Just started taking this up again....

[Hard Sarge]

ORIGINAL: Golden Bear

...and yet another. I'm gradually trying to fill in the major types of planes that I know from BTR. Unfortunately there is not yet a good kit for the P51-B, so the Mustang III will have to cover for now. Another problem is finding a kit for the Me 410 but I have a decent one in a smaller scale that I'll get around to. Right now I've started on a He-51, which doesn't fit in with the BTR collection.

There are lots of decent kits of Bfs, however.

[Jevhaddah]

Ooh well done Judge,

I am currently renovating and rebuilding a a 1:250 scale model of the IJN Yamato that dates back... I think to 1968. I rescued it from a charity shop, the previous owner having donated it after it had been left partly built in his loft for 30 odd years. It can be converted to radio control too.

Model building is as good a hobby as any other, I have about 30 kits waiting to be built covering Aircraft, ships, submarines and figures. I have a 1:72 scale Gato class fleet boat in the cupboard... I just need to find the space to build it [:D]

Cheers

Jev

[ezzler]

I recently bought a medieval castle and about 500 1.72 orcs, goblins skeletons and about the same number of medieval levy, 100 years war archers and crusader knights. I figured, what the hell, if its a fantasy setting i can have what i want. i started painting the Goblins and they look just awful.
But then my son is only 11 months old.
I should have nearly finished this project by the time he goes to college.

The advantage of being old is you can buy all the paint and brushes you want. I'll even get an airbrush, something I never had as a kid.

The balsa Y-Wing is in its fourth year of unopened status, along with the balsa Zero. The trouble with the balsa kits is they were bought on impulse but are far from impulse friendly.
On the back - instead of 'welcome to the modeling adventure. You will have a flying replica in moments! ' it says  -

To complete this kit you will need - a sharp knife - a sharper knife - pins - drawing pins - dressmaking pins - needles - butchers block - 17 types of glue - a special dope of a brand long discontinued - rubber bands, a modelling vice, an engineering qualification , patience, a large area like a dining room table but not actually a dining room table as you can't leave it there - to leave your wife - to quit your job - some rubber bands - canvas - plastic sheeting - an airlock to keep dust and dirt away - a robotic arm of a type used in micro surgery - austin powers thick magnifying glasses - surgical gloves - to expell your pets - ceiling wax - brasso - goldleaf paint - and other readily available products from thee Victorian era - and a collection of special tools that a dentist supplies centre might stock. Happy building.

[ezzler]

Oh and JD. This kit site is really good for the UK.
http://www.hannants.co.uk/

[JudgeDredd]

Thx for the link ezz...I think some of the stuff on their looks pretty professional...I've only just got back into it but I am looking to move forward. 1:72s today...1:48s next year and then who knows!

Would love an air brush!

[scott64]

Nice work [8D][:)]

[JudgeDredd]

My next one

Me109 G10

For all you hard core aircraft buffs out there, I know the decals and the paint system don't go...and I know the paint scheme is "a bit early" for a G10, but I just couldn't help myself








mmmm...just noticed the yellow "smudge" on the spine of the fuselage...must've got it on my finger when I was touching up the nose!

[JudgeDredd]

And last one.

I'm thinking about going 1:48 scale. But I'm not sure what the wife will say. She's been ominously quiet over my last two...I'm thinking if they get bigger, she won't be able to hold her tongue!

[htuna]

Looking good!!!.. gotta get an Airbrush next.... Wife won't start complaining untile the shelf/shelves start filling up with kits... although, mine never complained, because she does scrapbooking for a hobby, which is pretty darn expensive!

[JudgeDredd]

I would love an air brush, but over £100 was the price tag I saw...that's expensive!

[Jevhaddah]

Hey Judge, yoo can get a Revel Air Brush for around £32 it works of tins of compressed air or compressor.

http://www.wonderlandmodels.com/product ... leShopping

There are cheaper ones available too around £18.00

Cheers

Jev

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

I'm thinking about going 1:48 scale.

Well thanks to this thread and a trip to the toy store to buy a cousin some Lego for a birthday, I'm now building the Tamiya 1:48 Me262 A-1a!

This is one beautifully crafted kit.

There was a rumor that in 1950 the Israeli's procured a couple of these badged as the Czech built S92. It's said these slipped through with the last shipment of crated S199's (the Czech built ME109G) before the US closed the supply line down.

An Israeli ME262 was reported by the Egyptians to have crashed in Israeli territory. As the story goes this either did happen or the Egyptians were using the tale to pressure the UK into supplying Meteors. To this day, the IAF denies it ever occurred.

Was this in fact Israel's first jet fighter? Well, I'm giving it a whirl!

Tamiya 1:48 ME262 A-1a

[JudgeDredd]

Thx Jev....I have no idea what to look for or do with this stuff. Makes me wary buying on the internet.

Call me thick...but how do they work? No electricity required? It's powered off a tin of compressed air?

Also, one thing that immediately springs to mind...being Scottish and hating waste, is the wasted paint? I mean, transferring it to the jar, using what you need then transferring it back...got to be a fair bit of waste there. I just see paint wasting away!

Then there's the cleaning everytime....mmm...sounds less attractive to me now before.

[JudgeDredd]

That does look like a nice detailed kit Adam.

I saw some very nice detailed ones at 1:48 scale the other day in the shops.

Thing is, if I go up to 1:48, my paintwork is going to look even rougher. it looks tired enough in the 1:72 scale.

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

Call me thick...but how do they work? No electricity required? It's powered off a tin of compressed air?

LOL here's what I've been through before I bought a compressor!

The airbrush is usually held like a pen with the forefinger over the top controlling the trigger button. The air flow is regulated by a wheel at the back and the paint flow/spray size by a nozzle at the front.

The paint usually flows via a jar connected by a pipe from the jar lid at the bottom or you pour the medium into a reservoir at the top.

Then you connect the thing by a thin hose to an air source. You can buy tins of compressed air that last about half a model. You can use a car tyre which holds a lot more air! Or you can use a compressor that plugs into the power. Yep, I've done all three.

By far the compressor is the best way to go as the air is always on tap but for every now and then work, cans do just as well - but they do run out of puff near their end.

The biggest issue with airbrushing I found was its use of thinners in the cleaning cycle between each color. You need to wash the jar out or use another, then run a jar full of a little thinner through the brush to clean the innards and then take the nozzle off to wash it by hand.

So the calculus is this - you get a better paint job for sure but it's a lot more work than simply cleaning a paint brush! Then you have to consider a spray area and remember that some really expert modellers create masterpieces by hand held brush alone!

For air brush units, you can't go past Badger. This baby is mine.

[Adam Parker]

How the Badger works.



PS: Ammendment - my rusty brain just recalled that the twist valve at the rear actually also pushes a needle inside the airbrush forward and back from the nozzle aperture. This needle is the continuation of the rod protruding from the back that can be seen in the pic.

This needle (shaped like a dart head) has a finely honed point and it needs to be protected at all costs as the paint sprays along it through the front creating the desired diameter and accuracy of the paint spread.

After each color spray session the rod is screwed out from the rear, pulled away and wiped clean with some thinner and a cloth as part of the cleaning process too.

[JudgeDredd]

yep...thinking double the work load, double the paint required (through loss transferring between containers) and triple the paint cleaner.

In order for my model making to go un-abaited, it needs to be "invisible" to the wife...ie, not impact on her. At the moment, with a small show box to hold my paints, brushes etc, and 1:71 scale models, I'm getting away with it!

I can see cost of going up a scale along with air brushing could push her over the edge!

[Adam Parker]

Well, there is another and cheaper alternative and it's the way I'm going this time as I want to keep a small fottprint with my wife too:

Tamiya Aircraft Spray Cans

They're generously sized and coupled with some newspaper, a can of primer and some sealer they should look great for large area coats. I'm hoping to let some clever masking and a sable brush do the rest [:D]

I think your paint jobs by hand are just awesome in the way you're getting the paint to cover Judge. Love the yellow on the cowling - another challenging color to spread.

[htuna]

Airbrush rules!!!.. Use Acrylic paints, then cleanup is a breeze... Judge, it's worth the finish and the satisfaction after the paint job completes! Getting a compressor at some point is definately better than cans (cans are expensive!)

Adam.. from what I've heard when it came out, that 262 kit is a gem!

[vonRocko]

Thanks Adam Parker for the info on airbrushes. Like Judge, I've been toying with the airbrush idea and your posts answered many questions I had.[:)]
And thank you Judge Dread for renewing my interest in scale modelling.[;)]