Trumpeter F4F-3 Late - 1/32nd

[DocRob]

Very nice Phil, will it be a Wildhalbkette or a Halbkettecat in the end. I love kit bashing . Fuselage looks great and like Gary, I really like to know, how it looks weathered.

Cheers Rob

[Bomber_County]

12 hours ago, GazzaS said:

Looks great. Phil.  I’d be interested to see how dirty these birds got underneath.  Recently I’ve rediscovered a fondness for pastels.  Ima gonna try some on my next aircraft model.

Thanks Gaz, I’m not really sure I’ll do some research. The exhausts are central so I guess some residue…..watch this space. Interested in your pastel technique….

[Bomber_County]

8 hours ago, DocRob said:

Very nice Phil, will it be a Wildhalbkette or a Halbkettecat in the end. I love kit bashing . Fuselage looks great and like Gary, I really like to know, how it looks weathered.

Cheers Rob

🤪you spotted the elephant in the room. I’ve three projects now all lining up for the booth, the Wildcat, Flammpanzerwagen and the Panzer III L. Loathed to start something else before clearing these. …..

[Kaireckstadt]

Like Peter and Gary I really like the paintjob on the underside and the modulation of the color. Looks quite convincing to me. 

[Bomber_County]

So found some time this weekend plus today' State Funeral to get some bench time. ……..sprayed the gloss and started adding decals……..then realised the red strip on the fuselage, yep I’d sprayed the damn thing in the wrong place……….…….there is always something that goes wrong at the spraying or decal stage………damn….do a bit of strip of the rear area…….I think…….

 

 

[Peterpools]

Phil

Terrific progress - pain, decaling and the P&W looks so good. And then the; 'Black Cloud'. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. Seems you have joined the club of the Black Cloud: John and myself

 

[KevinM]

For all it's supposed warts this crate will look the part.Looking really Nice

[DocRob]

Very nice Phil, she will be a beauty in your hands. The engine looks sharply detailed too.

Cheers Rob

[Bomber_County]

On 9/19/2022 at 7:52 PM, Peterpools said:

Phil

Terrific progress - pain, decaling and the P&W looks so good. And then the; 'Black Cloud'. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel. Seems you have joined the club of the Black Cloud: John and myself

 

Thanks Peter much appreciated, I reckon it’s a virus going around good name Black Cloud……not sure if to rub the red off and the patch in…..

[Bomber_County]

18 hours ago, KevinM said:

For all it's supposed warts this crate will look the part.Looking really Nice

Thanks Kevin, it’s been an interesting journey and then the red stripe incident. I’d even dipped the star decal in water when I realised, hope I can salvage the decal, I tried to dry it out immediately……

[Bomber_County]

9 hours ago, DocRob said:

Very nice Phil, she will be a beauty in your hands. The engine looks sharply detailed too.

Cheers Rob

Thanks Rob, much appreciated,the engine had Mr Eduard’s PE added, First engine that I have been proud of…..

[GazzaS]

Phil, bummer about the fuselage stripe.  Such an easy detail to put out of place.  The rest is great, though.

[Bomber_County]

On 9/20/2022 at 11:28 PM, GazzaS said:

Phil, bummer about the fuselage stripe.  Such an easy detail to put out of place.  The rest is great, though.

Thanks Gaz, I’d dipped the star ready to place when I glanced at the colour placement sheet and then said……………..

[Bomber_County]

This one will not lay down, re sprayed the fuselage without screwing up the wing decals. Glossed over and laid down both fuselage stars……..both broke into three segments……….they are aligned as best  I could and copious MicroSol applied………I may have to strip this back completely to bare plastic and start again with decals not from Trumpeter……..time will tell……

[Peterpools]

Phil

That darn black cloud keeps following us were ever we are in our builds. I suffered through cracking decals on two of my last four builds and feel your pain. Seems older kits, decals have suffered way too many heat/cold cycles while on the shelves, taking its toll and the hardest yet; a double compound curves surface - a tough combination.  A "patch' that might work is using a stronger setting and softner solution such as Mr Setter and Mr Setter and very warm soak water. Other then that, I would consider a paint mask set which would handle the situation a lot better and hopefully save you from stripping the Wildcat back to bare plastic.

 

[JohnB]

5 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Phil

That darn black cloud keeps following us were ever we are in our builds. I suffered through cracking decals on two of my last four builds and feel your pain. Seems older kits, decals have suffered way too many heat/cold cycles while on the shelves, taking its toll and the hardest yet; a double compound curves surface - a tough combination.  A "patch' that might work is using a stronger setting and softner solution such as Mr Setter and Mr Setter and very warm soak water. Other then that, I would consider a paint mask set which would handle the situation a lot better and hopefully save you from stripping the Wildcat back to bare plastic.

 

I sometimes run a "test" on older decals to see how they behave. Use a sample from the problem sheet and if I find they shatter I will brush on some Microscale liquid decal film which takes care of the problem.

[Bomber_County]

8 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Phil

That darn black cloud keeps following us were ever we are in our builds. I suffered through cracking decals on two of my last four builds and feel your pain. Seems older kits, decals have suffered way too many heat/cold cycles while on the shelves, taking its toll and the hardest yet; a double compound curves surface - a tough combination.  A "patch' that might work is using a stronger setting and softner solution such as 

 

Thanks Peter, there are a lot of curves for it adhere to…….this is the outcome, this is the worst one…….the other side even though it was in three parts has aligned almost perfectly……..not sure what to do now, perhaps something weathering may hit it back…..

[Bomber_County]

3 hours ago, JohnB said:

I sometimes run a "test" on older decals to see how they behave. Use a sample from the problem sheet and if I find they shatter I will brush on some Microscale liquid decal film which takes care of the problem.

Thanks John that’s a really neat idea, showing my ignorance here but never heard of liquid decal film…… Time to do some research…….

[Peterpools]

Phil

Looks mighty good and keep going❗

 

 

[Bomber_County]

 

1 hour ago, Peterpools said:

Phil

Looks mighty good and keep going❗

 

 

Thanks Peter I reckon I can live with that blemish……

[harv]

I really don't think it's that bad. I agree weathering might help....harv

[Bomber_County]

3 hours ago, harv said:

I really don't think it's that bad. I agree weathering might help....harv

Agreed Harv, just bit pee’d it happened in the first place…..

[GazzaS]

 

Honestly...   I hate Trumpeter.  I can't even see a blemish on your last pic.

[DocRob]

Sorry to hear about your decal probs Phil. Weathering might enhance the issue, setteling in the cracks. I believe, 1ManArmy has a set of masks for markings AND stencils in their portfolio. 

Cheers Rob

[nmayhew]

Sorry for your decal woes but…

masks or HGW wet transfers for main markings; HGW will also cover you for wet transfer stencils

i would only consider decals when there is absolutely no alternative