TOPIC: What we're building...

I have just shifted house so nothing happening here until new cave is sorted but once that's done
Looking forward to finishing my GB Red Ball Express dio then back onto my other project which has been on hold for a while which is a DML Sherman with commonwealth figs on the move in Italy, location yet to be decided.

Gazelle and Lynx well underway
Lynx kit is awesome, apart from some of the instructions are in the wrong order, glad I did heaps in one go as I was able to sort out what needed doing before glue had set
Gazelle kit I think is more like 1/50 like some other heller kits, seems too small for 1/48

I have the wee Heller kit. Now THAT's teensy.


Regards

Ive just started the Finemolds 1/72 Tie Fighter. Its something small I can get into before the Skyhawk GB starts.

Should be able to use it to try out weathering and there's not too much to paint. I have most of the paints on hand too. I started assembling the base

I also need to work on figuring out my primer skills and what primer I will use. I have AK grey and black primers after hearing a lot of good things about them. My initial trial with the grey resulted in a complete failure and a very clogged up airbrush. I was suggested some Italeri thinner for it. I have an Airfix 1:144 Apollo mission kit with a bunch of missing pieces so I decided to use them to try the primer again. I dont know if this is normal at the top of the bottle but no amount of shaking gets it off.

Here's the rocket halves I'm using to test. I started with the primer neat, and then did halves each with a little bit more thinner added. Waiting for them to completely dry before deciding the results, but neat or very little thinning is looking like it could be the way to go.

AK thinner works great with their primer but I found some parts need a clean for best stick, otherwise start w very very light mist coats so the latter coats of primer have something to grab.

Myself, I have just started the Bandai XWing and am nothing but impressed, great detail and panel lines, small gates makes cleanup easy and Bandai engineering makes for a super easy assembly that does not need glue.
I'm just giving it a grey flory wash to bring out details.

at just over £1500 my wallet isn't happy but the final bits for my Christmas project have arrived, the big question is now how do I log the build I can either do a before and after shot or do a series of shots showing it coming together hmm decisions decisions

gona scratch build an antenna as commonly seen on the gazelles but not sure how to do the vertical wire looking pieces...any ideas that are easy to find/do/use?
but other than that theyre ready for the the first colour of camo...

Webby_NZ wrote: AK thinner works great with their primer but I found some parts need a clean for best stick, otherwise start w very very light mist coats so the latter coats of primer have something to grab.

Yeah I think I will do some more practicing. The neat primer came out the best but I'll practice some more.

Myself, I have just started the Bandai XWing and am nothing but impressed, great detail and panel lines, small gates makes cleanup easy and Bandai engineering makes for a super easy assembly that does not need glue.
I'm just giving it a grey flory wash to bring out details.

You taking some photos to share?

I'll add mine - I'll take some photos this weekend if there's interest. All aircraft were flown by Kiwi's.

Actively building:
1/32 Tamiya F4U-1A - wonderful kit, the cockpit went together very quickly for such a complicated looking one. This will be an OOB build with marking's yet to be decided but I will probably use either Eagle Cals or Xtradecals.
1/32 Trumpeter SBD-5 - cockpit building, pushed aside by the Corsair, but I will probably come back to this once the Corsair is ready to paint.

On hold, awaiting inspiration.
1/32 WingNut Wings Sopwith Pup - stalled at rigging. Marking's as N6460 which is in the RNZAF Museum in the marking's of Beamish.
1/32 WingNut Wings Sopwith Triplane - stalled at rigging. Marking's as N534, flown by Maynard.
1/32 Trumpeter Harrier Gr.7 - fuselage is ready for priming. Marking's as ZD327 as flown by James McMillan (I also have a Hawk to do in the Red Arrows scheme that he is now flying)

New Year build.
1/32 Hph Walrus - full resin kit which will be my new long term project.

grover wrote:

Myself, I have just started the Bandai XWing and am nothing but impressed, great detail and panel lines, small gates makes cleanup easy and Bandai engineering makes for a super easy assembly that does not need glue.
I'm just giving it a grey flory wash to bring out details.

You taking some photos to share?

I still need to get them off camera but took one this morning of snapped together kit with wash heavy over body, you can see where i have already cleaned most of it off wings.
Looks like it is fresh out of Dagobah swamps

Whilst taking a break from my Phantom build, and building altogether really, I've been working on some new stuff – scale ration cartons. I've used Illustrator and Photoshop to create these using photos of real ration cartons as reference. For the backgrounds I've used images of real cardboard which shows the corrugations for a realistic effect. The staining and wear on the damaged boxes was created using custom Photoshop brushes. I'm pretty happy with how they're looking. Keen for some opinions.





I'll be printing some on a light stock and making a few mock ups tonight hopefully.

KitModellerNZ wrote: Whilst taking a break from my Phantom build, and building altogether really, I've been working on some new stuff – scale ration cartons. I've used Illustrator and Photoshop to create these using photos of real ration cartons as reference. For the backgrounds I've used images of real cardboard which shows the corrugations for a realistic effect. The staining and wear on the damaged boxes was created using custom Photoshop brushes. I'm pretty happy with how they're looking. Keen for some opinions.

I'll be printing some on a light stock and making a few mock ups tonight hopefully.

Thats looking really cool. Love the idea.

Prototypes

They look great. Hard to pick the scale

The blutac technique worked very well, I think it looks awesome, today it's getting glosscote, then once it arrives a black wash (my first wash) then decals, then the Dullcote.
Gary is that right? Or should a glosscote be over the decals...?

You want the wash to sit in the creases over the decals or they will look out of place. So Glosscote, decals, wash and lastly Dullcote.

Gary wrote: You want the wash to sit in the creases over the decals or they will look out of place. So Glosscote, decals, wash and lastly Dullcote.

Can get started on the decals tonight then
Thanks

Put another gloss coat over your decals to seal them before adding the wash. There's nothing worse than your wash finding its way under the decals.

Phil wrote: Put another gloss coat over your decals to seal them before adding the wash. There's nothing worse than your wash finding its way under the decals.

Will do, thanks

Nice work Hadley!

Tony lee

What Phil said.

Best results are achieved by the following order:

• prime
• polish
• paint
• gloss (yes even over gloss paint)
• decal
• gloss again (to seal the decals and remove more carrier film - wash will also highlight edges of carrier film if you are not careful)
• wash (and weather, though some weathering better done after flat coat)
• flat coat

Hey TL, nice to see you sir, hows things by the way? Snowed in yet?
Thats a mighty nice wee build you have going...like to see more




Dave

Wash and flat coat to go, which will be in the new year, fingers crossed I dont fuck the wash up
But it's looking awesome, is currently sitting as one of my best kits, like my 1/35 kiowa
Decals complete...

Wow, that looks bloody stunning Hadley!

This is my first serious attempt at scratch-building (aside from a disaster of a Harrier seat, where I firmly convinced myself to get an after-market set!) - fairly pleased with how it's looking:



It's the 1/24 Airfix Hurricane. I couldn't manage to get the curved pedals right, so went with these flat-sided ones instead, not sure if that's correct but I've enjoyed it anyhow. Still to come is a ridged foot plate. Using this photo for reference:

Some bloody nice scratching there Woad!

Hadley, looking fantastic mate. Got to see one in the flesh a couple of years ago, I was expecting it to be about the same size as a huey but it is a wee bit bigger, not too much though.

Oh nice, I've always preferred them with the skids, not sure why...
And thanks for the compliment

Lynx is back at my place so I've started my new project in the meantime
Converting a jet ranger to a long ranger...1/32 scale
It's def gona test my scratch building, having to add pieces to make it longer etc

Looking real good Hadley. I may have to get the naval version when I get some coin.