Heather builds Italy's "me too" contingent

[ckw]

16 minutes ago, Jur said:

How did you prevent leakage along the ribs on the fuselage?

I think there are two elements to this

 

1 - I always burnish the tape at the edges (I use a small metal thing with a rounded point). Tamiya tape works well with this, and it doesn't seem to affect removability.

 

2  - Perhaps more important is spraying at low pressure, 90 degrees to the surface and don't allow to build up. An initial mist coat helps seal the edges

 

For very tricky surfaces which perhaps exceed the 'give' of tamiya tape, I fall back on Parafilm, which IMHO is the best masking material, but a bit of a faff to work with

 

Cheers,

 

Colin

[Heather Kay]

1 hour ago, Jur said:

That camouflage is looking brilliant, great job! You use low pressure and I suspect you hold the airbrush very close to the surface of the model? I'm also keen to learn about your masking technique, it is very effective. How did you prevent leakage along the ribs on the fuselage? I use Tamiya tape but even so paint almost always creeps underneath it when there are surface irregularities.

 

i have found the ColourCoats enamel thinned with their own thinners about 50:50, perhaps more thinners than paint, compressor set to 10-15psi, and the airbrush between 10 and 20mm away from the surface works for me. Trigger control has to be learned, and I’ve developed a technique where I let the air begin to flow then slowly draw the trigger back to bring paint in, all the while gently waving the brush about so the risk of a blobby spider forming. I start with light coats, and go over to darken or change the shape as I see fit. Once my eye gets in, confidence grows. There is the occasional splodge or overspray. I find it best to just stop, move to another area and carry on. Periodically, a gentle wipe with a thinners-soaked cotton bud on the airbrush nozzle with the needle drawn back just to clean off paint build-up. Importantly, don’t go back to the model after doing this. A full burst of air and paint on some paper towel will clear the nozzle again, then back to the model.

 

As to masking, I use Tamiya yellow tape - though I’ve noticed Humbrol have introduced their own brand of the same kind of tape. I might give them a go, as they’re a bit cheaper that Tamiya. I never know if the tape will lift paint until I come to remove it. I gently rub the edges down with a dry cotton bud, blunted cocktail stick or a thumbnail. I was lucky this time that there was no bleed on the fuselage stripe, but I was careful not to point the airbrush into the edge of the tape, and built up density in several coats.

 

It is all down to practice, really. I’ve been airbrushing aircraft models with varying amounts of success for several years now. My previous airbrushing has been railway models, where you’re looking for a good even coat of a single colour enamel on the model, and not subtle variations with complex masking. I have still to find a reliable method of masking for something like RAF camouflage that doesn’t involve lots of frustration with bits missed! Luftwaffe camo is all straight edges, so is fairly easy with tape. French and Dutch camo really is easier with the hairy stick at 1/72nd. I really can’t be doing with working out how to mask for more than two colours, frankly.

[PeterB]

A year or so back I was having paint creep when painting the white top of the fuselage on my Shackleton (hundreds of raised rivets!) and somebody suggested a trick which seems to work most of the time, though it would be no good for mottling. Seal the tape by painting the edge where the 2 colours meet with a line of the paint that is already on and being masked - if it does bleed then it is not going to show! Once that is dry and has hopefully sealed any gaps, commence painting the other colour and leakage should be minimal, always assuming you have rubbed the masking tape edge down well of course.

 

Pete

[ckw]

50 minutes ago, PeterB said:

Seal the tape by painting the edge where the 2 colours meet with a line of the paint that is already on and being masked

If you intend to apply a loss coat once painting is done, then you could use this to seal the edges

 

Cheers,

 

Colin

[Jur]

Thanks Heather for your comprehensive reply! I will digest it and try a similar approach when I try my hand at things like this.

 

The trick of painting over the mask edge with the same paint as underneath it backfired a bit on me just now - the second colour had trouble covering the overpainted bits. I think using a clear varnish instead will be better, it should seal in the same way without causing coverage issues.

 

Practice makes perfect I assume!

[Heather Kay]

Progress has been slow, but transfers went on without any problems. They’ve even settled nicely over the rivets.

 

 

I really should have carved off the control levers on the flying surfaces, since Eduard had provided etched replacements. Let’s just say I was lazy. It would have been beneficial on the rudders when it came to fitting the national marking… Still, some judicious sharp blade action, a fair splash of setting solution, followed by a dab or two of white paint and it doesn’t look too bad. If my brain had been in gear, I would also have removed them from the model to apply the transfers. As it was, one came away in my hand, and the other soon joined it. 
 

 

Exhausts need the little forward-facing pipe fitted, then painting. I spent a while carefully opening the large ends so they look a bit more like a tube. The engines, props and undercarriage is in, just waiting for the glue to set. 
 

Getting there. Satin varnish next, a little bit of exhaust staining, and that will be it for weathering. I think these planes were essentially brand new when the arrived in Belgium.

[Max Headroom]

It’s a handsome beast and that camo scheme really suits it. You’re really putting in a good shift!

 

Hope the op goes well.

 

Trevor

[Cookenbacher]

That is some seriously impressive airbrush work Heather.

[PeterB]

3 hours ago, Jur said:

Thanks Heather for your comprehensive reply! I will digest it and try a similar approach when I try my hand at things like this.

 

The trick of painting over the mask edge with the same paint as underneath it backfired a bit on me just now - the second colour had trouble covering the overpainted bits. I think using a clear varnish instead will be better, it should seal in the same way without causing coverage issues.

 

Practice makes perfect I assume!

Depends on the colours I guess - mine was dark sea grey over white so it covered pretty well, but I imagine varnish should work too.

 

Pete

[Heather Kay]

 

Satin coat goes on. Note the paint mule at the back. It’s an old Frog Blenheim, which is doing sterling work as I try new ideas out. This time, it was testing Humbrol acrylic Satin Cote through my airbrush. It actually did what it said on the bottle, so a swift coat has been applied to the Fiat.

 

Things still to do:

 

• paint and fit the auxiliary generator
• fit a gun sight to the nose gun
• extract the glazing masks (not a fan of the P-mask stuff: it’s very recalcitrant to come off the glazing after a few days being stuck on)
• fit a wireless aerial
• check for anything blooming obvious I’ve missed
• remember to add exhaust stains after previous point
• sort out RFI and gallery images

Finally, sit back and wonder where the heck this is going to live as the cabinet is chocker!

[modelling minion]

Looks excellent Heather, very nice work and very close to the finish line too. 

[CedB]

Looking pretty gorgeous  

 

18 hours ago, Heather Kay said:

I might give them a go, as they’re a bit cheaper that Tamiya.

The Baron found a source of tape, produced in the same factory as the Tamiya stuff, and we've been using it for some time now. Look for 'MT Washi Tape' (the 'MT' is the secret); a quick search on Amazon shows 6mm at 10 rolls for less than £20 and other sizes are available, although they may take some time to arrive. HTH.

[Heather Kay]

Final checks...

 

 

… and the official photographer will be wheeled in shortly.

[giemme]

Gorgeous!

 

Best of luck for you ops, Heather.

 

Ciao

[Heather Kay]

 

I think that’s a wrap for this build thread. The Fiat triplets pose for the official photographer. The BR.20M gallery entry will be posted once I’ve edited the images.

Thanks to everyone for the help and encouragement through my Italian adventure. It has been something of a learning curve as far as painting these models, which I think was worth the effort. There will be a pause for medical and work things to take precedence for a while. I shall return for a further out-of-the-ordinary Battle of Britain build soon.

 

[Ozzy]

A fantastic trio Heather, top job.

[CedB]

Lovely trio Heather and amazing work on the painting  

 

I hope it all goes well tomorrow. 

[Heather Kay]

Gallery post up. 

 

 

 

Thanks everyone for the good wishes for the operation, and thanks again to Stew and Pete for their assistance with background information and so on. 

 

Now to rearrange the cabinet for the big Fiat to move in.

[Foxbat]

Its been a pleasure to follow this thread and you've got three stunning builds there - I could sit and marvel at that camo for hours. Good luck tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to whatever is coming next.

 

Andy

[Rabbit Leader]

I’d give certain body parts away to model like that! Awesome Heather, or according to Google Translate ‘eccezionale’ 

Cheers.. Dave 

[Greg Law]

Brilliant work Heather.  I think it is your best yet. I'm looking forward to your next project.

[dogsbody]

I hope my upcoming airbrush work on my Hurricane turns out half as nice.

 

We'll all await your return from the hospital.

 

 

 

Chris

[CedB]

Superb result Heather - a great finish of an unusual subject  

[Heather Kay]

23 hours ago, Foxbat said:

Its been a pleasure to follow this thread and you've got three stunning builds there - I could sit and marvel at that camo for hours. Good luck tomorrow, and I'm looking forward to whatever is coming next.

 

Andy

 

22 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

I’d give certain body parts away to model like that! Awesome Heather, or according to Google Translate ‘eccezionale’ 

Cheers.. Dave 

 

22 hours ago, Greg Law said:

Brilliant work Heather.  I think it is your best yet. I'm looking forward to your next project.

 

22 hours ago, dogsbody said:

I hope my upcoming airbrush work on my Hurricane turns out half as nice.

 

We'll all await your return from the hospital.

 

12 hours ago, CedB said:

Superb result Heather - a great finish of an unusual subject  

Thanks all! There is an Italeri Savoia Marchetti SM.79 lurking on the shelf. It doesn’t fit in my current 1940 plans, but has become the grain of sand around which the pearl of my Mediterranean Theatre 1940 collection will grow.

 

Hospital. Ah, thereby hangs a tale. Pull up a pew, and I’ll spin you a story.
 

When I first got notification of the procedure date, I tried to reschedule it because it was all very short notice. I left a message on the number I had been given, but heard nothing further. Assuming the message had not been received, and not wishing to be accidentally dropped from the system through non-attendance,  I therefore went through the build-up - assessment, covid-19 swab test (negative), all fine. I rocked up at the hospital this morning to be told my procedure had been cancelled.

 

Well, thanks for letting me know. I could’ve avoided 14 days self-quarantine and all the other rigmarole, and actually had breakfast this morning! 
 

Anyway, the Covid Door Guards informed the relevant authorities I had tried to attend. When I got home, I called the hospital, got through straight away to an actual human being, and we all had a little laugh - what else can you do? - and the upshot is I’m expecting letters for an appointment in a month.

 

We shall see. The pandemic situation has really thrown the usual fairly smooth running of our local health service into a bit of a spin, and I don’t apportion blame anywhere. 
 

So, that was my day. Back to planning another couple of non-Italian builds for this GB… 

[dogsbody]

6 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

 

 

 

 

Thanks all! There is an Italeri Savoia Marchetti SM.79 lurking on the shelf. It doesn’t fit in my current 1940 plans, but has become the grain of sand around which the pearl of my Mediterranean Theatre 1940 collection will grow.

 

Hospital. Ah, thereby hangs a tale. Pull up a pew, and I’ll spin you a story.
 

When I first got notification of the procedure date, I tried to reschedule it because it was all very short notice. I left a message on the number I had been given, but heard nothing further. Assuming the message had not been received, and not wishing to be accidentally dropped from the system through non-attendance,  I therefore went through the build-up - assessment, covid-19 swab test (negative), all fine. I rocked up at the hospital this morning to be told my procedure had been cancelled.

 

Well, thanks for letting me know. I could’ve avoided 14 days self-quarantine and all the other rigmarole, and actually had breakfast this morning! 
 

Anyway, the Covid Door Guards informed the relevant authorities I had tried to attend. When I got home, I called the hospital, got through straight away to an actual human being, and we all had a little laugh - what else can you do? - and the upshot is I’m expecting letters for an appointment in a month.

 

We shall see. The pandemic situation has really thrown the usual fairly smooth running of our local health service into a bit of a spin, and I don’t apportion blame anywhere. 
 

So, that was my day. Back to planning another couple of non-Italian builds for this GB… 

Ooh! I can think of a whole slew of the most vile, nasty Anglo-Saxon words I would have used, but then, I'm a grumpy ol' git.

 

 

 

Chris