Canuck63 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 This will be a (sort of) OOB build in that I'll keep scratchbuilding details to a minimum and will "only" use Roy Sutherland's detailing sets,HGW seatbelts and Jerry's spinner/prop...and maybe something to dress up one of the gun bays...OOB said I? I've started following the instructions and have built the engine first thing first,and I've been amazed at how this Merlin has been engeneered...it's a little masterpiece requiring only a few linkages,pipes and wiring to turn it into a little jewel! I've shot a little aluminum paint on the fuse halves and upper wings.I've decided to do that in order to avoid handling the model as much as I can while painting it.Ok..I'll handle it a gazillion times throughout the build but that won't frighten me the least for the paints I'll use are scratch and abuse proof...at least I hope! I've been using Alclads for almost 8 years now but I've opted for Gunze's Super Metallics almost exclusively this time around.These paints are great,must be thinned 1(/paint):2(Leveling Thinner),dry rock-hard to a very smooth finish in a hour (even if I suggest to leave the painted parts alone for at least 12 hrs) and won't peel off even if you use duct tape to mask on them! The fuselage has been sprayed with 01 Superfine Aluminum buffed with 6000 micromesh before lightening the center of each panel with 06 Chrome Silver.The panel above the radiator outlet is Gunze Super Metallic Steel...both panel modulation (gotta hate these new terms ) and the steel colored panel won't show in the pictures but they're there...when fuselage and wings will be mated together I'll darken/vary the grain of a few more panels. The upper wings got a base of Alclad Aluminum,followed by Gunze Super Fine Aluminum and selected areas have been misted with Gunze Chrome Silver.I wanted to fill in rivets and panel lines with Silver Wax,but refrained from doing that out of fear of having paint,decals and dry transfer stencils not stick to the surface,to be honest I didn't feel like hiding all those nice and subtle details...but I will in my next build! Oh well.....hope S/N 44-14237 have been flown,cleaned and rubbed enough times to have rivets and panel lines show! Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) I've added a little detail to the pilots seat.The big counduits have been wrapped in 0,2mm solder while the spring-loaded tubes behind the seat are section of 0.5mm rod inserted into two pieces of micro spring.The kit's padding for the backrest has been duly binned and I've made a new one out of Tamiya two-part epoxy. Yes...the scars on the side of the counduits outlets will be taken care of!And the round-section bracket on top of the backreast will be removed and another one made of copper sheet glued at its place. The electrical boxes on the back of the armored headrest will be removed too,since they were not fitted to s/n44-14237. I could have detailed the seat even further,maybe by making new seat support brackets with lightening holes but they'd have been invisible and I want to detail only those area that can actually be seen. Edited July 31, 2012 by Canuck63 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 This is one of those kits that doesn't allow for the umpteenth WIP put aside in favor of something more interesting..it's that rewarding!You can have a show-stopper simply OOB or a model that looks superdetailed only by adding a few hoses,cables and nothing more! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 A little update.I’ve fitted Roy Sutherland's cockpit walls and started adding a dash of color on the starboard one.The IG is Gunze H58 over a base of Gunze Super Metallic Stainless.I seldom if ever use acrylics (at first I brewed an IG mixing Humbrol H117 and H154 7:3) but in this case it’s been a good choice in that a stiff,short-bristled scalpel brush dipped in Windex or Gunze thinner and almost wiped dry has been very helpful in recreating scuffs and wear and tear on rivets and corners,which thing is not very visible on this picture.A lot has yet to be added and washes will accent the beautiful details but I couldn’t wait to give Roy’s decals a try!They’re really something else,and a little Micro Set followed after 15 minutes or so by an application of Micro Sol will make them conform PERFECTLY even to the most tortured surface.At first the idea of adding a million stencils to the cockpit may sound boring to death but once you’ve started you just can’t stop…they add tremendously to the realism…hope Roy will do the same with German Subject! Cheers Lou Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Progress on the cockpit goes on,and of course a lot of detail painting is still to be done before I can call it a day.Roy's stencils and placards are really stunning and react well to Micro Sol and Micro Set,they make your build stand from the rest for sure. Progress so far,apart from applying Roy's stencils,has been painting the floorboard in such a way to reveal the plywood under the non-slip black coating. When it comes to paint something black I use Alclad's black primer;it dries rock hard and it's not dead matt,it's got a nice sheen to it and I quite like that. Back to the floorboards;first I've airbrushed some Humbrol 93,followed by several mistings of HEAVILY DILUTED (would rather call it tinted thinner)Gunze H17 Cocoa Brown.After it had dried I airbrushed the floor with Alclad Black Primer paying attention not to cover the areas where the rubbing of the pilot's boots would have scraped off the black paint,and that alone resulted in two nice spots with a feathered contours.Alclad primer dries in a New York minute,therefore after a well deserved cup of tea I C A R E F U L L Y hit the areas subjected to wear and tear with a glass-fiber pen and another mineholder with a small "ball" of 0000 steel wool on its tip,followed by a little rubbing with a q-tip..a little dusting with eaerth-colored pigments will wrap the whole thing up. Before using this method I took the old oil color+Liquin route,using a feather instead of a brush to give the paint a fine wood grain but I wasn't satisfied the least with the results and the reason's twofold;spot on on a WWI Albatros but too "classy looking" for a WW2 fighter whose floorboard were but planks of cheap plywood and,more important,no matter how I worked the oil paint,the marks left by the feather I was using were still there and I feared they'd have shown thru the black coating!For those who love the oil+Liquin (a W&N product to speed up the drying of oil colors) method I'd suggest to give the "wood" a few light coat of Alclad transparent medium tinted with tranparent yellow...it gives the "wooden" areas a nice and convincing sheen that can be toned diown with a misting of matt varnish. As can be seen I've removed the electrical fittings behind the armored head rest and now I'm trying to discover whether the WHOLE armored backrest was painted black or only the part that was above the pilot's shoulders. Thank you for stopping,reading,looking and (hopefully) commenting! Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 I've given the radio/battery rack behind the pilot's head an undercoat of Chrome Yellow that shows thru the IG,just to depart from the usual scratches revealing the bare aluminum.A few sposts where the aluminum shows will be added later on! Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bdt13 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Wow - this is off to a spectacular start! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted July 31, 2012 Author Share Posted July 31, 2012 Wow - this is off to a spectacular start! Thanks for watching and commenting Ben!Gonna post a new update soon! Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) GREAT start! It looks like you're going to blow by my progress in no time, so I'll be glued to this thread for tips. Your modeling skills are also top notch! A couple of "heads up" items from me, just in case you care. In your pic above, make sure you remove than vent just forward of the wing root. Also, the interior green on the floor should come forward under the seat as shown in Roy's interior pic below. I found out this out the hard way by following the Tamiya instructions, as you presumably have as well. It's a bummer when we get sucked into the wrong direction by actually following the instructions! Edited October 11, 2012 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) GREAT start! It looks like you're going to blow by my progress in no time, so I'll be glued to this thread for tips. Your modeling skills are also top notch! A couple of "heads up" items from me, just in case you care. In your pic above, make sure you remove than vent just forward of the wing root and fill that depression hole, just below the cockpit. Also, the interior green on the floor should come forward under the seat as shown in Roy's interior pic below. I found out this out the hard way by following the Tamiya instructions, as you presumably have as well. It's a bummer when we get sucked into the wrong direction by actually following the instructions! Hi Chuck, thanks a lot for weighing in mate and thanks a ton for your very kind and encouraging comments!Thanks for the heads-up on the vent (hadn't considered that)but the depression below the cockpit oughta be the port for the flare pistol...I think that it was present on 44-14237! As far as the floor is concerned you're absolutely right but the cockpit isn't finished yet...and I'm going to paint the floor area under the seat IG,just like in Roy's stunning build!I'm not going to follow Tamiya instructions because they're misleading more often than not...and calls fore parts that oughta be left on the sprues,see the electrical fittings behind the armored headrest for example! I only have to make sure whether the whole armored panel behind the seat was painted black or only the upper part!Most likely the second option is most likely the right one! Cheers Edited August 1, 2012 by Canuck63 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Shamelessly stolen from your thread: Looks like we must double-double-double-double check the 'pit before buttoning everything up! :woot.gif: :woot.gif: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Hi Chuck, thanks a lot for weighing in mate and thanks a ton for your very kind and encouraging comments!Thanks for the heads-up on the vent (hadn't considered that)but the depression below the cockpit oughta be the port for the flare pistol...I think that it was present on 44-14237! I'm very glad you corrected me because my bird, 44-14570, has it too! Re-checking the instructions, I wasn't paying close enough attention, because that hole is only filled in for the "A", or very early P-51D's without the tail fillet. Good thing I didn't fill it in yet, because recreating it without making a big mess would have been a huge time waster. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 I'm very glad you corrected me because my bird, 44-14570, has it too! Re-checking the instructions, I wasn't paying close enough attention, because that hole is only filled in for the "A", or very early P-51D's without the tail fillet. Good thing I didn't fill it in yet, because recreating it without making a big mess would have been a huge time waster. Ciao Chuck, I'm glad I've been of help somehow!IMHO we'd be much better off double-checking anything on the instructions before committing to glue and cutter!If you're not fitting the gizmos behind the "noggin-saver" I think I've found a picture showing a flat canvas or leather pouch at its place,and that makes sense because there are four mounting studs/threaded holes on the backrest!Say the word and I'll look for that...even if probably you've got it already! Cheers Lou Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Benjaminht99 Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Love what I am seeing and reading, Will be watching this one and I hope you dont mind me barrowing some idea's for my build. Keep up the good work and keep the update's coming. Ben Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 3, 2012 Author Share Posted August 3, 2012 Love what I am seeing and reading, Will be watching this one and I hope you dont mind me barrowing some idea's for my build. Keep up the good work and keep the update's coming. Ben Ben, you jokin' or what mate?If you think that my humble work could be of help please go ahead,"borrow" my ideas and make them better ! I hope to post a (sorta) finished '0pit this Saturday coming! thank you very much for weighin' in! Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 4, 2012 Author Share Posted August 4, 2012 A little update, I've added a few details to the pedals and to starboard side,a wash (looks like a horrible mess,but...still to be tidied up and blended in with very diluted base color;it'll (hopefully) look ok in the end! :blink: Ciao Lou Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tourist Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 It is coming along nicely. The cockpit sidewall and pedals look great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 It is coming along nicely. The cockpit sidewall and pedals look great. Thanks a million for your comment and nice words Christian!I knoe you're one of the "P51 cognoscenti" and that flatters me! Cheers Lou Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Great work Lou. One thing you may or may not have done is to modify the floor boards to accommodate the starboard sidewall. I don't see that wiring at the bottom of the sidewall when you attach the floor. If you haven't, make sure you do before you attempt to glue stuff together. There are additional instructions at Roy's website or you can see what I did within my thread. Cheers, Chuck Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 Great work Lou. One thing you may or may not have done is to modify the floor boards to accommodate the starboard sidewall. I don't see that wiring at the bottom of the sidewall when you attach the floor. If you haven't, make sure you do before you attempt to glue stuff together. There are additional instructions at Roy's website or you can see what I did within my thread. Cheers, Chuck Hi Chuck!Thanks a ton for your kind comment mate!Yes...I've modified the sides of the floorboards as explained on Roy's website! Oh...you probably ALREADY know that but the black electrical cables are a no-no....they ougfhta be off-white(ish) instead....better to discover such thing BEFORE that having them haunting you LATER ! Now it's your turn.....show us more of your build ! Cheers Lou Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Now it's your turn.....show us more of your build! Cheers Lou Not for several more days, since I'm still on vacation like just about everyone else, which is likely why this board is fairly dead these days. I need to get all that junk behind the seat detailed and sorted out before I attempt the sidewalls, but it's great to see yours FIRST before I do for inspiration. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 Not for several more days, since I'm still on vacation like just about everyone else, which is likely why this board is fairly dead these days. I need to get all that junk behind the seat detailed and sorted out before I attempt the sidewalls, but it's great to see yours FIRST before I do for inspiration. Yeah...right....I'll screw up the pooch and you'll build a contest-winning 'Stang!Thanks a lot bro!!!! :tumble: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 super-duper work. It is like watching Roy's book on MUSTANG and " How To" coming alive. EXEMPLARY, NEAT work so far...LOVING IT.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 6, 2012 Author Share Posted August 6, 2012 super-duper work. It is like watching Roy's book on MUSTANG and " How To" coming alive. EXEMPLARY, NEAT work so far...LOVING IT.. Hi Holmes, thanks a lot for your nice and encouraging words but...let's wait until the 'pit will be finished,shall we?I heartily hope you'll like it again!For me the most difficul part is making washes...I've tried everything,from oil paints diluted with Eggnog to to tile caulk mixed with Pepsi,yet I cannot get a decent wash for the life of me! Stay tuned...more to come in the next two days! Ciao Lou Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Canuck63 Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Hi all, just a little update…nothing to write home about;I’ve just corrected a few things and joined the fuse halves together to see what will be left visible and what to correct (just seen a few ejection marks on the sides beneath the sliding canopy) but a lot still has to be done.Amongst the obviously missing details there are the throttle quadrant,the oxygen hose,the pouch for the Very gun,the seatbelts (the stunning ones by HGW) and the yellow “save-me-from-drowning-in-the-drink-if-I-ditch-this-thing†cushion that will add a touch of color. The less obvious things are a cockpit inspection lamp on the floor secured to its bracket (missing in the kit but seen on the wonderfully restored Happy Jack’s Go Buggy at Oshkosh),another canvas pouch on the starboard side behind the pilots seat,a navigation cart and a few other papers inside their holders on the portside,another cockpit lamp and if I’ll feel like doing that the holster for a 1911-A1 and the pouch for two mags,casually restring on the seat. The radio and battery assy needs more detail painiting and cables added,and I don’t know what to do with the tank flanges…I’d like to paint them Chromate yellow but I’m not sure it’s correct,but hey…it’s MY model! In the meantime I’ve taken a trip down “Insanity Lane†and started working on Roy’s superb PE dashboard…dunno if I’ll use his resin part to round up the package or if I’ll adapt the PE part to a reworked Tamiya part;Roy’s resin part shows a very late dashboard.Seatbelts and floating device to follow! Thank you for stopping and watching Lou Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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