F-80C, 1/72 Airfix

[Stalker6Recon]

17 hours ago, opus999 said:

touch it up with polished aluminum

As a novice model builder, but a professional painter in my time, I recommend you wait on the fix for a few days, just to allow the paints to fully harden. That way, when you sand the area, the new tape won't damage the finish. Plus, it might be a nice look if you find the panel lines where the damage is, and repaint the panels just like a repair on the real aircraft. Then it would not matter if the repaint is different, it would actually add to the realism.

 

That said, the subtle differences do show up in the pictures, just enough to allow everyone to understand what you were going for, and accident or not, you nailed it. She looks great!

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony

[smellybeard]

I'm a halfords aluminium bodger (the big can) over various shades of primer from white to black.

Same idea but not as nice as that. Not as nice atall atall.

[RidgeRunner]

On 21 August 2019 at 4:22 PM, Andre B said:

The Humbrol "Metal Cote" spray cans is good to...

I'm a Metalcote user. I like them and wont change unless there is an improvement by another manufacturer in enamels. I mix them regularly to get different shades. They buff up very well. 

 

Martin

[Courageous]

18 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

I'm a Metalcote user.

I must be right 'duffer' then. I used Polished aluminium an my first couple of Sabres and I could never get them to look right, so I moved across to Tamiya AS-12. I'm sure I was doing something wrong. What is your secret Martin?

 

Stuart

[RidgeRunner]

35 minutes ago, Courageous said:

I must be right 'duffer' then. I used Polished aluminium an my first couple of Sabres and I could never get them to look right, so I moved across to Tamiya AS-12. I'm sure I was doing something wrong. What is your secret Martin?

 

Stuart

Hi Stuart, 

 

No secret. When I first started with it, I applied it too thickly. I ended up with surfaces that looked like sandpaper. Of course you have to buff them but even so I couldn't get it right. Over time I realised that it needs thin layers, particularly the Polished Aluminium. The Steel is great always. Then, of course, you can mix them. I find that using 27002 Polished Aluminium with very very small dots of Steel added in varying amounts you can build up differing tones. It still isnt Alclad or anything like that finish but then I opt to avoid laquers and the resulatant vapours. Having said that I know that others out there will say that Metalcote has a vapour but it isnt to the same level. I'm happy with my finishes. They may not be perfectly realistic but hey ho! 

 

I have Mustang No.1 emerging from the paint shop at the moment. She has mixes of Metacote and, I think, she looks great. She should be RFI this week or early next, depending on what time I have.

 

Martin

  

Edited September 2, 2019 by RidgeRunner

[opus999]

On 8/31/2019 at 3:23 AM, Stalker6Recon said:

I recommend you wait on the fix for a few days

Point well taken.  I waited for a couple of days and got started on a P-40M in the meantime.

 

Interesting thing about these paints... I can mask them all day long and I haven't had any problems, but they wear off very easily.  I've already had to touch up the leading/trailing edges where the black undercoat was showing through.  Also, when I was doing some touch-ups, I was using a paper towel to hold the model (to avoid fingerprints) and, even though the paint had cured for 4 or 5 days, there was an indentation in the paint from the paper towel.  A small blemish, luckily, but definitely something to be aware of.  

 

I still really like these paints though.  Both the polished and regular aluminum both fill a void that I needed to fill.  I have a B-25 and a B-17 that are just waiting for a coat of that polished aluminum!

 

On 8/31/2019 at 3:23 AM, Stalker6Recon said:

the subtle differences do show up in the pictures

That's good to hear!

 

On 8/31/2019 at 3:23 AM, Stalker6Recon said:

you nailed it.

Thanks! I'm really happy with how it looks so far...

[opus999]

On 9/2/2019 at 8:27 AM, RidgeRunner said:

Hi Stuart, 

 

No secret. When I first started with it, I applied it too thickly. I ended up with surfaces that looked like sandpaper. Of course you have to buff them but even so I couldn't get it right. Over time I realised that it needs thin layers, particularly the Polished Aluminium. The Steel is great always. Then, of course, you can mix them. I find that using 27002 Polished Aluminium with very very small dots of Steel added in varying amounts you can build up differing tones. It still isnt Alclad or anything like that finish but then I opt to avoid laquers and the resulatant vapours. Having said that I know that others out there will say that Metalcote has a vapour but it isnt to the same level. I'm happy with my finishes. They may not be perfectly realistic but hey ho! 

 

I have Mustang No.1 emerging from the paint shop at the moment. She has mixes of Metacote and, I think, she looks great. She should be RFI this week or early next, depending on what time I have.

 

Martin

  

This has been a pretty interesting discussion for me... but I'm not sure if I can get Metalcote easily in the US.  I've heard of it quite a bit though!

[billn53]

1 hour ago, opus999 said:

Interesting thing about these paints... I can mask them all day long and I haven't had any problems, but they wear off very easily.  I've already had to touch up the leading/trailing edges where the black undercoat was showing through. 

I’ve also noticed wear on leading/trailing edges. 

[opus999]

So I touched up some stuff... And did a very, very faint post shading along selected panel lines by masking along the lines and then dusting it with Alclad Magnesium.  Where it came out too dark, I could just dust with the polished aluminum and it came out looking just fine.  The lines I shaded were along the center panels of the wings and the seam where the plane splits in two to access the engine.

 

Today I am doing decals which is going remarkably well for being older decals (ca. 1990s).  Of course I am finding stuff I forgot to paint (walkways, top of the tail), but luckily I figure it out before I put decals on  the area.  I think what is throwing me off is Airfix using numbers in squares to indicate decals and numbers to indicate paint colors.  I think it would go better if they used letters and numbers, but that's just me.....

[opus999]

Decals done! Did a little subtle weathering and wear using Tamiya pastels and some water color.  A little staining around the filler caps and the odd dirt streak here and there.

 

 

Last things to do are clear coat it and paint & glue the exhaust in.  I experimented with clear coats and found that spraying Testors metalizer sealer didn't really change the look of the NMF in a noticeable way, so I'll be going with that.

[RidgeRunner]

On 5 September 2019 at 4:08 AM, opus999 said:

This has been a pretty interesting discussion for me... but I'm not sure if I can get Metalcote easily in the US.  I've heard of it quite a bit though!

Hi! If you are content with Alclad and struggle to get Metalcote stick with it. It certainly produces a great finish. :). As an example, my recent Mustang was Metalcoted, as was my YF-104A a short while back. You can see them on RFI.

 

Martin

[RidgeRunner]

5 minutes ago, opus999 said:

Decals done! Did a little subtle weathering and wear using Tamiya pastels and some water color.  A little staining around the filler caps and the odd dirt streak here and there.

 

 

Last things to do are clear coat it and paint & glue the exhaust in.  I experimented with clear coats and found that spraying Testors metalizer sealer didn't really change the look of the NMF in a noticeable way, so I'll be going with that.

Superb

[RidgeRunner]

On 5 September 2019 at 5:48 AM, billn53 said:

I’ve also noticed wear on leading/trailing edges. 

Oddly, as you mention this, I tried a black undercote for the first time on my Current Sabre build. When applying the MetaCote 27002 the black persistently appeared here and there. I really dont know why. I wonderEd about a chemical imbalance somewhere and so washed the model but it still happened. I eventually wrestled it in to a good finish but it caught me out. I might not bother with the black again!

 

Martin

[opus999]

 I actually finished this last Sunday night with a coat of Testors Metalizer sealer, which didn't seem to affect the look of the paint at all.

 

It was the first full week of school for all 3 of my kids, so weeknights were hectic! What little time I had at the bench wasn't enough for photos, so I did little tasks on my P-40M. 

 

But, I have time today, and so, without any further ado, here is the RFI!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Do you have a next project ? If so let me know so i can follow the build. 

 

Dennis

[opus999]

8 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Do you have a next project ? If so let me know so i can follow the build. 

 

Dennis

I'm currently working on the P-40M, which you've seen, and just this morning started a pair of Spitfires that I plan to start posting about tomorrow.  I'll tag you when I do.

 

 

[VT Red Sox Fan]

Opuss, being a historian, I stumbled on this build well after the fact. 😎🤣 Never-the-less, this build produced a fantastic result--I will be leaning on it heavily when I attempt the same kit.  Best, Erwin

[opus999]

13 minutes ago, VT Red Sox Fan said:

Opuss, being a historian, I stumbled on this build well after the fact. 😎🤣 Never-the-less, this build produced a fantastic result--I will be leaning on it heavily when I attempt the same kit.  Best, Erwin

The kit was actually a lot of fun... except for the intakes, IIRC, but every jet's intakes seem to be troublesome.  I've got a 2nd one in the stash and have been thinking about it off and on for the last 6 months. I really liked the AK interactive paints as well, but I've only been able to use them on the Su-22 build.  I think they will get some use on the P-51B I have planned as the build-after-next...

[Tempestwulf]

On 8/17/2019 at 8:21 PM, Stalker6Recon said:

That sucks about the warped parts and soft landing gear, this kit is a bit of a mess. Probably the age, but the air brakes look ridiculously out of shape out of the box, another blunder of the mold, I hope their newer kits don't suffer with this much fit problems.

 

As for the lost detail, there are a lot of tools to help with scribing panel lines, and even though you are not comfortable with that skill, it might be worth looking into again. I too am not comfortable with scribing, but I know that it is a skill that must be developed. Thankfully, the tools are getting better and better. Personally, with my short experience, I have found that the best tool so far, is a set of Hasegawa "try tools" TP-4 panel line scribing saws. They are inexpensive, and their kerf (cutting width) is very small, making them suitable even on most 72nd scale kits. They are made of PE and are very VERY thin. They can be uses with your fingers (no worry about needing stitches) or mounted in a hobby knife, although I have not tried that method yet. Unlike your typical hobby knife scribe, these saws do not jump out of the line as easily, but it's still best to use a guide line, either a template or something else made from metal. The dyno tape isn't the best, since the saw will cut into the tape with ease.

Anyway, we have faith that you will be able to get through the many issues with relative ease, I especially like the filler you use, being able to smooth with water is a huge advantage over sanding, and there is not threat of lost detail as well.

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony

 

I picked up a similar set recently though from a different maker. The scribing saws are fantastic for a uniform scribe width. Especially good over seam lines as it don't 'bite' into the join like a scriber

[opus999]

19 hours ago, Tempestwulf said:

I picked up a similar set recently though from a different maker. The scribing saws are fantastic for a uniform scribe width. Especially good over seam lines as it don't 'bite' into the join like a scriber

I'd kind of forgotten about this thread... it's timely because I'm getting to a couple of builds where re-scribing may come in handy.  I'll need to look into these tools!

[VT Red Sox Fan]

Opus’s, thanks for the paint info—useful— are you going to do another Monogram P-51B, or one from another manufacturer—best, Erwin

[opus999]

15 minutes ago, VT Red Sox Fan said:

Opus’s, thanks for the paint info—useful— are you going to do another Monogram P-51B, or one from another manufacturer—best, Erwin

If you look at my first post of my P-51 build thread, you'll see a Monogram P-51 I did when I was in middle school. Same box as the one I'm doing now and everything.  My plan is to strip the paint off of it, take it apart as much as possible and reconstruct it.  all but one of the landing gear doors are missing, so I will fill the gear wells with epoxy putty and use the stand that came with the kit to do an "in-flight" build.

 

That's the plan, anyway... how well it goes is always a different matter!  However I had a lot of success stripping and rebuilding an F-14, F-4 and F-104, so hopefully this will go as well.