GB Chat thread - Hawker Tempest

GB Chat thread - Hawker Tempest

Author
Discussion

dr_gn

16,196 posts

186 months

Saturday 29th January 2011
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Never used the bottles - don't even remember them being sold! My first kit was a Revell SE5a in about 1974 (when I was 4, helped by my Dad), and I've built literally hundereds since then. My modelling has tended to go in spells, the latest of which started about 4 years ago. Quality more than quantity is what I aim for in my old age!

Eric Mc

122,235 posts

267 months

Saturday 29th January 2011
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Any idea of the colour of the quilted back padding of the seat? I reckon it's brown.

dr_gn

16,196 posts

186 months

Saturday 29th January 2011
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Eric Mc said:
Any idea of the colour of the quilted back padding of the seat? I reckon it's brown.
According to the Resin Art "instructions" it's black.

FWIW, mines going to be brown as well.

Eric Mc

122,235 posts

267 months

Saturday 29th January 2011
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I'll go with a darkish brown then. It makes most sense to me.

dr_gn

16,196 posts

186 months

Saturday 29th January 2011
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Eric Mc said:
I'll go with a darkish brown then. It makes most sense to me.
Seatbelts 'cream'? I'll make do with buff ('cos I've already got some).

Eric Mc

122,235 posts

267 months

Saturday 29th January 2011
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Probably. Thwere's a nice etched rendition in the Airwaves set. I've not used etched belts before so this is a bit of a learning experience for me.

dr_gn

16,196 posts

186 months

Saturday 29th January 2011
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Eric Mc said:
Probably. Thwere's a nice etched rendition in the Airwaves set. I've not used etched belts before so this is a bit of a learning experience for me.
Me neither. I think you're supposed to anneal them before bending them to shape.

Eric Mc

122,235 posts

267 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
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Well, I've bneen bending away to my heart's content without any pre-heating without any problems.

pacman1

7,322 posts

195 months

Sunday 30th January 2011
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Not opened the box on mine yet, safe in the knowledge that the longer it in stays there, the longer it remains unbuggered!

Anyway, having kept tabs on the other build threads, soaking up all the knowledge, tips n tricks like a sponge, I got to thinking about paint..

See, if I go the airbrush route, it will incur additional cost (which is fine), but I'd have to learn on something first. So I'm thinking of a brushed finish for the main colours. However, I have a few questions and ideas.

Fiddly bits aside, I was thinking of primer for for the main fuselage via aerosol.

Then hand brush the camoflague, add decals, and finally add a clear satin coat via aerosol.

Now, my questions are:

1. Will all the layers blur the detailing too much or affect the decals?
2. Would a satin finish reflect the overall paint colours and weathering better than a matt finish? (I'm thinking it would.)
3. Would the use of slightly non correct colours aid the weathered look? You see, I've seen sim depictions with what amounts to a dirty looking silver rather than grey, and I've seen on the 'bay an Airfix silver described similarly, or should I consider normal silver with a wash to get the same effect. The sim colours looked really good.
4. Do I have any idea what I'm doing?

TIA chaps. rotate

Red Firecracker

5,279 posts

229 months

Monday 31st January 2011
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pacman1 said:
Now, my questions are:

1. Will all the layers blur the detailing too much or affect the decals?
Multiple light coats are far better than one or two heavier coats, no matter how strong the temptation to get paint on that covers quickly. Correctly thinned paint applied with a good quality brush will give you a very good finish with care, that will not blot out all the detail.

pacman1 said:
2. Would a satin finish reflect the overall paint colours and weathering better than a matt finish? (I'm thinking it would.)
At this small scale it is arguable that a more matt finish is preferable to a slightly shiny/satin finish. However, it's your model so if you refer a satin finish, go for it.

pacman1 said:
3. Would the use of slightly non correct colours aid the weathered look? You see, I've seen sim depictions with what amounts to a dirty looking silver rather than grey, and I've seen on the 'bay an Airfix silver described similarly, or should I consider normal silver with a wash to get the same effect. The sim colours looked really good.
I guess it depends on how clean or how dirty you want to portray your model. One thing I'd say is that it may be easier to make a clean model dirty (using the 'clean' colours) than to make a dirty model clean/lightly weathered (using altered colours). To be honest, dunno!

pacman1 said:
4. Do I have any idea what I'm doing?

TIA chaps. rotate
As much as the rest of us, I'd say! Remember, we all started somewhere and the beauty of this, as you've already found, is you can follow each build and pick and choose which bits from each build you want to try and attempt (I know I am).

pacman1

7,322 posts

195 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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Cheers RF, I think you're right, so I'm going to stick with the correct matt colours and weather the paint with my newly acquired eyeshadow!

What type of brush type would be best, bristle or nylon?

Red Firecracker

5,279 posts

229 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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Quality is where it's at with brushes. A cheap brush will present you with a whole new world of not too pleasant challenges over spending a bit more on good quality artists brushes.

Take a look at the Windsor & Newton Series 7 range.

dr_gn

16,196 posts

186 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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Red Firecracker said:
Quality is where it's at with brushes. A cheap brush will present you with a whole new world of not too pleasant challenges over spending a bit more on good quality artists brushes.

Take a look at the Windsor & Newton Series 7 range.
I only use about 3 brushes on a regular basis, so cost shouldn't be much of an issue either.

dr_gn

16,196 posts

186 months

Tuesday 1st February 2011
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Always good to look at other peoples' work as a benchmark:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showt...

Great model, but confirms to me that I did the right thing by adding some wheel well detail, and I'll definitely be finishing mine matt rather than satin overall. Also, the rear of the radiator duct needs some attention; I noticed tonight that the radiator duct insert doesn't match the wing roots at all and requires some shaping and filling, very evident on this model too.

His canopy looks good considering it's the thick original. I dipped mine in Klear, but it still distorts quite badly. Might use the Resin Art vac form bubble combined with the original front.

Red Firecracker

5,279 posts

229 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2011
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Some very nice, subtle, weathering on that and yes, I agree, matt is better, that looks a touch too bright.

dr_gn

16,196 posts

186 months

Wednesday 2nd February 2011
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Red Firecracker said:
Some very nice, subtle, weathering on that and yes, I agree, matt is better, that looks a touch too bright.
I'm guessing it looks better in daylight rather than under flash.

He's got the camo feathering just right to my eyes.

Eric Mc

122,235 posts

267 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
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Wing tip nav lights

Did they have green/red covers over a white bulb or did they have clear covers over coloured bulbs?

Some coloured side drawings I've seen indicate that the covers, rather than the bulbs wwere coloured.

Red Firecracker

5,279 posts

229 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
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Annoyingly, I don't think there is a definitive, Eric. I've seen both, which is hardly handy.

Eric Mc

122,235 posts

267 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
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I've never tried replicating clear covers with coloured bulbs, which can be very tricky in 1/72. It involves

cutting off the light section of the wing tip
cutting a piece of clear plastic (I've heard old CD covers work for this)
drilling a hole in the clear section and filling the hole with red or green paint
glueing the clear section into the wingtip
sanding and polishing the clear plastic to belnd it in with teh wing tip

If the light covers are coloured, I just paint the light section of the wing tip the appropraite red or green.

RichB

51,821 posts

286 months

Saturday 5th February 2011
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dr_gn said:
RE. the topic of old vs. new paints; had a rummage in the loft earlier and found these:



I'm sure the old folk will appreciate it! The price on the (unopened) Airfix bottles is 9d . Pretty sure I've got a much smaller glass Airfix bottle as well, but I can't find it.
Re the smaller bottles, I remember in some kits Airfix used to provide small glass vials of paint roughly appropriate to the model. Are you perhaps thinking of these?