1/72 Revell Albatros D.III

Thank you sir for the words of wisdom and inspiration, I can only move forward while learning from my past.  Now back to your build!  I really love the way you rendered the aircraft like a palette, the colors are astonishing. 

As for your technique in painting?  Do you prefer an AB or would you do the whole model by hand brushing?  The reason why I ask is you get the same effect of a AB by hand painting.  What/how is this technique done?  What other techniques did you use for this build that you did not mention sir.  Thank you in advanced!

Toshi

Man, I just love this little Albatros !

 All the work you put into it REALLY paid off .Your W.I.P was so very informative and entertaining as well.  The paint work is stellar.  You have me looking at a double winger to buy just so I may try your valuable tips on here.

Again, great job Mate    

Mike,

You've got the patience of Job along with lots of talent on your build. I really appreciate your taking the time to explain each of your steps along the path to completion of this kit.

I could never work in 1/72 - too small for me. I like 1/48 but, even at that scale I don't have much room in my condo. My hat's off to you (and all others who work in 1/72 scale).

Good morning! My preferences for AB or hairy stick depend on what I need to accomplish and what is easier for either tool. I haven't used my AB on this project yet, but I plan on spraying the tail when the time comes. That's just easier than hand painting such a large white area, which I've never had good luck with.

That blending technique is simple to do. I've explained it before in my P-40 thread I believe, but basically you simply paint over the color next to the one you're painting. You mix your paint down to about 50% with thinner and "color outside the lines" so to speak lol. The effect is a softer transition between the colors. My AB can't spray that fine a line.

This morning a touched up a few small things that I couldn't fix last night and I still have yet to fix those panel lines. I think I will do a bit of rescribing, repaint, and try again.

I decided to add the white stripes and color-in my upper radiator as well.

Its about time I pay some attention to the bottom of the wings next.

Jay and Mike, Thank you for the excellent kudos! I'll keep trying not to disappoint you.  :)

I just saw this yesterday, and thought you might enjoy it. One of the cameras really gives a feel for how dangerous the single-spar lower wing could be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x31Vl1eAD4M

Man that's a wild paint scheme there Mike! Great work man!

Steve, thanks for the link to that video. That's pretty sweet! I really don't think I can honestly get all of those wires on this model lol!

The paint scheme is pretty wicked, right? I mean, you've got varnished wood and polished steel with splashes of red and white, big iron crosses, and camouflage. Can it get any better? lol

That's one of the things I love - and hate - about mid-to-late war German planes. All those different color schemes. So many planes; so little time!

I know what you mean! They were really colorful! lol. I've managed to avoid having to work with any of those extremely intricate patterns thus far. But I'm going to have to challenge myself in that arena eventually.

Well, I rescribed the ailerons and dug the old paint out while making them uniformly deep enough to carry a decent wash, repainted, painted the bottoms of the wings, and sealed it all with dull cote for the night. I'll upload some pictures in the morning. I'm tired and its sleepy-time.

Have a good night gentlemen!

I added a nice duck egg blue to the undersides of the wings. It still needs another cote though. I also added a couple more panel lines to the front of the fuselage, yet there are still a couple more to do.

Slow progress, but better than none I suppose lol.

Love the way you painted this, Mike.

Thanks, Alan. I'm trying to make it even better. Got a trick up my sleeve that seems to be rather popular and I think it will give the model the extra detail level to bring it up from mundane and average.

Pics to come later today.  :)

Well this is turning into a nightmare. I sprayed a light grey last night and let it dry for over 12 hours. I started masking it this morning and I noticed it was just wiping off around the edges. [sigh] so I washed the paint off with plain tap water (that shouldn't have been that easy) and decided to go with an enamel paint the second round. That stuff sticks to everything, right?

I guess not.

So here I am having not only that issue, but I can't get even a mildly decent spray pout of my AB no matter what paint I use or how thin or thick it is. My Dad suggests that perhaps the piston seal has gone out again, and my pride immediately tells him no, because I already fixed it once and that was the only time I'll ever need to fix it. ...wrong. I need to go fix it again. Its not the paint. Its not the brand of paint. Its not the thinner. Its not the ratios.

I'm going to have to clean this crap off the model as best I can and start all over again. There's overspray on the wings and fuselage because of all that damnable splattering. I can clean some of it off, but it's going to be a mess any way I look at it.



Things, I thought, were looking good.

Then...





I don't know. I can try to save it. May be a lot easier than the mess of removing it all to start over is going to be.

So while I wait to decide on what to do with that mess I have a few more I just picked up for the stash. Found them on sale.  :)

Sorry to see the painting problem is the base enamel ?

The problem wasn't the paint. I made a new piston seal for the compressor and, y'know what? It sprayed like a dream after that. I forgot to mention I picked up a new 0.35 needle/nozzle for it and, oh boy, I like the results very much!

I hope this seal lasts a while longer than the paper one I made last time.

I too have the same exact problems (Paint splatter) with my Shinden build.  I ended up brushing the whole Shinden.  Mrs. Toshi and I went to Hobby Lobby this evening to purchase a new needle.  I hope this works, if not I will replace the brass nozzle as well.  Too bad for your current build, I know you'll be able to fix the issue.

I like the two kits you just purchased!  Mrs. Toshi almost bought the Stuka/Me 262 kit for me.  Instead, she decided that a F-104G and a F-22 looked cool.  She really likes the way these two jets looked.  Good luck on your next build!

Toshi

OH MAN , that's bad news on a so far stellar build . I hate that when it happens to me ,and it does often because the painting stage is my worst nemissis. I sincerely hope you can save it without too much trouble Mate.

Well I took a look at the Albatros this morning. Did a little light sanding to bring those paint buildup lines down a little and decided to use them to my advantage. I oil brushed them with more white to bring the contrast of the grey stripes down and cleared it.

Its going to work, I think.