Whats Lying on your Workbench MK IV

[Dobber]

Gorgeous!

Chris

[joscasle]

1 hour ago, CrossAir said:

V.F.G VF-25S Messiah ist done. Not flawless but overall it'S OK for me . The last round of coating did it.

More here in the VFG-Thread

WOW!!!!!!! Nice!!

[CHAVAKAISER]

Armor for vf-0s custom paint 

And yamato super parts for vf-1a woodland

[arbit]

Nice matte finish Crossair.

[Bolt]

On 5/12/2020 at 2:24 AM, Return To Kit Form said:

Wow!  Some nice work on here these days - and a blast from the past! WM Cheng and NZEOD back at the bench again. Nice!

On this side I am just finishing up a spec build of the recently released Moscato Hobby Models 1/48 scale M-72 Gabriel. I just have to finish the figure (added for scale). 

Awesome job Brett!

5 hours ago, CrossAir said:

V.F.G VF-25S Messiah ist done. Not flawless but overall it'S OK for me . The last round of coating did it.

More here in the VFG-Thread

That looks super cool!

@CHAVAKAISER great work you've done there!

Edited May 14, 2020 by Bolt

[MechTech]

CrossAir - That looks great! Nice-n-clean! That paint scheme pops out too.

Chavakaiser - Both of your valks came out great! I keep thinking of Vietnam War era paint schemes when I see your Super Valk. - MT

[wm cheng]

Love seeing all the builds lately!  Nice to poke back in on the boards.  Very nice scheme of the VF-25 @CrossAir.  Love that Armored @CHAVAKAISER. 

@Return To Kit Form  I don't recognize your figure, where is that from?  Nice paint job though.

[Return To Kit Form]

8 hours ago, wm cheng said:

 

@Return To Kit Form  I don't recognize your figure, where is that from?  Nice paint job though.

@wm cheng thanks mate! I'm not surprised you don't recognise the kit. Is a new offering from Moscato Hobby Models new Fate of Tomorrow series. John asked me to do a spec build as a promo for the release of the kit. I'm a bit rusty but I think it turned out okay.

- Brett

[CrossAir]

I thinks it turned out more than okay, I think it looks awesome. For me it is perfect, especially for promo. Damn, I am still lacking skills to reach this result 

[Gabe Q]

@Return To Kit Form I think your Gabriel turned out great! I picked up the Rinaldi Studio books that give weathering tutorials. I'm trying to get to your level. 

[wm cheng]

DISASTER STRUCK!!!  Everything has gone wrong, even this post!  This is the second time as the first post just disappeared with all my writing.  I cracked my main canopy while trying to remove it from the fuselage (perhaps it was a bad idea to use it as a mask for the cockpit - I have done this times before with no problems).  Maybe it was my first time use of the Mr. Super Clear Matt rattle can spray, it did go one much thicker than an airbrushed matt coat and gummed up and sealed the canopy fuselage connection.  I carefully sliced all around the canopy but it wouldn't budge, I kept slicing an carefully prying the canopy out (I just used a dab of white glue to secure it originally) until finally CRACK! it cracked down the length of the canopy before giving way.  ARGH!!!  To me the cockpit and canopy are the jewels that bullseye the eye to your model - and this just screams out.  There's been some many things wrong with this build, trying to shoe-horn the F-18A resin wheel wells into this 18F kit (it did pay off in the end, but it was so much work!), so much sanding and re-sanding of the horrendously poor fit of the kit, the tail fin yellow decal melted disaster, the wing tank that fell 5 times and had to repainted from scratch each time.... the list goes on and after each hurdle and trying to repair it, I finally get to this final break that is irreparable - just stings so much!!!

The good stuff first, the extensive modifications required to get the resin aftermarket landing gear wells into this kit, of course you have to flip the plane around to appreciate it (I'm just a sucker for punishment.

The top side, the tail fins aren't glued in place yet and you can see all the damage around the edge of the canopy opening trying to pry out the glasss, but the rest of the plane turned out well, its actually a little more heavily weathered than the photos suggest (it tended to white wash a lot of the finer weathering out)

 

I had to majorly cut the afterburners short to fit into this kit because there were internal bracing for the rear stabilizers that I had to clear but you can barely make out the photoetched fuel burners at the end of the afterburner tunnel.

 

So to in the off chance if anyone knows how I can order/purchase an extra canopy and a set of the decals for the pilots names and warning label for the canopy, I'm posting the very sad picture of the cracked canopy.  I see if you live in Japan you can order just trees or decals from Hasegawa, but I do not, I'm in Canada.  I will post to ARC if there's a kind soul there to help out or last case scenario, I'll just buy another kit for these parts (I've invested too much sweat and tears to throw it out at this point.

[arbit]

That sucks! Buying a new kit on clearance is probably your best best.

I have seen people recast canopies in crystal clear (search for a Fan Racer Yamato recast in the Workshop forum).

I have also seen vacu formed canopies. They use Tamiya putty to re-mold the canopy interior.

But those methods require a lot of experience, and even then you get a lot of failed attempts.

[CHAVAKAISER]

[David Hingtgen]

Sorry for not getting back to Shornet weapon discussion sooner:

Basically---the Hasegawa kit is all sorts of wrong for what goes where. It provides you with lots of useful/correct parts, just don't believe the instructions in how to use them.  In addition to "AMRAAMs on HARM rails", I think it has the outboard pylon rails vs wingtip rails switched.  (also, early vs late wingtip rails are a plane-by-plane thing, check references). I believe only one type is ever used on the pylons, but can't remember which it is compared to wingtip ones. "A wingtip rail, mounted underneath the outboard pylon" is perfectly fine/accurate. The Super Hornet's wingtip rail IS an AMRAAM launcher, it just never ever carries AMRAAMs on the tips.  AMRAAM rails mount to pylon via a "standard" sized adapter, there should be some divots etc that line up with the pylon/adapter bomb shackles.  (a single AMRAAM on an AMRAAM rail, can mount pretty much directly to a pylon---it's when using dual AMRAAMs, or a single Sparrow, that you also need the jettision adapter)   In short---look at the parts you have, then look at photos of the real thing.  Compare the front and rear ends of the types of "skinny" missile rails you've got, put them on the model as matches photos, ignoring what the instructions say.  HARM rails are very rectangular, Sparrow rails are much deeper (and Hase doesn't make them).  Anything that "looks about right for an AMRAAM or Sidewinder on a Hornet", *is* a dual-purpose AMRAAM/Sidewinder rail. There's just a few variations of them.  I want to say, for VFA-103---short ones on the wingtips, long ones under the pylons.  (long and short being like 2 or 3mm diff in 1/72)    

Don't forget all the pylons are yawed leading-edge-outwards, and the outboard pylons are also canted bottom-side-outwards.  Nothing's "straight and square to the wing", when it comes to Super Hornet weapon pylons.  You WANT it to "look wrong".    

Also, if you do find some HARMs (very common in many Hase F-16 kits, even cheap $7 ones--I may even have some I can spare, will check this wknd), they're definitely correct for an all-missile Jolly Rogers load:

(of course, the HARM is a ground-attack missile, or occasionally ship-attacks, so it's not a "fighter jet" missile)

Jolly Rogers pure air-to-air:

[joscasle]

On 5/15/2020 at 4:18 PM, wm cheng said:

DISASTER STRUCK!!!  Everything has gone wrong, even this post!  This is the second time as the first post just disappeared with all my writing.  I cracked my main canopy while trying to remove it from the fuselage (perhaps it was a bad idea to use it as a mask for the cockpit - I have done this times before with no problems).  Maybe it was my first time use of the Mr. Super Clear Matt rattle can spray, it did go one much thicker than an airbrushed matt coat and gummed up and sealed the canopy fuselage connection.  I carefully sliced all around the canopy but it wouldn't budge, I kept slicing an carefully prying the canopy out (I just used a dab of white glue to secure it originally) until finally CRACK! it cracked down the length of the canopy before giving way.  ARGH!!!  To me the cockpit and canopy are the jewels that bullseye the eye to your model - and this just screams out.  There's been some many things wrong with this build, trying to shoe-horn the F-18A resin wheel wells into this 18F kit (it did pay off in the end, but it was so much work!), so much sanding and re-sanding of the horrendously poor fit of the kit, the tail fin yellow decal melted disaster, the wing tank that fell 5 times and had to repainted from scratch each time.... the list goes on and after each hurdle and trying to repair it, I finally get to this final break that is irreparable - just stings so much!!!

The good stuff first, the extensive modifications required to get the resin aftermarket landing gear wells into this kit, of course you have to flip the plane around to appreciate it (I'm just a sucker for punishment.

The top side, the tail fins aren't glued in place yet and you can see all the damage around the edge of the canopy opening trying to pry out the glasss, but the rest of the plane turned out well, its actually a little more heavily weathered than the photos suggest (it tended to white wash a lot of the finer weathering out)

 

I had to majorly cut the afterburners short to fit into this kit because there were internal bracing for the rear stabilizers that I had to clear but you can barely make out the photoetched fuel burners at the end of the afterburner tunnel.

 

So to in the off chance if anyone knows how I can order/purchase an extra canopy and a set of the decals for the pilots names and warning label for the canopy, I'm posting the very sad picture of the cracked canopy.  I see if you live in Japan you can order just trees or decals from Hasegawa, but I do not, I'm in Canada.  I will post to ARC if there's a kind soul there to help out or last case scenario, I'll just buy another kit for these parts (I've invested too much sweat and tears to throw it out at this point.

A part for the canopy problem, your build is great!!!! Love it!!!

[joscasle]

Hasegawa 1/72 VF-25F continue...

Some details need to be corrected, but at least it doesn't look that bad,  IMHO

 

I will be using some decals , the small ones

Edited May 17, 2020 by joscasle

[electric indigo]

I also planned to paint the markings on Alto's plane, until I realized how complex the scheme really is. I have yet to muster the courage to pick it up again...

@wm cheng I can imagine how painful that moment must have been when the canopy cracked. But on the bright side the problem is fixable for the price of another kit. And the rest of your build looks excellent with the well balanced weathering. It could pass as a 1/48 kit in those shots.

[MechTech]

WM Cheng - First off, sorry about your canopy! Crack kills in more than one way! In all seriousness, I feel your pain as the same thing happened to me. Besides that, your model looks awesome!!! For a new canopy, try Hasegawa's distributor in Canada. Odds are they may help you. When I worked for a hobby distributor, they parted pieces all the time. Lightspeed Global: https://www.lightspeedglobal.ca/contact

Joscale - That is looking good! I'm sure it will work out.

Long story short, the best place to put my crane ended up being on the transom, flush with the deck. So a few modifications later and a large poly-cap to hold the crane, here it is. - MT

[NZEOD]

On 5/16/2020 at 10:18 AM, wm cheng said:

DISASTER STRUCK!!!  Everything has gone wrong, even this post!  This is the second time as the first post just disappeared with all my writing.  I cracked my main canopy while trying to remove it from the fuselage (perhaps it was a bad idea to use it as a mask for the cockpit - I have done this times before with no problems).  Maybe it was my first time use of the Mr. Super Clear Matt rattle can spray, it did go one much thicker than an airbrushed matt coat and gummed up and sealed the canopy fuselage connection.  I carefully sliced all around the canopy but it wouldn't budge, I kept slicing an carefully prying the canopy out (I just used a dab of white glue to secure it originally) until finally CRACK! it cracked down the length of the canopy before giving way.  ARGH!!!  To me the cockpit and canopy are the jewels that bullseye the eye to your model - and this just screams out.  There's been some many things wrong with this build, trying to shoe-horn the F-18A resin wheel wells into this 18F kit (it did pay off in the end, but it was so much work!), so much sanding and re-sanding of the horrendously poor fit of the kit, the tail fin yellow decal melted disaster, the wing tank that fell 5 times and had to repainted from scratch each time.... the list goes on and after each hurdle and trying to repair it, I finally get to this final break that is irreparable - just stings so much!!!

The good stuff first, the extensive modifications required to get the resin aftermarket landing gear wells into this kit, of course you have to flip the plane around to appreciate it (I'm just a sucker for punishment.

The top side, the tail fins aren't glued in place yet and you can see all the damage around the edge of the canopy opening trying to pry out the glasss, but the rest of the plane turned out well, its actually a little more heavily weathered than the photos suggest (it tended to white wash a lot of the finer weathering out)

 

I had to majorly cut the afterburners short to fit into this kit because there were internal bracing for the rear stabilizers that I had to clear but you can barely make out the photoetched fuel burners at the end of the afterburner tunnel.

 

So to in the off chance if anyone knows how I can order/purchase an extra canopy and a set of the decals for the pilots names and warning label for the canopy, I'm posting the very sad picture of the cracked canopy.  I see if you live in Japan you can order just trees or decals from Hasegawa, but I do not, I'm in Canada.  I will post to ARC if there's a kind soul there to help out or last case scenario, I'll just buy another kit for these parts (I've invested too much sweat and tears to throw it out at this point.

What scale and brand? I have a graveyard of brand new 1/72 Hasegawa F/A and E/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet kits I buy just for the decals to use in my Valks.

[derex3592]

@NZEOD I believe our very talented friend @wm cheng was working on a 2006 1/72 Hasegawa F-18F kit. (Two seater obviously) 

[wm cheng]

@NZEOD What!!! REALLY?!?!  @derex3592 is right, its 1/72 scale - any F-18F Super Hornet canopy (just the main one, the forward one is fine) would do because its a two seater. 

The actual kit is 00853 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18F Super Hornet which would have the pilots names on the canopy in white, but I could get aftermarket decals for those.

[derex3592]

Well folks....it's certainly been a journey...a Trek...if you will, but here today, I can happily say that I have finally finished the set of 7 Enterprises.  The E being the last, a couple of take away's for those thinking about this particular kit..It's not bad, the saucer decals went down perfectly, no drama there, I did cut some apart to make easier however. The engineering section, if I had it to do over again, were where things got a little more difficult.  First you really shouldn't attach the nacelles to the model until you are completely finished with the decals. Second, I wish I would have just masked and airbrushed the red bussard collectors, I think they would have looked better. Third, the six grey/black areas on the top and bottom of  each pylon would NOT flatten out over the detailing on the model.  I did my best.  I wish I had masked/painted them then cut out those parts of the pylon decals.  Other than that, free hand painting the deflector was fun, I'm actually rather proud of that one!   (Don't know why that wasn't a decal but whatever!)  ohh and the text on the Starfleet penants for the engines were mostly all printed backwards!!! I put them on anyway. I think only one actually reads correctly.  Enjoy the pics! All comments welcome! 

 

I really don't want to see another Enterprise or water slide decal FOR A REALLY LONG TIME!!! 

 

As far as a comprehensive overlook of this set, I would say unless you are prepared for a LOT of work, avoid it really.  In order from best to worst I would say would be NX-01 and the D were the best, with the E and C following closely. The original, the A and the B were by far the worst of the set.  I'm referring to the quality of the mold itself.  

Edited May 17, 2020 by derex3592

[Dobber]

@derex3592 the Enterprise family looks Outstanding!!

@wm cheng man That SUCKS! The model looks fantastic otherwise. I broke a canopy once too...the Hasegawa 1/48 YF-19. I was devestated as I made it as a custom and was really pleased how it turned it out. Then SNAP! Darn thing fell off when I as cleaning it and then I accidentally stepped on it.

Chris

[NZEOD]

46 minutes ago, wm cheng said:

@NZEOD What!!! REALLY?!?!  @derex3592 is right, its 1/72 scale - any F-18F Super Hornet canopy (just the main one, the forward one is fine) would do because its a two seater. 

The actual kit is 00853 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18F Super Hornet which would have the pilots names on the canopy in white, but I could get aftermarket decals for those.

One of my Hasegawa Growlers will be your donor for that then. I have them. Where are you located?

 

[pengbuzz]

41 minutes ago, Dobber said:

@derex3592 the Enterprise family looks Outstanding!!

@wm cheng man That SUCKS! The model looks fantastic otherwise. I broke a canopy once too...the Hasegawa 1/48 YF-19. I was devestated as I made it as a custom and was really pleased how it turned it out. Then SNAP! Darn thing fell off when I as cleaning it and then I accidentally stepped on it.

Chris

It was having canopies break that forced me to learn how to make my own. Carve a wooden "buck", then get a cd jewel case and a heat gun (or stope top to soften the plastic), and use the "heat and smash" technique.

BTW: I used the technique with soda bottle pastic for the canopy on the 1/100 vf-1 strike valk i built. If you ever get a really small fighter that you don't want a overly thick canopy on, use soda bottle plastic and "heat and smash" on a wood form.

[NZEOD]

1 hour ago, wm cheng said:

@NZEOD What!!! REALLY?!?!  @derex3592 is right, its 1/72 scale - any F-18F Super Hornet canopy (just the main one, the forward one is fine) would do because its a two seater. 

The actual kit is 00853 1/72 Hasegawa F/A-18F Super Hornet which would have the pilots names on the canopy in white, but I could get aftermarket decals for those.

Want me to post it?

[wm cheng]

@NZEOD OMG!  You are a life saver!!!  I have been so grumpy to my family the last few days and none of them understand the effort and time I put into only to get destroyed at the last 5% - I'm sure they thank you too!

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH, I owe you, how can I make it up to you?  PMed you with my address.

 

@Dobber I know, hearing that "snap" is so heartbreaking!

@pengbuzz I'm definitely not that handy or brave to pull my own formed canopies - I recognize where my abilities end and its just a route to frustration...

[NZEOD]

33 minutes ago, wm cheng said:

@NZEOD OMG!  You are a life saver!!!  I have been so grumpy to my family the last few days and none of them understand the effort and time I put into only to get destroyed at the last 5% - I'm sure they thank you too!

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH, I owe you, how can I make it up to you?  PMed you with my address.

 

@Dobber I know, hearing that "snap" is so heartbreaking!

@pengbuzz I'm definitely not that handy or brave to pull my own formed canopies - I recognize where my abilities end and its just a route to frustration...

New Zealand but I'm sure it will make it to you. I'll put it in a case

 

[NZEOD]

Did you need some pilot name decals as well? I can send them if I have them.

 

[MechTech]

Congrats Derex, you have a family now! The set looks great and will look especially good as a display in your home! On to Buzz now? - MT

[derex3592]

Thanks guys! It was a battle, but they do look good together!  @MechTech, I'm not sure yet on Buzz....maybe him or the mini Death Star but at the same time, I kinda wanna dive back into my LED Bandai Star Destroyer... decisions, decisions!

[wm cheng]

4 hours ago, NZEOD said:

Did you need some pilot name decals as well? I can send them if I have them.

 

@NZEOD What?!?!  You wouldn't happen to have the white ones that go on the black canopy rails do you?  Pushing my luck now... for VFA-103 Jolly Rogers?

Please let me know what I can do for you!

@derex3592  All those Enterprises look fantastic!  Could you take a picture of them with your hand (maybe the Refit one) so I can get a sense of scale - all you amazing careful work make them look bigger than they are I'm sure.  I've personally been itching to build that beautiful Bandai Star Destroyer too, but I've been waiting on Greenstrawberry, they are releasing upgrade parts anytime now (they've been working on it almost a year).  The part that bugs me most is the 3 single piece engine bells, its really missing that thin outer ring that lets light though and I mentioned it to the people at Greenstrawberry and they are listening to my wish.

@MechTech I can't fathom your amazing builds from scratch.  I just don't get how you do it?!?!  Its amazing, I'm just a decent painter, but I need the canvas to work on, I don't get how you can make such perfect canvas out of nothing!!!  That's truely an art sir.

@joscasle That VF-25 is coming along, you're not going to regret all the effort into painting it instead of decals.  Can't wait to see more.

[Convectuoso]

My progress so far on the Tornado Messiah

[NZEOD]

15 hours ago, wm cheng said:

@NZEOD What?!?!  You wouldn't happen to have the white ones that go on the black canopy rails do you?  Pushing my luck now... for VFA-103 Jolly Rogers?

Please let me know what I can do for you!

Do the impossible and find me the weapons pod of the right side of the Wave Tomahawk chest that pinged off a peg outside will airbrushing... never to be seen again?

[wm cheng]

Huh, I never knew Wave did Destroids - the only destroids I have are the 1/200 Nichimo little ones.  I've only had eyes for planes of Macross.  I will keep an eye out for the kit in my travels though. @NZEOD