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1/48 Eduard Tempest - Not the New One - FINISHED


Ray_W

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Invasion stripes masked and now ready to lay down some underside Medium Sea Grey.

 

As mentioned before, with a black base it speeds the masking of the invasion stripes and when I get to the camo my masking requirement are also less. I also use Tamiya and Gunze acrylics thinned with Mr Color Levelling Thinner which lays down in quite thin coats so there is no noticeable edge by painting the black first, opposite to the real aircraft. I think OK in 1/48.

 

The white stripes on the rear fuselage are actually Tamiya tape for curved surfaces. It's branded Nitto and seems to be a thinner, low tack insulation tape. It is really good for masking these types of compound surfaces without getting the usual masking tape edge crinkle typical on fuselage bands. 

 

Hopefully later today I'll find some time to get the airbrush into action. These days I prefer marbling to pre-shading panel lines.

 

Tempest_Underside_Masked

 

 

I corrected the error in the Aeromaster decal sheet by ensuring the cannon blisters were fully in the black of the outboard invasion stripes. Also interesting to note the black painting error on the actual aircraft gear doors. A nuance that's easy to miss. Well done to Eduard who picked up on both these points in their latest offering.  Makes me wonder what the real underside of this particular aircraft looked like. 

 

Tempest_Invasion_Stripes

 

 

 

Edited by Ray_W
Grammar
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Laid down that underside colour. First a marble coat to add a little variety in both colour and texture. 

 

Tempest_Underside_Preshading

 

Then a nice light coat to finish. Difficult to capture the subtle effects with the photography but I am pleased. Now we can put it away till tomorrow before masking and getting some of those top side colours into play. 

 

Tempest_Underside_Finished

 

 

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@Jinxman Thanks for the comments on the surface finish. It's not perfect but when you consider what it was like then I am more than satisfied. Now I can only hope the final painting goes well and those 20 year old decals hang together.

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Came home and put in a late one to get that masking and spraying out of the way.  Just about ready for that gloss coat. Deciding should I spray or decal the wing walkways.

 

 

Tempest_ReadyForGlossCoat

 

I like the stripes just a little wonky … not too geometric.  This is the third D-Day markings I've done in the last 6 months. Note to self … must give myself a break from that June-July 1944 period. Well on the Allied side anyway, just for a little while. 🤔

 

 

Tempest_Stripes

 

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On 12/6/2019 at 10:29 PM, Doccur said:

I have one of these along with an MDC tempest II conversion, so i shall be following with interest...

 

Cheers

 

Ash

@Doccur

 

Hi Ash,

 

The pressure is on. You will have to finish your Tempest II sometime in 2020 now that Eduard has announced a new tool Tempest II probably early 2021 or maybe sell the bits and wait in anticipation. 

 

Ray

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52 minutes ago, Ray_W said:

@Doccur

 

Hi Ash,

 

The pressure is on. You will have to finish your Tempest II sometime in 2020 now that Eduard has announced a new tool Tempest II probably early 2021 or maybe sell the bits and wait in anticipation. 

 

Ray

Nightmare! I have enough stuff in the stash to keep me going so I may have to do just that 😢

 

Thanks for the heads up and great work on yours so far. 
 

Ash

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I have the gloss coat down. One of my favourite parts. Not so much that I am getting to the end of the project, which is also a factor, rather to protect that paintwork.

 

I really like Mr. Color Gloss Super Clear III thinned with Mr Color Leveling Thinner. It sprays consistently through the air brush. It goes over the Tamiya and Gunze acrylics beautifully - high gloss, thin and tough.  I use Future now only use when I want to hand brush a self-levelling gloss coat or when using it as a coloured wash.

 

One of the BIG advantages of these lacquer products is that they dry so fast that the old challenge of how you jerry rig your model for painting is now a thing of the past. Support the model in you hand in a disposable glove. Spray the underside. Put aside for 10 minutes and flip it and do the rest. Of course, good ventilation and a mask is a must. Coat will not be fully cured though tough enough for this.

 

I also use the Super Clear over the "true" acrylics like Lifecolor but if doing so I will make sure the color coat is fully cured. I am happy to forget the build for 3 or 4 days. Light coats. No comment on compatibility with enamels other than I do use Mr Color satin and flat coats over enamel washes without issue. As always I err on the conservative side with drying times.   

 

Tempest_GlossCoat

 

 

Decals will be Aeromaster. Over 20 years old but they are looking good. I will only know when they hit the water. Fuselage roundels are in 3 parts - yellow band, blue/white circle and red centre. I'm sure I can get those wrong. At least there are some spares!! 

 

The squadron codes look a little tall and thin compared to the actual aircraft. Oh well, let's see what they look like on the aircraft.

 

Tempest_Decals

 

 

 

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This looks very nice Ray.

 

Can you tell me please, have you tried to compare Gunze GX100 and Tamiya X-22 Gloss Clear?

I am using X-22 for gloss coats, and am pretty satisfied with it, but I see all recommendations for GX100 for using on car models as they require perfectly high gloss finish.

 

If GX100 dries on touch in 10 minutes that is fantastic for quick manipulation of models during coating...

 

Cheers,

S.

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@srkirad

 

Good question. Maybe the auto guys are onto something. I have used X-22 as well and find the performance similar but for some reason prefer the GX100. Maybe it is the drying time. Maybe the drying time is the same.  It was not a fair test. I used the X-22 only when I did not have GX100 and I have been so happy with GX as an alternative to Future that have seen no need to test or change.

 

A couple of pointers:

 

I am wary of different rates to full cure of the various coatings and hence I am patient with drying times. The acrylics underneath can still be quite soft, that is,  if you rush. I have my personal signature (thumb print) on the top of a bf109 F4 spine under the GX100 when I was not as prudent.  Faint, hard to pick but darn it is there. I now like my disposable gloves, soft hands and patience. Further I have had no issues with crazing or cracking.

 

And the big thing, when you show your friends and relatives your latest work of art, what do they want to do? Pick it up. Play with it. Slap on a smile and watch them throw around your newborn suitably protected under it's finish coats of GX100 (even GX100 can't save antennas, rigging, pitot tubes and drops from 1.2 metres). I find it really robust, a gorgeous surface finish.

 

You probably have visited Plasmo's YouTube site already. He uses his GX100 over all manner of finishes without any apparent issue. It's worth a look if you have not already. 

 

But. like most things in our hobby, when you try something new there is also that learning period. Key is, of course, how you set up your airbrush. I am not a big one on accurate measures. I used to fret with other people's formulas but was often not satisfied.  I now prefer to let the airbrush do the talking. For a job like this I'll fill the Iwata cup a bit over half full with thinners then add maybe 15-20% GX100. Maybe even less. You do  not need much. I crank up the pressure to 30 psi from my more usual 15-20 psi. Then the Iwata (HP-CS with 0.35 mm needle) is doing its job with a nice wet spray pattern with minimised overspray. Not over wet but I want those overlapping moist areas. Stir in the cup and shoot it.  Shoot a test on some coloured paper. I want that nice broad atomised spray. I am amazed how if the ratio is just every so slightly out the pattern will reduce in size and be hard to push. You can feel it in the trigger. The solution can be just a few extra drops of thinner and your good to go. 

 

You can also achieve great results with super thinned GX100 ratio but you need care so you do not melt the colour coats. So light coats again drying on the model not in the air before it hits the surface and then your ready. Protect your colours.  I do finish with a misting coat of Mr Leveling Thinner over the surface usually as part of cleaning the airbrush. I do not leave the model long before doing this so on the Tempest underside it was put in my mix, test, adjust, spray, mist coat probably all in less than 10 minutes. Put aside to dry. Make a coffee, visit BM and write a response. Come back, lay the aircraft in your gloved hand. Do the same on top surfaces. Job done.

 

Next I will lay down a decal cover coat of the gloss GX once the decals are dry before I move onto to washes and oils.  

 

Sorry to go on a bit but hopefully my experience is of some value to someone looking to give it a go. 

 

 

  

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Thanks very much for elaborate explaining Ray - it helps a lot!

 

I spray X-22 also very thinned - maybe something like consistence of milk, and at the pressure of ~2 bar (29-30PSI), and make the shots some 10-15cm from the surface.

In few layers it usually gets enough gloss for decals, but I think it's not just yet enough gloss for car kits (I'm starting soon McLaren-Mercedes in Scandinavia GB so trying to get acquainted with the new are of modelling for me).

 

I did watch Plasmo's tutorials, and that's actually where I saw GX100 in real good action.. and .. that's just the hotspot! I fell in love with GX100 finish so can't wait to try it for real.

 

Well, hope others will learn something new too from your experience, and of course we're waiting now for the next stage - bring those decals on!

 

Cheers,

S.

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Your X-22 method seems the same as what I do with GX100 but maybe the GX100 coverage is better. It's good to be able to practice on an aircraft subject where you want the gloss coat as an intermediate step rather than as that final coat on that prize car build.

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I got the markings on, but, not without some drama.

 

The Aeromaster decals are nice but quite stiff. I did my usual using some Mr Mark Setter, which is quite often all that is necessary with today’s decals.

I was not happy as the decals were not sucking down into the surface detail as much as I would like so I applied my old standby - Mr Mark Softer. The decals wrinkled ever so slightly with exception of the large Type B’s which wrinkled dramatically.

 

 

20200110_154211

 

 

I took on board the adage: “leave it alone and you’ll be amazed how they’ll dry and appear painted on”. The result. Even though left overnight there was minimal improvement.  The hidden message in the fuselage markings was totally appropriate.

 

 

20200110_154149

 

 

 

I am not too sure want went wrong. Possibly the Mark Softer is too strong a solution for the Aeroscale decals. This is the first time I have struck this problem.

 

There was only one thing to do – oh how I love my airbrush. More Mark Softer, then water and float them off with a soft 10 mm brush and into the bin they went. Follow up with a mask and paint.

 

 

20200111_153530

 

 

In the end, reasonably pleased with the result. I do not know why painting the roundels is not my usual practice. Now all is ready for a gloss coat to protect the markings and on to weathering.

Is that a light I can see at the end of the tunnel?

 

20200111_190247

 

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For similar problems (bulges and silvering) with Microsol/set, I pricked small holes in the transfer then reapplied the liquid, and it settled down.  Quicker than stripping and repainting - although that wouldn't really have been an option on what I was using it for!

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Thanks Graham. Good advice. 

 

The PVA component in the Mr Mark Setter seemed to have solidified so even with the pinprick method and re-apply it would not budge. I came from 40 deg C back home (Australia) to my place in Europe at -5 deg C and think I had the local apartment too warm and possibly an over-accelerated decal drying time that did not help.  I gave up trying to recover them. All other decals settled down OK. I am actually happier with the painted outcome achieved so the end result was good.. 

 

Ray

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Painted roundels definitely look better and more realistic, but I have a suggestion if sometimes this problem with wrinkling after Softer occurs again.

 

Some decals are pretty stubborn and don't honour "leave it alone while not straightened after drying" rule.

In these situations I do just the oposite - I DON'T leave them alone after applying Mr. Mark Softer, and use the Q-tip (cotton swab) to straighten it by rolling or tapping over decal and/or toothpick to make them adhere to panel lines.

I do this very gently, not using too much pressure and force - idea is just to make them obey setting solution and adhere to the surface.

This method is pretty successful with old Academy decals and some thicker like Hasegawa and Tamiya.

 

I don't do this usually with Microscale Microset/Microsol, but if neccesary...

 

Cheers,

S.

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Thanks for the suggestion on this. It was a strange reaction to the decal softening solution. I possibly could of taken a more aggressive action with the softened decals but the alternative, for once, turned out well.

 

Ray

 

 

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I can see the finishing line. A few bits and pieces to do. A little more weathering and it should be done! Hooray!

 

Tempest_Nearly_There

 

Those Eduard bronze legs are lovely but ….

 

Tempest_Gear_Leg

 

Makes the old boxing's actuator mechanism look positively dull. I will have to enhance or scratch build something. 

 

Tempest_Actuator

 

 

Barring disaster, all should be done by the weekend.

 

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@Jinxman Thank you. I agree worth a KUTA. I am enjoying the BM Group forum. It's been great incentive and support to get the job done. Enjoyed it so much I entered the Stuka STGB as my next project - a start to finish this time.

 

Ray

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Finished some improvement of the gear actuating mechanism. Its complexity is such a feature of the Tempest that I think it was worthwhile replacing the kit's original supplied part with something a little improved.

 

Tempest_New_Actuator 2

 

That looks better ….

 

Tempest_New_Actuator 3

 

 

 

 

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Finished!! Eduard's 1997 Tempest offering reworked by dropping the top wing half, thinning trailing edges, extending the fuselage, fabricating a new fin and rudder and then stalled through lack of a good undercarriage solution. There it sat for many, many years until KUTA XII provided the incentive and Eduard produced a replacement bronze undercarriage replacement for their latest and greatest offering.  I could then carry on backdating the Series 2 Tempest to a Series 1. 

 

These days Eduard sets the bar high with their latest high-fidelity kits and this Tempest was about trying to achieve something that could sit proudly on the shelf with equal billing - Shelf of Shame to Shelf of Fame.  You be the judge.  

 

Thanks to all the BM members for their support through this build. 

 

I will play around a bit on the weekend for a few more pictures that may be a little better quality for the gallery. 

 

In the mean time, some quick "finished" shots:

 

Tempest_Done_8 Tempest_Done_5 Tempest_Done_6 Tempest_Done_1 Tempest_Done_7

 

Cheers,

Ray

 

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  • Ray_W changed the title to 1/48 Eduard Tempest - Not the New One - FINISHED

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