Clear the Bench! Zoukei Moura Bf-109G14 Non-Hartmann Build

[GazzaS]

Hello boys and girls,

      Meet Dotty.

I made a big mistake painting this bird silver.  Cuz the HGW rivets are silver, too.  If I had been able to use the rivet set, it might not have been so critical.  But, since I am using straight lines, alignment and spacing is difficult.

I made a mask out of a scotch brite pad.  I hoped that by making some dark spots, that the problem would be fixed.  But instead I'm finding that marking each line of rivets with a Sharpie gives me a decent center line to work with.

Tomorrow after work, I will peel off all of the carrier film...   and hopefully lay more lines.  There is a lot more to do.

 

Happy Modelling!

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Most likely I'm going to pass on adding rivets when I build my 109.

 

[harv]

I'm not sure if I'll get them either....harv

[nmayhew]

On 10/11/2022 at 2:19 AM, CANicoll said:

Just curious, why did you sell the Eduard 1/48 kits?  Prefer to concentrate on the larger scale aircraft?  I have to say, moving from the 1/32 Revell kit to the 1/48 Tamiya ME 262 is a HUGE shock.  The Tamiya kit is SO SMALL!!!

CN

Because 1/32 is the one true scale

#manscale

😃

[nmayhew]

On 10/15/2022 at 3:37 PM, Peterpools said:

Gaz

ZM, like Tamiya solved the issue of positional flying surfaces with either separate parts or parts with multiple hinges - a very nice touch. But why in the world did ZM choose go with a textured finish on all the plastic parts? Is it a cost saving measure by not polishing the molds as much as need be? Who knows, surely not me.

 

 

I don’t think they “chose to go with…”

I honestly think it’s just the best they could manage which is pretty sh*t in this case (talking about the texture, not the kit as a whole).

if this were an armour kit, I could understand the attempt at rolled steel texture etc, but this is pretty poor.

as for solutions, I think will sand then prime, when that joyous time comes!!

[harv]

I'll have to look at mine. I guess sanding everything is the best bet....harv

[Peterpools]

Nope, I honestly believe it was a dollar/cost issue. Not too difficult to fix and I'll need to check my kit and see if it is the same as Gaz and Bill's kit. In the past, I've primed and painted right over that type of finish and all was good, so who knows. 

[GazzaS]

G'day!

On a side note...   after 21 years in Australia, I am still unable to do an Aussie accent.  So, I don't really try.  I'm told I still sound very American.

 

Anyway...   on to the fun.

Rivets, rivets, and more rivets.  The following photos are from now at the end of the third stage of adding lines of HGW rivets.

Above is probably the best of the photos.

 

The wing spar...   the 109 has only 1.  Has multiple lines of rivets.  Nearer to the fuselage are four parallel lines.  Outside of the wheel well to the end, it goes down to two parallel lines.

 

Likewise the tailplane will have two parallel lines in the center.

 

Around the cockpit there are quite a few different lines of rivets.  Early days here.

 

 

It's easy to make mistakes.  Can you see the string of rivets I put on the incorrect side of the panel line?

 

One of the alarming aspects is the amount of metal pigments lifted when removing the transfer material.  I really, really hope it doesn't show later.

 

I have no intention of showing the silver head of every rivet.  The fuselage and walk areas will obviously show more rivet heads due to human contact and the use of a buffing wheel to polish the paint.  Outside of the walk areas, the polishing was done by hand.

Some of the non-bare-headed rivets may get some oil highlighting.  Some will get nothing at all.  But that is just the plan right now.  Reality may be a bit different.

 

So...   How do I feel about these rivets?  I feel that they add more authenticity to the model.  Which probably means that I'll be stuck buying them for life.

 

Anyway...   thanks for looking.  On to the next stage of rivets.

[Peterpools]

Gaz

WOW - love those rivets and the time and work is absolutely worth all the effort - looks fantastic.

 

[GazzaS]

14 minutes ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

WOW - love those rivets and the time and work is absolutely worth all the effort - looks fantastic.

 

Thank you, Peter.  Laying them is not as bad as I expected.  I'm doing it by eye instead of by meticulous measuring.   Don't tell anyone.   There are plenty of landmarks on the kit plastic to keep me in the neighborhood.  And you have to remember that all of this riveting was done by hand.  So, someone had to drill holes...   and I bet the drill bit occasionally wandered before going through.

[DocRob]

Nice progress with the 109 Gary, I have to say, I decided against riveting on some builds and raise my hat to your courage. It seems manageable, so maybe,....
I liked the figure option one better, the others look so depressed with their hunched appearance. The Bravo 6 photographer would have been my choice, as I thought more than once about buying one.

Cheers Rob

[Bomber_County]

Gaz, rivets look amazing……..you have to now do every kit now……..

[harv]

You have me thinking about them. Very nice work !....harv 🏆

[Peterpools]

Gaz

How true and I'm willing to bet the rivet lines weren't as accurate or straight after lunch

 

[GazzaS]

8 hours ago, DocRob said:

Nice progress with the 109 Gary, I have to say, I decided against riveting on some builds and raise my hat to your courage. It seems manageable, so maybe,....
I liked the figure option one better, the others look so depressed with their hunched appearance. The Bravo 6 photographer would have been my choice, as I thought more than once about buying one.

Cheers Rob

Thank you, Rob.  I couldn't find a photographer who wasn't dressed up like he was at the front.  So many good figures are OOP.

 

6 hours ago, Bomber_County said:

Gaz, rivets look amazing……..you have to now do every kit now……..

Thanks.  Yep...  a slave to my own success...  But let's not make final judgement just yet.

6 hours ago, harv said:

You have me thinking about them. Very nice work !....harv 🏆

High praise indeed.

5 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

How true and I'm willing to bet the rivet lines weren't as accurate or straight after lunch

 

There are some good pics out there if you can find them...   of women at the Messerschmitt factory doing the rivets.  Likewise, you can find the same kind of images, often in color...   of American riveter women at work.   Martin?  Pete needs some photos of chicks working on P-40's for motivation.

[GazzaS]

It's a gloomy, rainy, damp day.  So, what better day to mix some paints and go outside and play with the airbrush?  I know..  I know.   Bad idea.

First I had to mix some paints.  A good opportunity to use some empty Tamiya Paint bottles.  I am using SMS paints.

I am going through a de-saturation phase of beliefs.  Using gray and buff (depending on the color to be de-saturated) to give a more in-scale look.

 

I dragged out an old, incomplete Hase 109 in 1/48 scale to test my new colors.

I know...  looks like Sh*t.  In my defence, it was raining and I was painting with only weak morning light.  I was only looking for the way the colors matched.  When I paint the model I will use some masks and fading effects for color modulation.  ...and other stuff.

 

 

 

[GazzaS]

Welcome fellow modellers!

    I didn't feel like applying rivets today...   I had applied more, yesterday after my painting update.  Photos of them, later.

Today I focused on masks and adding raised detail to the control surfaces with masks.  So, it was a perfect time to do all of the masks with my Silhouette Portrait.  Here is a screenshot of the main plan.

You will notice how I used the masks to add the detail to the control surfaces:

I can just feel the texture when I run my fingertips over them.

I also tackled the propeller hub spiral.  Last year, when I built my PCM 190 I copied the supplied spinner decal to use it as mask.  It was a cool looking spiral...   that didn't work as a mask.  So, I made my own.

When the sides of the spinner become straighter, the need for curve decreases and a straighter line is needed.   Now I understand why spinner decals require so much decal softener. 

So, with that as my starting point, one at a time, I tried to make a mask that would fit my spinner with no wrinkles or other faults that could ruin the painting process.  The other five spirals on the mask are attempts to get the spinner right for a 109.

This is the correct shape for a mask that will fit the 109's spinner faultlessly.

To finish up...   Some more rivet shots.

Happy modelling!

[Peterpools]

Gaz

Holy smokes .. some fantastic work and the spinner mask look so good.

 

[GazzaS]

2 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Gaz

Holy smokes .. some fantastic work and the spinner mask look so good.

 

Thank you, Peter.

[DocRob]

Very interesting Gary. I can't wait to see all the riveting and masked control surfaces under some paint.

Cheers Rob

[Martinnfb]

Nicey ! 

[JohnB]

I have to say Gaz you are really getting with the program on this build! Very interesting about those rivets. No way I'd go that route as it looks to be way too hard on the eyes. I'd be seeing double after a bit so carry on! I look forward to seeing the completed model. 

[KevinM]

Nice Gary!

[GazzaS]

7 hours ago, JohnB said:

I have to say Gaz you are really getting with the program on this build! Very interesting about those rivets. No way I'd go that route as it looks to be way too hard on the eyes. I'd be seeing double after a bit so carry on! I look forward to seeing the completed model. 

The key is magnification, my friend.  I have reading glasses of various strengths....   and if that isn't enough, I have a visor to add. And powerful bench lighting.

[GazzaS]

Hi All...

    I have laid my last rivet...   for this kit, anyway. 

I added more paint to the wing to make laying the last rivets easier....   and the older rivets virtually disappeared.

 

And I have re-fashioned a DF loop from a piece of PE fret.  The finest, thinnest piece of brass I had...   Because those DF loops...   even in 1-1 scale...   are mighty thin.

 

I didn't try to lay every line of rivets on the upper wing.  The only ones that will be bared there will be in the walking area.  Nicht Betreten!

 

I dare say that I can add the rest of the control surfaces and start painting.

 

Happy days!