Went to the stash and pulled this kit. I wanted a 1/48 selection that was not going make me 'wrestle' it together and 'fix' to build it. I started this last Saturday so I believe it qualifies for 'Corona' build.
The kit, the box art is top notch. My progress. It will be box stock. I am trying to pick-up my build pace a bit. I have eliminated base coating and applied Alclad directly to the styrene. I only applied Alclad to areas of the airframe I plan on chipping. The top photo shows where I am presently. Alclad applied to to leading edges of the wing, engine cowls, walkway, cockpit edges, armament service doors, fuel filler caps and leading edges of the tail planes. Ammo by MIG scratches fluid has been applied to those areas that have Alclad applied. Some pre-shading on the upper surfaces has been completed.
Today my objective is to complete panel line pre-shading on the lower surfaces, wash the engines which have been metalized, finish the landing gear, which I fabricated brake lines, and paint and mask the 'theater' markings in preparation for top-coat paint. I am going to try a new product I procured from Uschi van der Rosten, https://www.uschivdr.com/shopping-categories/shop-photo-etch/ I will post-up and let you know how well this effect does or does not work.
Mean while, Duck and Cover........wait, wrong generation thing....... Social Distance safely!
Ok - this is weird on two counts: first, I just got the itch to build this same aircraft, after seeing one posted on iModeler. You'll see in my build post that I've got something else lined up first, but I may get to this in time for the Corona build. Second, I was just looking at a similar tool at some online store, and wondering if it would be worth a try, especially for some of the more monochromatic Phantom schemes I'll get to soon! So - I'm watching closely. Be sure to post some really good "here's how I did this" posts with your use of the tool, and critique the tool for pros/cons, as I know there are other versions. So explain the "scratches" fluid a bit - is that just Mig's name for chipping fluid, so you can get to the Alclad once you've top-coated?
MIG markets 'Heavy Chipping Effects" and "Scratches". I have found that the HCE is too much for smaller scales or some larger scale applications. I applied it over the Alclad to expose the metal after the top coat is applied.
What's your technique to reveal it - to get the chips and scratches? What tool(s) have you found work best to get realistic scratches and chips - pin, knife blade, stiff brush...?
To get the 'scale' chipping I slightly moisten the area to be chipped. Make note that the longer the top coat has dried on top of the chipping fluid it takes a bit more effort to activate the fluid. For me this produces smaller more random chips. I use a short a short squared-off brush for this process. It is a real cheap Chinese hog hair brush. The bristles are real rough and stiff. Before moistening I use a wooden tooth pick to lightly make scratches in the top coat. Or use the brush in a light stabbing motion. Both of these procedures compromise the top coat to allow the moisture to get to the chipping fluid layer below quicker. Let the slightly moistened area set for a few moments as the chipping fluid activates. Continue to slightly 'stab' the area until you achieve the level of chipping that looks good to you. A word of caution, as the fluid activates/softens, it starts to chip big and quickly. So be careful you don't overdue it.
Such a cool plane, but can we talk about those printed mixing ratios? I'm just over here haphazardly mixing paint in the cup of my airbrush to the "consistency of milk". Clearly I need to rethink my life...
CFL
After Greg and I had an airbrushing seminar, he produced a paint/thinner/retarder ratio guide table. Up to that table publishing, I calculated the ratio each time I would paint.😣 This has made my paint prep a bit quicker and more consistent paint results. Hey Greg, can you get Casey a copy of the guide sheet?
@FFL it would be wasted on me. Something something about a leading a horse to water...
CFL
I can post it on the website under resources if you send it to me.
I spent some time 'splotching' RLM80 over the RLM79. Photo 1 shows just the top coat over the panel line pre-shading and splatter stenciling. The splatter pattern is very subtle and looks good, especially in person. I did the splotches, unintentionally, in two phases. The second and third photos show the populating of splotches on the aircraft. Photo 2 shows the first application of the splotches using a paint stencil. I thought that the number of splotches was all it would require. I got to looking at the results but was not satisfied based on era photos of the 129 and other german aircraft in desert camo. Photo 3 shows the additional splotches. Doing the splotches in 2 phases, it allowed the first application to dry before the second application, thus not smearing the first splotches. Next, chipping reveal and un masking.
Although it's hard to see well, I like what I can see of that splatter stenciling! Splotches look good too, and makes sense to do in multiple passes to keep from smearing - good tip.
Hey Greg, is this a bit better?
Ah - very nice! What color did you use for the splatter - darker of the base color, or something "grimey?"
I used RLM79, slightly lightened. My thought was if the original color was a traditional splinter 70/71camo scheme that was some what faded, then repainted to the desert 79/80 scheme. I even entertained the thought of splattering with both RLM70 and RLM71 but nixed the idea as the effect would not be worth the effort.
The lower photo shows the gloss prep for both decals and panel line washing. This time I used Tamiya X22 clear gloss. This works well for decals. But I have found it does not work well for capillary action flow. I believe I have better luck with a satin/semi gloss finish. With the gloss the panel line was does flow into the lines as freely. On my next build for the Corona GB, I intend to use Alclad Satin Sheen to prove or disprove my panel line flow observations. Meanwhile, I used Ammo by MIG panel line wash Pacific Dust(1604). I felt it looked better than Dust(1620), which was was to yellow. For decal setting solutions Mr. Mark Setter and Mr. Mark Softer were used. Both are Gunze products. Preciously I have used Micro Sol and Micro Set. The Gunze products worked very well. The Setter was used conservatively on just the area where the decal is to go and let dry before apply the wet decal to that area. Using a Q-tip, the decal is positioned and allowed to dry. Next a very conservative amount of the Softer is applied to the decal only. Use only one swipe of the Setter with the cap-brush. I tried to keep the Setter off the painted surfaces.
3/31/20: The decals are on and fiddly bits are following. The light sheen top coat is dry. Antenna will get strung. Rainmarks, fuel stains, exhaust staining and gun residue stains also get applied. This baby is getting close to completed.
interesting observation and theory about the gloss coat - I would have gloss would have promoted the best flow. Let me know how your experiment comes out! This one's looking good (and yes - I'm going to have to pull my 129 out of the stash - in fact, with all the GB choices people are making, I've lined up the 188, an EA-6, and possibly an E-2...)
Mig suggests either gloss or semi-gloss for PLW washes. For general washes satin/semi-gloss seems to be better to retain the pigments.
@FFL So is this more a matter of retaining the wash pigment during clean-up as opposed to capillary flow along the panel line? Are you saying that the rougher microsurface of semi-gloss/satin grabs onto and keeps the pigment particles better than gloss? (intuitively, that seems right)
By the way - I meant to ask how you applied the X22. I had watched a vid that included a "tacky coat" first (from a bit more distance), followed by several coats of more precise coverage (and by coats, I don't mean dry-time between them). That's what I did on the Terminator 2020.
I put 1 light coat followed by a bit heavier coat. I use Gunze leveling thinner exclusively with both Tamiya and Gunze Aqueous paints.
Complete, minus the REVI gunsight and pitot tube.
This kit went together effortlessly. No fillers required. I had to add seatbelts as the kit did not come with any. This was a fun kit to build, well engineered and ending in a good rendition of the Hs-129. Thanks Hasagawa.
What color did you use for the panel line wash? I like that light shade! Seems counterintuitive on a desert tan bird but it really looks good!
Thought was dust would accumulate in the panel lines. Not much dark colored dirt in a desert in North Africa. Thanks for checking it out. I am glad you liked it.
Makes sense!
From what I can tell, the old Lindberg kit I have (yes - I think it's the only Lindberg kit in my stash!) is a B2/R4 with the Mk 101 30mm gun pack, and that it served on the Eastern front. With that in mind, I'm looking at a scheme something like this (this shows the 7.5cm cannon - not what I'll use):
I'm planning on giving this a similar external treatment that I did that Frog Barracuda - sand off the raised details and re-scribe. May also need to file/sand off the exhausts as they are clumsily molded on, and scratch build. Not sure what else it'll need. It's a VERY simple kit with limited parts, so once I get the scribing done it should go together pretty quickly! Need to find some decals...
ok - sorry - just found another model that I've decided to use as my template... it'll give me another chance to use the hairspray/distemper treatment:
Same basic underlying scheme, just with the distemper.
Nice.