Sea Vixen FAW.1x2

[Pete in Lincs]

Masking AND ESDG in the same episode. We are indeed blessed! All the very best for peeling time tomorrow.

Good spot on that pylon panel, BTW. It also jogged my memory. I should have some bare metal foil put by that I can use soon. Thanks for that.

Another BTW, I've had a thought about the Vixen nose piece that you sent over. More in my next build. Mwaaahahahaha!

[bigbadbadge]

The whip sounds good Tony!!!

 

Looking good and really looking forward to the big reveal .

Chris

[CJP]

Hi Tony - this model is getting more interesting every update - I think it looks superb & cant wait to see how it looks after the masking removal.

CJP

[Cookenbacher]

It took me a while to find this emoji, haven't had to use it in a while. Amazing paint work Tony.

[Brandy]

Considering EDSG is not exactly an eye popping colour, she looks absolutely gorgeous with her new coat on!

 

Nice to see that not ALL of the world's cranes are here in UAE!

 

Ian

[AdrianMF]

Terrific paint job! Can’t wait for the unmasking.

2 hours ago, Brandy said:

Nice to see that not ALL of the world's cranes are here in UAE!

…or London. Spent Tuesday evening writing objections to Lambeth council plans to demolish half of our local high street and replace the 2-3 storey buildings with high rise developer-fodder flats…

[keefr22]

14 hours ago, TheBaron said:

finally got round to buying a box to keep the jewellery in:

 

Glad to see that Tony, those bits are far more valuable than any of that gold and diamond rubbish!!

 

Can't wait to see all that masking come off!

 

Keith

[Anthony in NZ]

Oh my word that is beyond gorgeous! This is next level, it is difficult for me to comprehend the actual size of this in real life.  Definitely a jewel like build....

 

As the 2 old men from The Muppets would say...."More, More" 

[Pete in Lincs]

3 minutes ago, Anthony in NZ said:

it is difficult for me to comprehend the actual size of this in real life.

I have been blessed with one or two printed cast offs from the project. The term we are looking for is small and exquisite.

 

BTW, Anthony, As a die hard Muppet fan (It was good training for this site) I can confirm that they were called Statler and Waldorf.

[TheBaron]

Morning all.

Mostly good news on the masking front but one egregious error on my part that will need redoing...

18 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Another BTW, I've had a thought about the Vixen nose piece that you sent over. More in my next build. Mwaaahahahaha!

Is it going to be a Vixen? 🤖

18 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

The whip sounds good Tony!!!

First time anyone's said that to me tbh Chris!

15 hours ago, CJP said:

Hi Tony - this model is getting more interesting every update - I think it looks superb & cant wait to see how it looks after the masking removal

Thanks CJ - always a nervous time... 😁

13 hours ago, Cookenbacher said:

It took me a while to find this emoji, haven't had to use it in a while. Amazing paint work Tony.

Hey Cookie: thanks for that mate.

8 hours ago, Brandy said:

Nice to see that not ALL of the world's cranes are here in UAE!

It's a big and ongoing project here Ian: the government has effectively handed over the keys of Dublin to vulture funds and developers SO that they can convert the city entirely into hotels and obscenely priced apartments: the plan is to stop families messing it up for the tourists by actually living there.

A bit like err....:

6 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

…or London. Spent Tuesday evening writing objections to Lambeth council plans to demolish half of our local high street and replace the 2-3 storey buildings with high rise developer-fodder flats…

 

5 hours ago, keefr22 said:

Can't wait to see all that masking come off!

That's what I thought Keith but I might stick some of it back on after what I saw just now... :

3 hours ago, Anthony in NZ said:

This is next level, it is difficult for me to comprehend the actual size of this in real life.  Definitely a jewel like build....

I offered my wife some 1/72 Avon engine ear-rings as a Christmas present Anthony and received a right dose of the old hauteur.

Even offered to paint them in an Alcald of her choice and everything...

3 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

As a die hard Muppet fan (It was good training for this site) I can confirm that they were called Statler and Waldorf.

If we stood beside each other at a bar Pete it's likely people would nudge each other and say 'Look, it's that pair from....'

 

Right. Up early and this is what was left over just now:

'The Temptation of St. Vixen' by Salvador Dali...

 

As mentioned above, it was mostly good news at the raw/first pass painting stage buut feck me did I ever make a bollix of the Royal Navy lettering!

Let me add a ruler on the worst (starboard) side, just to emphasize the magnitude of the ghastliness:

The long axis of that lettering should match the longitudinal axis of the aircraft (and its nose numbers) whereas mine matches the longitudinal axis of, well a different aircraft altogether coming in to land. It's such a textbook error that I'm at a loss to explain how I made it, except by being careless and inattentive. Anyway, the only real harm done is to my pride so I'll give those areas of the booms a rub down and redo the job properly next time.

 

In terms of mask performance around the rest of the aircraft, there's the expected touchups to do in places like the edges of the roundels and tail badges. Where there were paint lifts/leaks, these were mercifully few:

 - and generally confined to those areas where I would have pressed down hard on the masking during painting - the worst culprit  being the trailing edges of the wings:

I haven't pulled the masking off the maintenance panels yet I want to avoid any ESDG overspray landing on them during repairs but I did take a quick peak under one of them earlier 'just to see' and the results look good.

 

All of the above was written in 'calm resignation' mode before I went a little further and erased the RN lettering in preparation for respraying. Brutal but necessary.

Masked and black primed both sides successfully and then the lid fell of the airbrush cup at the worst possible moment so that now the undersides have gone full-on abstract-expressionist:

The lacquer there doing some heavy lifting in the acid-for-blood Alien department.

 

Sod Sundays. Never liked 'em.

 

 

 

 

 

[Brandy]

So you DO make stupid mistakes, just like the rest of us!

Not the end of the world, but bloody annoying. Time for a pint/spirit of your choice. I can almost see the Hamlet ad.....

I'm sure the resurrection will be suitably magnificent!

 

Ian

 

[hendie]

Wow, wow, and thrice wow.

 

Ouch, ouch, and thrice ouch.

 

I was still contemplating how to respond to yesterday's post when you go and throw another into the mix today.   

Like Ian says - not the end of the world but daunting for sure and made all the more galling as you were reaching the final hurdles. Give it a day or so then you can get back on the horse and beat it into submission

[bigbadbadge]

Sorry to see the underside with the paint spill, very annoying, I imagine you can sort out okay though.

Chris

[perdu]

Sure not to daunt you too much Tony, but damnedly annoying.

 

I admit there was something awry in my mind when I saw the masked letters along the booms but it just did not shout "Wrong way Clyde" at me.

So if you want a second scapegoat I will stand alongside you, my hero.

 

I made a damned Vixen, it should have hit me too.

 

I am chuffed to many little mint balls at how well the masking and ora-ing is going otherwise.

 

SEE ME SWOON

 

And begin searching for those damned cutters again...

[Spookytooth]

Oh sugar, I suppose it happens to the best of us Tony.

 

That or spraying air brush cleaner instead of paint.

 

All looking good from here other wise,

 

Stay safe.

 

Simon.

[Pete in Lincs]

6 hours ago, TheBaron said:

If we stood beside each other at a bar Pete

And I thought you'd given up the evil drink? Never mind, I would be very pleased indeed to buy you the soft drink/coffee of your choice.

So the unmasking was more good news than bad by the look of things. The spillage at the end was terrible news though.

I wonder if someone on here is sending bad juju in order to prolong the build? I'm enjoying it immensely but I do want to see the end result!

Have a great week. Pete

[TheBaron]

6 hours ago, Brandy said:

So you DO make stupid mistakes, just like the rest of us!

And when I do, it's sure to be a gig 'un Ian.

Have only just recovered from that time I installed the entire rear floor of the Iron Chicken back to front! 

5 hours ago, hendie said:

was still contemplating how to respond to yesterday's post when you go and throw another into the mix today.   

Well, it was certainly 'throw' in terms of what horses sometimes do to their riders Alan! 🐎💦 🖌️🏇

5 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Sorry to see the underside with the paint spill, very annoying, I imagine you can sort out okay though.

I guess the massive paint spill accident comes to us all in turn Chris. 😁

2 hours ago, perdu said:

admit there was something awry in my mind when I saw the masked letters along the booms but it just did not shout "Wrong way Clyde" at me.

It was one of those moments Bill where you just stare at the botched job in mute disbelief with your inner voice going:×

'How on earth did you...

- and on both sides too!'

2 hours ago, perdu said:

And begin searching for those damned cutters again...

I'd be the first to admit they're not cheap Bill but my goodness, the freedom that it's given in the detailing and painting department.

14 minutes ago, Spookytooth said:

That or spraying air brush cleaner instead of paint.

Stop giving me ideas Simon!

14 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

I wonder if someone on here is sending bad juju in order to prolong the build?

I hadn't considered that there might be an occult dimension in play here tbh Pete but just to be safe, I've rearranged the studio for the duration of the build:

 

After this morning's D. Barkle then I dealt with matters in characteristically mature fashion by going back to bed to eat junk food, sulk for a bit, and then sleep the afternoon away with a Poirot audiobook playing in the background. Thus invigorated (and realizing I had less to complain about than poor Roger Ackroyd) I went back in to the studio this evening in and around cooking the tea and made a start on tidying up the damage.

Thankfully I'd been adroit enough to wipe the Aclad spill off immediately before it did too much mischief but nonetheless, the lacquer had eaten into the acrylic paint in several places to a degree that  required some prolonged and delicate sanding to render paintwork and wounds flush with one another again. 600/1200/2500 grit W&D in that order gently stroked (rather than sanded) was the order of the day here, due to the compound curves involved.

 

After a squirt of primer to check for defects there's still a bit more finessing required in a couple of areas before she's quite ready for the blanco to go on again, but we're nearly back in business. I wouldn't have rested easy tonight without having a reasonable idea of how the land - or in this case, aircraft skin - lies.

 

25 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Have a great week. Pete

Thanks Pete.

And the same to all of you on here.

Tony

[giemme]

17 hours ago, hendie said:

Wow, wow, and thrice wow.

 

Ouch, ouch, and thrice ouch.

Same thoughts here! (well, I actually thought of something slightly less polite than "ouch", but then again this is a family friendly site  )

 

Lovely paint job so far, Tony, and I'm sure you'll fix the paint spill easily - still it's so annoying, I can really feel you pain...  

 

Ciao

[AdrianMF]

Glad to see you are back on track!

 

Regards,

Adrian

[mark.au]

21 hours ago, TheBaron said:

The lacquer there doing some heavy lifting in the acid-for-blood Alien department.

Well, late to this one due to weekend activities.  My contribution… crap.

 

I’m quite sure that as I write this it’s already fixed.

[The Spadgent]

Oh Tony mate. 😳 reminded me of when I glued my drone together back to front the other day.  You’re just staring at the mistake and wishing you had never bothered coming to the bench today. I’m glad you’re getting her sorted though. Those stencils did look great though even though they’re not what you were after. Get back up, brush yourself off and next time. Put the cap on. 😇

 

God speed old chap.

 

 Johnny.

[TheBaron]

Thanks for the supportive comments all of you, they're much appreciated.

 

The underside did get repaired back to level smoothness, waiting for a coat of white.

 

However.

 

I've no further progress to report because my initial optimism about using Alclad's Grey has entirely evaporated as of three days ago. It has *completely* wrecked my paintwork in multiple places wherever it was  used around around the uppers part of the aircraft - primarily those that had lettering and roundel applied i.e.,  much of the airframe. The initial painting Oramasks experienced only a few minor 'lifts' when removed, but when I went back round a few days later and re-masked to tidy up respraying some of the outlines (as well as the erroneous 'Navy' lettering) it readily pulled away on every occasion like strips of old wallpaper.

 

Never seenthe like of it; on every occasion it occurred where the grey was used to provide a lighter undercoat for markings, so there is no mistaking the culprit.

 

Alan, why did I not heed your warning, fool that I am.

 

Having spent several fruitless hours this morning trying to repair the damage, it is now getting perilously close to having to think about the possibility of  stripping  the whole airframe of paint to begin again from scratch.

 

I'll post again when there's something positive to report, there's enough grimness going on without adding to people's quotas..

 

Take care til then all of you.

Tony

 

 

 

 

[hendie]

50 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

Alan, why did I not heed your warning, fool that I am.

 

and there was I thinking it was just me.  it's a real shame as I loved the Alclad primers up until the last couple of batches I received, but having experienced what I have with the last couple of bottles I doubt I shall ever return to Alclad primer. Sad.  I had the same issues with both their Grey and their Black primer.  I've no idea if they changed their formulation but I did note on the last grey primer I received it was a distinctly different color than previous bottles - more of a cream color and it also had a very creamy consistency. It's either their formulation or quality control, and it doesn't really matter which - it just doesn't work anymore.

With the Hunter I was meticulous in preparation: when it was time for paint, everything was given a good wipe over with IPA and only handled using nitrile gloves, and given many days to cure before I handled it again.  It didn't make a damn bit of difference as it still lifted in sheets, and I could see in some areas that what remained was definitely not adhered to the plastic.

 

Sorry to hear that you had to experience that Tony, especially this far down the build.  Good luck in the remedial work.  I'm sure you'll kick it into shape.

 

 

 

[TheBaron]

37 minutes ago, hendie said:

d there was I thinking it was just me. 

Not at all Alan.

In fact Baron's Maxim No.2 is:

'If @hendie can't get it to work, I sure as hell won't.' 😁

39 minutes ago, hendie said:

the last grey primer I received it was a distinctly different color than previous bottles - more of a cream color and it also had a very creamy consistency. It's either their formulation or quality control, and it doesn't really matter which - it just doesn't work anymore.

 Mine resembles that old Procul Harum track: 'Darker Shade of Milk of Magnesia'.

41 minutes ago, hendie said:

With the Hunter I was meticulous in preparation: when it was time for paint, everything was given a good wipe over with IPA and only handled using nitrile gloves, and given many days to cure before I handled it again.  It didn't make a damn bit of difference as it still lifted in sheets, and I could see in some areas that what remained was definitely not adhered to the plastic.

Exactly my experience: at first I tried to be charitable and wondered was it just not suitable to use on UV resin printed parts, but then recollected that you of course had the same results on the plastic of your Hunter.

45 minutes ago, hendie said:

I'm sure you'll kick it into shape.

Thanks, but it's too far gone I'm afraid for in situ repairs so look away now those of a delicate disposition, I've had the cellulose thinner out:

Drastic, heart-breaking, but in the end it will lead to a better job.

On the bright side, at least I know the maintenance panel masks will work... 🤦‍♂️

That's a first cleaning pass done today - I'll spend any spare time over the next week or so progressively cleaning that down to the bone ready for re-priming.

 

Having seen the spiffy results that you got swapping to the Mr Hobby stuff Alan I've ordered a couple of jars of that and the levelling thinner for the next attempt. One the banes of living in Ireland (aside from the constant sunshine) is that it's a bit of a wilderness getting paint-related stuff that isn't your basic Tamiya/Vallejo selection, so I was delighted earlier to discover that a Polish guy has set up (online) shop here almost exactly where myself and Mrs. B used to live out in Connemara, specializing in said Mr Hobby stuff. At least the day can end on a positive of sorts then.

 

[Anthony in NZ]

2 hours ago, TheBaron said:

Mr Hobby stuff Alan I've ordered a couple of jars of that and the levelling thinner for the next attempt.

Yes I use this paint, the Mr Color lacquer and levelling thinner/retarder.  I love it.  My best advice I can give you with this (not telling you how to suck eggs of course) is that air pressure is really important, along with keeping the paint quite thin.  On smaller areas I have found that having your pressure too high results in a lot of air circulation and a powdery finish will result.  Knock the pressure down for these areas and go super thin, this will give you a nice smooth finish in tight areas.  Otherwise you just cant go wrong with it...lovely paint.  I havent tried MRP though as I cant seem to get it over here or sent here.  I'd quite like to try it for the outside of my Toom. Anyhoo.

 

Glad you have hung in there mate, I was biting my nails there a bit for you.  I know you've got this buddy!

 

Cheers Anthony