Latest Project: Matchbox 1/32 Bf-109E-3

[dr_gn]

Finally got some matt varnish today - Revel Aqua Color. Seems very good when thinned with 50% IPA. Anyhow, varnished the cockpit and instrument panel, and after what seems like years, fitted the belts!













Still working on the engine.

Edited by dr_gn on Tuesday 11th May 08:57

[Eric Mc]

It's looking better and better. You almost feel that you could climb into that cockpit and start fiddling with the knobs and switches.

Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 11th May 08:36

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

It's looking better and better. You almost feel that you could climb into that cockpit and start fiddling with the knobs and switches.

Edited by Eric Mc on Tuesday 11th May 08:36

Cheers Eric - I'm happy with it so far, although I have lost a couple of microscopic cockpit switches. They are in the carpet somewhere. I seem to be better at painting when I have consumed alcohol. Never noticed that before, but I think it steadies my hands.

[Eric Mc]

Hmmm - I wonder is it the same phenomenon that makes people think they drive better after a few drinks

I usually refrain from fiddling with mny models after a few bevvies.

[perdu]

nice

very nice and it's as Eric says the cockpit looks useable, switches would turn on the aircraft.

altogether a fine model coming along

super

[dr_gn]

perdu said:

nice

very nice and it's as Eric says the cockpit looks useable, switches would turn on the aircraft.

altogether a fine model coming along

super

Cheers Perdu,

Further to our offline chat about paint chips - I realised that the idea of using Maskol applied with a sponge might not be a good one: it reacts with acrylic paint as well as Johnsons Klear! I've heard of people using salt granules and even Marmite dabbed onto a wet surface for this kind of thing. Still not looking forward to the final finish...

[kenny Chim 4]

Very much enjoying these updates dr gn, your photography also deserves praise

[perdu]

re Maskol dr_gn

Windsor and Newton "used to" make a masking fluid (specifically for water colours but who knows) Colourless Art Masking Fluid which is very good too
I say used to because I've just tried opening mine which I haven't used for a long time (OK I stopped painting too... ) and it is all dried to a rubbery bottle shaped lump inside

Ahh
hold the presses, I have found a dribble inside (OK outside where it dripped on the table!) so I'll test it out with acrylics, if it works it may be a good alternative

Info later, this evening maybe as today I shall be mostly a carpenter

[dr_gn]

kenny Chim 4 said:

Very much enjoying these updates dr gn, your photography also deserves praise

Thanks! I always get frustrated with photographing models because they usually look worse than reality! Tends to magnify the errors I suppose.

[dr_gn]

Trying to get to grips with the camo pattern - thought I might as well start practicing now (on an old CD case quickly scribed and riveted) since it's going to be tricky.

With this model, the subject looks badly painted to start with, so even if I get a perfectly duplicated finished, it will still look crap! The colours are RLM02 Grey Green / RLM71 Dark Green over RLM65 Pale Blue, post shaded panel lines with Tamiya Smoke. I think the colours are OK, but I need more airbrush time. The post shading is too much on the blue, and I can't decide if the mottling is too subtle. If you look closely on the photo you can see the remains of a sharp demarcation line running back from the lower cockpit edge. I'm assuming this is RLM02/RLM71 splinter oversprayed with the same colours only in blotches. I think attempt at this bit at least is about right. Ignore the cack-handed panel line chipping attempt!

[dr_gn]

More slow progress. I cut the original clunky plastic barrels off the machine guns and drilled out the breeches to suit the Master Model brass replacements. Just dry fitted everything to check the fit - seems a shame to paint them.

I also ground all the raised detail off the bulkhead 'table' and replaced it with lead wire, plastic card (for the electrical boxes) and scrap photo-etch brass (for the gun control cables bracket). The magazine feeds and cartridge collectors just had Eduard handles added to them, but they make them much more realsitic and less "plastic" Still plenty of work to do in this area, but even now looks better than the original.

[thatone1967]

cannot wait to see this finished... looking absolutely stunning even now!

[The real Apache]

Top work there chap, sadly I no longer have the eysight or steady hands to do this

[dr_gn]

Thanks guys,

I´m having a couple of weeks break from it for the moment.

Cheers.

[dr_gn]

Been working on the engine this week - loads of scratch building and mods: all raised detail removed and replaced with wire/plasticard/guitar wire, magnetos and interrupter mechanisms modified, electrical boxes fabricated etc etc.



I guess I'm about 50% of the way there now with the engine bay...needs more wiring/coolant/fuel pipes and the bulkhead / throttle linkages / guns fitting.

I'm loosely basing the engine detailling on the well known pictures of Franz Von Werra's crashed Bf 109, which would be very similar to the one I'm modelling (for which I have only one engine bay picture).

[perdu]

dr_gn you dont need me to tell you, that is looking absolutely great

very nice work indeed

[dr_gn]

perdu said:

dr_gn you dont need me to tell you, that is looking absolutely great

very nice work indeed

Cheers Perdu - it looks a lot better than I thought it would.

Just wondering now about weathering: I'm going to use a dark wash around all the wires and lumps and bumps, followed by a bit of silver dry brush to hichlight bolt heads, then a coat of Vallejo Matt varnish. Might try adding some paint chips around the ammo boxes with a silver pencil, but not sure how this would turn out...

[Skii]

Looking fantastic, can't wait to see the painting process.

With regards to paint chips, use citadel metallics like mithril silver, and a fine detail brush - dead easy .

[dr_gn]

Skii said:

Looking fantastic, can't wait to see the painting process.

With regards to paint chips, use citadel metallics like mithril silver, and a fine detail brush - dead easy .

That looks great Skii : what is the difference between the citadel stuff, and say, Revell Aluminium?

[Red Firecracker]

I took an alternative angle on paint chips when I did this Hunter;



I painted the silver first, then top coated and whilst the top coat was dry but not fully hardened, I stuck some Scotch magic tape (the opaque sellotape with a low take glue) along the leading edges and pulled it off revealing a paint chip-esq appearance (some would say).