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Maybe... will have to check. :bandhead2:/>

Or maybe we can keep this as our secret... nobody ever saw the tops of these things anyway, unless they were in a hangar, or you were looking down from above in flight!

:rolleyes:

ALF

I couldn't figure out for the life of me why masking patterns were so buggered up when I build mine. I then came to the same realization you did. Pretty exasperating.

As for the top of your horizontal stabilizer, call it artistic license! :thumbsup:

Good show, buddy.

Mike

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notice the variations of even these examples;

1422398_10151789811347078_1840202339_n_zpsaaaa6b6d.jpg

Wow!

That is quite the variation. A real mish-mash of schemes there, but even the variegated ones are quite distinct from each other. I have redone mine somewhat, but will keep the inverse-coloured tailplane. Looking at what I've done, compared to that picture, it looks like I have too much grey and not enough green, but that will be corrected on a later build.

Thanks for posting that pic. One small problem; the checker jet doesn't look as good as a tiger bird!

ALF

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I made that mistake once too using the BB sheet. Repainted and carried on.

Sage advice.

I couldn't figure out for the life of me why masking patterns were so buggered up when I build mine. I then came to the same realization you did. Pretty exasperating.

As for the top of your horizontal stabilizer, call it artistic license! :thumbsup:/>

Good show, buddy.

Mike

There are heaps of artistic license going into this one, my friend. Thanks for the encouragement. I just want to get this one done, so I can get to my Italeri 1/32 build.

ALF

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If I may propose the following product, if it's available at least in Canada: Revell's Paint Remover. One swipe of this product on a cloth removes all paint instantly and leave the plastic unhurt. Works 100% satisfactory and can be applied on that part you want to start over again, so no fuzzle anymore with oils and cleaners in a bag...

Also, in my opinion, the Canadian camouflage pattern is much more "sharp edged" than what you have done on the stabilo. So it might be better to use some elevated paper masking (just resize & copy the instructions towards 1/48 scale and cut the pattern out as mask).

Hope it will give you a much better result...

Danny

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If I may propose the following product, if it's available at least in Canada: Revell's Paint Remover. One swipe of this product on a cloth removes all paint instantly and leave the plastic unhurt. Works 100% satisfactory and can be applied on that part you want to start over again, so no fuzzle anymore with oils and cleaners in a bag...

Also, in my opinion, the Canadian camouflage pattern is much more "sharp edged" than what you have done on the stabilo. So it might be better to use some elevated paper masking (just resize & copy the instructions towards 1/48 scale and cut the pattern out as mask).

Hope it will give you a much better result...

Danny

Danny

I will think about it, and thanks for the good advice. We are now into the time of year where painting with the airbrush is a royal pain in the butt for me; my setup is in the garage, with no fan to evacuate air. That means when I paint, I have to open up the doors, which drops the temperature in the garage from an average of +8C (it is heated) to the outside air temperature. Lately, the evening temps have been around -12C, with winds howling and whipping snow into the garage.

In other words, it is very unpleasant for me to paint with the airbrush for about 5 months of the year, starting about now. Even at 8C, the paint gets a bit cold and sluggish; I have to keep it in the house then use it quickly before it cools down too much, especially with the doors open where the temp drops to below freezing almost instantly.

This kit is a warm-up for me. I will be building a big Starfighter next, and maybe another 1/48 version after that in a Tiger scheme for the tiger squadron GB.

The tailplane is certainly too diffuse. I will correct the sharpness of the camouflage demarcation with a paint brush in my hobby room (which I keep at a toasty 20C). I won't invert the colours, though, because 99.9% of the people who will see this kit on my shelf will have no idea the scheme is wrong.

I am relatively happy with the effect of the remaining colours on the main part of the aircraft. I am doing some touchups with a brush on that; pics coming soon.

ALF

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We are now into the time of year where painting with the airbrush is a royal pain in the butt for me; my setup is in the garage, with no fan to evacuate air. That means when I paint, I have to open up the doors, which drops the temperature in the garage from an average of +8C (it is heated) to the outside air temperature. Lately, the evening temps have been around -12C, with winds howling and whipping snow into the garage.

In other words, it is very unpleasant for me to paint with the airbrush for about 5 months of the year, starting about now.

Hi ALF

Well, if I would have been in the same situation (and knowing that I live 200 miles more north keeping the same latitude than you, but over here it's still a kinda warm temperature) I would gave the wife a new kitchen and installed the old cooker extractor in the garage :-)

No more fuss of cold handed airbrushing during 5 months is worth a new kitchen or at least a secondhand extractor, and it's usable whole year round!

Danny

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Hey ALF next time im up there we should build you a paint booth like mine . Cheap and work geeat in keeping you humm feet warm..

Btw i posted in you airbrus trouble Q

Edited by Neo
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Hi ALF

Well, if I would have been in the same situation (and knowing that I live 200 miles more north keeping the same latitude than you, but over here it's still a kinda warm temperature) I would gave the wife a new kitchen and installed the old cooker extractor in the garage :-)

No more fuss of cold handed airbrushing during 5 months is worth a new kitchen or at least a secondhand extractor, and it's usable whole year round!

Danny

You're bang on when it comes to geography, Danny. Bagotville is at 48:20 North, which is further South than Belgium (in fact, Lahr and Bagotville are at about the same latitude). I wish we had something similar to the North Atlantic Drift to warm the continent!

Unfortunately, our kitchen is too recent to propose a big renovation. I tried (last summer) to propose that we install a cheap fan system in the garage while I was having some shelving and closets installed; it did not pass the "budget committee" (which consists of me, in an advisory capacity, and SWMBO in the decision-making role).

Maybe the next house... :boohoo:

Hey ALF next time im up there we should build you a paint booth like mine . Cheap and work geeat in keeping you humm feet warm..

Btw i posted in you airbrus trouble Q

Hmmm. Maybe send me a PM with a proposition? As you saw in my response to Danny, the budget committee is quite hard to convince, especially since she is also in charge of decorating and has veto power over anything that makes the house into a man cave!

I have told her that we need to set aside time for you (and hopefully the two women in your life) to come visit; perhaps some lobbying then might have an impact.

ALF

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Progress is happening, but slowly. I masked and painted, knowing I had been lazy and forgotten to prime the surface first. Here was an intermediate stage, about to do the green:

P1220268_zps7740b616.jpg

Of course, after I peeled off the tape, here's what happened. Not because I failed to reduce the tackiness of the tape, but because I didn't prime it and Tamiya acrylics lift off bare plastic with a strong breeze, let alone taping. :bandhead2:

P1220269_zpsbbd39580.jpg

Then, I looked at CF-104's thread... and saw his beautiful finish! Holy discouragement, Batman! I need to retire; that will give me time to devote the right amount of effort to modelling.

I have done some touch-ups, and things are looking somewhat better. Much more work to go.

P1220291_zpsed255037.jpg

ALF

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Unfortunately, our kitchen is too recent to propose a big renovation. I tried (last summer) to propose that we install a cheap fan system in the garage while I was having some shelving and closets installed; it did not pass the "budget committee" (which consists of me, in an advisory capacity, and SWMBO in the decision-making role).

Maybe the next house... :boohoo:

Sometimes it's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission, you know. :woot.gif: Having said that, I know that Mrs. AX 365's reaction would be very similar to Mrs. ALF's had I tried to pull that off.

Of course, after I peeled off the tape, here's what happened. Not because I failed to reduce the tackiness of the tape, but because I didn't prime it and Tamiya acrylics lift off bare plastic with a strong breeze, let alone taping. :bandhead2:

I have done some touch-ups, and things are looking somewhat better.

That was a bummer but you made a great recovery, sire. That's a problem I find with the Nexcare tape. Even though it's relatively low tack, you need to reduce the tackiness even further. Not a major problem though.

Looking good buddy.

Mike

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The DACO set is wonderful - have I said that enough? These are the instructions for the ECS tubing on the canopy.

At first I tried assembling it stand-alone, and got very frustrated, not to mention worried that it might not be exactly the right size and shape, depending on what I glued to what.

P1220292_zpsd4e5be33.jpg

I ended up gluing the front portion (with the two mirrors) into place, then the side portions, then the rear part, all right into the canopy.

Note that I have used Tamiya tape cut into thin slices for the sun-faded strips along the bottoms of the transparencies.

P1220293_zps55fde7e0.jpg

It's now clear-coated with Future, and ready for decals tomorrow.

P1220294_zpsbaf7d50f.jpg

Thanks for stopping by! I hope, Phantom, that the paint touch-ups are "used" enough... :rolleyes:

ALF

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Hey ALF,

Good progress on the build. Too bad about the Tamiya paint though. Their fine gray primer is all I use now and their acrylics stick to that like Sh*t to a blanket.

I'm at the same place with the DACO demist tubing for the canopy. I'm thinking of fabricating a small jig so the parts can be glued together in such a fashion as they will just drop into the canopy with little fuss. I've got several of the DACO sets and a jig will come in handy.

Cheers,

John

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Hey ALF,

Good progress on the build. Too bad about the Tamiya paint though. Their fine gray primer is all I use now and their acrylics stick to that like Sh*t to a blanket.

I'm at the same place with the DACO demist tubing for the canopy. I'm thinking of fabricating a small jig so the parts can be glued together in such a fashion as they will just drop into the canopy with little fuss. I've got several of the DACO sets and a jig will come in handy.

Cheers,

John

Good idea on the jig.

Yup, that lesson about primer use has been relearned a few times now (Tamiya spray can light grey is my favourite too). Maybe this time it will sink in! I am now planning to make a 1/32 Italeri Starfighter in this same scheme. The lessons I'm learning here will certainly help with that. I have 2 other big Italeri kits coming in the mail from Lucky Model; I think I will do one in natural metal, and the other in the overall green with a grey radome.

ALF

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Decaling coming along.

P1220295_zpsa60181cf.jpg

I decided to honour my friend Red_Indian, and do this in 421 livery. ALERT: I have no clue if this aircraft ever belonged to 421, nor do I know if it wore that kind of tail flash in this camouflage scheme, but I decided to do this one as a different squadron for once. Besides, Rafael has been a good friend, and he loves that unit. Ein Prosit! :thumbsup:

P1220299_zpsb468545e.jpg

This one has a mix of decals from the kit and the Belcher's Bits set. The kit decals took forever to slide off the paper; I managed to destroy a few through my impatience. Belcher's decals, despite their age (I have had them for many years), slid off beautifully and did not shatter. Again, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the various markings combinations.

P1220296_zpsa0fff2f1.jpg

P1220297_zpsd2ffba0b.jpg

Dry fit of the canopy segments. Time for a final coat of Future, followed by dull coat spray from Testors. Finish line in sight!

P1220300_zps9c6dddd1.jpg

Thanks for stopping by.

ALF

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ALF18, I just revisited your build thread here and...

Oh!

Hey...wow!

I didn't expect a fourtuuwantoo excursion on any of your builds, so that is quite a big suprise! :woot.gif:

Thank you for the kind words, two thumbs up, you're da man!

Really like how you plough through the difficulties you encountered in this build! I think this will be a winner (not that I'm biased, hehe)

Rafael

Edited by RedIndian
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:thumbsup:

Glad you appreciated it, Rafael!

And now, I'm calling this one done. Not my finest effort, but certainly a lot learned to apply to my next build: the big Italeri version of this.

P1220302_zps2251af06.jpg

P1220301_zps9fd5ab26.jpg

P1220303_zps3b65ea42.jpg

ALF

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Great results there, Maestro! I like the shading on the finish, intentional or not. It looks realistic. And the weathering along the vent on the upper left side. You told me about that once and I forgot to do it on my varigated CF-104. Nice job.

By the way, you really are a closet 421 fan, aren't you?! I knew it.

Mike

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Looks good ALF. Nice choice on the colours! :salute:/>

:cheers:/>

John

Thanks John.

I only wish it looked half as nice as yours. That's what I will shoot for on my next build. Do you think the fibreglass is too yellow/brown? I bought some of the Tamiya paint you used for yours; I think it's a more common colour for those parts.

ALF

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Great results there, Maestro! I like the shading on the finish, intentional or not. It looks realistic. And the weathering along the vent on the upper left side. You told me about that once and I forgot to do it on my varigated CF-104. Nice job.

By the way, you really are a closet 421 fan, aren't you?! I knew it.

Mike

Thanks Mike!

You know me, I can always invent a plausible reason for doing certain things... :rolleyes:

I was taught by a master (my father). One day in Moose Jaw, we were flying a Tutor together. I told him what I was going to do for my aerobatic sequence, and he stopped me partway through. He said "never tell anyone what you're going to do before you do it; simply demonstrate, then explain afterward, and tell them that you fully intended to do it exactly like that. You'll always give the impression of being competent that way." He was being a little bit tongue-in-cheek with that, but I find in modelling it's just fun to put the kit together, and no matter what happens, a contented modeller is one who accepts the imperfections and moves on! Just like your CF-18 and its false canopy, my little foibles on this one are just not that critical. It's all part of why I enjoy this hobby.

Don't tell anyone about my 421-liking tendencies. My parents thought I was a piano player in a whore house... if they had ever found out I liked 421 Squadron, they would have been devastated!

ALF

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