hendie Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 I love the restraint and subtlety on the weathering, on the mottling, and on the chipping. I love that you haven't used a black felt tip pen to color in the panel lines. I'm with Bill, on all three of his comments 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted November 20, 2021 Share Posted November 20, 2021 The mottling on the nose was a little too subtle for the screen of my old iphone 6 but looks just right on the larger devices. Have you missed the long oil streaks on the belly, or are they still to come? John PS it's fairly easy to do very dirty or clean but somewhere in between like yours is difficult to achieve realistically. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I can only echo all the above comments, Steve Tasteful an masterful weathering Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted November 22, 2021 Author Share Posted November 22, 2021 (edited) On 11/20/2021 at 1:42 PM, Biggles87 said: Have you missed the long oil streaks on the belly, or are they still to come? I’m glad you mentioned them, John. There’s an interesting discussion thread discussing the Spitfire belly oil stains, all the way back in 2013, in which the (sadly missed) Edgar and Gingerbob lead for the argument that the whilst there are some pretty dramatic photos in flight of extensive oil staining on the belly, that it would have been cleaned off on the ground. Edgar Gingerbob So - with this as top cover - I’ve not attempted to recreate those long streaks. Instead Spittie is between flights and post ground crew clean-up (hence the red patches over the .303s) Of course if one demands consistency I should also then recreate the red caps over the cannons. But (i) consistency is dull (ii) my argument for Spittie’s status is obviously specious and self serving and (iii) who would want to waste the superb Master cannons by covering them up! Anyway. What I’ve done with Spittie is imagine what sort of moderate accumulated staining would be left over after the ground crew had cleaned up after the messy merlin oil fest: Pipes various on the undercarriage from 5 amp fuse wire: Legs attached in all the Spitfire spindlyness (and the cannons have acquired a coat of black): And so the great canopy unmasking. Now I did say I was trepidatious did I not? But that was cos I wos concerned about the canopies - not that paint would rip off the headrest! P’raps I should’ve forseen the possibility seeing as it’s an etch piece. But tbh I didn’t even think about the fact that some of the masking tape was in contact with the headrest…. What to do? I decided that it was impracticable to try and fill/rub it smooth. So out with a microchisel and scrape the rest off: The quandary now is whether to brush paint it - easy but with probable highly visible brush marks - or to try a tricky masking/airbrushing job…. Probably the latter. The better news is that the windscreen and rear canopy unmasked nicely Remember - there are no problems, only challenges. Remember - there ere no etc. etc. (repeat as required)… Edited November 22, 2021 by Fritag typo 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 B®gger. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 In better news, Spitty looks fabulous and will be a wonderful addition to the museum, absolutely reeking of authenticity. Spraying that headrest, cojones man. 😲 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted November 22, 2021 Author Share Posted November 22, 2021 6 minutes ago, perdu said: B®gger. ‘S’funny - I said summat like that It looks quite nice in brass…You don’t think that, p’raps, you know, it might’ve been, on some aircraft, like maybe this one…brass for real do you? Thought not…….. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 4 hours ago, Fritag said: Remember - there are no problems, only challenges. Exactly, and for a man of your caliber ...... etc She looks wonderful with the wheels on, and notwithstanding said headrest challenge, the cockpit unmasked looks superbly awesome. As for the underside and extent of oil staining ............ many opinions, one Spittie, and she's yours! And FWIW, she looks pretty fine under there to me. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 1 minute ago, Terry1954 said: She looks wonderful with the wheels on, Agreed 100%! As for the headrest: I'd brush paint it, several light coats, so as to avoid brush marks. Also, it should probably look quite scuffed, shouldn't it? Some judicious weathering, and it will look like nothing has happened Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81-er Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 I'm really liking catching up with this thread, it's nice to see what a beautiful model you're building there. I hope the headrest fix goes well, brave pills on standby? James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 5 hours ago, Fritag said: (i) consistency is dull (ii) my argument for Spittie’s status is obviously specious and self serving and (iii) who would want to waste the superb Master cannons by covering them up! A man after my own heart - I knew I liked you for some reason! Cheers, Bill PS. Go on, spray that headrest. You know you want to. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted November 22, 2021 Author Share Posted November 22, 2021 (edited) 16 hours ago, giemme said: As for the headrest: I'd brush paint it, several light coats, so as to avoid brush marks. Yes. But I’m truly rubbish at brush painting G - I’ve no doubt you could do it; but me, not so sure…. 15 hours ago, Navy Bird said: PS. Go on, spray that headrest. You know you want to. Does that make it your responsibility then Bill? So - end of prevarication - just do it. What’s the worst that could happen? 15 hours ago, 81-er said: I hope the headrest fix goes well, brave pills on standby? Brave pills swallowed, ta James Followed by primer, interior green, matt coat, very light application of a Flory wash - just to highlight the rivets/screws and a tiny bit of staining. And to my relief and mild surprise I think I got away with it: Think I’ll call that a save. Morale is now higher than it was on Sunday. I thinned the cockpit side and windscreen edge as much as I thought sensible and it looks a bit better than at kit-supplied thickness. I reckon I could have been bolder still tho’. Over-thick edges at smaller scales are inevitable but still one of my pet dislikes (note to self - in which case don’t take unforgiving photo’s of your work!). So now I’m caught up with where I thought I’d be yesterday But rather relieved to be there… Edited November 23, 2021 by Fritag extra words 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 Great save, Steve! Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 Well that wasn't so bad was it? (Blimey, how many brave pills did you take? Must have been close to overdosing and tripping.) Fabyoulus! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81-er Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 Excellent save indeed Steve James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hendie Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 Lovely save there Steve, in awe of the large legal cohones! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted November 23, 2021 Share Posted November 23, 2021 See, I knew you could do it. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted November 26, 2021 Author Share Posted November 26, 2021 (edited) Thanks chaps. Shan't fib - I was moderately pleased to have successfully refurbished the visual disaster that was the de-masked headrest..... Anyroadup. The last remaining major painting task was the fishtail exhausts. I previously primed them and gave 'em a base coat of alclad aluminum and these then were my colouring weapons of choice. Bit excessive perhaps... But it was an opportunity to muck about. One of several reference photo's handy. How did I manage without an iPad? Post airbrushing and pre-weathering powders. And here's where we're at: They're presently sealed with a light airbrushing of Tamiya semi-gloss clear. Which I ended up using a bit like the 'save' function in a 'Word' document. Whenever I thought I'd got to a state which I might want to preserve I sprayed on a light coat of clear.... I think that's how they're gonna stay. It's quite hard to stop tinkering once you get going with oils or pastels dontcha think? And I might just blacken the front section a bit more.... Bit OTT devoting a post just to the exhausts - sorry - but I spent a pleasant few hours last night doing these whilst binge-watching the first 4 episodes of 'Inside the Spitfire Factory' on All 4 so there we are... So - not much left to do now. Stick these blighters on - bits and bobs such as nav lights various, radio aerial, pitot tube, prop and sliding canopy. And then the thing I'm least looking forward too - the pesky IFF aerials from the fuselage to the horizontal tailplane. I did drill some fixing holes in the fuselage before painting; but they were covered by the fuselage decals. Dunno why I thought that a hole only about 0.2 or 0.3mm in diameter would be visible through a decal. So I've got to do them again... I've got some 0.1mm diameter nickel rod that might do for the aerial - but I'd have to paint it and I also don't fancy relying trying to fix it in place. I'll probably use good ol' fashioned stretched sprue. The kit sprue stretched nicely and evenly and I should be able to get some decent lengths that will be just as thin as the nickel and I can tack in place with some Tamiya Extra Thin Quick Setting. Edited November 26, 2021 by Fritag New para 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 Brilliant work with the eye makeup packs, but quite exhausting I'm sure ..............🤭 Terry 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted November 26, 2021 Share Posted November 26, 2021 10 hours ago, Terry1954 said: Brilliant work with the eye makeup packs I'm trying to remember if I knew anyone who used a rust or burnt iron flavour of eye makeup, but I'm drawing a blank... ***** Any who, Mr. Friday, that's a phenomenal job on the exhausts. I can almost smell them. Cheers, Bill 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritag Posted November 27, 2021 Author Share Posted November 27, 2021 (edited) Away for most of the weekend - hoping to do a bit more before work next week. In’t meantime. Sneaky peak of how she’ll look. Exhausts fixed. Prop just dry fitted. Cockpit door to go (obvs.). Rear view mirror yet to be fitted. Cannon barrel yet to be weathered. I’ll have to do some exhaust staining but the photo of XR-A that I have shows it to be minimal - must have been cleaned off regularly. Edited November 27, 2021 by Fritag 21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Those exhausts are stunning. I hate to think how you have become such an expert with eye shadow.... Ian 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted November 27, 2021 Share Posted November 27, 2021 Impressive job on the exhausts, Steve They look real! Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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