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Tamiya Panel Line Issues - Eduard BF 109 F-2


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Hello everyone,

 

New member here, with just a few years of experience building models. After a few disappointing results when I was young, I have decided to invest time and resources to make better models, and therefore enjoy this hobby even more! I am currently finishing my latest project, a 1/48 Eduard BF 109 F-2, and ask, humbly, for your help and experience.

After setting all the decals, and spending too much time on YouTube, I understood that the next step was to protect everything with a gloss clear coat before moving on to weathering and emphasizing the details. I've used Mr Color Super Clear III (UV cut) diluted with Mr Color Leveling thinner 400, 1 part clear for 3 parts thinner, as recommended by Plasmo. Sprayed with an airbrush, it works wonders! Now time for the panel line wash from Tamiya, and the start of my problems...

From looking at various modellers and their works, the panel liner is meant to flow quickly in the panel lines, and stay there. Only a small amount of enamel paint should be left on the panels themselves, and it should be easy to remove with a brush or a cloth dampened in enamel thinner. This can bee seen in the circled areas in the picture bellow (scalespot.com for credits):

 

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When I tried to do so, the result was quite different. The panel liner flowed onto the panels themselves, and it looked like it was getting mixed with the grey paint itself:

(the paint is Tamiya acrylics, thinned with X-20A thinner, covered with at least three layers of gloss clear coat, as described at the top of the post)

 

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The excess panel liner was therefore quickly removed with a brush dampened in enamel thinners. Most of the excess panel liner could be removed, but it left a small but noticeable dark spot on the model, while removing what little paint had managed to stay between the panels:

 

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What should I do?

Are the clear coats and the panel liner made from the same solvent, which explains the "mixing"? If yes, should change one of the two ?

Should I try and polish my model with Tamiya polishing compounds, to create and glossy and hard shell over my paints and decals ?

Should I add more layers of Mr Color Super Clear III ?

Should I use Tamiya X-22 instead of Mr Color Super Clear III ?

Am I missing something else ?

Or is everything normal, and I'm just worrying for no reason ? 😁

 

I thank you all for your help and advice.

 

Cheers,

 

Mat

 

Edited by ta152da_best
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From a brief read, the gloss coat is (and Tamiya Acrylic) are lacquer type acrylic,  and possibly the panel liner solvent has eaten into it.

If the glitch is only where you show it, I'd not worry, it small and on the underside.

 

A different gloss coat may help,  or use an water based wash over the gloss coat used,  as it will be impervious to the water based wash.  As with everything,  try new techniques out on something that doesn't matter first!

This maybe a case for one of the clay type washes.

 

FWIW, on the only damn thing I have completed in years, I used artist oils diluted with lighter fuel, which is really volatile, over a Kleer gloss coat for a weathering/panel line wash.

see here

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235052380-hurricane-airfix-72nd-fabric-wing-mki-oob/&do=findComment&comment=3296243

I got small patch where it wore through, but overall it worked very well.  Note that the dirty grey gives a quite subtle shadow.

 

Bear in mind, whatever materials and techniques you use,  if it gets the result you want, it's the 'right' material and technique.     

 

Other may know more specifics to your case.

 

HTH

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4 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

If the glitch is only where you show it, I'd not worry, it small and on the underside.

Unfortunately, it isn't! The problem can be found all over the aircraft, but as you said, it is rather small. I do wonder if I should just continue without bothering too much... I will go ahead and try to use a water based wash, and hopefully it should help. If that doesn't work, I will try using lighter fuel as you've mentioned.

Thanks for your advice,

 

Mat

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9 minutes ago, ta152da_best said:

The problem can be found all over the aircraft, but as you said, it is rather small.

Try a q-tip dampened in the wash solvent of the spots, it's a bit harder then the brush, and rubbing may get it out the top layer of gloss coat.... try somewhere inconspicious first though! 

If it's not too bad, you may just want to put it down to experience,  as my WIP stated, my intention was to finish the darned thing.   

 

Chances are when finished the glitches will barely show, or just look like weathering,  and will only notice if you look for them.

I've had this with many projects in life(not just models) ,  and in time what really bugged me didn't any more.   Not to say at the time of doing them these glitches really annoyed me,  just with a bit of distance they came into perspective.

 

Also, macro lenses are notorious for making problems look worse.  

 

You could post an overall pic, and ask if the glitches are visible to site members.   I suspect the answer will they are not worth the bother, and potential damage to correct.

 

Oh, and welcome to site.

cheers

T

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58 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

rubbing may get it out the top layer of gloss coat

you are right on that one! Removes most of it, but still leaves a bit, even when using the q-tip.  The glitches are very small, and as long as I apply my wash with caution, they should barely be seen. Thanks for the advice,

 

Mat

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