AA: Great to see you start painting!

Should be fine AA. Paint manufacturers have diffrent shades of the same FS color so I don't beleive anyone would be able to tell the diffrence.

I have the parts printed out for my Orion.

The solar arrays are probably the most complicated part of this build as far as painting is concerned, so I'll probably tackle them first.

That looks great BL, did you print them yourself?

modelcrazy

That looks great BL, did you print them yourself?

 

I did! I have an Elegoo Mars resin printer. The detail on these printers is much better than FDM printers (ones that use PLA filament). For what I'm doing it's worth the much, much, more mess and toil than with FDM to get the extra detail!

AA,

As they say, "close enough for government work". 

BL,

That's neat!  Looking forward to it going together.

Gary

badlanguage

I have an Elegoo Mars resin printer

badlanguage

I have an Elegoo Mars resin printer

Well I save it in my wish list, maybe Santa can get it for me this year if I throw in half.

BL: Ohhhhhhh, that's sooooooo cool! I want a 3D printer but I'm too lazy to learn to use one!

I'm too stubborn not to. At 61 I'm learning Java script and how to edit videos using Lightworks . I'm not as flexable as I used to be though

Gamera

BL: Ohhhhhhh, that's sooooooo cool! I want a 3D printer but I'm too lazy to learn to use one!

 

I hear you there! But a very cool thing about them is that they open up a wide variety of kits available for download that haven't (or maybe never will) make it into mainstream. FDM printers (I also have a Creality Ender 3) are easier to use and much less messy & toxic but you do need a steady supply of Mr. Surfacer 1000 and sandpaper to get rid of the layer lines. There is definitely a learning curve, and as I told a friend of mine who just got a 3D printer, if you get a 3D printer you instantly become a 3D printer mechanic. But it's also fun tinkering with settings/hardware to try to get the best resolution, too.

Thanks guys! It's also that I decided to learn a foreign language about five years ago. I ordered a bunch of books etc and I'm still on chapter three. I'm afraid I'd invest in an expensive printer and a bunch of software and end up losing interest before I get very far. And the technology is moving forward so fast, if I buy anything I worry it will be obsolete as soon as I buy it. 

So I keep putting it off... 

Gamera

Thanks guys! It's also that I decided to learn a foreign language about five years ago. I ordered a bunch of books etc and I'm still on chapter three. I'm afraid I'd invest in an expensive printer and a bunch of software and end up losing interest before I get very far. And the technology is moving forward so fast, if I buy anything I worry it will be obsolete as soon as I buy it. 

So I keep putting it off... 

 

It is a lot of work, actually! Part of it for me is I love the process of a computer design becoming a solid, tangible part. I also secretly like being a 3D printer mechanic. So i enjoy the time I spend learning, fixing, and messing with my printers. Definitely don't jump in if you're not ready to spend the time. You're absolutely right, prices drop quickly on 3D printers, and they ship fairly quickly. So when you are ready to jump into the 3D printing world, the newest model can be at your door in a couple weeks. Software-wise, slicers like Cura and Chitubox have free versions that answer the mail nicely. Also, if you want to do some 3D modeling and don't have software yet, there's a quite capable version of Autodesk Fusion 360 that's free for hobbyists. I've heard others like Blender, which is also free, but I've only dabbled a bit with it. But there also are plenty of 3D designs available for free to download or to buy for really not a whole lot of money that you can print as well.

I can see what you mean- if you're a problem solver it's fun! And I guess we're all that as modelers. If we weren't we'd just buy a finished model in box. 

One of the guys in our club bought a 3D printer a couple months ago. I'm going to have to pump his brain to find out more. I have watched a couple YouTube videos on the subject but that's about all I know. 

Theres a few items I've seen Plasmo and Night Shift make you that are just great and really help the kit or scene. Yeah, even my wife is talking about one so one is defenatly in the future.

BL, I have to say I am very impressed with the 3D printing. You now have access to everything, with some work, you can re-create any piece that you want to.

I've got going on my Ventura. I've wanted to try making clear resin windows for fuselages for a while, so that they fit perfectly and are clear. The brand of clear resin that I have used to make canopies in the past wasn't really satisfying me, as it took some weeks to really harden, and then would softenunder the warmth of your fingers. Usable, but not really sandable. So I've bought a new brand, that people use to make resin table tops, so it should be pretty hard.

I've done some temporary work to facilitate moulding the windows. I've sealed the outside with kitchen foild, held down with masking tape. A simpleframe around each window on the inside will suffice, glued with CA so I can pull it off and sand the surface smooth when its removed. It will all require trimming, sandoing and polishing, but I'm hoping it will look better than kit windows.

Cheers

Tony

This will be fun to watch 

OK gang, when I last left you, my Lightning was masked up and awaiting its booms. Since my last installment, I was able to get the booms attached and cleaned up. The fit wasn't terrible but there was a bit of filling and sanding needed to smooth things out. After I got the assemblies together and cleaned up, I went back and replaced lost rivets and panel lines.

Then I sprayed some Alclad gray microfiller. This helped fill in those tiny sanding gouges and made those spots that needed more love a little more visible.

Then I got busy with the primary painting. Here it is with its primary coat. I'm still going to go back and distress the paint a bit more.

Now that the big parts are assembled and painted, I'm going to turn my attention to the fiddly bits. As it stands now, I'm pretty happy with where I'm at with the Lightning. I think the worst is over. Should be downhill from here.

Of course, feel free to share you comments, questions, and criticisms.

Thanks for looking. Stay tuned for more!

Cheers,

-O

Looks good O. Does the microfiber paint cover any of the panel detail or just the tiny scratches?

modelcrazy

...Does the micro[filler] paint cover any of the panel detail or just the tiny scratches?

 

Yes it does, thanks O. That looks good. I've started using Mr Surfacer 1500 lately and noticed how well the base coat adheres.  I'm sure you've tried it, how does one compare to another?

Hey Steve, yeah, I've tried both. I think I like Alclad's primer better. I thin Mr. Surfacer to the same ratio, but Alclad's seems to spray better. I think it lays down better. Even if I spray a bit too much in one spot, Alclad's seems to level better. If I do the same with Mr. Surfacer, it seems to blob or pool. I've played with different ratios using Mr. Surfacer and I still use it on some builds (e.g. my 1/48 Tigercat), but I seem to have better control with Alclad. It also dries quicker and seems to dry "harder." My rule of thumb is, when there's "fine" detail involved, go with the Alclad stuff. "General" priming can be done with Mr. Surfacer. I guess, like a lot of things with this hobby, it comes down to personal preference.

Cheers!

-O

O> That a smooth finish on the P-38.  You make it look easy! 

As for me, I'm waiting on warmer weather to finish painting on the F-104.  This is the only drawback to painting outdoors.  Tomorrow should be in the mid 50s (F), so maybe I can try to finish up a few projects.  Of course, I have to go in tomorrow for some tests (after my heart attack), so we'll see.

Gary

Great, thanks O, I'll pick some up. 

Good luck with your tests Gary 

Hey gang, I'm posting in the hopes of getting a little feedback. This is the first time I've done this amount of chipping on a build. I'd appreciate a little constructive criticism. Whathca think? I'm going for a used but not abused look. Is the chipping convincing? Thoughts?

Thanks in advance, 

-O

I think the walkway looks alright but not sure about the scratches on the wings. Maybe insted all silver on the wings, some of the areas could be Zinc Ch. Our primer was pretty good.

Tony: Neat idea! I'm interested in seeing how the windows work out.

O: That's outstanding work! I like Steve's idea of showing a little primer under the paint. Dunno why I never thought of it before.

1/72 EC-121 Warning Star

That's the Plus Model I take it, or the Heller?

That should be a big one in 1/72.  I did the 1/144 Minicraft in SEA camo a bit ago.  Beautiful airplane and I like the markings on your box a lot.