Neddy Posted April 30, 2022 Share Posted April 30, 2022 (edited) Having seen the general standard of builds here I'm really nervous of posting this but as a newbie I feel I've got to contribute something to the forum, otherwise it's a bit like going to a BBQ and failing to bring any beer... This is only the fourth build completed since I returned to the hobby just over a year ago after practically a fifty-year absence. Having learned or relearned a lot during the previous three this was the first I'd really thought out beforehand. It's a very mild custom using parts options included in the kit, the only exception being the ignition wiring - the supplied tubing was far too fat giving the look of heater hoses rather than ignition leads and the distributor cap had the leads exiting vertically when the original engine had horizontal plugs. The new leads were fashioned from garden tying wire which was neared the diameter and colour than the supplied material. I'd learned enough from the previous builds to use Deluxe Materials adhesives, including their PVA based glue for transparent parts, and also to use an acrylic paint pen for the silvering instead of the Humbrol silver (!) I had hitherto used. Sorry about the PC in the background, the pics were taken without any intention of sharing them at the time! I have sufficient pics of the build in various stages to put together a retrospective WIP post if anyone's interested, if so please let me know. As this is my first shared project, please feel free to let me know what you think, warts and all. I know it's nowhere near the standard I've seen here already but I'm getting there I hope. Edited April 30, 2022 by Neddy Misspelling in title 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vesa Jussila Posted April 30, 2022 Share Posted April 30, 2022 Looks really nice and I must say that you have done really good work with paint. So welcome back to hobby and please share your future works as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiny Posted April 30, 2022 Share Posted April 30, 2022 I think the majority of people on here are our own worst critics (not helped by the fact that we spend inordinate amounts of time looking very closely at our own builds!), and from your comments on this build you certainly fall into that category. To my eyes there is absolutely nothing to be embarassed about on this model, and I think it looks great. I think it's one you can be proud of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted April 30, 2022 Author Share Posted April 30, 2022 (edited) Thanks to you both for your kind comments. I am pleased with the way it turned out, proud of it even, but was nervous of how other people regarded it as I'm no independent judge of what's good and wot ain't! The only things I had to leave out were the radio antenna and door mirror, both of which were seriously oversize and I haven't yet found a way of downsizing or replacing them. The build took me just over six months with a hiatus over Christmas and the worst of winter as I have to spray the models in the shelter of the draughty unheated garage. The spray paint for the bodyshell was a rattle-can - Tamiya TS-54 - as I haven't yet resurrected my old and very basic Humbrol airbrush. The next build will be a very old AMT 1/16th scale kit I acquired from a specialist dealer in old kits. It's a 1964/5 Ford Mustang and I'm quite looking forward to it. Now I'm here I'll start a proper build thread - it'll be a while yet as I have a fair bit of Real Life to deal with before I dare devote serious lumps of time to the build. Edited April 30, 2022 by Neddy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted May 1, 2022 Share Posted May 1, 2022 Welcome to the forums! Nice work, I like that colour a lot, looks good on it. And I don't think you have to fret at all about showing your work here 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted May 1, 2022 Share Posted May 1, 2022 That's a very good looking T Bird. Nice choice of colour as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted May 1, 2022 Author Share Posted May 1, 2022 Thanks all! The choice of colour was limited to what metallics I could get in rattle-cans but it certainly turned out to be a good choice, I think. I really must dig out and dust off my old airbrush! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desert falcon Posted May 1, 2022 Share Posted May 1, 2022 Welcome to the forum @Neddy and congratulations on your wonderful T-bird 👍 Absolutely nothing to be ashamed of there, I will be happy if my first car build (to be started soon) comes out anything like yours Cheers, Johnny b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan R Posted May 1, 2022 Share Posted May 1, 2022 Hi Neddy, That is a very nice rendition of a classic US automobile. If my first build looked that good, I would have been well chuffed! Seriously good. Cheers, Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nearsightedjohn Posted May 1, 2022 Share Posted May 1, 2022 Amazing job on that beautiful sapphire blue Tamiya rattle can exterior paint, shiny is hard and it looks like you’ve mastered it! Your overall build quality on this bird is very neat and tidy, only suggestion I would make is to go less glossy on the top of the dash, maybe a matte or even semi-gloss. I look forward to seeing what you can do with that 1/16 Mustang. Thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keefr22 Posted May 1, 2022 Share Posted May 1, 2022 That's a beauty Neddy, lovely colour choice very nicely applied! The interior looks really good too, my only slight nitpick is that the dash top looks a bit too glossy to me, but that in no way detracts from a cracking T-bird! Great job! Keith edit - sorry, just noticed that @nearsightedjohn already mentioned the dash top! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiny Posted May 1, 2022 Share Posted May 1, 2022 22 hours ago, Neddy said: The build took me just over six months with a hiatus over Christmas and the worst of winter as I have to spray the models in the shelter of the draughty unheated garage. I too spray in an unheated garage (at least it's not too draughty in there), but as you say that does rule out spraying in winter. It's well worth using the summer months to get enough body shells sprayed to tide you over for the winter if you can, even if it means sacrificing a bit of summer bench time to get the spraying done. As an added bonus, the warmer weather (so long as it's not too warm) usually means lower humidity and that combination means you're less likely to have faults with your paintwork. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neddy Posted May 2, 2022 Author Share Posted May 2, 2022 Keith & John: you're dead right about the dashboard finish. I looked at a lot of online photos of the real thing but couldn't work out if it was padded or a sheet metal pressing as the vinyl used was so glossy - back in the late '50s unpadded metal dashes were still quite common. It was only after I'd completed the interior I had second thoughts and wish now I'd gone for a satin finish. Still, that's how you learn! Thanks for your comments all, they're appreciated. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stef N. Posted May 2, 2022 Share Posted May 2, 2022 A gorgeous, clean build. The blue and the sheen is spot on. Top work Neddy and I look forward to seeing some more of your modelling. 👏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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