US CARRIER AVIATION GROUP BUILD 2013

Tony, thanks for that foil tip,,,,,that will probably go faster then cutting cardstock with scissors

I will give that a try next time

"Greg: GBs are about having fun, building some stuff "together" and also helping each other to make everyone's build as much fun as possible! So feel free to ask any question, no matter how stupid it might sound to you, and I will do my best to answer it. I think a lot of the guys here will agree with me and I'm sure we can and WILL help you out!"

THIS is why I'm on this web-site!  I agree whole heartedly with this!  I have learned so much just from reading the posts!  Washing parts before building......heard about it but never thought about it until reading the last few pages in this thread!  Foil as a mask.....who'd of thunk that!   My builds are still on the lower end of the learning curve, but each time I read a tip or trick here, and it improves my next build, then I can say there is progress!  Thanks to everyone for their tips, tricks, and willingness to help!

Eagle90

Well.  I almost finished the Viking this weekend.  Got the gear installed, the canopy painted (still need to tint it)  and most of the gear doors on,  I really don't like gear doors.

John

John, looking better and better as you finish it off.

John, watching your Viking progress has been most enlightening, and also humbling for me.

By "humbling", I mean your initial assy pics really threw me off. In my own inexperience, for whatever reason I wasn't seeing the potential of this particular kit. Thank you for opening my eyes and my mind by sharing your WIP and showing me a great example of how it's done!

Looks just great!

Everyone,  I'm so overwhelmed by all the fantastic input regarding my challenge I need to have another cup of coffee or two before replying, stand by......

Greg,

   Thanks for the complement, I've really been learning as I'm going, by reading and seeing what everyone else is doing.  It's fun to experiment, although when things go bad it's frustrating. especially when the twizzerpult and carpet monster keep trying to get my parts.  Like dropping the canopy right in front of the dogs muzzle,  Aaaaaaaa!!   Good thing she was sleeping.

Have I said how much I like Walthers decal setting solution, good for those old decal that insist on silvering

John

That's some awesome work, John! The weathering looks really nice!

Greg: That picture you posted almost made me cry. Especially after all the nice and hard work you out into this model. I'm sure you can fix that though.

I just picked my Wildcat up today and I will continue working on it tomorrow...

Cheers, Clemens

Tony: That's an awesome tip with the foil! I have to try that myself in the future.

Tarn, your idea of using cardstock (or other stuff) as a filler between masking tape is brilliant. This is going to help me during the repair to avoid pulling even more paint off. Ideas like this always amaze me, because once pointed out, it's a "why didn't I think of that" moment. :) Thanks!

Dre, Thanks for the Simple Green tip. Dutifully filed away for the future. Thanks for reminding me that I'm going to have to do some sanding. I think I would have, but..................  :)

Tony, add my name to the list of those who really like your aluminum foil idea. I'm sure I am going to try it during my upcoming repair job. Brilliant, really. Thanks!

CMK, not good to know you have the occasional paint lift using enamels, but useful to know that enamel plus your lacquer thinner additive isn't a cure-all. Though not abandoning the enamel idea, I think I shall do some more testing first. Thanks!

Shivinigh, I am really liking the Tamiya acrylics I've tried so far, and based on your report I am going to make a special trip to the LSH to get some Tamiya primer to add to the tests I plan. Thanks!

Eagle, agreed 100%. Where else could a person make a boo boo like mine and end up with so many ideas and input to help period, let alone within hours? So very happy to be here.

John, you're welcome. And a jar of Walthers Solvaset is something I do have on hand for those stubborn decals when the time comes, but don't let that downplay your tip, you had no way of knowing and this is how I am discovering products as well as techniques that can help. Thanks!

Clemens, really glad you finally have that Wildcat in your possession! Thanks for all your ongoing help.

Hope I didn't miss anybody. So many great ideas to help me through the repair process. Thanks so much, gents.

You're welcome, mate! I'm glad I could help. Just let me know if you need anything else!

I think you can guess how happy I am to finally have that damn canopy in my hands! I still have to replicate a whole bunch of rivets. I am just about to finish one side of the kitten. I am taking my time for each rivet and I don't do more than 10 per day. Just to keep my hands from shaking too much (I have slightly shaky hands if I work on small parts too long, but It is getting better the more time I spend on building models...)

Cheers, Clemens

That is a beautiful Viking, John!  Nice work.

Wow that Viking is invredible. Love the weathering over the wings

I think I got a plan at how to tackle the weathering on my Wildcat (I'm almost done with making the new rivets, only 15 left...). Then I have to repaint the areas where the rivets were added and do some touch-ups on the light gray paint.

So here's what I thought I'll do to my kitten after the mentioned work:

• Spray some of the upper surfaces in a slightly lighter shade of blue (base-color mixed with some tan paint) to simulate bleached out paint
• Spray some areas in a new mix for the base-color (with a bit more blue added to the mix) to simulate touch-ups on the real aircraft
• Alclad gloss coat
• Apllication of decals
• Some chipping with the base color mixed with a bit more gray (applied with a brush)
• Another coat of Alclad gloss to seal the decals
• A panel-wash (not too sure on it's correct name) to bring out those panel-lines (balck and burnt umber oil-paints)
• Chipping with a silver pencil and some brushed on Vallejo Aluminium (mainly on the ger door edges, the very front of the cowling, some edges of often removed panels, wing roots, wing edges and the area around the canopy)
• Grime streaks on the lower surfaces using thinned down oil-paint
• A filter using blue, black, gray and burnt umber oil-paints (First time for me using a filter. Any tips?)
• Tamiya smoke for exhaust staining
• Black pigments around the machine guns and the exhausts to simulate soot streaks
• Alclad flat coat
• Some streaks of oil paint only thinned down a little bit to simulate grime on the landing gear, gear bays and the engine (I still have to paint that one up...)

It is a long list and I will take my time for each step, as I want the plane to look kinda beaten up. (next one will be a lot cleaner, because I don't want every aircraft model to look the same)

If there is anything to add/improve on this list, please let me know.

I should add at this point, that more than half of the stuff I listed is completely new to me, so any tips, tricks and advice would be much appreciated.

I am really happy if you guys are only half as eager responding to me, as you were with Greg's problem.

Please just post any advice, I am sure that almost everything you will write in here is new to me...

Cheers, Clemens

That's a pretty comprehensive plan of attack, Clemens.   With all that, I'm not so sure that a dot filter is needed as your already planning on tonal modulation and subsequent grime streaking.   Plus...  a dot filter would effectively become a panel wash (as you work it into the paint, it will collect in the panel lines).

So what do you suggest leaving out? The filter, the color modulation, or the panel wash?

Personally, I'd skip the dot filtering and just go head with the rest of your plan.  You have enough weathering planned that it seems unnecessary IMO.  But, this is just my singular opinion- wait and see what others say about your plan.  (additionally- I've only done dot filtering on armor, never tried it on an aircraft)

I do like that you're doing the chipping at various stages- perhaps some small paint patches along the way to suggest continual maintenance?   When I weather heavy, I like to think of how the machine got into the condition it's shown as the final product and work backwards to that appearance.

Thanks for the advice, Dre! I'll add some paint patches before every clear coat. I think that should be enough.

Hey everyone!  Been a while but I finally got some bench time with the Dauntless.  Not much detail in the cockpit, but the exterior has a lot more detail than I thought it would.  It's really popping out as I paint it.  I got a little over spray when I was ABing the grey, but that was because I turned the model too quick at one point.  I haven't had the time to get any silly putty for masking, and I got impatient.  But it turned out pretty well I think.  I'm learning the Tamiya paints are great for beginning ABers.  You can pour the paint right out of the bottle and spray it.  Some others I have tried need a little work before spraying them (they will clog up an AB in a heartbeat...but you guys already knew that right).  The white you see in between the air brakes is just tissue to help not get paint on to the red interior of the brakes.  A couple of spots to clean up and I'll be ready to move on.  Thanks for looking!

Eagle90

That looks good, Eagle.

checkmateking02

That looks good, Eagle.

Thank you sir!  The exterior detail (I'll try to get better shots) is much better than I thought.  It seems to be enhancing  with every AB run.  I've done 3 light coats and it looks pretty good.  Tamiya is becoming my favorite paint!  Thank you again for the kind words.

Eagle90

Looking nice, Eagle!

Would you guys do me a favor and look at the previous page? I posted a list of tortures my Wildcat has to go through. Any tipps and advice would be great... Especially on where I should apply all those tecniques...

Cheers, Clemens

SchattenSpartan

Looking nice, Eagle!

Would you guys do me a favor and look at the previous page? I posted a list of tortures my Wildcat has to go through. Any tipps and advice would be great... Especially on where I should apply all those tecniques...

Cheers, Clemens

Sorry, Clemens.  I'm not good at weathering.  I can barely manage a pin wash.  But you should get some good points from the skilled artisans in that area.

Just thinking about doing what you're thinking about doing makes me think about a sedative. 

Eagle90- that looks good and that is a nice way of saving those dive brakes from a repaint!

Checkmate: LOL, nice use of words (kinda confusing if you read it the first time...) I don't need no sedative... I got mah glue-fumes

Dre

Eagle90- that looks good and that is a nice way of saving those dive brakes from a repaint!

Thank you Dre.  I spent a lot of time drilling those holes out with my little drill, then painted them carefully.  Just to glue the wings together and fuselage to realize I needed to protect them brakes some how!   I can touch them up if need be, but it seems to have worked well.  It was very time consuming doing the holes, but I am so glad I did it now.  Thanks again Dre for the kind words!

Eale90

Looking great, Eagle. All your work drilling is paying dividends. Your nice paint job so far really makes them pop! Maybe pop isn't the right word, they look good. :)

Clemens, I got worn out reading your plan/list. :) Wish I had the experience to add my 2 cents, but quite content reading and learning for now. :)

Greg

Looking great, Eagle. All your work drilling is paying dividends. Your nice paint job so far really makes them pop! Maybe pop isn't the right word, they look good. :)

Clemens, I got worn out reading your plan/list. :) Wish I had the experience to add my 2 cents, but quite content reading and learning for now. :)

Thank you sir!  After ABing, it looked great and all the time passed by quickly.  I'm doing more detail stuff on my builds as I go along, and this was something I knew I wanted to do when I picked the kit for the GB.  I'm glad I did now.  I'm excited because I have a 1/48 Hase -3 Dauntless!  But would you believe I'll have to drill the holes for the airbrakes on that kit too! 

Eagle90

Yes, Eagle, the drilled out dive breaks look exceptionally good.   I've got some Airfix and Hasegawa Dauntlesses in 1/72, but I don't know if I can duplicate your feat in that scale.

Nice work.

And, Clemens, I just ordered a new tube of Testors myself, so I guess I'll be OK.  

Oh the joys of old school SBD dive flaps... Nice work there