Revellogram's 1/48 F-4J Phantom Completed!

Wow, that's a lot of progress 

keavdog

Wow, that's a lot of progress 

 

Easy when there isn't much to the cockpit, lol.  The seats were already glued in, I just had to paint stuff, and put it in the fuselage. 

Fast as you're going, M/D could have used you on the line back then.  Looking like you'll be done way before the new bug hits the porch.

VF-84? Very nice! I can't wait to see you do this one!

goldhammer, likely as they haven't shipped it yet, lol.  It will sit all day as I'll be at the museum working on a much bigger subject. 

stik, yep, VF-84.  Something about that paint scheme, and I thought it would be nice to have them all hung next to eachother.

Shipwreck, I dry brushed them with chrome sliver.  They were just too small and not quite raised enough for me to pick them out with a small brush or toothpick.

I sure do have a soft spot for these vintage classics!

Mopar Madness

I sure do have a soft spot for these vintage classics!

 

I had built this one once before, so I knew what I was getting into with it.  Sometimes they need a little work, but they make for fairly fast, easy builds, that can look great once done.  I love Monogram's C-47 kit.  I've built two so far, and have two more of those in the stash. 

I have been seriously thinking about adding the C-47 to the stash.  I just can't figure out how to get around sanding the raised river details along the fuselage seams. The kits (and box art) look great though. 

Mopar Madness

I have been seriously thinking about adding the C-47 to the stash.  I just can't figure out how to get around sanding the raised river details along the fuselage seams. The kits (and box art) look great though. 

 

I've done 2 of those kits, and I just sanded all the detail off to the next line.  So it just never looked like it was even there.  There really isn't much you can do about raised detail.  I have scribed the missing section between two raised lines, and you really can't tell a difference.  I'm not for re-scribing the entire thing, I mess up way too much for that.  I'll scribe what I sanded off, and leave the rest raised.  Most other people that see my models wouldn't know the difference anyway.  I've never had anyone say anything and I share my builds on a few different facebook pages.

Keyda81

 

 

Mopar Madness

I have been seriously thinking about adding the C-47 to the stash.  I just can't figure out how to get around sanding the raised river details along the fuselage seams. The kits (and box art) look great though. 

 

 

 

 

I've done 2 of those kits, and I just sanded all the detail off to the next line.  So it just never looked like it was even there.  There really isn't much you can do about raised detail.  I have scribed the missing section between two raised lines, and you really can't tell a difference.  I'm not for re-scribing the entire thing, I mess up way too much for that.  I'll scribe what I sanded off, and leave the rest raised.  Most other people that see my models wouldn't know the difference anyway.  I've never had anyone say anything and I share my builds on a few different facebook pages.

 

the old RevellOgrams were great kits. Surprising how often they got the overall shape right whereas some modern manufacturers goof that up. I started avoiding these for just those reasons, losing the raised detail. Funny, now that I'm not 10 Iwant to get rid of that fuselage seam lol. 

Have you seen Archer Fine Transfer before? They have rivets AND raised panel line detail in resin. 1/48 and 1/32 scale. Easy stuff to use and you can make the decal film they come on disappear under paint easily. Totally revives the classic kits in my mind.

Mopar Madness

I have been seriously thinking about adding the C-47 to the stash.  I just can't figure out how to get around sanding the raised river details along the fuselage seams. The kits (and box art) look great though. 

I'll have to look into that.  Honestly from even a foot away though I can't tell teh difference between the raised portion, and the scribed one. 

Some progress today.  Aside from a few little spots, and scribing in some lost detail I am done with the putty, sand, prime, repeat phase.

All the armament ready for paint.  Aside from the sidewinders.  I'm going to steal those from the spares bin.  I'm tired of filling injector pin holes, and the sidewinders in the kit have like 3 each.  No thanks, lol.

With any luck I'll have it ready for paint before the Hornet kit I ordered even ships.

So far, so great, Keyda!

Looks good. I've been working on the 72nd scale monogram F4J off and on for months. I think the 72 scale version is actually nicer--perhaps it's the age of the molds...

Looking great so far! Got one in the stash so I'll be keeping tabs on your build.

Jim 

Stay Safe.

Well things were going well.....until this afternoon. 

I got the underside painted white yesterday, and left it to dry over night.

In the booth last night.

Was pleased with the job I did of molting the color a little bit, so it wasn't ultra bright white.

Went on to paint the upper half this afternoon, and ran into some trouble.  I questioned whether or not I should thin the paint a little more since it seemed a little on the thicker side.  Tested what I had mixed, and it seemed fine.  So away I go painting.  Don't realize until after I'm done some of the paint dried before it hit the model, and gave it that gritty, dusty appearance.  Grrr.  Ok, I've dealt with this before.  I rub it down with tack cloth to remove the grit.  Thinned the paint some more, since I'm assuming that was the cause, and tried again.  It did it again. What the heck?!  I took a break at this point and left it sit for a while.  When I came back to it there were some areas of the paint that had that cracked look to them.    So I had the bright idea to just strip the paint with enamel thinner.  Which worked, but it took me over an hour, and made a huge mess of things.  To top it off it seems with all the rubbing and cleaning I was doing it rubbed off a lot of the raised panel lines. 

So here is my mess.

I've opted to go a head and rescribe the lost detail to the best of my ability.  This may take me a few days, but I know I can fix this mess of a Phantom.

One wing rescribed.

Compared to the other wing that I haven't done yet.

A bit of a set back, but these things happen.

What a bummer!!!!  I had that happen to me twice - both times I was painting over Tamiya white primer - maybe too much primer, not sure, didn't dry enough?  Last time resulted in a temper tantrum :)  I have no respect for 1/72  lol

keavdog, I have had it happen a few times, but never could figure out exactly why.  I always use the same primer, and the same enamel paints, thinned to the same ratio, sprayed out of the same airbrush at the same air pressure.  So I just don't get it.  I'm going to try turning the air pressure down a bit next time, and likely spray a guninea pig of sorts before I spray the Phantom again. 

How far are you keeping the airbrush from the surface you are painting? The only times that has hapenned to me is when I’m spraying far and the paint dries as it hits the surface. I thin my enamel paint to thinner about 40/60 and get smooth coverage using light coats at about 10-12 psi but every ab sprays different so experimentation with the spray distance and thinner ratios will help determine the best recipe. 

I have had the gritty paint thing happen a few times when I was shooting paint at too much of an angle.  Now I try staying as close to horizontal as possible and I haven't had the issue for a long time.

plasticjunkie

How far are you keeping the airbrush from the surface you are painting? The only times that has hapenned to me is when I’m spraying far and the paint dries as it hits the surface. I thin my enamel paint to thinner about 40/60 and get smooth coverage using light coats at about 10-12 psi but every ab sprays different so experimentation with the spray distance and thinner ratios will help determine the best recipe. 

 

Only a couple inches.  Which is why I don't get why I'm having problems now.  I'm pretty consistant with how I use my airbrush.  I think the paint 2:1.  2 parts thinner, one part paint.  Have always done it that way and usually don't have any issues.  I'm wondering if maybe the paint was no good.  I tossed it, and will use a new unopened jar, along with dropping the pressure down on the air compressor.  I wonder if it creeped up on me, and I just didn't notice. 

Eaglecash867

I have had the gritty paint thing happen a few times when I was shooting paint at too much of an angle.  Now I try staying as close to horizontal as possible and I haven't had the issue for a long time.

 

That could be too, I'll give that a try on the next attempt.

Back at the rescribing this afternoon.  I can only take so much of this at a time, lol.  Literally maybe a couple hours, then I have to put it down.

While sitting there working on it, I'm of course thinking to myself is this even worth it?  Maybe I should just toss this kit in the box, and buy a new one.  It's going to look like crap anyway.  So after going back and forth in my head, and struggling to not mess up while rescribing I opted since I had the one top half completely done to throw some primer on it, to at least see how it looked before I made any rash decisions.

The left side is done.  Now mind you I'm going by what is left of the raised panel lines, which isn't much at all.

Left wing.

Left upper fuse.  Primer was still a bit wet when I took the pic.

All in all I don't think it's looking too bad.  It looks pretty rough before getting primer on it though.  I suppose I'll keep plugging along instead of pitching it, and taking the easy way out.  To those of you that purposely rescribe all panel lines, you are nuts, lol.

Keyda81

I suppose I'll keep plugging along instead of pitching it, and taking the easy way out. 

That-a-girl Keyda, I know you can doi t!

I would say that's a damn fine recovery.  Press on

Good save, Keyda!  I'm with you on rescribing the whole plane after removing all of the raised detail.  Those guys are nuts!

From an old Phantom phixer,  the AF threw away enough of them.   Nice save in not giving up on the old girl.  You ladies have to stick together.

It's a Navy Phantom Vietnam era; I wouldn't fret too much over the appearance. 
The real things probably looked beat up after a few weeks on the line as well.