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Convair B-58 Hustler 1/72


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I got back from my trip to Los Angeles last night, and today took stock of where I am in this build. When I last left off, I had sprayed my engine pods with Xtreme Metal's polished aluminum, chosen simply because the name sounded appropriate. To be honest, after it was on I felt that shade was a bit too dark and, since I will be applying a variety of metallic shades and colors before I'm done, I decided to do a little experiment. 

 

I bought a box of plastic spoons and painted a bunch of them with Tamiya gloss black from a rattlecan. I then sprayed each spoon with a different Xtreme Metal color from my shelf:

 

47927180498_221b16d114_b.jpg 

 

Here is the result of my exercise, arranged from lightest to darkest shade as best I can determine using my Mark 1 Mod 0 eyeball:

 

47927175512_5e65342fa8_b.jpg 

 

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(Notice that a couple of these metallic shades have a distinct brownish cast, in particular, "duraluminum" and "pale burnt metal". Likewise, although it doesn't show up in the above pics, "stainless steel" is slightly bluish.)

 

Now able to do a more intelligent paint selection, I decided white aluminum is a better choice of base color for my Hustler. (This is, in fact, the same color that Mark Inman used for his build, which I referenced in my first post in this WIP.) So, I gave my engine pods a quick coat of white aluminum, and if I'm happy with how they look once the paint has dried, tomorrow I'll start applying other shades to the pods.

 

 

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This is a fantastic build thread! I've learned a lot reading it and have lots of ideas for the Italeri TB-58 that's been sitting in the stash for *ahem* a number of years *ahem*.

 

Maybe I missed it, but what is "Sprue Goop" made of? is it just sprue melted in liquid glue applied as a filler?

 

Nice looking work.  I'm especially wowed by the cockpit!!!

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Today I finished up the main colors on the engine pods. Now I'm contemplating how to weather them.

 

47933331541_92d7904d52_b.jpg

 

47933326423_2298725bb8_b.jpg 

 

I must have looked at dozens of B-58 photos, and my conclusion is that no two engine pods had the same pattern of shading. Thus, I only attempted to capture the general appearance. The main color is "white aluminum". Forward section of the pod is "polished aluminum" and the shiny section at the rear is "chrome". The dark panels are a mix of "jet exhaust" and "metallic smoke". There are also a couple panels done with "steel", but they don't show well in the above photos.

 

I'm quite pleased with the Xtreme Metal paints. As long as you remember to use only thin coats, and not let the paint pool, they go on great. Once dry, they've stood up to my usual masking abuse without any problems. They are enamels, so any enamel-based weathering products (e.g., panel line wash) will first need a coat or two of clear acrylic to protect the metallic finish.

 

Tomorrow I may try some post-shading & weathering, hopefully I won't muck up today's work!

 

 

 

 

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A quick couple of pics to show today's work.

 

I gave the engine pods some character with some post-shading. For the dark panels, I used thinned "burnt metal" to add color and highlight the panel lines. The lighter panels (except for the polished aluminum front end) got high some thinned Tamiya "smoke". I left the front of the engine pods as they are for now -- my logic is that they're forward of the compressor fan and shouldn't see much, if any, engine heating. Later I intend to apply a not-too-dark panel line wash.

 

47938613533_00b2b4d3c4_c.jpg

 

 

Here's the "before and after":

 

47933326423_2298725bb8_z.jpg47938613548_c9bbd1b604_z.jpg

 

  

Since taking the above pics, I've sprayed the pods with a coat of Alclad Aqua Gloss clear, in anticipation of the panel line wash and decaling. Later, I'll apply clear matte over the dark panels, as they are much too shiny now.

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:worthy:Bill--well played!  Really appreciate the Xtreme Metal review--have you decided that you prefer them over Alclad2 paints at this time?  Your results are impressive!  Cheers, Erwin

 

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5 hours ago, VT Red Sox Fan said:

Really appreciate the Xtreme Metal review--have you decided that you prefer them over Alclad2 paints at this time?  

 

This is my third build using Xtreme Metal. The first was my Ford Tri-motor... that wasn't a good test since I wasn't going for a shiny metallic finish (just the opposite). But the paints impressed me with how well they spray and how resilient they are to handling.

 

32070426577_8ddb9152ce_c.jpg 

 

My second experience using them was my Tamiya Ki-61. Again, not a stressing test as most of the painted surface ended up covered with large camo decals:

 

47526000651_b110cff6a8_c.jpg

 

I have even less experience with Alclad2. The little I've used it, I got the impression it is a bit finicky when spraying (anything heavier than a mist coat may ruin the effect) and somewhat fragile when being handled. 

 

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Back to the Hustler!

 

I've set aside the engine pods for now and have returned to the fuselage and wings. After considering the option of painting the fuselage and wings separately, I decided instead that I will glue the wings in place and fill in the fuselage-wing gaps, then paint. I'll then add the engine pods and touch up where needed.

 

I've done my best to get a good fit along the wing join, but there will still be a gap. Stretched sprue and sprue gloop should be sufficient to fill this:

 

47944403127_1b3f5043f5_c.jpg 

 

Nose is on, some minor work will be needed here as well:

 

47944416893_aeff5b88bd_c.jpg 

 

The gap on the starboard side of the vertical stabilizer has already had the stretched sprue treatment, but I can see some minor blemishes that need fixing:

 

47944403152_901570df70_c.jpg 

 

The long join along the back of the fuselage is in pretty good shape and, for the most part, only needs some careful sanding. I'll just add a bit of sprue gloop there as protection against phantom seams.

 

Starting to look like an airplane!

 

47944403242_ba42691290_b.jpg 

 

 

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I've recently started using AK extreme metal paints. My first try at a NMF. No pics now, but did a P-51. Like how durable the paints are. No finger prints and was able to mask in a few hours. No special techniques to apply. As with all NMF, the base surface needs to be polished or smooth with no scratches, etc.

I started with a couple of shades and ended buying a "few" more.

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7 hours ago, billn53 said:

 

This is my third build using Xtreme Metal. The first was my Ford Tri-motor... that wasn't a good test since I wasn't going for a shiny metallic finish (just the opposite). But the paints impressed me with how well they spray and how resilient they are to handling.

 

32070426577_8ddb9152ce_c.jpg 

 

My second experience using them was my Tamiya Ki-61. Again, not a stressing test as most of the painted surface ended up covered with large camo decals:

 

47526000651_b110cff6a8_c.jpg

 

I have even less experience with Alclad2. The little I've used it, I got the impression it is a bit finicky when spraying (anything heavier than a mist coat may ruin the effect) and somewhat fragile when being handled. 

 

Bill & @Bejay53 thanks for your impressions and sharing your great builds!  Best Erwin

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I believe that I mentioned earlier that Italeri's molds don't always have a pristine surface, and need to be sanded smooth before painting. I did this to the wings to the point where everything looked great, then sprayed Alclad gray primer. Something very, very strange happened! In some areas the paint developed what I can only describe as a "non-skid" surface. Here are a couple examples:

 

47951573552_abf84ce96d_c.jpg 

 

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I was able to sand this out, but now I'm gun-shy about waiting until the wings are attached before painting the metallics. I'll probably do a test spray on the wings to ensure everything is okay.

 

On a happier note, I've painted up the elevons. After priming with gray Alclad, I put down a base coat of "white aluminum", then used "metallic smoke" and "steel" on the forward and rear sections, respectively:

 

47951613981_6d32de0773_c.jpg 

 

Here's a comparison pic with the real McCoy:

 

47951546133_f625b50657_b.jpg 

 

 

More later...

 

 

 

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I've put in a lot of time over the past couple of days, but not much progress to show. Most of my effort has gone into getting my Hustler ready for painting. But I do have a few things to show for it...

 

First up, I stripped off all of the painting I had done on the fuselage bottom (as a trial-run for NMF) so that I could start fresh. 

 

47969217393_a4f69281f2_c.jpg 

 

I masked off the crew compartments using paper towel, which I coated with PVA to help keep it in place. I also masked off my position lights on the tail and wing leading edges.

 

47969198702_2180ebe893_c.jpg   47969217128_9e24b53f45_z.jpg 

 

I gave the landing gear bays a shot of Tamiya rattlecan white primer, then masked them with BluTac:

 

47969217368_cf68341285_c.jpg 

 

Before masking the side Navigator and DSO's side windows, I decided to try out a technique I picked up from Martian Hale in his ongoing "mojo restorer" SM.79 build. The side windows on the Hustler fit acceptably well, but there are small gaps between the windows and the fuselage, and Martian's method promises to get a seamless fit for the windows. Basically, once the windows are glue in place, one applies a generous layer of CA glue over the windows. After the CA hardens, the CA is sanded flush with the fuselage and polished to clarity.

 

Taking a deep breath and saying a few Hail Mary's, I covered my windows with CA (no going back now!)

 

47969217243_c9a85cc266_c.jpg 

 

And after the sanding & polishing was finished, here's my final result:

 

Starboard-side windows look great:

47969257331_2ab46b2611_c.jpg 

 

However, on the port-side, the DSO's window (over the wing) decided to fog up, and no amount of polishing could clear it up:

47969198582_dbc905c3db_c.jpg 

 

Grrrrr......

 

With everything masked up and a bit of scribing done to replace panel lines lost during sanding, I proceeded to spray the fuselage with Alclad gray primer:

 

47969198717_803377a6b2_c.jpg 

 

The primer revealed a small "phantom" seam on the fuselage spine, between the pilot and navigator hatches. I addressed this by sanding, followed with an extra-heavy shot of the gray "filler" primer. Looking good now!

 

47969217273_b826c81653_c.jpg 

 

After giving the primed surfaces a gentle sanding with extra-fine sandpaper, I sprayed the fuselage and wings with Alclad black gloss:

 

47969257486_1fb582847a_b.jpg 

 

Looks pretty sexy in black, doesn't she? I'm tempted to just go ahead and glue everything together, apply decals (maybe even some flames and racing stripes), and Bob's your uncle!

 

But, that fantasy over, I put the wings and fuselage safely away to give the paint time to dry, and moved on to the big B-58 weapon pod.

 

The B-58 could carry one of two main types of weapon pods slung underneath the fuselage. The first was a large, unitary pod that contained compartments for fuel, electronic equipment, and a nuclear warhead. This pod is included in the Italeri kit:

 

47969496492_03b50e50df_z.jpg 

 

The second type of pod was a two-component design, one atop the other. The larger, lower section carried fuel. The upper section had the nuclear weapon. When the fuel was expended, the lower section was released, leaving the upper section in place. The main advantage of this design was reduced overall drag.

 

47969555031_deeb0289b3_b.jpg 

 

47969515073_26ae1a6421.jpg   47969496487_7c1836270f.jpg 

 

Unhappily, Italeri did not provide a two-component pod option. But, I might have a plan....

 

More on that, later. In the meantime, Here's the Italeri pod (tail fins still to be added):

 

47969198677_153d0fc76f_c.jpg 

 

I did a test fit and discovered the pod has significant gaps at both the forward and aft ends. I added shim material (visible in the above pic) and am in process of sanding away in hopes of getting a better fit to the fuselage.

 

That's all for now!

 

 

 

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Here's another potential solution for such  tricky windows. It requires a UV light to harden it, but these are available now at ridiculously low prices. I don't remember where I first heard of it, but it reportedly cures to a hard finish which can be sanded and polished. The technique is to first apply a smooth clear adhesive tape to the outside of the window opening, then fill the opening from the inside with a few drops of the stuff and zap it with the UV light. You can probably find the same or similar at your local beauty supply retailer. It's available in several different sizes:

 

610-Hr0ep+L._SL1030_.jpg

https://amazon.com/Resin-Ultraviolet-Curing-Sunlight-Activated/dp/B072N2VF4H/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_3905707922

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Thanks for the tip, Space Ranger. I’m familiar with the UV-activated resin, and have used it for instrument dials, small lights, and as a clear glue for canopies. I was wondering if it would be hard enough for the fine sanding & polishing needed for windows. Based on your info, I’ll have to give it a try next opportunity. 

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21 minutes ago, billn53 said:

Thanks for the tip, Space Ranger. I’m familiar with the UV-activated resin, and have used it for instrument dials, small lights, and as a clear glue for canopies.

You're welcome. I never thought of using it for canopy glue, so thanks for that tip. This thread gets better all the time!

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1 minute ago, Space Ranger said:

You're welcome. I never thought of using it for canopy glue, so thanks for that tip. This thread gets better all the time!

Just so you are aware, I’ve had mixed results using it for canopy glue. I suspect it depends on if the clear plastic of the canopy is transparent at the UV wavelength used to activate the acrylic gel. 

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9 minutes ago, billn53 said:

Just so you are aware, I’ve had mixed results using it for canopy glue. I suspect it depends on if the clear plastic of the canopy is transparent at the UV wavelength used to activate the acrylic gel. 

Hadn't thought of that; I'll keep it in mind.

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On 5/28/2019 at 3:07 PM, Space Ranger said:

I'm gonna have to try some o' that there Xtreme Metal. It looks fantastic, and the fact that it is an enamel is a selling point with me.

 

Well... I'm a big fan of Xtreme Metal paints, but I'm not 100% convinced they are enamels. They may say that on the label but its best to treat them as if they are lacquers (though only Chrome needs a primer). They certainly smell... real good... so ventilation is required.

 

But they cover really well, are durable, mask well. The thinner is rocket fuel as far as I can make out, it'll strip anything.

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3 hours ago, Jackman said:

Thanks, Jackman! Some tempting products there. 

Your next to last link reminded me that I've used UV gel for another, non-aviation application. Namely, I used it to create eyeballs for the shoggoth monster in my Ford Tri-motor "Mountains of Madness" diorama:

 

47016180992_ffcde49e82_c.jpg 

 

If anyone's interested, here's the link to my diorama:

 

 

 

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