WIP - Tamiya 1:32 Vought F4U-1 Corsair Birdcage; #60324 - FINISHED

Tubosteve

To those that have gone before me on this model....question....am I better of spraying up the top coat colours on what I have so far and then attach the rest of the wing assys when done....or get it all together and do it when all assy is done?

 

Looking good. You should build the whole model then do your seam work And prime it. For paint you go from lightest to darkest. In your case, the grey underside first then the blues, lightest to darkest. 

So, have got a little more progress today.....which has now ground to a halt subject to a run to the local HS to grab some more Insignia White and primer.

Have got the "wing sub assembly" finished and mated to the fuselage. All went together amazingly well and only required a tiny bit of perfect plastic putty on the wing roots. Got the left side of the undercarriage done but not fitted.

To those that have gone before me on this model....question....am I better of spraying up the top coat colours on what I have so far and then attach the rest of the wing assys when done....or get it all together and do it when all assy is done?

Looks to be lots of little gaps (intakes etc) that will need temporarily filling prior to spraying.

Colours I am using are Tamiya rattle can but I don't think I will get much in the way of good demarcation. Is it easy to decant rattle can paint to then be able to spray with airbrush where I feel I will have a lot more control?

Anyways, this is where I am now:

This is a fantastic kit. And you’re doing an amazing job on it!

Your friend, Toshi

So, the last couple of days has been a lot of World Cup Football so not so much on the modelling front. Bench is a bit of a mess, maybe I'll have a little sort out tomorrow 

Fuselage is buttoned up, rear stabs on and started on all the bits and pieces inside (don't know what they're called.....bits inside suits me!). Decided to go with wings down, thought about 1 up and 1 down but figure I'll probably end up confusing myself....gonna keep it simple.........good old KISS!

Turbosteve...welcome aboard. I echo the others on dry brushing with enamels. It will go much smoother for you. I used to use floquil bright silver, but they no longer make it and it’s impossible to find now. I found a substitute with model master chrome silver, but any enamel silver will work.

You picked a great kit and I look forward to your progress. If you intend to display the wings down, it will be tricky getting a good bond. Make sure you add styrene reinforcements from inside.

Any GTOs at the car show. A 66 is on my bucket list.

Steve, don't try anything you feel you're not comfortable with on my account. It's just that, with some skinny brass/bronze wire, a pin vise, and some paint, it's not that difficult.

Cool photo Mike, thanks. Still a relative newbie at all this so the thought of adding wiring scares the dickens out of me! Afraid to make a dogs ear out of what seems to be a very nice kit so far. I'm happy with how things are so maybe wiring is something I'll try another day.........see how I feel tomorrow, you never know , maybe it will seem like a better idea after some sleep. Will have to have a dig around the house and see what I can find as unlike many of you guys, I don't have any scratch build stuff around. BUT...if I did try then this photo would certainly show me the way to go.

Yes Steve, it looks like the cat's pajamas. You still might add some wiring.

So, have had a fruitful weekend, Fathers Day at a classic car show with some mighty fine examples on show   In amongst all this I also got to get the fuse buttoned up and made a fair start on the engine.

One thing I must say is that the fit on this model has continued to amaze.....it all just lines up perfect and haven't need any filler....so far (keeping fingers firmly crossed)

Yes, there are those that in fact use oils for drybrushing but I find the technique more difficult than enamels. I simply use enamel right from the jar . With oils the proper mixture of thinner to pigment is much more daunting and inconsistant for me IMHO.

Thanks for the helpful comments guys. Obviously need to 'brush up' on my very limited dry brush technique. I only have acrylic paints and find it dries too quickly, guess I'll have to invest in a little enamel next time round. (or can you also use oils?)

And Mike, harnesses adjusted :)

Turbosteve,

I think you've done a nice job so far. I guess there are two things I might mention to be of some help. First, I don't really have the ability to drybrush very well - yet. However I believe that most techniques, when practiced enough, will eventually be mastered. I don't think you did a bad job at all. I simply feel that you'll be more comfortable with the technique, as Jay Jay suggests, with some more practice. The amount of weathering on an IP or in the cockpit in general varies, I'm sure, with the age of the aircraft, how often it was flown, etc. So going nuts with weathering effects can sometimes detract from the end result.

Again, nice job!

Second - push those harnesses closer to the seat bottom and back!

Just a helpful tip from your Uncle Jay;

Your build is coming along nicely but your drybrushing skills need a little help. It appears that you still have too much paint on the brush because you're not getting that worn paint look. Ya hafta have almost no paint left on the brush (I use a stiff one or a brush trimed down to an eight of an inch long bristles) and go back and forth over the area several times (takes practice). It also helps to use enamel as it dry brushes nicely. I happen to like Testor's Flat Steel in the little square jars. 

I found the drybrushing techniques here form others ,mainly Lawdog ,as follows;  

paint up your office with acrylics, 1st flat black, then 2nd your very thinned interior color.( this helps give a depth to the work ) 3rd spray a  coat of Testor's gloss laquer, 4th, do your dark wash,then 5th dry brush the Flat Steel.  I hope this helps and I didn't miss any steps.