LSP_Kevin

Impressive work, Sean! Kev

Wow, has it really been more than 7 years since I worked on this model? And more than 6 since I posted in this thread? Crikey! Well, it's about to make a comeback. My intention has always been to finish this one, and I've finally dragged it out of storage and back onto the bench. No new work has been done so far, so this is really just a placeholder post to bring it back from 2019. The first thing I need to do is a full audit on the project to figure out where I was at with it, where I was heading with it, and what to do next! So, as I like to say, stay tuned... Kev

Johan? Kev

Lovely, Kent! Kev

That's the point of using it! Scott Taylor of SMS paints (a locally-produced equivalent to MRP) says that using solvent-based clear coats over solvent-based metallic finishes re-orients the metallic pigments in the paint, changing their appearance and generally dulling them. Using a water-based clear gloss doesn't produce this effect, and Scott is working on introducing just such product to his range. And to be clear, Tamiya and Gunze acrylic paints don't qualify as water-based for the purposes of this discussion, as they're both alcohol-based. So, when I need to preserve a metallic finish, or protect fragile paint or decals (home-printed decals especially), I'll use Aqua Gloss unthinned. For most other purposes, I'll use either X-22 thinned with MLT, or SMS Super Clear straight out of the bottle, as I find either of these combinations produce a superior result to Aqua Gloss anyway. In fact, I'll often follow-up the Aqua Gloss with one of the latter options if I'm going for a gloss finish. Kev

Sorry to his this, Colin. Best wishes for a speedy recovery and a swift return to the bench! Kev

Happy Belated Birthday, Tolga! Kev

Thanks, Denis. To be honest, the rigging process itself wasn’t too bad, but getting the struts and top wing in place - and staying there - was a nightmare! The upper wing is still noticeably out of alignment with the lower ones. Kev

Thanks for the kind words, fellas. I have mixed feelings about this one, but that’s the case with most of my models, so nothing out of the ordinary there. I’ll be bringing back an even older build next, so stay tuned for that! (And only one set of wings too…) Kev

Thanks, John. The reason I turn to Aqua Gloss occasionally is to take advantage of its relatively inert water-based properties, when other types may cause unwanted effects - I'm thinking of natural metal finishes or fragile decals here. So thinning it with MLT kind of goes against my purpose here! Good to know it can be done, though. Kev

Excellent work so far, Daniel! Kev

Very nice, Richard! Kev

Great to see paint going down on this one, Jeroen. Excellent work! Kev

Stunning paint work, John! Are you saying that you thin Aqua Gloss with Levelling Thinner? I use it on occasion too, but the instructions on the bottle warn against thinning it, so I'm curious about that, especially since I have enormous trouble with pooling and running when I airbrush it. Kev

Brilliant, John! Kev

Howdy folks, I've just published this week's What's New update. Enjoy! Kev

Honestly, I only persevered out of respect for the fact that Les sent me his conversion set for free, and because I'd already put so much work into it. Most of the problems I encountered were of my own doing, so I can't really blame the kit for that, and will just have to learn from those mistakes. It remains to be seen if I ever attempt another biplane, though! Kev

Magnifico! Kev

Thanks, Guy! Here's a quick'n'dirty final resting place for the Tiger Moth: At least this say it'll be afforded some protection from accidental knocks, and I can display another kit on top of it! And that concludes the final episode of The Tiger Moth Saga. It's been a good run, but we were about the jump the shark here, so time to move on. Kev

I was just about to declare this build finished when I discovered a rather serious issue: I just can't believe how many curve balls this stage of the build has thrown at me! This was most likely caused by yet another strut coming loose, and the rigging line slipping under it unnoticed while I was trying to fix it. Never mind. I've fixed it now, along with several more instances of struts coming loose and rigging lines letting go, and I can now - finally - declare this saga over. Thanks for everyone's patience and good humour during this one—especially you, Leslie Applebee! It's interesting to reflect that in the time it has taken me to complete this build, I've changed jobs, moved house, survived COVID, but lost 3 parents and a dog. Modelling is life, eh? Kev

I built that kit many years ago, but didn't bother to measure how much weight I used, unfortunately! Kev

A masterpiece, Denis! And now the subject of this week's banner image on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/largescaleplanes Kev

Fantastic! Kev

Great work, Hubert! Kev

Just amazing, Tony. Great to see another update! Kev