SH Tempest Mk V "Kicked Up A Notch". January 14/21 New eBook!

[Greg W]

Hi Chuck. 

 

 I am going to suggest another thing for you to experiment with. I just reread the part of the thread where you used a damp micro fibre towel under the model in order to minimize static electricity. When I used to work in a body shop, plastic bumper covers gave us fits. Ultimately, we found that by spraying the floor with water and using anti static wipes (made by PPG), we had a dramatic reduction in dust. Occasionally, almost none. Pretty great.  

 

 

Might be something to try before doing the next, gloss black finish.

 

Greg

Edited November 7, 2020 by GDW

[chuck540z3]

Thank you for the tip Greg!  I see that the wipes are 70% Isopropyl alcohol and de-ionized water.  Maybe the alcohol and distilled water might do almost as good?  I'll give it a try.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[Pete Fleischmann]

Fantastic work Chuck! I always learn something from you- great job figuring out the metallic washes- it is a very convincing effect!

appreciate that!

hope that paw of yours heals quickly!

 

cheers

 

Pete

[Starfighter]

Couldn't agree more! There is always something new in your threads and I really appreciate the time you take to properly explain and illustrate your techniques. 

[monthebiff]

Stunning work Chuck, interested to see how you get on with those HGW wet transfers.

 

Regards. Andy

[chuck540z3]

49 of you are now following this thread?  No pressure!  

 

November 12/20

 

 

With the insignias painted on, it’s time to paint on the Squadron Codes and Serial Number.  The Maketar masking set has the codes and numbers for all the versions in the instructions, so I applied the “JF-E” lettering of Clostermann’s rides to both sides, according to pics and the instructions.  Note:  The instructions for all decals and lettering are really well researched, so you can just go with them instead of pics if you want.

 

 

 

 

Using MRP “Sky” in two good coats, the lettering came out really well.  Did I mention I now love MRP paint!?

 

 

 

 

Going back to the un-restored Spitfire in London, you can see that the light metallic colored rivets go right through the insignias.  Tempests likely looked about the same.

 

 

 

 

 

So I added more Metaliner wash on the insignias and lettering that I used on the rest of the fuselage earlier, trying to keep the added detail subtle.  Metallic rivet detail within the insignia is now more visible.

 

 

 

 

And the other roundels and fin flash.

 

 

 

Which was really effective here.

 

 

 

You may have noticed that I didn’t paint on the Serial Number “NV724”, which the Maketar set includes in both Kabuki and vinyl.  The reason is that the HGW wet transfer decals come with this lettering already and if they work, they will be superior- and easier- to anything I can paint on with masks.  While I had great success with these decals on my Spitfire build, I’ve read a few stories from other modelers who had difficulty with them, so I have to admit I was a little nervous applying large lettering like this.  I need not have been, because I can now happily announce that my success with HGW decals is a solid 2/2!

 

The first thing I noticed when looking at the HGW instructions is that they are identical to the Special Hobby kit instructions, which is perfect, because the kit instructions are clearer and well researched.

 

 

 

 

Before I started, I looked up my instructions I created for my Spitfire build which are below.  There are lots of different methods to apply these decals from what I’ve read, but I can attest that these instructions work perfectly!

 

1.  Have a smooth surface to begin with, which of course is normal for all decaling.   With this model, the MRP paint is so smooth I didn’t need a clear gloss coat, which is a modeling first for me.  Did I mention I love MRP paint?!

 

2.  Carrier film covers the entire decal sheet, so you should cut around each decal to separate it from the others, but unlike normal decals, you actually want to have quite a bit of carrier film to play with.  Have as much film as you can easily handle from the water dish to the model.

 

3.  Wet the application area with Microset or similar decaling solution (NOT Microsol!), then slip the decal into very warm water for about 15 seconds.  Using your fingers, slip the decal off the paper backing onto the model and position into place as you normally would with any decal.  Note:  These decals are relatively tough, so you can get a little bit rough with them without breaking them- a big bonus!

 

4.  Once you are happy with the position of the decal, pat off any water with a Kleenex, then use a soft Q-tip to push out air and water from the portion of the decal you want on your model and burnish it down a bit to create total contact with the surface.  Leave the edges a bit rough if you want, so that you can grab them later when the decal dries.

 

5. Let the decal dry for a long time.  The HGW instructions call for 6-8 hours, but I left mine for at least 20 hours.  Many of the failures I found on-line could be attributed to rushing the process, so take your time, which is really hard to do if you’re impatient like me.

 

6. Once the decal is completely dry, use a sharp but soft object to lift one edge, then pull the film off slowly with tweezers and discard.  I used an old microbrush with the brush pulled off, which I usually use for applying CA glue.  When you pull off the film, do it very slowly and backwards rather than upwards, to help prevent any lifting of the decal

 

7. Using warm water and a soft cloth, carefully rub off any residual glue that will still exist where the carrier film used to be.

 

8.  Seal all the decals with X-22 or other clear coat, so that they can withstand solvents and other weathering applications.   For this model I’m skipping this step, since I don’t have any clear coat on it already and I don’t plan on using anything harsh on them later.

 

So that’s it and how do they work?   I’m not entirely sure, but I think the decals have a weak bond to the carrier film and a very strong one to the decal paper backing.  Once immersed in warm water, the decal is released along with an adhesive, but is still bound to the carrier film.  Once applied to the model, the bond to the surface increases over time as the adhesive begins to work, which is more than the carrier film.  That’s why you really need to let these suckers dry, so that you’re not taking any chances.

 

So here we go.  Cut a box around each decal and don’t worry about sharp outside corners, which you actually want for easy removal later.  I later cut off #70 & #71 before I applied it to the model, since this numbering will transfer.

 

 

 

 

I have a tutorial on how to apply decals that I’ve showed many times, so here it is again for those who might be interested:

 

 

How to Apply Decals

 

 

One thing I emphasize in that article is that you always want a horizontal surface for decaling, so that gravity and decal solutions are working together, rather than fighting each other.  On big jets I used my modeling chair to get the sides of the model horizontal, but on my last Harvard build, I “invented” this contraption, which is ordinary luggage on wheels where I have shoved a bath towel into the zippered opening at the top.  The model can then be inserted inside, holding the model in place while being protected by the towel and since it’s on wheels, it can be rolled around as required!

 

 

 

 

With the model on its side, here’s the serial number applied, then burnished down with a Q-tip, before I move onto the next decal.  No Microsol and wrinkled decal required!

 

 

 

 

There are many tiny decals on the fuselage sides and the wings, with another big one for the kill score card.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the decals have dried for at least 20 hours or so, I picked away at the corners to lift the film, with a soft plastic microbrush handle with a sharp head.

 

 

 

 

After carefully pulling off the film with tweezers and wiping off the residual glue with a damp rag, voila, tiny stencils and no decal film!

 

 

 

 

One thing that I found annoying, however, is that there is a square fuel door that is missing, but also a coolant and other fuel cap missing on the kit and Barracuda parts.  Although I knew about the fuel door and scribed one, I didn’t realize until I applied Decal #61 (Fuel) and #67 (Coolant), that there should be caps at these locations and it's too late to scribe them now, so I deleted the square fuel door on Decal #74, then added PE caps from my spare stash for the other items.  They may not be entirely accurate, but they serve a purpose that’s better than nothing or just a decal circle where a cap should be. 

 

OR, maybe the circle on the wing is for a grounding location instead?  Decal #61 reads:  "FUEL  DTD 1003 100 OCTANE 76 CALLS", while the Decal #74 on the top fuselage fuel door reads: "FUEL DTD 1003 100 OCTANE 28 CALLS".  Anybody know what this stuff means?

 

Note:  Although the coolant cap behind the prop is clearly marked on the kit instructions and has a coolant decal for it, I have yet to see another Tempest build in 1/48 or 1/32 that has one, so maybe this is a first? 

 

 

 

 

I did not have one decal lift when pulling off the film, including the big score card decal.  What a relief!  That "24 Volts" stencil is sure big, but it appears to be accurate nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

The only “real” decal is the kit “3 Squadron” emblem at the top of the tail that was added at the end of the war, and not included with the HGW wet transfers.  Being multi-colored, I was worried that this decal might not react to Microsol very well, which is a common problem with multi-layered decals.  I’m happy to report that this decal sunk into the rivet and panel line perfectly, although you can’t really see it in this pic.  The serial number, as you can see, is perfect with no lifting and much crisper than I could have painted with masks.

 

 

 

 

 

More of the front.

 

 

 

 

And underneath, where there are 10 small decals on each wing.  Perfect.

 

 

 

 

Again, these HGW decals are the bomb!  Too bad they aren’t available for other aircraft, like jets where dozens of little “No Step” and other small stencils are so hard to apply without silvering.  Somebody should get on this one, because they would sell like crazy.

 

 

So with all the insignias, squadron codes and stencils now applied, it’s now time to start my salt weathering.  The key to salt weathering is to not overdo it, so I need to be very careful to not mess up my work so far.  Stay tuned…..

 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited November 12, 2020 by chuck540z3

[Squizzy 78]

And once again Chuck you take us all to school. What an amazing finish you’re achieving, and you let us know how you done it to have a crack at it ourselves. Thanks for the effort you put into your posts, and congrats on another masterpiece coming together.

[Stokey Pete]

Looking fantastic Chuck. As always, there’s something to learn every time you update threads. 

[levier]

Some people work best under pressure... could be you do too Chuck.  

[AlbertD]

Looks incredible Chuck. The rivet detail in the markings really makes it stand out.

[Timmy!]

5 hours ago, chuck540z3 said:

OR, maybe the circle on the wing is for a grounding location instead?  Decal #61 reads:  "FUEL  DTD 1003 100 OCTANE 76 CALLS", while the Decal #74 on the top fuselage fuel door reads: "FUEL DTD 1003 100 OCTANE 28 CALLS".  Anybody know what this stuff means?

DTD 1003  (Directorate of Technical Development) is a classified manual that one assumes prescribes the fuel to be used.  100 octane is the fuel type.  The CALLS (I’m guessing here) may be a lead/additive designation.   Of note the Brits got their hands on 100 octane fuel from the U.S. that attributed to the success the Brits had during the Battle of Britain, as the Germans had 87 octane fuels.  The higher octane gave better performance to the Spits and Hurricanes. I love figuring out this stuff!

 

Cheers,

Timmy! 

[chuck540z3]

2 minutes ago, Timmy! said:

DTD 1003  (Directorate of Technical Development) is a classified manual that one assumes prescribes the fuel to be used.  100 octane is the fuel type.  The CALLS (I’m guessing here) may be a lead/additive designation.   Of note the Brits got their hands on 100 octane fuel from the U.S. that attributed to the success the Brits had during the Battle of Britain, as the Germans had 87 octane fuels.  The higher octane gave better performance to the Spits and Hurricanes. I love figuring out this stuff!

 

Cheers,

Timmy! 

 

Thanks Timmy for that valuable info, but I'm still not sure of what the heck is supposed to be on the wing:  A Fuel Cap or a Circle with a grounding point within?  I can't seem to find any pics of this location on the real deal, so I'm stumped.

 

Thanks,

Chuck

[Kapiti Kid]

Seems fairly obvious that you are misreading 'CALLS'. It would be GALLS, short for gallons. The Brits were still using non-SI units in the 40s.

 

Tony P

Edited November 13, 2020 by Kapiti Kid

[chuck540z3]

7 minutes ago, Kapiti Kid said:

Seems fairly obvious that you are misreading 'CALLS'. It would be GALLS, short for gallons. The Brits were still using non-SI units in the 40s.

 

Tony P

 

Duh!    Now that is most helpful, so if the tank behind the engine says "28 Gallons", the wing must be "76 Gallons", which means that it's a separate fuel tank with its own fuel cap!  Problem solved- and my improvised fuel cap stays.

 

Thanks!

Chuck

[JayW]

When I finish my Corsair (in a couple of years) can I send it to you for painting and final finish?  What a fine Tempest this is going to be!