Peterpools

John Awesome build ... absolutely perfectly done. 🏆 J

John Simply stellar - just a beautiful build. Fit and finish is flawless. 🏆

John Nice progress .. you surely are getting there!

IT’S CAMMO TIME I was ready for the cammo work and as confused as ever about paint color and what paints to use. The three colors I would need: ANA 608 Intermediate Blue ANA 606 Semi Dark Sea Blue ANA 601 Insignia White I started the search with Intermediate Blue, went through my paint stash and was amazed at how many different color versions there were for just this one color. After first using Mr Color 72 as shown on the Cybermodeler’s Color Charts, it was way too blue and I sent a few photos to John b and he felt the same. John sent some documentation about the correct color and I was floored at how far off I was. I corrected the Intermediate Blue and finally settled on these three for the Corsair: ANA 608 Intermediate Blue… AK Real Color RC 235 ANA 606 Semi Dark Sea Blue … Mr Color 14 ANA 601 Insignia White … Tamiya LP-35 I would have used the paints John had but they were enamels and the only two bottles of enamels I have in the stash, both being MM Interior Green. Getting used to doing free hand cammo in 48th scale took a bit of time, as the smaller the scale there sems to be less wiggle room and you are working in a tighter area as compared to 32nd scale. The cammo has a few glitches but I’m happy with the results. Hardest part of the cammo work was the soft edge between the Insignia white and intermediate blue – too very light colors to my eye in the paint booth. I’m just always amazed how a specific color can vary so much from one paint brand to another, just never actually understood why. And of course; Thanks John, for all the help, you helped save the day. I see a few touchups I want to go back and correct but other then that, a few more parts to paint and it's time to gloss and decal.

Carl You're amazing! Of course, where in the world do you display all the completed kits? 😉

Yup, not a FB user or member either. Actually, can't remember the last time I had taken a picture of myself.

Scott It's hard to do but buying multiple duplicates is part of the 'stash disease' we all seem to have. For me, I'm just being realistic as my age, health and stage of the game, I know I'll never build them, so why keep them? The stash was for having the right kit when you wanted to build it and a nice supply for the retirement years. Things do happen, especially illness and then the realization, you will never have enough time to build what you bought and newer and better kits of the same type are always being released. The idea of the stash started way before seller markets such as ebay, way before the internet, when a kit was gone, it was nearly impossible to find it. Today that is no longer the case. Yes ebay, has ridiculous prices for a lot of the kits but it's still better then tying up a small fortune over the years in a zillion kits that most likely will never be built and then sold off at a loss. My thoughts these days, keep a few and sell off the balance that realistically will never be built and that's where I'm headed.

I'm 76 and trying to thin out the stash as saying the models are for down the road; it's where I am now. Of course, I keep buying a few during the year and am thinking of selling off some kits that I know as much as I love them, I've already built the same ones before. Just need to think about it a bit more.

Peter A Master at work and the results of the engine cowl is pure beauty in metal work. Thank you for the tutorial, as you make it look as if we could actually do the same and of course - for me at least; that's impossible. 🏆

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Chris My go to paint removal tool: Mr Hobby Self Leveling Thinner - works 100% of the time on any model paint and primer. Mr Color Rapid Thinner from what I've read and watched online is a bit too aggressive and can attack the plastic. Believe me, over the years I've stripped more models down to bare plastic then I care to remember. When I'm done, I just wipe the model down with a wet paper towel or even dampened with isopropyl alcohol; done and finished. BTW, wear a respirator, safest way to go - years past I didn't and now a cancer survivor, I would never handle thinners without protection.

John sure seems I was lagging in thought ... does look like today is the day. Of course, being retired means we do lose track of what day it actually is and I thought it was Sunday when I first posted.

Agree and same here. 48th does seem to be the perfect scale. I've also seen lots of reviews but not a build thread yet. I just keep my eye open for a really good sale and then I'll jump on it as well.

John My Money is riding on sometime Monday your hellcat will roll across the finish line.

Last of my mini buying spree and I'm all set now for many months, as if the stash needed any help. Sprue Bro. Lightening Deal at an awesome price. I've had my eye on buying a good set of dry brushes and finally took the plunge Who could resist ... gorgeous set of precision tweezers

Phil Always so many possibilities but just do a bit of testing at different distances and you'll know for sure. 🤞

Kev It sure does and maybe some brave manufacture will bring out a detailed dio in the other three scales.

Chris Sounds like a good plan. My other stumbling block when working on more then one kit, is actually remembering where I am with each kit and for me, that means going back, reading the last few build updates and any notes I may have made in the instructions. I guess what I do is really not working on more then one kit simultaneously, as I'll work on just one for a good chunk of time, then go back to the other; I guess it's more like alternating kits and bench time.

Chris 7 PSI might be a bit low, and as a lot depends on the AB tip size and hose length. What we should be looking at is the working PSI, with the air brush actually shooting paint, as that's the number that really counts as compared to the static pressure, which is just setting the psi but not using the air brush - there is a huge difference.

WOW ... awesome work. 🏆

John Looking mighty good. Impeccable work and progress on your latest build: Eduard's F6F-3 Hellcat. Colors look spot on as we've been discussing the past few days. Just love gloss paints as they go on so smoothly and save a lot of time when it comes to glossing and decaling.

Phil There really isn't any differences in how U shoot Alclad Xtreme Metals 1. Super smooth black base 2. Shake the bottle well to be sure the pigments are all in suspension and nothing is still clinking to the bottom of the bottle. 3. I set my compressor at 1.5 bars or around 12-15 psi, which is not the working pressure, which is less. 4. Light easy mist coats and gradually build up the reflected shine/NMF. 5. If the NMF is rough and grainy and all of the above was done correctly, the air brush might be too far from the model surface and the Alclad and Xtreme Metal might be drying before it reaches the model's surface. Hope this helps.

Carl Amazing work - How do you keep track of all the different builds you have going on? I know, anything past one build and I'm in big trouble.

Phil Good to see the Mossie back and waiting for her turn in the paint booth.

Phil Good to see your ZM P-51 is back on the bench. I'm right with Carl and Rob. My way of redoing a paint finish is to completely remove every ounce of paint and primer and I go the Mr Hobby Self Leveling Thinner route. I never sand as that's way too much work with all the finishing and polishing grades of sanding to go through. I never ever had any luck using Alclad or Xtreme Metals Gloss Black Bases. After stripping off all the paint and primer, one last wipe over with Isopropyl Alcohol to make sure everything is clean, plus no finger prints and oils. Primer of choice: MRP Gray Primer - lacquer. Gloss Black Base: Mr Color Gloss Black (2)or Tamiya Gloss Black (LP 1). With lacquers from the plastic on up, they are impervious to whatever paint and NMF product you wish to use. I've been very lucky and mask right on top of my NMF with de-tacked Tamiya tape and can't remember ever having lifted off any of the metal finishes. I have a good supply of Alclad and Xtreme Metals and agree with Rob that the Xtreme Metals seem to be a bit more durable then Alclads. I normally will use both on any project, intermixing shades of metals as to which brand has the shade I'm after. On 32nd scale aircraft, my LG oleos are Chrome over gloss black and then masked over for weeks and a month or more and no issues at all.