we need popcorn for our emoticons so i can sit and watch! 

Bob: Interesting, looking forward to seeing how it works. 

Bob - If I recall correctly, the F-22 has the Have Glass finish on it, and while I haven't used it myself, I have heard that Mr. Paint's Have Glass finish is a good match for it, though you'd want to decal first, since the markings have the sheen and the Have Glass finish is a bit rough.

http://www.hobbyworld-usa.com/Store/index.php?id_product=5311&controller=product

In any case, can't wait to see how it comes out. I just cored the 1/48 Hasegawa Raptor and am itching to start it when it arrives.

-BD-

Bob, be interested to see how your Raptor sheen comes out.

BK, Aires does do a resin pit for that kit and a couple of other 72nd raptors.

This is the look I'll be trying to duplicate.  It has a sort of pearlescent metallic sheen, depending on how the light hits it.  Most modelers match it by mixing metallics with gray paint, but I'm going to try something a little different.

Nick, I'm glad you like it. It's been a very enjoyable GB.

Bob, I too have heard that the kit has a sparse cockpit due to lack of info for it. I thought someone had a resin pit for it, but I'm not sure there. Interesting about the canopy I'd like to know whats up with that. I am looking forward to seeing your paint work. That sounds like a very interesting color.

BK

Finally got started on the F-22.  The cockpit is fairly sparse, but apparently it's classified and no photos of it exist online.  I'm basing the colors on what is visible from the ground and in in-flight refueling photos, and the F-18E cockpit as a fallback.  I work in simulation and we have an F-18 trainer at work so I'm very familiar with it, and it's roughly the same era.  I'm so tempted to add detail, but since it would be speculative, and I'm treating this model as a warm-up to get back into building, I left it OOB.

Ran into a strange problem with the canopy.  It came with what looks like a little fleck of black paint on it.  Trouble is, it appears to be molded into the canopy itself.  I tried sanding and buffing on both sides, and it didn't make a difference.  I gave up.

I've also been experimenting with the finish.  The F-22 has a metallic sheen, and I think I'll paint it with regular paints and overcoat with PMF with Jacquard Pearl EX Multipearl pigment mixed in.  In my tests, that gives the look I'm aiming for.

Hi BK I really like this subject the builds here are beautiful 

Matt, glad to see you back. I am looking forward to watching your kit come together.

BK

I am glad that this group build has been extended.  I have yet to complete the resurection of my workbench post move, but have located the kit I was building for this.  It survived the move, mostly, but I am missing one elevon and am having to order the replacement from Lucky Model.  I ordered it once already, based off the replacement table in the instructions, but the incorrect sprue arrived, so I am contacting them again to seek the correct parts.

Keep up the great work!

<Matt

Welcome JJ, looks like a cool kit. 

Piers, thats come out really well. Really like the colour, going to be great seeing that all decalled up.

Enjoy the skiing.

Jet, you bet. We would love to watch you build this one up. Welcome !

BK

If crossovers are okay, I'd like to join in with a 1/72 Revell F-22 Raptor that I also posted in the Interceptors GB.  Like I said in that thread, this will be my first model in about 15 years, not including the kit I'm currently helping my son with.  This will probably be a straight OOB exercise to knock the rust off my skills.  Figure if I post it here I can get extra opinions, and I can use the feedback as I get back into building.

Piers, I'll PM you my shopping list. The excess baggage should be OK.

Seriously, travelling to Japan is on my bucket list. Have a great time, look forward to seeing this thing finished when you get back.

Cheers

Tony

The paint issues look to be behind you. I love how it looks, it's really quite nice. I hope you have a wonderful vacation and we will see you when you get back.

BK

Cool, sounds like a lot of fun!

Thanks Cliff,

I am certainly thinking of you in the northern hemisphere - I'm heading north after the cold weather - back to Japan for the skiing!

And a quick visit to the hobby shops in Osaka on the way home...

Piers

LA: Looks fantastic in the photos! I have no idea why the paint should be acting like that, I thought I'd had every paint problem that could happen by now but so far that one has (thankfully) eluded me.

Enjoy your vacation! You guys are the middle of summer down there right? Think of us freezing our tails off up here in the northern hemisphere, then go back to enjoying the weather!

Thanks Tony, sounds like a similar brew, may have to try the Tamiya thinner.

Okay,

I painted black on the Cobra today this time using the Tamiya acrylic thinner and see how that works.

Where I had the Tamiya tape on the orange paint, marks (fainter) were left again, after 11 days of drying this time. I used plastic for the bulk covering - reduced marking of the paint compared to before but it is still happening.

After the masking came off, it looked pretty good:

Now I am on vacation for a couple of weeks, so hopefully all the paint should be set by the time I am back. Then a gloss coat, decals and another gloss coat and finish up. That's the plan...

I have the Gunze levelling thinner, but most of the time I just use Tamiya Lacquer Thinner with Gunze acrylic paint, as I've found it works very well. 

I've also mixed Tamiya and Gunze acrylic paints, that works ok too. 

My ratio is 1:1 with thinner, or even thinner if I want fine lines or mottle.

Cheers

Tony

No worries, Ken. We will be here when you load them up ringing our hands in anticipation.

BK

Hi Everyone,

I have yet to make it to Wally World for the Camera memory. I'm hoping for tomorrow, I guess I should say today

Honestly, that's the only thing I can think of. I literally spray it as thick as it will flow through the brush smoothly and not spit or splatter. Then I lay down a few coats and its literally dry to handle in a few minutes and I've never had finger prints in Gunze paints as I find them super durable. Good luck, I hope this fixes your issues.

The helo looks great by the way.

BK

Hi Brandon,

interesting points you bring up. I am using the Gunze Acrylic paints with the Gunze Levelling Thinner. I use roughly a 1:1 mix of paint and thinner, judged by eye as I touch the mixing stick to the side of the mix cup and watch it roll down. (what do you think your ratio is?) Could be too much thinner and trying too thick a coat. I haven't had any paint runs, but I do run at 15 psi normally. And thinking back I had a similar issue with the green I used for a Lotus - fingerprints showed up really easily on that.

I have not tried mixing by ear yet, I will see if I can replicate your method with my airbrush, looks like I have a bit of playing to do.

Don't think it is the tamiya tape, it has been fine on many other paints and surfaces.

Thanks for the comments, I will have to have a play with ratios, thinners, pressures and drying time before I try it on a model.

LA, hmm, I've been using Gunze paints for some time now and have zero troulbes with them. They dry so fast I usually mask over them the same day, sometimes only minutes after painting. There are only two things I can think of that may cause issues. ONE, perhaps the tape has an aggressive adhesive and causes issues, or TWO the amount of leveling thinner is too high. I find that with Gunze paints you have to add the thinner just to the point where it sprays without making any "noise'. In other words, I thin only until it flows out with the same sound I get when I move water through my brush. Otherwise, it's either too thin and runs or too thick and spits. It's a funny paint, but I never have trouble with it when I mix by sound. You did say it was Mr Color leveling thinner right?

BK

LA, you must have had your tongue in the wrong position as you were spraying. Every now and then, these things happen, almost inexplicably. If it was mine, that thing would go to the Shelf of Doom for a longish sentence. I was admiring your work on this build though, it's a really striking scheme.

Cheers

Tony

LA: ACK! Beautiful job on the masking and then having it mess up the paint I think I'd just have to walk away for a little bit there. Damn shame! No idea here why it'd do anything like that, I mean gloss coats are thicker and take longer to dry but four days seem plenty long with moderate tempatures and humidity. 

Also got the main and tail rotors painted in their distictive black and white scheme. Same issues with the tape biting into the white paint after 4 days of drying.

Gamera

LA: Looking forward to the photos. In that heat seems like it would dry pretty quickly! 

 

Hi Cliff,

I would have thought so too, but I still let the white set for four days before masking and putting down the orange:

But it seems that four days were not enough as the tape has left impressions on the gloss white - even the paper that I was using for a mask stuck to the paint and delaminated. Very frustrated and I can't tell why it has happened. Was about 25 degrees and moderate humidity when I sprayed the white, and has got into the 30s since. Today was 32 degrees, but not humid. This has happened before to me with gloss white, but not every time. I am using Gunze white (prefer Tamiya for opacity) with their Levelling thinner as lots of people do. Gives a better gloss, and in the past has been hard after a day.

Don't know if you can see the tape marks at the colour boundary, or the paper fibres in the paint on the top fairing.