Tamiya F-15C Kicked Up A Notch- Dec 1/17: DONE!

[F`s are my favs]

Amazing Chuck! It's beautiful! How many are the rivets tho? ) just kidding. The raised resin rivets really do the magic. Btw for my model I plan to make a long mounting pylon as a stand so the model could be quite above the surface and to see clearly the lower fuselage area.

Awesome update!

[Guest Peterpools]

Chuck

Brilliant update and comparing the "Real Deal" with your build not only helps us appreciate your extraordinary work but how closely you have been able to 'shrink' the Big Boy down

Awesome work from a "one armed bandit". Hopefully the sling will be history in a week or so and then it's all hands on deck.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[kike_gt]

Amazing job as usual Chuck!

 

Are you gonna add Archer rivets to the bigger vents shown here? , you don't want to do more rivets? or you just missed them?

 

Not getting picky at all, nor becoming a rivet counter, but watching the whole load of work you dedicate to accuracy just wanted to mention them

 

 

 

 

 

 

[chuck540z3]

Amazing job as usual Chuck!

 

Are you gonna add Archer rivets to the bigger vents shown here? , you don't want to do more rivets? or you just missed them?

 

Not getting picky at all, nor becoming a rivet counter, but watching the whole load of work you dedicate to accuracy just wanted to mention them

 

No,  although these fasteners are raised a bit, they won't be seen very well underneath so I won't be adding any like I did to the top.  It's always a crap-shoot as to whether or not the fastener detail should be raised or left as a small recess, so there is no right answer.  For the big rivets on the antennae booms, however, I will be adding Archer rivets, because those rivets are huge!  Same goes for many on the vertical stabilizers, but it comes at a cost.  Like any decals, Archer rivets do not like to be masked and they often lift with masking tape, so adding them creates masking challenges later when I paint.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited January 18, 2017 by chuck540z3

[ClumsyDude]

Wow, Chuck, super professional effort. Loving it.

 

Jim

[chuck540z3]

Thanks guys.  This kind of work isn't the sexiest part of a modeling thread, but when the model is finished, I think the added detail will be viewed as very worthwhile in the end.

 

Also, another thought that I missed before.  When this bird is painted with Alclad on the titanium panels at the rear, just about everything you see above will still show up, which is what I want.   I think this area is either the highlight of an Eagle build, or it's downfall, because unless you have a realistic metallic finish, it will look like a toy.  The same goes for the engine nozzles.  They need to look PERFECT (or almost so), which is no easy feat.  More on that later.

 

Where the model is painted in blue camo paint, about half of the new detail will disappear, unless you get up close to examine the subtle detail.  With no weathering washes of any kind to highlight panel lines, etc., this model should look quite clean and natural, just like the real deal F-15C Aggressor that I have photographed many times.  I say this because other modelers like Guy Wilson are actually filling the panel lines in his F-15C build, and here I am making them show up more!  I think that has a lot to do with our modeling styles, because as much as Guy loves accuracy, a love the "artistic" side more, so it will be very interesting to see how this all turns out in the end.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[Ironwing]

Chuck

 

I say with absolute sincerity...You're good...Real effin good. From the way you research to the way you achieve each detail is second to none. I think I hate you now.

 

Geoff

 

How ya feeling?

Edited January 18, 2017 by Ironwing

[Guest]

I have to go along with Geoff Chuck.One of the top guys here.....Harv

[chuck540z3]

Chuck

 

I say with absolute sincerity...You're good...Real effin good. From the way you research to the way you achieve each detail is second to none. I think I hate you now.

 

Geoff

 

How ya feeling?

 

 

I have to go along with Geoff Chuck.One of the top guys here.....Harv

 

Thanks for the kind words guys.  With the talented company we share here in this forum, those are very high compliments!

 

I'm feeling a lot better now Geoff and my arm is starting to move quite a bit more, so I can now do some stuff (like scribe & rivet) without much pain.  Thanks for asking.  This arm sling is getting really old, however, as is not being able to drive.  A couple of weeks more and I should be driving again- and doing more hands on modeling.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[Wolf Buddee]

Wow Chuck! What an amazing piece of work. I applaud your level of research and your desire to get things "just right". This will truly be, and already is, a most magnificent build.

 

Cheers,

Wolf

[F`s are my favs]

This is just Chuck`s topic... every update is like a holiday... i first click the "like" button and then i start reading it...

[geedubelyer]

 

 so it will be very interesting to see how this all turns out in the end.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

 

I think I can already answer that Chuck........very sharp indeed!

Nice work on the underside and good catch on the petals around the engine. I shall take note of that.

Hope the recovery continues to gathers pace.

 

Cheers.

[Joel_W]

Chuck,

  Glad to hear that you're on the mend, so the worst is over.  I've been on just about every blood thinner on the market for more then 25 years now. So every so often when I cut myself, I tend to bleed a  little more then normal, and it takes longer to control and stop. But I'm still here, so it's small inconvenience to pay.

 

   Your continued attention to panel lines, rivets, vents etc. continues to separate your build from the rest of the modeling community, and makes following your builds so enlightening, enjoyable, and a true learning experience.

 

  I do have one question that concerns not priming, as it did take me by surprise. Most modelers I know prime as just a given part of the painting process. Today's primers whether Acrylic or lacquer, dry to a very thin hard surface which normally won't fill in even the shallowest of recessed details, and provides a superior surface for paint to adhere to. Have you found the opposite, or do you just feel that priming with todays' paints unnecessary?

 

Joel

[chuck540z3]

Thanks again guys! 

 

 

Chuck,

 Your continued attention to panel lines, rivets, vents etc. continues to separate your build from the rest of the modeling community, and makes following your builds so enlightening, enjoyable, and a true learning experience.

 

I do have one question that concerns not priming, as it did take me by surprise. Most modelers I know prime as just a given part of the painting process. Today's primers whether Acrylic or lacquer, dry to a very thin hard surface which normally won't fill in even the shallowest of recessed details, and provides a superior surface for paint to adhere to. Have you found the opposite, or do you just feel that priming with today's paints unnecessary?

 

Joel

 

Thanks Joel.  Ahhhh, the old "Prime or Not to Prime" dilemma!, which can be as controversial as using Acrylic paints vs. Enamels or whether or not you should Pre-shade your model before painting.  Like the other debates, the answer is "It depends".

 

As we all know, the key reasons to use a primer on your model are:

 

1) Improve adhesion of final paint color to the plastic.

 

2)  Check for flaws, since a first coat of paint makes them stick out more, so they can be repaired before spraying the final coat.

 

3)  Fill micro-flaws in the plastic surface, to make it smoother before painting.

 

I will address these attributes in the same order as follows:

 

1A)  I use Model Master enamels mostly and lately Tamiya lacquers decanted from the rattle can.  These paints don't need a primer to stick to the plastic, because the solvents within them provide an excellent "bite" of their own without the need for a primer.  Yes, they stink more and are potential health hazards over acrylic paints, but I always spray in a vented paint booth in my garage, wear rubber gloves and use a chemical respirator, so I have very limited direct contact with these paints.  Further, they dry fairly quickly- especially the lacquers- and when cured they dry to a very hard finish that can be masked almost immediately without lifting the paint and they can take a bump without chipping.

 

The exception to this is when I spray Alclad, because these ultra-thin lacquer (sometimes alcohol) based paints DO need a primer to stick to the plastic, so I usually spray a thin coat of gloss black Tamiya lacquer down first and let it dry for a day before spraying Alclad on top of it.  I will definitely be doing this on the titanium panels of this model.

 

2A)  A few models ago I discovered Tamiya panel line accent colors when I was trying to highlight some of my work in these forums, just like I did above.  Using the Black color, I found that it showed almost every tiny flaw and missed panel line , allowing me to repair my work before photographing it for my WIP thread.  Second, I also sand every piece of plastic with fine sandpaper, no matter how smooth it looks to the naked eye, because there are usually small molding flaws that you can't see before paint.  Third, and this is where I "sort of use a primer", I spray a very thin coat of the final color over the entire model to check for flaws that the first 2 steps didn't show.  This coat is only thick enough to provide some pigment color, but not thick enough to create paint build-up.

 

3A)   With  2A above, if there are still small flaws that need to be filled with a primer or Mr. Surfacer, you are also filling some detail.  Looking at the tiny rivet detail I created on some panels above, I don't want any more paint sprayed on them than I have to.  A full rivet depression filled with some primer paint can become a half-filled depression, and after a few more coats of the final paint color, it might almost disappear.  The bottom line is that I find it unnecessary to use a primer using enamel and lacquer paints in most cases and if you need a primer to fill flaws, you probably aren't preparing the plastic properly to begin with.

 

4A)  OK, this is an additional reason I don't use a primer:  "Orange Peel".  Each successive coat of paint has a chance of coming out a little uneven and the more coats of paint, the higher the chance that the surface may be a bit rough.

 

Now if I may show off a bit,       here are some examples I've shown in the past where I have added panel line and rivet detail, followed by only two thin coats of enamel paint with no primer....

 

 

1/32 F-4E (with salt weathering)

 

 

 

 

 

And my 1/32  A-10C, with lots of Archer raised resin rivet decals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now if you use acrylics, I'm sure much of the above doesn't apply and maybe most acrylic paints should have a primer to create a smooth finish that sticks to the plastic.  I'm sure that's why I had so much trouble with MM Acryl paint years ago.  That stuff won't stick to anything! 

Edited January 19, 2017 by chuck540z3

[Shaka HI]

I personally prime everything now....the only issue? Stripping any paint I don't like for a redo because the paint's so much more difficult to strip with a primer.

 

Thanks for the Info.