Bomber_County Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Tidy and precise as ever Peter. Only ever built one Spitfire in my life, I guess the time has come? After looking over the Border Fw190 (in stash) I might wait for their Vb, with full engine etc on preorder for £57.50 here in UK……..that price sounds good to me compared with double for a Tamiya offering……..time will tell…… 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocRob Posted July 8 Share Posted July 8 Excellent progress, Peter. The front office looks fantastic. Makes me want to start a Spitfire as well. I have a Kotare one and two Eduard XIV´s in 48 scale. Cheers Rob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 Thanks Phil, very much appreciated. Over the years, Spitfires have been growing on me and this is my 6th 32nd scale Spit, with four being Tamiya kits. The price sounds mighty good for the Border kit, which includes the RR Merlin. I'm not so much concerned about the 1/35th scale of the Border kit but have read a number of reviews and there seemed to be quite a few issues with the kit. I don't have the kit, so I can't confirm any of the issues first hand. Kotare is accepting pre-orders on their Spitfire Mk Va and I'll be all over the kit. Of course, it will not include a Merlin engine which is just fine with me, as three of my Spits have Merlin's uncowled and I'm pretty sure this one will also be with the engine cowlings off. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 Rob, very much appreciated, as Tamiya kits for me are a joy to build and my vote would be for the Kotare Spitfire. I built the Kotare Spitfire when it was first released, a gem and the equal of Tamiya, less the Merlin, which was a huge plus for me. Between my Tamiya Spitfires, Mustangs and Mossie, I have 6 builds with their Merlin's proudly displayed and , including the current build. I'm eagerly waiting for the new Korae Spitfire Mk Va to be released and it surely will move right to the front of to be build list. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 10 Author Share Posted July 10 FUSELAGE AND WINGS WORKING AWAY Steady progress and with the front office completed, the last two remaining parts were added and the fuselage halves were glued together and taped, left to dry for a good 48 hours. When the tape was removed, the seams were cleaned up and panel lines restored. The wings had been started while various parts of the cockpit were being painted, as well as the remaining smaller assemblies were built up and needed time to dry. Two areas that have always caused me a lot of extra work on the previous Tamiya Spitfires I've built and this build was no exception: the MG/canon ammo covers on the top and bottom of the wings and no matter how careful I was in fitting the MG/canon leading edge inserts into the wings, the fit was far from perfect, with the inner dual canons inserts the worst offenders of each group. I’m still in the process of refining the canon inserts fit and removing any stray sanding marks from the wings. The wing tips were built up and glued into place and some cleanup will be needed to blend in the seams. I’m only starting to test the wing/fuselage alignment and fit and so far, so good. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANicoll Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 Peter, do you completely sand the entire aircraft during assembly? I see the white coating and I keep meaning to ask where does that come from. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 10 Author Share Posted July 10 HI Chris Not really. What shows in the photographs is where I cleaned up seams and fit issues, especially on the wings. Prior to priming, I'll wet sand the entire model with either 8000 or 12,000 grit, then wipe the model down with a very lightly damp paper towel with isopropanol to remove any traces of sanding dust. From that point on, I wear cotton gloves when handling the model. One reason I go to this extent is I do not wash the parts to remove mold release agents. It's just my way of working and most likely way over the top. I've been very lucky; as in my way of thinking, it helps prevent the primer and or paint from lifting - which I don't ever remember happening. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANicoll Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 Ahhh! Gotcha. I've gotten away from the Dawn wash 'out of the box' lately, but sometimes I see where I do need to wash parts so I may just go back to it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 10 Author Share Posted July 10 Chris Can never have enough prep as it saves so much time and aggravation later on.👍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANicoll Posted July 10 Share Posted July 10 3 minutes ago, Peterpools said: Chris Can never have enough prep as it saves so much time and aggravation later on.👍 Said a VERY wise man!!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count0 Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 10 hours ago, Peterpools said: One reason I go to this extent is I do not wash the parts to remove mold release agents. I never pre-wash styrene. I've never seen excessive mold release, but more importantly, I'm going to cover the model with oily finger prints before it's finished. Then I to give the model a through wash down with isopropyl before primer/paint 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 Count10 Right with you .... the last wipe down and then a thorough brushing with a Tamiya Anti Static brush and it's off to the paint booth. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocRob Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 Coming together nicely, Peter. I also use to wipe down the entire kit with some alcohol before priming. Cheers Rob 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 Thanks Rob, very much appreciated. I just find that preparing the model for primer these days has a few much-needed steps to help remove fingerprints, oils and hidden sanding dust. Of course, somehow, some always seems to evade my efforts and then need to be dealt with after priming. Just give it my best and move on. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landlubber Mike Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 Peter, looking great as usual! Nice to have a cooperative kit! Interesting reading the discussion on IPA. I have been soaking parts in dish soap water, but the point about oily fingerprints while handling the model makes a lot of sense. I usually prime with Mr. Surfacer and have never had it lift off, but I might keep the IPA step in mind as part of my prep. I do wash my hands incessantly before touching the model to help keep oils, Cheetos-dust, etc. off the model. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnB Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 Looking good Peter! 🙂 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 Mike, thanks so much, as it is a pleasure to work on a kit that isn't loaded with poorly fitting parts and vague instructions. I used to soak and wash the kit frets and parts in dawn for a good few hours, then go through the rinsing and drying procedure years ago but with 32nd scale everything is so large, it became a lot of work, so I settled into the routine I am still using. I don't think it matters how the kit parts are cleaned, just that somewhere before priming, the mold release agents are removed. I also agree that the quality of the primer is so very important in 'biting' into the plastic, so it can do its job. Once I'm into the various painting stages, I will use my Tamiya anti-static brush to give the model a quick dusting between coats, trying to keep the painted surfaces as clean as I can. Sometimes it works fantastically and sometimes it doesn't, as some dust /sanding particles find their way into the paint. Oh, the joys of painting. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 16 Author Share Posted July 16 GOODBYE MERLIN I’ve tossed and turned for nights trying to decide if I wanted my Spitfire with the engine cowlings on or off and its Merlin engine on display as well. Looking at my finished Tamiya 32nd scale Spitfires in the display case, all three have the cowlings off and their Merlin’s displayed. Obviously both my Kotare and Revell Spitfires have their cowlings closed as no engines came with the kits and honestly, I prefer their clean lines. So, after building the kit's Merlin, I decided to just use it as the support for the engine cowlings and it's time to say, Goodbye Merlin. So that’s the decision, which will show off the Spitfires beautiful lines. Test fitting the four major cowl panels and the fit isn't that great. Looking at photographs of the actual Spitfires, a good portion of the cowlings aren't that great of a fit as well. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GusMac Posted July 16 Share Posted July 16 Sensible decision I think Peter. I've only built one Tamiya Spitfire, the MkXVIe, and I know they have a stellar reputation but I was rather underwhelmed by the cowling fit and how fiddly the engineering was. I prefer my models closed up and I think I'd definitely go the Kotare route in future if they ever produce a mark I'm interested in - come on Griffon engine.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 16 Author Share Posted July 16 Gus Completely agree. While a a registered Tamiya fan Boy, the cowling panels were really meant to be left off or help in place with magnets. Their P-51 removable cowl panels fit a lot better as I have two of my three Mustangs closed up. Right with you in that now that I'm over with showing the Merlin's and engines in general, The Kotari Spitfire is at the top of my Spitfire list and I'm eagerly waiting their Spit Mk V to be released. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CANicoll Posted July 17 Share Posted July 17 Peter, I hear you on the display-or-not debate regarding the engines. I built three Tamiya Mustangs, all with removable cowlings and did up the engines, and I never take the cowlings off unless I'm showing one to someone, which is rare. I also built two Revell Mustangs without engines, and I enjoyed those immensely as the cockpits are a delight of detail and it was a much faster build. I think the 'poor' fit of the cowlings really is reminiscent of the actual aircraft - kind of like the oil canning found on some aircraft. Cant wait to see how yours turns out. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 17 Author Share Posted July 17 Chris, right with you as I have the same issue with my Tamiya Mustangs, out of three built, one with the cowlings off and two permanently glued on. Once a model is in my display case, it's never touched as dust is not a problem and rarely when someone wishes to see my collection, they are amazed that I actually built the models, look and leave after a few minutes. Such is just the opposite when company looks and has wonderful comments about my photography. Seems unless you are actually a model builder or a pilot, most people just have very little interest in them. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocRob Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 Merlin or not, she will be a beauty, Peter. I like the shape of the Spitfire as well unobstructed. I have two Eduard 1/48 MK XVI in stash and one will be build closed and gear up, the other with the full Brassin galore, engine, cockpit, ... . The Kotare Spit will naturally be closed up and maybe hit the bench soon. Cheers Rob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterpools Posted July 18 Author Share Posted July 18 Rob We're right on the same page and looking forward to those upcoming projects. I'm patiently waiting for Kotare's next Spitfire release, the Mk V, to be released late this fall. I enjoyed building their Spitfire Mk1a (mid) kit as the detail and finished model rivals Tamiya in every aspect except including a engine, which at this stage of the game, I really don't want and am happy none is included wih the kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlrwestSiR Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 Nice work on the Spitfire Peter. I'm just catching up on your progress. It's unfortunate that Tamiya didn't choose the route that Border did with the Lanc and provide a dummy engine for those who want the cowlings all buttoned up. I've found you can get away with the basic block, supercharger and cylinder banks. Everything else can be left off. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now