Doog claims you can get subtle affects with blacks (I can testify there are many types of the color, having made five different chromatic blacks last week) but his videos show really subtle changes. Not sure if you'd see them with the eye. (You can simply mottle around a panel line if you want it to stand out as Doog points out.) But the Beaufighter I'm working on will be mostly a medium hue blue/gray and I think it will work very well if I do it right. I also have big hopes for olive drab - look at photos of US aircraft (especially in the PTO) before NMS - it's like many were painted twelve different colors.

Doog didn't invent black basing - I'd guess almost every technique has been used by some good modeler or another for a long time. Many armor fans today use "black and white" base coat prep for weathering and some practioners use a kind of mottling. (There's a neat channel on YTube: Andy's Hobby Headquarters. He has a bucket of 30 minute builds - mostly tanks. He always primes with Tamiya NATO Black. I think Andy does some of the best "fast build" kits I've ever seen - he also plays light classical music which is fine by me. And he's a great Tamiya fan.) But I haven't used black basing and might as well try it - if it gets that irregular fruit salad color variation shown by so many planes, I'll be very happy. (I suppose the opposite would be the super gloss aimed for by many car builders. I have a TR3 in my stash - almost tempting to try getting a showroom paint job just to see how it's done.)

Eric

Nice idea Chris.

Steve, kep us updated on how that works out.

Nice Hurricanes, Fred and rigidrider.  Well-done!

Greg

 checkmateking02

Greg: I'm sorry that I didn't take photos of masking the landing gear--or any of the masking. I didn't think it would be of interest. I can describe what I did, if it'll help.

 No need to be sorry, my friend. Your detailed description is most helpful.

I've tried the inside out masking before, and I've tried stuffing with wet tissue (you used napkins). The inside out is too flimsy, the tissue doesn't form the greatest seal.

Doing both is a great idea. The wadded paper should help keep the tape in place. Thanks!

Reason I asked, I've been getting away with installing landing gear as one of the last touches on my 1:48 builds. But on larger models like this one, I'd prefer to have a very good plastic to plastic bond (weld), and it seems best to do it earlier. Same for flimsy gear on smaller models, I'd think.

So that was very helpful, Thanks again. 

Incidentally, don't 'ya just hate it when life's little unpleasantries, such as vacations, get in the way of our hobby? 

checkmateking02

They dried pretty hard, so I had to resoak them to pull them out.

I never thought of that, thanks!

I've used tissue paper, the kind that gifts are wrapped in a couple of times to stuff wheel wells, not so much lint.

Justin - Your Lancasters is coming along very nicley, cant wait to it finished.

CM - Your Handley-Page is going together very well, brilliant subject matter.

Steve - Sorry about the problems with the undercarriage well, Im sure you will come up with a succesful solution to repair the mishap. At least the Jaguar is comming along at a nice rate and should be a great looking beast when completed.

Rigidrider & Fred - Great work on the pair of Hurricanes you guys are building.

Eric -  I also watched "Doog's" youtube video on the black baseing method of creating panel definition, but I would need to find the right subject to try it with.

If I missed anybody sorry, I have been offline fighting some personal demons.

Greg

 

 

checkmateking02

They dried pretty hard, so I had to resoak them to pull them out.

 

 

I never thought of that, thanks!

I've used tissue paper, the kind that gifts are wrapped in a couple of times to stuff wheel wells, not so much lint.

 

Guys, depending on th application, I use two methods...

Soft spongy foam or bathroom tissue. The soft foam comforms well but if I have the gears in place then I use bathroom tissue to wrap the gears and an eye dropper to wet the tissue to make it fit and hold.

Going through vacation photos, downloading them to the laptop, I found these--the nose canopy and the upper and lower gun turret canopies masked for painting.  I managed to get them painted before leaving, but didn't get any pictures taken before pesky vacationing interrupted.

damouav:  thanks for the comment!

Greg and pj:  good information on techniques.  I'll keep those in mind.

Chris, that worked great! Got the wheel well in and re-glued. I will defiantly have to remember that if or when it happens again. You Rock 

Guys,I will be leaving for Dallas Thursday for preliminary testing for a future lung transplant. I'm planning on returning on Sunday but there is a very slight chance they will want me to stay for additional testing on this trip. Either way I won't be doing any more work on the Tonka until I return.

Steve

Check, Doug, and Fred,  Nice progress all - interesting builds.

Steve,  Hope that idea works out for ya.

Finished up the decals on the Hurri in one sitting last night.  There weren't very many.  I kinda forgot how big some of these decals were in 1/48 scale.  Alot more film to flop around and get messed up.

I have to take care of a few silvered areas around the grey code letters.  But overall, they went on pretty good.  Micro-Sol didn't quite have a strong enouh effect on these Xtradecals.  Some of them are lifted or bubbled between the ribbed areas of the rear fuselage.  I'll try poking them with a pin and brushing on a bit of future.  That usually sucks 'em down and eliminates the silvering a bit.

Roundels went down over some heavy surface detail with several heavy applications of Micro-Sol.  When you get this close - you can tell she's brush painted.  In a few areas, I let the decals dry for a while, then sliced along the panel lines and hit 'em with a second coat of Sol to get them to melt in a bit.

I've got a bit of whitening around the edges of some decals.  This happens when I use MicroSol on a Futured surface sometimes.  I'll just repaint over the whitened areas. 

Only little pieces left !

Chris

Steve,

You dont know me, but I sincerly wish you the very best and hope that you have every success in the best outcome for your medical hurdle.

Damian

Chris,

Nice work, almost over the line. Keep up the great work!

CM - Did you use a liquid masking fluid on your canopies? They are very sharp indeed!

modelcrazy

Chris, that worked great! Got the wheel well in and re-glued. I will defiantly have to remember that if or when it happens again. You Rock 

Guys,I will be leaving for Dallas Thursday for preliminary testing for a future lung transplant. I'm planning on returning on Sunday but there is a very slight chance they will want me to stay for additional testing on this trip. Either way I won't be doing any more work on the Tonka until I return.

 

Steve

 

Great job Steve and thats a very handy tip.

Best wishes for your trip, lets hope the tests go well and you get good results.

Looking good Chris, almost there.

Steve,

You must've hit send on your last message while I was writing my message last night.  I didn't see that you had already performed the  gear-well-lollipop  maneuver.   That looks . . .     well  . . .      it doesn't really look anything !  I can't see it !   And that my friend is exactly what I was hoping !    I figure you were too.  

I wish you the best on your testing this week.  Take care Man.

Chris

CMK02: Great job there on the canopies! Another reason there I don't do many bombers since I hate masking those greenhouse canopies. Enjoy your vacation!!!

Steve: Looks good, you've got things under control. My thoughts and prayers that everything goes well. 

Chris: Nice work! If masking is my most hated part of aircraft modeling decaling is my favorite. One question though, won't the white areas around the decals go away as the everything totally dries out? 

Steve, I too wish you the best. My thoughts are with you and have been since you mentioned your health issues.

We'll have the lights on for 'ya when you get back.

plasticjunkie

Guys, depending on th application, I use two methods... Soft spongy foam or bathroom tissue. The soft foam comforms well but if I have the gears in place then I use bathroom tissue to wrap the gears and an eye dropper to wet the tissue to make it fit and hold.

Thanks for the ideas, Ernie.

CMK, update photos whilst on vacation. Now that's dedication.

Chris, looking good. 

OHH crap!! Sorry I missed the health issue part Steve. Hope all goes well. Wishing you the best buddy!!

engine done , well that was fun not , what was i thinking lol

Gamera

Chris: Nice work! If masking is my most hated part of aircraft modeling decaling is my favorite. One question though, won't the white areas around the decals go away as the everything totally dries out? 

Thanks Gamera,

The whitening tends to tone down a little after a few hours - but no - It usually doesn't totally go away.  I usually wind up applying a thin paint coat to make it invisible.  I do the same thing with silvering that I just can't eliminate otherwise.  Painting over the silvering just covers it up.

And thanks Damien, Bish and Greg.

Fred,         What !        Do you have some incredible shrinking machine or something ?   Build a Hurricane in 1/24th scale - Set the machine at 1/3rd - pop it in - wait five minutes and . . . beeeeep !   Out come's Fred's new 1/72 Hurricane.

That's nice scratched detail in 1/72 man.

Chris

Fred: Lotta work but it looks really good! 

Chris: Ahhh, thanks for explaining. I've had the whitening happen before on MM acrylic gloss but if I wait till everything is good and dry it vanishes. My apologies.  

Bossman

Fred, What ! Do you have some incredible shrinking machine or something ? Build a Hurricane in 1/24th scale - Set the machine at 1/3rd - pop it in - wait five minutes and . . . beeeeep ! Out come's Fred's new 1/72 Hurricane.

Those are my thoughts, put into words much better than I could do myself.

That's pretty neat, Fred.

If decals are causing trouble I'd suggest a trip to You Tube. Search "Expert Model Craft" and you should get an hour long video - really a series of ten minute videos on various modeling techniques, done by Geoff Illsley. The gent is a veteran modeler and judge at major shows in Europe. Between roughly 32:00 - 41:00 of the tape is a section on decals. Note, he recommends the use of distilled water unless you're lucky enough to live where the water isn't made "hard" by mineral traces. He specifically addresses decal film and how he eventually gets the decal to meld into the model itself after Mico Set is applied. Do note he applies them on a very gloss surface and seals them with Tamiya Clear after everything is done. The gent is a little old school, (strongly against preshading however) but everything done shows great attention to detail and often includes steps not taken by many modelers. (I bought Windsor Newton spirit based matte varnish that he praises to the sky for a final "eggshell" finish when done with an airbrush and thinned. If sprayed straight, I've been told, the finish is very smooth and very flat. I've long used Dullcoate from a spray can - it does make the surface flat, but leaves it a little rough which is good for applying filters, but not ideal for a final finish.) His section on clear parts - right after decals - impressed me and I'll be trying his techniques on the present model. I'm also going to try uber-uber-guru Paul Budzik's technique for masking canopies. (His less preferred style that is - Budzik is nutcake about scale issues and insists if you want a good canopy you have to sand it down, polish it to a super shine, and use the paint itself as the canopy frame. Yikes. Budzik has talent and desire for perfection that I admire greatly but will never match. If you haven't seen one of his video, check one out on You Tube - the one on primers will get your attention methinks.) I'll report in later on the success or lack thereof of a growing list of things I've never tried that will all go into the Beaufighter.

Eric

Bossman

 

I've got a bit of whitening around the edges of some decals.  This happens when I use MicroSol on a Futured surface sometimes.  I'll just repaint over the whitened areas. 

Only little pieces left !

Chris

 

Great looking Hurricane. Did you wait at least one day before using the solution over Future? I usually wait a couple of days to avoid that very same reaction.

Chris... Looking Good!, Cmk, Great job on canopys! Canopies can be the pits...

Well, I'm going to try Flickr again and see if its working yet, Here we go,,,

A little more progress on my Hurricane...

Well Just D**n... Still doing the same thing... Aint going through this today... I'll be back when it works again.

Doug

Fredthefoot`s Models

thanks Bossman lol i must be mad lots bad words when doing it . thanks gamera glad thats done . Next job: cut one the wings gun panels up and play with that can see more bad words coming lol

 

O, scracthed gun bays as wel, that will be fun. I am just grateful for resin.