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Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)


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Thanks Bruce, bow.gif

 

yep, one just has to consider carefully about everything beforehand so that it works. top.gif

 

First of all I will test once again with the Vallejo Primer from the can on my Intertank Dummy, which is no longer needed anyway. 

 

up067843.jpg

 

Then I'm only considering whether I shouldn't first flour the LO2 Tank too and then prime the entire ET? smiley215.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Hello eberybody,

 

in the meantime I had wanted to make the priming of the Intertank Dummy, wherefore I had already prepared everything in the next room.  cool.gif

 

DHjshw.jpg

 

AjWlnF.jpg

 

But somehow the hint of a friend in our German Raumcon Forum regarding the "furry" appearance of the tape spiral did not wanted go out of my mind ... hmmm.gif 

 

And then I suddenly got the idea with the fine Tamiya Sanding Sponge Sheet, idea1_2.gif with which one could perhaps mitigate this effect a little bit if one would gently sand the floured ET before priming and/or afterwards with a fine Sanding sponge ... speak_cool.gif  

 

QcqtUM.jpg

 

And that then I tried it out with the Sponge 2000, which I had recently used, while the Sponge 3000 is still up one's sleeve. top.gif

 

In order to be able to assess the effect better, I only slightly sanded half of the Dummy (right). huh.gif

 

VwHmAl.jpg

 

After priming,

 

nNSGBR.jpg

 

unsanded half,

 

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sanded half,

 

8Mi794.jpg

 

upper half sanded - lower half unsanded, 

 

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unsanded half,

 

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sanded half.

 

YTjaDr.jpg

 

Probably the differences can only be seen more clearly at higher magnification,  cant-believe-my-eyes-smiley-emoticon.gif therefore here again the direct comparison, up045518.gif

 

upper half sanded - lower half unsanded.

 

5dSMNh.jpg

 

It would also be conceivable to slightly sand the LH2/LO2 Tank only after complete priming and then to paint the entire ET by airbrushing. hmmm.gif

 

Whoever has the choice has the torment ... rolleyes.gif

 

Definitive clarity one will only have after painting, but since I will do that with the airbrush that only creates a very thin layer, it will probably not change the final look of the SOFI texture much. up040577.gif

I also think that with it I can get even closer to the original ET-8. smiley250.gif

 

up063962.jpg
Source: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (Jester) 

Edited by spaceman
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Manfred,

 

The sanded half looks much more accurate and not 'furry' at all.  Well done.

 

The only concern I'd have is whether or not the flour will retain moisture even after being primed but it should be OK since it's so thin.

 

Mike.

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Thanks Pete and Mike, bow.gif

 

the flour layer is really very thin and everything can dry long enough after priming, wherefore I don't have to worry about it, I hope so. top.gif

 

BTW, without the final paintwork one cannot make a final judgment, because it will of course effect the perception of the surface texture, and could enhance or mitigate the flour effect, which is why I'm going to do a test airbrush at my IT Dummyup040577.gif

 

Edited by spaceman
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Manfred,

The sanded part looks more refined, and probably has a better scale effect on the ET.

But, you won't really know until you've painted and applied all the coats to it. Only then,

will you be able to clearly see the benefits from one to the other. Regardless, the Flour

technique with the Tape seems to be working fine, with positive potentials.

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Thanks Underdog, bow.gif

 

yep, without the final paintwork one cannot make a final judgment, because it will of course effect the perception of the surface texture, and could enhance or mitigate the flour effect, which is why I'm going to do a test airbrush at my IT Dummy. up040577.gif

 

For this I'll look at my color sample tests from the last year once again and choose a suitable color, for the Intertank probably the Vallejo Model Air 71.077 (Wood). speak_cool.gif

 

up067384.jpg

 

Then we'll have a look at, I'm curious myself ... up040577.gif

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Excellent work, Manfred. Following with open jaw...

 

Concerning the 'right' color/colors for the ET, isn't it a matter of lighting and color temperature (of the photo) that sets a certain shade or tone of color? Also, aging plays a role, in that respect that the color of the ET changes over time. Or do you have multiple photo's of a certain moment that give a consistent result?

Sorry if this has been discussed previously; I've read through most of this topic, but I haven't spelled out every post. I might have missed a bit.

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Thanks Mike for your interest. bow.gif

 

With the orange-colored shades of the External Tank (ET) we have been engaged oftener already, and it is known that the increasing discoloration of the ET towards darker shades is related to solar radiation, the Shuttle stack is exposed to, while he is standing on the launch pad waiting for the launch. top.gif

 

In this respect, the STS-6 is a special case, since the final launch took place four months after the rollout. I explained the reasons for this a year ago, as you can read here: Posted March 10, 2019
 

But I will be guided by the colors of the Flight Readiness Firing (FRF, December 18, 1982),

 

S83-25132~medium.jpg

Source: NASA

 

which I like better, than the darkened colors during Launch (April 4, 1983),

 

up017464.jpg

Source: NASA

 

what is purely subjective conditioned. up040577.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

after the LH2 Tank was floured, it was now the turn of the LO2 Tank and first waited for his demasking,  

 

SVWDc0.jpg

 

which was done quickly. top.gif

 

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Then the rear, already floured tank was taped, 

 

qFtVwU.jpg

 

and the ET impaled onto the bamboo stick for flour coating. huh.gif

 

ZNehDR.jpg

 

And then I went back to the flour cellar, only this time with reversed arrangement of the holding jig, since I am right-handed. smiley228.gif  

 

Mjefsv.jpg

 

Afterwards the warmed spray adhesive can was shaken vigorously again and the LO2 Tank was sprayed all around and dusted abundantly with the rice flour, which was pressed on with the fingers. up045518.gif

 

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The excess loose flour was then shaken off by tapping lightly.

 

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And so everything should dry properly before the remaining flour can be brushed off.  top2.gif

 

FofzPi.jpg

 

Until then we still have to be patient a little bit.  up040577.gif

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Hello everybody,

 

after the Flour coating had dried through long enough, I carefully brushed off the excess flour. cool.gif

 

While the result on this side looks perfect, top2.gif

 

buXVMq.jpg

 

on the other side there were some strange unevennesses that I didn't like it.  hmmm.gif

 

There was probably too much spray adhesive on it, or I had pressed the flour on too hard, which is why I've tried to gently flatten these areas with the abrasive sponge, 

 

W7WeB8.jpg

 

and then to slightly deepen the grooves between the strips again with a needle. rolleyes.gif

 

Zd4Pcw.jpg

 

Let's see what these places will look like after the priming, maybe I have to sand back everything anyway a littlee bit before painting, smiley215.gif which I will still test on the Intertank Dummy. top.gif

 

But this looks already better again, and on the Original Tank (ET-8) not all places look the same too.

 

bM2kGe.jpg

 

Speaking of the original tank, I should have had a closer look at it beforehand, up040472.gif then I would have noticed that the Nose Cone area at the top, immediately after the 12th Ice Frost Ramp, was applied as Closeout and is therefore smooth. huh.gif

 

uEpzsM.jpg
Quelle: forum.nasaspaceflight.com (Jester)

 

Therefore I carefully removed the flour layer there again. 

 

yl1vmw.jpg

 

Now I will airbrush the primed Intertank-Dummy to be able to assess the effect with (above) and without smoothing of the flour layer (below), 

 

up072241.jpg

 

after which we're smarter then.   up040577.gif

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Manfred,

Looks to me the ET will look just fine, after the primer and paint coats have been sprayed.

Maybe too much fussing can possibly mess things up, and then you'd have to start over

again. I'd say continue the countdown from Mission Control, and press-on!

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Hello everybody,

 

meanwhile I have airbrushed the primed Intertank-Dummy, which has been sanded on one side, in order to assess both the effect of the floured Tape structure and that of the sanding effect of the flour layer, whereby there were problems with the sprayability of the selected Vallejo Model Air 71.077 - Wood, which surprised me already. smiley_worship.gif

 

But everything one by one. cool.gif

 

First a look at my airbrush equipment, this is the Compressor with pressure tank (3 liters) and the high-quality Triplex Spray Gun

 

4R048E.jpg

 

First I've sprayed a few tests, on the left with the Vallejo Model Air 71.077, and later also with the Vallejo Model Color 70.981 Orange Brown

 

evogFE.jpg

 

The color difference to my former samples is immediately noticeable, in which the same color sample of the Intertank looked much darker. The basis at that time, however, was the somewhat modified color pattern, as one can see on the homepage of the provider, which actually looks a little different. rolleyes.gif

 

up067384.jpg

 

But also the color of the test-drops at the time looked stronger, which is why the sprayed Airbrush color is ultimately decisive for the assessment, which in turn also depends on the thickness or covering power of the layer, which I will have to pay more attention to in the future. smiley215.gif

 

up067714.jpg

 

Then I've started airbrushing the IT Dummy and was surprised when, despite the filled color cup, suddenly there were no color spray, and the gun was clogged and had to be cleaned completely.  up037692.gif

 

DPX7Fz.jpg

 

Although the IT area shown has not gotten evenly much color, the result for the assessment of the SOFI Texture effect is completely sufficient for now, with which I can be quite satisfied, top.gif

 

nMgQzw.jpg

 

because it comes very close to my previous ideas. In my opinion, the pattern structure looks quite realistic and is also gently adapted to the scale. speak_cool.gif

 

TFggkU.jpg

 

This is an image from a distance of approx. 30 cm, on which one can only just see the texture.  cant-believe-my-eyes-smiley-emoticon.gif

 

tBVWwd.jpg

 

On this comparison of the macro shots, one can see that the half that has been slightly sanded after priming (top) looks a little more pleasing, which is why I am still considering whether the effort of smoothing is really worth it, but probably already. cool.gif

 

OL2wdE.jpg

 

And here is my photo montage at that time with the now painted tank area, which in my opinion fits the ET-8 original photo pretty well,  up045518.gif

 

TC09hn.jpg

 

or what do you mean? hmmm.gif

 

Now I've just to take a closer look at the problem of the lack of sprayability of my Vallejo colors and test them once again first. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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Manfred,

 

The IT Dummy looks fantastic in the color!  The texture effect with the tape looks perfect.  I can't wait to eventually try it myself.

 

I agree the area that was slightly sanded looks more in scale.  I'd go with the sanding.

 

When paint is sprayed it usually looks different than a droplet or when it's brushed.  Sprayed paint tends to look a bit lighter when airbrushed due to the texture.  Acrylic paint often clogs the airbrush.  One thing I do is keep a cotton swab on hand while I'm airbrushing and dip it in thinner and clean the airbrush tip regularly.  This usually keeps the paint flowing and allows me to keep painting without having to completely clean the airbrush.

 

How do you like the Vallejo paints?

 

Mike.

Edited by crowe-t
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That looks absolutely stunning, Manfred! That's the most realistic looking ET I'v ever seen, apart from the real thing. You did a photo-montage with a b/w photo. Try a montage with a colour photo of the ET. I always found the models I've seen so far - however beautiful they were made - lacking in realism as far as the ET was concerned. Some were even painted with glossy paint or semi-gloss. But not even a matte paint will do it justice. There was always that certain element missing. And you nailed it! 

 

When I bought the model, I was thinking about the ET and I planned on trying Tamiya effect paint. I saw it in the hobby shop and they have several effect paints for soil, snow, pavement, etc. ( https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/871texture_paint/index.htm ). In my mind I thought that might work. And maybe it will. Might be worth a try. I'd have to buy a bottle of that stuff to see how the structure is and how it will look on the spiral striping that you applied (thanks for that, now we all have to go through that...). On the other hand, it's paint that you have to apply by brush, so I think the flour method is easier in a way. Just spray the glue on and apply the flour (I make it sound easy, I know). The coat is more even that way.

 

Thanks again Manfred, for all the things you show us. And for raising the bar. At the moment I'm still too busy with other stuff that I'll have to finish before committing to building my models. But when I get around it, I'll try my best and hope I'll archive a similar result as you.

Have you already thought about how you're going to approach the orbiter? I'm very afraid of what you're going to do with the tiles...😂

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21 hours ago, crowe-t said:

Manfred,

 

The IT Dummy looks fantastic in the color!  The texture effect with the tape looks perfect.  I can't wait to eventually try it myself.

 

I agree the area that was slightly sanded looks more in scale.  I'd go with the sanding.

 

When paint is sprayed it usually looks different than a droplet or when it's brushed.  Sprayed paint tends to look a bit lighter when airbrushed due to the texture.  Acrylic paint often clogs the airbrush.  One thing I do is keep a cotton swab on hand while I'm airbrushing and dip it in thinner and clean the airbrush tip regularly.  This usually keeps the paint flowing and allows me to keep painting without having to completely clean the airbrush.

 

How do you like the Vallejo paints?

 

Mike.

 

Thanks Mike for your nice compliments and the tip with the cotton swab dipped in thinner for cleaning. bow.gif

How often do you do this, every time you refill paint into the mug? hmmm.gif

 

BTW, my airbrush expert who sold me the Triplex said that the Vallejo Model Air paints are sprayable. The used colors are one year old. But maybe one has to test their sprayability again beforehand and dilute the paint if necessary. 

 

How, or how often do you check if your colors are sprayable? smiley215.gif

 

I've only recently switched to Vallejo colors and used Revell Aqua Color before. I actually like the Vallejos and they dry relatively quickly. up040577.gif

Edited by spaceman
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17 hours ago, mikephilippens said:

That looks absolutely stunning, Manfred! That's the most realistic looking ET I'v ever seen, apart from the real thing. You did a photo-montage with a b/w photo. Try a montage with a colour photo of the ET. I always found the models I've seen so far - however beautiful they were made - lacking in realism as far as the ET was concerned. Some were even painted with glossy paint or semi-gloss. But not even a matte paint will do it justice. There was always that certain element missing. And you nailed it! 

 

When I bought the model, I was thinking about the ET and I planned on trying Tamiya effect paint. I saw it in the hobby shop and they have several effect paints for soil, snow, pavement, etc. ( https://www.tamiya.com/english/products/871texture_paint/index.htm ). In my mind I thought that might work. And maybe it will. Might be worth a try. I'd have to buy a bottle of that stuff to see how the structure is and how it will look on the spiral striping that you applied (thanks for that, now we all have to go through that...). On the other hand, it's paint that you have to apply by brush, so I think the flour method is easier in a way. Just spray the glue on and apply the flour (I make it sound easy, I know). The coat is more even that way.

 

Thanks again Manfred, for all the things you show us. And for raising the bar. At the moment I'm still too busy with other stuff that I'll have to finish before committing to building my models. But when I get around it, I'll try my best and hope I'll archive a similar result as you.

Have you already thought about how you're going to approach the orbiter? I'm very afraid of what you're going to do with the tiles...😂

 

Thanks Mike for your nice compliments. bow.gif

I am also impressed by the great result of how realistic the taped SOFI Flour Texture looks, which I've been fiddling around long enough ... But the effort was worth it. top.gif 

Meanwhile I know that I can also implement my initially dreamy idea of this admittedly tricky texture fairly realistically, what pushes me further, s-boese-wand02.gif ever further, ever further ... up040577.gif
 

At the beginning I also thought of Texture paints, but it's not just this rough SOFI foam surface, but the typical thing is this wavelike Pattern structure, which I've realized with this endless Barber Pole Tape Spiral. But this SOFI texture is not as pronounced with every ET as with the ET-8 during STS-6.

 

Up to now, regarding the orbiter tiles I had intended to use a nearly perfect Decal set, as created by Hotdog. But I don't know if he also developed one for the early Challenger missions meanwhile, which I could use. hmmm.gif

 

A scratch-building of individual HRSI Tiles (6 by 6 inches), which in 1:144 would mean 1 by 1 mm,  is pure utopia with tiny tapes. eek.gif

 

Edited by spaceman
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