1/48 Tamiya Bf 109 E-4 JG 26 (Gerhard Schopfel)

Derek, Tamiya paints, especially cut with rubbing alcohol, dry very fast.  At that distance, its drying before it hits the surface, which causes the pebbles.  Get in about an inch or so and drop the pressure to about 10-15 psi.  That should help I use 91% Iso which may make a difference too....

Joe

Hey lawdog, recently I have had some problems with Tamiya paints and I wanted your input because I know you have achieved great results with them. I sprayed XF-1 Flat Black thinned about 50/50 with 70% isopropyl alcohol, sprayed at 24 psi roughly 3-4 inches from the surface of the parts. I was getting a very rough texture on the paint, almost like a fine grit sandpaper. Do you have any solutions to produce a smoother finish? I was thinking that possibly using a more concentrated IPA and lowering the psi significantly may help...

 Ok,  now i'm properly impressed!   Let me 2nd, 3rd.,---- the motion for a base making tutorial.  If you would rather I wait for your "How To" book, I will buy that.  Thanks for the reply.                      knox

Thanks everyone for the kind words.  

Brandon:  I personally like the Tamiya version.  The cowl on the Eduard is tricky not unlike their FW-109's and I don't like the stance of the landing gears which seems too tall and narrow.  I did recently grab a Hasegawa E-3 off E-bay which I want to see how it compares to the others. So far for me, Tamiya all the way.

Greatmaker:  Panel lines are just a Flory wash...black and dark dirt mixed.  I use it over Alclad's clear gloss.  

Knox:  Yes, I make one for every plane.  I'll maybe do a tutorial on my Mustang build...

  What a beautiful job and I love the scheme!    You have probably already answered this question somewhere, but I can't find it.  Do you make a base for each model you finish, or do you have a few prop bases for pictures?  Either way your finished pictures always look so "right".                       knox

What an amazing build.  Yellow has always been one of my "curse" colors. Now I will try the addition of red..  How do you get the panel lines so clean.  I've tried airbrushing them.  Using very thinned acrylic and oil paints and they always turn out messy.  I use MM acrylics. I've tried putting them on over the clearcoat  both testors glosscoat and future.  With the airbrush application they always look too "fuzzy"

Thanks

That's a gorgeous finish you've achieved on that Luftwaffe beauty! Fabulous job, Joe! Three thumbs up from me...I borrowed one of the wife's.

Cheers!

Martin : )

Another masterpiece!  Again, the base is just enough to really bring it to life.

Mike

Joe, just got around to viewing this (it's like enjoying a fine dessert at the end of a meal)! You did a superb job on her, love the schemes for those BoB Emils, they are so......109ish (you get the point).  From what I can see, the office looks fine, especially the IP, that looks AM, excellent detail. 

Great work Joe....again! Your builds are an inspiration!

Very, VERY nice! The base is great, too.

Joe - It's another sho' nuff beauty, great job. The "touch" of red in the yellow does the trick all right, it never occurred to me, but I can see the effect. Good tip. The finish and details are just great, plus the text you always send along is so informative. You help a lot of folks, (like me,) build on our modeling skills. As always, thanks a bunch.

Patrick  

That's a sweet ride Joe!  =]  When I do get around to some ETO planes, I plan on working through some of the early variants first and focusing on some key planes from the Battle of Britain. I'll have to bug you for some notable pilots when the time comes.  

One question just came to mind...how do you think the Tamiya kit compares to Eduard's Bf 109 series?

Another great example of your steller work, Joe. Great job! Very inspiring.

Really nicely done, Joe.  I am so fond of the weathering you do, you finished this one off beautifully.

Thanks Joe...

It's definitely got my vote that's for sure!!! Paint and weathering are second to none! She's a winner Joe.

Thanks Mike.  The depth to the colors is done by a subtle streaking with the base color lightened with white.  A post shade is then added which consists of XF-69 Nato Black and XF-64 Red Brown diluted heavily with 91% rubbing alcohol.  This goes in all the cracks and crevices to add more depth.  Some folks use oil dot filters and such but I prefer this method.

My trick with the yellow is merely adding a touch of red to it...makes a world of difference...

Thanks again.....

Joe

How has this been slipping by without any comments until now? This thing is beautiful. I love the tonal variations you achieved, especially in the yellow. What technique did you use for that?