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NABOO N-1 STARFIGHTER. Fine Molds 1/72.


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Hi all.

 

I've been stuck with Wing B. I know what I want to achieve with the exterior paint but I'm not quite sure how to do it or the result. So since the Bandai kits yard is not enough to take things lightly and push forward to see what comes out I have decided to leave it until my ideas are clarified and in the meantime undertake a much simpler kit, in all aspects. And it was this little one's turn.

Very good kit from the Fine Molds brand, with good details and equally fine and negative panel lines representing this small combat ship that appeared in the film “The Phantom Menace”, or Episode I of Star Wars, being piloted in it by young Anakin Skywalker.

 

Ignoring the staple with the pieces of the exhibition platform, the kit consists of three small staples: two grey and one yellow.

The cabin is quite well reproduced, as well as the figures that correspond to an adult pilot and the little Anakin, who is a due to his age and height is represented somewhat smaller, which will make it even more difficult to paint a figure that is to scale. 1/72.

 

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I don't know about you, but what has always caught my attention about the ships of the planet Naboo has always been the stylized shape and the pointed shapes that they have. Both this ship and Queen Amidala's cruiser as some other I've seen.

So before undertaking the construction, starting with the cabin, I have decided to prepare this aspect of the ship.

Both the fuselage and the engines have a very pointed finish, however the corresponding parts are not sufficiently represented. With 600 grit sandpaper and later 1200 grit I have refined the corresponding pieces.

 

 

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The cones on the front of the motors have also received the same job with sandpaper.

 

 

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And the area where the previous cones fit I have also worked.

 

 

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And this is all for now.

 

Andrés S.

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On 11/09/2020 at 20:51, Hunter Rose said:

Cool, nice to see someone else doing an episode 1 build!

Great work sharpening up the points, a small change that makes a big difference

Thanks !!.
I hope someone else makes one of the different kits from Episode I, it would be interesting.

 

On 12/09/2020 at 00:25, Stephen W said:

Fab stuff and I think the sharper points will make a better finish too, Naboo is a very stylised planet based on the costumes and ships.

Thanks !!
I am somewhat restless with those pieces, any carelessness can ruin the job.

 

On 14/09/2020 at 21:25, StevenBills said:

This might sound weird to hear, but this is my grail kit. Problem is, they're really hard to find now! Your mods are looking great!

 

Thanks !!
I hope I can make a model that you finally like. True, they are hard-to-find kits at least at a reasonable price. I was lucky to find a seller from my country on Wallapop.

 

 

Today I have worked the engine nacelles.

 

The fit of the pieces is quite good, although not perfect. It would be acceptable in a model that had a matte finish, but in the case of a metallic and bright yellow decoration it is deficient due to the ease that the paint's finish will have in revealing any imperfections.

 

As you can see in the next photo, I had to correct a depression in the plastic surface using Tamiya putty and 1500 grit sandpaper. Marked with the letter "A".
In the joint area between pieces there have been some points that I have also had to correct with putty since there was a step left. Marked with the letter "B".
In the buttons to separate the parts that form the gondolas as well. Marked with the letter "C".
And finally I had to go over with a mini saw what would be the panel line that the two pieces form. Marked with the letter "D".

 

Andrés S.

 

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Edited by Andrés S.
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Hi.

 

Today I bought a new airbrush. It is from a manufacturer and distributor near my city, so I have approached the factory, which also sells to the public (in addition to online) and after arriving home I could not resist the urge to try it.

It comes with 3 sets of needles (0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 mm). I have done it with the 0.3 mm one and I could not be more satisfied with the touch, fit between pieces, balance in the hand, spraying etc.

 

The test consisted of one of the effects of use that I had planned to make on this model, and that is the smoking that the elongated rear area of the engines could present.

 

For this I have used a mixture of Tamiya Brown XF-10 and XF-1 Black diluted 95% with isopropyl alcohol. The pieces were already varnished so the matte appearance left by this soft  filter is considered adequate for the final finish of the pieces.

 

 

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And a second photo with the pieces in place to see how they would look.

 

 

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Andrés S.

 

 

 

 

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On 23/09/2020 at 00:16, Tzulscha said:

You'll put your eye out with that thing!

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

:laugh::laugh::laugh:   No problem.

 

It has reminded me of my mother when I was a child and walked into the kitchen while frying something in the pan. He always told me not to go near that he was going to splash the oil in my eye. As if there were no possible places to go.

 

On 23/09/2020 at 00:16, Tzulscha said:

I always liked the Naboo shapes myself, I often wondered if anything could be done with an SR-71 fuse.

Quite looking forward to your final product.

Thinking about it now, it is possible that the SR-71, with its highly stylized shapes, was an inspiration to the designers of, for example, Queen Amidala's cruiser. It has a certain resemblance.

 

 

 

Well, today I have prepared everything I wanted regarding the exterior paint before starting with the cockpit painting.

At first, I have painted the cones at the entrance of the engines. The metallic I have used has been Chrome from AK Extreme Metal and the yellow colour is a 50% mix of Orange H-24 and Yellow H-329.

 

 

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I have painted the metallic part of the engine nacelles with Chrome and now that I am putting these words here I think I should also have painted the yellow area of them. Well, I'll do it before I glue the piece in place.

I have considered doing it before and not painting the area of yellow the part that corresponds to the wings because when they are placed in position I will have to use putty and sandpaper for the area that joins them to the fuselage.

 

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Finally, I have painted the front part of the fuselage with yellow and that goes under the wings, although in the photo the yellow colour of the plastic itself is not clearly visible.

If I hadn't done it before putting the wings in position it would be somewhat difficult to paint properly.

 

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Andrés S.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks guys for your words !!!

 

Well, I have no good news ...

For some reason the chrome paint has not withstood as it should and in its entirety the masking of the Tamiya tape.

 

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I don't know for sure but it may have been motivated by not scrupulously adhering to the drying times of Gunze's gloss black that it is based on. It is curious that a part of the painting has perfectly supported the masking and another part did not.

 

I think the only solution for the finishing of both paints to be adequate is to completely remove both paints and start from zero. But first I want to test a Humbrol gloss black primer, which is enamel like chrome paint. Or it may be that this AK Extreme Metal reference does not support Tamiya tape as it should. In any case, I feel obliged to go back and start over.

 

The only nice thing I can say has been the application of the decals on the head of R2-D2. I was scared of this piece, since painting it with a brush would be difficult to look good because of the small blue squares and using the decal at the top could give problems because the surface of the piece is spherical. However, it has been good using the MICRO liquids. The metallic colour that I have used with R2 has been AK White Aluminium.

 

Well, I thought this kit would be fast but for one reason or another it won't be. I have started the cockpit, when it is finished I will put some images.

 

Andrés S.

 

 

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Edited by Andrés S.
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On 29/09/2020 at 21:28, oileanach said:

Well that hellasux! Chin up mate, I'm sure you'll fix it. 

I'm trying to fix it, I hope so. Thanks for your words.

 

 

The cockpit and the figure of the young Anakin I have painted using only Vallejo MC paints. To highlight details such as buttons etc. I have used oils.
Little more to comment, except that I think I have spent dirtying it and that I am not very happy with the painting of the figure.

 

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Andrés S.

 

 

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That's a lovely representation of Anakin, you got a lot of personality and youth out of a pretty simple sculpt thanks to the excellent paintwork.

 

Sorry the masking went bad, I'm sure you'll have it fixed and invisible soon though.

 

Will

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On 02/10/2020 at 14:30, Thom216 said:

Cool metal work. And a great looking cockpit.

 

On 02/10/2020 at 20:22, Pete in Lincs said:

The figure and the cockpit look very nice. I hope you can solve the metal/chrome problem. 

 

On 03/10/2020 at 10:41, Will Vale said:

That's a lovely representation of Anakin, you got a lot of personality and youth out of a pretty simple sculpt thanks to the excellent paintwork.

 

Sorry the masking went bad, I'm sure you'll have it fixed and invisible soon though.

 

Will

 

On 03/10/2020 at 14:56, Stephen W said:

Really enjoying seeing this take shape!

Thanks guys for your words, they are really a boost.

 

 

After several days of testing using Humbrol's glossy black, Gunze's H-2 and Tamiya's X-1 as a base for the chrome plating, the best result has been with Humbrol's glossy black and Tamiya's. Gunze's for some reason was not as bright as the others and since Humbrol has more drawbacks, especially its unpleasant smell, I finally used Tamiya X-1 as a base for AK Chrome, but diluted with the lacquer thinner ; the one with the yellow cap, which I have always seen that the bright paints of both Tamiya and Gunze make them even brighter.

 

I let the black paints dry for 36 hours. Which is more than enough for the Humbrol and much more than is necessary for the Tamiya / Gunze, but since the situation was that prevention is better than remedy ...
I have applied the chrome in two layers, allowing it to dry for 1 hour between them before gently removing the dust that this paint left with the first layer with a flat brush. I have left the second layer to dry for 12 hours before definitively removing its corresponding dust.

 

In all 3 cases, the chrome perfectly withstood Tamiya's masking tape.


The final conclusion that I have obtained with these tests is something that any modeller knows (we know) for years: that respecting the drying times in the paints are crucial or else we can find ourselves from what has happened to me like that the Tamiya tape detaches or shows any other abnormality. From the beginning I already sensed what had happened.

I think the chrome now looks much better compared to the previous one and I hope that as in the previous tests it perfectly supports the masking with Tamiya tape.

 

 

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Andrés S.

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Well that worked nicely. Great chrome.

Thanks, Pete.

 

 

The cockpit was missing a couple of small parts: the ship's control levers located on both sides.

 

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And after placing the sides of the cockpit, including these pieces, the final result is as follows.

 

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And here with our protagonist ready to give some droids what they deserve ...:mg:

 

 

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Andrés S.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Andrés S.
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