and another, not much happened with the Potez over the weekend. No photos, nothing much to see, so I’ll let some words explain.

 

The fuselage was tidied, and the underside seam was given some filler and some sanding. I tidied the various canopy and cockpit openings, and fitted the front compartment moulding in place. I then spent a while checking the transparent parts for fit - which seems to be good - but before gluing them in place they need masking. I fettled the tailplane parts, and glued on the horizontal part.

 

Then I ordered the paint mask from Hannants, along with some other masks for various stash residents. And, at that point, the build stopped. I’ve a feeling it’s going to languish around the bench, waiting for the masking to arrive. I’ll fiddle with odd bits and pieces, like maybe making the props and arranging the engines and cowlings. I actually seriously considered whipping props and spinners from a couple of donated and already assembled Airfix Spitfire models. The blades go the right way, and are nearly the right length, and I don’t suppose anyone would spot the spinners being a bit too dumpy. I’ll ponder that further, because I’m not keen on making decent props from resin and styrene combined. 
 

Then, of course, we are nearly into the Battle of Britain GB. I’ve made plans to build a couple of models for that, which may also push the poor old Potez down the pecking order for a while.

[malpaso]

On 6/27/2020 at 2:18 PM, Brandy said:

My last name is Brand. Mates have called me Brandy for as long as I can remember. Certainly before it became a fashionable girl's name!

 

Ian

Ian, I reckon your "mates" have been on a wind-up ever since 1972!

 

And any younger people you know will recognise it from "Guardians of the Galaxy"...

 

Just sayin' ...

 

Cheers

Will

[Heather Kay]

 

Precut masks have turned up. Not only the Potez but also for some long term stash residents.

[Heather Kay]

I admit to not being a great fan of the pre-cut vinyl masks. I find they don’t really conform well to curves, and can only realistically be lifted for repositioning once. I think one secret is to ensure the surface they’re laying in hasn’t been handled or touched. I’ve a Montex set of masks for the Airfix He111, which doesn’t fill me with confidence, I have to admit.

 

Anyway...

 

 

This set pretty well worked okay. The only area that might give trouble is the nose cone, which may well appreciate a blob of Maskol just in case.

 

 

A whole market garden of greenhouses! I planned to use Kristal Klear canopy glue, but in the end I’ve run MEK into all the joins. The nose glazing allows for this, with plenty of framing to hide any splodges. I’ll let things harden, then inspect for gaps and any light sanding that may be required around that generous conk.

 

Wings and tail feathers next, then time for some paint. As the Battle of Britain group build kicks off soon, I expect the poor old Potez to potter along slowly. Don’t forget, I’ve pretty much committed myself to scratch building new undercarriage parts to replace the rather messy resin bits. That will take some time. Anyway, nobody said it was a race to build this.

 

 

[Jur]

Those masks look like a godsend. It looks like you managed to get them on allright.

 

I am right now practising my masking skills on a cheapo Belkin Fairey Battle greenhouse and it takes a special mindset not to throw the thing in the bin halfway through. I promised myself not to count the numnber of panels until I finished it.

 

By the way that bottom picture suggests that they should have nicknamed this Potez the 'de Gaulle'.

[Heather Kay]

3 minutes ago, Jur said:

they should have nicknamed this Potez the 'de Gaulle'.

 

As long as a transparency has fairly well defined framing, I quite enjoy the challenge of making my own masks. Good light, sharp blade and strong magnification are essentials.

[Jur]

Potez le Nez?

[corsaircorp]

fine job Heather !!

Your collection is going strongly !!

Load of work on these kits but what a result !!

Congrats !!

Sincerely.

CC

[Marklo]

Looking good. I’m starting to like all those odd interwar French  types.
 

I quite like masking canopies, this was my last outing, with no frame lines as it was a home vac formed canopy to replace the kit one which I accidentally destroyed. Patience a new scalpel blade and lots of teeny tiny bits of Tamiya tape  work a charm.

 

Turned out ok.

Edited July 5, 2020 by Marklo

[Heather Kay]

 

On with the wings. Trying to get it all square showed the tailplane was on the squiff, so it had to come off again. Some healthy wing root gaps to deal with. I’ve brush coated the interior colour over the transparencies. There’s still a little step evident on the nose cone where it meets the side panels, but I’ll live with it.

 

I was originally going to brush paint the whole model. However, rediscovering my airbrush mojo, I’m going to try that route instead. I’ll need to find a way to safely plug the open rear cockpit. A bit of soft foam material should do the trick there.

 

Quite how much I will get done between now and the Battle of Britain GB kicking off remains to be seen.

[Marklo]

31 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

. I’ll need to find a way to safely plug the open rear cockpit. A bit of soft foam material should do the trick there.

I usually use a damp tissue for that kind of thing, but foam is good too as long as it’s sufficiently compliant.

[Heather Kay]

Some filling and sanding...

 

 

Followed by a quick brushed coat of Humbrol 29. It's become my go-to brush primer/witness coat because it brushes out so nicely straight from the pot.

 

I reckon a little more gentle sanding at the wing roots will see the basic airframe ready for some primer.

[AltcarBoB]

I use Vallejo Engine grey as a witness coat.

[nsmekanik]

The trick to vinyl masks is a hair dryer. A little heat makes a big difference in how they perform.

[Marklo]

Any of the Tamiya light or medium greys. Particularly neutral grey.

 

The thought of Humbrol 29 makes me shudder  each to their own.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Marklo

[Heather Kay]

1 minute ago, Marklo said:

The thought of Humbrol 29 makes me shudder  each time their own.

I know Humbrol has had their bad times, but the newest paints are very good, mainly for brush work admittedly.

 

I started using Hu29 on the Belgian Battle I built a while back. It’s one of the colours used for the camo scheme, so made sense as a witness coat/primer. Likewise, it worked well for the Fokker XXI. For this build, a non-grey primer coat will be very helpful to see where the proper colours have gone on!  

 

One of the things I love about this hobby is you’re always learning new things, and coming up with things that work for you. There are many ways to deprive a feline of its outer covering.

[AdrianMF]

1 hour ago, Heather Kay said:

newest paints are very good

Is that the enamels? I do like the new acrylics in bottles, and I don't think I'm ever going back to enamels, but it would be nice to think they have sorted their range out. 

 

A gritty tub of Hu 29 acrylic made me switch to Revell for DE/DG.

 

Potez is looking good* BTW.

 

Regards,

Adrian

 

* as good looking as a French 1930s twin can be, I mean!

[Heather Kay]

41 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

Is that the enamels?

Acrylic. That said, the enamels are also improving. Watch for the union flag on the tinlet. I also give the tin a shake and if you can hear it splashing about it’s probably good to go.  Oh, the new dropper style bottles are quite good, too, though you then have to decant the paint before you can brush it. No more plopping the brush into the pot. Perhaps they plan to run both styles of pot at the same time so you have a choice.

 

The problem with Humbrol at the moment is the acrylic range doesn’t have the same extent as the enamels. Hopefully that will improve in time.

[ckw]

7 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

if you can hear it splashing about it’s probably good to go

Excellent tip - never thought of that. Ended up with yet another tin of enamel gel coat this weekend (and it had the Union flag on it). I think of Humbrol enamels as "paint concentrate" .... I suppose you could argue it makes them very economical 😄

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Marklo]

I do have some Humbrol ( the bottom row of my newly upgraded paint rack). When I started back to modelling I used first the Kit supplied acrylics then started buying Humbrol, I have done a Spitfire and a Hurricane in 29 but found it needed at least three coats. I can’t remember exactly why I started buying Tamiya but ( except for their white and silver) I find they go much easier and airbrush better.  I have a very small contingent of AK acrylics which are good and one or two Gunze colours which are also pretty good.   I also keep a small stick of enamels, white, silver and a few specific camouflage colours. Oh and a few rattle cans  (humbrol metalcoat aluminium is very good but sprays at very high pressure so you have to barely flick the nozzle to spray it)
 

But at the end of the day it’s whatever works for you. Still Humbrol 29, shudders  

[AdrianMF]

1 hour ago, Heather Kay said:

Hopefully that will improve in time.

Sadly, it's getting smaller. The latest casualties are 79 (my go-to EDSG), 93 (desert sand, useful and not the same as 94) and 116 ("US" dark green but good for RAF too). Dunno why they keep pulling the colours. They could usefully junk acrylic 66 while they're about it, because it's a mid grey and nothing like the "olive drab" it claims to be. 

 

Sorry to thread drift. @CedB will be along to talk about sausages soon at this rate. I should get out more (or not).

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Heather Kay]

I don’t mind thread drift. Drift away. 

[Heather Kay]

Priming session, including a couple of Italians currently being out together for the Battle of Britain group build.

 

 

I really need to look at alternative primers. I’m currently using a basic acrylic rattle can car primer, but no matter how much shaking it gets it tends to begin to splatter gobs of paint after a minute or two. That’s fine if I can get in and sand again, but I’d rather it didn’t happen. Alternatives are expensive branded primers from the likes of Tamiya, or go for stuff to shoot through the airbrush. I’m not keen on the latter, mainly due to my dislike of the tool rather than the technique. Either way, I guess I need to spend more on the primers, as you seem to get what you pay for.

[Beard]

Whenever I use a primer, which isn't very often because I use enamels or Tamiya acrylic, I've found Halfords primer to be pretty good. Not the lacquer stuff, that does terrible things to kits.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Beard
to correct tense.