Weathering GB - 2/1/2011 - 1/31/2012

pepper kay

My real hang up is painting canopies ... I see some that are absolute jewels and shake my head in amazement ... I keep pluggin' away at it, hoping one day to get one canopy to look like those I see in the Group Builds and magazines ...

pepper

Have you tried Eduard precut masks? They make them for an incredible number of kits. I order mine from Squadron when I start a build. The six or so bucks they cost is well worth the price. Canopies are the most stressful part of modeling for me. One other thing I've found that makes it a little easier is to shine a light through the canopy after I lay down the masking material and as I am cutting the frame members. Makes it a lot easier to see what I'm doing.

jbrady

 

Have you tried Eduard precut masks? They make them for an incredible number of kits. I order mine from Squadron when I start a build. The six or so bucks they cost is well worth the price. Canopies are the most stressful part of modeling for me. One other thing I've found that makes it a little easier is to shine a light through the canopy after I lay down the masking material and as I am cutting the frame members. Makes it a lot easier to see what I'm doing.

I've heard mixed reviews on canopy masks, but am going to try them on the next build I'm doing - an F-8F Bearcat ... your idea of 'light shining' is one I will try with the F-86 I'm just now finishing ...

Thanks for the tips ...

pepper

I loved the paper masks i used for my B-24. But they did come with the Big Ed set anyway. I am note sure i would but them for a fighter with one large pain, but for bombers like B-17 or Ju 88 with lots of small pains, i would deffinatly buy them.

DoogsATX

jbrady - welcome back to the GB! I've got the same Wildcat in the stash...heard nothing but overwhelmingly positive things about it. Building a Cactus Air Force aircraft will present all kinds of weathering possibilities, too (not to mention the easiest decal job of all time...). Looking forward to it!

DoogsATX: I'm not totally convinced that the Cactus Airforce was as weathered and beat up as is the usual perception. Lots of mud and dirt sure but the airplanes were new in September and October of 42 and they really didn't last long enough to get as dinged as some representations I've seen. Lots of getting shot down and blown up on the ground going on. It's too bad the photos from that time frame are so poor. Still, I've got some ideas. I just tried a new wash with "dirty thinner" that looks pretty good for cockpits, wheel wells, and engine bays. I want to try your filter for the exterior. WIP after the first of the month.

Looky what came in the mail today from a certain member :

hehehe

Casper that is great work on the Zero. could nearly get one myself. Doogs, great start on the Me109, I can't read too much about that as I think I would be prompted to get one and I have not tackeled a Wingy thing in over 20 years.

Tiger that jeep looks really like it is in need of a wash at the very least.

Overall the GB seems to be shaping up well, I hope to be posting myself soon.

Regards,

Terry.

Wow! This is what I get for being offline most of last night and today!

Tiger - man, the Jeep keeps coming and coming! Love the vacuum lines...that's a touch that honestly would've jumped right by me! And that's a very nice looking Stug! Is it just me, or did the Germans really get a kick out of building tracked things?

pepper - I'll get that '34 Ford added momentarily. Love those old pickups! 

Regarding your paint technique - when I use Vallejo I distill it with Future. About 1:1 if I'm airbrushing, a few drops if I'm brushing it...but it has the same glossing effect.

And...regarding canopies...Eduard masks are the way to go if you can. The newer yellow tape ones. I hate masking canopies almost as much as I hate filling and standing...but they make it a lot less of a hassle. Heck, I even used them on the P-47 I jut finished. The big bubbletop looks easy to mask at first, but the curvature is actually very complicated. With the mask I didn't have to worry about it at all. Though having three hands would really make the job easier!

Railfan - no worries! What vintage is your computer. Most from the last 2-3 years have card readers built into them...maybe you could go that route?

jbrady - I definitely think you have some room to maneuver w/ regards to the CAF. There are a lot of factors at play. Aircraft shot down, parts salvaged off donor planes, tons of sorties from very primitive conditions with no shelter from the elements and essential supplies only. I've been kind of surprised at how beat up a plane could look at six weeks flying out of Britain...and that's without the salt and coral dust and south pacific sun. I'd imagine by late September/early October those Wildcats looked like death. But early deployment was certaily something else altogether (kind of like the Marines on Guadalcanal...).

Whichever way you go I'll be interested to see how it comes out! 

terry - thanks! Look forward to your postings!

Wish I had a more exciting update about the 109 than I do. Our mid-week winter cold has turned to weekend cold + drizzle. On top of that cedar's kicked up, with bad consequences for my sinuses. Suffice to say...it's been hard to be very productive at the bench. I've been making incremental progress on the cockpit...added some much-needed wiring, repainted some bits according to the Bf-109E Aero Detail book I picked up. Hoping to probably have some pictures to show after tonight.

I've also been trying to sort out the wheel wells. It looks like this E-7 had that canvas surround in the gear bay...trying to think what I want to use to simulate that. Tamiya tape? Medical tape? 

Yes, I have to agree with Doogs, Eduard masks are the way to go. I tried Montex but I didn't like what they were made out of. The masking tape material of Eduard is much better and easier to remove.

But if these are not available for your specific kit then I recommend the thin strips of Tamiya tape (either sold as such or normal Tamiya masking tape sliced into thin strips) to line the rims of the canopies. I then fill in rest with strips of tape and tap it gently down. Sometimes Maskol can help with bubble canopies but I am not very keen on the stuff. It's hard to tell if it has completely covered the area as with tape it's fairly obvious if there is not tape on that bit.

This is some masking I did today in 1/100th scale.

Cheers

DoogsATX

I've also been trying to sort out the wheel wells. It looks like this E-7 had that canvas surround in the gear bay...trying to think what I want to use to simulate that. Tamiya tape? Medical tape? 

Hey Doogs, I have found lead foil from wine bottles (needs to be something good nowadays as most wine now comes with a screw top) is the best thing to simulate canvas. It's very easy to simulate texture into. I find a tan base coat then a slightly rougher olive drab so that it doesn't quite fill in the minute dimples in the metals texture can really 'get' that look of fabric.

That's how I did the canvas Vulcan cannon cover on my F-104 and I think it turned out pretty well;

I also saw a post where somebody used Tamiya mask to simulate console covers as well.

Cheers

Finally got some goods to show off!

First - the cockpit. Armed with reference pics, I repainted some various components to match reality and weathered accordingly with some drybrushed Floquil Old Silver. Then I ran some cables and wiring with various gauge jewelry wire and some of the super-thin nylon thread I usually reserve for antenna lines. After that, I hit everything with a raw umber artist oil wash. Not sure I'm quite ready to call it done yet, but it's looking way better.

Second - the fabric in the wheel wells. I think I might have solved this by putting on a thick coat of Model Master RLM 02, then dabbing the "fabric" with one of those makeup applicator things. It pressed some texture down, so hopefully when I go back with different paint and then drybrushing or pigments it'll work out well.

Third - wanted to show y'all the Eduard Brassin wheels I ordered. The kit wheels are already pretty sweet, but I've been itching to see what Eduard does with resin. 

It's kinda hard to see all the detail when everything's gray. I cropped in and messed with black levels to try to bring some of it out, but basically these are some of the best tires I've ever seen. If you look closely you can even see the manufacturer and size info on the sidewall!

Oh...and my Shermie ain't coming along half bad, either!

Doogs,

I agree Germans + tracks = party apparently!

both projects are looking fantastic!

Casper,

thats some insane masking..i would have thrown the damn thing..lol

Thanks for the compliments guys, the stug has invaded my workbench for the moment, so the jeep is on hold while i fiddle with this thing =)

Doogs Looking good there. I take it you pre shaded the Sherman. I like the look you have got, coming on very nice.

Tiger Have to let us know how you get on with that StuG. Imperial series kits ain't known for being the nest.

Bish,

I am already having issues with it, not to mention its a kit bash of sorts so some parts are not exactly what they should be..lol

Ill be starting a log soon!

Ye, they don't have a good name, being from dragons early days of armour kits. The usual complaint i ahve seen is accuracy, but fit can also be dodgy.

DoogsATX

Railfan - no worries! What vintage is your computer. Most from the last 2-3 years have card readers built into them...maybe you could go that route? 

You are going to laugh, but I swear, as soon as I posted, and after I got off-line, I found the cord

I would have edited the message, but I wasn't able to get back on the computer for a while. I'll try again with the photos later...

DoogsATX

Finally got some goods to show off!

Don't forget to add some 'wear and tear' to the rudder pedals as well ...

pepper

Tiger, man, that jeep just about knocked me off my chair! Your attention to detail really is inspiring!

Doogs, looks like you're off to a great start on the Emil. Your cockpit work is excellent (as usual). Those AM tires look sweet. The kit ones are nice as well, but the sidewall detail would be the clincher in my decision as to which ones to use. Fantastic work as well on the Sherman - armor ain't really my thing, but to have one of those in my collection would be worth taking the plunge.

Been plugging away at the Pfalz between work, football, and lastly digging out of snowstorms (4 straight days of that is starting to wear me out ! ). The 'pit is finished and the engine (a kit in itself) is very near completion. I should have some pics up in the next few days for you fellas to check out.

ruddratt,  Thanks for the compliment! Its funny i set out to do a model with the intention of OOB and normal then my twisted mind kicks in and i end up making crazy adjustment s way later in the build then i should...lol.

I am a big fan of what if type things, like my urban camo leopard A5 i made with riot shielding around the cupola.

Ill have more pics to show soon, been still plugging away on this stug. The panzer got some work done too, almost ready for paint =)

Still Suggin along (ok bad i know...lol)

Anywho heres where were at atm, i ahve some parts coming from Slightly Altered which will help me complete this.

More soon and ill be getting back to the jeep once the GB actually starts =)

Well Tiger, twisted or not, it's obviously working for ya, and your results are proof of that. I wouldn't change a thing.

Nice lookin' stug too! Another work of art in progress!

Tiger - the Stug is looking pretty nice. I've come to love metal barrels...Dragon seems one of the ones that's more likely to go ahead and toss them in the box, too. May have to give them a look-see at some point!

Got some test-fitting done on the E-7 last night and actually started welding pieces to other pieces! So far, so good, but sadly this kit isn't without it's trouble spots...

1) The wing cannons. The wing halves work in such a way as there's a thicker cylindrical section on the cannon that gets "trapped" in the wing. Which means you have to install it from the get-go. Personally, I prefer to paint bits such as these off the model and install them later, and it sucks that this isn't an option.

2) The chin scoop. I don't have pictures of this, but the outer surfacing is horrid. Bad enough that I may replace what's there with sheet styrene.

3) The main cowl. First, it has the same issues as the wing cannons. I'm actually contemplating painting the gun troughs first, then masking them for the main event. The main cowl piece also suffers from what I call "Academy-itis" - whereby two pieces are supposed to fit together perfectly with no alignment aids. It's off a little bit just under the trop filter, so I'm thinking of installing some guide teeth out of either styrene or maybe even strip brass

Here are some crappy cell phone pics of the test fitting - overall things line up pretty well, not as nice as I'd hoped, but far from terrible. Hoping to get a good chunk of it build up tonight!

Nice looking work everyone!  I've started the weathering on my Hellcat.  After getting the base tri-color scheme and decals on, I've added the first layer of lightened Flat Sea Blue to the middle of most of the panels.  Tomorrow night I will lighten the Intermediate Blue in the same manner. 

I'm trying to go for the faded weather beaten look that the fighters in the Pacific Theater had.  I've also experimented on a test model some various oil paints to see if I can get the splotchy faded look.  I haven't taken any photos of this experiment but will do so tomorow night as well.  Any advice, suggestions, or criticism is welcome! 

Thanks for looking!

Steve

Steve - the cat's looking really sharp so far! Definitely dig the fading/splotchiness you've got going on on the wings.

A few suggestions, mostly out of stuff I've been considering for my own tricolor builds. Granted, I haven't done one yet, so don't take me as gospel or anything close!

- Fading out the decals a bit more, especially on the wing.

- Filters to mess with the tonal variation. I think some gray, blue, and maybe even some raw umber (at least on the bottom) could do curious things and help give that splotchy look you're going for.

- Airbrushing filters of white or very light gray. Like 9:1 thinner to paint. 

- Gloss coat, then flat coat, then strategic wet sanding with 1600-2000 grit sandpaper. Again, all about the tonal variation, or in this case, reflective variation. Used this one completely inadvertently with my Dauntless build last summer (Polly flat spat white flecks everywhere and I didn't know the "shoot it with gloss" cure at the time), and it came out pretty great:

Got a good chunk of main assembly done on the 109 last night. Overall, it went well. The fuselage goes together well with no real gaps (though there's a bit of a "trough" that's going to need filler). The only trouble spot is the shoddy lower scoop. The wings are similar. Go together well, line up with the fuselage well, except where the center mates up with the fuselage underneath. Had to break out the gap-filling CA there.

The cowl continues to be a giant pain. If I were starting this one over again, I'd do it with the engine exposed.

Here's the shoddy lower scoop and back of the lower wing/fuselage join:

Finally, issues with the prop and cowl fit. You can also see the cowl/fuselage issues under the trop filter:

Looking great Doogs! I totally understand the shoddy cowl thing as my bf109 has the same issue only its due to the terrible hasagawa molding...

oh and for some reason the whole engine assemble sits off center... gotta love older kits!

Looking forward to more progress =)

Heres a shot of the StuG in current state, may as well add it to my list =)

DoogsATX

Steve - the cat's looking really sharp so far! Definitely dig the fading/splotchiness you've got going on on the wings.

A few suggestions, mostly out of stuff I've been considering for my own tricolor builds. Granted, I haven't done one yet, so don't take me as gospel or anything close!

- Fading out the decals a bit more, especially on the wing.

- Filters to mess with the tonal variation. I think some gray, blue, and maybe even some raw umber (at least on the bottom) could do curious things and help give that splotchy look you're going for.

- Airbrushing filters of white or very light gray. Like 9:1 thinner to paint. 

- Gloss coat, then flat coat, then strategic wet sanding with 1600-2000 grit sandpaper. Again, all about the tonal variation, or in this case, reflective variation. Used this one completely inadvertently with my Dauntless build last summer (Polly flat spat white flecks everywhere and I didn't know the "shoot it with gloss" cure at the time), and it came out pretty great:

Doogs,

The 109 is looking sweet!  That lower cowl seam looks nasty -  Oh, the joys of sanding!

Thanks for the ideas on the fading - that's exactly what I'm looking for.  Your Dauntless looks great! 

I think that the first thing I'm going to try is a wash of Tamiya Deck Tan over the top surfaces and a Black Umber wash on  the undersides.  I've been experimenting with oils on a test plane - Mig Faded Navy Blue, Mig Buff, and Titanium White.  I laid down a base of MM Flat Sea Blue enamel, then drybrushed different panels with RLM 02 Grey.  Once that had about a week to cure, I used dot filters with the oils to get the following:

I'm not totally sold on the results of this process so I haven't tried it on the Hellcat yet.  I definitely need to fade out the decals - hopefully the wash will tone them down.  I used a similar process (without the dot filters) on the P-47 Thunderbolt below:

Thanks!

Steve

Hey there! I'd like to join the GB with a Revell 1/125 German Submarine U-99. Up to this point, I've only built WWII aircraft so this will be a nice change for me. Funny thing is, someone's effort on a u-boat kit inspired me to get back into fine scale modeling.

TigerEP1

Looking great Doogs! I totally understand the shoddy cowl thing as my bf109 has the same issue only its due to the terrible hasagawa molding...

I was taking another look through the Aero Detail book I picked up...and maybe the shoddy fit is actually accurate!

Also been trying my hand at creating dents. First several attempts (on a broken P-38) were horrid. But I started to get the hang of it...actually relatively happy with the dent on the left side of the spare E-4 spinner:

Some really cool stuff going on in this G.B.. Will definitly stop by more often.

Man, you guys are just cruising right along!

Steve, I'm likin' that 'Cat a lot! Never tried the dot filter method, but that's one of the many reasons I joined this GB - to learn stuff like that. Nice P-47 too! Love 'em fully loaded!!

Doogs, your Emil is really shaping up into a beauty in spite of the fit issues your having. I have that same Aerodetail book (plus the one for the 109G and the 262) - they are invaluable references. Very convincing work on the dent in the spinner too! Not something you commenly see on aircraft models, but very effective!