Fw 190 Butcher Bird 2013 (extended to June 2014) Group Build

Is to late to join? I have a promodeler 190 that I crank out.

LawDog (Joe)... Thank you for the story... How cool is that! Great tribute to Granddad...Thanks again for sharing.

Doug

That is a very cool story Joe. Thanks very much for sharing with us! That B-17 is a very nice looking build!

Question: As I fill and touch up seams and wait for the Mr. Putty to dry, I have been working forward a bit trying to get some of the future sub-assemblies finished. The markings I have call for the drop tank and looking at the parts....I have a drop tank.......and a rack. That's it. Absolutely zero attachment points, photoetch, or even a reference in the instructions that show how the two are suppose to be joined. Has anyone else actually attached the tank to the plane in the Eduard D-9 and if so, how did you do it? I suppose I could just attach the rack and leave the tank off, but part of me kinda wants the tank on there. Looks like the instructions have the same vagueness with the bomb and its rack as well.

Eduard Fudged that part up Jester. You need to scratch build two half round brackets fore and aft and just make it work. I think I used .030" strip styrene and cut out two notches in the rack and glued in the makeshift brackets, then attached the drop tank. Sorry, I captured no pics of the process.

Ahh, thanks Nathan! I really hope they do a much better job on the upcoming Spitfire they are releasing.

Jump on in Mkelley. Will put you in the intro post buddy.

Welcome to the GB Mkelley. I'm looking forward to your Pro Modeler.

                                                       Joe

Welcome aboard MKelly ! Always good to have another 190, cant wait to see that ProModeller kit!

Well, this Dora is in primer finally. A few very small touches on a couple of areas and its time for paint. 

Up first, a couple of obligatory shots of my new paint rack. Feels so good to get all of those jars out of the drawer on on a shelf where they are visible. Currently holding 150 miscellaneous jars of paint, can probably push it to 200 when full.

And the Dora...

I drilled out the spot for the gun camera in the wing to give it some depth. Also hollowed out what appears to be a small intake duct on the MG cowl(??). Going to let this air out for a couple of hours and get to painted the ID bands and the yellow under the nose and the tail. Then its on to my nightmare, the camo. Warning, this will be my first mottle so.....................

OH Eric, Me Like! That is a sweet paint rack. I need to come up with something like that some day. Your Dora is certainly looking excellent. I know you will do fine with the mottling. I'm just about to the same stage. I painted the engine/cowl detail yesterday. Now I just need to detail/weather it and then I can attach it and some masking and I'll be good to go with the primer.

Jester ... comon now, Thats just too neat and orginized to be a paint rack... Just kidding bud... Looks great!

Jester, OCD much?....Kidding bro.  Your "space" looks fantastic.  I love that paint rack and where can I get one.  Did you build it or buy it.  I have a buddy who build one similar.  Oh, and that Dora is looking great too.  I see you use an airbrush so the Mottling should be fairly easy if you dial the pressure way down and get in close.  

I know it's off topic, but I wouldn't mind seeing everyone's bench.  It would be a great way to get ideas, especially since I recently relocated mine after 10 years in one spot (to make room for my daughter's new playroom).   I'm starting to get used to my new digs though.

I'll start with mine.....so here's my bench which includes my beloved John Wayne clock.

Joe

Great idea Joe. you've got a nice workspace there. So, here's a few shots my realm. This used to be the extra bedroom prior to me moving in with my wife. She told me the room was all mine to use for my modeling. Little did she know that I was going to move everything out, including the extra bed, and take up the entire room. Funny, my wife still harbors a resentment over the fact that we can no longer have over night guests.

Joe, Love your clock by the way. Being as I live in Moab, Utah and grew up here, we have a long history with The Duke as he filmed many a movie here. My wife actually got to meet him on the set of one his films.

No OCD here!

Ok guys here's the rundown. I know its been a while since I've been on here but with all of the traveling, this stupid cold that I have had for the past few days and now this slow friggin internet service at the hotel I am now staying at in Dallas I'm doing the absolute best I can.

First things first;

To the newcomer of the GB MKelley:Welcome aboard buddy. I now have you entered in on the opening post. Definetely glad you are here. Lots of good input and experience here and looking forward to what you have.

lawdog..................................................................................................................That diroma you have is .....well .....mindblowing to me! I have a G and have been afraid to build it because a fighter takes me  dang near a year. That is a great combination of model, display and story. Hats off to you pal. Well organized work area and big too. Large area to work with.

Joe Rix: Coming along beautifully. Missed talking to you the last couple of days. Busier than a one legged man in an azz kicking contest!!! As usual that is an awesome work area. Nice assortment of tools.

Jester: Great job on the D-9. Nice paint rack and work space! Question for you though. Did she kick you down in the dungeon??? Saw the hadock blocks and had to ask. No chains or torture stuff so I assume you are ok. lol

Thanks everyone. I do have a thing for neat and organized I will admit Joe, I had a good friend of mine build it for me. I think it turned out fabulous and it cost me 20 bucks so its win win for me!!

Lol Mustang, actually the basement is my unfinished at the moment man cave. All to myself!!! Eventually I am going to put up some sheetrock but for the moment its heated/cooled and insulated with plenty of light so it works out pretty good! I plead the fifth on the chains and stuff though......

Ok, maybe I am being a bit harsh on myself but I am not pleased at all whatsoever with how this finish is turning out. I am still struggling it seems to get my ab dialed in with acrylics so it seems that I am never in control of it, it controls me. So far I have used MM Acryls thinned with iso and Eagle colors acrylics thinned with water ( as they went all the hell with just the tiniest bit of iso). The 82 is a bit brighter than I thought it would be but I think after clearcoats and a wash, it should tone done quite a bit.

Started out with some preshading. Already painted the yellow nose and tail as well as the fuse bands.

Some MM RLM 76 on the bottom and sides trying to leave the preshading.

Then the 82/83 scheme on top.

Taking a few days off now as I think it will take that long for my hand to recover from the perma-cramp it is in. The MM RLM04 always seems very bright and garrish but tones down perfectly after a flat coat. Some gloss coat and markings are in order it would seem.

So lay it on me, how bad is it? I have to be honest, there was a point when I wanted to chunk it and both ab's into the trash can beside me!!

Whoa ho ho ho! Wow. Nice! You know by the year 2014 I'll have mine lookin that nice......

Good work Eric!!

How bad is it?...really?  That Dora looks fantastic!  Even your preshading is nice and neat.  Its looks a heck of alot better than my Dora turned out.  OCD and Modest?......LOL!

Joe

Eric, Please do not, I repeat DO NOT, sell yourself short. That paint job is simply excellent. You achieved a real nice finish and the pre shading comes through quite well. Did you mask the camo pattern or did you free hand that? If you did indeed mask, what did you use? I guess what I am impressed with most is that you did a great job of painting the 82/83 while still allowing the pre shade to work. I consider often how I might paint my rather intricate 75/83/84 pattern over a pre shade and get it to work. Again, masterful work indeed.

Joe

Eric, nothing to worry about there, that looks great. I do like that 82/83 scheme, don't think i have tried that yet.

Very nice Eric... Very nice indeed!

Thanks a lot everyone, your kind comments are really making my day!! I guess just knowing what I went through to get it and all the problems in laying it down is what makes me unhappy with it. In my head I imagine a smooth flowing, well covering process with my ab and it probably does work like that but not for me.......yet. Once I get it dialed in and figure it out though, oh baby!!

Joe-I did not mask the camo pattern itself on this one. Everything I have seen points to a very soft demarcation line and I have had zero luck achieving that using any kind of masking medium. I did use a pencil and kind of pencil in the camo just to use as a guideline. I applied the 82 first only painting in the areas that would receive it leaving the areas for the 83 unpainted and the preshade uncovered.

Mustang- I have no doubts yours will easily look as good, most likely better, well before 2014 my friend!

Nice work Jester. So you're using MM acrylics and thinning them with alcohol? I started out trying MM acrylics and that didnt' last long. I got a handle on spraying them ok, it was mainly because they lift when masked over that made me give em up. I found a good thinner was 70% iso mixed with distilled water, with some liquitex retarder. I mixed this up (forgot ratios) and kept it in a glass baby food jar. It seemed to spray better with this mixed as opposed to using their own thinner, or straight iso. I like those colors, the 82 looks about right. Next time if you think its too bright, just add a little 83 in to darken it.

Thanks for the tips Nathan. I plan on going by Hobby Lobby and picking up some retarder asap. I very much want to stay with acrylics but if I cant get them flowing right I may have to switch. I agree that using their own thinner doesn't help very much. As far as lifting, I have only had that happen once or twice but since then I have made it a point to always prime with a good flat enamel. That always seems to give the acrylics a good surface to hold onto for me.

How bad is it? Really...

Dont be so hard on yourself, that looks amazing. I wish that mine turned out so clean. 

I can understand why you would feel the way you do, there is a picture in your head of how you expect it to be, then the artwork in the kit itself, and then your results.  And for me at least, they never seem to match up completely.

Once again Great job.

Matt

I am so happy to see everyones great progress in the GB! You guys are doing fantastic, Just wanted to say that I have been falling behind on mine a bit do to a move, work and some other issues, but I am still plugging away and will post some pics soon.

Meanwhile, keep up the awesome work!!!

Will

Have to take a few days off from the build, I have friends coming in from Ohio that I have not seen in over 25 years. All the pics of the FW's I have seen here looks outstanding! Also these birds seems to have one fit issue or another which is coming to light but for fellow builders that is good to know and learning ways of how to overcome them. More later...

Hey Nathan... I had from time to time a problem with lifting paint but have cut way down on the problem by doing a few extra things, and you may well do them already, haven't heard too many talk about it.To start, I wash the parts while on sprue in warm water and dish soap , assy as normal, buff lightly with scotch-brite (fine scotch-brite)Wipe down with rubbing alcohol then prime, scotch-brite again wipe down w/ alcohol again then begin paint, When I paint I cut acrylics (MM / Tamiya) with either denatured alcohol or lacquer thinner, paint and surface permitting. some  paints dont like alcohol and sludge up. so far I've had pretty good luck with that process. I'd love to here from others on how they prep and paint. Thanks...

Doug

Your process is very very close to mine Doug. I generally don't wash any sprue however I do give the whole thing a light buff with I believe 0000 steel wool, prime with enamel, light buff again and then paint. Since doing it this way I've had zero paint lift. On my Dora here, I literally applied

tape no more than 15 minutes after I had painted the fuse id bands and tail.

Yes sir... Steel wool works great as long as you soak in LT or such to remove any oil... Works good for me too Jester. The only reason I pre wash the parts is to remove any silicone on parts from molding process. Its probably over kill but I guess its just become a habit over the years. (ha). I know I said it befor, but your paint does look great. Keep up the good work Eric and love the progress!

Take care...

Doug

Steel wool eh?..I never thought of that.  I usually wash the sprues with Dawn dish detergent and warm water.  Once the frame is assembled and ready for primer, I wipe it down with 91% Isopropyl Alcohol to remove any oils that may have transferred from my hands during assembly.  Except for one recent resin P-47 N cockpit, which refused to take paint, I've never had any issues with this method.   

Anyways, I'm in for an update.  I got Hubl's "White 5" decaled the other day.  I ended up using and old left over Aeromaster sheet I had on hand for the majority of the markings and stencils.  The "white 5", tail number, kill markings, and prop spiral were from the kit decals.  I have to apologize  for saying that Hasegawa decals were s#$t since I had absolutely no trouble with the prop spiral under Micro Sol...go figure. 

Last night I added a black Flory wash.  I love this product.  Its frustrating when you first apply it due to surface tension (as Nathan and Joe R pointed out...LOL).   I found that persistence helped and you just needed to slop it on.  Eventually it would break down a bit and get into those lines as it starts to dry a bit.   

I also added brakes lines to the landing gear this afternoon then attached them to the plane.  I found a set of True Details wheels at my LHS so I decided add them.  They were for an A-8 but they looked close enough to the kit parts, and better detailed to boot.   I hope to be finishing this guy up in a few days.   

Joe

Ok Joe(lawdog). You gotta stop and let the rest of us catch up! Ha ha.... Youre birdie looks really nice. I only hope mine turns out close to that. Man I've been trying for(and this is no kidding) the last 2-1/2 hrs to get on the forum due to this sucky ass internet provided by Days Inn here in Garland. Last time I use these guys. My dealer selected my stay here and I will fix that crap for next week!  Suns of beeches couldnt give me what I wanted but thats all good.because I stopped by and got the business card for the La Quinta next week tonight thats about two miles away from here and has WAY  better internet, less theft and a whole lot less outside racket than what I have put up with here. Oh well I guess I have a roof over my head.

  Gonna re work the idea for the mottle pattern on mine. Going with Chuck W's idea instead of my own. That guy has it goin on with paint. As far as paint lifting due to tape I use the ol peel the tape and stick it on my jeans and remove it a couple of times as Doogs ATX has suggusted and then apply it to the model for masking. I have had zero paint lifting problems with ANY paint I use after that. It works great(even with MM acrylics).