Whats Lying on your Workbench MK IV

[Focslain]

@MechTech My limit on painting supplies (except brushes) is citadel paints from GW. I don't air brush, par say, due to not having the equipment. I've done 'air brushing' to terrain, but that was just working the spray can lightly.

As for masking, I was debating on trying that again. Just last time I did it the tape took the paint with it. And the tape was the same type I use to hold small bitz for priming and it doesn't remove that. Might need to look into getting painters tape...

If I sound frustrated to be honest that is a good thing anytime I start learning new skills. It's when I don't that something is massively wrong.

I might retry the taping for this. Worst case it peels off a layer.

I'm not too worried on time, I have that in spades.

[pengbuzz]

2 hours ago, Focslain said:

@MechTech My limit on painting supplies (except brushes) is citadel paints from GW. I don't air brush, par say, due to not having the equipment. I've done 'air brushing' to terrain, but that was just working the spray can lightly.

As for masking, I was debating on trying that again. Just last time I did it the tape took the paint with it. And the tape was the same type I use to hold small bitz for priming and it doesn't remove that. Might need to look into getting painters tape...

If I sound frustrated to be honest that is a good thing anytime I start learning new skills. It's when I don't that something is massively wrong.

I might retry the taping for this. Worst case it peels off a layer.

I'm not too worried on time, I have that in spades.

I've had times where my masking jobs took the paint right with it: in my case, I found I had to let the paint cure for about 2-3 days before trying anything. I don't know if that would help you (you probably already tried something like that) I also know some paints don't stay on primer very well; that said, you could try "post-it notes" (the adhesive shouldn't pull up anything).

[arbit]

Joscasle, your F-14 looks great. All the weathering has really paid off. And you have a nice semi-matt finish. A lot of these birds get ruined by the gloss at the end. Nice work!

Focslain, Yeah, I can see your pain. These 31s have too much Formula One style decals for a simple solution, unless there are custom masks to help out I wouldn't dare do it.

Mechtech, so you replaced your window with a plexiglass for the exhaust? Is it wind proof, dust proof, etc? My wife would definitely appreciate a change from my current set up. ("Can you take all that tape off the window so we can clean the dust, please?" Feeling guilty now I still haven't gotten around to it in a few months )

wm cheng, your diligent color matching drill makes me slightly depressed . I just throw in whatever comes out of my airbrush it seems.

[Thom]

6 hours ago, Focslain said:

@MechTech My limit on painting supplies (except brushes) is citadel paints from GW. I don't air brush, par say, due to not having the equipment. I've done 'air brushing' to terrain, but that was just working the spray can lightly.

As for masking, I was debating on trying that again. Just last time I did it the tape took the paint with it. And the tape was the same type I use to hold small bitz for priming and it doesn't remove that. Might need to look into getting painters tape...

If I sound frustrated to be honest that is a good thing anytime I start learning new skills. It's when I don't that something is massively wrong.

I might retry the taping for this. Worst case it peels off a layer.

I'm not too worried on time, I have that in spades.

Try decacking the tape before applying. Press it against your palm or a glass surface to get rid of some of the adhesion.

As for airbrushing supplies, a cheap airbrush can be had for about $15 on eBay, and if a compressor is too costly, you can use compressed air cans for propellant.

[pengbuzz]

9 hours ago, Thom said:

Try decacking the tape before applying. Press it against your palm or a glass surface to get rid of some of the adhesion.

As for airbrushing supplies, a cheap airbrush can be had for about $15 on eBay, and if a compressor is too costly, you can use compressed air cans for propellant.

Good suggestion Thom!

On the pengbuzz projects forefront: I recently got a G1 Jetfire as a very belated b-day gift(1/55 scale valk) but the feet are incredibly brittle. I need to find a pair of newer feet (even a KO version would probably work). Need to also find a gunpod and the armor, but the feet are important.

(if anyone has any, please shoot me a PM! Jetfire feels weird without his toes!)

The thrill of victory, the agony of da feet....I can barely stand it.

Edited April 30, 2020 by pengbuzz

[joscasle]

8 hours ago, arbit said:

Joscasle, your F-14 looks great. All the weathering has really paid off. And you have a nice semi-matt finish. A lot of these birds get ruined by the gloss at the end. Nice work!

Thanks

 

[joscasle]

15 hours ago, Thom said:

Wow, that is a great looking 'cat. Great job! After building the Academy F/A-18F I'm definitely going to get their Tomcat. Eventually.

Thanks Thom!!! The Tamiya F-14A or D are great kits!!! Classic Tamiya quality.

 

[wm cheng]

@arbit  The colour matching is recent, after my F-16 where I was a shade off on my greys, the decals I used almost disappeared into the paint.  I vowed never again especially with all these tactical greys schemes.  The trouble is I love using Tamiya paints for their ease of cleanup, but they don't have FS color equivalents and I always have to mix them.  I'm starting to use Mr. Color paints which are matched to FS colors, but they are lacquers and the clean up sucks.

I've finally finished the topside and unmasked the cockpit.  I'm going to use the canopies as masks to protect the cockpit, but I thought I should finish up the HUD before I put the windscreen in place.  I thought I'd actually try to put the double plate of glass this time as I usually cheap out and only put the single plate.  I think it worked out well.  I have since fixed the slightly rough edge between the black of the canopy sill and fuselage - this has always been a problem for me.  It doesn't look so ragged in real life, unless I take a magnifying glass to it.  I forgot what a pain it is to remove that center seam on the canopy, sand, repolish back and coat with future.  Its now awaiting some proper drying time and finishing the canopy to seal in the cockpit to clear coat the entire bird in future to await decals.  Its so new... its going to be hard to dirty it up a little.  Most of my references for this plane isn't that dirty, its not like the old Hornets or F-14s that were just abused and neglected.

 

@Focslain When I discovered Tamiya yellow masking tape, it opened wonders for me.  Its specially made to not pull up Tamiya acrylic paint which is one of the most delicate of surfaces.  I'd highly recommend it - though its not cheap.  Additionally, whenever I do use masking tape, I always stick it to my jeans a few times to get rid of the initial stickiness first before sticking it to my painted surfaces.  I'd also suggest thinning your paints a bit before brushing them on to allow them to "self-level" before drying to hide the brush marks.

[sumyumgoy]

On 4/28/2020 at 6:59 PM, MechTech said:

Hopefully this is of use to you guys.

This was very useful, thank you for the writeup!

[MechTech]

Foclslain - I have to agree with everyone about the Tamiya masking tape - it's the best! Painter's tape helps with large areas or filling in between the Tamiya tape edges if you don't like paper. If you're serious, go with the airbrush! If you're lazy or on a budget, the rattle cans will be better than hand painting. Just get the GOOD automotive types with the fancy nozzles. Those brands usually lay down smoother. I use a lot of canned paint since my ship finishes have to withstand water and abrasions. Other paints are OK, just test first on spoons or cheap plastic signs you get from stores - they are usually polystyrene plastic like your model.

WM Cheng - That cockpit looks real enough to jump in and fly off a carrier - until you realize its only the size of your thumb and you crushed it! Great, clean detail work!

Thanks guys! To clarify with the Plexiglas (generic acrylic  or Lexan sheets), it actually sits on the inside of the window frame. The original glass windows are outside and open outward. So I can close the window and the house has its original seal. When I need to vent, the window opens and the plastic sheet acts as a temporary seal.

I bought a 5' roll of white Velcro (male and female) and cut it with scissors the whole length (then clean the gum off the scissors ). That 1/4" fit into the available frame area perfectly and you can't see it. The Velcro allows the plastic to be removed and the screen put back in. The Velcro makes a good seal to keep out bugs too. On that note, the vent exterior has a piece of screen on it too to keep out bugs when the window is open. Summer is coming and so will the bugs. The mosquitoes are here already, and I don't mean the cool one by Tamiya! - MT

[derex3592]

@wm cheng That cockpit is amazing!!!   Are you doing Mavricks F-18 from TG2???!!!! Because that would be epic! 

 

@FocslainAs for Tamiya tape, YES, you want some. As others have said, pull off a piece and put it down on your clothing and pull it off a couple of times to reduce the stickiness before laying it down over delicate coats of paint, especially Tamiya acrylics if you don't clear coat (or even if you do in my experience) in between colors.  I recently even masked off with Tamiya tape OVER dried but not yet sealed water slides on the Enterprise D to fix a couple of things...that wasn't stressful at all when I went to pull of the tape....LOL... but...all was well. 

 

It STILL boggles my mind to know that people brush paint with Tamiya acrylics. I would love to know how they do it, I can not. 

Edited April 30, 2020 by derex3592

[Focslain]

3 hours ago, MechTech said:

Foclslain - I have to agree with everyone about the Tamiya masking tape - it's the best! Painter's tape helps with large areas or filling in between the Tamiya tape edges if you don't like paper. If you're serious, go with the airbrush! If you're lazy or on a budget, the rattle cans will be better than hand painting. Just get the GOOD automotive types with the fancy nozzles. Those brands usually lay down smoother. I use a lot of canned paint since my ship finishes have to withstand water and abrasions. Other paints are OK, just test first on spoons or cheap plastic signs you get from stores - they are usually polystyrene plastic like your model.

I'll have to find a supplier for the tape. As for the paints I'm staying with citadel because of being massively lazy and not wanting to have to support two different paint lines.

If I can get the taping bit to work that can help in getting some nice patterns on my other mecha models and 40k vehicles.

[wm cheng]

@derex3592 I was planning on the VFA-103 skull and crossbones squadron to go with all my other F-14s eventually and to sit next to my Macross planes.  I did think of the new Top Gun movie and that did partially influence my decision to start the F-18 finally.  What markings do Maverick's plane have in the movie?

[derex3592]

I don't know....but it's SMEXY! A little more masking and some light blue and you're there! .  Quick Google search shows someone already did up a 2 seater Hasagawa F-18. 

 

Edited April 30, 2020 by derex3592

[MechTech]

Looks like someone really had the need, the need for speed! Powder blue stripes!? Evidently that's what they used in the movie though. If you gotta throw in some blue, I think VX-23 did it better IMHO. - MT

[electric indigo]

Revell has kits from the new movie coming, but of course they had to dig out the most horrendous molds from last century (Monogram?):

https://www.revell.de/produkte-revell/top-gun-maverick/

[arbit]

4 minutes ago, electric indigo said:

Revell has kits from the new movie coming, but of course they had to dig out the most horrendous molds from last century (Monogram?):

https://www.revell.de/produkte-revell/top-gun-maverick/

Oh dear, they even include those little jars of paint! Gives me flashbacks of trying to hand paint  my models when I was a kid... It didn't go well.

[NZEOD]

Lockdown has dragged me back to Macross work.

WIP on a Tomahawk - lost the gun cluster while painting outside so need to 3D print a new one in resin this weekend!

[NZEOD]

Hasegawa may already have a Topgun 2 kit... thinking I need to get this graphic set to do a VF-1

 

[Chronocidal]

8 hours ago, electric indigo said:

Revell has kits from the new movie coming, but of course they had to dig out the most horrendous molds from last century (Monogram?):

https://www.revell.de/produkte-revell/top-gun-maverick/

Can't say I expected anything beyond that.  The 1/48 kits are at least the right aircraft though, whereas the 1/72 ones are adaptations of their mid-80s snap kits of the F-14A and prototype F-18, complete with molded-on missiles, and built-in intake covers, because those kits were released with the gear in the fixed down position.  

[big F]

Do Revell ever make a kit thats good. I feel that everything they make is hodge podge of some one elses cast off kit.

[electric indigo]

Always go to Scalemates to check what's in the Box. The range goes from ancient Lindberg to recent Zvezda or Italeri kits. 

[Chronocidal]

Yeah, their quality is all over the map.  In recent years, I believe they have even sold some reboxed Hasegawa molds?  Or was it Hasegawa that reboxed their kits for release in Japan?   

I recall someone telling me their 1/48 Rafale was actually a very good kit, but I think that's one of the oddball Hasegawa crossovers, and I think the Idolmaster release was using that mold.

[electric indigo]

The Idolmaster Rafale is indeed the quite good original Revell kit, and Hase even used a Monogram Mirage 2000 in their Idolmaster line.

Tamiya has released the mediocre Italeri A-10 and Su-27 under their brand in Japan. Imagine the disappointment.

[MechTech]

Looking good NZEOD!

For models, it gets more complicated than that You have Revell Germany which is much better than Revell (USA). Revell USA is also now Revell-Monogram. Monogram had cool subjects, but equally uncool seam lines. I keep seeing their kits at Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Then I say, "I'm not crazy enough to buy that." Like Electric Indigo said, Tamiya is re-releasing a lot of Italeri kits to include their F-16, Sea Cobra, MD-500, and much more! Sadly, the hobby is decreasing and companies are too. Molds from the 50's are being sold to companies like Atlantis who is capitalizing on them. The good news is we have some great kits now and aftermarket stuff that is better than the kits its meant for. What do you guys think? - MT 

[arbit]

18 hours ago, NZEOD said:

Lockdown has dragged me back to Macross work.

WIP on a Tomahawk - lost the gun cluster while painting outside so need to 3D print a new one in resin this weekend!

Look who's back.

Love your modern camo schemes.

The more destroids the better!

[NZEOD]

1 hour ago, arbit said:

Look who's back.

Love your modern camo schemes.

The more destroids the better!

Just finished a ton of 40K Tau in a green version of this scheme and some Kill team Tau in an urban camo version so I grabbed one of my ebay rescue Destroids and tried it out.

BTW... that hangar you made... brilliant!

 

[Chronocidal]

3 hours ago, MechTech said:

Looking good NZEOD!

For models, it gets more complicated than that You have Revell Germany which is much better than Revell (USA). Revell USA is also now Revell-Monogram. Monogram had cool subjects, but equally uncool seam lines. I keep seeing their kits at Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Then I say, "I'm not crazy enough to buy that." Like Electric Indigo said, Tamiya is re-releasing a lot of Italeri kits to include their F-16, Sea Cobra, MD-500, and much more! Sadly, the hobby is decreasing and companies are too. Molds from the 50's are being sold to companies like Atlantis who is capitalizing on them. The good news is we have some great kits now and aftermarket stuff that is better than the kits its meant for. What do you guys think? - MT 

I think what makes the old Monogram molds so valuable is the breadth of their coverage from the mid-80s.  They were pretty high quality for the time, despite the bad parts breakdown/nasty seams, but the breadth of the catalog couldn't be beaten.  The old Century Series kits in particular seemed to be a subject that no other company wanted to tackle in 1/48th for years, and there was a time when you'd see the old F-106 kits going for absolutely ludicrous amounts on ebay.

Some of those designs have since been covered by other companies, but even now, some people prefer the Monogram molds for one reason or another, in spite of the massive amounts of putty and scribing it takes to make them presentable.

[arbit]

39 minutes ago, NZEOD said:

Just finished a ton of 40K Tau in a green version of this scheme and some Kill team Tau in an urban camo version so I grabbed one of my ebay rescue Destroids and tried it out.

BTW... that hangar you made... brilliant!

 

Don't be a stranger, show us your 40k stuff. 

And thanks for the compliment, but you have no one to blame but yourself.

[NZEOD]

Here are some of them Arbit

[Bolt]

Very cool! Go get em for the greater good

Making progress..

Just added a few decals. More to go..

[MechTech]

NZEOD is back with a vengeance and blowin' stuff up! Great fire effects by the way!

Bolt - Your model is looking sleek and clean!

Chronocidal - You're right! Monogram was the bomb back in the day. Even Tamiya was relatively new and unknown then. One Christmas back in the 80's my parents got me a bunch of Monogram kits for Christmas. A local membership store had them sitting out on display and when we were out shopping, I must have been drooling over them. So they got me all these Monogram kits for me. That was an awesome Christmas as a kid! The 1/24 Rambo Huey was great! It was HUGE, had all the ordnance and even had flexible ammo chutes for the machine guns. Likewise, their 1/32nd F-4E Phantom II had a ton of ordnance and was a well detailed model. Even their 1/72nd F-16 was great with all the ordnance, a tug an engine trainer and removable engine. I think I got the 1/48th B-17G then too. The gimmicks helped make them all  likable to those of us who were younger. Ahh, simpler times. - MT

[derex3592]

Windows, impulse engines done and decals started on the E today! 

[electric indigo]

Whoa, did you ink all the windows individually with a pen or did you apply a wash & wipe?

[derex3592]

I practiced my method on the Enterprise C, paint, gloss coat, few applications of Flory's Dark Dirt wash, let dry and wipe, then go in with a tiny brush and do a little clean up..is it perfect?...no...but then again neither is the mold. Some are just to shallow to hold the wash, overall though, simple and effective. The "D" the windows were on the decals, which honestly I thought worked out way better, but the "E" was a newer mold so I guess that's why they were on the plastic.