tekering Posted October 25, 2019 Author Posted October 25, 2019 I was showing my work to one of the junior members of our local modeling group, and he asked a question that surprised me. He wanted to know how I managed to draw such clean and straight lines on spherical surfaces, like the Gnerl booster rockets. I felt a little condescending, demonstrating what I thought was an obvious technique, but the approach apparently hadn't occurred to him... ...so perhaps an amateur reading this may also find it enlightening. Hold your marker steady, and rotate the circular piece in a slow, steady fashion, so that the felt tip makes contact at an equal height around the circumference of the piece. It's best to go lightly, and make several passes to ensure the ink is evenly distributed, resulting in a clean line of consistent thickness. My apologies to those of you who find this blindingly obvious. 10 hours ago, Chronocidal said: I would absolutely go for something like a lens over the blue camera sensor. Let's check the ol' parts bin, shall we? One of these should do nicely. It's difficult to photograph, but it definitely catches the light like glass now. Quote
derex3592 Posted October 25, 2019 Posted October 25, 2019 Very cool technique on the lines, and the glass sensor looks great. I have a questions for you @tekering. Masking curves/circles and complex shapes.....how is the best way to do it? I purchased some of Tamiya "Masking Tape For Curves" whish is somewhat stretchy, it's a vinyl tape. I used if for Woody's dark brown hat ring, it was better, but still not perfect. Any suggestions? Feel free to PM me. Don't wanna bog down your build thread. Quote
tekering Posted October 26, 2019 Author Posted October 26, 2019 9 hours ago, derex3592 said: Masking curves/circles and complex shapes.....how is the best way to do it? I purchased some of Tamiya "Masking Tape For Curves" whish is somewhat stretchy, it's a vinyl tape. It's great stuff, and it's helped me out a great deal on this build. As it stretches, however, it's less likely to adhere to the surface as well as conventional masking tape, so I recommend using both in tandem. I apply the special vinyl stuff first, where the curves are sharpest, and then cover it with regular masking tape as much as possible. This will help hold the white tape in place, and ensure a good seal when painting over it. For straight lines, conventional masking tape is sufficient. On the left, you can see that I started by spraying another layer of the primary color (green) over the masking, which will help seal the edges and prevent color bleeding when the next color is applied. This prevents any paint from seeping under the tape. A couple light base coats of black surfacer followed. Patience is key here; if you attempt complete coverage with a single coat, you might lay down too much paint and get it under the masking. Again, to avoid color bleeding, spray at a safe distance from the surface, and give the paint a chance to dry before spraying the next pass. I then laid down another layer of masking tape, using the sculpted rivets as a guide to determine where the hypothetical panel separation might be. A thin coat of slate grey was applied to the exposed upper portion of the hull. Once that had dried, I removed the top layer of masking tape, exposing the rest of the hull portion I wanted to paint. I then masked over the upper portion I'd already painted, carefully following the panel line I'd created with the previous mask, and repeated the process for the center portion. After that section had dried, the process was repeated once again for the lower portion of the hull. The result is three different sections with subtly different shading and coverage, giving the impression of separate parts that had been welded together. 9 hours ago, derex3592 said: Any suggestions? Feel free to PM me. Don't wanna bog down your build thread. Not at all, man. I want these threads to benefit everybody, so I've put a lot of time and effort into sharing my techniques and making suggestions to my fellow model makers. The more we learn from each other, the better we all become... and the more awesome resin kits get built and displayed. Quote
derex3592 Posted October 26, 2019 Posted October 26, 2019 Great tips. Thanks. I've got a lot of curves to deal with on my Q-Rau paint job coming up sooner than later. Quote
sumyumgoy Posted October 26, 2019 Posted October 26, 2019 Loving how this is turning out. The "glass" sensor is sweet! Quote
tekering Posted October 29, 2019 Author Posted October 29, 2019 (edited) So, any self-respecting modeler should have a selection of these in their arsenal: They're extremely useful for reinforcing tenuous or fragile connection points on thin parts, like the Gnerl's distinctive airbrakes. I start by drilling a 0.8mm hole into the base of each airbrake... ...and corresponding holes into the engine housings, just below where the rocket boosters will attach. Metal wires of matching thickness are carefully fitted into the holes, so they'll protrude between the fuselage and the boosters. Once the holes are lined up and the airbrakes are connected, the angle of attachment can be adjusted as the glue dries. With metal wires reinforcing the structural integrity of the attachment points, I don't need to worry about accidentally snapping one of the airbrakes off... ...at least, not as much as I would have to otherwise. Edited October 29, 2019 by tekering Quote
nightmareB4macross Posted October 29, 2019 Posted October 29, 2019 Amazing! Will you be adding more detail to the exhaust side of the thruster bells? They do look a bit dull and mismatched when compared to all your wonderful work. Quote
tekering Posted October 29, 2019 Author Posted October 29, 2019 9 hours ago, nightmareB4macross said: Will you be adding more detail to the exhaust side of the thruster bells? They do look a bit dull and mismatched when compared to all your wonderful work. Well, that's because the electronics hadn't been installed yet. The LEDs aren't quite as bright as I'd hoped, but I love the reflections visible in ambient light. Now, there's one more substantial modification to be made before I can call this kit finished, and that's to add maneuvering thrusters to the sides: The line art is a little vague and inconsistent with the details, but the animation makes their purpose and function extremely clear. There's simply no way this fighter could possibly fly in an atmosphere without them, given the lack of wings... or even function in space, for that matter. And yet, Moscato's kit seems to have replaced them with... shallow, concentric circles...? I'm not even sure what they're supposed to represent, but they they sure don't look like they're supposed to. I really should've decided what to do about it before painting the hull, however. My Dremel made a terrible mess. Eventually, I ended up with two holes on either side to fill. Kotobukiya and Wave both have options for vernier nozzle upgrade kits, but neither was ideal; the Wave parts had thin, curved edges, and the Kotobukiya nozzles were too narrow and deep. However, by cutting the edges off the Kotobukiya parts and sanding down the Wave parts to fit them, I made four identical verniers with the right size, shape and depth to fit the look of the Gnerl's maneuvering thrusters. A hell of an improvement, if I do say so myself! Quote
Convectuoso Posted October 29, 2019 Posted October 29, 2019 Can't wait to see thw finished model! Awesome job @tekering Quote
Xigfrid Posted October 29, 2019 Posted October 29, 2019 Amongst all your models for the competition, this one is my favorite, I love the details on the built Quote
derex3592 Posted October 29, 2019 Posted October 29, 2019 Same here! Love the thruster add on. Did those not interfere inside the cockpit? It looks like they were under the seat area maybe? Quote
Knight26 Posted October 29, 2019 Posted October 29, 2019 Awesome, are you doing a full interior as well? Quote
Gabe Q Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 This is an epic build! I love all of the extra little details you're asking. A little bit of extra effort goes a long way! Quote
jenius Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 9 hours ago, Knight26 said: Awesome, are you doing a full interior as well? Refer to previous page, it's very impressive. Quote
tekering Posted October 30, 2019 Author Posted October 30, 2019 9 hours ago, derex3592 said: Love the thruster add on. Did those not interfere inside the cockpit? It looks like they were under the seat area maybe? The front ones enter the cockpit on either side of the seat, where there's just enough space behind the pilot. It's impossible to photograph at this stage, but I'll try to illustrate their placement: They end up behind the pilot's elbows, see. 3 hours ago, Gabe Q said: A little bit of extra effort goes a long way! Given all the extra effort I've put into photographing and documenting this build, I'm hoping the contest will be judged on that basis! Scratchbuilding covers for the landing gear housings took a bit of extra effort, too... Since the landing legs are removable, I needed optional parts that made it look like the landing gear had been retracted into the hull. They attach with little magnets. I then painted the covers to match. Now I'm able to display the Gnerl in flight as well. Quote
Podtastic Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 50 minutes ago, tekering said: Now I'm able to display the Gnerl in flight as well. Excellent. Quote
electric indigo Posted October 30, 2019 Posted October 30, 2019 Looks like a studio miniature from Martin Bower's workshop. Great cultural fusion! Quote
Return To Kit Form Posted October 31, 2019 Posted October 31, 2019 (edited) I'm not sure how you type out a whistling sound - because that is the sound I made when I saw the finished kit. Great work Ted! - Brett Edited November 1, 2019 by Return To Kit Form Quote
Mazinger Posted October 31, 2019 Posted October 31, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, Return To Kit Form said: I/m not sure how you type out a whistling sound - because that is the sound I made when I saw the finished kit. Great work Ted! - Brett <iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/jK3DYSFi3S3Li" width="480" height="245" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/off-some-this-is-so-stupid-jK3DYSFi3S3Li">via GIPHY</a></p> Guess I suck at that too. Edited October 31, 2019 by Mazinger Quote
tekering Posted October 31, 2019 Author Posted October 31, 2019 Thanks, guys! High praise, indeed. Here she is parked, then. Quote
tekering Posted October 31, 2019 Author Posted October 31, 2019 1 hour ago, Knight26 said: Freaking gorgeous, hope you win. Well, now that the contest deadline's been extended, I'm sure the competition will get more intense... I'll continue posting pics in the meantime. Quote
Podtastic Posted October 31, 2019 Posted October 31, 2019 If the cockpit can still open it would be great to have shots of the completed parked/flying Gnerl with views of the pilot. Quote
mickyg Posted October 31, 2019 Posted October 31, 2019 Love the outcome on this one! The panel shading on the heatshield/"canopy" is a very nice touch, too! Quote
Return To Kit Form Posted November 1, 2019 Posted November 1, 2019 (edited) On 10/30/2019 at 2:35 AM, tekering said: Well, that's because the electronics hadn't been installed yet. Great Mods Ted! Which LEDs did you use? The look like little self contained ones? And we ever issue a V.2 of this kit I'll shamelessly steal your vernier thruster idea for the side panels. They look great! Oh and do the missile doors still open? Cheers, - Brett Edited November 1, 2019 by Return To Kit Form Quote
captain america Posted November 7, 2019 Posted November 7, 2019 I obviously don't check this section nearly enough, but wow, that's an amazing build!! You sir, have made me proud. Quote
tekering Posted December 2, 2019 Author Posted December 2, 2019 On 11/1/2019 at 2:25 AM, Podtastic said: If the cockpit can still open it would be great to have shots of the completed parked/flying Gnerl with views of the pilot. Well, the canopy wouldn't be off while the ship's in flight, of course... On 11/1/2019 at 6:21 PM, Return To Kit Form said: Oh and do the missile doors still open? Naturally. On 11/1/2019 at 6:21 PM, Return To Kit Form said: Which LEDs did you use? The look like little self contained ones? That's right. They're from X-Base. Apparently, they're even waterproof! Quote
Knight26 Posted December 3, 2019 Posted December 3, 2019 Zentraedi aren't much for comfort in any of their combat craft. Quote
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