Another Hasegawa T bolt Bubbletop, my first LSP. November 12, 2022, It is DONE at last!!!!!!!!

[turbo]

21 hours ago, Citadelgrad said:

also, a question.   I will shoot this interior green, then pick out details with paint.  Should i seal it with a clear before i use washes and tamiya panel line stuff?  If so, dull or gloss?   Thanks.

 

Hey Bill, the answer to this question depends on a few things. Presuming the base coat you are shooting is acrylic and the washes you are using are oil or enamel-based (or even water-based), then strictly speaking you don't need a varnish coat. However, if your basecoat finish is matt or satin, the wash will "grab" a bit all over rather than just staying in the recesses. This is not necessarily a bad thing if you want the wash to also function as a bit of a filter and dirty things up a bit - you can manipulate it with a q-tip or such moistened with thinners for a pleasing result. However, if you want the wash only in the recesses then it is advisable to seal with an acrylic gloss coat.

 

Looking forward to the build!

[Citadelgrad]

Necro work in progress.   I told you all i am slow.  
 

today i shot the cockpit with primer and AK real colors dark dull green.   
 

no photos yet, its monochrome at present.  This week i will start picking out details. 
 

i have been working on it, mostly thinking about how to tackle various things.  

Edited February 7, 2021 by Citadelgrad
Spellin

[MikeMaben]

[Citadelgrad]

I finally got some paint on the cockpit.

 

Please be gentle.  This is my first LCP as an adult, I am a recovering tank builder to get my feet back in the game.  I am experimenting with a combination of kit parts and careful painting, a Big Ed self adhesive set, a Yahu panel which is gorgeous, and I also have HGW placards.

 

Its far from dome, but I did make some progress.  Sorry about the poor lighting

 

 

 

 

I will sort out some daylight photos with tomorrows progress, but I am happy to be moving forward.  

[bdthoresen]

Looking great so far, Bill. I particularly like the version of Dull Dark Green you have used. Your engine work looks pretty great as well. Please keep the updates coming. I have a pair of Jugs planned for later in the year, so I will be paying attention!

 

THOR    

[Citadelgrad]

I decided to try HGW seatbelts on this one, and i am really glad that i did.  They ARE fiddly, but i saw a tip to leave the PE on the fret and tread the belts through, then remove the part, and while it was not possible for every part, the buckles that i had to thread two pieces through werent that bad. 
 

good lighting, a clean work surface, a sharp knife, and an extra hand were all that i needed.  I decided to pace myself, so i did the long Y shaped chest harness first.  I limited myself to an hour or a major subassembly, whichever came first.  Today i finished the last lap belt. I still need to add the tiny fabric buckle pulls, but am leaving that for last. 
 

i have seen mention of using a wash to discolor these to simulate use.  Maybe its just me, but i found that just assembling these imparted some darker areas.

 

just one photo for all that work.

 

[Rockie Yarwood]

Nice to see progress on this build, Bill. Keep at it!

[Dpgsbody55]

Looking great so far.  Keep at it. 

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[JayW]

Very nice work Bill.  I sure wish I could get equivalent seat belts and harnesses in 1/18.  I have had to resort to wine bottle foil and bent up thin gage wire with less than stallar results.  I agree that just working with this stuff can give a fair degree of weathering or use.   

[Scale_artisan]

Beautiful work so far!

[Citadelgrad]

Thanks to all for the kind words of encouragement.  Watching some of the threads here, i alternate between amazement and despair. 

i can confidently say this is, so far, the best results i have achieved on an aircraft.

 

tonight, I spent jus a brief few minutes adding some light wear to the cockpit.   My understanding is, and photos seem o bear this out, Gabby’s plane was pretty clean and well maintained.  I actually forgot to underspray silver in the cockpit floor and seat, so i was forced to revisit drybrushing.   I took my time and i have to say the results in person look far more like wear and tear, and far less like abuse, and i am really happy.  It doesnt photograph well, but i did my best.  
 

here are the photos of tonight’s progress

 

 

 

 

And a question, if i may.  I plan to seal the progress with a gloss coat, then do some washes, tamiya dark panel probably, then a coat of matt, and assemble, calling this cockpit done. 
 

is allclad’s gloss and matte clear a good way to go for this?

 

thanks all!

[Thunnus]

Your detail painting is very good and you've used the dry-brushing technique nicely as well.  I didn't have good experiences with the Alclad gloss and matte clears and had an issue with them not completely drying so I would do a test with your before committing them to your cockpit work.

[Citadelgrad]

3 minutes ago, Thunnus said:

Your detail painting is very good and you've used the dry-brushing technique nicely as well.  I didn't have good experiences with the Alclad gloss and matte clears and had an issue with them not completely drying so I would do a test with your before committing them to your cockpit work.

Thanks VERY much.  I was just drooling over your 190 in progress, WOW.  You are turning out incredible work. 

 

do you have a gloss and matte product that has worked well for you?   
 

thanks again.

 

Bill

[Thunnus]

Thanks Bill!  I felt the exact same way you did when I started posting here a few years ago... just amazed at the incredible level of talent here and kinda embarrassed to share my humble work.  But it is a great place to have fun and learn and I can see that you have lots of talent to go with your modesty!

 

Currently, I am using Alclad Aqua Gloss for my clear gloss.  I love it because it is easy to spray, dries fast and consistently.  The only thing I haven't mastered with it is a perfect gloss, high shine finish, which I never need for my WW2 builds.  For my matte, I've been using Model Master Acryl Clear Flat.  Like Aqua Gloss, it is also an acrylic, and it fits my work flow as I am using Tamiya, Mr Hobby Aqueous and AK Real Color acrylics.  It's also easy to spray and fast-drying but like most mattes, it WILL start developing a white frost if you overdo it.  That's what I've been using but I don't have enough experience to say there aren't better clears out there.

[Citadelgrad]

I got some of the aqua gloss locally, but as you will see i was so concerned about reports of it “sagging” and imparting a blue tint when used too heavily, that i didnt get a really good gloss coat.  Live and learn. 
 

i was able to apply my first HGW wet transfers.   I have to say i really like them so far, but i did have a few issues.  Nothing major.  First, although they really seem to have gone down well, and i think because i didnt have a glossy enough surface to start, the carrier film left a shiny footprint, even though i counted the films and am sure the film is gone.  I went back with water on a cotton bud, which helped but did not resolve the issue.  I am not sure how to improve this, but i think when i shoot a clear coat to seal it, it will be far less noticeable.  I did notice that on the engine, where i got a really good gloss coat, there was no such issue. 
 

also, i had one transfer disintegrate, i think my water cooled and i tried to move it too quickly.  Keep the decal water warm.  They do loosen in a matter of seconds. 
 

photos: