lostagain

Really good result there Harold. I know you had your frustrations, the end result is a beauty!
And it was good to have a root cause for your little spots that's something that won't be annoying you again - and we have all learnt something to look out for.

 

Harold

Really good result there Harold. I know you had your frustrations, the end result is a beauty!
And it was good to have a root cause for your little spots that's something that won't be annoying you again - and we have all learnt something to look out for.

Harold: Somehow I missed your post... 

Great work! I'm glad to see you finished her and what a beautiful job!!! Truely something to be proud of! 

Congrads!!! 

Blimey, its been a while since i had anything in there. My Mum is the only one who call's me Martin, to everyone else its Bish. My middle name is James, my Dad's middle name was Arthur, both taken from his Uncle, my Great Uncle, Arthur, who served on bofor's in WW2. Though unlike your uncle, my Great uncle never saw any action that i know of.

Really glad you stuck with that build, it turned out great.

Bish

Camo or not, thats come out really nice harold, it has a really nice finish. Glad you stuick with it, thank you. Will get the front page updated.

 

I used four new products that made painting window frames and installing windows and applying decals more realistic. Tamiya has a new masking tape for curves in 2mm, 3mm, 5mm and 12mm sizes. VMS in Poland offers a special glue for clear plastic parts like windows called Transpa Fix 6K that is very easy to use, dries clear and can be cleaned off painted surfaces without staining the paint. The clean-up product is called VMS Universal Weathering Carrier, but it removes Transpa glue off paint and paint brushes.

The other new product is VMS decal set & soften 2 in 1 which as you can see in the photographs below did not leave an outline of the decal. I have tried several decal set & softener products, and this is the best one I have used. The decals look as though they were painted on like the real thing.

I also used Vallejo 100% Acrylic resin, Gloss Varnish and Matt Varnish at 17 to 10 PSI diluted with water 2 drops for every 10 drops of acrylic resin. It dries quickly with a hard finish that looks realistic. A friend of mine who uses Vallejo tried diluting the varnish with thinner and it turned cloudy, so only use water for diluting (thinning). But do use thinner or air brush cleaner for cleaning your air brush. Water by it's self is not enough to get your air brush really clean.

Harold

"Martin! Get in here and put your models away!!

I found this little piece of information while looking in the Reader's Gallery. Bish my real name is James Harold, but the only one who called me that was my Grandma Schopp and my Mother since I was named after my Uncle Harold Schopp who flew Lancaster Bombers. When Grandma called me James Harold it was in a loving voice, but when my Mother called me James Harold it meant I was in serious trouble.

Camo or not, thats come out really nice harold, it has a really nice finish. Glad you stuick with it, thank you. Will get the front page updated.

Hello Harold, looks very good, and extra praise for sticking with it to the end.

regards,

Jack

Bish

Any news on this one Harold.

 

I used AK Interactive Elastic Putty the first time and MIG Masking Putty the second and both times I developed spots on the lighter green paint, but both masking products are advertised oil-free. I also used Natural Rubber Latex Exam Gloves while applying the masking putty so I would not get oil or moisture from my hands on the paint.

Each time I stripped the paint off the canopy with VMS Clean Slate rmvr 3.0 Ultra produced in the UK and washed the plastic with warm water and DAWN dishwashing liquid until the plastic was squeaky clean. Then air dried the plastic for about an hour. I never figured out what caused the spots until later.

When I gave up on the camouflage painting and just gave the canopy a finish coat of G3 Khaki Green I noticed a few more spots on the new paint. This was without any masking putty even near the freshly painted canopy. I decided not to strip the canopy a third time, but just give the entire model a sealer coat of Vallejo Gloss Varnish so I could apply the decals. After the varnish was dry, I noticed the wet spots had disappeared.

Finally, I figured out what I think caused the spots on my paint. Each time I finished camoflage painting I would leave the masking putty on the canopy while the paint was drying and clean my air brush with Vallejo Air Brush Thinner and Cleaner.

While I clean my air brush, I used a blow-out pot next to where the freshly painted canopy was drying, and I think the exhaust from the blow-out pot had a small amount of thinner and cleaner that settled on the canopy surface. The rest of the model was not in the paint booth at the time. The spots were on both the Khaki Green and Dark Green, but I couldn't see them on the dark paint.

I do my painting and air brush cleaning in a large paint booth, but the blow-out pot was too far away from the exhaust fans to keep the thinner and cleaner droplets from drifting over my freshly painting canopy. This model has been a real challenge, but I am pleased with the finish even though it is not camouflage.

Harold

Any news on this one Harold.

I'm not sure what's correct but good luck with her Harold! 

And I too would go with lighter colours first, they're just easier to cover with something darker instead of the other way around. 

jgeratic

As Bish said, lighter colour first. 

 

If that means more masking, you could start dark first, then...

- after masking, spray the dark camou along edges to ensure seal

- mist a white layer first to help the transition to the lighter camou

- apply your lighter colour

 

regards,

Jack

 

 

Bish, I scrapped the first Matador for parts, but only removed one part on the second matador.

Thanks for your advice and help.

Harold

As Bish said, lighter colour first. 

If that means more masking, you could start dark first, then...

- after masking, spray the dark camou along edges to ensure seal

- mist a white layer first to help the transition to the lighter camou

- apply your lighter colour

regards,

Jack

I always tend to go lighter colour first, but i know this be a pain when the darker colour covers so much. How about doing the darker colour, masking, then spraying a light colour before the second camo colour, maybe a very light green. I would go the lighter colour first myself. I use putty to mask the borders of colour but then use tape to fill in the gaps.

Were you able to salvage the first attempts or have they been scrapped.

I need some help with camouflage painting. This is my third attempt at painting an AEC Matador Artillery Tractor. The first one was a late production version that ended when I used oven cleaner to strip the paint after failing at camouflage painting with stencils. The second Matador was also a late production type that ended when I failed to thin the Tamiya paint and lower my air pressure. The paint had a rough, thick finish I did not like at all.

This third attempt is an early version Matador that I would like to finish in a camouflage pattern and decals of the 79th Scottish Artillery Regiment of May 1941. The model is currently in Vallejo US Olive Drab surface primer. The roof of the cab and canopy can be removed to allow the windows to be glued in when the painting is done.

Mike Starmer provided the color information below. My question now is do I paint the model Dark Green G4 first and add masking putty to create the disruptive pattern. Then paint the lighter Khaki Green G3 over the entire model including the masking putty? I am concerned that Dark Green G4 paint under Khaki Green G3 will make the Khaki Green darker than it should compared to paint sample and instructions Mike Starmer provided.

Or do I paint the entire model in Khaki Green G3 and then mask off everything, but the area where Dark Green G4 will be seen? If I do it this way, I would need to mask off a large part of the model's surface area because the disruptive camouflage pattern covers so little of the model. The paint samples I am using are from Mike Starmer's book: British Army Colours & Disruptive Camouflage in the United Kingdom, France & NW Europe 1936-45. Not the paint samples on the drawing below, they are just a reference guide.

Harold

Thanks John. Ye, now that you mention it, i can see that. Would make a nice garden shed as well.

Looks greta, Martin.  Can't go wrong with a Huey.  I always thougtht they would be great to have as a Winnebago.  Probably caravan to you.

Thanks Gamera.

Looks fantastic Bish, not sure it needs any figures! 

Bravo sir!!! 

Thanks Harold.

Bish

Harold

Thanks Chad.

Bish, Great write up on the NMA.  The feathers representing your local club is a nice touch. The bust really is fantastic!

Bravo Bish. That 212 looks the business!  Interesting contrast between the orange and the camo. 

Decide that there were no figures that fit this scene. British army pilots don't wear the flights suits that RAF Helo pilots where and there are no decent British army soldiers. So i decided to finish it without figures.

Thanks for following. Really pleased to get another British army helo in the stash. There are a few more i would like to do but i'd like to see some new tooled kits.

Thanks G, not sure i'm going to get any figures for it, so will just be on the base.

Looks fantastic Bish! Love the hi-viz orange markings! Looking forward to seeing her on the base with some more photos! 

Finally able to get back to the Huey. I got the Humbrol enamel paint and decided i didn't like that. Its not sold as a clear colour but it is and after 3 coats it still wasn't right. So i cleaned it up, re-primed and just thought i would try my own mix with Tamiya. I ha not done this as i didn't think i could get a match, but some orange with a small drop of red and i thinks its actually a better match than the humbrol. Should have just trie that to start with, would have had this finished over a month ago.

The pics i have of the underside are at an awkward angle so i am not completly certain the markings are correct. These are a bit thick after numerous layers but i am happy enough.

Then the decals were added. The kit dates from 97 but the pics i have are from 2019, while the camo is not the same the markings are mostly good. I did have to close the gap between the letters and numbers in the serial. The Danger stencil on the tail should have a red background with yellow writing. But i didn't have one to suit in the spares box.

The stencils around the doors are from 2 different sopurces in the spares box. Each one is a seperate decal, so they took a couple of evenings to apply.

Then a light Flory wash, these things seem to be kept nice a clean. Followed by a mat coat.

And then all the last bits added to finish it off.

Just need to add it to the base and try and find some decent figures. If i can't, i will just have it on the base with personel.

Thanks guys.

John, ye, he is a bit more tanned than i wanted, all of my busts have come out on the tanned side, even an SS trooper from the Battle of the Bulge. I really do find skin tones the hardest part and i went over and over on this until i finally got to the point where i thought it was as good as it would get. Though despite what many believe, its not all foggy here , we do have hot summers, and East Anglia is one of the driest parts of the country. So its not quite as far fatched as the SS bust.

Well done, Martin, and I too enjoyed the benefit of your research.  I do wonder how an Englishman developed such a tan, given what I am told of your weather.  You'll have to forgive my lack of knowledge, I am just a colonial after all.