Thunnus

I've masked and painted several more panels just to break up the metal areas.  I've also given the bottom a thin coat of Alclad Aqua Gloss to protect the finish from future work including masking off the wheel well and painting them.  The finish is a LOT less reflective than it was before, which is a good thing on this particular build. But for those that want to preserve that highly reflective Alclad sheen, don't put an clear coat over it! I may tone back the two darker panels on the wings.





 

I've masked and painted several more panels just to break up the metal areas.  I've also given the bottom a thin coat of Alclad Aqua Gloss to protect the finish from future work including masking off the wheel well and painting them.  The finish is a LOT less reflective than it was before, which is a good thing on this particular build. But for those that want to preserve that highly reflective Alclad sheen, don't put an clear coat over it! I may tone back the two darker panels on the wings.





 

You're welcome!  It's a relatively new technique for me too but having worked with MLT for a while, it makes sense that it works well in this way.
 
 
Thanks Matt!  I read that too but since I'm not really aiming to preserve the high reflectivity, I went ahead and masked over it.  But most of the larger areas were masked with Post-Its, as a precaution.  Still... I didn't see much effect on the areas where I had placed the Tamiya tape either.  Oramask is a bit tackier than Tamiya tape so I'm going to put a clear gloss over the metal finish before I start working on the wheel wells.

Awesome progress John, and thanks for the help answering the questions. I'll try that on my future Harrier.
 
 
Really like the NMF finish.  I'm surprised that you're able to mask over the High Shine colors from Alclad. I always thought that was a no-no
 
 
Matt 

Thanks for the explanation of this technique, which I didn't know.
And the metallic finish looks absolutely sumptuous!

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!
 
It's the same PSI that I use to shoot paints with.  Which is about 15-20 PSI.  You want a nice wet coat of thinner, not a mist.
 
 
Just started playing with this technique so I'm not an expert but for me, the wetter the better.  Volume-wise you probably want to keep it short of pooling.  But even if it pools, it will eventually level out. I actually want that fresh paint underneath (black in this case) to "run".  Obviously, you wouldn't do this if you have a second color underneath to worry about such a two-tone camo scheme or over a hair-spray chipped layer.  But on gloss black over primer, I want that thinner to cut into the black as much as possible.
 
 
 
I don't even clean the airbrush or cup.  Just drop some MLT and spray immediately over the freshly-applied color.
 
On top of the black base, I started to spray Alclad on the bottom.  For the primary color, I used Polished Aluminum, which is one of their "High Shine" finishes.  The stuff dries so fast that repeated spraying causes a fine dust or even spider-webbing to appear on the surface of the model.  This can be brushed off afterwards.  

 
 
I used a few different Alclad shades such as White Aluminum, Dark Aluminum and Stainless Steel to highlight separate panels.  I may add more.





 
 
The hinomaru and aileron masks are removed at this point.  There is a slight ridge of black and metallic paint around the hinomarus that needs to be carefully knocked down as much as possible without marring the surrounding metallic paint.  There are also some small black paint leaks that crept in under the mask.



 
 
Right now the metal finish is very reflective. This is going to get knocked down considerably when I apply the clear coats.  Here are the stabilizers with a clear coat to show the change.



 

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!
 
It's the same PSI that I use to shoot paints with.  Which is about 15-20 PSI.  You want a nice wet coat of thinner, not a mist.
 
 
Just started playing with this technique so I'm not an expert but for me, the wetter the better.  Volume-wise you probably want to keep it short of pooling.  But even if it pools, it will eventually level out. I actually want that fresh paint underneath (black in this case) to "run".  Obviously, you wouldn't do this if you have a second color underneath to worry about such a two-tone camo scheme or over a hair-spray chipped layer.  But on gloss black over primer, I want that thinner to cut into the black as much as possible.
 
 
 
I don't even clean the airbrush or cup.  Just drop some MLT and spray immediately over the freshly-applied color.
 
On top of the black base, I started to spray Alclad on the bottom.  For the primary color, I used Polished Aluminum, which is one of their "High Shine" finishes.  The stuff dries so fast that repeated spraying causes a fine dust or even spider-webbing to appear on the surface of the model.  This can be brushed off afterwards.  

 
 
I used a few different Alclad shades such as White Aluminum, Dark Aluminum and Stainless Steel to highlight separate panels.  I may add more.





 
 
The hinomaru and aileron masks are removed at this point.  There is a slight ridge of black and metallic paint around the hinomarus that needs to be carefully knocked down as much as possible without marring the surrounding metallic paint.  There are also some small black paint leaks that crept in under the mask.



 
 
Right now the metal finish is very reflective. This is going to get knocked down considerably when I apply the clear coats.  Here are the stabilizers with a clear coat to show the change.



 

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!
 
It's the same PSI that I use to shoot paints with.  Which is about 15-20 PSI.  You want a nice wet coat of thinner, not a mist.
 
 
Just started playing with this technique so I'm not an expert but for me, the wetter the better.  Volume-wise you probably want to keep it short of pooling.  But even if it pools, it will eventually level out. I actually want that fresh paint underneath (black in this case) to "run".  Obviously, you wouldn't do this if you have a second color underneath to worry about such a two-tone camo scheme or over a hair-spray chipped layer.  But on gloss black over primer, I want that thinner to cut into the black as much as possible.
 
 
 
I don't even clean the airbrush or cup.  Just drop some MLT and spray immediately over the freshly-applied color.
 
On top of the black base, I started to spray Alclad on the bottom.  For the primary color, I used Polished Aluminum, which is one of their "High Shine" finishes.  The stuff dries so fast that repeated spraying causes a fine dust or even spider-webbing to appear on the surface of the model.  This can be brushed off afterwards.  

 
 
I used a few different Alclad shades such as White Aluminum, Dark Aluminum and Stainless Steel to highlight separate panels.  I may add more.





 
 
The hinomaru and aileron masks are removed at this point.  There is a slight ridge of black and metallic paint around the hinomarus that needs to be carefully knocked down as much as possible without marring the surrounding metallic paint.  There are also some small black paint leaks that crept in under the mask.



 
 
Right now the metal finish is very reflective. This is going to get knocked down considerably when I apply the clear coats.  Here are the stabilizers with a clear coat to show the change.



 

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!
 
It's the same PSI that I use to shoot paints with.  Which is about 15-20 PSI.  You want a nice wet coat of thinner, not a mist.
 
 
Just started playing with this technique so I'm not an expert but for me, the wetter the better.  Volume-wise you probably want to keep it short of pooling.  But even if it pools, it will eventually level out. I actually want that fresh paint underneath (black in this case) to "run".  Obviously, you wouldn't do this if you have a second color underneath to worry about such a two-tone camo scheme or over a hair-spray chipped layer.  But on gloss black over primer, I want that thinner to cut into the black as much as possible.
 
 
 
I don't even clean the airbrush or cup.  Just drop some MLT and spray immediately over the freshly-applied color.
 
On top of the black base, I started to spray Alclad on the bottom.  For the primary color, I used Polished Aluminum, which is one of their "High Shine" finishes.  The stuff dries so fast that repeated spraying causes a fine dust or even spider-webbing to appear on the surface of the model.  This can be brushed off afterwards.  

 
 
I used a few different Alclad shades such as White Aluminum, Dark Aluminum and Stainless Steel to highlight separate panels.  I may add more.





 
 
The hinomaru and aileron masks are removed at this point.  There is a slight ridge of black and metallic paint around the hinomarus that needs to be carefully knocked down as much as possible without marring the surrounding metallic paint.  There are also some small black paint leaks that crept in under the mask.



 
 
Right now the metal finish is very reflective. This is going to get knocked down considerably when I apply the clear coats.  Here are the stabilizers with a clear coat to show the change.



 

To deal with paint spit and the occasional dust, I initially try to buff it out with soft cloth.  In this case, I had to go to the next step which was Micromesh, which you'll see below.
 
 
I'm using relatively thin coats of paint.  The Tamiya Black is thinned with Mr Leveling Thinner at about 1.5:1 thinner to paint ratio.  This is thin enough where the panel lines and rivets don't get filled in.
 
 
Thank you for suggestion!
 
There was no dust embedded onto the stabilizer as I had initially thought.  The wet paint just got scratched off by the carpet. There hardly any surface imperfections.

 
 
I gave the stabs a quick rubbing with Micromesh (4000 and 6000) just to be safe.

 
 
For the texture on the wings, I initially gave it a good rubbing with a soft, clean cotton t-shirt.  That helped a little but it was still noticeable. Here are some close-ups of the remaining texture on the wings.



 
 
I used wet Micromesh 4000 and 6000 successively to smooth out the surface.  It still looks messy but running my fingers over it tells me it's smooth.



 
 
It's important not to gauge this with a straight on view but at an angle using a light source.

 
 
Satisfied that I had adequately smoothed the surface, I re-sprayed the area with Tamiya Black thinned with Mr Leveling Thinner.  The entire bottom was then sprayed with straight Mr Leveling Thinner to give the bottom surfaces a uniform finish.







 

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!
 
It's the same PSI that I use to shoot paints with.  Which is about 15-20 PSI.  You want a nice wet coat of thinner, not a mist.
 
 
Just started playing with this technique so I'm not an expert but for me, the wetter the better.  Volume-wise you probably want to keep it short of pooling.  But even if it pools, it will eventually level out. I actually want that fresh paint underneath (black in this case) to "run".  Obviously, you wouldn't do this if you have a second color underneath to worry about such a two-tone camo scheme or over a hair-spray chipped layer.  But on gloss black over primer, I want that thinner to cut into the black as much as possible.
 
 
 
I don't even clean the airbrush or cup.  Just drop some MLT and spray immediately over the freshly-applied color.
 
On top of the black base, I started to spray Alclad on the bottom.  For the primary color, I used Polished Aluminum, which is one of their "High Shine" finishes.  The stuff dries so fast that repeated spraying causes a fine dust or even spider-webbing to appear on the surface of the model.  This can be brushed off afterwards.  

 
 
I used a few different Alclad shades such as White Aluminum, Dark Aluminum and Stainless Steel to highlight separate panels.  I may add more.





 
 
The hinomaru and aileron masks are removed at this point.  There is a slight ridge of black and metallic paint around the hinomarus that needs to be carefully knocked down as much as possible without marring the surrounding metallic paint.  There are also some small black paint leaks that crept in under the mask.



 
 
Right now the metal finish is very reflective. This is going to get knocked down considerably when I apply the clear coats.  Here are the stabilizers with a clear coat to show the change.



 

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the comments!
 
It's the same PSI that I use to shoot paints with.  Which is about 15-20 PSI.  You want a nice wet coat of thinner, not a mist.
 
 
Just started playing with this technique so I'm not an expert but for me, the wetter the better.  Volume-wise you probably want to keep it short of pooling.  But even if it pools, it will eventually level out. I actually want that fresh paint underneath (black in this case) to "run".  Obviously, you wouldn't do this if you have a second color underneath to worry about such a two-tone camo scheme or over a hair-spray chipped layer.  But on gloss black over primer, I want that thinner to cut into the black as much as possible.
 
 
 
I don't even clean the airbrush or cup.  Just drop some MLT and spray immediately over the freshly-applied color.
 
On top of the black base, I started to spray Alclad on the bottom.  For the primary color, I used Polished Aluminum, which is one of their "High Shine" finishes.  The stuff dries so fast that repeated spraying causes a fine dust or even spider-webbing to appear on the surface of the model.  This can be brushed off afterwards.  

 
 
I used a few different Alclad shades such as White Aluminum, Dark Aluminum and Stainless Steel to highlight separate panels.  I may add more.





 
 
The hinomaru and aileron masks are removed at this point.  There is a slight ridge of black and metallic paint around the hinomarus that needs to be carefully knocked down as much as possible without marring the surrounding metallic paint.  There are also some small black paint leaks that crept in under the mask.



 
 
Right now the metal finish is very reflective. This is going to get knocked down considerably when I apply the clear coats.  Here are the stabilizers with a clear coat to show the change.



 

I did that many years ago with my car models. Super glossy.

Ah, I see now.
So you spray the paint, clean your airbrush, put some Mr Leveling Thinner in it and then spray a coat of thinner that will self-smooth the still-fresh paint.
Does this also work for lacquer paints like MRP, if you use the right thinner?

Yep and also helps with levelling out any dry spray that may occur .
 
Cheers Bevan 

BTW John, that is about the finest base coat that I've ever seen. Kudos!

Good advice! Happiness is a well used test mule. 

No, the final coat of undiluted thinners has to be applied very soon after the underlying paint goes down. Once the paint is completely dry, it's too late for the flash coat to have much of an effect. But it helps keep the paint softer for longer, allowing it to self-level and create a smoother finish. When you see it in action, it's like a minor miracle!
 
Kev

As I understand it, a fine mist of levelling thinner will cause the upper layers of the paint to become (sort of) fluid and level out, thus leaving a much more smoother surface behind once the levelling thinner evaporates and the (upper layers of) paint cures again

@Thunnus I'm not sure I understand: once the black paint is completely dry, you only spray Mr Leveling Thinner with your airbrush?
What does it do ?

That flash coat at the end works wonders, eh?
 
 
You don't want to go too heavy, Matt, or you'll risk the fresh paint running. Personally, I use something a little heavier than a mist coat, but not too wet. Grab a mule and test it out first. I use this method on gloss clear coats, too.
 
Kev

I've seen guys talk about spraying pure Leveling Thinner over the paint, at what PSI are you doing that? Is it a mist coat, or a wet one? Got a gloss black Harrier in the pipeline, so I want to make sure I've got the technique right before diving in.
 
 
 
Matt 

Wow, a black mirror!

To deal with paint spit and the occasional dust, I initially try to buff it out with soft cloth.  In this case, I had to go to the next step which was Micromesh, which you'll see below.
 
 
I'm using relatively thin coats of paint.  The Tamiya Black is thinned with Mr Leveling Thinner at about 1.5:1 thinner to paint ratio.  This is thin enough where the panel lines and rivets don't get filled in.
 
 
Thank you for suggestion!
 
There was no dust embedded onto the stabilizer as I had initially thought.  The wet paint just got scratched off by the carpet. There hardly any surface imperfections.

 
 
I gave the stabs a quick rubbing with Micromesh (4000 and 6000) just to be safe.

 
 
For the texture on the wings, I initially gave it a good rubbing with a soft, clean cotton t-shirt.  That helped a little but it was still noticeable. Here are some close-ups of the remaining texture on the wings.



 
 
I used wet Micromesh 4000 and 6000 successively to smooth out the surface.  It still looks messy but running my fingers over it tells me it's smooth.



 
 
It's important not to gauge this with a straight on view but at an angle using a light source.

 
 
Satisfied that I had adequately smoothed the surface, I re-sprayed the area with Tamiya Black thinned with Mr Leveling Thinner.  The entire bottom was then sprayed with straight Mr Leveling Thinner to give the bottom surfaces a uniform finish.







 

Thanks guys!
 
 
Thanks Mike!  Screws makes sense since I'm guessing these are access panels for the cowl guns?  And raised because one panel is used to cover two openings?  
 
I was able to secure a copy of this out-of-print book for a real good price ($20 shipped) from the Arawasi blog site so I'm taking my time on things until it gets here.

 

The wheels have been painted and weathered.

 
 
But only a sliver of them will be visible once they are mounted within the wheel spats.



 
 
When gluing the spats together, I left the wheels rotatable so that I can orient the flat spots on the tires later.  The prominent glue seam will get sanded and puttied.

 
 
In order to get a more positive fit onto the wing bottoms, I added some mounting posts for the landing gear legs.  This is taking a page from Alex's build but in a slightly different form.



 
 
I heeded Alex's warning about the thickness of the control surface parts and decided to thin them before gluing them together.  For this, I use a section of sanding paper taped onto a sheet of glass (from a photo frame).  For this type of work, I use a coarser grain of sandpaper than I normally work with such as #320 or #220 (3M)

 
 
The insides of the elevator pieces look flat to the naked eye.

 
 
But a few swipes on the sanding block show that they aren't perfectly flat.  The dark areas indicate surfaces that are lower than the surrounding areas.  The dark areas along the edge will result in gaps which are difficult to correct.



 
 
So I keep sanding until the all of the dark areas are gone.

 
 
The parts secured with just tape and finger pressure reveal the lack of gaps along the edge, which is the desired result.  The elevators can now be glued together.

 
 
At this point, I decided to rough fit the major components together by tape to check overall fit.  There may be some significant gaps that I'll need to pay attention to.  Particularly along the leading edge of the vertical stabilizer fillet and at the wing roots.  But overall, fit looks pretty good.





 
 
This is a LARGE aircraft with heckuva wingspan.  It will NOT fit into my Ikea Detolf display case.