1/32 Tam.Spitfire "Kicked Up A Notch" Dec 20/18 DONE!!

[chuck540z3]

6 hours ago, Britaholic said:

This is a great thread, lots of useful information and really high grade modelling, and of course the Spitfire is one of my favourites, I don't know if anyone answered your questions on the stencils and walkways but I'll have a go, however i am not an expert, I just read a lot.

I do not know what the "M" stencil is for but I would like to know, The W/T stencil was to show that components were electrically bonded, in those days morse Wireless Telegraphy was in use hence W/T.

The Spitfire wing walkways originally differed because of the early Spitfires having a single radiator, so the upper skin on the non radiator side was thinner and not to be walked on, with the twin radiator of the Spitfire IX the wing skinning was thicker and the wing walkways could be the same on both wings, however there probably was a change over period were the earlier wing walkways were still applied.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

Thank you Dennis, I appreciate the compliment and info!

 

November 24/18

 

I’m back, yes much earlier than expected.  My wrist surgery went very well and although my wrist and hand are in a big cast-like bandage, I can move my thumb and fingers.  Yeah!  Now I can model a bit, especially paint, because I don’t need fine motor skills to do that.

 

Before I weather this aircraft, I checked several other builds of this kit to see what has been done before.  As usual, weathering ranged from not at all to some that looked like they had been in a barn for 200 years.  Many, as I have done myself a few times, had every panel line and rivet enhanced with a dark wash with significant pre-shading, in the so-called “Spanish Style” of weathering.  That would be OK if Spitfires looked like that, but they don’t.  Based upon my museum pics and those in the Bracken books, far from it.  Having said that, some of them look very, very cool and my hat is off to the builders of some of these models for having such an artistic eye. 

 

So let’s go back to the real deal in the Imperial War Museum in London, even if it is a Mk I and even if it may or may not be typical of what was flown in WWII.  It looks very similar to the pics I have and that’s good enough for me.  Here is what I see in every pic:

 

Although you can see many panel lines, I don’t see a need for pre-shading any of them.

 

 

While you can see the outside edges of the gun doors, the wing rivets are flush, while the fuselage rivets are raised and silver colored.

 

 

The rivets are raised all over the sides of the fuselage, even through the roundel.  Panel lines are metallic colored and not dark at all.

 

 

Same on the other side.  I see rows and rows of silver rivets and metallic panel lines.

 

 

A close up of the wing and roundel.  Flush rivets and a dusty lighter blue in the outside of the dark blue roundel, while the gun door panel is obvious.  I also see a mottled dark grey everywhere.

 

 

 

Demarcation lines on the tail camo are hard to see and there is lots of discoloring, just like on the wings.

 

 

So here’s what I did to try and replicate the real deal.  For the sides, I used Tamiya Silver pastels dissolved in a bit of water and then spread all over the sides of the fuselage panel lines and rivets.  I also used the Prismacolor silver pencil to make gun doors pop a bit.

 

 

And now another first for me:  A Paint Filter!  I have seen other modelers use a stretched sponge to act as a mask before spraying a weathering coat, but I found this piece of a furnace filter worked just as good- or maybe better.  The wing roundels were masked off again and I sprayed a lighter blue through the filter, then I sprayed very thin Gunship Grey and even some flat black through this filter just about everywhere.

 

 

Some close-ups.  Keep in mind this finish is even duller than it looks with no dull coat of any kind so far.  I have also enhanced the pics for contrast so that you can see the details better, but in my opinion, I think I came pretty close to the museum Spit.

 

Edited November 24, 2018 by chuck540z3

[chuck540z3]

 

Note that the worn aluminum has been dulled a bit, which is good for scale effect.

 

 

 

I’m pretty happy with the sides of the fuselage with silver rivet and panel line detail instead of the traditional dark washes.  Too bad I don’t have those serial number masks yet.  Thank you Canada Post!

 

 

 

The tail now looks like it’s been to war.

 

 

 

I will be adding some pastel work to create some minor oil stains, gun residue and exhaust staining near the end of this build, but for overall weathering of the top, this is kind off it.  We modelers are prone to go too far with weathering and sometimes less is more.  My next post will have the belly weathered, which will be done much differently.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited November 25, 2018 by chuck540z3

[dekon70]

Outstanding!

[trietmcam]

Outstanding work. Hey Chuck, what is the blue background you're using?  It absorbed shadows and light reflection pretty good.

 

Triet

[Neo]

Great work. I think i would never dare to try that on a model I've spent month on... way to affraid to mess it up. 

 

Amazing skills you have.

[A-10 LOADER]

Beautiful job on everything Chuck, she's really looking the part. Very true about the weathering process, less is more. I see so many great builds ruined by over weathering plus, you have to factor in the scale effect.

Good luck with the surgery, feel better soon. Geez, what some guys won't do for a vacation. 😁

 

Steve

[Chris L]

 

 Beautiful work Chuck . Interesting way to blend all these different areas of wear , tear and grime  . 

 

 Cheers, Christian 

Edited November 25, 2018 by Chris L

[shan]

Darn!!!! i wish i did my Spitfire after this article, could have learned loads from here!!!

hope you wont be doing the Tamiya Mossie, i'd be kicking myself again!!! Darn!!!!!

[Rocat]

This one keeps getting better! Bravo :-)

[chuck540z3]

On 11/24/2018 at 8:11 PM, trietmcam said:

Outstanding work. Hey Chuck, what is the blue background you're using?  It absorbed shadows and light reflection pretty good.

 

Triet

 

Thanks.  I have a mini photo-booth that comes with a variety of fabric background colors, but I find that the blue works the best.  It appears to be some kind of polyester, which I bet you could find at a fabric store.

 

 

On 11/25/2018 at 8:42 AM, Neo said:

Great work. I think i would never dare to try that on a model I've spent months on... way too afraid to mess it up. 

 

Amazing skills you have.

 

And THAT is why I sprayed the X-22 gloss coat first!  If I don't like certain areas, I can just wipe off the paint with a little solvent on a rag, which I did in one small area.

 

16 hours ago, shan said:

Darn!!!! i wish i did my Spitfire after this article, could have learned loads from here!!!

hope you wont be doing the Tamiya Mossie, i'd be kicking myself again!!! Darn!!!!!

 

Sorry, no Mossie for me.  For some reason I just don't like the look of Mosquito's all that much and I always need to like what I see before I build it.  My next build will likely be one of the following, which are already in my stash:

 

1/32 F-18 Aggressor

1/32 F-16 Aggressor

1/48 Lancaster

1/32 Typhoon

A new model??

 

Cheers,

Chuck

 

 

 

[chuck540z3]

November 27/18

 

A quickie update.  I have weathered the bottom of this bird, but finding war time pics of the bottom proved very hard to find.  I did find a couple of good ones, however, and they both show a lot of oil staining behind the engine that goes almost the full length of the fuselage towards the tail.  This is no surprise, because I found the same thing on my P-51D build, so these Merlins, both Rolls Royce or Packard, leak a lot!  I guess when you're fighting a war, a little oil on the bottom of the fuselage is the least of your worries.  I also found dark staining around the gun doors for obvious reasons and behind the wheel wells, so using Tamiya panel line washes in black and dark brown and filtered dark paint, I turned this.....

 

 

Into this!

 

 

Yes, they look that dirty and if anything, I toned it down quite a bit.

 

 

 

 

With a soiled bottom, I also dirtied up the landing gear doors a bit to match.

 

That is all,

Chuck

 

[skyhawk174]

Wowza that underside sure is dirty but as you say those Merlins much have been a maintainers nightmare. Pics look good though and probably fine for weathering. I guess it is very hard to find references for this as most times when parked you don't see this. Probably only time would be in pictures of a fly by with the underside on display.

 

Also as for your next project after this, I know you normally do a jet then a prop then a jet but maybe this time you should do the Lanc as it is really different and probably comparable to a 1/32nd subject that you feel comfortable with. I also have another motive though. If you do that I can follow along with my Tamiya kit and use Belcher's new Lancaster markings 😁. I will probably scribe mine though.

[caudleryan]

I'd love to see the F-16! You've already done an F-18 as well as the he Lancaster. An aggressor in splinter camo would be awesome!

[AX 365]

Very tastefully done, Chuck.  Sometimes less is more.  Glad to hear the wrist surgery went better than planned and that it hasn't been too detrimental to your work.  What about an RCAF Sabre as your next project?

 

Keep at it.

 

Mike

Edited November 27, 2018 by AX 365

[11bee]

On 11/21/2018 at 1:46 PM, chuck540z3 said:

 

Hey, you're welcome!  Try to buy a few bottles of X-22, because you will wind up using a lot of it and thin with about 40% Tamiya lacquer thinner.  I use a 0.3mm needle airbrush when spraying it, because my usual 0.18mm airbrush tends to clog once in awhile, because it's acrylic and dries a bit quicker than the lacquers I usually spray with it.

 

One other tip.  Like most paints, it tends to dust up a bit near wing roots, etc. due to air turbulence, so you may need to do some light sanding between coats.  I spray perpendicular to the wing along the fuselage to help avoid that as much as possible.  You will likely experience some light dust on other parts of your model, but that will wipe up easily with a clean cloth.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Question - just got my order of X-22 from Squadron.  How do you shoot this stuff?  Multiple light coats or do you apply it "wet"?    If multiple coats, how long do you wait between them?

 

Regards,

 

John

[chuck540z3]

3 minutes ago, 11bee said:

Question - just got my order of X-22 from Squadron.  How do you shoot this stuff?  Multiple light coats or do you apply it "wet"?    If multiple coats, how long do you wait between them?

 

Regards,

 

John

 

Hi John,

 

I try to do just one wet coat.  Multiple thin coats could orange peel, so like with any clear coat, get the surface nice and wet and then move on.  You can back track here and there where you might not have got enough on the surface to make it shine, but don't spray thin coats from a distance or it could "dust up" and be rough instead of smooth.  As mentioned before, thin it with Tamiya lacquer thinner, 60% X-22/ 40% thinner.  After it has dried for an hour or two, sand down any rough spots with fine sandpaper and re-shoot here and there as required.  Also, use a airbrush with a 0.3mm or larger needle, or the X-22 could clog and since you haven't used it before, try it on a test piece to get the hang of it.  Once you do you will never use Future/Pledge again.  Cleanup with lacquer thinner works better than Windex, probably due to the Tamiya synthetic lacquer thinner in the mix.

 

For big models, I sprayed one coat, sanded it, then sprayed a second coat just to be sure I got everything, like on my last Eagle build:

 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[11bee]

14 minutes ago, chuck540z3 said:

 

Hi John,

 

I try to do just one wet coat.  Multiple thin coats could orange peel, so like with any clear coat, get the surface nice and wet and then move on.  You can back track here and there where you might not have got enough on the surface to make it shine, but don't spray thin coats from a distance or it could "dust up" and be rough instead of smooth.  As mentioned before, thin it with Tamiya lacquer thinner, 60% X-22/ 40% thinner.  After it has dried for an hour or two, sand down any rough spots with fine sandpaper and re-shoot here and there as required.  Also, use a airbrush with a 0.3mm or larger needle, or the X-22 could clog and since you haven't used it before, try it on a test piece to get the hang of it.  Once you do you will never use Future/Pledge again.  Cleanup with lacquer thinner works better than Windex, probably due to the Tamiya synthetic lacquer thinner in the mix.

 

For big models, I sprayed one coat, sanded it, then sprayed a second coat just to be sure I got everything, like on my last Eagle build:

 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Thank you for the quick and informative reply Chuck.   I hate to sound like an idiot, I'm learning some new tricks here, but what do you recommend for using to sand down the dried X-22 (grit-wise)?  Do you wet sand?  

 

Again, thank you for taking the time to provide all this info, it's very much appreciated. 

 

John

[JesusNut]

John and Chuck, thank you for this discussion on the use of X-22.  I have used it some with mixed results and am learning a lot from this discussion.  One problem I had recently was apparently some dried crusty X-22 fell down into the bottle and somehow got transferred to my airbrush cup.  And we all know what that means....CLOG City!  So now I use a fresh pipette each time to transfer the X-22 to my airbrush and make sure I clean off the stuff at the lip of the bottle so it doesn't get crusty and fall into the bottle.  Now I just need to figure out better lighting so I can see this stuff going on.  I feel like I get too heavy handed with it and get too thick of a coat and spray it from too far of a distance with the nozzle wide open .

[11bee]

10 minutes ago, JesusNut said:

John and Chuck, thank you for this discussion on the use of X-22.  I have used it some with mixed results and am learning a lot from this discussion.  One problem I had recently was apparently some dried crusty X-22 fell down into the bottle and somehow got transferred to my airbrush cup.  And we all know what that means....CLOG City!  So now I use a fresh pipette each time to transfer the X-22 to my airbrush and make sure I clean off the stuff at the lip of the bottle so it doesn't get crusty and fall into the bottle.  Now I just need to figure out better lighting so I can see this stuff going on.  I feel like I get too heavy handed with it and get too thick of a coat and spray it from too far of a distance with the nozzle wide open .

JN - I just took Chuck's advice and did a single wing on my Corsair.   It's goes against the grain to put down a wet coat, I've always done multiple light ones.   In this case, it looks like it came out fantastic.   Might be a single area that needs to be hit with a touch-up but the end result is 100% better than anything I ever accomplished using Future.  

[JesusNut]

25 minutes ago, 11bee said:

JN - I just took Chuck's advice and did a single wing on my Corsair.   It's goes against the grain to put down a wet coat, I've always done multiple light ones.   In this case, it looks like it came out fantastic.   Might be a single area that needs to be hit with a touch-up but the end result is 100% better than anything I ever accomplished using Future.  

 

Thanks John!   I think that might be my problem too.  I am used to doing light multiple passes and I feel like I have got spray going everywhere.  I just need to get better at it!

[chuck540z3]

48 minutes ago, 11bee said:

JN - I just took Chuck's advice and did a single wing on my Corsair.   It's goes against the grain to put down a wet coat, I've always done multiple light ones.   In this case, it looks like it came out fantastic.   Might be a single area that needs to be hit with a touch-up but the end result is 100% better than anything I ever accomplished using Future.  

 

12 minutes ago, JesusNut said:

 

Thanks John!   I think that might be my problem too.  I am used to doing light multiple passes and I feel like I have got spray going everywhere.  I just need to get better at it!

 

 

Love it!  Personal experiences that we all can learn from.  As you might guess, my methods described above came from a lot of trial and error.  Right now it's just routine to me and I don't give any of it a second thought, because it works and it works fast.  I just wish I discovered X-22 earlier, because a good portion of my tutorials on using Future/Pledge were on how to get rid of problems.  Having said that, F/P definitely works well (CF-18, F-4E and A-10 below), but X-22 is so much easier.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited November 30, 2018 by chuck540z3

[11bee]

Maybe you missed my earlier question but any advice on how you sand the dried X-22 would be much appreciated.  

 

Thanks again Chuck!

[chuck540z3]

Just now, 11bee said:

Maybe you missed my earlier question but any advice on how you sand the dried X-22 would be much appreciated.  

 

Thanks again Chuck!

 

 

Sorry Man!

 

Again, I use Mr. Laplos polishing cloths for just about everything, including sanding X-22 (see earlier posts).  Although they are primarily used for sanding canopies, etc., I find that they are superior to sandpaper because they flex and don't have hard edges when you're sanding over bumps and edges.  I take a sheet of #4000 or #6000 grit and cut it into small 1" X 1 1/2" pieces for ease of handling, that will also allow you to get into tight spaces.  Although you can sand X-22 within 10 minutes, I'd let it cure overnight so that it's even harder before you try.  I almost always have to polish up wing roots and other tight areas, but it takes only seconds and the results are still very smooth.

 

Also note.  It is common for a bit of very fine dust to accumulate in areas away from where you are spraying.  This dried X-22 dust is easily wiped off with a soft cloth and does not stick to the model, leaving it rough.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[chuck540z3]

November 29/19

 

Apparently my wrist is now working just fine, so here's another small update.  As my model awaits the serial number masks and one other part I ordered 6 weeks ago from Canada Post (Canada Pathetic?), it's time to turn my attention to the cowlings and engine once again.  Like the rest of the model, the cowlings were sprayed with Alcad dull aluminum on a base coat of gloss black lacquer, then sprayed with the camo colors.

 

 

From what I have seen with other builds of this kit, the cowling fit is hit and miss, but mostly miss, which is why you usually see all engine or no engine.  That's not always true and there are a few builds where they have accomplished both, but it's rare.  From what I can tell, it has a lot to do with the tolerances of the engine to engine cradle fit, which can have a little bit of play that can help you or hurt you.  Once everything is painted and glued into place, you're pretty much stuck with the fit you get.  To further complicate things, my build of this kit has several of those cowling rub strips that are made of PE brass (brown below), which look great on the engine, but would they interfere with fit?

 

 

With a little wiggling, the top cowling fits pretty good....

 

 

But the sides are only so-so, especially at the front bottom on both sides, where there's a small gap.  After much trimming and dry fitting, the culprit, it seems is that the front to back distance of where the bottom cowling pins fit into the rear of supercharger.  When the pins are inserted, the bottom cowling can't move forward so that the front pins fit under the rear of the prop, which holds it snugly into place like the sides and top.  The supercharger is held in place with a screw, but I also glued it into place for strength.  As a result, I can't move it any more, so what you see is what I get.

 

 

Same on the other side.  Note that the camo demarcation lines were created with poster putty on the cowlings in place, then removed for painting, which creates a nice and smooth transition.  Also note that there's a slight hint of the aluminum paint underneath, which is what I want.

 

 

Oh well, it's not super terrible and I am unlikely to have the cowlings on for anything other than final photos of this build.  After that, including at model contests, the cowlings will be off, so no real harm done.  The conclusion to those of you building this kit, therefore, is to adhere the engine to the rear firewall with the screw only with no glue, so that you can play a bit with the front to back clearance.

 

Now onto a little experiment that went right for a change.  Over the guns are those wide red fabric covers, to protect the guns, help aerodynamics and also alert ground crews that the guns have been fired (or not).  From what I can tell, everybody uses decals which work OK, but I'm worried that they will be too fragile and eventually shatter if bumped.  What if I could make these fabric covers by myself?  Thinking about it far too long, it struck me that the Kabuki tape I used as masks for the insignias could be painted and used instead.  It is super thin (0.06mm), but thicker and tougher than decals and it has an almost fabric-like surface.    Soooo, after cutting the exact size of covers using the decals from the kit as references, I painted a strip of Kabuki on the right and another strip of vinyl masking on the left, just in case the Kabuki didn't work.  You don't want to be cutting this tape after the painting, otherwise the paint will likely chip off.  Here it is with a couple of coats of Model Master enamel:

 

 

I let the paint dry, but only for an hour because I wanted it to remain flexible, then applied the tape to the wings.  Pretty darn good if I do say so myself and a lot more realistic than decals- and I even pushed them into the opening a bit to show that there's a gun opening underneath, just like the real deal.

 

 

 

The other side.  I'm really starting to like the look of those weathered wings.

 

 

When the red paint has dried for a day, I'll seal the tape in so that it doesn't move with, you guessed it, X-22!

 

Cheers,

Chuck

 

 

Edited December 1, 2018 by chuck540z3

[Mstor]

2 hours ago, chuck540z3 said:

 

 

Sorry Man!

 

Again, I use Mr. Laplos polishing cloths for just about everything, including sanding X-22 (see earlier posts).  Although they are primarily used for sanding canopies, etc., I find that they are superior to sandpaper because they flex and don't have hard edges when you're sanding over bumps and edges.  I take a sheet of #4000 or #6000 grit and cut it into small 1" X 1 1/2" pieces for ease of handling, that will also allow you to get into tight spaces.  Although you can sand X-22 within 10 minutes, I'd let it cure overnight so that it's even harder before you try.  I almost always have to polish up wing roots and other tight areas, but it takes only seconds and the results are still very smooth.

 

Also note.  It is common for a bit of very fine dust to accumulate in areas away from where you are spraying.  This dried X-22 dust is easily wiped off with a soft cloth and does not stick to the model, leaving it rough.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

 

One trick that I learned with X-22 is that, if you notice some rough areas soon after spraying it, mist it with pure Mr Color Leveling Thinner and it will smooth out nicely. The thinner redissolves the X-22 and allows it to settle into a smooth finish.