chuck540z3 Posted July 25, 2018 Author Share Posted July 25, 2018 (edited) Geez Guys, you're making me blush! Thanks for your kind words. As mentioned above, modeling time right now is thin and far between, mostly because it's summer and there's too much to do outside than to stay inside and play with tiny pieces of plastic. Soon enough, the snow will start to fly and I can settle down to my favorite hobby. In the meantime, here's a few more in-progress shots to fill in some of the blanks and go back in time: Cheers, Chuck Edited July 25, 2018 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shaka HI Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 I miss the "Like" button..... 😁 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Chuck, Your Merlin engine is not only super detailed, but just how you add detailing via a paint brush, and then weather it to perfection is certainly kicking it up MORE then a few notches. So when does the snow start to fall? Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted July 25, 2018 Author Share Posted July 25, 2018 1 hour ago, Joel_W said: Chuck, Your Merlin engine is not only super detailed, but just how you add detailing via a paint brush, and then weather it to perfection is certainly kicking it up MORE then a few notches. So when does the snow start to fall? Joel Thanks Joel, Sadly, around late October and by late November I'm a modeling machine, mostly because there's nothing else to do! Cheers, Chuck Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 11 minutes ago, chuck540z3 said: Thanks Joel, Sadly, around late October and by late November I'm a modeling machine, mostly because there's nothing else to do! Cheers, Chuck Chuck, That's not quite around the corner, but way earlier then it usually snows here on LI. According to my wife, there is always much to be done around the house these days, especially since I've retired. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 Welcome back, Chuck! Amazing job on your engine and cockpit. I have this kit, but have been waiting to do it justice. Your build will serve as a fantastic tutorial (as usual) to help future me to do a reasonable job on this superb kit. Looks like your engine needs a 300-hour overhaul (based on the grime on the oil pan), so it's a good thing your engine panels will be removable... 😎 ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted July 26, 2018 Author Share Posted July 26, 2018 2 hours ago, ALF18 said: Welcome back, Chuck! Amazing job on your engine and cockpit. I have this kit, but have been waiting to do it justice. Your build will serve as a fantastic tutorial (as usual) to help future me to do a reasonable job on this superb kit. Looks like your engine needs a 300-hour overhaul (based on the grime on the oil pan), so it's a good thing your engine panels will be removable... 😎 ALF ALF! It's great to be back- and every time I see a CF-18, I eventually think of you. Here's a pic of a print I bought a few years ago behind my "B" Hornet. While the jets look awesome, the chances of them doing that stunt in the mountains is slim and none! Cheers, Chuck Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Emvar Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 Hey welcome back! Always enjoy following your builds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted July 26, 2018 Share Posted July 26, 2018 1 hour ago, chuck540z3 said: ALF! It's great to be back- and every time I see a CF-18, I eventually think of you. Here's a pic of a print I bought a few years ago behind my "B" Hornet. While the jets look awesome, the chances of them doing that stunt in the mountains is slim and none! Cheers, Chuck Chuck, I absolutely love that painting (and your model, BTW). Actually, the chances of anyone ever admitting he'd done something like that are zero. When in doubt, apply the 4 rules of Flight Safety: Act surprised, Deny everything, Show concern, Offer assistance. Woah! Two jets flew really low past that canoe? No idea how that could happen - I wasn't aware of anyone flying anywhere near there. Was anybody hurt, or drowned when they fell out of the canoe? If I hear anything, I'll certainly let you know! ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jester292 Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 Great to have your talent back on ARC. The more, the merrier! You know we are all watching. 🙂 Keep the inspiration coming! (And as always, thank you for taking the time to share.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Wolstenholme Posted July 28, 2018 Share Posted July 28, 2018 Aircraft Resource Chuck, welcome back. No getting away from it, that’s exquisite detailing going on here. Regards John. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 October 11/18 Well boys, I’m finally back on this project after a 4 month summer hiatus. Snow has started to fly early in Calgary this year (although next week looks very summer like), so it’s time to get back to the bench and get this Spitfire over the finished goal line! This update is pretty ho-hum and I have documented far too much for such a small step. However, I am a “canopy snob” and if I see a so-so or poorly finished canopy or windscreen on a model, I quickly lose interest, even if the rest of the model is well done. This is the very first thing I look at, partly I suppose, because canopies and windscreens can be so difficult to get looking clean and accurate. Over time and with some practice, I have developed a few tricks to make them less challenging. One annoying step on many canopies is to remove the seam line that runs along the top center. There are lot of ways to accomplish this, but the easiest one for me is to simply sand off the seam with #1,000- #1,500 grit sandpaper, then apply Tamiya’s polishing compounds, from Coarse to Fine to Finish. When applied properly, you can get a flawless finish that doesn’t need to be dipped in Pledge/Future- ever. Here’s the canopy on my last build of a 1/32 Tamiya F-15C Aggressor, which had a very large seam line along the top. Nice and shiny with no scratches, without dipping it in anything. Now back to the Spitfire. All good so far. Masking the inside of a canopy or windscreen can be a real pain due to the tight fit and curved surfaces. While some just paint the interior color to the outside of the canopy frame first, then apply the outside color, the interior is still shiny clear plastic, which doesn’t look very realistic, so I always paint the inside first. The HGW fabric seatbelt set I used has vinyl masks for both the inside and outside of the clear parts, so I thought I was set. There is no better way to get a sharp clean edge than to use a vinyl instead of masking tape. The inside masks are slightly smaller than the outside masks, to compensate for curvature. Unfortunately, ALL the masks were slightly undersized! Thankfully, the outside masks fit the inside fairly well, so I went with those instead, using Tamiya masking tape to totally cover the outside for now. For the curved canopy, I used Mr. Masking Sol masking solution, which I will be using later to weather the airframe. As I did throughout the cockpit, I sprayed the interior with Tamiya Gloss Black lacquer first. When that dried, I sprayed interior green, including the front windscreen that the instructions say should be flat black. Checking out the Monforton reference manual and many other reference pics, I found that the vast majority of the windscreens are painted green on the inside instead, which might be because most of them were restored? In any case, black doesn’t show the interior frame detail very well, so I went with interior green- right or wrong. The BarracudaStudios resin cockpit set comes with a cross brace for the older gun sight, which I used. This was cemented in using white glue, due to the fragile nature of the clear plastic and possible fumes from CA glue. This should be glued slightly aft of the front of the windscreen, to intersect the back of the gun sight properly. The clear parts from the outside, after the removal of all the masks. Any remaining painting flaws will be eliminated when the outside paint color is applied. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 (edited) Before painting the windscreen, I sanded and dry fit the plastic parts so that it would fit snug, then added some detail that I found on reference pics of the top, which are hard to find. I then removed the paint from the bottom surface of the clear parts with Tamiya lacquer thinner so that they would bond with the fuselage plastic, creating a solid seal at the same time. Tamiya Extra Thin cement was then oozed into the bottom join, allowing capillary action to distribute the cement evenly. With the paint removed the bases appear a bit rough, but they are still very smooth. A few more angles. Note that the windscreen frame is very obvious on the real deal and putty should not be used. Using some back light, I found a tiny gap near the front of the windscreen, so I added a bit more cement to seal it completely closed. You don’t want any air pockets that might let paint inside. The gun sight brace is very hard to photograph, but it fits nicely along the rear of the Barracuda resin part and it gives the illusion of an extra layer of bullet proof glass at the front. The canopy just sits on the top and slides along the groove. Note the front leading edge of the canopy should be flat black at the front and inside, to replicate a rubber seal where it attaches to the windscreen. I will add a Barracuda pull handle to it and a rear-view mirror to the windscreen near the end of the build. To mask the outside of the clear parts prior to painting, I thankfully already had the Eduard masking set to replace the undersized HGW vinyl set. While still tape instead of vinyl, it is 90% as sharp and 50% better than I could create from scratch. To help seal up the cockpit, I used the kit door in the closed position and more masking solution to seal and gaps. It looks a bit messy on the door, but when the door is removed, none of it will matter any more. Almost ready for painting, which is my favorite part of modeling! Later boys. The weather is finally getting nicer and I have mega-yard cleanup to do, so my next update will be in a week or two. Cheers, Chuck Edited October 11, 2018 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zaxos345 Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Always a pleasure to read your in progress Chuck... Agreat deal to learn everytime!!! John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 Chuck, Welcome back. Pete and I were getting concerned as it's been a really long break. I use a similar polishing system by Gravity paints, as well as a final coat of Tamiya Wax. Have you tried waxing your canopies as the final step? Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted October 11, 2018 Author Share Posted October 11, 2018 3 minutes ago, Joel_W said: Chuck, Welcome back. Pete and I were getting concerned as it's been a really long break. I use a similar polishing system by Gravity paints, as well as a final coat of Tamiya Wax. Have you tried waxing your canopies as the final step? Joel Thanks Joel. I use something equally good or maybe even better: Plexus. It is specifically made for clear plastic and is used on real aircraft windows. Cheers, Chuck Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 1 hour ago, chuck540z3 said: Thanks Joel. I use something equally good or maybe even better: Plexus. It is specifically made for clear plastic and is used on real aircraft windows. Cheers, Chuck Chuck, that's certainly very interesting. Will have to look into it. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted October 12, 2018 Author Share Posted October 12, 2018 (edited) 3 hours ago, Joel_W said: Chuck, that's certainly very interesting. Will have to look into it. Joel Here is the Plexus website: Plexus It acts as a final finish that fills micro-scratches and cleans up residue. It acts and smells just like Pledge furniture polish. Maybe it is!? 😉 It worked wonders on my 1/32 Trumpeter P-38L as well.... Another small update while I'm at it, because the wing cannons should be painted with the rest of the model. The kit 20mm Hispano Cannons are not bad, but there are Master brass replacements that are quite a bit better. Not earth shattering, but crisper and the detail is finer. Note the flat notch at the end of the barrels. I couldn't find any close-up reference pics of this feature, but they appear to be real. They are likely there to allow the end piece to be unscrewed from the barrel, or they are for the plugs that fit over the barrels when they are on the ground. Anybody know? Meanwhile the brass wing caps have a slightly pointed end vs. the kit parts. I was a little apprehensive about gluing them into the wings for fear of misalignment, but if you hold the fuselage vertically and let the base of the brass cannon sit flush with the plastic base in the wing, everything lines up just fine without any need for adjustment. A close-up. I have used Master brass parts in many of my builds and I have never been disappointed. The quality is exceptional. Cheers, Chuck Edited October 12, 2018 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brett M Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Always impressed by the work you do with canopies, this build and previous. I stopped using the dip because of your tutorials 😎 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zactoman Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 On 7/19/2018 at 7:00 PM, chuck540z3 said: Hi Guys, I’m Back! ... back “home” to ARC. Welcome back Chuck You were missed. I barely have time anymore for more than just ARC so haven't followed your build. I just went and looked through the pics on your LSP thread and wow, mighty impressive project you've got going. I only looked at the pics and picked up some tips, ideas and inspiration. I plan to go back and read it when time permits and am sure I'll learn a lot. Thanks for sharing with us. Cheers my friend and welcome home. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A-10 LOADER Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Nice update Chuck. I was just wondering to myself yesterday where you and this build had gotten to. Nice to see you back at it and, looking forward to more when your ready. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted October 12, 2018 Author Share Posted October 12, 2018 (edited) John, Brett, Joel and Steve, thank you so much for your words of encouragement. Chris! It's been a long time and I'm still your #1 fan of Zactomodels resin products, especially your AIM-9 missiles. For those who haven't seen them before, they are flawless and of the highest quality. For example, the AIM-9 L/M's I placed on my A-10C.... And an AIM-9X I attached to my F-15C.... I got a message from a member who said that they had difficulty using my method to remove the seam line from a canopy, so I thought I should elaborate on a few items, because I may have been a bit misleading. Using ordinary fine sandpaper, then moving straight to polishing compounds as indicated above, only works with "normal" clear and HARD plastic. If the plastic is soft, I recommend using a variety of super fine polishing cloths after sandpaper, like the one below, then working your way up to the Tamiya polishing compounds. Soft plastic flexes and abrasives have a harder time to "bite" into it, so you need to have a broader grit range to make each step more gradual. If scratches persist, the old dip in Pledge/Future can still be very effective, but I prefer the undipped look if possible. And now one more example of a Before/After canopy with a seam. The Tamiya 1/32 P-51D kit gives you 3 different canopies, all with seam lines on the top like the one on the right, with the seam removed on the left. After painting and a clean-up coat of Plexus, the canopy can be a focal point, rather than a distraction to the overall model. Cheers, Chuck Edited October 13, 2018 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Joel_W Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Chuck, I've always been under the assumption that the clear parts, especially canopies are what you're referring to as hard plastic, since they always seem to be the most brittle plastic in the kit. As for a more gradual polishing system, I like to use the Tamiya sponges: 1000, 1500, 2000, & 3000. Past that for my auto finishes, I use the Micro Mesh pads 4000, 6000, 8000 & finally 12000, and then the paste and wax. Joel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kurnass77 Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Chuck strike back! Mate,I'm more than happy you're back on ARC! Despite I'm on the opposite side of your scale ( I'm a 72nd builder),you threads are the perfect places to learn 'bout our hobby! The clear part look terrific,I need to try the Plexus,as me too aren't a canopy dipper and rely to the Tamiya compounds Gianni Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted October 13, 2018 Share Posted October 13, 2018 Wow Chuck, jaw dropping. I haven't seen your recent works in person. I hope to get to see this and the F-15 next year in Calgary! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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