Dennis7423 Posted August 27, 2019 Author Share Posted August 27, 2019 1 hour ago, harv said: Dennis, no criticism from me ! I think it looks flawless. Are you gonna dirty her up ?.......harv Oh but of course! Once the airframe is complete, I'll get to weathering her properly. Hopefully soon! - Dennis S. Thornton, CO USA 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis7423 Posted September 2, 2019 Author Share Posted September 2, 2019 Another small update today! I am nearing completion on the starboard wing. When I left you last, I was getting ready to apply decals. The decals have been applied, a matte coat applied overall (my photos show she wasn't particularly shiny at the end of the war), and I began the weathering process. I like to use an acrylic-based panel line wash, that I make up myself. I use a little acrylic artist's midnight black (black with a hint of blue) paint, about the size of a fingernail, mixed with about two tablespoons of warm/hot water and a few drops of dish soat. I slather it onto the kit, allow it to mostly dry, and the wipe the excess away using cotton pads soaked in warm water. It's really hard to tell in these photos, but I love the subtle look it gives on natural metal, plus the blue gives the metal that perfect hue of exposed aluminum. After that's applied and dried, I began exhaust streaks and heat staining around the hot zones using Tamiya weathering compounds. A mix of soot, mud, and snow gives the desired effect for exhaust staining. I didn't go too crazy on top of the wings and out of the backs of the cowlings, as she was a relatively new bird when she began her service with the 96th BG in January of 1945. The exhaust staining underneath the wings was typically heavier inboard on B-17's; they often used their inboard engines while taxiing around the air bases, especially after landing. I tried to reflect this with my exhaust staining. 70365787_10103061028586392_6385456491758878720_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr 69581124_10103061028406752_2774024839961247744_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr 69503594_10103061028466632_5897643215904833536_n by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr What's great about the Tamiya weathering compounds is that if you don't like what you've done, you can simply wipe it off with a damp cloth and start over. The wings will get a little bit more weathering once I have the entire air frame together and get a better sense of balancing all of the weathering on her. And, once she's complete, I will bring her to work and take some proper photos. I am a Crime Scene Investigator (CSI), so I can be pretty good with a camera when I want to be! These are just quick cell-phone snaps in some pretty poor lighting, but I don't have a photo booth set up at home and that's what I usually have handy. Hopefully within the month I will have better photos of her, if everything stays on schedule for her to be completed for a show on the 28th of this month. As usual, all comments and critiques are welcome! Thanks for stopping by! - Dennis S. Thornton, CO USA 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FME erk Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 Its a real credit to your Grandad . . . I think you have got the weathering about spot on, to much overdone would certainly spoil the great finish you have on the 'natural metal' wings etc I am so envious of modellers of American aircraft, the Americans were not so camera shy as the British and there appears to be more info and photos of aircraft and their environment than any RAF bombers aircraft and station. Keep up the good work Dennis, you are doing full justice to the kit 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bomber_County Posted September 9, 2019 Share Posted September 9, 2019 Stunning Dennis, I like the weathering added to the wings very intuitive, congrats... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis7423 Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 Well folks. the end is dangerously close! This will likely be my last work in progress photo before she's complete. One wing is done, and the other will go under matte coat today. Weathering, little bits, and it'll be complete! She's looking like she'll be done for the IPMS Great Plains show on Saturday, Sept. 28th in Loveland, Colorado, USA. I'm looking forward to showing her off! If I am able to get her done this week, I will try to sneak into work next Monday to take some more professional photographs in our photography lab. 70887941_10103079334765662_8044854618812841984_o by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr Stay tuned! - Dennis S. Thornton, CO USA 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis7423 Posted September 23, 2019 Author Share Posted September 23, 2019 Well folks, I'm sticking a fork in her! Head on over to Ready For Inspection (RFI) for the full post! DSC_3332 by Dennis SAuter, on Flickr - Dennis S. Thornton, CO USA 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifter Posted September 26, 2019 Share Posted September 26, 2019 Super build. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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