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Virginia Marie using Trumpeter P-38 Lightning


dmthamade

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Don,

 

Thanks for all of your notes and thoughts on what you are doing, what is working and not.  REALLY helpful in following along.

 

Question - and sorry if I missed this earlier in the build:  Is there a reason you are not using the Vallejo primer?  Especially if you are using the Vallejo paints (not that the primer and color coat needs to match)? Took a little bit of work (see the chemistry statement below) to get everything spraying right, but now they lay down nicely and the paint really grabs onto the primer - no paint lifting now when I mask.  Agreed some of the paints are not as robust as the AS-12, but I can live with that.

 

I do find the Vallejo paints require something of a chemistry degree to get them to shoot properly - and thanks to Peter(pools) who got me straightened out and got me moving forward.  20% Thinner, 10% Flow Improver are a must, and I usually add 5% retarder if I'm doing a lot of spraying as well. As a start...

 

Looking forward to how your Metal colors come out - I have them too and are slated for two different Mustangs (Revell and Tamiya).   :popcorn:

 

Chris

Edited by CANicoll
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Don,

 

Thanks for all of your notes and thoughts on what you are doing, what is working and not.  REALLY helpful in following along.

 

Question - and sorry if I missed this earlier in the build:  Is there a reason you are not using the Vallejo primer?  Especially if you are using the Vallejo paints (not that the primer and color coat needs to match)? Took a little bit of work (see the chemistry statement below) to get everything spraying right, but now they lay down nicely and the paint really grabs onto the primer - no paint lifting now when I mask.  Agreed some of the paints are not as robust as the AS-12, but I can live with that.

 

   :popcorn:

 

Chris

 

Funny you should ask..... last night i loaded up the airbrush with the gloss black primer and sprayed it like i sprayed the metal color paints...stuff went on great!!! Some adjustments will have to be made but i was blown away on how well it applied. Did not dry fast but it is a gloss paint. This AM i checked the test patch, stuff is hard, tape doesn't bother it, doesn't scratch, just worked great!! I think a couple of things i did helped out, the first was spraying light coats and not flooding the surface. This was probably the single most important step for me, as outlined in the INSTRUCTIONS!!! for the paint. I also used water ONLY for cleaning the tip and color cup. I had been using ammonia and i think there was a bit of contamination. I sprayed some aluminum onto the test, once again, nice results!! Tape didn't bother it and no staining by the tape. I haven't tried any colors by Vallejo but will now. i will also keep in mind the formula you've given and will get the airbrush cleaner. One other thing, the paint does have an odor, but definitely not offensive, almost pleasant.

 

I dryfitted the wheels again to try the gear, seems to hold up ok!! Rechecked the stance and found the balance is right at the tipping point. I still have to add the pit parts and guns, but i think i'll add just a little more weight with solder pushed into the nose.

Qbkf2U.jpg

eKNn8Q.jpg

 

A pic to show the seam on the boom. The small gap that was still left i filled with Mr Dissolve Putty. Applied it then quickly wiped away excess with finger tip. Done!!

dlEISN.jpg

 

I filled most rivets on the build, but there are some that show up on engine access panels and on the center pod. They aren't rivets, they are screws holding access panels to mechanicals in the pit and cover control parts and hydraulic lines. These along with the Dzus fasteners on the gun covers i cleaned up and made deeper.

26lqtA.jpg

 

One disappointment, the build is twisted. Look at the bottom of the fins...

LkAqpg.jpg

 

I know where it went wrong, when i aligned and glued on the center lower fuselage, i should have checked the alignment at that point. Didn't, and that's what you see. Darn.

 

Don

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One disappointment, the build is twisted. Look at the bottom of the fins...

 

I know where it went wrong, when i aligned and glued on the center lower fuselage, i should have checked the alignment at that point. Didn't, and that's what you see. Darn.

 

Don

 

Yep, that is sad. I'll have to watch out for that on my own kit.

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Dern!    I had a similar thing happen to my SU-30 after the fact (all glued up).  Amazingly enough it was corrected.....................Im not sure its worth it at this point, or if you want to risk it, but I took some hot (not boiling but just barely able to touch it) water and dunked it repeatedly, and put some opposite warp in it, and it did end up correcting the problem.

 

In your case it might even be easier with having the skinnier booms to work with that might end up taking some opposite warping better. You may even  be able to put some opposite twist in the center wing section (s) to get rid of the twist as well.

 

Im not sure what you used to glue things together, so keep that in mind and be careful if you try the hot water method. 

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Guys, thanks for the support and ideas on how to untwist the build. I've glued it with Mek, and it is very strong and solid. I have a lot of reinforcements built in, without which it would be a little wobbly. It won't twist back. This thing is solid. I did briefly think of heat, the open flame kind of heat and if I had them, firecrackers. Too far along to give up, I like how harv thinks, hopefully won't be noticable. I have to say, after this build and past recent builds, I would really like to do a shake n bake kit next.

 

Don

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Don, I would also leave it as it is. Frankly, you won't notice it when the model is finished. Just avoid the guys in contests measuring with Lego blocks!

 

Open flames! That what appenned to all my older kits when I was a teenager! Crashed my burning Stuka over and over on the Eastern front (read: snow covered back yard in Montreal). 

 

Alain

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Don,

 

I see the paint bug bit you too.  I've started just keeping to the vendor's own thinners these days and while I have a drawer full of bottles, I don't run into problems like I used to.  Same as you, I really gummed up my airbrush to the point that I thought I was going to have to chuck it (Iwata HP-CS!!!).  One thing that does work however is Model Master Cleaner - works like a charm on the Vallejo Model Air cleanup.  FWIW.

I also found Vallejo's Gloss Black primer - but I didn't realize it was the GLOSS black versus the regular black.  That was kind of embarrassing.  But it does shoot VERY smoothly. And, as you noted, it is very translucent.  Sprayed it on some 1/48 B-17 wings to use as a white-basing/black-basing demo and it took quite a few coats to get full coverage.  But oh so smooth......  I should have used that for my P-39 which is supposed to be gloss black.  That would be an amazing finish...

Regarding the twist - I'd think I'd let it be as well.  Doubtful most will notice it and once it is up on its wheels, is it really that apparent?  But all in all, that is still an amazing build.

 

Chris

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Don, I would also leave it as it is. Frankly, you won't notice it when the model is finished. Just avoid the guys in contests measuring with Lego blocks!

 

Open flames! That what appenned to all my older kits when I was a teenager! Crashed my burning Stuka over and over on the Eastern front (read: snow covered back yard in Montreal). 

 

Alain

 

I'm going to leave it as is. I don't do contests and nobody sees my builds except family. Pictures posted are different, some faults are not really easily seen. Yeah, BTDT as far as crashing old builds, secretly i still feel like doing it sometimes....

 

Don,

 

I see the paint bug bit you too.  I've started just keeping to the vendor's own thinners these days and while I have a drawer full of bottles, I don't run into problems like I used to.  Same as you, I really gummed up my airbrush to the point that I thought I was going to have to chuck it (Iwata HP-CS!!!).  One thing that does work however is Model Master Cleaner - works like a charm on the Vallejo Model Air cleanup.  FWIW.

I also found Vallejo's Gloss Black primer - but I didn't realize it was the GLOSS black versus the regular black.  That was kind of embarrassing.  But it does shoot VERY smoothly. And, as you noted, it is very translucent.  Sprayed it on some 1/48 B-17 wings to use as a white-basing/black-basing demo and it took quite a few coats to get full coverage.  But oh so smooth......  I should have used that for my P-39 which is supposed to be gloss black.  That would be an amazing finish...

Regarding the twist - I'd think I'd let it be as well.  Doubtful most will notice it and once it is up on its wheels, is it really that apparent?  But all in all, that is still an amazing build.

 

Chris

 

The Vallejo primer is translucent. Something i'll have to remember is to airbrush to prime, not to cover. If it's covered enough to be smooth, that's where i need to stop, not 'til the black is opaque. If black basing, i can see adding additional coats. I find the same thing about paints and their specific thinners, after many hard lessons i find this is the best way to work. Cleanup i do vary on but only after much experience.

 

Don

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Off for a week, little break from work and winter. Have a few things i need to do around the house and some some stuff i wanted to do. Paint on the Lightning is something i want to do. I applied the Vallejo black primer in 2-3 light coats. looks splotchy in places, but the build is covered properly. I have to say, it looks sinister in its black paint, so tempting to make this a what if of some sorts....I took time to fill in rivets, after applying the primer i can see where some are still showing. At first a little..."sad" but after some thought i'm okay with it, as most all NMF pics i see of real Lightnings show common fasteners to all P-38s and some fasteners that are random to the plane....that's my story. Going to let the primer dry over nite then start in on the Metal Color tomorrow...

 

pJ5UOp.jpg

UiwdnV.jpg

 

Don

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Shiney!! Applied Metal Color Aluminum last night, took a few passes but really laid down nicely. I was able to handle the build shortly after but waited for today to do more panel painting. So far, i do like these paints, not having to paint in the garage in winter and having much more control is great!!

 

7PSRiD.jpg

lc1NNZ.jpg

 

Don

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Well, things went bad. Masking/painting various panels with the Vallejo and Tamiya tape.

 

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ZTIQmD.jpg

 

JosBHN.jpg

Three more areas like this....Paint was looking good, too. Don't know what i'll do, now. Think i'll park it, contemplate life....

 

Don

Edited by dmthamade
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Don, I know where you're at, I've had the same problem with the Vallejo primer and paint - both model air and metal color. One thing that cropped up that for some silly reason i never thought of...i was still cleaning the surface with isopropyl alcohol. Stopping that and putting the paint down in thin layers like you did cut way back on my issues. Not sure if it applies but thought id share as this was a recent discovery of mine. For the life of me I can't figure out how these magazine guys test the acrylics and say tape doesn't pull off the paint. Guess I'm limited in my painting skills for models lol

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