American heavies

[Cookenbacher]

Nice metal work Rob!

[Markh-75]

On the subject of nose wight, my Privateer says it needs 20g of weight! But the Privateer has a longer nose. I have a big slug of weight inside the nose  under the cockpit, but i wont fit the nose turret until i know the model sits nicely on the nosewheel, there is space in the nose for more weight.

[rob85]

On 5/8/2020 at 10:37 AM, giemme said:

Nice progress, Rob   The clear parts look like they would benefit form a bath in Aqua Gloss, though - or maybe it's just the direct sunlight, as you say

 

Lovely metal finish, especially considered it's done by brush!  

 

Ciao

I just re read this and saw the ‘bath’ in aqua gloss, that must be the modelling equivalent of bathing in champagne!😃 they will definitely get a good going over with aqua gloss, but maybe not a bath, my budget doesn’t stretch that far at the moment!

[rob85]

I have been working on this, I got her wings on and then it was time for paint.... so much paint!! 
 

she here is it’s giant wing span, the nose also get a tidy.

 

then it was onto painting it grey a. For the undersides and b. As a base for the metal finish.

 

that’s about 3 thinned cotes so not perfect coverage but the undersides will get further paint once the metal paint is on. 
 

the upper surfaces were buffed with a super fine nail buffer and then it’s was on with the aluminium.

that’s two cotes...

mans that’s another 2, so 4 all in.... it feels like I life time, why didn’t I heed @AdrianMF advice and use a spray!! All done with a flat brush, good job my furlough has been extended!!

 

then after curing for a day it was buffed a bit and given the darker cote of citadel’s ironbreaker.

 

that’s one cote! Now weather it’s the combination of 4 thin cotes of humbrol flat aluminium, and 3 cotes of tamiya neutral grey or it just covers better, but I think one more cote should do it.

 

a sensible me would have built the b-17 to painting stage and painted them at the same time... however I don’t think a sensible me really exists.

 

any how, on with the painting.

 

hope your all safe and well!

 

Rob

 

 

 

[giemme]

Wow Rob, super smooth finish, it looks sprayed! .

 

As for the "bath in Aqua Gloss", it's not what it sounds: I pour some into a small cup, dip the clear part in it, put back the cup content into Aqua Gloss bottle.

 

Ciao

[woody37]

That's looking rather nice Rob

 

[Cookenbacher]

Yes, that is a wonderful metal finish - with a brush!

[rob85]

2 hours ago, giemme said:

Wow Rob, super smooth finish, it looks sprayed! .

 

As for the "bath in Aqua Gloss", it's not what it sounds: I pour some into a small cup, dip the clear part in it, put back the cup content into Aqua Gloss bottle.

 

Ciao

This makes a lot more sense both economically and understanding the process. I brunch my canopies with aqua gloss but I think I got a little paint mixed it with the barracudas as it is ever so slightly milky. Your process sounds more reliable.

 

glad you like the paint, I does need more work, fortunately it’s so big I have to stand back for pictures so you can’t see too close!

1 hour ago, woody37 said:

That's looking rather nice Rob

 

This is indeed most flattering coming from a builder of heavies such as yourself, and to such a cracking standard! Cheers Woody.

17 minutes ago, Cookenbacher said:

Yes, that is a wonderful metal finish - with a brush!

Yep a nice flat one, it’s coming together ok, like I said we will see after the next cote. Then I’ll work on panel variation. Cheers for the support Cookie.

 

Rob

[rob85]

More work has been done on the metal finish and it’s starting to take shape!

 

heres where we left it...

 

and then I started adding different metal shades, I went over some panels with flat aluminium, a mix of flat aluminium and the citadel paint, another mix of the same paint but lighter and mr metal stainless steel. Now bare with it because it looks really stark at the end but have faint! 
 

sorry for the unnecessary crotch shot here, but the panels were masked and then painted.

 

 

see what I mean, too contrasting!

 

 

now after a rub down the mr metal toned down a lot and helped blend the other shaded is. All rubbing was done with an old t-shirt.

 

and here is where she rests for now, after a good rubbing! 
 

 

few more panels to do, some buffing, washes and it will blend nicely... I hope... and done using the above paints and a hairy stick.

 

also I have a book it inspire and accompany this build!

 

I really enjoy his books, so hopefully this will be another good one.

 

cheers all and stay safe.

 

Rob

[TheyJammedKenny!]

Very good technique on this one.  I am an airbrush user, but am following this closely.  It looks good from my vantage point, especially with the lowered contrast among the panels.

[Jeff G]

Look at the wingspan on that thing! Painting clear parts is the bane of my existence....excellent progress.

[giemme]

Outstanding Rob, really outstanding!    I think the tone variations are just spot on!

 

Ciao

[Markh-75]

7 hours ago, Jeff G said:

Look at the wingspan on that thing! Painting clear parts is the bane of my existence....excellent progress.

Yes they are large aren't they! Much bigger than they look in pictures or on TV, the sheer size of the B-24 was brought home to me when i bought my die cast B-24J and it arrived at my house! Even in 1/72 they are large!

 

On the subject of the painting of clear parts i use a very narrow brush, and carefully hold the part in a clip so its easier for my big ol' sausage fingers to hold. I paint one stroke along the lines and leave it; if it needs another coat i wait till its dry and remove the errant paint from the first coat. To remove the errant paint i use a manicure stick to remove it but make sure you are holding the area you work or the glass will crack. Some use a toothpick, i started by using cocktail sticks and then saw the manicure sticks and found then perfect, i often clean them on an emery board giving a nice clean pointed end that will cut the paint and push it off; there is a residue to remove too but the wood sticks remove this very well. Just use nice small but steady strokes on each pane getting into the corners. I paint a coat on all of the raised areas on the 'glass' and then leave it overnight to dry and only then remove the excess paint before i paint a second coat. If you leave the paint on and overcoat it can be harder to remove and can risk chipping when the stick slips, meaning that it may have to be touched up again.

If you are painting a gloss top colour or a dark colour in gloss always give it a first coat of a matt colour first and then clean off the excess when its fully dry before top coating with the gloss, you will also need to clean the excess gloss. Dont paint the bottom lines at all until you get the clear parts onto the model because glue can really make a mess of paint and especially on parts you want to see through, it will frost it up badly. You can paint those areas when you touch in later. I have taken to gluing my clear parts on with PVA glue, it doesnt make a mess and excess can be wiped off right away with a slightly damp cloth leaving no stain. It dries clear! I sit the parts on and use some masking tape to hold the part in place and then using a cocktail stick i apply the glue to the edge that is in contact with the rest of the model. Takes longer to dry but its a good way of fitting the clear parts and you can then use the PVA to close up any gaps between the clear and other parts! Looks great!

I paint by hand with enamel paint so this works a treat for me, but i know there are masking kits available for those who paint with the airbrush.

Hope this helps you, painting clear parts was a real pain for me, now in later years with my big fat fingers and at times, shaky hands! but this does work.

 

[rob85]

12 hours ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Very good technique on this one.  I am an airbrush user, but am following this closely.  It looks good from my vantage point, especially with the lowered contrast among the panels.

The principle is essentially the same for airbrushing, I’ve seen post it notes used and some people inks which I’ve always wanted to try. They will get a wash and polish to help blend them in more, so hopefully will work out just fine! Thanks for the kind comments.

12 hours ago, Jeff G said:

Look at the wingspan on that thing! Painting clear parts is the bane of my existence....excellent progress.

That was exactly what I thought, condor would have been a better name.... but the baddies got there first! I shouldn’t be surprised by the span I have an unfinished one in the kit cupboard!

5 hours ago, giemme said:

Outstanding Rob, really outstanding!    I think the tone variations are just spot on!

 

Ciao

I’m blushing, cheers for the kind words! Still some work to do on the finish.

4 hours ago, Markh-75 said:

Yes they are large aren't they! Much bigger than they look in pictures or on TV, the sheer size of the B-24 was brought home to me when i bought my die cast B-24J and it arrived at my house! Even in 1/72 they are large!

 

On the subject of the painting of clear parts i use a very narrow brush, and carefully hold the part in a clip so its easier for my big ol' sausage fingers to hold. I paint one stroke along the lines and leave it; if it needs another coat i wait till its dry and remove the errant paint from the first coat. To remove the errant paint i use a manicure stick to remove it but make sure you are holding the area you work or the glass will crack. Some use a toothpick, i started by using cocktail sticks and then saw the manicure sticks and found then perfect, i often clean them on an emery board giving a nice clean pointed end that will cut the paint and push it off; there is a residue to remove too but the wood sticks remove this very well. Just use nice small but steady strokes on each pane getting into the corners. I paint a coat on all of the raised areas on the 'glass' and then leave it overnight to dry and only then remove the excess paint before i paint a second coat. If you leave the paint on and overcoat it can be harder to remove and can risk chipping when the stick slips, meaning that it may have to be touched up again.

If you are painting a gloss top colour or a dark colour in gloss always give it a first coat of a matt colour first and then clean off the excess when its fully dry before top coating with the gloss, you will also need to clean the excess gloss. Dont paint the bottom lines at all until you get the clear parts onto the model because glue can really make a mess of paint and especially on parts you want to see through, it will frost it up badly. You can paint those areas when you touch in later. I have taken to gluing my clear parts on with PVA glue, it doesnt make a mess and excess can be wiped off right away with a slightly damp cloth leaving no stain. It dries clear! I sit the parts on and use some masking tape to hold the part in place and then using a cocktail stick i apply the glue to the edge that is in contact with the rest of the model. Takes longer to dry but its a good way of fitting the clear parts and you can then use the PVA to close up any gaps between the clear and other parts! Looks great!

I paint by hand with enamel paint so this works a treat for me, but i know there are masking kits available for those who paint with the airbrush.

Hope this helps you, painting clear parts was a real pain for me, now in later years with my big fat fingers and at times, shaky hands! but this does work.

 

Thanks for the detailed review of your process, genuinely helpful. Need to figure out what manicure sticks are, I use cocktail sticks to pick off the paint normally but they sound better. 
 

they are beasts as can really be seen with your privateer!

cheers for the support all.

 

Rob

[Markh-75]

If you look at my WIPs and RFI’s I think there is a manicure stick in there, sorry I can’t pinpoint the exact thread. I saw a bag of them in a chemists one day, they are about pencil size but thinner than that with flat shaved end (at an angle) and the other end is a pointed end, made of wood, I’ve seen women use them for under their nails!

i just sharpen/redefine the ends on an emery board. The fibre in wood is excellent for this task. I’ll try and find a picture later and if you look in tips and ideas I put the same post about this technique in there somewhere, might be called’clear parts’.

[Markh-75]

Privateer came from the Liberator but were known as PBY’s. The privateer has a longer nose section, different engines with no supercharger and a single tail ; these are the most notable things.

[Bandsaw Steve]

The model’s looking really good!
 

And I love all that messy paint all over the table top.

[Gondor44]

Usually the darker the metal colour when representing the skin of an aircraft, the thicker the metal is supposed to be so each side of the aircraft would be identical to the other. Each variation can be produced by either haveing a tonal change in any priming of the surfice or by lightening and darkening the paint you use for the finish. But it's up to you, you do what you feel is right.

 

Gondor

[rob85]

2 hours ago, Gondor44 said:

Usually the darker the metal colour when representing the skin of an aircraft, the thicker the metal is supposed to be so each side of the aircraft would be identical to the other. Each variation can be produced by either haveing a tonal change in any priming of the surfice or by lightening and darkening the paint you use for the finish. But it's up to you, you do what you feel is right.

 

Gondor

Cheers Gondor, I did think thickness played a part as over tried to give the darker shades to reinforced area around the wing root and hatches, caps etc that would have seen use. But it’s not identical on both sides. 
 

cheers. 
 

Rob

[rob85]

3 hours ago, Markh-75 said:

If you look at my WIPs and RFI’s I think there is a manicure stick in there, sorry I can’t pinpoint the exact thread. I saw a bag of them in a chemists one day, they are about pencil size but thinner than that with flat shaved end (at an angle) and the other end is a pointed end, made of wood, I’ve seen women use them for under their nails!

i just sharpen/redefine the ends on an emery board. The fibre in wood is excellent for this task. I’ll try and find a picture later and if you look in tips and ideas I put the same post about this technique in there somewhere, might be called’clear parts’.

Cheers again, I’ll have a look for them and I’ll check out the tips section!

3 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

The model’s looking really good!
 

And I love all that messy paint all over the table top.

Ha, my girlfriend is ashamed I post pictures for that table, I am not a tidy worker!

 

Rob

[Markh-75]

I hope you can see the picture; i cant see them at all. I've taken a picture of one but i'll need to find another photo host because Flickr has lost all my pictures. Once i do that i'll post the pictures.

[Markh-75]

 

I found another web pictures host, so here is a picture of wot i use to tidy my clear parts, i tend to use the end on the right more but both ends are great. It does get a bit dunked with dry paint at times but i just wipe it on an emery board, which removes the paint and cleans & sharpens it again.

[rob85]

Nice yes I know the ones, great I will get looking!

 

Rob

[Markh-75]

59 minutes ago, rob85 said:

Nice yes I know the ones, great I will get looking!

 

Rob

My local lloyds (not the bank ) had them.

Try not to scrub back and forth so much as they can slip and remove paint from other places on the parts wot will need touching in again, short firm strokes do it.😉  I've been using this technique since November and it works perfect each time.

Also, lines on canopies are not so well defined, depending on the kit (make etc) just go easy; when i got started back into modelling i tended to be concentrating so much that i forgot to breathe! Now i take a few deep breaths before i start, although i can still get paint where i dont want it but these sticks are brilliant for removing it, so i dont worry too much now.👍

Edited May 26, 2020 by Markh-75

[Gondor44]

20 hours ago, rob85 said:

Cheers Gondor, I did think thickness played a part as over tried to give the darker shades to reinforced area around the wing root and hatches, caps etc that would have seen use. But it’s not identical on both sides. 
 

cheers. 
 

Rob

If you are talking about the area where the wing flairs into the fuselage, sometimes called the wing root, you will probably find that the skin is quite thin because it is an aerodynamic covering of whre the wing is fixed to the fuselage.

Have a look at cut away drawings of aircraft to see what I am talking about and to help understand how an aircraft is put together which would have an impact on the thickness of the wing skin. Talking of which, aelarons and the like are often quite thin guage metal or fabric duering WWII

 

Gondor