Hasegawa 1/32 P-51D Mustang

[LSP_Kevin]

8 minutes ago, Scale32 said:

I just re read your post Kev, after I rub the decal I apply another gloss coat and without rubbing it apply the flat coat directly over it. Or keep repeating the first step until the edge has disappeared. I agree that something more sturdy needs to be employed. 

 

Cheers Bevan 

 

Thanks, Bevan. I've just finished a more vigorous round of sanding, and it already seems much improved. I also sanded out the discolouration on the crown of the spinner, and will have to touch that area up with some more red. After than, a generous gloss coat, after which I expect the edges to appear more prominent, as the reflective nature of the gloss coat will highlight them. But hopefully a final flat coat will make them disappear. Even if it doesn't, I'm probably happy with 90% at the moment.

 

Kev

[Scale32]

7 minutes ago, LSP_Kevin said:

 

Thanks, Bevan. I've just finished a more vigorous round of sanding, and it already seems much improved. I also sanded out the discolouration on the crown of the spinner, and will have to touch that area up with some more red. After than, a generous gloss coat, after which I expect the edges to appear more prominent, as the reflective nature of the gloss coat will highlight them. But hopefully a final flat coat will make them disappear. Even if it doesn't, I'm probably happy with 90% at the moment.

 

Kev

Sounds like a plan mate hope it goes smoothly 

 

Cheers Bevan 

[LSP_Kevin]

7 minutes ago, Scale32 said:

Sounds like a plan mate hope it goes smoothly 

 

Cheers Bevan 

 

I see what you did there! But yes, the gloss coat is now down (along with red being repaired), and it's looking good. Once that's dried off properly, I'll have a proper look.

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

I was hoping to have a more substantial update by now (and yes, I realise I'm starting to sound like a broken record!), but I can at least report that I am (or should be) on my final lap with the prop assembly. Here's the latest after further sanding of the blade stencils and a couple of heavy gloss coats:

 

 

Much better! I think that as long as I can get a decent flat coat down, the decal edges will have all but vanished.

 

Couldn't resist slipping it onto the prop shaft for a looksee:

 

 

I'm still working on the masks for the nose chequers - I've scanned the kit decals and traced them in Silhouette Studio. The cut files are now ready to go - I just need to set the machine up and do it!

 

Kev

 

[LSP_Kevin]

I was hoping to be able to power on through the rest of the build from here, but I've been distracted by setting up my new 3D printer:

 

 

And after some nerve-wracking fumbling on my part, I was able to produce this:

 

 

It's just the test file that Elegoo provides on the USB stick that comes with the printer.

 

Now that that's out of the way, perhaps I can get back to the Mustang!

 

Kev

[MikeC]

Coming along nicely. 

 

[dodgem37]

Could you identify the other two articles.?  I recognize the printer on the left.

 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark

[dennismcc]

Dead clever

[LSP_Kevin]

1 hour ago, dodgem37 said:

Could you identify the other two articles.?  I recognize the printer on the left.

 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Mark

 

So the other two items comprise the Elegoo Mercury X bundle. The machine in the middle is a 'wash station', which allows me to wash the newly-printed parts in IPA with a bit less mucking around than the manual alternative. There's a wire frame insert that I can place the parts in, or suspend the build plate from. There's an impeller blade on the bottom of the plastic bucket that's driven by an electro-magnet in the base, and switches direction every 30 seconds or so. You can set a timer for up to 30 minutes, and just walk away and let it do its thing.

 

The machine on the right with the yellow cover is 'cure station', which does the final UV curing of the washed resin prints. It has two upright LED light towers, and another set of LED lights pointing up from underneath in the base. You place the parts on a clear turntable, put the cover on, set the timer (again, up to 30 minutes), and the turntable rotates the parts around the UV light field. Again, set and forget! If you take the lid off during operation, the lights switch off and everything stops. Very neat.

 

I figured I'd try to make things as easy as possible for myself, and the Mercury X bundle was actually cheaper than the printer, which itself is now on heavy discount as it's about to be replaced by the 8K Saturn 2.

 

Kev

[LSP_Kevin]

So, finally an actual modelling update! Today I cut my mask file, and set about using the result to mask off the chequers on the nose:

 

 

This was followed by a quick dose of SMS Red, put on without any additional thinning:

 

 

You'll notice that I haven't bothered to tape off the rear boundary of the chequers. I'm just going to mask over the whole lot once I'm happy with them, and since I'll be using a black primer for basing purposes, I don't have to worry about not being able to cover the red.

 

Speaking of the red:

 

 

Not bad! But certainly not perfect. Oddly, the vinyl mask managed to lift off a divot of the yellow paint in one area, which I definitely was not expecting:

 

 

What I was expecting, however, was that the vinyl masks wouldn't conform all that well around the chin intake area, and I was right about that:

 

 

I'll re-mask this area with Tamiya tape and go over it, but since the red seems a little fragile, I'll be laying down a couple of gloss coats before I do.

 

Overall, it's a little untidy, but definitely in the ball park. Hopefully for the next update I'll have it all tidy and masked up ready for the main paint job.

 

Kev

[Scale32]

52 minutes ago, LSP_Kevin said:

So, finally an actual modelling update! Today I cut my mask file, and set about using the result to mask off the chequers on the nose:

 

 

This was followed by a quick dose of SMS Red, put on without any additional thinning:

 

 

You'll notice that I haven't bothered to tape off the rear boundary of the chequers. I'm just going to mask over the whole lot once I'm happy with them, and since I'll be using a black primer for basing purposes, I don't have to worry about not being able to cover the red.

 

Speaking of the red:

 

 

Not bad! But certainly not perfect. Oddly, the vinyl mask managed to lift off a divot of the yellow paint in one area, which I definitely was not expecting:

 

 

What I was expecting, however, was that the vinyl masks wouldn't conform all that well around the chin intake area, and I was right about that:

 

 

I'll re-mask this area with Tamiya tape and go over it, but since the red seems a little fragile, I'll be laying down a couple of gloss coats before I do.

 

Overall, it's a little untidy, but definitely in the ball park. Hopefully for the next update I'll have it all tidy and masked up ready for the main paint job.

 

Kev

Well done Kev! I built the Rev P51 Desert Rat scheme and completely shied away from the checkered nose decals after putting them on and finding they weren't going to fit. Should really look into being able to make masks!

 

Cheers Bevan 

[LSP_Kevin]

1 minute ago, Scale32 said:

Well done Kev! I built the Rev P51 Desert Rat scheme and completely shied away from the checkered nose decals after putting them on and finding they weren't going to fit. Should really look into being able to make masks!

 

Cheers Bevan 

 

Thanks, Bevan. They look a bit wobbly in close-up, but will look fine at normal viewing distances once I've tidied them up. Just finished putting a gloss coat over them, and will assess tomorrow whether they'll need a second coat.

 

Kev

[dennismcc]

Nice one Kev, I think I would have swerved the checkered nose and picked another paint scheme !

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[LSP_Kevin]

2 minutes ago, dennismcc said:

Nice one Kev, I think I would have swerved the checkered nose and picked another paint scheme !

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

You know me, Den: a glutton for punishment! The chequered nose was actually a trade-off for the chance to avoid having to paint this old kit in NMF, as the scheme is ostensibly Olive Drab over Neutral Grey (or whatever the RAF equivalents were that were actually used).

 

Kev

[dennismcc]

Makes sense, I also swerve NMF finishes

 

Cheers

 

Den