my SHO'T KAL for barak bde is on hold. last 2 months were focused on contest builds and my pre holiday flu took me out last week. plus it''s at the "this looks like crap" stage which happens with every build. one would think i would learn by now since after the next stage is "95% done and wow it looks ok."

any updates here?

Good to have you back Owl!

Well, I've pretty much finished assembly of the Viggen last night. Gee I don't miss the old Airfix, von Hammer will call me a wuss but this kit was a pain to assemble.  I'm going on vacation/holiday for two weeks and hopefully when I get back I'll get some photos of the nekkid Viggen posted and then start on painting her.

Mike: We want PHOTOS!!! 

been out of town for a few days but Im back now! :)

Hi guys, I did the pigment work a few days ago, dust, gun carbon and exhaust staining. I got one of the Raiden's two radio wires done yesterday but the second one absolutely defied me, three attempts and it's still only connected at one end. GRRR. I set it aside as I couldn't face another go. Hopefully I'll get it fixed up in the next go, then I can paint the wires and she's all done.

M/TB379

Hi all, the Raiden is almost finished, I just did the pitot, canon barrels and formation lights. The gear was fitted today, probably the poorest aspect of the kit, undetailed and rather out of alignment, as well as the tailwheel being way too small. Ah well, I look forward to doing Hasegawa's kit one of these days too. All that remains on this one is the pigment work and the radio antennas, which I hope to get done tomorrow, and there'll be gallery photos to follow.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

TREYZX10R

Owl ,Wow thats 1/72? I was sure from the looks it was 1/48 , awesome!!! The NMF is very nicely done,all around great looking Jug!

Thanks, Im just that awesome..

Jimmy D the T-bolt is coming along nicely,I too label the sprues saves time hunting!

Owl ,Wow thats 1/72? I was sure from the looks it was 1/48 , awesome!!! The NMF is very nicely done,all around great looking Jug!

Thunderbolt379

Thanks, Owl! I'm certainly new to this stuff and it'll take some mastering -- I'll get some of that steel wool, I've heard it used a lot!

Thanks for the tute!

no problem!

Thanks, Owl! I'm certainly new to this stuff and it'll take some mastering -- I'll get some of that steel wool, I've heard it used a lot!

Thanks for the tute!

M/TB379

Thunderbolt379

Hi Owl, I tried the brush on technique -- the cloudy ammonia cleaned the brush fine, but the finish on the Future was way off what I expected. It was mostly satin, not gloss and dried very streaky, with gloss areas among the satin. I tried two coats, the second thicker than the first, but it made no difference. Any idea what I'm doing wrong???

Cheers, M/TB379

You have to apply the first coat kind of thickly, and dont touch it once you brush it on. You do not need to thin future with anything, just use it out of the bottle. It gets tacky quick, but evens out pretty well. Only once it is dry to the touch should you begin a second coat. If there are any runs, you can dip a Qtip in Future and scrub at it. Future disolves itself and should settle smoothly afterwards. If you try to apply the second coat too soon, it will pull up the previous coat and become streaky. Oh, and use a soft brush for best results.

Future conforms to the surface so if you used really flat paint it will be slightly textured and not full gloss. To avoid this I often buff my paint coat with 0000 steel wool to even things out, then apply Future. It goes on much better than straight over non-wool bufed paint, but sometimes a second coat is needed to get things super glossy.

Hi Owl, I tried the brush on technique -- the cloudy ammonia cleaned the brush fine, but the finish on the Future was way off what I expected. It was mostly satin, not gloss and dried very streaky, with gloss areas among the satin. I tried two coats, the second thicker than the first, but it made no difference. Any idea what I'm doing wrong???

Cheers, M/TB379

That jug in NMF turned out superb, I too thought it was 1/48.  Just wondering about the olive colour on top - wouldn't it of been in a flat finish?  Fairly certain it was applied as an anti-glare for the benefit of the pilot.

regards,

Jack

Thunderbolt379

Oh, BTW Owl, do you brush on the Future over enamels or acrylics? Ah, just spotted that this job was enamel -- do you find it works up acrylics???

M/TB379

yup, what the professor said. You can put future over pretty much anything.

Oh, BTW Owl, do you brush on the Future over enamels or acrylics? Ah, just spotted that this job was enamel -- do you find it works up acrylics???

M/TB379

thanks guys! :)

Excellent results, Ms OWL.  Outstanding NMF.  

Owl: Beautiful build! Doesn't really need any weathering- the panel line wash looks great just as it is.  

Wow, that was brushed on? I have got to try this! I sprayed a test panel of flat midnight blue but realised we had no Windex to clean the brush... We do have 'cloudy ammonia' -- would that do?

M/TB379

Thunderbolt379

A lovely build, Miss Owl! You have a sweet result and I'm amazed by how many techniques you have mastered in such a comparatively short time! You're a natural and already building to the standard I was after twenty years in the hobby! I'm a big fan of the trick of clear-coating over metallics -- is this what you did to seal the decals and panel wash?

I have the same kit on its way, I look forward to building it!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

thanks, Thunderbolt! :)

Yeah, I clear coated over the metallic. I used a simple coat of brushed on Future.

A lovely build, Miss Owl! You have a sweet result and I'm amazed by how many techniques you have mastered in such a comparitively short time! You're a natural and already building to the standard I was after twenty years in the hobby! I'm a big fan of the trick of clear-coating over metallics -- is this what you did to seal the decals and panel wash?

I have the same kit on its way, I look forward to building it!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

professordeath

Ok I feel du du duuumb. That's a good looking build. I could have swore it was a Tammy '48. I think this pretty much validates the Hans Von Hammers of the world.

hehe, it's all good!

professordeath

That's a good looking T-bolt, Owl. The Tamiya kit is just wonderful. I wouldn't do any weathering on that one either. What you use for the NMF?

Tamiya? Nah, man...Its a Revell 1/72nd kit!

I used a Testor's rattle can--silver metallic (enamel), and buffed it with a cotton ball

After chugging on through, my Thunderbolt is finished! No problems with the decals, they snuggled down well. I went with almost no weathering on this one and gave it only a dark panel line wash.

Ta-daah!

as always, my b/w period pic

Those are some awesome tips. Thanks for that prof.

wow, looks good professor!

Owl: Coming along nicely! Almost done.

Mike: Looking forward to the finished photos!

Thanks, Trey. I made a little progress today, not a lot but fiddly. The plans have disappeared and I couldn't spot the radio mast on the sprue, so I made one that resembled those in artwork and other builds, a narrow, aerodynamic blade-type mast with a forward rake. I filed and adzed it from .060" plastic, then sprayed it in prop redbrown and satin-coated it. I'll mount it just about last thing. Today I also resprayed the gear bay doors and they're all ready for mounting. The struts are painted and weathered, there's only the tires to do before I can mount the gear. From that point it's a straight shoot to the finish.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Such is the case these days.  No worries though.  I have a couple but they only need like 2 or 3 parts put on.  LOL  They are pretty much completed.

T-Bolt the Raiden is coming along nicely!

Owl diggin' the Jug!