Incaroad Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Everyone has seen the Intakes of the Super Hornet and how they are painted. And I'm sure everyone has seen what a magnifinent job Cunting Edge did on their full length examples! Well I need to paint them like Boeing does and I can't for the life of me figure out a precise way to accomplish it. If I scew up I'll have to strip them and I don't know how fragile the resin is. As far as I know I've never seen anyone here try to paint these, correct me if I'm wrong and please point me in the direction of the post! I've got a few ideas but putting covers over them is not one of em... Idea's: 1. Where the demarcation line of Gray and white is; cut the Intake and paint each end the appropriate color and then try to put them together like they were originally. If I had a lazer cutter or a water jet cutter I would not loose to much material and it might go back together like it was but with a razor saw...I will be loosing material and I don't want to risk that. If need be I guess I could laminate a new piece of .020 plastic, sand, polish, then coat it. But if I screw it up there went $20.00+ down the tube! 2. Dip them (as people have done ala- Dave Roof's technique for other intakes) at the presice angle they need to be and hope like hell the paint doesn't creep up and covers as well as it needs to without undo buildup and without re-dipping. 3. Use strips of masking tape to mask around the inside keeping the precise demarcation line and then Airbrush it till it looks acceptable. I've had one masked this morning but it just didn't look as if the tape would be nice enough around the corners to leave that well rounded corner that looks so nice in all the pictures I have. Oh, like this... 4. ??? I hope someone has successfully painted these and has a good method to produce it! Here is the cockpit that will be resting in the sucker if I can find a way to finish these intakes... Thanks for any suggestions Larry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SebastianP Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Spray the white, then brush paint the gray with a fresh, soft flat brush (like a Tamiya number 3 or 4) and lightly thinned enamel. (Just a few drops of thinner to a tin is enough, it's just supposed to be enough to make the paint self-level, not run all over the place.) Just be careful when you do it, and you'll be alright. Sometimes low-tech methods are the best. :-) SP Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PlasticWeapons Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Hi Larry. Maybe get some masking tape and mark it to make some templates which you then transfer to a decal sheet then spray paint with the camouflage color, cut and apply? My usual technique: mask the demarcation lines with thin tape applied with tweezers and a burnishing tool (toothpick). I'm finding myself needing an Optivisor to do this stuff nowadays as well. I've tried the flood technique with latex paint and it works although you may want to thin the paint with some water. If you mess up after it dries (it sometimes builds up on the edges) use acetone to remove the paint. I'm gonna try it next time with gloss enamels instead of latex because the latex doesn't really adhere to bare plastic too well. Hope to see this Hornet finished! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sunliner Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 (edited) Nothing to add about the intakes, I just wanted to say nice job on the cockpit. I can't do a decent job on instrument panels to save my life. Jealously, -Mike Edited October 2, 2007 by Sunliner Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Incaroad Posted September 30, 2007 Author Share Posted September 30, 2007 Spray the white, then brush paint the gray with a fresh, soft flat brush (like a Tamiya number 3 or 4) and lightly thinned enamel. (Just a few drops of thinner to a tin is enough, it's just supposed to be enough to make the paint self-level, not run all over the place.) Just be careful when you do it, and you'll be alright.Sometimes low-tech methods are the best. :-) SP Well SebastianP, I have to admit I didn't really think of brushing so I got out something to practice on and while it did work to a degree (not as sharp a demarcation line as I want) I need a brush with angled bristles on it to do what I need to do, so NOW I have to get to an art supply store and find one of those... I also noted that if the bistles aren't straight as a lazer beam it might not be as straight as it needs to be, but worth a try anyway! Thanks Sepastian for the suggestion! Hi Larry. Maybe get some masking tape and mark it to make some templates which you then transfer to a decal sheet then spray paint with the camouflage color, cut and apply? My usual technique: mask the demarcation lines with thin tape applied with tweezers and a burnishing tool (toothpick). I'm finding myself needing an Optivisor to do this stuff nowadays as well.I've tried the flood technique with latex paint and it works although you may want to thin the paint with some water. If you mess up after it dries (it sometimes builds up on the edges) use acetone to remove the paint. I'm gonna try it next time with gloss enamels instead of latex because the latex doesn't really adhere to bare plastic too well. Hope to see this Hornet finished! Hi there Ryan! Yep I thought about decals as well and it is a thought but if I can make templates out of tape I should be able to just mask and shoot, what do you think? I also tried latex, enamel, and I've almost tried Floquil but I don't wanna waste that. I got allot of buildup as well and I didn't like that. I made this little apparatice out of 1" square steel tubing to dunk them in because I need it to be at that odd angle and it did work but it built up so much I know it would show like a sore thumb! Hey I've already got a sore thumb too! Thanks for the suggestion and did you get my answer to the White Ink I use on my cockpit side consoles and Instrument panel? I wanna see this thing finished too...BAD!!! Nothing to add about the intakes, I just wanted to say nice job on the cockpit. I can do a decent job on instrument panels to save my life.Jealously, -Mike Thanks Mike, though you could do that same thing I gaurantee it. Thanks for all the suggestions Cheers, Larry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PlasticWeapons Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Larry, below are some pics of my stock kit F-4J intakes masked off as if I were painting them gray just for an example. Same technique I'd do if I were going to paint the Super Hornet intakes. Use thin strips of masking tape and of course when you paint, mask off the white areas too! It'll give you a clean demarcation line between camouflage color and white intake. By the way, ignore the canopy parts. Those are just for placement guides while I had some of the Black Box parts installed...not as easy as the instructions say! Here's my Monogram Harrier (modified) intakes and if you're reading this Cyrus, I ain't done yet! LOL. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jcunny Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 Larry, below are some pics of my stock kit F-4J intakes masked off as if I were painting them gray just for an example. Same technique I'd do if I were going to paint the Super Hornet intakes. Use thin strips of masking tape and of course when you paint, mask off the white areas too! It'll give you a clean demarcation line between camouflage color and white intake. By the way, ignore the canopy parts. Those are just for placement guides while I had some of the Black Box parts installed...not as easy as the instructions say! Here's my Monogram Harrier (modified) intakes and if you're reading this Cyrus, I ain't done yet! LOL. COOL DEAL RYAN !!!! JC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
wadeocu Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 In 1/72 I have had success using a piece of Magic Eraser (dense but mallable foam like scrubbing sponge) cut to shape and stuffed in. You can squezze it in and it expands to shape. Haven't tried it in 1/48, but in 1/72 the line was plenty sharp. - Jack Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SebastianP Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Foam earplugs! Those would be perfect for this kind of thing in 1/72, especially since the corners are rounded... In 1/48, you might want to try doubling a pair of those up in each intake, and see what happens. They probably have them at the drugstore or hardware store... SP Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Incaroad Posted October 1, 2007 Author Share Posted October 1, 2007 You'all have came up with some really good ideas... So far I've tried them all, without paint of course but I'm thinking these might be what I'm lookin for fer sure! I even have some foam earplugs, a foam eraser and shoot I've got all kinds of masking tape. I just found another idea; a Technical eraser would leave a really sharp edge!!! So I think I can move forward but hey if anyone else has a good idea about how to do this let me and everyone else know!!! Thanks to all of you for your help. Cheers, Larry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jaydar Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 On my Harrier, i painted everything white first and then taped the line and then put it all together adding tape to the areas that were going to get glued. If you don't do this the glue may get under the tape. Not good. After it is all installed fill the area behind the tape with packing foam (like your earplug material) and spray the gray. Actually I brushed first then did a final coat with the a/b. joe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mrvark Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Paint the intake white before assembling the intake into the rest of the model. Wrap modeling clay in Saran wrap and jam it into the intake from the compressor end. Use a blunt, flat surface (like a pencil, or bic pen) to shape the clay in the desired demarcation line. Spray the "front" color (gray or whatever). Remove the clay (the Saran wrap will ensure you haven't left any goo or grease from the clay in the intake). Continue with your assembly. You may have to touch up the gray area after the model is done, but the demarcation line should be deep enough in the inlet to be safe. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 Here's how I masked my F-15E intakes with Tamiya masking tape... it's not that difficult just takes an extreme amount of patience... Once you complete the model just take your exacto knife... cut into it and peel it off/back with tweezers... I'm guessing it all depends on how the kit is put together too... but just a suggestion. -Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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