LSP_Kevin Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 But you're right, next time i'd have to make a special paint job, difficult to touch up, i should at least make a primer coat of tamiya silver from rattle can, even if i dont like it too much (they are difficult to control). I usually decant them into an old paint bottle for airbrushing. Then you get the best of both worlds! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 If i cant correct it, i may mask the areas around following the panel lines, sand it clean and respray everything. that's what I would suggest. It looks so good it would be a shame not to. Use post it notes to mask, they won't lift the paint. Every time I've used masks like you have I have had the paint lift when taking them off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mywifehatesmodels Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 This is turning out fantastic! Too bad about the masking issue, but I have no doubts that you'll be able to fix it. Also, I have to say that I LOVE your rendition of the tinted finish. The tint is exactly how I would want it to look if I were doing it and someday I may try to copy that look (just pray that I could get it to look as good!). It's very subtle and I think that's the key. Great work! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Ron Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Also, I have to say that I LOVE your rendition of the tinted finish. The tint is exactly how I would want it to look if I were doing it and someday I may try to copy that look (just pray that I could get it to look as good!). It's very subtle and I think that's the key. Great work! John Agreed, it's pretty slick. I must say I've never seen it done before. I like it, someday I may shamelessly copy this technique Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plasticsurgeon Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 I've build one Claude too a couple of years ago. Had the same problem with pulling of the paint even with masking tape that was as low tack as toilet paper.I believe I had touch up the wrecked parts of the paintjob three times. Always had the feeling it was the plastic that caused it. The plastic felt different than Hasegawa or Revell plastic. The instructions were a pita too.... I was lucky to wreck the clear part on my build, and used the other one that was provided. Only to find out that the instructions were wrong when I saw pics of the actual plane I was building and I used the right canopy by accident....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted November 24, 2014 Author Share Posted November 24, 2014 (edited) Thanks for your encouragement, guys ! That's not a shame to copy, that's even the purpose of sharing ! (I've learned a lot from this forum, thanks to all those amazing and smart modellers ! and yes when i see something that looks good or useful, i copy....) Plasticsurgeon, yes the instructions are pretty bad.... One should better study pictures and dry fit at least thirty times before gluing... The kit supply plastic sides for the cockpit, and the instructions say to use it with the resin parts, but if they are used as told, the inner resin parts definitely cant be fitted (it lacks several millimeters...). Regarding the windscreen, i've hesitated for a very long time to choose wich one to use. The bigger one looked a bit too large in my opinion (and the fit was even worth) but the smaller one looked a bit to small. Actually, after looking at a lot of pictures, it seems that the size is not too bad, and it was my own perception that was wrong. The larger one is for the A5M2 and the smaller one for the A5M54. Edited November 24, 2014 by Zero77 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) A lot of progress, this one is now almost done. After putting it aside for a few weeks (i had to make my mind on how to repair my peeling issue) i've got back to it last week. So i've decided to mask around the damaged panels, to sand them as clean as possible (it was a problem...) and to repaint it with a coat of alclad and then a coat of the tinted varnish, trying to get the same color than the rest of the airplance (it was another problem). Sorry no picture of the first sanding step, but as second coat of alclad chipped again when i tried to smooth it with micromesh (indeed i think Plasticsurgeon is right, the platic is involved in this issue), i had to do it again. I went to an additional coat of alclad grey primer to get this damn paint to stick to the plastic. It worked but unfortunately my repair is noticeable.... Too bad, i cant do it better, that's beyond my skills, or i would have to repaint it all and i dont want it. Let's just call it changed panels after a few chinese bullet holes. I hope it will be less noticeable after decaling and some weathering. So here are the steps : sanding : Alclad coat, then varnish coat (sorry no pic for the varnish : Then unmasking, and of course, another peeling issue on the Hinomaru ! And with a bit of scratches on the yellow varnish : The result is not so bad on the rear area, but not very good on the front. The difference of aspect is due to the thickness of masking tape that prevent me to sand it as smooth as the rest of the model, especially on the borders. And the tinted varnish was also slightly different as it was a free mix (one drop of this, one drop of that...) Too bad, i can live with that (i have too, anyway, because i give up !) I then repaired the Hinomaru chipping freehand with a paintbrush. It was a pit painful to get the same color as it was also a mix. I think that i should keep my mix in jars at least during a specific build. It can be useful for touch up. Edited December 10, 2014 by Zero77 mywifehatesmodels and Tewika 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 More to come tomorrow, now i need to sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) Decalling : The Special Hobby decals are very thin. That's awesome for transparency and they look very good once placed but not easy to place. Almost each decal has a tendency to fold over itself (happily they are so thin that it is barely visible), and they if you wait too long, they become impossible to move. I used microset for the first one but i quickly understand that i definitely should not. Plain water is far better for those decals. You can see on the close ups that those decals are almost better than paint, with an almost invisible support film. And just because i'm cursed, a new phenomena appeared on the touched-up Hinomaru (following the gloss coating).... I repaired it later, with a mask cut out in post it paper, using my vinyl mask as a template, and i resprayed a mist of red to smooth it all. Edited December 10, 2014 by Zero77 EmperorKai 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) Then i washed the whole thing with flory dark dirt, just to ehance the panel lines. And then went to real weathering using enamel washes from MIG and/or AK : As it is a Navy aircraft but operating from ground during the invasion of China in 1937, i want it a bit dirty and dusty. The paint chipping was a bit heavier on the underside because of the rocky airgrounds of China. Edited December 10, 2014 by Zero77 EmperorKai 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 Rusty exhaust pipes, and exhausts and guns stains on the underside : EmperorKai 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennismcc Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Looks like a fun and games build, just like one of mine, but it's nice to see that you kept at it and did not waste all the nice work that you had already done. Cheers Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 WOW ! Very well done. I'm envious .......Harv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted December 10, 2014 Share Posted December 10, 2014 Excellent recovery Nicolas! I think it's looking really terrific now. The patchy appearance of the paint is actually quite effective. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted December 10, 2014 Author Share Posted December 10, 2014 (edited) Thanks guys ! I'm still not really satisfied of my repair, but i have no choice anyway, it's too late and now i want to finish it. Here are the last pictures, with the engine and unmasked position lights, windscreen and cockpit : Earlier in the build, i had glued plastic rods on the engine as cowling struts, but the diameter was too large and they were very fragile. So i've taken nickel wire bits (very stiff), squeezed an end with a pair of pliers to make it as flat as possible and glued them with CA on a little bracket made of Evergreen plastic sheet. They still are very fragile but now they are more accurate and not overscaled. I wanted to add a small rivet on each flat end of the rods, to make the screw, but it's so tiny... I'll see this evening if i try to do it or not. Here is the result with the engine cowling, but i have to find a way to glue it, because straight of the box, it doesn't hold itself. Edited December 10, 2014 by Zero77 EmperorKai, mywifehatesmodels and Hubert Boillot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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