1/48 Tamiya F4F-4 Wildcat VF-3 "Jimmy Thach" (Finished)

I've been plugging away on this turkey along with the Tomahawk.  I switched gears to the engine.  Tamiya's example of the R-1830 is average at best. They mold the ignition wires to the cylinder fronts which looks bad to me.  I scratch built up the area to improve it. I took some care to try to hide the molded ones.  Not all were hidden, but the paint and wash will help.    

Here it is after some paint and weathering.  If you care to see how I do this, go here:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/149327.aspx

The wiring makes a world of difference to me. 

Back to the airframe.  I had some bleed under with the fuselage star Montex masks. They didnt like the rivets and curves.  I had similar issues with the corrigated Devastator wings as the Montex masks prefer flat surfaces.  Anyways, while I fixed that by taping off the stars and repainting them white, I discovered I could fade the upper wing stars a bit.  I used the white heavily diluted from a distance until it looked about right.  I didn't want too overdo it. I then fired down the X-22 and Mr. Leveling Thinner gloss coat and once dry, I pieced together Thach's "White 23" from spare decals. Wildcats don't have many decals.

I hope to be finishing up pretty soon. 

damouav

Great work Joe.

I have a questions for the master builder, that be you Joe! I'm still slowy building my 1/48 TBF-1 Avenger from the now closed Midway GB. Would you bother pre-shading (using the method you use) on my build?  I only ask as the Avengers where practically new when they enetered the battle at Midway, or am I missing the point of pre-shading....

Thanks again for posting.

 

Thanks Damian. Dunno about the master part...lol. I always pre-shade because it gives the paint depth. 

Great work Joe.

I have a questions for the master builder, that be you Joe! I'm still slowy building my 1/48 TBF-1 Avenger from the now closed Midway GB. Would you bother pre-shading (using the method you use) on my build?  I only ask as the Avengers where practically new when they enetered the battle at Midway, or am I missing the point of pre-shading....

Thanks again for posting.

I have moved on to painting.  This scheme calls for Intermediate Blue (ANA 608) over Light Grey.  I started with the grey with XF-19 Sky Grey and a few drops of XF-2 White.  I used the light/dark RBB technique.  This will likely become the norm for me. 

I created the ANA 608 with XF-18 Intermediate Blue cut ith some XF-2 White.  I kept adding white until it looked right to my eye.  The same technique was used.  I intentionally overdid it because I wanted it to visible after the "process", that being the gloss, weathering, and final dull coat.....a lesson I learned from the P-38.   

I better git going on that R-1830....

Hoss WA

Looking great!  Just added this one to my list. 

 

Thanks Hoss

Looking great!  Just added this one to my list. 

Greg

Looking good as always, Joe. You make the recovery on the gun barrel melt look so easy and painless.

You mentioned an F4F was one of your first kits upon return from hiatus. Was it the same Tamiya kit?

This looks like fun, my first thought was the F4F that was fished out of Lake Michigan and painted to represent Butch O'Hare's ride. When I have to be at O'Hare, it makes it all worthwhile if we end up passing by. I always stop and admire it.

Thanks for the inspiration, maybe a nice Tamiya kit of a subject I have some interest in might be a funk-breaker.

 

Thanks Greg. Yes, it was perhaps the third or fourth build when I returned. I built Joe Foss' cat. No clue what happened to it. It's the perfect kit to break out of a funk with. 

I'd love to see the O'Hare replica someday.  

BrandonK

Looking great, Joe. I just got one of these for Xmas. I'm stoked to build it. I'll use your build as a guide.

BK

 

Thanks Brandon. Easy kit, you'll love it. 

Looking good as always, Joe. You make the recovery on the gun barrel melt look so easy and painless.

You mentioned an F4F was one of your first kits upon return from hiatus. Was it the same Tamiya kit?

This looks like fun, my first thought was the F4F that was fished out of Lake Michigan and painted to represent Butch O'Hare's ride. When I have to be at O'Hare, it makes it all worthwhile if we end up passing by. I always stop and admire it.

Thanks for the inspiration, maybe a nice Tamiya kit of a subject I have some interest in might be a funk-breaker.

Looking great, Joe. I just got one of these for Xmas. I'm stoked to build it. I'll use your build as a guide.

BK

Mopar Madness

Glad to know I'm not the only one that's done that!

 

Ha!...yeah, I always find a way to mess something up. 

damouav

Very nice work Joe.

 

Thanks Damian

Glad to know I'm not the only one that's done that!

Very nice work Joe.

I'm going back and forth between this and the P-40.  The Tamiya Wildcat pretty much falls together, no issues. 

While gluing the wing halves together, I accidentally melted one of the fifties beyond repair.  I ended up drilling them all out and adding brass tube barrels.  I suppose it looks better anyways.  

I gave the frame a preshade then got going on the stars courtesy of Montex.  I used Tamiya tape to seal the masks from seepage.  Almost ready for paint.

Real G

Lawdog,

Your painting technique in the cockpit is exceptional.  I would love to be able to get to that level of finish.

 

Thanks G

RadMax8

Joe, looking good brother! You've got quite the eye for color. Me? I just read the bottle and slap it on. You're over here playing Mr. Mixer with Tamiya paints haha! Hmmm who's looks better??

 

 

keavdog

Nice looking pit as usual lawdog.  This is a great kit - did one last year.  I cracked my canopy right at the end and fudged it.  One of my first attempts at black basing - my overall tone came out too dark - much to learn.  Looking forward to your finished build.

 

 

 

 

Keavdog, I've found that black-basing goes the wrong way for what has typically been prescribed for us modelers, that is lightening the colors for "scale effect". It also doesn't look great on darker colors, like what I tried to do on my A6M5. I've found it's better to "marble" the paint using variations of the base color or complimentary colors and then doing a top coat. I'm pretty happy with how my Mustang is turning out using this technique. 

Sorry for the hi-jack, Joe!

 

Thanks Max.  No such thing as a hi-jacked thread.  That's what they are for. 

keavdog

Nice looking pit as usual lawdog.  This is a great kit - did one last year.  I cracked my canopy right at the end and fudged it.  One of my first attempts at black basing - my overall tone came out too dark - much to learn.  Looking forward to your finished build.

 

Thanks John.  I've had that happen recently on my Hobby Boss Wildcat.  Fortunately I had a Squadron replacement.  I'm personally not a fan of the black-basing technique, for that reason, so don't feel bad.  I came up with what I call a reverse black-base to mock it.........lol.  

Lawdog,

Your painting technique in the cockpit is exceptional.  I would love to be able to get to that level of finish.

Joe, looking good brother! You've got quite the eye for color. Me? I just read the bottle and slap it on. You're over here playing Mr. Mixer with Tamiya paints haha! Hmmm who's looks better??

keavdog

Nice looking pit as usual lawdog.  This is a great kit - did one last year.  I cracked my canopy right at the end and fudged it.  One of my first attempts at black basing - my overall tone came out too dark - much to learn.  Looking forward to your finished build.

 

Keavdog, I've found that black-basing goes the wrong way for what has typically been prescribed for us modelers, that is lightening the colors for "scale effect". It also doesn't look great on darker colors, like what I tried to do on my A6M5. I've found it's better to "marble" the paint using variations of the base color or complimentary colors and then doing a top coat. I'm pretty happy with how my Mustang is turning out using this technique. 

Sorry for the hi-jack, Joe!

Nice looking pit as usual lawdog.  This is a great kit - did one last year.  I cracked my canopy right at the end and fudged it.  One of my first attempts at black basing - my overall tone came out too dark - much to learn.  Looking forward to your finished build.

tempestjohnny

One day I'll be half as good as this

 

Don't sell yourself short Johnny. You are just as good. 

learmech

Lawdog, Roughly what is the mixture ratio you use for your cockpit colors? Thanks

 

Its always different and I just eyeball it. I'd say about 70 Olive, 20 Yellow-Green, and 10 Khaki. 

Mopar Madness

So that's where the Thach Weave came from, I had no idea. Very cool!

What kind of camera are you using LD? Your pictures are always consistently clear.

 

My I-phone believe it or not. It takes way better pictures than my Nikon ever did. 

Tickmagnet

Very nice that is a great kit to build.

 

Thanks Tick

mustang1989

I can't get over the level of detail and paintwork in those offices of yours Joe. A level of modeling to aspire to....

 

Thanks Joe

So that's where the Thach Weave came from, I had no idea. Very cool!

What kind of camera are you using LD? Your pictures are always consistently clear.