D Bellis Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 A quick question for all the Mustang experts out there... What colour should the fuel tanks be? The real fuel tanks are rubber bladders, and should be a semi-gloss black with zinc chromate metal access panels. That includes the fuselage tank behind the cockpit, too. HTH, D Fooesboy and Alburymodeler 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 (edited) Chris had asked me via PM about the use of primers with this kit. He thought that the information was valuable enough to have it posted here on this build thread, so here goes. Hope it helps anyone else with similar questions or concerns. "Really good question about priming. Basically, you have 3 choices: 1. An automotive grade self-etching primer for metal 2. Tamiya or Mr. Hobby primer for metal in a rattle can 3. No primer at all. I used the Mr. Hobby primer for metal on the Mustang engine and was very unhappy because it's basically just a clear lacquer and not really a primer at all in the sense that it doesn't really provide a 'grip' the way that a self-etching primer does. The advantages are that CA will stick to it and it does 'smooth' the surface of the white metal for the subsequent color coats. I started to use an automotive grade self-etching primer for metal and discovered (horrors!) that CA will NOT stick to it. You will have to remove the primer from any joining surfaces where CA will be used. This can be done pretty easily with debonder or acetone, but it's problematic when what you are trying to paint is PE and not white metal. This was the case in some of the interior flooring in the Mustang. Other than that problem, it DOES provide a good grip and a smooth surface for whatever you paint over it. You're right....I didn't prime the Zero at all or the Bf-109. Reason? I found that any odd places where scrapes occurred during assembly could easily be touched up and handling is so minimal after the model is built that you really don't have to worry about the paint wearing off. In the end, it's a trade-off; priming will definitely result in a more durable finish, but it's a real Pain in the A#%. For me, I decided that the durability of a finish on a model that I didn't intend to handle wasn't an issue. As you can see from my description; the choice is really up to you depending on your goals." John Edited April 6, 2015 by John F Smith Fooesboy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooesboy Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 I guess I would have thrown the whole thing at least ten times into the corner, or managed to glue it onto my sausage fingers Alex Hi Alex and thanks for the kind comments. I have glued this to my sausage finger many times as well as the bench a couple of times.... it's all part of the fun! Attaching the spars has been so far the most challenging part of the build and even that went OK, in fact I think this is easier to build than some injection kits. It's a shame that so many people seam to be put off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooesboy Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 The real fuel tanks are rubber bladders, and should be a semi-gloss black with zinc chromate metal access panels. That includes the fuselage tank behind the cockpit, too. HTH, D Thanks for that! A quick google search has turned up a photo of a Mustang undergoing restoration and the fuel cell being installed, I need to focus my google Kung Fu and see if I can turn up a period photo, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooesboy Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 John, Thank you again, you really are a star! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peterpools Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 John I've used Tamiya primer for metal and plastic on both materials and have had very good results but with top layers of paint and CCA. Just wondering what's your thoughts on tamiya Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Bellis Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Thanks for that! A quick google search has turned up a photo of a Mustang undergoing restoration and the fuel cell being installed, I need to focus my google Kung Fu and see if I can turn up a period photo, Squadron's "P-51D Walk Around" book has a couple period B&W shots on pages 10 and 11: HTH, D Edited April 7, 2015 by D Bellis Fooesboy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 (edited) Hi Peter, I have not used the Tamiya primer product, so I can't really comment from experience. But, from reading the description on the can, it appears to be a lacquer, and hence is in the same ball park as the Mr. Hobby product which is what I would expect. I'm sure it delivers much the same results as the Mr. Hobby product does on metal and certainly would provide a smooth undercoat for paint. I would be very surprised if CA didn't stick to it just fine. Since it's formulated for use both on plastic and metal, I'm pretty sure it's not a metal etching primer, but really, that's just a semi-educated guess. If I were building an IMCTH kit, and wanted a primer in the same class as the Mr. Hobby product, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. Sorry I can't be of more help with your question. John Edited April 7, 2015 by John F Smith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooesboy Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 Hi D Bellis, Thank you for the great photos, they will be a great help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironwing Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Chris Im late to the party but please continue to post. This is a most unusual way to see the Mustang. Very nicely done thus far. Best Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooesboy Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 It has been a slow going over the last 2 weeks, the usual boring work and home stuff getting in the way. Today I have managed to get a little bit of "shed time" as well as the Tamiya Mustang has arrived from HLJ along with some weighted tyres and turned brass barrels for the IMCTH Mustang. I have also managed to get the first bit of colour onto some bits n bobs. Photos to follow when I have something worth wile to show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooesboy Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 (edited) The turned barrels I received are supplied by Zoukei-Mura and are made my Master, I chose them because they appeared to have a couple of extra bits with them. The extra bits are the struts for the gear doors that look much better than the cast metal bits supplied in the kit. It was quite a challenge to fit them, I used a 0.5mm drill to give a pilot hole and then open it up to a massive 0.8mm on one end and a gargantuan 1.2mm on the other. I am rather glad that IMCTH have included parts for both in-flight and landed gear because the carpet monster ran off with one of the small blocks.... After I this the next block I used a piece of double sided tape to help keep the block from being stolen again but I still needed to hold it with tweezers while I filed it flat and drilled the holes. The end result I think was well worth the effort. I am also the proud owner of a rather large black lump.... if anyone has some suggestions on how to get a little bit of life into the semi gloss black I would love to hear! I am simply amazed at how well the engine went together, towards the end of the assembly process I stopped test fitting the parts before I applied the CA because EVERYTHING fitted perfectly, a tiny drop of CA and press together, no need for kicker, and onto the next piece.... that fast! Edited August 18, 2017 by Fooesboy Sparzanza and Zero77 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John F Smith Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Excellent, Chris! I used Master barrels for my MGs, too and love the look. One way to get a really wonderful gunmetal look is to use Blacken-It or another chemical burnishing fluid. For the engine, I heartily recommend some light dry brushing with Steel or Dark Aluminum and AK Interactives engine washes. They make the engine really look the part. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fooesboy Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 Cheers John, I was planning on using some sort of blackening agent, but non is available here in NZ so will need to organize from overseas....the same goes with the AK Interactive products. To help keep the shipping down I wish to purchase a large number of the colour sets from AK, can you or anyone else recommend what sets to get and where to purchase them through. I find ebay very frustrating at the moment because I cannot find a way to purchase all items off 1 seller to combine postage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackerjazz Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Man those parts are sure to try one's patience! Amazing work so far, Fooesboy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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