(another) White Knight - Knight Twister Imperial

[Alan P]

Ay...😔 We've all been there, what a pain!

 

It looks accessible from underneath, so the lacquer thinner/cotton bud option might work?

[bigbadbadge]

My word, what a shame, as Alan said get the cotton buds out . Mind you if you still have enough of the Albion alloys clear packaging it may be quicker to whip up another one!

Good luck which ever you decide to do.

Chris

[Malc2]

7 hours ago, greggles.w said:

Today, from me, it’s an embarrassed confession, a foolish error!  In attending to the primed fuselage I belatedly realised that while I had thoroughly masked off the windscreen from above .. I had completely neglected to mask the underside!!

 

Top masking has been removed to reveal the damage …

 

How to recover from this?

 

I feel your pain, however there is an easy solution:-

99% isopropyl alchohol used on a cotton bud, or even better the end of a stick of sharpened balsa wood, as a cotton bud is a bit big for that.

It doen't attack any form of plastic and is safe on your skin and is water soluble.

The sooner the better, as the paint will become more difficult to remove as the days pass and the solvents evaporate.

With a light misting as you have I would have a high hopes of success.

 

It has recovered lots of my builds!

 

M.

Edited July 10, 2021 by Malc2

[greggles.w]

@Alan P @bigbadbadge @Malc2 sincere thank you to each for your prompt & considered advice!  It’s allowed me to take prompt action..

 

I thought I ought not throw away the effort invested in this scratchbuilt windscreen, at least not without trying these other suggestions.

 

Happily I can report that a bit of ‘all the above’ has done the trick: toothpicks, pointed cotton buds, polishing compounds, & the very last drops of my isopropyl supply (COVID concerns have led to a run on supplies at the local hardware).

 

I don’t claim it’s a Leica lens, but it’s OK for me!  Very glad to not be going backwards & redoing all that.

 

Again, thanks for the advice, most appreciated.

 

 

 

[Malc2]

Win!

 

M.

[Alan P]

Good rescue!

[Sabrejet]

Only just caught up with this: great work! I have to admit that this took me back many years when this was one of my favourites in the biplane class, along with Sorceress and Mongster.

[bigbadbadge]

Great save. Looking good 

Chris

[greggles.w]

Miserable damp, cold weather persisting here, so that’s brought my painting work to a hold.

 

In the interim, some work on a base.  Here a sketch to think out an arrangement…

 

Dimensions sent to Jim’s Bases, who crafted this up in short time ..

 

 

An adhesive ‘blur’ base from Coastal Kits on the top surface, chosen to suggest a dry Reno air-racing climate, then mark out a slot & get stuck into it with some larger-than-usual hobby tools …

 

 

A $2 store acrylic picture frame provided sheet to shape into the stand .. 

 

 

… scribed, snapped, ground, sanded & much polished!!

 

 

Yet to be epoxied in permanently, but an impatient trial fit looks promising …

 

 

Note here the upper wing showing ‘Racing White’ top coat applied before the foul weather set in.  A subtly warmer tone than the stark cold white primer on the rest …

 

So that’s all to report for now .. I blame the rain gods!

 

 

 

[Malc2]

I really do like the way you display your models in flight.

May have to copy that if you dont mind.

Your sketch reminds me of Quentin Blake!

 

Malc.

[greggles.w]

18 hours ago, Malc2 said:

I really do like the way you display your models in flight.

May have to copy that if you dont mind.

Your sketch reminds me of Quentin Blake!

 

Malc.

Go right ahead Malc! Like most things it was inspired by others … I’d see these exhibition displays online from Spain, Portugal, Italy - where historical figures seems to be a most popular genre - and they’re often a bust elevated over a fine timber plinth.  Seemed opportune way to give an aircraft speed at altitude!

[greggles.w]

Wet weather passed, supplies delivered, snap lock-down 'prepping' gauntlet run, this means time - at last - to get back to this!

 

I've painted all sub-assemblies bar one in layered top coat of lovely creamy Tamiya 'Racing White'.  And today, after equal parts preparation, anticipation & trepidation I set about introducing the tomato-orange-red to the upper wing!

 

 

Now given I have a kit without decals, this means masking.  After tooling about too long on the interweb I settled on a method to try, one outlined, helpfully, in quite some detail by a Mr Dennis Friesel.  While seemingly a worthy approach it did send me back to tooling around the interweb trying to source the various materials at anything under industrial quantities, for fair outlay & timely local delivery.  Several parcels later, I was ready ...

 

So let's layer it up!

 

1- First layer is slippery 'silicone coated paper', the type that is peeled from the back of a sticker (first challenge was how to keep that held down on the cutting mat!);

2- Next layer is a band of wide Tamiya tape ...

 

 

3- Then the design for the mask is printed onto Avery 'removable A4 label' printer paper & laid down as the third layer over the Tamiya tape.  The openings are punched & cut.  I elected to extend the guide lines as far as practicable to help get the angles just-so ...

 

 

4- Fourth layer is a clear vinyl Siser 'Transfer Tape'.  This stuff has a grid for alignment & allows lifting the mask off the silicone paper base, as I show here, removed & flipped over (sticky side up for Tamiya Tape) ...

 

 

... and then align through the 'window' & place the mask in position on the wing ...

 

 

 

Then the un-peeling!

 

 

- Siser off first;

- Avery label next;

- Leaving Tamiya tape behind!

 

 

Next, from left to right: a dust coat of clear to seal the mask; an oxide primer base coat + 3x orange top coats ...

 

 

 

... And an hour later, oh-so-carefully remove the mask ... & I'm a happy fella!  Just a little overspray on the underside & some trailing edge clean-up required, but, otherwise - hurrah!

 

 

 

 

And who can resist a test fit!!

 

 

And what did we learn from all this?  Dennis seems to know what he's talking about & next time, think carefully re purchasing that kit without decals!!

Edited August 20, 2021 by greggles.w

[bigbadbadge]

Oh wow this is looking great, cracking job on the painting.   The base looks absolutely gorgeous too.

Great work 

Chris

[greggles.w]

And lower wing, stars to go with the stripes above ..

 

 

.. and a precariously balanced test fit:

 

.. moving on!

 

 

Engine done & fitted to nose; pilot near to done; his instrument panel started today; undercarriage lagging behind a bit.

[Malc2]

Looking fantastic, I am impressed with your technique for making the masking for the top wing, I shall have to remember that.

Why have you chosen to keep the fuz in two pieces?

 

Malc.

[greggles.w]

On 8/23/2021 at 5:38 AM, Malc2 said:

Why have you chosen to keep the fuz in two pieces?

Hi Malc, well, reasonable question, this update might address that for you ...

 

Basically into this little cockpit opening ... 

 

I needed to:

1. Mask & paint that headrest same red as wing stripes ... with spray cans!; &
2. Install an instrument panel; &
3. (re)install the windscreen; &
4. Fit that pilot seen in the background which 'locks' in from below.

All of which seemed hard work if done before base painting - especially that headrest painting.  On the flipside, the kit join-line between upper & lower fuselage very thoughtfully follows a distinct demarcation between metal skin (upper) & fabric skin (lower) so a residual joint line after assembly would be just fine.

 

So item 1 was done.

 

Item 2, instruments, needed to be scratch built.  One of the plans helpful provided by another modeler online gave the instrument layout, and that seemed good enough authority for me, so with that under a thin piece of clear packaging offcut I laid out Airscale instrument bezels of suitable size & drilled openings ...

 

 

 

... then painted using an interesting technique shown by someone online, involving mixing 4B graphite pencil shaving into the paint & buffing with a cotton tip afterwards .. seemed to work .. 

 

 

... & some Airscale decals behind ... no comments please from qualified pilots - decals selected at random for size & look only!!

 

 

So with that done, next item 3, (re)install the windscreen.  I got frustrated with the compromised over-sprayed & bodgily repaired initial one, so pulled it off & set about refabricating another Albion special ... 2nd method failed ... third good enough, & installed with help of a jig ...

 

 

Final item 4, our pilot.  Plane owner & pilot, Don Fairbanks, WWII B-24 tail gunner.  Here is his bust amongst the kit smalls ...

 

 

And look what the internet provided - this image of Don in period appropriate 'racing stripes' jumpsuit!!

 

 

Hard to resist that look, however I decided that a white plane + white helmet + white jumpsuit was all getting a bit monochromatic, & so I was very happy to find this image of him manly wearing this alternate bright orange outfit ... (note too the early 'frameless' windscreen - I used this as post-justification for my replacement - and the cockpit so tight that to get in he's had to take the door off its hinges!)

 

 

... & so a nice contrast to precision masking, some messy, mushy brush painting:

 

 

And with all that done, time to start bringing it all together.

 

Well, the joke's on me re that instrument panel .. ha, ha .. installed = disappeared from view!!  Seen here with new windscreen now fixed in place ...

 

 

And here @Malc2 you can see how the pilot is wedged in from below to lock it all in place ...

 

 

With that done there was a very satisfying leap as the two fuselage halves could be brought together & then into the jig to hold alignment while fixing the nose ... (if you squint / go cross-eyed enough you can just see the engine in there!!)

 

 

Such that today we've progressed to here !!

 

 

... although, full disclosure, this progression followed some painful regression ... that undercarriage in the background is currently under repair, after an earlier fumble-fingers 'hard landing' (sigh!)

 

 

 

Getting close to done - hurrah!

[greggles.w]

Time to apply the registration!  Here using the same learned technique as applied for the upper wing stripes ...

 

A print of the text on adhesive label, over Tamiya tape, over silicone paper.  The linework is extended so I can better get my steel rule aligned for each cut ... only the D to go when this image was taken ...

 

 

Then overlay this magical Siser vinyl 'release tape' ...

 

 

... cut & lift off the silicone paper backing ...

 

 

... this is the back sticky-side of the Tamiya tape ...

 

 

... then position on the fuselage ...

 

 

... & carefully peel off the top two layers - vinyl release tape + printed label - to leave the mask behind!

 

 

... finish the mummifying ...

 

 

... then successive coats of clear; then red-oxide primer; then orange top coats ...

 

 

One hour to wait ...then time to carefully unpeel ... next post will be either triumphal or traumatic ...

[bigbadbadge]

Excellent progress on this  the instrument panel looks ace although it's a shame it might not be seen, still you and we know it's there.  Great home made masks too and I am sure they will work out well as you clear coated before spraying the red. Great to see the fuselage together.

Cracking work. 

Chris

[greggles.w]

Thanks @bigbadbadge ... well here's the reveal ...

 

 

Teeny tiny little bits of overspray & edges to tidy up, all as good as one could hope for ...

BUT ..

... how's about that masking tape peeling the white off the nose .. (sigh!)

 

 

 

urgh ...

[bigbadbadge]

Shame about the masking tape pulling off the paint.   Otherwise wow  the serial turned out lovely. Great work 

Chris

[AdrianMF]

Just caught up on the whole thread - missed it until now. Amazing! Love the masking for the markings. You are taking all the setbacks in your stride too, so I have no fears about that nose getting re-covered (or recovered!).

 

Regards,

Adrian

 

[RichieW]

Just been having a catch up too, I love your masking technique! A real shame about the paint lifting but that can soon be fixed. It is looking really beautiful!

 

Richie

[Malc2]

Looking great (despite the tape paint peel!).

 

M.

[greggles.w]

14 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Shame about the masking tape pulling off the paint.   Otherwise wow  the serial turned out lovely. Great work 

Chris

Thanks Chris, I should indeed focus on the success … & on reflection I’m mighty lucky the tape lifted a white-only area of paint … thankfully it didn’t pull up red/white stripes, stars or text!

 

13 hours ago, AdrianMF said:

Just caught up on the whole thread - missed it until now. Amazing! Love the masking for the markings. You are taking all the setbacks in your stride too, so I have no fears about that nose getting re-covered (or recovered!).

 

Regards,

Adrian

 

 

Nice to hear from you again Adrian, thanks for your support, perhaps the setback was worth it just for your pun …

 

12 hours ago, RichieW said:

Just been having a catch up too, I love your masking technique! A real shame about the paint lifting but that can soon be fixed. It is looking really beautiful!

 

Richie

Thanks Richie, I hope you’re right about ease of repair … I’m lucky this is a smooth-skinned racer, without extensive surface detail to sacrifice in repeated preparation & repainting!

 

12 hours ago, Malc2 said:

Looking great (despite the tape paint peel!).

 

M.

Thanks Malc, I must follow your lead & pull my eyes of that error ..!

 

I’m going to take a day or two to consolidate my approach before picking it up again … hopefully progress to report before too long. Thanks again for your support.

[dnl42]

Wow, this is just some amazing work!  I especially like your hand-cut masking. That's one of the several reasons I really do like my Silhouette Portrait cutter and Inkscape.

 

So sorry about the paint lifting. I think most of us know all too well how that feels.