Jump to content
The Great LSM Twins Group Build ends July 3, 2024 ×

ZM 1/48 F-4J Phantom


Peterpools

Recommended Posts

Just saw this a couple of minutes before! Wouldn’t have missed it!

Beautiful work so far, Peter !

The rockets and the launchers are really awesome! So are the seats!

I‘m a Phantom Phanatic and will follow this one from the first row!

Keep em coming Peter

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice work on the Phantom Peter. Glad to hear your hands are getting better.

I just got told by my LHS the ZM F-4EJ kit came in and they're holding one for me. Hope to swing by and grab it later in the week. Looks like I'm going to be slipping into 1/48 for some subjects too.

Carl

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

SLOW PROGRESS FOR SURE

Not a good week for me but I’ve still managed to put is some bench time. I’ve been working on all the small parts that need to be added before priming, namely sensor housings and some antennas. Finished cleaning up a few sanding marks that showed up after the seam priming with MRP Gray Fine Surface Primer. Straight out of the bottle the primer works like a charm, with the drawbacks being: it smells and being a lacquer - just plain harmful.  I now wear a respirator for all air brush work whether I’m only shooting a few small parts for a minute or so or a longer air brush session in the spray booth. Just have to be as careful as I can these days.

Added the black striping to the pull rings – best I could with not the steadiest of hands these days. Sure, wish I had the Quinta set when I started the build but isn’t that just the way! 

Since I decided to go with the canopy closed and buttoned up, I noticed the fit on the sides and by the windscreen were a bit like Kai’s Mirage – fit wasn’t great with some gaps letting daylight peak through.  I removed the location pin from the front of the windscreen, filled in the location hole in the fuselage with Evergreen strip, followed with Tamiya White putty and Mr Surfacer 500. I used a combination a DN Canopy masks and Micro Liquid Mask on the canopy and I'll glue the canopy in place later tonight..

On the right, upper side of the intakes there are outlines for the AN/ALQ-126 Deceptive Antennas and after checking my awesome Daco book, they do show in F-4J pics. The antenna outline doesn’t show in the instructions and none are included in the kit, yet the location outline has been molded in place? Could it be, ZM is sharing this sprue with other Phantom kits and in those, include the Deceptive Antennas? I’m still undecided as to whether or not leave or remove them.

I went back and cleaned up the gear a bit and they do look a lot better. Some Mr Color Thinner and a #1 brush did the trick.     

Next few days, finish the cleanup and it’s priming time.

Thanks for checking in

Peter

 

itJQmG.jpg


rbhDKo.jpg

MbiWN3.jpg

0Xx1bJ.jpg

Cleaned up gear 

atocx9.jpg

 

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Phil

Thanks so much for the kind words. I'm always looking forward to the painting stages, my favorite part of any build. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Big Phantom looks after priming and letting it dry for a good few days - that's the key for me.

What went so terribly wrong with your F4? From the pics, she looked terrific.

Keep 'em comin

Peter

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great work on the windscreen and canopies Peter. Your extra efforts really paid off: perfect fit now!

Also very nice painting and weathering of the landing-gear legs.

The painting is also my favorite part of a build. 
Looking forward to seeing the pictures of your painting progress.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Kai

Slow but steady ... hoping to have the F4 in the spray booth by the end of the week.

Doctor visits and blood work scheduled Wednesday and Saturday and it still wears me out a bit

Keep 'em comin

Peter

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice and tidy with a great adjustment of the canopy fit. My builds never look as clean as yours in the pre painting stage. You could produce step by step build documentations with that clean style.

Cheers Rob

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Kev

On the nose gear oleo, I used Alclad Chrome. Basic procedure:

Very carefully remove the molding lines. In the smaller scales, flat siding the oleo is almost impossible to avoid and I use thin strips of fine wet and dry sandpaper after scraping the molding lines which help keep the surface as round as possible.  Then I prime the entire gear leg with MRP Gray Primer to check for sanding marks, follow up with a gloss black just on the oleo, let dry thoroughly and lastly apply Alclad Chrome. I normally let the Alclad dry for 24 hrs or at least over night, then mask the oleo very carefully with de-tacked masking tape and air brush the entire gear gloss white. As soon as the gloss white is dry, I remove the masking tape and add the pin wash. I never seal my NMF's.

I'll always try to follow this procedure but on the very small oleo's, I have to revert to hand painting Mr Color Chrome or Silver, very heavily thinned. In 1/32nd scale, masking the olo's is so much easier, as they are beefier and larger.

Hope this helps

Keep 'em coming

Peter 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Rob

For the most part, I like my builds pretty clean and maybe a bit of weathering here and there. I do spend a lot of time with the various fillers, sanding and wet sanding, trying to ensure the model is ready for priming and then paint. No matter how hard I try, I do find a missed sanding mark or seam I missed and there is a point, have to live with it.

I would be glad to do a tutorial if the guys are interested and of curse,

Keep 'em comin

Peter

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/3/2021 at 7:49 PM, Peterpools said:

I used black primer for a start, insignia white and black take a long time to cover. Also the Gull Grey or which ever it was took umpteen coats. I also forgot about the metal finish tailplanes and tried to use Xtreme metals over Vallejo.......and it went on and on.......then I used Future to try and get a gloss coat and threw the full paint cup over the model.........and then the damn decals silvered..........and then than flat coat didn’t really take either.........I think I’m a builder as I always ##### up the finishing......

  • Like 1
  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...