AIRCRAFT - Natural metal finish group build (ends 10/31/04)

Hi guys my P-38L is finished ,here is the link.
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=20885

and here is a little peek..Thanks for letting me participate it was fun.

as for me still waiting the b-18 from avusk. been almost five months since i ordered it. beginning to get annoyed with the whole thing. may scrap the project and do a b-17 or something. was told two months ago that it would be sent out soon. angry words and such wont make a difference so i wont use them. however i dont believe i will be ordering anything else from them.
the p-38 is about to be started. i am concerned with the foil i am going to use to get the nmf. to that end i want to begin this a little early (it is for the dday build also). i want to have the option of using something else if the foil doesnt agree with me.

joe

Okies Ill be doing Eaglestons P-51D from hasegawa kit. Starting tonight with any luck and with some more luck Ill post pics.

You're in.

Ok so Im in?

GO FOR IT.

Hmmm.... 5 mos to finish? Would it be to late to join? Ive been itching to do a P-51D with Eagleston's markings.

god's honest truth - haven't even started. Between work and wrastlin' with 5 harriers. I gots me mits full.

Okay, it's nearly 5 months until the official end date, and i just wanted to ask how people's builds are comming along. As for me, the F-86 is still awaiting the last few decals to be printed by a friend at my IPMS, and the B-17G is still in the pre-assembly painting stage.

I don't have any pictures to post just yet because my whole family made off with all the Digicams sicne they're all in New York at the moment, and i've been left behind to mind the house...

Since I'm already working on it, I'll jump in with my 1/48 Arii Ki-44 'Tojo'. 10/31/04 sound reasonable even with the other two group builds -especially since 'Pear Habor' does not have an official end date :)

QUOTE: Originally posted by kath Your living room aka hangar! Gear up or down and where's the pics? Greenbacks on the way or do you have them thanks for the reply Nick

Yeah, my living room's becoming quite a museum...have data sheets in nice acrylic frames on each aircraft right underneath them.

Gear up, which was a bear with this kit (fit had some issues)...but it turned out well. Pictures are on the way, soon as I take my film in for developing. Hoping they come out okay, my camera is 13 years old and not very good...I'll see what I can do.

Your living room aka hangar! Gear up or down and where's the pics?
Greenbacks on the way or do you have them thanks for the reply
Nick

I'm done! Finished it this weekend, got it hung up as well. I'll post pictures as soon as this next roll gets developed (few more days at least).

To anyone considering building a B-29 in 1/48...be sure to have a lot of space available to display it! This thing is a monster! I didn't realize quite how big it was until it was up in my living room...good grief! But I love it (and so does my wife).

Since I built it using after-market decals, I still have all the nose-art and tail-markings for "Humpin Honey" and "Cream of the Crop" in case anyone needs decals.

Hi guys
i just finished a quick build to practice the nmf, its the old matchbox Saab Tunnan.
http://img34.photobucket.com/albums/v104/mikesmodels/mikes_pics_034.jpg
I used Alclad2 polished aluminium.
i think i got the hang of this stuff....now where's that P-51 Mustang??

Mike

One more thing about using BMF... I notice that although Q-tips are great for burnishing the stuff, you really have to watch it because they shed 'hairs' and then if you burnish over a hair that has fallen on your model, well by gum it shows up- and then you have to pull the foil off off and apply a new piece. So you have to be paranoid that each panel you do is really, really clean of any minute debris before you foil it.

Welcome onboard Mike!
how does it work?? discuss ,build ,paint ,share...but not necessary in that order.
most of all enjoy!

I am going to build my 1/48 Tamiya P-51D mustang "big beautiful doll" for this nmf build. Whilst on the subject, how does this group build thing work ? i never done one before!
I am using Alclad2 for nmf very succesfully.

Mike

Thanks shrikes and fightnjoe.glad you liked it.I have just sprayed the wheel wells.
The olive drab anti glare panels are next.

I think I am about halfway through doing BMF on my 1/72 Constellation. I love how the stuff looks, but boy one has to be careful to do pieces that are from panel line to panel line. I'm using Q-tips to burnish the stuff in, really makes it look like polished aluminum as oppose to chrome. As I have never used BMF before, this was a honker of project to start with, but an hour here and there during the week and it slowly comes together. I would hazard a guess, though, that it is so time consuming I doubt I'd ever do this again. I DO think this is gonna look trick, however...

yeehah12001,

I haven't found a true blow by blow for Alclad application, but here are 2 links I'm sure you will find of interest.

http://www.largescaleplanes.com/tips/MikeMcLeod/NMF/nmf.htm

http://www.alclad2.com/

From my own experience, I'll add that NMF's require the best seam work you can muster up. I've found the CA glues to be the best filler when required, and that means hitting the glue joint with some kicker and then working with sanding sticks from coarse to polishing stick withina half hour of gluing. As for Alclad in particular, it is really designed to be applied over a primer since it is strongly lacquer based. And it is designed to get varying shades by using the various colors they sell and taping off individual panels and spraying as you choose the colors. I have read of people using the SnJ polishing powder to achieve varying hues and shades of the same base color which is like using the SnJ technique with Alclad. I'm sure it would work, but I have never done it myself. As to the durability of the finish, Alcad is very durable adn can be fully taped over. I swear by Tamiya tape, but any low tack drafting tape should work just fine. The tough finishing system to work with is the metallizer line sold by Testors in their Model Master line. They are impossible to tape over without sealing and I have neve been happy with how the shades change when you clear coat it, so I use Alclad and SnJ. Personally SnJ is my favorite for airframes and I use ALclad Aluminum for landing gear struts that were painted silver laquer at the factory. Hope this helps and a few web searches will probably bring up a few more site for reference. Maybe Obiwan can charm in here, by te looks of his P-38 he knows a few tricks..........Good luck and have fune!!

Update: I'm 99% done with my B-29. I just need to do one final coat of Testors Dull Coat over the engine nacelle's where I touched them up after attaching (bugger to fit, that's for sure...thank goodness for CA). Taking pictures, but probably won't have them back until next week. Will post when I do.

Hmmm... too bad i haven't found any of that stuff here. By the looks of Obiwan's P-38, Alclad2 is fantastic stuff!! I guess I'm stuck with gloss aluminium.

i am sorry liam, i have never used the stuff.

obiwan looking very good.

joe

12-05-04
Guys, the LHS here in Ireland has just got some Alcald2. Can someone please advise exactly how to use this? I have heard it ca nbe a nightmare to work with with regard to masking and decals and sealing afterwards. Where can I get a run-down, step by step, blow by blow tutorial on how to use this?

Just wanna try it.
Liam

Hi scotsman and welcome to the groupbuild .I am sure
everyone will be delighted with you NMF addition and
such an important aircraft too.

As for my progress here it is.All buffed up and showing
a little blemish on the port wing root that looks like it needs to be fixed.
The paint is Alcald2 "Polished alluminium"
hope you like it.

Can I "cheat" and throw in my 1/48 Monogram B-29 I just finished even though it was not built by the intent of this group build? I took the re-issued kit and built it to the instructions of the original issue to make "Enola Gay". Probably a dead horse subject, but if it motivated me to get through this, then it was the right one for me. I found an original set of decals and photocopied them to make frisket stencils for the circle R fin insignia and the large 82 on the aft portion of the fuse. Then I searched out the USAAF stencils so I could make up the small 82 on the nose, the "No Smoking Within 100 Ft." stencil for the nose gear doors. I used a scan of the original decals to make "Enola Gay" nose art and the remainder of the decals came from the kit supplied version except the stars and bars, they came from the Aeromaster B-29 insigina set (The reissue decals of the stars and bars were to dark for my liking. Was fun making an old subject with scarce decals. NMF was done via SnJ and a lot of tamiy atape and polishing with Q-tips. I had to add the weighted tires from True Details, being a heavy bomber and all. Found a gentelman out west who sells the molded nose weights so I didn't have to use the clear sprue crutch to keep her on her feet correctly. The seams are far from perfect, but they look good after you back off a few inches, which is what you really have to do with a model this big anyway. The inerior is all there, but tough to see, such is life. NMF are my favorite subject and always produce infinte challenges it seems. Keep polishing, eventually all the paint will come off.....................

QUOTE: Originally posted by knight667 QUOTE: Originally posted by fightnjoe glad you joined. cant wait to see some pics. joe No digital camera, so I'll have to use my 35mm and scan the photos in. Try to do that soon!

i still look forward to them. should be a fantastic group build. so many members so much plastic.

joe

For anyone working on a 1/48 B-29...I have a set of Aeromaster "B-29's Over Korea Pt. I " decals if anyone wants to buy/trade them (not sure if this is the right forum for this, but since most B-29s were NMF...).

You can see the sheet here

They make digital throw aways now too don't forget. I don't know how they work or what they cost. you can also get your images on CD Rom. Welcome to the GB and the Forum.

What do you think guys should I let him in? Well I guess so.

Just kidding knight welcome aboard. Great to have new faces from new places here.

QUOTE: Originally posted by fightnjoe glad you joined. cant wait to see some pics. joe

No digital camera, so I'll have to use my 35mm and scan the photos in. Try to do that soon!