Jump to content

Tamiya F-15C Kicked Up A Notch- Dec 1/17: DONE!


chuck540z3

Recommended Posts

Awesome, update Chuck, What's that blue stuff used for masking?

 

Hi, it's just ordinary liquid mask (LM), in this case "Micro Mask".  I carefully add strips of varying widths of Tamiya masking tape to cover as much as I can, then I apply LM to those tight areas where tape won't cover.  Here are some tips when using it:

 

1)  The thicker the better.  A thin coat of LM is almost impossible to get off, because it shrinks so much while drying, it is too thin to form a layer you can grab onto.  If you build it up with several layers, it will easily pull off later as a vinyl-like film.

 

2)  Don't put LM in areas that have a lot of convoluted relief, like a screw with threads.  There will be too much surface area that it adheres to, so removing it is almost impossible.

 

3)  It is water soluble, so if you get some where it shouldn't, you can wipe it off with a moistened cloth or paintbrush.

 

4)  Same goes for fully hardened and cured LM.  If it won't pull off, soak it with water.  It's a lot messier to remove this way, but sometimes you have no choice.

 

5)  LM also works great to seal masking tape edges to hold them down.  In wheel wells, like the ones above, I apply an even thick coat to the entire circumference to keep the tape from lifting later.

 

6)  Use a very small microbrush to apply LM.  When you're finished, wash the brush in warm water and the brush can be used again.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great job Chuck!  Love the tiny details. 


To cut the fine brass tube, just take a sharp X-Acto blade, and slightly roll it perpendicularly across the tube. After a few rolls, you should be able to pretty much snap the brass tube section off without crimping the end closed.

 

 

 

 

 

Matt  :frantic:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To cut the fine brass tube, just take a sharp X-Acto blade, and slightly roll it perpendicularly across the tube. After a few rolls, you should be able to pretty much snap the brass tube section off without crimping the end closed.

 

Matt  :frantic:

 

Agreed, though as I'd normally use such small bore tube for 1/72 gun and pitot tubes, I use stainless steel hypo needles, heated to glowing red hot first, then rolled under the knife when cooled, with a wipe with wire wool to brush off any loosened slag that delaminates. The oxide coated tubing then superglues more securely than shiny stainless steel, I find.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Peterpools

Chuck

Enjoying and learning from each and every update. I only wish I had your eye for identifying every detail and then the skill to incorporate them on to the model.

Eagerly looking forward to the Eagle in paint.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chuck,

  Just another great update. I really love all those mini tutorials as they apply to modeling building in general, and not just your build. I totally forgot about Microsol's Liquid Mask, so It's on my needs list for my next purchase.  Same for the shiny Alcads which I learned the hard way should be painted on last, and not masked. 

 

  Finally you're up to the painting stage. Can't wait to see what magic you work with your air brush. 

 

 Joel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Finally Chuck, some final touches, and the painting is just around the corner. :)))) Very happy to see this big Eagle at this step. 2 highlights - very very nice joint between the nose and the fuselage from the underside. And a very nice approach for first masking the heat shields and painting them last. ;)

Btw some primer before the paint?! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys for all the tips on cutting brass tubing.  I'll be sure to try them next time!

 

 



Finally Chuck, some final touches, and the painting is just around the corner. :)))) Very happy to see this big Eagle at this step. 2 highlights - very very nice joint between the nose and the fuselage from the underside. And a very nice approach for first masking the heat shields and painting them last. ;)

Btw some primer before the paint?! :)

 

 

Thanks Milan.  That raised nose to fuselage join is a real pain, but with a LOT of sanding, I beat it down to something more reasonable. 

 

As for priming, I never actually "prime" my models, but I do apply a very thin coat of the primary color (MM enamel) to check for flaws.  After I fix them, I go straight to a thicker coat and I'm done.  This is why I spend so much time getting the surface of the plastic so smooth in order to minimize the number of coats of paint required, which can fill the tiny details that I have tried to create.  With all due respect to those who use them, Mr. Surfacer and other "Micro-fillers" are not for me.  Micro-fillers also fill micro-details, so I'd rather spend time on the plastic to make it smooth than use several coats of paint.

 

For the Alclad lacquer, however, a primer coat is a must because it needs something to bite into.  For Alclad, I use either Krylon (enamel) or Tamiya (lacquer) gloss black decanted from the rattle can.  If the plastic is smooth and the paint finish is applied properly, you have a terrific base coat for Alclad.   Here's my P-38L again, to show you how it should look before Alclad.  I hope my F-15C looks just as smooth.

 

Top%20Paint%202.jpg

 

 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited by chuck540z3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Hi Guys,

 

A bit of a progress report for those who may be wondering.  The camo paint is done and I am on to the extreme OCD stage of fixing every tiny flaw in the paint, which takes several trips back and forth to the paint booth over several days.  After that, I'll be painting the nose cone and leading edges of the control surfaces, then all the small details like antennae and gun vent, followed by a gloss clear coat to prep the model for decals.  Rather than show what it looks like now and make all sorts of excuses about how it will look in the near future, I'll post a big update with all these steps at once with instructions as to how I did it.  Getting the correct colors first, followed by a convincing application of the paint pattern while preserving all the tiny details I added later is the main goal.  All I'll add for now is to NEVER use Plasticine in place of proper Poster Putty when creating camo demarcation lines  :BANGHEAD2: :BANGHEAD2: :BANGHEAD2: !     I did, which cost me about 8 hours of extra work and a lot of grief, which I'll explain later.  I should have something meaningful to show in about 2 weeks.  Thanks for your continued interest in this project.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...