Oh wow she turned out fantastic!!! 

Glad to hear you were able to get the canopy issue cleaned up. 

It turned out to be glue And I have no idea how it got there.

Fortunatly in this kit both opened and closed canopies are provided so I was able to take a razor saw very carefully to the closed canopy and seperate the windshield and decided to paint it black instead of the camo colour scheme. Seems to have worked just fine!

Thanks to all for your comments

I was:

 On your windshield .I had the same thing happen to my B-29 . I carefully removed the offending piece and popped it in the freezer .Scraped the frozen paint off with a Cuticle pusher ( wood ) and used a little dot of future and Badda Boom, Badda Bing ! Clear again!

Can I say WOW !!

Oh Boy!! 

 I will be following this build.I like weird looking Wingy Thingies !

That is an amazing piece of work. Splendid details throughout. She is truly an amazing build. Well done.

BK

Never stop trying, Greg. It does take time to dial back the engineer in you but the saying old dogs and new tricks springs to mind. Sometimes what might seem over complicated thought wise turns out to be the simple way!

I am glad that members can see that techniques I use and show can be of use to them. This is, to me the whole point of sharing out builds and how we go throug our processes. It can only make our hobby better!

On the splinter routine, I think I get it. Thanks for the demo offer, and please do feel free to do so if you wish.

On looking at the easiest way to accomplish something, hold the phone. I was trained as an engineer, by decree more than degree. It is the expection that I overcomplicate all designs and/or processes to the point that they are impossible to accomplish.

Seriously, I'm a perfectionist and I overcomplicate everything. I completely get what you are saying and I want to be able to do that so bad I can taste it. But at my age, chances of a major thinking change are slim.

If I can do it, anyone can! that's how i look at my builds.

Start off with an image in your mind after looking through the kit of just how you want the finished thing to look and then ask yourself this..

"How the hell do I get there?"

then ask yourself again...

"No! What's the EASIEST way of doing this?"

Always easier to spray a dark colour over a light one. Harder the other way around! saying that, there is more than one way to do a splinter pattern such as I have done.

For instance. If I had chosen to switch it around and use the dark green as the lines I would have done the light coat all over and then stuck with 2.5 or 3mm tape and marked the lines, making the light colour blocks smaller and irregular straight line shapes. I would then mask the light colours and remove the tape where the dark lines would be then paint.

Do you want me to do a photo demonstration using a spoon?

James

Thanks for taking the time to share some of your techniques, tips, and tricks, James.

Very much appreciated.

In hindsight, I'm pretty sure I would have attacked the splinter pattern bass-akwards, never considering your common-sense, easier approach. And that's just one of my observations.

Fine looking model!!

Much better (different ballpark) from "average Joe" builder .

Average Joe doesn't usually have the forethought, patience, and skills that allow a result such as you've posted.

That’s a fine build, and finishing such a complex kit inside 2 months is no mean feat!  Look forward to your Lancaster build.

Thanks very much, Greg.

After the Army put me out to grass after serious injuries I found myself not in a good place physically and mentally. Model building has always been a hobby and I reckon that my skills are Joe Average. There is nothing that I haven't done on this model that any average builder can't do. My skills are not exceptional (I haven't gone down the weathering path - Any "weathering" on a model of mine is generated by handling!!).

It is all down to planning and knowing how far you can push yourself and also thinking about what you want to do. Masking is relatively easy and you just need to think before you act.

My plans always start with a good look through the kit and the instruction book so I can work out how the kit will go together from the CAD design. I can then decide what I want the finished thing to look like and work back from that factoring in painting, extra detail sets where needed, How am I going to tackle the exterior paint and the colours etc.

I am very reluctant to take a razor saw to a kit if I can see a way to display internals that is easier to do. It may mean not gluing something in place but letting it sit there so it can be removed etc. Just little alterations. Quite often, manufacturers may design something one way which makes it easy to produce and you can jump on that and use it.

Masking most of the time for me involves making use of panel lines and surface details to line stuff up. If available Iwill make use of making sets as I have done on this kit and will be doing on the Lancaster kit with abandon!

Sometimes you can teach yourself new stuff my just thinking about what you want to do and then work out the easiest way of doing it...you have a new skill!!!

Splinter patterns are the easiest to do in my opinion. The splinter pattern on this Shinden just involved painting the light colour all over and the once ABSOLUTLY cured and dry masking it up in a haphazard way with two different widths of tape in straight lines cutting where needed. To avoid bleeding I pushed the tape into panel lines with a cocktail stick making sure that it was stuck quite firmly. placing a straight line on a curved surface can produce some frustration and ridges but practicing on a spoon helps. I also stick every length to the back of my hand to reduce the tack. It is like a bikini wax with less pain, but the back of my right hand is smooth!

The line from the forward wing root to the rar of the canard wing was done with a length of tape that was just applied on to the curved surfaceto run naturally between the two points I had selected. the top edge which I would be paining to was no issue, but because of the curved surface, the bottom edge wouldn't stick flat because of the curve and taper of the fuselage. I was not worried about that so long as the line between the two points was flat with no ridges or kinks. After painting the dark green and once that masking came off it looks like a curved line but it isn't. It is an optical illusion and is a straight line on a curved and tapered surface. A professional making set might give you a funny shaped length which is intended to give the same effect, but a normal length applied can do the same thing with less placement issues.

Greg, Sometimes you just have to think outside the box.

If you have an old junk of a kit then practice masking and painting on it! it is not how it looks on that kit that matters, it is getting it right and learning just what is possible with what you have that matters. Playing with an old kit or plastic spoons, paint and various widths of making tape teaches you lots of things. Doing stuff like this is seldom wasted as the brain will store the technique!

Painting is just the same. Using the best quality stuff always helps, but don't be afraid of mixing and matching various types and companies. ALWAYS be aware of the limitations of the paints you are using. Vallejo Metal Colour and AK Xtreme Metals are my go to metal ranges. there are crossovers, but they are different shades. Useful! They also don't like handling or masking. I found that out the hard way, despite their videos so I either use them last OR clear coat with AK Gauzy Agent Shine Enhancer. It put a totally clear protective coat over the metal paint on both ranges so you can handle and mask them.

James

That is fantastic. I really love that engine detail.

Amazing job on your Shinden, James.

As I mentioned before, your detail and paint work are exceptional, and I'd like to add that I'm really impressed by your masking skills. Masking isn't a favorite of mine and I like the way you just go at it with a plan and get 'er done, regardless of how tedious it might be.

And last, this is a complicated model and I can't get over everything you have accomplished in less than 2 months.

Thanks for a good WIP.

Finished Photos. A couple of pieces have gone AWOL, but will be attached when recovered!

All I do with the masking tape is stick it to the back of my hand first. That reduces the amount of tack and it is mostly Tamiya tape or Aizu tape. Both are low tack anyway and the paint I put it on is totally cured and dry.

I tend not to mask etched parts once painted which is why I have all parts to hand and a flexible plan to work to before I start.

I will be able to start the Lancaster on a day or so and I will be covering that build in more depth than this one!

I don't have the exterior camouflage, insignia or clear masks, but they will be bought shortly. That doesn't mean I can't paint at all, I can do lots of work including painting until those are needed!

There is more than one way of getting things done and if you notice I overlap my masking tape so that there's no gaps. Sometimes there is the odd hickup, but nothing major!

I still have to work out how to do the fuselage roundels and the paint order. 

That is shaping up to be rather impressive, for sure.

I have an old Revel-Hasagawa team up of one of these I may have to inspect a little closer.

Thanks guys.

Nearly done now.

The decal sheet has now shown up, but I have decided not to add the Japanese writing. One of the main things I had planned was the insignia. For this I use Maketar Masks set.

Once the wing insignia is in place I mask around it making sure that there is enough coverage for overspray

Placing the fuselage insignia is not easy and I went with a strip below the canopy and then lined up the exterior mask with panel lines/detail areas that are on both sides

I did the same on both sides and then masked around to catch overspray

Insignia white is the first colour to go down. I didn't have much problem getting it to the full paint depth so that the other darker colours beneathe don't show through.

Once dry and cured I masked off an inner ring from the Maketar set. Once the white was down, I lifted and put down the circular mask to break the paint around the mask edge, this avoids tearing the paint edge when the masks are removed.

You can see the second masking circle added above. This will give me a white border to the red Hinomaru.

Spray the red to the full depth. Again RAL 3000 was used.

Once the airbrush has been cleaned, I remove the making tape and masks useing a cocktail stick as this avoids marking the paint.

Jobs a good one.

Finishing stretch now. Replace the windshield, repaint and mark the tailfins, add the undercart and one or two other items and then it's done!

Wow, the paint scheme looks awesome!!!

Thanks, Clint. The new HK models Avro Lancaster Dambuster is after this. I will be using Masking for the insignia and upper surface camo pattern.

If you do fancy doing masking and painting rather than decals for various things and you are not surre about the techniques etc then practice on some plastic spoons. Get comfortable with the various ways of doing things and sorting out what you can do and how you're going to do it on the real model.

Another way is to have a scrap model. One which you have made a major mess up of and are never going to finish and make it a test bed for techniques!

The thing which I always push is that you must make a plan and think carefully about it. Think it through and also build in some leeway. I may put up a photo of my masking tape box and you will be amazed at what is in there. I think the thinnest is 0.2mm and goes up to Tamiya 40mm. The thin stuff is not easy to work with and I will admit to wanting extra hands at times. with doing walkways and lines you have to know what you want the finished thing to look like and then work back. Using the decal sheet as templates or for measuring is most useful as is planning and using panels lines etc as markers, guides etc.

James

Moving on with the Shinden

As I am doing this build with a '46 paint job then it does give me leeway with stencils, insignia etc.

I decided to use the Q1 Blue-Black colour to put on and anti-glare patch on the nose and extend it down the front of the nose. First of all I need to have all the elements in place. I glued the cowling in place, forgetting about the canard wings... I should be able to put those in last thing. I wanted to do it before the cowling was glued in place but the Hamster came off the wheel!

The cowling with the cannon ports is not symmetrical with placement of panels etc so you have to be devious and mark the centre line. To do this I used the cannon bay covers as the joining area gives you the centre line.

Using 6mm tape I marked out the painting area from nose back to cockpit using the 2mm centreline tape as my base

It was taken off and re-laid a few times until I wad happy. What you have to keep in mind is that because of the shape and curves of the aircraft it creates an optical illusion with lies. To get around this you use known fixed points that you are using to lay the tape.

I then put on the exterior masking tape which makes the outer edge of the anti-glare panel, butting it up to the take already on

Once done You remove the centre tapes and you have an oblong panel over a rounded surface that has an optical illusion of getting thinner…. but it doesn't!

Mask off the section of the windshield that doesn't want painting black and paint the area

Remove all masking and you have an antiglare panel

Add the nose cone painted in the same colour

On removing the masking tape from the windscreen there is this

I think it is glue and I have no idea how it got there or how to get rid of it, but there has been "words".

Next is marking out the no walk panels on the wings. First the panels inside the panel lines were marked out with 1.5mm tape where the paint was going to go.

You have to be as accurate laying the tape as you can

Mask around and INSIDE the tape you laid and once complete remove the original tape. butt the tape together as thise are your painting lines.

I remembered that at this stage I had not glued tail fins in place. THey need some paint correction and markings before going back on. I will also dip into my Archer Dry Transfer box and pinch some Panzer Numbers!

Paint with RAL 3000. Like Yellow and White, Red is a nastu colour to work with and it will take time to build up the colour depth, especially on to dark backgrounds.

Remove the tape

And you have Do Not Walk panels. Sometimes decals are easier, sometimes you just have to go that extra mile!

Comments and questions etc welcome.

James

Thanks Greg. I do like to think outside the box a little when it comes to rotary engines. PaI ting them a dark colour overall can make them a little boring to look at and I did want to use the apt ale colour as a nod to the usage as an anti-corrosion paint and of all the paints out the claiming to get it right, Tamiya's metallic blue is for me is right as in some lights it looks blue and others a greenish hue appears!

with straight v- blocks like the Merlin etc I tend to stick with original colours but I do like to paint the main block and cylinders AK's Xtreme metal Stainless Steel. It is a nice bright reflective colour with a very slight blue tinge and makes the main section of the engine show th detail on the cylinders etc. Painting the air feeds etc a different shade and the exhausts too keeps the human eye moving and the brain absorbing detail.

Adding the HT leads and drilling the tiny holes was not easy to do but it just adds that little extra detail that this engine was missing. The flat etched stuff in the set just wasn't hoping to look right and 0.3mm wire just right and thinner than the etch.

just a little out of the box thinking makes stuff stand out. Who would have thought that a colour done for fantasy figure painting would actually match a Japanese colour. Makes me wonder what else there is in that range that is useful!

Thanks for following, Greg and if you do go for this be warned, it will fight back when it comes to putting the skin bits on!

James

This continues to be an interesting WIP to follow. Thanks for keeping it up.

I'm crazy about your powerplant. Great painting.

Say, I didn't know Vallejo offered Game Air, I was only aware of Game Color. Always a treat to learn something, thank you!

The Yellow is done. It is a horrible colour to work with and get right.

Once again it is all down to masking. Here's all of the masking in place. With the wings I decided to move the ID markers further out on the leading edge and used distinctive markers/detail on both upper and lower wings that match up.

A closer look. The engine cowls, actually forwards of the engine that control airflow into the engine are different on each side. this means that the yellow warning line is in different places and while may look a bot odd are there to prevent damage to the moveable parts. I decided to mask and paint these markings rather than use the decals as I wanted a thinner and slightly different look.

The wing ID markings match on both sides

This is the colour. This matches exactly the Japanese ID and prop tips colour!

Done! It takes time to build up the colour, especially on darker colours and the contrast when done can be qwuite striking. This is why I do like Vallejo paints as they have lots of pigment compared to other brands. I lowered the airflow pressure a little bit for this.

Once done I remove the masking as soon as the airbrush is clean. this is to prevent the paint completley curing on the masking tape and maybe coming off the model with the tape. it also keeps the edges sharp and defined.

You can see that the wing ID markers stand out.

Next post I put an anti-glare strip on the nose using AK-s Japanese Blue-Black Q1 colour.