Whats Lying on your Workbench MK IV

[electric indigo]

I use Tamiya acrylics with my trusty Badger 350 single action airbrush, starting with a 1:1 paint to thinner mix, with some paints, especially the glossy ones, you have to add a tad more thinner. I begin with a low paint feed on the recessed areas and edges, then apply a light base coat at the open surfaces. After this has dried to the touch, I just repeat the process, if necessary, for flat paints. For glossy finishes, I apply a very wet coat of paint in one pass. The goal is to get just as much paint on the surface so that it will self-level, without having it running or pooling.

For primer, I just use grey paint, and I try to avoid top coats.

[arbit]

I use Tamiya acrylics with my trusty Badger 350 single action airbrush, starting with a 1:1 paint to thinner mix, with some paints, especially the glossy ones, you have to add a tad more thinner. I begin with a low paint feed on the recessed areas and edges, then apply a light base coat at the open surfaces. After this has dried to the touch, I just repeat the process, if necessary, for flat paints. For glossy finishes, I apply a very wet coat of paint in one pass. The goal is to get just as much paint on the surface so that it will self-level, without having it running or pooling.

For primer, I just use grey paint, and I try to avoid top coats.

Definitely skills that need years of practice.

I thought you might hand paint the details? Or air brush as well?

Edited July 14, 2016 by arbit

[electric indigo]

I use very little brush painting, mostly due to Tamiya paints being easily dissolved when you paint over them. On this figure, I brush painted the eyes, the black stripes on her bodysuit, and the black recesses on her feet. And of course, no matter how careful you mask, there's always some correction by brush needed somewhere on the borders.

I put on all the armor in the meantime, just need to repair the paint on one piece where I drilled to far...

[arbit]

I use very little brush painting, mostly due to Tamiya paints being easily dissolved when you paint over them. On this figure, I brush painted the eyes, the black stripes on her bodysuit, and the black recesses on her feet. And of course, no matter how careful you mask, there's always some correction by brush needed somewhere on the borders.

I put on all the armor in the meantime, just need to repair the paint on one piece where I drilled to far...

Now I understand how you get that finish! I had thought you hand brush.

So what size needle do you use on the details?

[Big s]

If you're going to need to hand brush parts with tamiya you kinda need to plan ahead. When you get the color before thinning you need to set aside a bit to thin with water if you use their thinner (x20 I believe) when hand brushing takes away paint with every stroke. Their thinner works good in airbrushing though and helps prevent gumming up the system. But even when using tamiya thinned with water there is still traces of their thinner in the paint so it can still be a bit tedious.

The best hand brushing paint I've used is the games workshop brand for miniatures, but it works like crap in an airbrush.

[derex3592]

Speaking of figure painting...1st day of vacation.. little Macross, little Boba Fett painting and assembly. Good day!

[Big s]

He's looking good so far

[arbit]

Speaking of figure painting...1st day of vacation.. little Macross, little Boba Fett painting and assembly. Good day!

I've got my eye on that resin Macross (?) pilot in the back. Tell us more...

Edited July 17, 2016 by arbit

[derex3592]

Haha..good eye! He's the 1/60 standing pilot that came with my 1/60 resin Lancer kit I completed a few months back. Just haven't gotten around to painting him yet. Got some paint chipping accomplished on Boba yesterday.. I'm treading lightly here as I'm learning a new skill.

[Big s]

He never had the cleanest or best upkept armor so you don't have to worry too much about messing up.

[Thom]

Well, finally started work on my ES-11D Cat's Eye. She'll be outfitted with markings for Skull Squadron and assigned to the Megaroad 01. I'll be building her as an in-flight display, and also be adding some minor changes to show upgrades done between the end of Macross and the launch of the Megaroad..Currently still cleaning up some casting blocks and settling the part lines between the wings and fuselage. Here she is so far...

[slide]

ES-11 so pretty...

Skull squadron markings? Interesting choice... Can't wait to see her all done-up!

I need to get me one or two of these...

[electric indigo]

So what size needle do you use on the details?

I think the standard size nozzle that comes with the 350 is M size (0.7 mm), you can get a larger nozzle & needle which would be helpful for car modeling, where you have to cover larger areas quickly and need more paint output. But you do not need a fine nozzle to work on details, nozzle size is more related to the kind of paint you want to use.

Here's a review of the Badger 350:

https://sites.google.com/site/donsairbrushtips/badger-350

[derex3592]

Wookie pelts, weapon details and finished product... came out pretty good! Sorry for the sideways pics

[Big s]

Looking good. I was curious about how much movement can be achieved at upper thigh due to those pouches. I know the plastic is a bit softer there, but it always looked like they would be a little bit in the way.

[Xigfrid]

Great job derex, how do you chip out the paint ? I will probably try at some point to do the same on the Workroid. I plan to use the salt technique but if you got a much easier one, I would be glad to try it.

[MechTech]

Boba looks great Derex! - MT

[GMK]

So, while waiting for decals for my Sea King to turn up, I thought I'd try my hand at scratch building a T50 turret in 1/16 for a future build of 'my' M113 in East Timor in 1999.

Luckily a mate works at the Australian War Memorial. He arranged access to the M113A1 in storage for a reference run.

It's a small turret, but a relatively complicated assembly of flat plates.

The turret race spacer ring (my terminology, may not be prototypical):

And some rough work on the mantlet, with the Aber .50 & .30 cal MG barrels.

Thanks for looking.

[Thom]

Impressive scratch work!

[GMK]

Impressive scratch work!

Thanks. It looks ugly now, but should improve with primer.

[NZEOD]

Hahaha!! I was there in 1999 NZBATT1 as part of the INTERFET and later UNTAET Missions! That's when we were getting the executive ride into country in the Suai Sally Sea King, as the grunts were assaulting the beach in landing craft from the HMAS Tobruk. Wow... small world!

Are you doing a 5/7 RAR 113?

Edited July 20, 2016 by NZEOD

[electric indigo]

Nice work! Do you have access to a 2D cutter table?

[GMK]

Hahaha!! I was there in 1999 NZBATT1 as part of the INTERFET and later UNTAET Missions! That's when we were getting the executive ride into country in the Suai Sally Sea King, as the grunts were assaulting the beach in landing craft from the HMAS Tobruk. Wow... small world!

Are you doing a 5/7 RAR 113?

Yeah, I did INTERFET, UNTAET, & UNMISET. Good times. Had to chuckle at the NZ SAS M203 ND in one of our Blackhwaks. Neat hole, that one!

It'll be 31, the platoon commander's car of 7 Platoon, C Coy, 5/7 RAR. May cast up the turret - was really jealous of the Kiwi M113 when I saw them. Belly armour, EAAK, MAG-58 (don't know what the NZA calls them, C6?). Only thing I was down on was the lack of a turret basket.

Nice work! Do you have access to a 2D cutter table?

Sadly not. I bought a knock down M113 kit from a guy in Germany. No running gear or tracks, so trying to find someone to 3D print the Diehl 513 track.

[NZEOD]

Yeah, I did INTERFET, UNTAET, & UNMISET. Good times. Had to chuckle at the NZ SAS M203 ND in one of our Blackhwaks. Neat hole, that one!

It'll be 31, the platoon commander's car of 7 Platoon, C Coy, 5/7 RAR. May cast up the turret - was really jealous of the Kiwi M113 when I saw them. Belly armour, EAAK, MAG-58 (don't know what the NZA calls them, C6?). Only thing I was down on was the lack of a turret basket.

FN L7 GMPG

And dont be hassling the Kiwis the ND, 5/7 had a PC crew sent home from BATT1 for doing things together they shouldnt...

We sent our 113s to Timor to die so we could justify getting the NZLAVs! Such a waste.

Edited July 20, 2016 by NZEOD

[GMK]

Half of our MAG-58 had L7 struck out on the side.

Ah, you're referring to D Company's 'fraternisation' issue. 'Ramps up, pants down.'

[NZEOD]

hahaha yep! I lost a bet in Suai and when I rotated back to Darwin for a week one of the punishments was to be dropped off at 5/7s front gate, in civies, to ask the Duty staff if this was the home of the Man Loving Unit as I required a Prostate exam and heard they were experts... I'm a pretty good runner it turns out

The things we do when we are young and dumb.

Edited July 21, 2016 by NZEOD

[derex3592]

Next up...

[Big s]

That's gonna be a fun one. I have two unbuilt, but each kit is like two models in one with very detailed parts on the bike. Lots of little switches and hoses and a fully poseable scout to ride it.

I have an extra heavy rifle from my storm trooper and was thinking about modding it into a sniper since they share most of the same parts and I was going to give it to one of the scouts. I think the only differences are a scope, the end of the barrel and maybe the stock.

[derex3592]

I have that same rifle! Sounds like a good idea!

[arbit]

A little bit of amateur recasting.

I hope the resin got in the funnel. Looks very tight.

[GMK]

Well, the first attempt at building a mantlet from flat parts & bending them to shape was a bit of a fail.

The second, from .50 cal (1/2" or 12.7mm) tubing worked a little better. Considering it'll be under a weather boot, it'll work. Those Aber barrels look lovely!

Friction mounted in the turret itself.

And with the start of the commander's hatch.

Not terrible.

[Big s]

I did an image search for the e11s sniper for the scout trooper and it looks like there are a few versions that differ a bit, but one of the more common versions looks like the dlt-19heavy blaster with nothing more than a scope on top. The sideshow collectibles figure has that version of the sniper. The dlt-19 heavy blaster is included with both the standard storm trooper and sandtroopder kits.

So just adding a scope may be all that's needed to make the sniper for the scout trooper.

[spanner]

those gun barrels looks awesome GMK!

nice work!

[VF-1A Grunt]

Had to chuckle at the NZ SAS M203 ND in one of our Blackhwaks. Neat hole, that one!

Yikes! A guy in one of our units had an ND with a 203 while he was sitting inside a building on guard, and the HE round bounced off the floor and imbedded in his thigh. USEOD had to help the docs remove it!

[GMK]

Yikes! A guy in one of our units had an ND with a 203 while he was sitting inside a building on guard, and the HE round bounced off the floor and imbedded in his thigh. USEOD had to help the docs remove it!

Ouch! The ending for this one wasn't nearly as dramatic.

This one punched through the floor right at the edge of the door and landed on the troop step (Australian Blackhawks have steps to aid entry). The guy pocketed (!) the unfused round & kept his mouth shut.

Wasn't discovered until the loadmaster tried to slide the door closed at the end of the mission & it got stuck on the distorted track. Aircraft immediately grounded.

Then there was the problem of how to get a grounded helicopter from the heliport to the airport to be put on a Herc..,