YOUR STEP-BY-STEP MODELING GUIDEBOOK
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FINISHING HOLIDAY 2015
PAGE 92
EXCLUSIV SHEP PA E INE TRIBUTE
MODELS
OUR TEAM SHOWS YOU HOW!
100s OF NEW PICTURES AND TIPS, PLUS OUR MOST-POPULAR HOW-TOs
Robert Davis’ 1/35 scale Stuka – p.86
Make perfect mud, camo, metal and wood finishes, and more
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ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FINISHING 4
Editor’s page
This is all about inspiration MARK SAVAGE
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Finishing strong!
Our guide delivers proven techniques from around the world
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IPMS Gallery: pix & tips
Ideas and advice from some of the expert modelers at the 2015 IPMS/USA National Convention
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Apply a dazzling finish to a WWII ship
Thin paint and careful masking are the keys to creating crisp camouflage AARON SKINNER
60 Simulating realistic wood finishes Tips and tricks for making plastic look like real wood RAFE MORRISSEY
AARON SKINNER
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Making the most of metallics on a Cold War MiG
Get started airbrushing
How to wisely choose and use your first airbrush AARON SKINNER
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The art of pre-shading
How to apply underlying contrast and break up color for added realism AARON SKINNER
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Finishing and posing a Russian tank
Basic painting, weathering lend realism to Zvezda’s T-90 KYLE NELSON
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Mastering metallics
AARON SKINNER
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Finishing a German ace’s Bf 109F
Weathering techniques, painting tips to help you make a Bf 109F soar RAÚL CORRAL
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Digital camo tips
Masking is hard work, but necessary for a sensational finish AARON SKINNER
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Detailing a ’66 GTO
How to make realistic mud for your vehicles
Dress up a muscle car kit
12 steps to messing up your tanks and trucks with muck
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AARON SKINNER
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Decals demystified
Learning how to properly apply decals makes for terrific models AARON SKINNER
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Decaling all of the USS Reliant
Sheet covers most of the surface on “Star Trek” vessel AARON SKINNER
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Painting a B-17 with spray cans - it is possible!
No airbrush? Here’s how to properly paint an aircraft using spray cans
Fantastic finishes for armor, big and small
Old or new, big or small, military vehicles improve with these techniques DAVID MANTER
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How to paint a Stuka for night attack
Creating a dark camo scheme readies a Ju 87D for late-night flight ROBERT DAVIS
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Sea blue gloss and exhaust streaks are essential to making a Korean War attacker look real
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FRANK CUDEN
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Airbrushing, weathering a Skyraider
AARON SKINNER
Dressing up a Dora
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MATTHEW USHER
MARK HEMBREE
Aftermarket parts, solid techniques make a long-nosed Fw 190 special
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A tribute to Shep Paine
We say goodbye to master modeler Shep Paine with a reprint of his diorama collection story SHEP PAINE
AMPS Gallery: pix & tips
Armor modelers from around the world provide first-class finishing ideas AARON SKINNER
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Meet the staff
A light look at the model citizens who put FineScale Modeler together
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Inspiration plus ... ... sweating the details creates fantastic finishes BY MARK SAVAGE
APOLOGIES TO EDISON, but inspiration and perspiration often lead to making something better than it was before. I’m not all that fond of sweating, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from modeling it’s that sweating the details generates the best results. While we can’t do the sweating for you, we can help on the inspiration side. You’re holding 100 pages of inspiration right now. For 33 years FineScale Modeler editors have been passing along their favorite tips, our readers’ favorite tips, and the world’s top modelers’ favorite tips. Our aim for this special issue, FineScale Modeler’s Ultimate Guide to Finishing, is to load you up with as many tips and stories about finishing as will fit in a thick how-to modeling magazine.
Our staff, and some of FSM’s best contributors, have kicked in with stories on airbrushing, decaling, pre-shading, mud-making, weathering, spray-painting, creating metallic finishes, glosspainting a car, and more. We scoured top U.S. modeling shows for the best models and modeling tips and present those here, too, starting on p. 6 and 50. Much is new, plus we’ve included some of our most-requested features from past issues. Finally, as a tribute to our longtime friend and inspiration, Shep Paine, we’ve reprinted one of his most-loved features to wrap up this special issue. We hope all the stories will inspire you to run to your workbench and start making even better models. Have fun!
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4 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO FINISHING Editor Mark Savage Art Director Tom Ford Senior Editor Aaron Skinner Associate Editor Mark Hembree Assistant Editor Elizabeth Nash Editorial Associate Monica Freitag Illustrator Kellie Jaeger Photographer William Zuback Production Coordinator Cindy Barder CONTRIBUTING MODELERS Paul Boyer, Federico Collada, Andrew Cooper, Raúl Corral, Frank Cuden, Phillip Gore, James Green, Joe Hudson, Karl Logan, Harvey Low, Rato Marczak, Chris Mrosko, Bill Plunk, Darren Roberts, Chuck Sawyer, Cookie Sewell, Bob Steinbrunn, Cristóbal Vergara, Jim
Wechsler, Adam Wilder CONTACT US
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Ultimate Guide to Finishing (ISBN 978-1-62700-296-7, EISBN 978-1-62700-297-4) is produced by FineScale Modeler magazine and published by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. © 2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part in any language without written permission of Kalmbach Publishing is prohibited. Single-copy price $9.99 in U.S.A.; $10.99 in Canada and other countries. Canadian price includes GST. BN 12271 3209 RT. Canadian and international orders payable in U.S. funds. Canadian International Publications Mail Products Agreement no. 40010760. EXPEDITED DELIVERY SERVICE: Domestic First Class-$2.50, Canadian Air-$2.50, Foreign Air-$6.00. Address all correspondence to Ultimate Guide to Finishing, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha WI 53187. Printed in the U.S.A.
FINISH STRONG! Giving you the techniques to make each model better
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e’ve all made a nice model, a good model, but sometimes, just sometimes, we wish it could look a little better. We wish we could have added more shading under the camo, more variation to the colors, more mud that really looks like mud, more-accurate finishes, or more realistic weathering and wear and tear, like chipped paint along a plane’s wings.
That’s what this special issue of FineScale Modeler is all about: finishing what you started and finishing it well. Our experienced staff and a selection of some of the finest modelers in the world offer how-to and step-by-step stories about creating better finishes. We cover the gamut. But don’t just take our word for it: Study the 10-page photo gallery from this year’s IPMS/USA National Convention and 8-page gallery from this year’s AMPS International Convention and you’ll learn what modelers across North America and around the world are doing to give their models that extra oomph, that detail that takes their model from being good to being exceptional! The ideas and advice start now!
▶ KEITH WILMOT, GUNTERSVILLE, ALABAMA
Kit: Tamiya 1/35 scale M26 recovery vehicle Airbrush: Paasche H Paint: Testors Model Master Acryl After painting his M26 with Testors Model Master Acryl olive drab, followed by two coats of Acryl clear gloss, Keith applied the decals and sealed them with more clear gloss. The insides of the headlights were painted with Model Master silver chrome trim and the welding bottles Polly Scale panzer green. Next came drybrushing. “I use Model Master olive drab and white enamel, adding a little olive drab to white to get a light green,” he says. He applied that mix to the upper surfaces. Next came an overall wash of raw umber artist’s oils, concentrated on the undercarriage, followed by a layer of Testors Dullcote. ... To see more exceptional models from the IPMS/USA Convention, just turn the page! www.FineScale.com
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2015 IPMS / USA There aren’t too many other places you can see a collection of expertly finished models like the contest room at the International Plastic Modelers Society National Convention. The 2015 show in Columbus, Ohio, was no exception. FSM Editor Mark Savage and Senior Editor Aaron Skinner photographed a bunch of the scale creations and talked to the builders. Here’s the inside scoop on how these extraordinary models were painted and weathered.
▲ DAVID NEELY MOORESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
To model a Greek F-4E AUP, David detailed Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale Phantom with an Aires resin cockpit and Eduard Brassin exhausts. The camouflage colors were custom-mixed from Mr. Color paints and thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner. After priming with Mr. Surfacer 1200 straight from the spray can, David pre-shaded the panel lines with black. Then he sprayed the camouflage freehand with a Harder & Steenbeck air▶ PHIL PUCHER ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
For a British tank in German service, Phil built Takom’s 1/35 scale Mark IV Female and painted it with Vallejo Model Air colors mixed 1:1 with Vallejo thinner. He sprayed them through a Paasche H airbrush at 18 psi, starting with a base coat of red-brown and then applying a freehand pattern yellow and dark gray. “Don’t worry about overspray; the weathering will blend everything together,” he says. After decals and a brown wash, he sprinkled weathering powder, focusing on the lower parts of the tank, and set them with pigment fixer. “I applied a thick coat of rust-colored paint to the muffler and exhaust,and sprinkled it with rust-colored pigment,” he says. The groundwork is thin foam insulation that Phil rounded at the edges, then painted with thin white glue. Adding dirt to the wet glue gave the base a Western Front appearance. 6 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
brush and faded the colors with progressively lighter shades. “I picked a few panel lines and airbrushed a very lightened base color along them,” he says. A thin filter mix of burnt sienna and raw umber sprayed over the entire model made the Phantom look dirty and weathered. He finished with pastels and Mig Productions pigments applied in areas of high wear. The chipping on the fuel tanks was done using the hairspray technique.
National Convention ◀ MARTIN JURASEK OAK LAWN, ILLINOIS
“Overall a long build, but well worth it when you see the final results,” says Martin of his Hasegawa 1/48 scale Ki-44 in stunning natural metal. After sanding seams and filling imperfections with super glue and accelerator, he primed the Japanese army fighter with Mr. White Surfacer 1000. Tamiya flat white acrylic was sprayed for the home-defense bands on the fuselage and wings, Tamiya flat black colored the anti-glare panel, and Tamiya IJN gray-green covers the fabric control surfaces. He masked with Tamiya tape, then applied an overall coat of Alclad II aluminum. Referring to Model Art’s book Painting Techniques for Japanese Models in WWII, Martin masked individual panels and painted them in one of three Alclad II shades: duralumin, dark aluminum, and white aluminum. To emphasize panel lines, he applied a wash of black and burnt sienna Winsor & Newton artist’s oils.
▲ RO ANNIS PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS
Adding a bunch of small details to Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Opel Blitz, Ro built an Afrika Korps truck hauling a boiler. He primed the model with Mr. Surfacer 1000, but prefers to paint with Tamiya acrylics mixed with Tamiya lacquer thinner. To simulate hastily applied desert camouflage, he applied German gray then sprayed high-wear areas with hairspray. Soon after, he applied a freehand pattern of Tamiya desert yellow mixed with acrylic thinner. Water and a toothpick chipped and damaged the yellow over the
hairspray. He used a similar technique for the boiler, but initially the paint wouldn’t lift. So, he resprayed it with rust brown paint, flooded on hairspray, and slopped on kid’s tempera finger paint. “That seemed to work and (produced) a nice, thick, nasty look,” Ro says. The truck was dusted with Mig Productions pigments, first applied wet through an airbrush, then dry with a large makeup brush. Finally, frequented areas that would be rubbed bare by the crew were burnished with a pencil. www.FineScale.com
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▶ NEIL PRENTICE WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS
Neil built Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale VF-1J Valkyrie out of the box except for an M.V. Products lens in the landing light on the nose gear. He painted it with Tamiya acrylics thinned with isopropyl alcohol. Shunning the decals, he masked and airbrushed the white stripes on the fighter from the anime series “Macross.” He cut the markings from the decal sheet and used the sheet itself as a stencil, aligning it with the model’s panel lines. After taping the stencils down, he airbrushed white over the blue body color, varying the density to use the dark base as pre-shading. “A wellthought-out plan for painting in subassemblies allowed me to minimize the amount of masking,” Neil says. “Most of the subassemblies were painted blue, while only two needed to be mostly white. Planning ahead allowed me to keep it simple.”
▲ DAVID HOGUE THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS
Look closely at the stern of David’s 1/350 scale HMS Roberts and you’ll see a few sailors cooling off during a break in the action. He added scratchbuilt and aftermarket details to the White Ensign Model (WEM) resin kit before finishing it with dazzling camouflage. “I use fine grain enamels like WEM Colourcoats or Floquil mixed with lacquer thinner,” he says. “These paints give a tough finish that sticks well to photoetched metal and resin.” To avoid obscuring detail with multiple layers of paint, David doesn’t prime except on resin parts like the Robert’s hull and superstructure. 8 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
The extra primer and sanding eliminate rough spots producing a smooth overall finish. He enlarged the kit’s painting diagrams to 1/350 scale and cut paper masks, held in place with double-sided tape, for the camouflage. “The masks need to be adjusted to fit the 3-D model’s surface and were supplemented with Tamiya tape,” he says. When masks are tight against the surface, paint can build up along the edges. “So I try to keep the tape away from the edge of the mask, and a small gap keeps that from happening,” David says.
▲ KEN KRIEGER MEDINA, OHIO
After improving Monogram’s 1/48 scale T-28 with a scratchbuilt cockpit, Quickboost resin seats, and kitbashed landing gear, Ken painted the trainer in U.S. bicentennial markings. “It’s an airplane that caught my eye at the Cleveland Air Show in 1976,“ Ken says. Over layers of Tamiya spray-can primer, he airbrushed custom-mixed Ditzler automotive lacquers for the livery, starting with white, then red, then blue. Ken masks with 3M Fine Line Tape and Green Frog tape to produce sharp, crisp lines with little bleeding. He sealed the paint with a light coat of Ditzler High Performance
clear and buffed it with Wenol polishing compound for decaling and BareMetal Foil. More clear lacquer followed; Ken wet-sanded it with 1500-grit cloths, then polished with Wenol and Meguiar’s No. 7. The surface preparation is extremely important when using lacquers on plastic, according to Ken. “Start the priming with light dust coats, sanding between coats if necessary, until you attain full coverage,” he says. Once the coverage is sufficient, subsequent primer and color coats can be applied as heavily as needed. ◀ JEFF GROVES YORKTOWN, INDIANA
Jeff converted Revell Germany’s Ju 88A-4 to an S-3 with Squadron vacuum-formed canopies and resin engines cast from Hasegawa parts. Painting began with a layer of Alclad white primer. Small amounts of black were then added to the primer and layered in mist coats for pre-shading. Jeff mixed Testors Model Master enamels to match RLM 76 blue for the undersides, then lightened the color to post-shade panels. “I use enamels and at least 50% lacquer thinner when airbrushing, and build up thin layers of slightly different tones,” he says. “Pressure is usually 15-20 psi for general work, 10-15 psi for fine details.” He masked the upper surfaces with small balls of poster putty, working from photos of the full-size airplane to get the size and spacing of the dots right. He mixed RLM 75 mittlegrau from Testors Model Master enamels. For the squiggle pattern, Jeff thinned the paint until he could just start to see through the pigment in the color cup. Test-spraying the paint on a spare part refined the consistency and flow, and the set-screw on the airbrush kept the pattern narrow. A sludge wash — gray acrylic paint, water, and dish soap — applied over a coat of clear gloss emphasized panel lines. www.FineScale.com
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▶ STEVE COATS MOODY, ALABAMA
For his first airliner, Steve built Airfix’s 1/144 scale DC-9 out of the box and painted it with Tamiya acrylics and Alclad II gray primer. He drew panel lines with a gray pencil and added navigation lights to the fuselage with 5-minute epoxy over a dot of red glitter. ◀ DAVE MAXLOW ALMONT, MICHIGAN
“This model was a gift from my brother Bill, who was laughing because of the individual track links,” says Dave of his Dragon 1/35 scale Panzer IV. Looks like Dave got the last laugh with a beautifully finished tank painted with Tamiya acrylics and Tamiya thinner. “My mixing ratio is entirely by feel,” he says. He airbrushes at 20-45 psi. After a base coat of dark yellow, Dave rolled Silly Putty into worms, then pressed them onto the model as masks for the green and brown. “When applying Silly Putty, you have to be careful where you place your fingers!” he says. “The heat of your hand will soften the putty and the edges will change. I like to use the round end of a Squadron sculpting tool to modify the edges.” ▶ ARMAND MIALE FAIRPORT, NEW YORK
Armand opened the gun windows and rear hatch on Classic Airframe’s 1/48 scale S.M. 79 to show the rear fuselage detail he added. To finish it in an Italian maritime scheme, he custom-mixed Tamiya acrylics, thinning them with 91% isopropyl alcohol. “For fine line work, the ratio is about 85% alcohol and 15% paint, and I add a bit of Tamiya clear as well,” he says. He started the camouflage with pre-shading and the light gray undersides. The sand color came next, followed by the lighter green, and finally the dark green. Where needed, he sprayed an extremely thin mix of the sand color to correct green overspray. “The process took several nights and, like everyone will tell you, it’s a matter of trial and error to find the right paintthinning ratio and the right pressure — and patience!” Armand says.
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◀ STEVE COYKENDALL HONEOYE FALLS, NEW YORK
“A beautiful take on the classic Bride of Frankenstein,“ says Steve of Kit Kong Model Mansion’s 1/5 scale resin kit “The Bride.” His only change to the kit was replacing cables from the machinery to the figure’s back. Over a base coat of Tamiya white primer, he painted the model with Garage Kit Color sprayed through an Iwata HP-C Plus. “They’re fantastic,” says Steve of the Garage Kit paints. “Lots of colors available for flesh work, and ready to spray. I use gouache over other paints primarily because they are forgiving — a touch of water will release the paint if it goes somewhere it isn’t supposed to.” He built up the Bride’s flesh with layers of translucent and transparent paint over an opaque foundation. Her face was finished with ground pastels, watercolor pencils, and hand-painted gouache. After sealing the flesh areas, he masked the figure with Silly Putty and painted the clothes. The stockings were painted by gradually building up translucent white over the painted skin. “Handpainting white gouache emphasized the edges of the torn holes,” Steve said. “The fishnet section was lightly dry-brushed, trying to just catch the sculpted raised detail.” Both the base color and shading on the skirt were airbrushed. He sprayed the hair with translucent layers of reds, sepias and oranges, but handpainted the white streaks with gouache. A coat of Garage Kit Colors clear flat sealed the work.
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DAVE PROSSER LEWIS CENTER, OHIO
This is Industria Mechanika’s 1/6 scale figure “Dystopic.” It’s from a series of resin kits based on Derek Stenning paintings of a bleak, industrial future. After replacing the kit hoses with steel wire heated and bent to better support the orbs, Dave washed with Super Clean degreaser using a stiff brush. A coat of Tamiya gray primer followed. “The kit was broken down into many subassemblies, which made painting much easier,” says Dave. “I’d say 90% of it was airbrushed with pastel detailing, which I like applying with various size brushes for much finer control. For the suit, I sprayed a neutral base coat of Tamiya buff. Rather than mix specific highlight, mid-tone, and shadow colors, I used Golden transparent raw umber.” He built up layers of the umber — less on highlights, more applied to the shadows. Brown pastels reinforced the shadows. He worked the face in a similar fashion, starting with airbrushed medium flesh and a layer of lighter flesh for highlights. The rest of the shading and detailing is earth-toned pastels. “The 5-o’clock shadow was done with gray pastel, which darkens to a more realistic shade when hit with flat,” he says. Surface prep was vital for the helmet, which Dave painted with Tamiya spray-can flat white, glossed for decals, then gave a coat of semigloss clear for a realistic sheen. “For the metal parts, I didn’t want bright silver or chrome. So I mixed Alclad II polished aluminum mixed with a bit of steel,” he says. Pastels can also be used to shade panel lines or other engraved detail where a misplaced wash might spoil the finish. “Work the dark color of your choice into the panel line and lightly wipe away the excess with a damp cloth,” Dave says. “Repeat the process for any skips or areas that need to be darkened further.” His final tip: Seal your work between steps. This makes it much easier to wipe off any subsequent mistakes.
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◀ CRAIG LIVINGSTON CORRYTON, TENNESSEE
After detailing Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale Aichi D3A1 Val with Eduard photoetched metal and hollowed-out exhausts, Craig custom-mixed Tamiya acrylics for the colorful camouflage. First, he pre-shaded panel lines with Tamiya German gray, then airbrushed the caramel base color. For good measure, he post-shaded panel lines with a slightly darkened base shade. Contemporary sources indicate the fuselage camouflage was applied immediately prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor, a process Craig mirrored by applying the markings next. He post-shaded the insignia with a slightly darker shade of red airbrushed along panel lines. The fuselage mottling was a two-step process, starting with a thin layer of yellow carefully sprayed starting with the outlines and insignia surrounds. After filling the yellow area, he sprayed the red, slowly building up the spots but being careful to leave yellow visible. For fine work like mottling, he suggests starting spraying each spot on a bit of paper or cardboard to ensure proper paint flow and prevent spattering. Weathering was mostly done with Doc O’Brien’s weathering powders for dirt and exhaust and Prismacolor pencils for paint chips. ▶ GREG HANCHUK PARMA, OHIO
To model a VFA-143 Super Hornet during a 2008-09 Persian Gulf deployment, Greg built Revell’s 1/48 scale F/A-18E. Over primer and pre-shading, he airbrushed light coats of Testors Model Master enamel camouflage. After fading panels with slightly lighter grays, he added touch-ups. “The sea air takes a toll, and crews were always touching up,” he says. Referring to photos, he sprayed small spots of even lighter shades of gray. Over Flory Models washes and more touch-up spots, he dabbed several shades of Vallejo brown acrylics along traffic areas, such as the wing roots, with a sponge. ◀ JIM CHURCH SAGINAW, MICHIGAN
Jim complemented the dramatic pose of Pegasus’ 1/24 scale tyrannosaurus rex (about to snack on a juvenile triceratops) with a terrific finish and an expanded display base. After washing the heavy vinyl parts in mild dish soap and water, he base-coated the dinosaur with Vallejo dark gray primer. Primarily using Vallejo Model Air acrylics, he painted the belly radome tan and the top light brown. The mouth was next: Beige red over the dark gray primer, then Model Color black red for the depression in the tongue and other recesses, Model Color ivory for teeth with a coat of Model Color light camo brown tartar, and Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) for a wet look. Inspired by paleoartist Julius Csotonyi’s interpretations of carnivorous dinosaurs, Jim sprayed Model Air for the terrible lizard’s markings: broad, dark earth stripes outlined with camo medium brown stripes and spots. The claws were painted with Model Color black gray and the eyes flat red with a black pupil followed by gloss varnish. Over a coat of PFM, Jim applied Vallejo washes, dry-brushing, and pastels chalks. The tyrannosaurus’ lunch was painted using a similar method. www.FineScale.com
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▲ KEN NILES FAYETTEVILLE, GEORGIA
Ken built Academy’s 1/72 scale P-38J for a friend’s uncle, Alexander “Andy” Vanderweydan, who flew a Lockheed fighter named for his wife, Anna, in Europe during World War II. A layer of Alclad II white primer revealed flaws that Ken corrected before buffing the entire model with Micro-Mesh sanding pads. He started the camouflage with Testors Model Master enamel neutral gray thinned with methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Spray this in a well-ventilated area and wear a respirator, he says. To mask the wavy demarcation between the gray underside and olive drab top, Ken traced a spare kit’s boom onto stiff cardboard, then drew on the camo line. After cutting that out, he transferred it to Tamiya tape, flipping it to do both sides, and used the tape to mask the plane. The upper surfaces received a coat of Model Master faded olive drab followed by olive drab sprayed along panel lines, the sides of the plane away from direct sunlight, and individual panels, especially those frequently removed for maintenance. Vallejo acrylic olive drab, thinned and hand-painted, replicated field touch-ups. A couple of coats of Testors lacquer clear gloss were wet-sanded before a pinwash of lamp black artist’s oils was flowed around control surfaces and hatches. Additional gloss lacquer coats, buffed smooth, sealed the decals before a layer of clear flat. “My philosophy in painting and finishing is to create as pristine a finish as possible prior to any weathering application,” Ken says. “The successive clear coats and sanding remove any paint defects, grain, and decal film in the finish.”Oil washes and pastels added wear and tear, and colored pencils produced scratches and dings.
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▲ MARK REZAC FOLSOM, CALIFORNIA
There’s a ton of new detail in Mark’s build of the 40-year-old Hasegawa 1/32 scale P-26A, but the striking 1930s scheme really sets it apart. He painted it with Testors Model Master enamels mixed with hardware store lacquer thinner. “I like the fact that it allows the paint to dry quickly for easy handling of the model — and it decreases the chance that dog or cat hair will stick to the model!” he says. Painting the Peashooter started with a coat of white which served as primer and a good base for the colors to come. After masking and painting the red and blue stripes on the rudder, he cut frisket masks for the black scallops on the tail’s leading edges as well as the chevrons on the fuselage, cowl, and spats. Painting the wings proved the most difficult step, because yellow is an unforgiving color and mistakes required starting again with a layer of white. “I applied light coats of the yellow and built the color up until I got the shade of yellow I felt was appropriate,” he says. The olive green for the fuselage came next before he finished with the black areas. “This scheme was not that hard, but it was time-consuming,” he says.
▶ BOB BURGAR RICHMOND HILL, ONTARIO, CANADA
Imagining what a Heinkel He 219 would have looked like during the fourth Battle of El Alamein in May 1946, Bob painted Revell Germany’s 1/32 scale Uhu in hypothetical desert camouflage. After spraying the model with Tamiya white primer, he airbrushed the metal areas with Tamiya flat aluminum acrylic and the undersides light blue. He masked with tape and sprayed Tamiya hull red. Before applying the RLM 79 sand brown, Bob masked the fuselage with poster putty and tape. The dots on the wings and fuselage were masked with Humbrol Maskol liquid mask applied with a toothpick. “The toothpick was simply dipped into the Maskol and dabbed straight down onto the model,” Bob says. “Each time this was done, the dots were of different sizes and generally quite round.”
▲ PEARCE BROWNING GRAY, TENNESSEE
Pearce says, “I painted the base coat a couple of years ago and put it in a box. When I was looking for something I could finish in a reasonable amount of time for the Nats, the Deuce fit the bill!” The Tamiya 1/35 scale GMC CCKW was built out of the box except for the stowage. Pearce painted the truck with a mix of Tamiya acrylic olive drab and dark green, then faded the panels by adding yellow and buff to the base color. To give the vehicle’s wood surfaces character, he used Ammo of Mig Jimenez acrylics and a technique he picked up from a book. He applied the first
layer with fine lines of splinter camo green, following the line of the grain. Then came fine streaks of old wood, new wood, and light buff for contrast. A wash of raw umber artist’s oils blended the effects. He picked out bolts, hood latches, headlights, and other salient details with splinter camo green to add contrast. “I thoroughly enjoyed painting this kit, especially fauxgraining all the wood,” Pearce says. “As modelers, we have to keep an open mind and be willing to try or modify new techniques to grow our skills. Trying new things is the core of this hobby.” FSM www.FineScale.com
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Get started AIRBRUSHING What you need to know to choose and use your first airbrush • BY AARON SKINNER
F
ew things improve your models the way an airbrush will. I remember, as a young modeler, years of handbrushed finishes that I was proud of until I started looking at other modelers’ work in magazines and club meetings. (Not to date myself, but this was at least a decade before the Internet.) That’s when I started with spray-can paint, which provide the smooth, brush-stroke-free paint I wanted and work great for single-color finishes. But spray cans lack subtlety; spraying complex camouflage is a little like doing open-heart surgery with an electric carving
16 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
knife. It’ll get the job done, but it’s difficult to control. And when something goes wrong, the results are catastrophic. Mastering airbrushing takes practice — I’m still learning — but the results are worth it. The first step is choosing an airbrush. A trip to a hobby or art-supply store reveals a large number of manufacturers and a dizzying array of types. Just the nomenclature is enough to make your head spin. The basic principle of airbrushing is constant: Air and paint are mixed, atomizing the paint and carrying it to the surface.
Paint is drawn into the airflow as it passes over and around the nozzle. (This is called the Venturi effect for those keeping score at home.) Airbrushes differ on how the paint and airflow are controlled, where the paint and air mix, and how paint is delivered. Let’s break down those differences.
A piece of the action The biggest difference between airbrushes involves their control of paint and air, and is often referred to as the action, 1. On a single-action, the button or trigger
SINGLE-ACTION, EXTERNAL-MIX, SIPHON-FEED AIRBRUSH
Air-release button
Air nozzle
Air
Air line
Paint nozzle Paint tip
Anatomy of common airbrushes and their operation
Compression seal Paint
Rocking button draws needle back, increasing paint flow
Air-release button
Paint cup Needle set screw
Air nozzle
Air Paint nozzle
Paint
Paint needle
DOUBLE-ACTION, INTERNAL-MIX, GRAVITY-FEED AIRBRUSH Air line
1
controls only the airflow by opening the valve. So it’s a little like a spray can with two settings — on and off. The difference is that the paint flow can be controlled with a setscrew that adjusts the relative position of the nozzle and needle. You can’t alter the pattern mid-stroke, but there’s considerably less opportunity to mess up the model by slipping and spraying too much paint. Double- or dual-action brushes offer fingertip control over air and paint flow. Pressing down on the button starts the flow of air; pulling back on it moves the needle back. This gradually opens the nozzle, allowing progressively more paint to flow. Now you can make changes as you are painting — you have more control. But you’re only one finger slip away from messing something up. Trigger styles can affect the painting experience. Traditional airbrushes feature a top-mounted button with the brush being held like a pen. Pistol-grip brushes have rapidly grown in popularity, with a single trigger in front of an ergonomic handle controlling both air and paint flow in a single stroke. The first fraction of an inch you pull starts the air;
then the needle begins to move as the trigger is pulled farther back. Where paint and air mix subdivides single-action airbrushes. Some, like all doubleaction brushes, pull paint through the body, although the air and paint actually mix at the nozzle. Others have separate paint and air nozzles and mix paint and air in front of the brush. My experience is that internal-mix brushes atomize paint better. But the external-mix style requires less disassembly for cleaning.
Gravity-, siphon-, and side-feed Where paint is stored on an airbrush affects sight lines and the minimum pressure required to move and atomize paint, as well as paint use to a certain degree. There are three types of reservoir placement, usually referred to as feed. The cup on a gravity-feed airbrush mounts on top of the body with the bottom usually opening directly into the paint channel; look into the cup and you‘ll see the needle. On a siphon-feed brush, a bottle
beneath the brush is connected to it via a tube. The vacuum generated by the air moving over the nozzle is necessary to pull paint into the brush. My experience shows that a little more pressure is necessary to move the paint through a siphon-feed than a gravity-fed brush. That advantage is offset by the gravity-feed cup, which is right on the centerline of the brush and can block your sight down the body. Side-feed brushes can be both gravityand siphon-fed, depending on the type of reservoir attached. You’ll notice a difference when cleaning the different styles of brush. Metal or plastic tubes connect siphon- and side-feed reservoirs to the brush, as opposed to the gravity-feed’s direct link. That means there will be more or less to clean paint out of after a painting session.
Powering the brush Once you’ve settled on an airbrush, you’ll need an air supply. Many airbrush starter sets include propellant in a can that can be attached to the hose via a valve. Cans are quick and easy to www.FineScale.com
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Always add a little thinner at a time to the paint; it’s a lot easier to correct too-thick paint with more thinner than to try and add paint to the mix.
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Cleanliness is the key to better painting: I cleaned the surface of Airfix’s 1/48 scale Hawker Hurricane with isopropyl alcohol before painting it with acrylics.
use and provide a quiet source of air, but the pressure is unregulated and susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature. They also are a finite resource that will need to be replaced from time to time, which becomes costly over time. The first improvement for many modelers is a small compressor such as many airbrush manufacturers sell. The most common type has a single-cylinder diaphragm mechanism that provides a constant, if noisy, source of air. Get a regulator with a gauge to control the pressure and a moisture trap to prevent water reaching the airbrush and spoiling your paint. Larger, more expensive compressors feature a holding tank to store air under pressure. These eliminate pulsations from the compressor, providing more-consistent pressure. If your workshop is in a location where noise is unappreciated, look into using compressed carbon dioxide or nitrogen. The tanks, available from party or chemical supply stores, are initially expensive, but a full one will paint a lot of models. 18 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
Not too thick, not too thin, just right: Properly thinned paint leaves an even trace on the side of a container.
Resisting the temptation to lean on the trigger, I keep the brush moving over the surface of the Hurricane while painting it with Tamiya sky.
A place to spray Atomized paint that doesn’t land on a model can travel a long way. So it’s important to paint where the overspray doesn’t land on something you don’t want it on, such as another model, an antique table, or a naked pilot light. Outside is OK unless the weather proves uncooperative. The best option is a properly ventilated spray booth. Pre-built booths come in many sizes with varying fan motors to draw out the paint and fumes. The output should pass air from the booth through a filter and then vent outside. The size of the motor determines how quickly the dangerous stuff is moved. The size of the booth you need is a factor of the size of models you build. Smaller subjects, say 1/72 scale singleengine fighters don’t require as much room as a 1/200 scale Bismarck.
Paint viscosity Straight from the bottle, most model paint will flow well from a paintbrush. That viscosity makes them too thick to airbrush, because the paint won’t atomize properly. It
needs to be thinned. Most paint manufacturers sell thinner to match their paint, and I recommend starting with that rather than a generic thinner or other solvent. Transfer paint to another container, then add thinner a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency, frequently described as 2% milk, 2. That’s ambiguous: I prefer to test the consistency by thoroughly mixing the paint and thinner, then picking up a drop on the end of a stick. Touch the drop to the side of the container near the rim and let it run down. If it runs smoothly and leaves an even trail, the mix is just right, 3. Too thick and the paint won’t run; too thin and it skates down the surface, leaving barely a trace. Never add thinner to the original paint bottle unless you intend to use it immediately. Thinner can break down the paint and render it unusable.
Starting to paint First things first: Always clean the model before painting to remove mold-release agents and finger oils, 4. These greasy sub-
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It’s better to start slow when airbrushing. The first layer of sky on the Hurricane is little more than a mist coat.
The next layer mostly obscures the underlying plastic but doesn’t completely cover the surface.
9
8 The final coats, still sprayed light, complete the coverage and provide the paint with the proper density.
stances impede paint adhesion, especially for acrylics. Start the flow of paint off the model. There are a couple of reasons for this: First, if you start on the model, there’s a good chance you’ll spray too much paint at the point of origin. By spraying off the model first, your brush will be moving when the paint starts hitting the surface. Second — and this is more often the case during a painting session than at the start — little droplets of paint build up at the nozzle and can get blown onto the model at the moment the trigger is released. Better to blow them out into the open air, away from the model. Now, there are times when starting to paint off the model is impractical or impossible; I’m thinking of things like airbrushing camouflage or post-shading for weathering. You can minimize the chance of spraying too much paint by dialing down the pressure. To avoid splatters, trip the trigger a couple of times off the model to clear excess paint from the nozzle. Then, start painting.
Wing roots can be tough to paint. The odd angles make paint spin and dry too soon, causing rough spots. It’s a good idea to start with them.
Making a pass To spray smooth, even paint, be mindful of two things: Keep the brush moving and hold it a uniform distance from the surface. When working at 25-30 psi, I hold the brush about 3" away. Start the flow of paint off the model, then slowly and steadily move the brush across the surface, 5. Paint flow, governed by pressure, will dictate the speed. It should be fast enough to prevent excess paint from building up, but slow enough to lay down an even density of paint. You don’t need to completely cover the surface on the first pass, but it needs to be more than a mist coat. Keep going all the way across the surface. Don’t stop or reverse until you are off the model, to avoid excess paint and runs. A good guide to whether you are moving at the right speed is that flat paints should appear wet and glossy for a few seconds after the paint is applied.
Building up the finish Don’t try to lay down the finish coat in one pass. I spray three or four thin layers for
each color, starting with a simple mist coat, 6. The underlying color should still be visible. The next coat obscures most of the underlying shade, 7, before the final layers, complete the coating and provide a solid finish, 8. When making the final passes, overlap each with the next — you shouldn’t see thin paint at the periphery of the pattern between the passes. Applying wet paint adjacent to wet paint promotes leveling and even color density. Maintaining the distance from the surface is easy on a flat surface, but, unless you’re building a box truck, a skyscraper, or a Borg cube, models aren’t usually flat. You’ll need to change the brush’s orientation to keep the distance even and the brush perpendicular. If the surface has a lot of raised or recessed detail, or corners like wing roots, it’s a good idea to start painting by airbrushing around those details, 9. That guarantees those spots get painted while minimizing the risk of applying too much paint. www.FineScale.com
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Gallery
Modeler: Eric Fredricks, Winchester, Virgina Kits: 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk.XIV kitbashed from Hasegawa, Airfix, and Academy kits Airbrush: Paasche H Paint: Testors Model Master enamel
10 Dirty brush breakdown: I pulled the needle, air cap, and nozzle from my Badger 200 single-action airbrush for cleaning.
Eric built a Rolls-Royce-owned Spitfire in a fetching blue and white livery. The aircraft was used by the engine manufacturer after World War II for engine development and communications. He sprayed the airframe with Testors Model Master gloss white, then light blue, and finally dark blue, all mixed with Testors thinner. He strives for a consistency that alllows for thin coats that will self-level without excessive flow. “The ratio will vary with temperature, humidity, and the viscosity of the particular bottle of paint you start with,” he says. “I often adjust the ratio while painting by adding a few drops of either paint or thinner to the airbrush cup while painting.” The secret of gloss is patience, he says. “I build up three or four thin coats that have been allowed to thoroughly dry between applications, lightly sanding to remove imperfections between coats,” he says. Wet-sanding removed dust in the final layer. A polish with automotive swirl remover completed the shine.
Modeler: Phil Pucher, Rochester, New York Kit: Dragon 1/35 scale Flakpanzer IV “Wirbelwind” Airbrush: Paasche H Paint: Testors Model Master, Tamiya acrylic
Phil added Eduard photoetched-metal and Friulmodel tracks to the antiaircraft vehicle, then airbrushed a base coat of Model Master dark yellow thinned 30-40% with Model Master thinner. He used a Paasche H airbrush set at 18 psi. Green and red-brown splotches followed, but he kept the pattern loose because it was going to be covered with white. After allowing several light coats of hairspray to dry overnight, he sprayed the vehicle with thin Tamiya flat white acrylic. “Spray in a random pattern, varying the thickness of the paint,” he says. “It doesn’t have to be perfect; a lot will be washed away.” The next day, he scrubbed some of the white off the model with warm water applied with a small, stiff brush and cotton swabs. “I focused on edges, corners, and areas that the crew would walk on or rub against,” Phil says. He streaked the turret sides with gray and brown pastels to further break up the white color. 20 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
11 Keep an ample supply of cotton swabs (above) and pipe cleaners handy to get into all of the tight spots.
Glossary
12 Pull the needle through a paper towel to clean it. Pushing it risks damaging the delicate point, ruining your airbrush’s performance.
Adhesion: A measure of paint sticking to a surface.
Nozzle: The needle fits into the nozzle to produce the spray pattern.
Air supply: Source of pressurized air.
Overspray: Paint where you don’t want it. Atomized paint tends to float around if it doesn’t immediately hit the surface.
Aperture: The size of the nozzle opening, sometimes measured in millimeters or defined as fine, medium, or large.
Paint or color cup: A reservoir usually mounted on the top or side of an airbrush.
Atomization: The process of breaking paint into tiny particles at the tip of the airbrush.
Pressure: Usually measured in pounds per square inch (psi). Pressure affects paint velocity and atomization.
Compressor: The most common air supply. A small motor compresses air to build pressure behind the brush.
Retarder: A paint additive to slow drying. Can help prevent tip-drying and improve paint-leveling; especially useful with acrylic paint.
Double action: Trigger that controls air and paint flow. External mix: Paint and air mix outside the body of the brush.
13 The nozzle is a small space best reached with an interdental brush.
Cleaning and maintenance An airbrush is an expensive tool that will give many years of service if maintained. That starts with proper cleaning. After each painting session, break the brush down, pull the needle out — carefully so as not to bend the needle — and remove the nozzle, 10. Use lacquer thinner or brush cleaner on cotton swabs to remove paint from the paint channels and cups; a pipe cleaner will get into tight spots like the body of the brush, 11. To clean the needle, drag it through a paper towel damp with cleaner, 12. An interdental brush is small enough to reach inside the nozzle, 13.
Gravity feed: Paint is supplied from a reservoir mounted above the brush and falls into the paint channel.
Single action: The trigger controls airflow only. Paint flow (nozzle aperture) is usually preset. Siphon feed: Paint is stored below or beside the brush and air pressure draws it up into the brush. Thinning ratio: The proportions of paint and thinner. Most paint is too thick to atomize properly without thinner.
Internal mix: Paint and air combine inside the barrel of the airbrush.
Tip: See “aperture.”
Needle: Combined with the nozzle, the needle is the heart of the airbrush and should be treated with care to avoid bending the point.
SCALE MODELERS
Tip-drying: Paint drying at the nozzle and needle of the brush, disrupting paint flow. Viscosity: Paint thickness. Most paint must be thinned for spraying.
G BScRaleUMSodHelIN AIR s er r fo AARON SKINNER
For an in-depth look at the art of airbrushing, check out Airbrushing for Scale Modelers (Kalmbach, ISBN 978-0-89024-957-4, $22.99). The 128-page book details the tool and the principles behind it, then demonstrates those techniques through 14 projects, including aircraft, armor, cars, and figures. Order your copy by calling Kalmbach customer service at 800-533-6644 (international 1-262-796-8776).
SKINNER
Atomized paint is exactly that — small airborne particles of paint — and should not be inhaled, swallowed, or otherwise ingested. Even nontoxic acrylics can be irritating to lungs and mucous membranes. Wear a respirator, gloves, and safety glasses while painting to avoid exposure. Most paints and associated solvents are flammable, so spray in a ventilated area away from naked flames, pilot lights, and stoves. FSM
Flow enhancer: Acrylic paint additive for better atomization with less tip-drying.
AIRBRUSHING FOR
Safety
Fisheye: A circular blemish in wet paint that shows the surface beneath. Usually caused by oil or another contaminant that repels paint.
Run: A symptom of too much paint; the liquid builds up and runs down the surface.
www.FineScale.com 7/29/15 2:01 PM
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The art of
PRE-SHADING How to apply underlying contrast and break up color for added realism • BY AARON SKINNER
L
ook at the surface of a vehicle or airplane, especially those with single-color schemes. It quickly becomes apparent that the color is anything but uniform. There are color shifts and variations. A lot of what modelers refer to as “weathering” is aimed at replicating these changes for more realistic
1 Italeri’s 1/48 scale Fiat G.91 is a great example of a kit that benefits from pre-shading. Originally produced by Esci, the kit has raised panel lines, making washes ineffective. I wanted to do it up in a light gray camo worn by Portuguese fighters in Africa in the 1960s. 22 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
Outlining panel lines before painting can lend emphasis to details for a realistic finish, as on this Portuguese Fiat G.91.
models. And most of it is done after applying the major color or colors of the camouflage or livery. But pre-shading, as the name implies, is done before painting. It involves some prep, but the results can be terrific. I’m showing the basic technique here, but there are endless variations for different effects.
2 Since the point of pre-shading is contrast, a light primer is essential. The Fiat’s light gray scheme made white the logical choice. I used Tamiya Fine Surface Primer, which produces a smooth, sturdy base.
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Thin paint is essential for pre-shading, so I added more thinner to Model Master flat black enamel than I normally would. Lightly applying thin paint allows for more control over the effect and makes mistakes less obvious.
5 Spraying black into corners of the airframe, such as the pylon attachments and wing roots, creates natural shadows. Take your time. It doesn’t pay to rush; the tighter and darker the pattern, the better the effect.
Now for the fun part: tracing all of the model’s surface detail with black paint. I set the pressure to about 10 psi and dialed the brush to spray a fine line. The thin paint will require multiple passes to achieve good density.
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Here’s the G.91 after pre-shading and before paint. It’s not the neatest job ever, but it doesn’t have to be because there’s more paint to come. Besides, camouflaged finishes are rarely even.
8 Next, widen the pattern and lightly spray the body color over the model, blending the panel lines and panels. Work slowly, gradually building up the gray over the black. The dark lines should still be there, but just barely perceptible.
After the pre-shaded lines dry, it’s time to add the body color. I used Model Master enamel light ghost gray, again thinned slightly more than usual. Begin by painting panels one at a time, leaving the black outline showing. This allows you to refine the pattern by covering up mistakes. I used a fine nozzle at 10 psi.
9 Once it’s done, you should have a model with the panels picked out. If the paint is too heavy and the lines disappear, you can selectively reapply the black and repeat the process. Adding decals and weathering will further blend the effect. FSM www.FineScale.com
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Finishing and posing Basic painting and weathering lend realism to Zvezda’s T-90 • BY AARON SKINNER
T
he T-90 is Russia’s most advanced tank, and Zvezda has done a nice job with its 1/35 scale kit. Kyle Nelson, of Vadnais Heights, Minn., a fan of Russian armor, wanted to do more than just build the kit. So, he added an RB Model metal main-gun barrel and Model Point smoke launchers, replaced fragile plastic grab handles with wire, and “borrowed” engine screens from his dad’s Tamiya T-72 kit. Kyle sculpted a mantlet cover to fit the gun barrel. He left the commander’s hatch open, building a small styrene box underneath it to block the view into the hull. In preparation for painting, Kyle favors Alclad II Gray Primer and Microfiller. “This is a lacquer ... that does an excellent job of gripping the plastic and provides a durable foundation for ... paint,” he says. “I misted a thin layer over the whole model, using a little bit of generic lacquer thinner.” Kyle uses an Iwata Eclipse HP double-action, gravityfed airbrush powered by an Aztek AC500 compressor. The latter has a 2-gallon tank that prevents pulsations when airbrushing fine lines. His paint of choice? Tamiya acrylics, because they provide excellent coverage, are durable, and don’t interfere with the oils and enamels he uses for weathering. For thinning, he mixes the paints roughly 1:1 with Tamiya lacquer thinner, “which, interestingly, seems to work with their acrylics better than their acrylic thinner,” Kyle says. He adds a drop of Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish to take the edge off the dead-flat finish. He masked the three-color scheme with Silly Putty. “I like it because it is easy to change the shape on the go, and it hugs the contours of the model better than masking tape,” explains Kyle. “Brush-painting would leave a thick paint buildup, and cutting out paper masks is timeconsuming.” After sealing the paint with Testors Model Master Acryl semigloss clear, he weathered the tank. “I wanted a vehicle that looked like it had been skidding around at top speed on a muddy field or bog — with a bit of wear, but no more than a few scratches and dings,” Kyle says. He started with a pinwash of Winsor & Newton burnt umber artist’s oils mixed with mineral spirits and flowed into corners and small details. He applied scratches of Vallejo black and leather brown acrylics with a fine brush. To mimic accumulated mud smeared by splashing water, Kyle used AK Interactive’s Earth Effects set. He applied progressively darker layers of dirt color in streaks of various widths down the hull and skirts. For heavier mud around the running gear, he mixed AK Interactive pigments with plaster and water, picked up the paste with a brush and, using an airbrush, blew the mud from the brush onto the model. FSM
24 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
Washes: Kyle’s first step of weathering was washes of burnt umber artist’s oils flowed around details and recesses.
Paint: Preferring Tamiya acrylics, Kyle mixes them with Tamiya lacquer thinner and a drop of Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish.
Meet Kyle Nelson KYLE, 22, a student, progressed from Lego to snaptogether kits to airplanes and fantasy gaming figures. “When war gaming became boring, I built a KV-1 from Trumpeter, and my interest in all things Russian/Soviet has just snowballed from there,” Kyle says. He models figures, busts, tanks, and the occasional aircraft. “Along with my father, David, I like to swap ideas and talk tanks with the members of local model clubs, like the Minnesota Military Figure Society. For better or worse, I also work at a local hobby store, where I bring home more receipts than I care to admit.”
Russia’s newest tank Lights: Kyle drilled holes behind the Shtora-1 dazzlers for red LEDs. He tinted the lenses clear yellow and the box interiors metallic orange. Wires in the turret connect the lights to a pair of AA batteries in the base.
Figure: After Alclad II primer, Kyle base-coated Evolution Miniatures’ tanker with Vallejo acrylics. He used artist’s oils for the finishing layers.
Masking: Silly Putty, stretched thin, masked the camouflage. Kyle recommends caution when masking around photoetched-metal parts with putty; it has a habit of eating them during removal.
Groundwork: After applying a layer of Celluclay to the base, Kyle painted it with acrylic craft paint to match the mud on the tank. He planted static grass with white glue.
Kyle built and painted Zvezda’s brand-new 1/35 scale T-90 in just a few weeks. Not content to simply assemble the model, he added LEDs to the dazzlers and built a base to display the Russian tank.
Dirt and mud: Using AK Interactive pigments, Kyle added heavy mud around the running gear and streaks of dirt down the hull and skirts.
Base: Kyle built the box from sheet styrene reinforced with styrene rod. The angle shows the tank’s interesting upper surface, and the box hides the batteries and wires. www.FineScale.com
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How to make mud 12 simple steps to mess up your vehicles BY AARON SKINNER
My T-34 represents a tank from a Red Army Guards Unit around Moscow in late winter 1942, when melting snow generated mud. The secret ingredient in the mud is acrylic gel medium, used by painters to build texture in acrylic paint.
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s the late world-class modeler Shep Paine observed in Modeling Tanks and Military Vehicles (Kalmbach, ISBN 0-89024-045-0): “Tanks love dirt. They wallow in it. They don’t move over the terrain so much as through it, joyfully spreading mud, dust, and dirt all over themselves and the surrounding countryside.” So it’s important to be able to model those conditions on scale armor. Dust and light dirt are easy with pastels or powders. Mud, on the other hand, is thicker and tends to have lumps and chunks, so you need something that adds texture and real-
26 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
istically clings to the model. Some modelers use Celluclay or modeling putty, often applied before painting. I prefer to apply mud after painting, because that’s how it happens in the real world. One thing you need to be conscious of when applying any kind of weathering to a model is that the chemicals may react with the underlying paint and ruin your carefully rendered camouflage. The secret to the method described here is acrylic gel medium, available in the acrylic paint section at art supply stores. Gel medium comes in consistencies from thin to thick, and finishes from flat to
Supplies Fine plaster powder Acrylic gel medium Pastels or pigments Dirt and/or static grass Old paintbrushes Water
glossy. Choose a viscosity and finish that suits the type of mud you are modeling. Flat is good for old, dry mud; gloss for fresh, wet stuff.
1 First, put a couple of tablespoons of plaster in a plastic container. Look for the finest plaster powder you can get.
4 To make the mud, just add water — but not too much all at once. Add just a few drops at a time so you can better control the consistency.
7 You should end up with a mass thick enough to stick to the spatula and hold its shape, but thin enough to stir and apply.
2 Then add color. I scraped dark brown pastels off a stick with a hobby knife. You also can use powdered weathering pigments, such as those from Mig Productions or Tamiya.
5 Mix the ingredients thoroughly. If it’s thin, add a little plaster; if thick, add a little water, but be careful not to go too far either way.
8 Tools of the trade: Use old paintbrushes — the kind you don’t mind destroying — to apply mud to the model.
3 I then pour sifted dirt from my backyard into the mix. The dirt adds irregular texture. You also can add static grass, which can look like vegetation chewed up by tracks or wheels.
6 Now for the magic: acrylic gel medium. You can find it at art stores. Add a little at a time and stir it in.
9 Playing in the mud: I push mud into the corners under a fender. Think about the places mud is likely to end up in normal service, such as under fenders, around the nose and rear of the hull, and along exposed sides.
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Mud collects in corners and crannies where it’s less likely to be knocked off during operation. I use a fine brush to push mud around the rear hull. You have about 20 minutes to manipulate the mud before it dries.
I darkened the mix with dark gray pastels, then added another layer to the mud on the T-34. The mix tends to lighten as it dries, so be prepared to add more pastel or pigment.
Dry-brushing highlights detail and adds more interest to the dirt and grime. You also can add gloss to model fresh, wet mud. FSM
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DECALS DEMYSTIFIED Properly applied, they are the mark of a terrific model • BY AARON SKINNER
H
ere’s my confession: I love decaling! Markings take a lump of painted plastic and turn it into a scale replica of the vehicle. I like to say that markings add the human element to the object. When decals work the way they are supposed to, applying them can be fun and rewarding. But there is an element of risk involved. Most of the time, you only get one chance to get an individual decal on the model. Making a mistake can, at the very least, delay a project while a suitable replacement is sought. At worst, it will require repainting and repair of the surface on a nearly complete model.
What are decals? When modelers talk about decals, they usually mean the water-slide markings found in most model kits. They comprise a thin layer of clear film backed by water-activated adhesive. Designs are printed over the clear film, often in more than one color, 1. Traditonally the markings are screenprinted, but computer advances have allowed more decals to be produced on laser and inkjet printers. The clear film on most kit decals and a lot of aftermarket screen-printed decals is usually confined to the area immediately around the markings. Some, such as those produced by Cartograf, have almost no carrier film. By and large, you can cut around the individual markings, dip them in water, and slide them onto the model with ease and not a lot of extra work. 28 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
Some aftermarket or short-run kit decals have continuous carrier film. This requires closely trimming around each marking with a knife to minimize the excess, 2. Most light-colored, screen-printed markings are printed with a white underlay. This gives them opacity, especially if they are to be applied over dark colors. Inkjet- or laser-printed decals are thin and lack opacity, so underlying colors bleed through. Many manufacturers supply white underlay decals to back these markings. All water-slide decals are applied in much the same way: After cutting a decal from the sheet, dip it in warm water — hot water from the tap works fine for most decals. Don’t use boiling water. I hold the marking with flat-tipped tweezers to dip it. Submerge the marking in the water for no more than five seconds, then transfer it to a paper towel and let it sit for 30-45 seconds. Leaving it in the water too long can dilute the decal’s adhesive, keeping it from sticking. In the meantime, brush a little water or setting solution onto the model surface, 3. Touch a cotton swab to the decal to see if it moves freely on the backing paper, 4. Once it does, place the paper where the marking needs to go on the model. Then, while holding the decal with a cotton swab, slide the paper out from underneath, 5. You will probably need to refine the position with the swab. Resist the temptation to use your finger; the decal may stick to you instead of the model.
Surface preparation Decal adhesion can be adversely affected by the quality of the surface the marking is being applied to. Decals stick better to gloss finishes; the film is not flexible enough to conform to the microscopically rough surface of flat paint, 6. Use gloss paint — not always possible — or spray the model with clear gloss before decaling to avoid problems, 7. Most paint manufacturers sell clear gloss finishes to match their paints, and I recommend using them if only to avoid compatibility problems. Follow the directions and wait several days for the finish to dry before applying decals.
Decal solutions Magic in a bottle, setting solution can help settle a lot of decaling disputes, 8. Most, such as the popular Microscale and GSI Creos products, are two-part systems. The first part, usually applied before the decal, is a setting solution that wets the model, breaks the water’s surface tension, and promotes adhesion. The second part, brushed over the decal, is a solvent that actually softens the decal, allowing it to draw down, into, and around detail. Not all decal solutions are equal. Some are relatively weak and work well with thin decals. Others are strong enough to work with sturdy decals, but may be too aggressive on thin ones, melting and distorting them. If you aren’t sure, start with a weaker solution, such as Testors, or test the solutions on an unneeded decal. FSM
k Blue in
k Red in White
ink
arrier Clear c
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ted ive coa
Adhes
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1 Layers of ink and clear film backed by water-activated adhesive make up traditional decals.
3 I brushed Mr. Mark Setter onto the wing of Airfix’s 1/48 scale Hurricane in preparation for the Royal Air Force roundel. It doesn’t take much.
2 Short-run kits and many aftermarket decals have extensive, sometimes continuous, carrier film that should be trimmed. Cutting away the clear film is as easy as running a sharp blade around the outer edge of the marking.
4 Use a cotton swab rather than your finger to check whether a decal is free of the backing paper. Decals can stick to fingers.
Decal softened with setting solution
al
Dec
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Dec
t
n pai Flat del Mo ace surf Air trapped under decal
5 Hold the decal in position with a cotton swab and gently pull the paper from under it.
7 I painted the Hurricane with flat colors from Tamiya, so I airbrushed light coats of Tamiya clear gloss to provide the perfect foundation for the decals.
Flat
nt
pai
del Mo ace f r u s
Air still trapped
Flat
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del Mo ace f r u s
Clear gloss undercoat
6 Air trapped in microscopic spaces between the decal and the surface causes silvering, so it’s best to apply the markings over a glossy surface.
8 Decal solutions promote adhesion and soften decals so they settle tightly over surfaces and can make them look as if the markings were painted. www.FineScale.com
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DECALING ALL OF THE USS RELIANT Sheet covers most of the surface on “Star Trek” vessel • BY AARON SKINNER
P
ardon the pun, but Polar Lights’ 1/1000 scale Miranda-class vessel from “The Wrath of Khan” is reliant on decals to look right. Like so many Federation starships, the Reliant is covered in an array of panels and colors known as an Aztec pattern. The basic, snap-together kit includes markings and insignia, but Polar Lights also released a supplemental sheet with all of the surface markings. It’s the perfect subject to demonstrate decaling.
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1 To even out the base coat of Tamiya white primer, I went over the surface of the Reliant with 1500-grit sandpaper to knock down any ridges or rough spots.
3 Looking for the smoothest surface possible, I wet-sanded the paint with progressively finer Micro-Mesh pads from 1800- to 12000-grit. The water washes away debris that could scratch the paint.
5 Using fine scissors, I cut out a marking. Take care on crowded sheets to avoid damaging the surrounding decals. I have scissors dedicated to decals; using them only for paper keeps them sharp.
2 For a smooth, gloss finish, I sprayed the subassemblies with Tamiya pure white straight from the can. Applying several light coats produces an even coat and minimizes the chance of excess paint filling detail.
4 Last step before decals: detail painting. I masked sections with Tamiya tape and airbrushed Model Master Acryl colors.
6 I dipped the decal in warm water and immediately removed it. Don’t let it sit in the water or too much of its adhesive may dissolve.
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7 Place the wet marking on a paper towel and let it sit for about 30 seconds.
9 After placing the backing paper over the decal’s location, I use a cotton swab to gently move the decal to the surface. You may be tempted to use a finger, but don’t — decals will stick to you instead of the model.
8 While the decal is on the blotter, I brush Microscale Micro Set onto the surface of the model. It wets the surface and promotes decal adhesion.
10 Using the cotton swab, I refined the decal’s position. If it becomes difficult to move, flow a little water under the decal with a brush to float it and allow it to be moved.
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Once I was satisfied with the position of the marking, I rolled a cotton swab over the decal to squeeze excess water and air from underneath the film. Rolling rather than dragging the swab minimizes the risk of moving the decal now that it’s in position.
On larger decals, such as Reliant ’s larger hull wedges, it’s easier to blot the water away by pressing a paper towel onto the marking. Start in the middle of the decal and move outward, pressing straight down and pulling straight up without moving the towel (or the decal) on the surface.
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For complicated decaling operations like the Reliant, I mark each piece on the diagrams as they are applied. It helps me keep track, especially when I take a break, to avoid mistakes.
Phaser arrays protrude from the primary hull and interfere with decal adhesion. After placing an Aztec section, I cut around the weapon with a new (sharp) No. 11 blade so it lies down against the surface.
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To help the decals conform to the engraved panel lines, I run my fingernail along the lines. File your nails beforehand to smooth any roughness or hangnails that might tear the delicate marking.
I placed every other decal around the disc to ensure they fit evenly and prevent the possibility of lifting adjoining markings while placing the next.
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After letting the hull dry for a couple of hours, I started placing the intervening sections, lining up each with the ones on either side.
As with Shrinky Dinks, heat can tighten decals and help them conform to the surface. You can use a hair dryer, but keep it moving to avoid problems.
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The best way to settle decals onto the surface is with a decal solvent. Microscale Micro Sol helped the markings lie down in the vents on Reliant’s sensor bar. The solvent will soften the decal; you may see it wrinkle, but don’t touch it until it’s completely dry. It will smooth out on its own.
With most of the spaceship’s surface covered by decals, it was inevitable that some markings would have to go over others. Ensure the underlying markings are completely dry and there’s no decal solvent present. Wet the area with water only; I find setting solutions cause decals to stick to other decals a little too readily, making them difficult to position.
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There are a lot of long, curving decals on the Reliant. The key is to try to get the decal as close to the right position as possible to minimize the opportunities for it to fold back on itself.
If it tries to go sideways, back to front, or upside down, flow more water under the marking and gently caress it back to shape.
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The curve of the stripes matches the curve of the panel lines, so all you really need to do is get the marking to flatten out. Then float it into position. I found the best approach was to hold one end with a cotton swab and smooth the remainder with a wet brush.
Some markings, notably the shuttle-bay doors on the rear of the hull, are a pretty tight fit. To avoid problems, I trimmed excess carrier film from the decals by tracing their edges with the tip of a fresh No. 11 blade. You don’t need to press hard, just enough to slice through the thin decal film without cutting into the paper.
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Once the decal is free of the paper, carefully remove the excess carrier film by catching it with the tip of a knife or toothpick.
The trimmed markings fit neatly into the deep bays with gentle persuasion from a cotton swab.
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Going into this project, I figured the hull with all the pie slices would be the hard part. Getting all of the decals on the warp nacelles presented a bigger hurdle — and there are two of them. Almost all of the long decals need to fit around a multitude of complex curves.
Copious quantities of water kept the lower nacelle decal mobile as I maneuvered it into place around the intercooler vents and over the bottom bulge.
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I encouraged the decal into creases by rolling a cotton swab along the nacelle, pressing it into the space to define the shape.
Then I ran the tip of a sharp blade along the crease, lightly scoring the decal film so it conformed to the surface.
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Finally, I liberally applied Micro Sol to the decal. I focused on the overhangs and creases, using the brush to gently fold the decal over the edges as it softened.
Reliant ’s hull is edged with three blue stripes, and the six decals that make it up incorporate the windows. To properly align the stripes, I started with the aft sections that match the hull’s profile. They established the track of the stripes.
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After that, it was a simple matter of lining up the next set of stripes with the one already in place and aligned with the margins.
With decals as large as those on the Reliant, it’s almost impossible to get all the air and water out from underneath. Small bubbles under the film result, but they are easily fixed after the marking has dried. First, prick the bubble with the tip of a knife or pin.
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Then, apply a spot of decal solvent over the area. It will flow under and around the bubble, softening the decal so it conforms to the surface.
Finally, a coat of semigloss clear gives USS Reliant a realistic sheen. Now it’s ready to battle Kirk in the Mutara Nebula. FSM
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TROUBLESHOOTING The pitfalls of decals, and what to do instead of throwing the model away Decaling can go horribly wrong, and there’s nothing more depressing than being in the closing stretch of a build and being tripped up by misbehaving markings. Here are a few common problems and what to do about them.
Disintegration Decals that become a jigsaw puzzle once dampened are sure to make you tear your hair out. It is always a good idea to test an unneeded decal before dipping that unique nose-art marking. This is often a symptom of too-thin or incomplete clear carrier on the sheet. In some cases, age, heat, or humidity can cause the carrier to break down. If you have a sheet you know has bad decals, or if you are concerned that it might disintegrate, give the sheet a coat of clear gloss or use a decal sealer like Microscale Liquid Decal Film. These will form a new carrier to hold the decal together. But you will need to trim each marking closely to apply it.
Decal doesn’t stick If no setting solution seems to help the decal stick, brush dilute white glue or Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish onto the model and float the decal into the liquid. The adhesive will dry clear but should help the decal stick.
Folded or tangled decal A decal can sometimes curl onto itself during application. Remove it from the model and float it in the water. It should straighten out as it soaks. Then you can float it onto used backing paper and transfer it to the model as usual.
Yellowed clear film Decal sheets that have lain around for a while will show yellowing of the clear film. In some cases, it might be best to replace them. But, if you must use them, hang them in a window where they will get direct sun. I place them inside a zip-lock bag and tape the bag to the glass. You can check it periodically, but leave it there for a few days. The sunlight should bleach out the yellow. Don’t leave them there for weeks or months, though, because sunlight can bleach out color in the decals, too.
Silvering When a decal is applied to flat paint, air pockets under the clear film show up as light, silvery patches. Prevention is the best cure: Always apply decals over glossy surfaces. Sometimes silvering shows up after the clear flat finishing coat is on. Prick the decal with a pin or a No. 11 blade and apply decal solvent. It should soften the decal and draw it onto the surface.
Bubbles
Stains
Air trapped under the decals as it dries can sometimes leave little pimples in the surface. Prick them with a pin or knife point and apply more solvent.
Dark discolorations around markings are caused by decal solutions left on the model. Wipe the model off with a damp cotton swab to remove the dried solution before sealing the decals. FSM
Ink runs or decal distortion This is most likely a sign that the solvent is too strong and is dissolving the ink. Switch to a weaker setting solution or don’t use any on the rest of the project.
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Spray-can Spray-painting a B-17 is not ideal, but it can be done BY MARK HEMBREE
I love the B-17: For a few years after World War II, many cars mimicked the streamlined look of Boeing’s legendary bomber. A few weeks of painting Revell’s 1/72 scale kit (No. 5861) with spray cans may have dimmed my affection somewhat — although not much, now that it’s done.
N
ot everyone has an airbrush, and plenty of people — especially car modelers — get great results with spray-can paint. It gets trickier when you have something as complicated as a Boeing B-17G. Wing joints, color demarcations, and a lot of clear parts all pose difficulties. To be sure, a spray can will cover those massive wings in a hurry — but it will do the same to anything else that happens to be nearby. That affects the assembly sequence. The
more parts and subassemblies you can paint off the model, the better you can control where paint lands. It’s less masking that way, and less overspray — but it does complicate the build as you skip around the instruction sheet, trying not to forget anything. Speaking of assembly, the kit provides options that differ between the aircraft depicted in the decals and color charts. Select your aircraft before starting so you’ll know which kit parts to use — and, obvi-
ously, what paint to buy. I chose Good Deal, a fairly early B-17G that reportedly was the last to leave Boeing’s Seattle factory painted olive drab. From then on, the Fortresses were natural metal. I used paints from Tamiya’s “color spray for aircraft” series: AS-7 neutral gray and AS-6 olive drab. Both colors look accurate and the finish is tough as nails — I had no problems with masks lifting paint. And that’s important, because there was a lot of masking!
1 After hand-brushing inside the fuselage with LifeColor interior green (UA004), I applied a wash of burnt umber artist’s oil in case any detail could be glimpsed through the clear parts. A cotton swab soaks up excess wash. 38 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
FORTRESS
Tape
2 The wash brings out molded detail on the walls. Tape covers some of the future gluing surfaces. Revell’s kit provides an extensive interior, but not much of it is visible after the fuselage halves are joined.
4 I painted the underside gray, let it dry for a couple of days, then masked it according to references. I left the tape slightly raised to soften the edges of gray. In this scale, just a hint of a soft edge is plenty.
3 After the paint and wash had dried, I masked the interior before moving on to the exterior. I taped the tail section on for this round. Leaving the fuselage on the sprue made it much easier to handle and get full, even spray coverage.
5 Drat! If there’s an opening in the mask, spray-can paint will blow through. Removing the masking as soon as the piece was dry enough to handle, I found the stray paint was still soft enough to lightly sand off. www.FineScale.com
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Tamiya spray-can paint can be hand-brushed, but you have to move fast. Wet the brush with lacquer thinner, then spray out a little paint (I use the can’s cap for a palette) and work it into the brush. If you apply it fairly wet, ideally with a single stroke, Tamiya’s paint will level out and brush marks will go away. But if you try to work it on the surface, it will quickly dry — and you will have brush marks. If so, sand it down and try again.
8 The sticky masks are a little tough to coax from their backing. The tip of a toothpick will raise an edge to make it easier. Be careful to avoid poking a hole.
I would not attempt painting all the glass framing on a B-17 without Eduard precut adhesive masks (No. CX 279). It’s worthwhile visiting www.eduard.com and looking up the masking set you are working with, where you will find the instruction sheet. You can print it out larger and in color, making it much easier to read.
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Do your best to place the mask correctly on the first try. You can pick them back up, but you risk stretching them out of shape. Burnish them down with the side of the toothpick.
All set to spray: Don’t forget to mask the other side!
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Drive-by shooting: Start spraying off the piece, pass over (quickly!) and don’t stop until you’re off the piece again. Move fast to prevent runs, drips, and errors.
It drives my wife nuts, but I keep Styrofoam packing pieces to use as building and painting jigs. The B-17’s shape and the kit’s thin plastic make it difficult to clamp. Those shims along the sides are segments of plumbing supply-tube cut to purpose.
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The wings and nacelles required gentle force from several directions. Starting on the inboard side, I glued in sections to match everything up.
Upper and lower color borders are trickier on the wings and nacelles. References show a lot of variety in how they were painted. I “drew” edges with thin strips of tape before masking wider areas.
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I snuck up from behind the wing to shoot the leading edges, keeping the color edges softer. The paint spray will go around that leading edge, even from here.
A spare stick of wood trim molding makes a good holder for painting the engine cowls.
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Ready to spray horizontal tail surfaces; bits of Silly Putty cover attachment pins/locators. (I actually sprayed the red elevators separately.)
After filling the top seam on the fuselage and sanding it smooth, I brushed on a little olive drab to be sure the seam was gone.
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With a strip of Dymo labeling tape for a guide, I used a razor saw to rescribe panel lines erased by filler and sanding.
Now this was annoying: My klutzy handling knocked in the port waist window. After cleaning the old white glue off the edges and applying a fresh coat, I was able to reach through the tail with a paintbrush handle to push the window back into place.
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A drop of super glue flows into and fills a ding in the spine.
Seams filled, lower fuselage masked, I’m ready to spray from above. The masks’ edges are left raised to prevent hard edges on the new paint.
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But there will always be overspray. A touch-up on the underside left this to deal with.
Touching up the touch-up, I masked again and sprayed olive drab. I was careful to keep the mask above the underside gray.
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I coated all clear parts with Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) before painting, allowing me to clean up edges with a toothpick before the paint had truly hardened. PFM also prevents fogging from various glues.
Before removing masks, put in a new, keen blade and lightly trace the edges to break the seal of paint before pulling off the mask.
Masking to paint metal edge
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The seam at the wing root was too deep. I protected the surroundings with tape and filled with Deluxe Materials Perfect Plastic Putty. Well-named, it’s water soluble; a damp cotton swab smooths and cleans the area. Little or no sanding is required.
With all that masking and remasking, somehow I missed painting de-icing boots on the wings’ leading edges. Revisiting references, I found that later in the war, and in the Mediterranean, the boots were removed to reduce drag. However, bare metal would show instead. I began with the horizontal stabilizers, edging then covering the larger areas.
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I masked the tail for the same treatment according to a photo of Good Deal that showed it without the de-icing boots.
This late in the painting game, small touch-ups require massive masking — because there will be overspray. More research revealed some aircraft had these metal edges painted over. With that rationale, this is as far as my late fix went — life is short. I left the wings alone. www.FineScale.com
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Pictures and drawings of Good Deal show the engine cowls with badly chipped paint. I loaded a bit of sponge with silver paint, dabbed most of the paint off, then went to work.
While I was at it, I chipped the wings’ leading edges, too. However, I tried to go light on this trick. Too much just looks like a mistake to me.
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The pipes needed some rusty grime to make them look functional. I used a wash of Italeri rust and Tamiya red brown, and another of flat black, to weather the pipes and deepen the detail.
Again, I sopped up excess to avoid going overboard with the effects. I thought any part that caught wind would probably be cleaner than the rest of the pipe.
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I washed the panel lines with Tamiya brown thinned with water, using the acrylic over the Tamiya spray-can lacquer. A drop of dish soap in the wash breaks the water’s surface tension, letting it flow. Alcohol is a better thinner, but I didn’t use it because it would eat the PFM coating on the clear parts.
Rubbing artist’s pastel chalks on a sanding block produces powders that are easy to apply with a brush for weathering and general dust and grime. The black is artist’s charcoal.
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Just drop it on and start brushing back in the direction of the airflow. Blow off excess powder.
A silver artist’s pencil is an easy and precise way to show worn paint and bare metal on the props’ leading edges.
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I love this stuff — Pacer’s Formula “560” is great for clear parts. It flows uniformly, dries quickly, won’t fog the clear, and it’s flexible, which is also great for guns and antennas.
With all that handling, some of the clear parts may get scuffed. Just a drop or two of PFM, left to level and dry, will restore the shine.
Tamiya aircraft sprays: olive drab (AS-6) topside; neutral gray (AS-7) underneath
Testors semigloss black (296207)
Tamiya flat yellow (XF-3), brushed
Tamiya gloss aluminum (TS-17)
Elevators slightly drooped at rest
Paint chipping
Eduard masks rock!
Tamiya pure blue (TS-93)
Artist’s charcoal and pastel chalks
It wasn’t easy — as modelers go, I’m a pretty good magazine editor — but from here it doesn’t look too bad. If you are avoiding an airbrush because you think it’s costlier or more difficult, take it from me — it’s not. Painting this with spray cans was definitely doing it the hard way! FSM
Tamiya bright red (TS-49)
Tail section added last
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Dressing up a DORA Aftermarket improvements and basic techniques elevate a high-altitude fighter • BY FRANK CUDEN
Shopping the aftermarket jazzed up Italeri’s 1/48 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-9 to replicate a late-war fighter in the days when it became apparent that the Luftwaffe’s best would not be good enough to turn back the daily waves of bombers over Germany.
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ay 1942: The Luftwaffe ordered both Messerschmitt and FockeWulf to develop proposals for a special high-altitude interceptor to battle American bombers above 20,000 feet. Both companies submitted designs, but Kurt Tank’s successful proposal allowed an
inline Junkers Jumo 213 bomber engine to replace the radial engine of Fw 190A fighters. The A airframe was strengthened for the inline engine, which lengthened the aircraft. The result was the distinctively longnosed Fw 190D “Dora.” A 1/48 scale Italeri Fw 190D-9 kit
(No. 856) sat in my cabinet waiting to be built while I collected aftermarket add-ons. A friend of mine sculpted and resin-cast a ventral engine “plug” which would detail the gear bay while preventing a view clear through the fuselage — and that is where my build began.
Engine “plug”
Photoetched metal
Hawkeye Designs resin
1 I added Hawkeye Designs’ resin set (No. 304) with side consoles, stick, rudder pedals, a seat for the cockpit tub, and the aforementioned engine plug, which I detailed with thin solder, wire, and plastic bits. 46 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
Solder Styrene
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Electrical wire
I’ve made space for the engine plug in the gear well, cut the flaps loose, and added photoetched-metal detail using parts of two aftermarket sets (Eduard S48-083 and S48-009). Also shown are the belly tank and pylon.
Yikes!
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I used Floquil grimy black for the instrument panel and Floquil engine black on the dials; most of the rest is Testors Model Master RLM 66 dark gray (schwarzgrau). A punch-and-die set popped out Mike Grant decals for the instruments. Floquil paints are discontinued but still found in stores.
As construction proceeded uneventfully, I never saw this coming — a major gap at the starboard wing root.
Intake
That’s better
Open cowl flaps
5 Styrene shims, a little liquid glue, a coating of filler, and gentle sanding filled and smoothed the gap.
7 I usually attach landing gear before I paint the plane, but here I detailed and painted the gear before mounting it. I airbrushed with RLM 02 gray (grau); several brands have the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM) colors.
6 Conveniently, the kit cowling’s flaps are molded open as I wanted. The large intake is in place on the right side of the elongated inline engine cowling.
8 I added thin solder for brake lines and mounted EagleParts wheels, treating the tires with a base coat of Vallejo Model Color black/gray and a gentle brushing of dark brown and dark gray pastels. www.FineScale.com
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9 After spraying the undersides with Aeromaster RLM 76 light blue (lichtblau), I applied Model Master RLM 82 dark green (dunkelgrün).
10 I sharpened the dark green edges with RLM 83 light green (lichtgrün) from Aeromaster (now defunct, but you can get the color in other brands).
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To airbrush splotches along the fuselage and tail, I sprayed more Model Master RLM 82 at very low pressure, referring to photos and keeping it random. Also note the vestigial black-and-white “Defense of the Reich” fuselage band; references show it was partially overpainted.
I airbrushed bare-metal areas with Floquil old silver, then detailed metal panels with different shades of Alclad II: polished aluminum, semi-matte aluminum, and duralumin.
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In addition to the various Alclad II shades, I hand-brushed small inspection panels with Testors steel to add a bit more contrast. You can see the resin engine plug inside the gear bay.
I painted the cockpit coaming’s crash padding with Vallejo leather; the turtle deck, behind the seat and headrest, is painted Floquil grimy black.
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I applied EagleCals decals Sheet EC 48-4 for the basic aircraft markings and stenciling, and pulled more stencils from an old Cutting Edge sheet.
I liked the distinctive black-and-white “swoosh” around the exhaust pipes, but that big intake on the right side made for a little extra trouble. I managed to work around it, touching up with Testors gloss black enamel.
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Among the last little bits are a ventral-fuselage antenna loop, boarding ladder, and flaps. I painted the trim tabs red and added a small white stencil to each one.
Using EagleParts for the propeller and spinner, I sprayed the prop Humbrol black/green and the spinner Floquil engine black. The white spiral decal broke up, but tweezers and Micro Set decal solution repaired it. Whew!
Hawkeye Designs cockpit
Repaired spiral decal
EagleParts props, spinner, and wheels/tires
Fishing-line antenna Vacuumformed canopy
Overpainted fuselage band Wing cannon (styrene tubing)
Gear indicator (styrene rod)
Styrene tubing for cannons; styrene rod for “gear down” indicators on the wings; fishing line for the antenna, with dabs of white glue for insulators; and vacuum-formed .015" clear plastic for the canopy. The pitot tube on the starboard wingtip came absolutely last — which is why it’s still there! FSM www.FineScale.com
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AMPS International The place to see the best finishes on military-vehicle models is the annual show and contest of the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society. In 2015, 170 modelers traveled to the World War II Victory Museum in Auburn, Ind., for the event. FSM Senior Editor Aaron Skinner visited the show to photograph some of the 576 models on display and talk with the builders. Here’s a selection of a few of the models plus details about how they were painted and weathered.
▲ GREG LIEBERT CEDAR LAKE, INDIANA
▼ RON DAMRATOWSKI TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS
Greg made a bunch of modifications to Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Type 90, but the unique winter camouflage is what really sets the model apart. After priming and pre-shading, he airbrushed Tamiya acrylics thinned 1:1 at 25-30 psi. After spraying green, he roughed out the brown with a tan pencil, then airbrushed just outside of the marks to outline each patch. He filled in those areas, then post-shaded the camouflage areas with lighter shades of green and brown. Craft punches of different diameters produced stencils with blue painter’s tape for the white dots; working a section at a time, he spent 10 separate painting sessions to get them all on the tank. He wanted it to match the patches of melting snow on the base.
Over a coat of Tamiya primer, Ron pre-shaded shadowy areas of Takom’s 1/35 scale Mark IV Male with Tamiya dark green, followed a few hours later by a base coat of khaki. The next day, he mixed a few drops of Tamiya buff into khaki and thinned it with Tamiya lacquer thinner. He sprayed this mix into the centers of panels, applying more to horizontal surfaces. Vertical panels were lightly streaked from the top down. Two days later, Ron dabbed small dots of white, blue, and yellow oil paint on a section at a time, then blended them downward with Turpenoid on a flat brush. The mud around the lower hull is a slurry of AK Interactive dark earth pigments and water.
Convention 2015
▲ KYLE NELSON VADNAIS HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA
▲ ASHLEY ABERNATHY GLEN ALLEN, VIRGINIA
For a light tank during an exercise, Ashley put Vulcan’s 1/35 scale Vickers Mk.VI on a scratchbuilt base with an Ultracast figure. After priming the tank with Mr. Surfacer 1000, he sprayed a very dark gray pre-shade into the corners and recesses. The two camouflage colors were airbrushed freehand with an Iwata HP-C+ double-action airbrush using custom-shaded Tamiya acrylics mixed 3:2 with thinner. Thin paint is a must, Ashley says; it may take a couple extra passes to get proper coverage, but it flows better and builds up smoother. He sets the pressure at about 8 psi, enough to push paint but maintain a small paint pattern. Keeping the brush ¼-½" from the surface, he starts by spraying the edges with a 1⁄8"-wide line. He fixes the model in position and steadies the brush with both hands. Once the outline is done, Ashley widens the pattern slightly and fills in. A filter of 10% burnt umber and 90% Turpenoid is brushed over the entire model. Pinwashes emphasize recesses, and selective dry-brushing highlights salients.
The IS-4 postwar Soviet tank features a lot of sharp angles, making it an ideal candidate for color modulation, Kyle says. This technique creates contrast between panels by having highlights on one area adjacent to shadows on adjacent areas. “The difference between the two shades emphasizes the difference between the two areas,” he says. He started by pre-shading the model with Tamiya purple — yes, purple! “I like to experiment with colors,” Kyle explains. “Building primarily Russian armor, I’d get bored pretty quickly if I didn’t deviate from the normal painting and weathering processes!” Turning technical, he adds that purple is opposite green on the color wheel, making it a good choice for mixing different tones. “It’s not better or worse than using black paint to pre-shade, it’s just different,” he says. Brown works, but the use of brown weathering washes and filters results in a too-brown model. Black is too strong, making a model look cartoonish, he says. “By going with purple, I was able to find a nice balance between shading that is too exaggerated to be realistic and too subtle to notice.” After painting the camouflage, Kyle misted the model from directly above with the lightest shade of green used for post-shading to mute the contrast. A few washes, and pigment dust, and dirt blended everything. The snow is insulation foam, carved, sanded, and blended with Woodland Scenics foam putty. Chunks of snow thrown up by the tracks are blobs of Celluclay, painted white. www.FineScale.com
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▶ BROCK HOPKINS III GAMBIER, OHIO
It’s all Vallejo all the time for Brock’s 1/35 scale Pit-Road Crossley armored car. After a coat of Vallejo parched grass primer, he hand-brushed the camouflage with colors from Vallejo’s Imperial Japanese Army paint set — parched grass, field green, earth brown, and earth green. “They are called airbrush colors, but they can be handbrushed with no brush strokes showing,” Brock says. Once the pattern was done, he traced around the colors with a fine Sharpie. Black paint on a fine brush covered spots inaccessible to the pen. A mix of Tamiya buff acrylic and Tamiya lacquer thinner misted over the model muted the contrast and tied everything together before Brock applied a coat of Testors clear flat. Earthcolored pastels provided a layer of dust to finish the British-built armored car.
▲ TREVOR BENNETT EAST POINTE, MICHIGAN
Trevor assembled I.R. Models’ 1/35 scale Praga M53/59 Ješterka (Lizard), scratchbuilding replacements for the warped resin cab, engine cover, and bed. He likes the way new acrylics such as AK Interactive and Vallejo airbrush straight out of the bottle. If they need thinning, he uses Stoner Invisible Glass cleaner, available from auto-parts stores. “I find it keeps paint integrity, thins with enough dry time to get a smooth finish, and is a bit less expensive than specialty thinners,” he says. He sprays somewhere in the 30-40 psi range. “I’ve never been a stickler for exact paint formulas and pressures,” he says. “I just noodle around till I get it right.” Over a base coat of rusty dark brown, Trevor airbrushed AK Interactive Chipping 52 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
Fluid and quickly followed with Russian green, starting with a slighter darker shade and moving through progressively lighter tones on panel centers. When that was dry to the touch, he used a cut-down brush and warm water to chip the green on high-traffic spots, edges, corners, and creases. A layer of lighter green and camo splotches was airbrushed over AK Interactive Worn Effects Fluid, which Trevor says is a lot like AK’s Chipping Fluid but more tenacious; it imparts the worn-out, scuffed look that a battleweary vehicle should have. For the splotches, he worked at his standard pressure but set the airbrush to a minimal aperture, outlining individual spots then filling them in.
▲ RICHARD G. GUETIG LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
▼ BRETT AVANTS ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI
Richard built Tamiya’s 1/35 scale T-72M1 out of the box except for the addition of a strand of optical fiber for the antenna. He applied Rust-Oleum flat dark green straight from the spray can for the base coat, then airbrushed spots of Tamiya buff surrounded by thin lines of freehanded Tamiya flat black. To replicate chips in the paint, he applied VaIlejo German camouflage beige (No. 70.821) using a small paintbrush with frizzled bristles. After painting the rubber fender skirts flat black, he brushed on a little water and sprinkled on salt. Once the camouflage colors were on, he rubbed the salt off, revealing the black underneath. The tank sits on Celluclay groundwork decorated with Woodland Scenics rocks and Joefix grass.
For his first model after an 8-year break from the hobby, Brett tackled Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Marder IIIM. Winter camouflage and Mig Productions canvas covers for the fighting compartment and gun place the tank hunter somewhere on the Eastern Front. After priming the model, he airbrushed it with Tamiya dark yellow and followed with a coat of AK Interactive Chipping Fluid. He sprayed Tamiya flat white, then wore it down with a stiff brush to reveal the yellow. AK Interactive washes, enamels, artist’s oils, and MMP pigments finished the job. The frigid groundwork is acrylic gloss medium mixed with Woodland Scenics snow and white pigment powder.
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▲ SCOTT CONNER LEAWOOD, KANSAS
▼ RANDY RAY SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA
After dressing up Dragon’s 1/35 scale SdKfz 250/8 Neu Stummel with Aber photoetched metal and AFV Club ammunition, Scott airbrushed the camouflage with LifeColor acrylics mixed 1:1 with LifeColor Thinner. LifeColor paints brush very well, so touch-ups and mistakes are easy to deal with. To weather the halftrack, Scott used a method similar to dot filters that he calls oil-paint modulation. “It varies the color of the paint underneath it,” he says. “It is very useful for creating a faded paint job, like (the vehicle has been) sitting out in the sun, or (improving) a monochromatic paint scheme by adding hints of other colors to the base coat.” He places small amounts of oil paint on cardboard, which absorbs the excess oil. Color choice is not dependent on the base colors: Sure, Scott uses browns and tans, but he also reaches for blue, black, white, rust, and even purple. “Some colors are more overpowering than others — blue and white come to mind — so don’t use a lot of those,” he says. Once dots of those colors are applied to the model, he works them into the surface using a broad brush wet but not flowing with turpentine. On horizontal surfaces, he applies the turpentine in patches, blotches, or circles. For vertical surfaces, downward brush strokes depict the way gravity would pull water or dirt down the surfaces.
To build a “technical” fitted with an aircraft rocket pod, Randy used a KFS Miniatures conversion on Meng’s 1/35 scale pickup. After priming with Tamiya spray-can silver, he airbrushed Tamiya hull red. Then he applied layers of hairspray followed by Tamiya white, which he chipped and wore away with a damp brush. Gunze Sangyo Mr. Color Super Metallic plate silver colored the chrome parts.
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▲ NATHAN L APORTE
ST. CLAIR, MICHIGAN
Nathan base-coated Meng’s 1/35 scale T-90A with Vallejo Russian green primer to cover the kit’s extensive photoetched metal and provide a dark, even foundation. Lighter shades postshaded upper surfaces. Vallejo primer airbrushes well and produces a smooth finish, he says. He mixed Tamiya acrylics with Tamiya lacquer thinner for the camouflage pattern, masking with Blu-Tack and tape. Most of the weathering was done with pigments, starting with dust washes — light pigments mixed with enamel thinner. For dirt and mud, he thickened the pigment slurry with Textured Earth from Wilder or static grass. To produce oily grime around mechanical features like the turret ring, he mixed black pigments with burnt umber oil paint. ◀ CHRIS TOOPS LANCASTER, OHIO
Chris primed AFV Club’s 1/35 scale M42 Duster with Floquil railroad tie brown to provide a dark foundation for the layers of Testors Model Master enamels he used to build camouflage on the antiaircraft vehicle. He airbrushed, in order: field drab, olive drab, faded olive drab, SAC bomber tan, and armor sand. He used spots of the colors to highlight edges and contours, and weathered the Duster with gouache, an opaque watercolor paint, over a coat of Testors clear flat lacquer. He thins the gouache to the consistency of milk and applies it to the model as an overall wash or pinwash. After it dries for an hour, he manipulates the paint with a damp brush. “The great thing about this product is that, if you are unhappy with the look, the gouache can be removed with a wet brush,” he says. www.FineScale.com
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▲ JIM MESKO AKRON, OHIO
▼ RICK FORYS PLYMOUTH, MICHIGAN
A U.S. Marine Corps Sherman goes ashore at Iwo Jima in Jim’s 1/35 scale display. He equipped Dragon’s M4A3 with wading trunks, screens on the hatches, and add-on armor — sandbags, wood planks, and extra track — then painted it with Pactra enamels mixed with hardware store paint thinner for airbrushing. “I have been using my Binks’ Wren since 1970,” says Jim. “Nothing against any of the new ones, but I love the old thing.” He masked the camouflage with Silly Putty. “I even use it to mask faces on figures,” he says. He cautions against using thick clumps that can sag with gravity and cover areas you don’t want masked. “The thinner the layer you use, the better,” he says. “I also find using a toothpick to push it into small areas is very helpful. The stuff is great for masking irregular camouflage schemes and can be used again and again.”
It’s hard to believe that this Ace BMD-2 is 1/72 scale. Rick built it basically out of the box, but he had to do some work to refine the wheels. He primed the model with Testors Model Master burnt umber enamel, then sprayed Russian dark green. Silly Putty, rolled into thin strings, was draped over the vehicle to mask the camouflage before Rick airbrushed with sand-colored paint. It worked well but took a few tries to get the desired pattern, according to Rick. Adjustments are difficult because if you try to remove a section of Silly Putty, it tends to pull it all up. Artist’s oil washes and light dry-brushing blended the pattern.
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▲ DANA V. SADARANANDA CAMP HILL, PENNSYLVANIA
Dana put Tamiya’s 1/35 scale early M4 in Europe after D-Day with a Culin hedgerow cutter and sandbags. After pre-shading the tank with flat black, he airbrushed Tamiya olive drab lightened with a few drops of light gray. Then came post-shading using the base color lightened with Tamiya buff and thinned. That was sprayed in thin layers at 12-15 psi until it looked right. For mud, Dana mixed brown acrylic paint and white glue. Oil washes and light dry-brushing finished the Sherman. ◀ ANDY LEFFLER
CARMEL, INDIANA
To build a Gulf War British tank, Andy dressed up Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Challenger II with Voyager photoetched metal, a Lion Marc turned-metal barrel, and nonskid texture on the vehicle’s upper surfaces. The latter was applied by masking off the areas and spraying Rust-Oleum textured paint from a spray can before base-coating the model with Vallejo black primer. He pre-shaded by airbrushing light gray onto panels over the primer, then sprayed Vallejo sand. Airbrushed light sand post-shaded the Chally; Andy hand-painted the lightest shade on high points and details for greater contrast. Mig Productions pigments mixed with water and dish soap added dust and dirt, which Andy anchored with pigment fixer. FSM
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Apply a dazzling Thin paint and careful masking are the keys to crisp camouflage • BY AARON SKINNER
T
he Leander-class light cruiser, HMS Ajax, served in many crucial engagements during World War II, including the Battle of the River Plate, the siege of Tobruk, and the D-Day landings. David Hogue’s interest in Royal Navy history inspired him to build Iron Shipwright’s 1/350 scale Ajax. It took careful planning and painting to dress it in the disruptive pattern applied while the ship was deployed to the Mediterranean in 1942. David says he usually builds ships with details in place before painting, but broke from that routine for the Ajax because of the intricate scheme. He built and painted the hull and superstructure, then added scratchbuilt and aftermarket parts. He applied and sanded several coats of Floquil primer (discontinued) to the resin to smooth rough areas and fill pinholes. David uses enamel. “I like White Ensign Models (WEM) Colourcoats because they are matched to the Royal Navy colors,” he says, but adds that they usually need to be lightened for scale effect. He used Floquil enamels (discontinued) for some of the generic colors. “These paints thin and spray easily and have a tough finish that stands up well to abuse during weathering.” He mixes enamels in equal parts with hardware-store lacquer thinner. “Stay away from the quick-drying type and realize there are many options to thin paint; use what works for you,” he says. Use this mix in a well-ventilated area and wear a respirator, he cautions.
His airbrush of choice is a Paasche H single-action, but he doesn’t power it with a compressor. “I use a carbon-dioxide tank, because I live in a high-humidity area and have to worry about water in the line,” David says. “It is quiet and reliable, and a tank refill lasts for a long time.” Painting started with an overall coat of dark gray for the dark part of the camouflage. David mottled it with a slightly lighter shade to begin weathering. Referring to photos, he began masking, building up the pattern with small pieces of Tamiya tape. He sprays at 18 psi and closes the nozzle so just a small amount of paint comes out and he can work close to the model. “I lay down slightly wet, thin coats to prevent paint buildup along the mask,” he says. He gradually added layers of WEM light gray, leaving some areas with the dark undercoat showing through a little to produce a slightly mottled appearance. Then he masked the hull and superstructure sides and sprayed dark gray on the decks and darker gray near the edges. He post-shaded open deck areas by building up layers of thin paint a shade lighter than the deck and spraying in the same direction as the planks. David says he’s learned a lot of weathering techniques from armor modelers. “I start the weathering process in the initial painting with pre-shading, post-shading, and thin layers of paint to give some depth to the finish,” he says.
He applies washes of dark gray artist’s oils mixed with Turpenoid over either a clear gloss such as Pledge FloorCare MultiSurface Finish (PFM) or a clear flat such as Testors Dullcote, depending on the effect he wants. “Washes are more diffuse over flat finishes, and I like to wipe the wash before it completely dries to help blend and feather the edge into the paint,” he says. He concentrated dark pinwashes around raised and recessed detail, then applied a thin filter of oils over the deck planks. He streaked thin, white artist’s oils over surfaces moistened with Turpenoid to fade paint on the sides of the ship. Slightly thicker red-brown streaks represent rust. David says to streak it with a brush, with and without thinner, for different effects. Then he dabbed small areas of grime, rust, and white along the waterline and blended it with a soft brush or scrubbed it with a rag. Finally, he lightly dry-brushed light gray on raised details. “Weathering is all about fiddling around until you like what you see,” David says. “If it’s too heavy, wipe it off. It’s better to be subtle rather than garish.” FSM
finish to a ship Meet David Hogue
David’s airbrushing tips
DAVID, 56, started modeling as a kid in the ’60s with Airfix, Revell, and Monogram kits that eventually met their end thanks to leftover July 4 fireworks. Later, he returned to the hobby with a desire to build models tied to his interest in history. He focuses on Allied WWII aircraft, 1/350 scale ships, and occasionally 1/35 scale armor. David likes to display his subjects in dioramas, so he’s been improving his figure painting. He lives in The Woodlands, Texas, has been a dentist for 26 years, is married, has two college-age kids, and is a member of IPMS Houston.
• Mix and thin paints in a separate container, rather than the airbrush paint cup. Paint will flow better and is less likely to clog. • Keep the nozzle moving so the paint won’t blob or run. • Start spraying off the model to avoid splattering paint on the model. Use an index card over the model as a place to start spraying. • If you make a mistake while spraying, don’t try to fix it. Let the paint dry, sand the blemish, and repaint. • If you custom-mix paints, be sure you make enough to finish the
Rigging: David rigged Ajax with fine smoke-colored invisible thread attached with super glue, and used books and clamps to keep the thread tight and straight as it dried. He made tiny wire-loop pullies to suspend the halyards, ran them through holes in the flag boxes, and pulled them tight from below.
Figures: David sanded the hats off figures from L’Arsenal, Goffy, and Fujimi, then added Grandt Line rivets to represent flat British helmets.
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model. It’s difficult to match a shade with a new mix. Don’t tip the brush and spill paint on the model from the paint cup. Examine the model closely for hair and dust before spraying. Test mixes on an old model before using it on your newest creation. Remember, it takes practice to develop airbrushing skills. Sometimes things just don’t go smoothly, whether it’s because the humidity is wrong, the moon is full, or the gods of airbrushing are displeased.
Water color: To paint the sea, David applied a mix of enamels. He airbrushed lighter shades on the wave tops and darker colors in the troughs. After a coat of PFM, he applied white artist’s oils to the waves and wake.
Base: After wrapping the hull in plastic and setting it on a wooden base, David sculpted the ocean with multiple layers of Celluclay, using photos of the ship to model the bow wave, wake, and waves along the hull. “I try not to spend too much time on the water, but usually need two or three sessions to build up the seascape because thick layers shrink too much and take too long to dry,” he says.
David carefully painted and weathered to show Iron Shipwright’s 1/350 scale HMS Ajax as she appeared in the Mediterranean in 1942.
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Simulate a Give plastic parts a wood grain with simple painting BY RAFE MORRISSEY
1 To give smooth plastic pieces a wood grain, I start by dragging a razor saw across the surface.
2 I simulated wood on the floor, chairs, and table in this diorama.
M
any modelers think there is little need for simulating wood on plastic models. But think about it for a few minutes and you’ll find many instances in which a convincing wood finish could come in handy. Whether it’s map tables and ammo boxes on World War II bombers, wood propellers on biplanes, crates and tool handles on tanks, furniture for diorama accessories, or a wood-grained dashboard in a fancy car, many details call for a wood finish. Some modelers choose real wood for such items. I prefer to stick with plastic. The right combination of painting techniques can make plastic parts difficult to distinguish from real wood.
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A fine sanding stick removes burrs left by the razor saw.
Preparing the parts Monogram’s 1/48 scale B-17G includes a nice table for the navigator’s compartment. The part has molded-in wood grain that will enhance my simulated finish nicely. However, if the part you’re using does not have the molded wood grain, it is easy to create First, scrape a razor saw across the surface. Rather than going straight across, move the saw from side to side to get a naturally wavy texture, 1. Next, use a finegrade sanding stick to knock off the burrs, 2. After a quick scrub with a damp toothbrush, the part is ready for paint, 3. (Note: To make the grain visible in the photo, I rubbed powdered graphite into it.)
3 After a quick scrub with a damp toothbrush, the piece is ready for paint. I rubbed powdered graphite into the grain to show the wavy pattern produced with the razor saw.
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Usually I paint several base coats to make sure I won’t rub through the finish during the next steps.
I use a brush with a jagged edge to apply a faux grain painted with thinned raw umber artist’s oils.
6 To create variety, I change the direction of my strokes on the same object. On the table, for example, I painted the base and the legs at a 90-degree angle to replicate separate pieces.
After the parts are assembled and the wood-grain texture added, it’s time to lay down a tan base coat. I used Tamiya deck tan (XF-55). It is important to use an acrylic paint for this step because subsequent detailing will be done with oil paints. (These would soften an enamel undercoat.) I apply several coats because I don’t want to risk rubbing through the finish in the next steps, 4.
Creating wood grain Since acrylic paint will resist the oils, you don’t have to wait until the base coat is completely cured to begin the next step. Just be sure the parts are dry enough to handle. I use a selection of artist’s oils, thin-
7 Plastic pieces transformed to “wood”: Burnt sienna artist’s oils on the chair created a different wood finish compared with the table and its veneer of raw umber artist’s oils.
ner, and a brush. While most brushes will work, try to find one with a bit of a jagged edge. This will help produce random streaks. First, apply a thinned coat of artist’s oils, 5. (I’m using raw umber here.) Thin the oil to the consistency of enamel paint. Once the part is covered, clean the brush and begin to work off some of the oil in the direction of the grain. Don’t lift the brush until you reach the end of the part. Wherever possible, vary the direction of the strokes on distinct parts of the object. For example, I painted the grain in the table base and the legs at a 90-degree angle, 6. The depth and intensity of the wood grain is your choice. You can add paint and
keep removing it until you’re satisfied.
Adding variety Experiment with different oil colors for different types of wood, 7. For the chair, I used burnt sienna to simulate a cherry finish. I also used a smaller brush so I could vary the direction of the strokes between the seat, legs, and seat back. Yellow ochre can simulate unpainted pine. (Use a very light tan for the base coat so the undercoat better complements the yellow.) The finished parts look like real wood to me, and they’re a nice contrast to other painted surfaces. I’m looking forward to trying this technique on the fuselage of a World War I Albatros biplane! FSM www.FineScale.com
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Soviet Cold War MiGs almost always went naked. I finished HobbyBoss’ 1/48 scale model with Alclad II and Testors Metalizers.
MAKING the most of METALLICS for a Taking a shine to a Cold War fighter
MiG
BY AARON SKINNER
T
here are few modeling challenges I used to dread more than natural metal. For years, I went out of my way to build camouflaged aircraft and avoid the disappointment of failed metallic finishes. Now, thanks to new products and a lot of practice, I find myself drawn to natural-metal airplanes, especially fighters from the 1950s. Knowing how to apply sharp metal finishes is useful for the cars and airliners I build, too. When I built HobbyBoss’ 1/48 scale MiG-17, I experimented with new options over my favorite metallic finish, Alclad II. As we’ll see, most of the work is at the front end. That’s because surface preparation is critical to a great natural-metal finish.
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1 One of the MiG-17’s defining features is the gaping intake with the big splitter to duct air around the cockpit and nose-gear well. After building and painting the cockpit, I airbrushed the splitter and the insides of the fuselage halves with Testors Model Master aluminum enamel.
3 The secret to a great natural-metal finish is starting with a smooth surface, so everything you do now to achieve that is necessary. I sanded each super glue-filled gap with 1000-grit paper, then with all three sides of a sanding stick, buffing the plastic to a mirror finish. Note all of the fishing weights under the cockpit to keep the nose down.
5 To restore lost panel lines, I stuck Dymo self-adhesive labeling tape along the edge of the line to guide the scriber. The tape is flexible enough to go around curves like the fuselage, sticky enough to stay in place, and sturdy enough to guide the point of the tool.
2 I had trouble getting clean fits on many of the MiG’s major components, but I needed everything to be smooth for the metallic finish. I filled all gaps with thin super glue; it sands as smooth as the surrounding plastic, as opposed to the grainy finish of some filler putties.
4 HobbyBoss’s kit provides the rear fuselage separately to show off the engine. I wanted my MiG closed up, and that meant filling and sanding the gaps and steps between the front and rear sections. After a liberal application of liquid cement, I added super glue and sanded the seam, which eliminated the panel line that should be there.
6 I own several scribers, but my favorite is a sewing needle in a pin vise. Gently run the needle along the edge of the Dymo tape without applying much pressure. Repeat this and the line will gradually deepen. Pressing too hard can cause the needle to go off course. www.FineScale.com
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7 If you scratch or mar the plastic during scribing, apply a little super glue to the blemish and sand it smooth. You may need to rescribe the lines around the spot if glue runs into them.
9 I filled unneeded locator holes under the wings with the tapered ends left from stretching sprue. Push the points into the holes so they fill the voids, then apply liquid glue. I left the parts to dry overnight, then trimmed the excess off and sanded the nubs flush with the surface.
8 I checked for other surface blemishes, such as mold seams — the MiG’s tail had a barely visible line around a panel on the port side of the vertical stabilizer. It may not seem like much, but under metallic paint it would have been obvious.
10 Metallic paints are extremely sensitive to fingerprints and body oils, so the more you can do to avoid touching the model the better. I fashioned a handle by inserting brass tube into the tailpipe, snugging the fit with paper towel and Plasticine. I masked the cockpit and windscreen with Tamiya tape and a rolled-up paper towel.
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I’d handled the model a lot by now, so I rubbed it down with Testors (formerly Polly S) Plastic Prep. It cuts the grease, removes sanding residue, and reduces static electricity that attracts dust. It evaporates in just a few minutes. Then, the model is ready to paint.
I airbrushed the cockpit interior color (Tamiya neutral gray) over the canopy frames to match the rest of the aircraft. The paint revealed a small gap around the edge of the windscreen. I filled it, sanded it smooth, then cleaned up the area with another application of cockpit color.
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Immediately before priming the model, I used a tack cloth to be sure the surface was dust-free. Lightly touch or rub a clean section of the cloth over the model. Don’t press hard, and work carefully to avoid snagging the cloth on any delicate parts.
To fill scratches or other blemishes and provide a solid foundation for the paint, I sprayed the MiG with Alclad II Gray Primer and Microfiller. This stuff is a lot like thin Mr. Surfacer, providing a velvety finish straight from the bottle. (Alclad metallic finishes are lacquers that can attack bare plastic, so priming is essential when using them.)
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I sanded the entire model with Tamiya 1000-grit sandpaper to knock down any rough patches in the primer.
The primer revealed a few damaged panel lines I had missed the first time. I restored them by dragging a fine razor saw across the seam. This is an easy way to repair short, straight panel lines.
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After repairs, I cleaned the model in a mild dish-soap solution using a toothbrush to remove sanding residue from panel lines and recesses. I blotted puddles of water from the model with a paper towel, then let the model air-dry. Before painting, make sure there is no water trapped inside that may run out during painting — nothing will ruin paint faster.
Because the secret of a good metallic finish is getting the surface right, it’s worth investing in a set of fine finishing cloths or pads. I used a set of sheets from Alpha Abrasives that included a two-sided foam pad and six cloths of progressively finer grits — 3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, 8000, and 12000. www.FineScale.com
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4 METAL MODELING CHOICES
Alclad II
Humbrol No. 11 silver
www.alclad2.com
www.airfix-usa.com
1-ounce bottle, $8.85 Pros: Tough, bright shine; no visible grain; airbrushes straight from the bottle; fast drying; can be masked in a few minutes; wide color range. Cons: Requires primer; high-shine finishes need gloss-black base; can be applied too heavily, ruining the effect; must be airbrushed. Comments: Easy to use but requires more preparation because of the primer and base coats. You can vary the effect by changing the density of layers with small differences in air pressure.
14ml (.48-ounce) tinlet, $2.19 Pros: Tough, semigloss finish; applies like other model enamels; can be mixed with other Humbrol colors to create panel variation; can be hand-brushed; resists being pulled up by masking tape. Cons: Must be thinned for airbrushing; produces slightly grainy finish; extended drying time. Comments: I hand-brushed a lot of this stuff on 1/72 scale bombers when I was a kid, with questionable results, but you shouldn’t count this paint out. I’ve seen several good naturalmetal finishes achieved with it. Humbrol also produces Metalcote metallic finishes, but I was unable to get any for this test.
Testors Model Master enamels
Testors Model Master Metalizers
www.testors.com
½-ounce bottle, $3.99 Pros: Easy to apply; finish is better over bare plastic, so there is less preparation; airbrushes straight from the bottle; wide range of colors; available in spray cans; some colors are buffable. Cons: Very delicate finish that pulls up easily if masked. Comments: Probably the most widely available specialty metallic finishes, Metalizers are a good option, but they need to be handled carefully because tape and fingers can easily lift them off plastic. They are great when used over Alclad II or Hawkeye Spray Metal, and the large color range provides a lot of options. The buffable colors allow for panel variation simply by polishing panels differently. —A.S.
½-ounce bottle, $3.69 Pros: Applies like any enamel; widely available; can be tinted with other Model Master enamels; chrome silver produces tough, reflective finish. Cons: Long drying time; looks like paint; must be thinned for airbrushing. Comments: Testors chrome silver is a lot like Floquil bright silver and looks a lot like mercury in the bottle. It airbrushes well enough with Testors thinner, but the finish looks more like paint than metal, as do the other enamels in the Model Master line.
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After rubbing the surface with Tamiya 1000-grit sandpaper to knock down the roughest areas that might damage the fine finishing cloths, I began sanding the primer with a 3200-grit cloth wrapped around the foam pad. Work through the grits one by one; for the best finish, don’t skip a grit.
You can sand dry, but for a smoother finish I recommend wet-sanding. The water will remove stray grit and residue that might otherwise damage the finish. You can stand at a sink with the faucet running at a trickle and hold the surface being sanded just under the stream as you sand. Or you can sand over a container of water. Add a few drops of dish detergent to lubricate sanding and break up the water’s surface tension.
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Once the primer was smooth, I washed the model with mild, soapy water and a toothbrush to remove residue trapped in recesses. Then I blotted the surface and left the model to dry overnight.
For best effect, Alclad high-shine finishes require a gloss-black enamel undercoat. I used Alclad gloss-black base on the MiG, airbrushing it straight from the bottle at about 15 psi. In the past, I’ve used Tamiya spray-can gloss black (TS-14) with good results. Experiment, then use the paint you are most comfortable with.
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After two days, the black had mostly leveled out. But there was still a little orange peel. I was concerned this roughness would be apparent on the finished model, so it was time for more sanding. Yep, another step and more sanding — but there are no shortcuts to a good metallic finish.
I wet-sanded with Alpha Abrasives pads, working through each grit until the surface was uniform and shiny. You know you’re there when you see a clear reflection of a light above your workbench. Grip the model with paper or soft cloth to avoid putting fingerprints in the finish. www.FineScale.com
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Alclad II lacquers are ready to airbrush straight from the bottle. I started at 12-15 psi with a base coat of airframe aluminum (No. ALC-119), moving the airbrush more like a paintbrush to ensure even coverage. I sprayed four layers; the first was barely discernible against the black.
Each subsequent pass built the metallic effect until the model looked like it was made of metal. The magic of Alclad against the black is the depth of the surface. The thin lacquer dries quickly, but I wanted to be sure it was solid for the masking to come, so I set it aside to dry overnight.
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Now it was time to break up the surface with some panel variation. I used Tamiya tape to mask off panels on the wings and fuselage. Tamiya tape is relatively low-tack, and Alclad is pretty durable, but I took the precaution of burnishing the tape only along the paint edge. You can make the tape less tacky by pressing it onto a smooth surface such as glass and removing it a few times before applying it to the model.
For oddly shaped panels, I pressed the tape into place until the recessed outline became visible as a lighter line. I lightly ran the tip of a brand-new (read sharp ) No. 11 blade along the line to cut the tape, then pulled the unwanted part off. To avoid damaging the finish, don’t press too hard.
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I sprayed the unmasked panels with Alclad II polished aluminum (No. ALC-105), a slightly lighter shade than airframe aluminum. By accident, I discovered that lightly rubbing the polished aluminum with a soft cloth reduced the contrast for a more realistic appearance.
I masked off the rear section of the fuselage around the jet pipe and the gun panel under the nose and airbrushed Testors Model Master Metalizer steel (No. 1402). Metalizer is delicate if used as a base coat, but over Alclad it sticks well. I was able to mask over it without damaging the finish.
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I painted the speed brakes and a muzzle-blast panel under the nose Metalizer dark anodonic gray (No. 1412) to match photos.
Finally, I masked off several access panels on the fuselage and wings and airbrushed on Alclad II white aluminum (No. ALC-106).
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I applied the kit decals, carefully trimming excess carrier film from each marking to be sure it disappeared. To avoid dulling the shine, I didn’t seal the decals with a clear coat. So, I wanted them to fit as closely as possible.
Finger oil will ruin metallic finishes, so I handled the MiG with a soft cloth or paper towel during final stages. After attaching the landing gear, fuel tanks, exhaust, and antennas, I added subtle weathering, such as fluid streaks, using artist’s oils and a graphite pencil.
REFERENCES
MiG-17 Fresco in action, Hans-Heiri Stapfer, Squadron/Signal, ISBN 978-0-89747-277-7 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17: The Soviet Union’s Jet Fighter of the Fifties, Yefim
Gordon, Midland, ISBN 978-1-85780-107-1 USN F-4 Phantom II vs VPAF MiG-17/19 Vietnam 1965-73, Peter Davies, Osprey, ISBN 978-1-84603-475-6
Shiny! This heavymetal MiG-17 proves metallic finishes aren’t hard — they just take time and patience to execute well. FSM
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Finish a World War II German ace’s Bf 109F Basic techniques for painting and weathering • BY RAÚL CORRAL
Raúl makes creating the interesting camo for Kurt Brändle’s Bf 109F look easy, plus he shows how to make the plane look like it has logged a few missions.
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Raúl starts by painting the underside RLM 78, then lightens the base with a couple of drops of flat white and highlights panel interiors.
H
asegawa’s 1/48 scale Bf 109F is one of the best on the market. I needed to give it a finish that matched its incredible detail, settling on the Friedrich flown by German ace Kurt Brändle as squadron leader for Jagdgeschwader 53 Pik As (Ace of Spades). Based in Comiso, Italy, Brändle flew sorties over Malta and claimed seven victories there. His 109, Black 1, wore interesting camouflage consisting of blue (RLM 78) underneath and on the fuselage sides, with brown (RLM
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While the difference in color might appear stark, don’t worry — later weathering will tone that down.
79) and olive green (RLM 80) on the upper surfaces. I referred to photographs of Black 1 in Messerschmitt Bf 109 F, G & K Series: An Illustrated Study, by Jochen Prien and Peter Rodeike (Schiffer, ISBN 978-088740-424-5).
Putting paint to plastic I started by airbrushing GSI Creos Mr. Hobby Color RLM 78 (No. H418) on the fuselage sides and belly. Before the paint dried, I added a few drops of Tamiya flat
white (XF-2) to the RLM 78 and painted panel centers at low pressure to give the blue a bit of variation, 1. Don’t try to cover the entire panel interior. Let the base color show through, especially at the panel lines. And don’t worry that the contrast is too high at this stage. It will get toned down with weathering, 2. Next up, theater markings: Some people prefer to start with theater markings, even before applying any camo; others wait until near the end. It’s your choice!
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Tamiya tape masked the wings, fin, and parts of the fuselage for painting the theater markings.
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Attaching the front and rear canopy parts now lends uniformity to the paint that you wouldn’t have if you left them off until later.
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Always progressing from the lightest color to the darkest, Raúl airbrushes RLM 79 sand brown next.
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After lightening the panel interiors, he adds a few drops of yellow to the lightened brown and mottles the panel interiors for more depth.
I masked the nose, wings, and tail with Tamiya tape, 3. Tamiya flat white made the white fuselage band and lower wingtips of German fighters flying over the Mediterranean. The white rudder marked this plane as the squadron leader. The yellow cowls of Bf 109s became famous during the Battle of Britain, but only the bottom of Black 1’s cowl had this identification, 4. I applied precut masks to the canopy and glued the windscreen and fixed the aft
Be careful applying yellow. Spray a light coat, let it dry, and then spray another light coat, slowly building the color. This ensures even coverage.
The olive green was added using the same steps Raúl followed for the blue and sand brown colors.
section in place. I left off the center section and masked the cockpit. I masked the theater markings, too, and then airbrushed Mr. Hobby Color RLM 79 sand brown (No. 66), 5. As with the blue, I added a couple of drops of flat white to lighten the brown and highlighted the centers of the wing and upper-fuselage panels, 6. Once happy with the effect, I added a few drops of Mr. Hobby Color yellow (No. 413) to the brightened sand brown and mottled the highlighted area, 7.
After the paint dried 24 hours, I masked for the third camouflage color, Mr. Hobby Color RLM 80 olive green (No. 420). Then following the same process as for the previous colors, I applied the olive green, lightened the base color with a few drops of white, and highlighted panel interiors, 8. I removed the masks. In areas close to the cockpit, especially along the wing root where the pilot and ground crew would walk, I applied some mottling of the base colors with a fine brush, 9. www.FineScale.com
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Some of the base sand brown and olive green color is applied to the wing root where the pilot and ground crew walk.
Raúl dove into his spare decals to find markings for Black 1 because he couldn’t find any appropriate aftermarket sets.
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A batch of lightened sand brown dry-brushed on the fuselage simulates wear and light patches in the paint job.
A coat of Tamiya gloss clear makes sure that the wash flows smoothly and doesn’t create tidal marks or spider webs.
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Raúl uses cotton swabs damp with thinner to clean up the wash; the dirty swabs can be used in selected areas to create grime.
Speaking of grime, after applying a wash to the gear bays, Raúl used the dirty swab to muck up the interiors.
Decals and additional pre-weathering I airbrushed Tamiya gloss clear (X-22) overall, then added decals. All of them came from my spares; I couldn’t find any aftermarket markings for my subject, 10. I mixed some more of the light sand brown color and dry-brushed areas on the cowl and central fuselage to simulate light patches and a little wear and tear, 11. Tamiya clear sealed the decals and my previous work. 72 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
Weathering Black 1 Before proceeding, I waited 48 hours to make sure the clear coat dried thoroughly. My weathering set consists of Humbrol brown (No. 100) and flat black (No. 33) enamel, cotton swabs, a pair of fine-tipped brushes, thinner, and stir sticks for mixing washes. I brushed a thin wash of 1:1 of brown and flat black along panel lines and rivets. On the wings, I made sure to pull the wash in the direction of airflow, 12.
After the wash has a little time to set up, I remove excess with a cotton swab damp with thinner. Always move the swab in the direction of airflow from front to rear, 13. Don’t forget to do the bottom, too! I like to use the dirty swabs to create the appearance of dirt and wear, especially along the wing. Lightly apply the dirty swab to the area, moving it quickly back and forth until you see a reddish brown start to show up. If the area still looks too clean, repeat the process. If it’s too dirty,
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A fine brush and aluminum enamel created the chipping effect at the wing roots, and around places where crew would frequently work.
A light dry-brushing simulates chipping on the spinner and prop blades.
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For wear that goes only primer deep, dry-brush light gray in select areas.
Raúl inspects the airframe and darkens panel lines that didn’t get enough wash with a sharp artist’s pencil.
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An airbrush set to low pressure is best for creating exhaust stains. Go light and darken gradually until you’re happy with the effect.
With the weathering finished, Raúl added the antennas, central canopy, and undercarriage. See how all the colors come together?
clean it up with a new swab and thinner. In the landing-gear bays, I used a darker wash of 3:7 Humbrol flat brown yellow (No. 94) and flat black. I used a dirty swab to dirty up the wheel bays, then drybrushed the details with Humbrol flat light gray (No. 147), 14. Humbrol Metalcote flat aluminum (No. 27001) and a fine brush chipped the paint on handles, the wing root, engine covers, and around the cockpit, access hatches, and the air intake, 15.
I added a subtle chipping effect on the propeller, dry-brushing aluminum over the whole assembly, going a little heavier on the blades’ leading edges, 16. Don’t overdo chipping. When in doubt, consult references. I dry-brushed Humbrol flat light gray in selected areas to show wear that doesn’t go all the way to metal, 17. Any panel lines that aren’t as defined as I’d like from the previous washes are darkened with a sharp graphite pencil, 18.
Don’t press too hard when going over decals or you might pierce the film. A 7:3 mix of Tamiya smoke (X-19) and clear airbrushed at low PSI makes perfect exhaust stains. Make several light passes, checking references, 19. I dry-brushed the interior of the exhaust stains with a mix of Humbrol red brown and flat black to get subtle color differentiation. One last coat of Tamiya clear, then an over coat of Humbrol flat varnish (No. 49), 20, blends it all together. FSM www.FineScale.com
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Sometimes masking Two rolls of tape and 40 hours produce sharp digital camouflage BY AARON SKINNER
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nspired by images of F-16s wearing proposed digital camouflage schemes, Erin Lantz decided to try his hand at an Academy 1/32 scale Fighting Falcon. He attached plastic conformal fuel tanks from SkunkModels Workshop, then planned his attack. Deciding on a four-color scheme with a pattern based on Vietnam-era aircraft, Erin chose gray colors seen in current service — light ghost gray, dark ghost gray, and gunship gray — over Flanker medium blue. Erin sprayed the model Model Master Flanker medium blue (No. 2131) using an Iwata HP-CS at 20-25 psi, then let the model dry for two days. Before masking, the paint should be very dry to minimize damage during tape removal. Next, he masked off the underside. “Knowing it would be handled quite a bit during the coming masking and painting, I took my time and made sure that all of the edges were burnished down nice and tight,” To mask the camouflage, he used 6mm Tamiya masking tape. He cut short sections, making sure the ends were square, and slowly formed patches to remain blue. “I tried to keep the edges random, and occasionally cut … bigger and smaller pieces to randomize (the pattern) even more,” he says. The biggest challenge was keeping all of the lines straight and square relative to the airframe and the rest of the scheme, says Erin, adding that the model’s compound curves, especially around the conformal fuel tanks, exacerbated the problems. Half of the masking time was spent relocating and
aligning tape strips. To prevent the next color from bleeding under the tape, Erin airbrushed Flanker medium blue over the model to seal the edges. Next he applied light ghost gray (No. 1728), left it to dry, then started again with small strips of tape. Large, unbroken areas of any color are to be avoided for this scheme to look right, Erin says. “Of course, the pattern can get too busy if you get tape-happy, but I couldn’t resist … placing small … strips of tape here and there in areas I thought were not busy enough.” Burnishing and a coat of light ghost gray sealed the masks. Then Erin airbrushed dark ghost gray (No. 1741). More masking followed in preparation for the darkest color, gunship gray (No. 1723). Erin kept these areas small to prevent them from dominating. Erin spent 40 hours applying tape. It took him less than 20 minutes to remove it, revealing the scheme. Light sanding with 150- and 320-grit Norton foam sanding pads took care of paint ridges where the tape had been. Erin sealed the paint with two cans of Tamiya clear gloss (TS-13) misted over the model from 2' away, then floated the decals onto the model with Pledge FloorCare MultiSurface Finish. A wash of black pigment powder mixed with denatured alcohol made the recessed detail pop. Finally, Erin sealed the model with Testors Dullcote. With its ordnance, the F-16 appeared heavy and menacing. “Exactly the look I wanted!” Erin says. FSM
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Decals: Erin combined the kit’s Cartograf-printed decals with homemade ALPS-printed markings for most of the F-16’s insignia. The cobra on the tail is from a Twobobs sheet for the 187th Fighter Wing of the Alabama Air National Guard. Erin modified it with his name on the canopy rail to base it at his hometown MacDill Air Force Base.
A sign of things to come? Erin painted Academy’s 1/32 scale F-16 in a fictional U.S. Air Force digital camouflage we might see in the future. China has painted some armored vehicles using a similar idea, and many modern military uniforms bear a digital pattern.
is just hard work Gunship gray: The darkest color used; Erin kept it restrained to avoid overwhelming the scheme. After masking each layer, Erin sprayed the model with the underlying color to seal the masks and prevent bleeding.
CFTs: Erin had planned to build an Israeli F-16 (the colors proved too garish) when he fitted the model with conformal fuel tanks from SkunkModels Workshop. Their shapes proved hardest to mask.
Meet Erin Lantz
Flanker medium blue: Erin used
Model Master enamels throughout the build, with Russian air force blue for the undersides and as a base for the upper camo.
Pigment wash: To emphasize
detail, Erin mixed black pigment powder with denatured alcohol and applied it to panel lines, rivets, and recesses. After it dried, he wiped the model with paper towels dampened with alcohol.
A LIFELONG RESIDENT of Tampa, Fla., Erin, 40, got started modeling when his mom signed him up for the Young Model Builder’s Club, through which he received a model a month (eventually two a month, thanks to a second membership). Erin’s modeling stopped after high school, but his wife, Michell, got him back into the hobby in 1991. Eventually they started a resin-casting company, Controlled Energy Designs, and were founding members of the Florida Peacekeepers, a science fiction modeling club. Erin will build pretty much anything – Gundam, motorcycles, cars, ships, submarines, airplanes, helicopters, figures, science fiction ships – but 1/32 scale jets and 54mm figures are his favorites.
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DETAILING A ’66 GTO Dressing up an older muscle car kit • BY MATTHEW USHER
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W
hen I’m in the market for a classic muscle car (guess I’ll have to buy a lottery ticket), an early GTO will be near the top of my must-have list. The first GTO I rode in was my friend Larry’s all-black 1966 hardtop, and its long, sleek looks and sledgehammer acceleration are still fresh in my memory decades later. While I wait for my numbers to come in, I’ll have to be satisfied with a slightly smaller injection-molded “Goat.” Revell-Monogram’s 1966 GTO (No. 85-2537) is the best kit of the early (1964-’67) GTO. Released in 1998, the kit is beautifully detailed and really captures the car’s distinctive “Coke bottle” body and purposeful stance. There’s still some room for improvement, though, and a few aftermarket details help set the model apart from a box-stock buildup. I decided to build my GTO as the car might have appeared in the mid-’80s – not quite showroom-new, but a well-cared-for, mostly original “driver” that might have been repainted and received a few tweaks under the hood. Tamiya’s Italian Red (TS-8) spray paint looked like a match for Pontiac’s Montero Red, and ignition wiring would dress up the Tri-Power 389 under the hood.
“Three deuces and a four-speed, and a 389 …” Building Revell-Monogram’s 1/25 scale kit is a great way to celebrate this GTO’s 50th anniversary.
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1 I wanted to dress up the engine compartment without adding every hose and wire, so I decided to add an aftermarket distributor and sparkplug wires. After I assembled the engine block, I trimmed the molded-in spark plugs and drilled holes at each location with a fine bit chucked in a pin vise. The holes are easier to drill after the heads are attached to the larger, easier-to-hold block/transmission assembly.
5 The aftermarket distributor set includes turned aluminum parts, a fret of photoetched-metal parts, and two diameters of wire. I installed the wires in the distributor one-by-one using a fine-point pair of tweezers and gapfilling super glue. At this point, all the sparkplug wires are the same length.
9 I airbrushed the chassis Testors Model Master aircraft interior black (No. 2040). It’s a dead-flat charcoal-gray paint that does a nice job of simulating a fresh application of undercoating. More importantly, it really makes the underside details stand out.
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2 I airbrushed the engine and transmission with SnJ Spray Metal aluminum, (now out of production), but you could substitute Metalizer or Alclad. This gives a realistic aluminum finish. When the paint was dry, I masked the transmission and airbrushed the engine Testor’s Model Master Pontiac engine blue to match the metallic-blue paint Pontiac started using on 1966 models.
6 After gluing the distributor in place, I threaded each wire into its hole, trimmed it to length, and glued it in place. When the wires were secure, I used tweezers to shape and arrange them more realistically. After I was satisfied with the wires, I added the valve covers and carburetor assembly.
10 It’s worth detailing the underside of the engine, too. I added a turnedaluminum Model Car Garage oil filter (No. MCG-310) after I painted it flat orange. Note the contrast between the dark-gray chassis and the suspension and exhaust-system parts.
I wasn’t happy with the finish on my kit’s chrome-plated parts, so I dunked them in Castrol Super Clean until the plating dissolved. I rinsed the parts thoroughly in warm water, then let them air-dry. (Super Clean is strong stuff. Always wear hand and eye protection when you use it, and store and dispose of it properly.)
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4 After I airbrushed the stripped parts high-gloss black with Testors Colors by Boyd high gloss black (No. 52711) enamel, they were “replated” with a light airbrushed coat of Alclad II chrome lacquer. (I used the same technique to refinish the model’s front and rear bumpers, as I’ll show later.)
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The battery mounts at the front of the engine compartment; since it’s so visible, it’s worth taking time to add a little extra detail. I colored the terminals with a silver art pencil, then added a hold-down strap made from Bare-Metal Foil. Both details were quick and simple to add, and make a big difference in the battery’s appearance.
After I cleaned up the drivetrain and suspension components with a sanding stick, I gave them a coat of Tamiya semigloss black paint (No. TS-29).
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There’s a lot of vinyl in a GTO interior. To simulate it with paint, I airbrushed everything Floquil engine black (No. 110010). When the paint dried, I added a coat of Testors Model Master semigloss clear lacquer (No. 2016) with an airbrush. The clear topcoat adds just the right amount of sheen and depth to the parts; they’re shiny bucket seats, without all the Armor-All!
I covered the interior’s chrome trim strips with chrome Bare-Metal Foil, but painted the door handles and window cranks silver. I added black flocking to the floor after brushing on a coat of Elmer’s white glue with a wide paintbrush. “Get a helmet and a roll bar, and I’ll be ready to go ... ”
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The kit’s dash has great molded-in detail straight from the box, and a little extra time painting it really makes the dash a showpiece. The three-spoke Custom Sport steering wheel was a popular option among ’66 GTO buyers. “This little modified Pon-Pon has got plenty of style ... ”
I didn’t like the idea of painting or foiling all of the model’s molded-on emblems, so I decided to remove them and replace them with items from Model Car Garage’s photoetched-metal detail set (No. MCG-2126). I sanded off the emblems with medium- and fine-grit sanding sticks when I prepped the body for primer.
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I let the paint cure for several days, then polished away the rough spots using Tamiya Rubbing/Polishing Compound (No. 87021) and Novus No. 2 plastic polish. I used white cotton flannel to polish out the paint. It won’t scratch the finish, and the bright-white surface makes it easy to see how much paint is removed by the polish.
The GTO has a lot of thin chrome trim. Before I started covering it with chrome Bare-Metal Foil, I “blacked out” my hobby-knife blade with a permanent marker. The black ink cuts down on the reflection between the blade and the foil, making it easier to accurately trim fine lines.
SOURCES
21 I used Scotch Removable Magic Tape (No. 811) to place the emblems on the body. I thinned Micro Kristal Klear with water and used a fine brush to apply it along the edge of each emblem; capillary action pulled the thin glue underneath and secured the parts. After the glue dried overnight, I used a cotton swab moistened with warm water to remove glue from around the emblems, then peeled off the tape. 80 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
Bare-Metal Foil Co.
Model Car Garage
Box 82
2908 SE Bella Rd.
Farmington MI 48332
Port St. Lucie FL 34984
(800) 628-7296
(772) 343-0494
www.bare-metal.com
www.modelcargarage.com
Microscale Industries
Novus Inc.
Box 11950
10425 Hampshire Ave. S.
Costa Mesa CA 92627
Bloomington MN 55438
www.microscale.com
(800) 548-6872
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Tamiya Fine Surface Primer showed that the emblems and mold-separation lines had been removed, and the smooth, white finish made a good base for the Italian Red topcoat. After a few days, I used masking tape to securely attach the body to my low-tech painting stand. (You don’t want the freshly-painted body falling off the stand. Trust me.) After an overall mist coat, I applied a wet color coat 15 minutes later. I heated the can slightly in a glass of warm tap water before I started painting; this helps the paint flow more evenly.
The chrome plating on my kit’s bumpers was scuffed and scratched, so I dunked the bumpers in Castrol Super Clean, sanded away the moldseparation lines, and used Alclad to restore the parts’ shine. To prepare the parts for the Alclad, I gave them a thin airbrushed coat of Testor’s Colors by Boyd high gloss black (No. 52711) enamel. A couple of light airbrushed coats of chrome Alclad gave the bumpers a realistic chrome-like shine. Alclad takes a light touch; apply too much, and the chrome finish starts to look like plain old silver paint.
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Applying all of that chrome trim took several nights. When I was satisfied that all of it was applied and trimmed correctly, I rubbed it down with a clean piece of flannel and gave the body a coat of Novus No. 1 antistatic dust repellant. I installed the windows with two-part epoxy, and dropped the body over the interior and chassis.
Some of the photoetched parts needed paint in their recessed areas. I painted the parts with red enamel, and didn’t worry about “staying inside the lines.” When the paint was dry, I polished the photoetched parts with a three-grit polishing stick to remove paint from the raised areas and give the bare metal a little extra shine.
With photoetched detail parts from Model Car Garage and a few simple detailing tricks, Revell-Monogram’s 1966 “Goat” looks ready to cruise Woodward Avenue, or “turn it on, wind it up, blow it out GTO!” FSM www.FineScale.com
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Portfolio David Manter
David cobbled together leftovers from several Dragon Sherman kits and a Trakz turret to build a U.S. Army M4A1. Additional parts include Friulmodel metal tracks, photoetched-metal details, and a metal barrel. Yellow stripes and insignia mark the tank for service in North Africa.
Creating fantastic armor finishes O System yields good results across diverse collection
nce you’ve seen David Manter’s armor models at a contest, you start to recognize them. Not only does he usually display them on a simple wooden base with a neatly printed label that includes the national flag of the subject’s user, but the modeling is always superb. And it features painting and weathering that seems right on the money. David, winner of many awards at regional and national contests, attributes those results to his weathering method. “I have worked out a system that may not be perfect for everyone but is very consistent, model to model,” he says. “I don’t worry about what the weathering is going to look like.” He starts with dead-flat paint and post-shading, then adds washes and pigments. “All of these techniques have been stolen from other modelers over the years,” David says. “I just put them together into a system that works well for me.”
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It doesn’t give unwanted surprises near the end of a project, he adds. For details, read about David’s weathering system on page 84. A history buff, David builds modern armor, U.S. armor from World War II, and any light tank. “I like the camo patterns on modern stuff,” he says, “and the light tanks because they are so small.” David has dabbled in scratchbuilding and likes to use conversion sets to make his models different, but he enjoys building out of the box “because it makes me work harder on the paint job.” A salesman, David lives in Fort Wayne, Ind., with his wife, Stephanie, and three children, Circe, 20, Weston, 16, and Adam, 9. He built his first model, Lindberg’s X-3 Stiletto, when he was 8, because “the artwork on the box was cool!” His favorite model? “My next one,” he says. “I try to improve with each build.”
“Love the camo!” says David of the PT-76 he marked for Syrian service on the Golan Heights in 1967. He built Trumpeter’s 1/35 scale kit out of the box, but replaced the kit’s vinyl tracks with Friulmodel individual-link metal tracks. The model is painted with Tamiya acrylics and weathered with Mig Productions powdered pigments.
After finding photos of Ukrainian army vehicles serving with coalition forces in Iraq, David updated Dragon’s old BRDM-2 with Eduard photoetched metal. He used Tamiya acrylics for the camouflage, and masked and airbrushed the national markings.
Sometimes a 50-year-old kit is your only option. David says he reworked about 80 percent of Monogram’s 1957-vintage M29 Weasel, scratchbuilding the entire rear section of the vehicle and rudder mechanism as well as the interior. Most of the work was done with sheet styrene. “I was lucky enough to have a local museum that had an M29 that I could photograph for my reference,” David says.
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Portfolio David Manter’s weathering system
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Start with a dead-flat base coat: David recommends Tamiya XF acrylics. “The paint has to be flat because when I apply the pinwash, the flat paint absorbs the paint thinner,” David explains. This advice counters conventional wisdom that a gloss coat helps washes run more evenly. Apply two to five fade coats: David lightens the base color with tan or light gray. “I find white can cause the base color to become chalky,” he says. He applies these colors to panel centers, leaving the edges dark. Once he’s achieved the faded look he wants, David mixes another light shade and adds streaks to represent rain running down the vehicle. Add one to three coats of extremely thin dark brown paint to the entire vehicle, starting at the top (David uses 95% thinner): Filters blend the base layers. “Mig Production filters are great for this,” David says. Add a pinwash: The key here is the dead flat finish. David advises working a section at a time, because the thinner soaks into the flat paint quickly. He starts with three or four artist’s oils: a brown, a black, and a couple of rust shades. “The paint thinner I use is made by Sunnyvale,” David says. “Turpentine will not work for this, as it can turn glossy.” Start by brushing a coat of clear thinner over a section. Then use a fine brush and apply the pinwash to all molded details.
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Before AFV Club released an Israeli Centurion, David converted one of the company’s Mk.5 kits. He reshaped the turret bustle, replaced the main gun with a 105mm barrel from Jordi Rubio, then added smoke dischargers from a Legend kit, Friulmodel tracks, and a Soviet-style searchlight from a Tamiya T-55. Verlinden dry transfers provided the IDF markings.
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“Change colors as you move around the vehicle, and don’t be afraid to mix as you go,” David says. “This will give you a more realistic finish and not such a monotone look.” If the wash gets splotchy, even it out with the large brush used to apply the clear thinner. Don’t soak the pinwash with a bunch of thinner or you’ll remove most of it; just keep the brush damp. “The reason this works is that the surface is wet from the pure thinner that was brushed on first,” David says. “I have taught people this technique, and they always cringe when I put pure paint thinner on a freshly painted surface!” But the Sunnyvale thinner does not affect the Tamiya paint. Paint raised detail with a light shade of the base color: Using Vallejo acrylics because they brush beautifully, David paints individual bolts and the like instead of dry-brushing. “It takes a lot of time, but the results are worth it,” he says. Apply weathering pigments: “I use the Mig Productions line; there is no right or wrong way to apply these,” David says. He mixes a dirt color with paint thinner and applies it to the lower hull, running gear, and front and rear. After the pigments dry, David smooths them with a big, soft brush. “Keep in mind that a little bit will go a long way,” he says. The pigments adhere well to the flat paint. Small amounts, applied dry to the top and sides of the vehicle, tie everything together.
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“I wanted to do a white vehicle to try my weathering techniques,” explains David about building AFV Club’s 1/35 scale Waffentrager Wiesel. He drilled out the headlights, replacing them with epoxy lenses, and added metal antennas. After painting the tank NATO green, he airbrushed it white. The UN markings are from the kit.
“This was payback!” David says of why he built Dragon’s 1/35 scale SdKfz 234/2. Each year, David and his modeling buddies do a kit swap at Christmas time. The aim is to make each modeler build something outside of their normal interest. David is not a fan of German armor, so naturally he ended up with the SdKfz. He modified the suspension to turn the wheels, leaving one off to show the detailed undercarriage. After painting with Tamiya acrylics and weathering with artist’s oils and Mig pigments, David added mud splatters: He mixed weathering pigments with paint thinner, loaded up a brush, and blasted it with an airbrush to throw mud at the model. “Cover your work area if you try this!” he says.
“I like Japanese armor because you don’t see much of it at model shows,” David says. He built FineMolds’ 1/35 scale Type 97 Te-Ke light tank, adding detail and photoetched-metal as well as individual-link tracks. He painted with Tamiya acrylics, then weathered with artist’s oils and Mig Productions pigments. FSM
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A dark camouflage scheme is just what this 1/32 scale Stuka needs for night action.
Paint a Stuka for night attack A dark camouflage scheme readies a Ju 87D for late-night flight BY ROBERT DAVIS
H
asegawa’s 1/32 scale Junkers Ju 87D Stuka (No. 8076) is a nice, easy build. After adding seat belts to the cockpit, metal tubing for the gun barrels, and Quickboost propeller blades, I decided to paint a dark camouflage for night operations.
Construction I started with the cockpit. I sprayed the parts with Testors Model Master schwar86 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
zgrau (RLM 66) followed by Testors Glosscote and a wash with Humbrol flat black. After spraying Testors Dullcote, I dry-brushed the cockpit with a mix of schwarzgrau and titanium white artist’s oil paint to progressively lighten the dark gray. I picked out various details with white, black, red, yellow, and silver enamels, 1. The chipped paint in the cockpit is Model Master chrome silver. I dirtied the floor with Humbrol dark earth, then added
Eduard pre-colored seat belts to the pilot and gunner’s seats and touched up where paint inevitably flaked off, 2. The kit went together easily except for a mismatch of the outer wing panels and the wing center section. It looked worse than it really was; I fixed it with a little super glue and sanding. After everything was assembled, filled, and sanded, the whole thing got a bath in warm water and dish soap. Then it was on to the paint shop.
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Satisfied with the kit-supplied cockpit, I dry-brushed details with mix of Testors Model Master schwarzgrau and titanium white oil paint.
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Before giving the aircraft a coat of Tamiya white primer I masked the cockpit.
Painting After masking the cockpit with Tamiya tape, I gave the model a coat of Tamiya white primer, 3. I shaded the area of the fuselage where the white G would be added with Model Master light ghost gray along the panel lines, then highlighted with flat white in the panel centers, 4. I made a mask for the G with low-tack frisket film, using the kit decals as a guide, 5. Then, I airbrushed the upper surfaces with a mixture of 3 parts Model Master dark green and 1 part raw umber enamels. I faded the centers of the panels with 5 parts of the dark green mix plus 3 parts Model Master skin tone light, 6. Using the handy patterns provided in the kit (thank you, Hasegawa!) and a light box, I cut masks for the dark green areas of the camouflage from low-tack frisket, 7. After masking, I airbrushed the blackgreen areas using a 5:4:1 mix of Model Master dark green, flat black, and insignia blue enamels. Again, I faded the center of
I also added Eduard seat belts and used Testors Model Master chrome silver to give the appearance of chipped paint in the cockpit.
Preparing for markings, I shaded an area of the fuselage with Testors light ghost gray and then highlighted with flat white in the panel centers.
the panels using 2 parts of the same blackgreen mix plus 1 part Model Master navy blue gray, 8. I removed the masks on the upper surfaces and moved on to painting the lower surfaces. I airbrushed the undersides with a mix of 1 part navy blue gray plus 3 parts flat black enamels, and faded the center of each panel with a mix of 4 parts navy blue gray and 3 parts of flat black, 9. I used frisket to make masks for the crosses and the diamond shape that covers the swastika, using the kit decals as a guide. I painted a black band around the aft fuselage and sprayed markings with the same black mix I used on the undersides. I removed the masks and went over the markings again with the airbrush to give them a soft edge, 10, simulating overspraying in the field. Some highlighting was done with the mix I used for the undersides. To prepare for a sludge wash, I unmasked the white G and sprayed the
entire model with a coat of Testors Glosscote, 11.
Weathering I made a sludge wash using Paul Boyer’s article “Easy aircraft weathering” from the November 2001 FSM as a guide. The recipe is simple: 5 parts water, 3 parts liquid dish soap, and 2 parts acrylic paint. (Any basic watercolor or acrylic paint will work for the wash; I made mine with watercolors I found on the clearance rack at my local hobby shop.) I used a black wash on the upper surfaces, and a medium gray wash on the lower, black surfaces, 12. To weather the exhaust pipes, I began with a Humbrol white base coat. Then I randomly applied washes of Humbrol rust, leather, and sand. I dusted on rust-colored pigments, then sealed the whole thing with Dullcote. I painted the bands around the pipes a dark, brownish gray using Humbrol enamels, again adding darker tones on the bottom and lighter tones on top. Finally, I outlined the bands with Testors rubber. www.FineScale.com
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5 I used the kit decals as a guide when cutting a mask for the “G” from frisket.
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I painted the upper surfaces with a mix of Model Master enamels: 3 parts dark green and 1 part raw umber. Then I faded the panel centers using 5 parts of the dark green mix plus 3 parts Model Master skin tone light.
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Using a light box for more visibility, I cut masks for the dark green areas of the camouflage using the kit-supplied patterns.
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After masking, I airbrushed the darker areas of the camouflage using a mix of 5 parts Model Master dark green, 4 parts flat black, and 1 part insignia blue enamels, then faded the panel centers using 2 parts of the same black-green mix plus 1 part Model Master navy blue gray.
On the underside I airbrushed the aircraft with a mix of 1 part navy blue gray and 3 parts flat black enamel, then shaded the centers of the panels with a mix of 4 parts navy blue gray and 3 parts flat black.
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After removing the masks used for the Stuka’s national insignia, I went over the markings again with an airbrush to give them a soft edge, simulating overspraying that happened in the field.
Before applying a sludge wash, I removed the mask over the G and gave the entire model a coat of Testors Glosscote.
I painted the main gear fairings with the same dark green mix used in the topside camouflage (3 parts dark green, 1 part raw umber enamels), again fading the centers of the main panels with the highlight mix. 88 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
The upper part of the fairings, where they meet the wing, was hit with a little of the black to show some overspray. Fabric portions of the fairings were painted shades of Humbrol tans.
Next, I painted the wheels with Model Master rubber for the tires and Humbrol flat black for the wheel hubs. Then, I glosscoated them and washed with flat black enamel. Finally, I applied Dullcote to the
Exhaust
Gun barrel
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I covered the upper surfaces of the aircraft with a black sludge wash and used a lighter, medium gray wash for the lower surfaces.
I used smoke-colored polyester thread for the antenna wire and tightened it by running a lit incense stick underneath it.
I replaced the kit-supplied propeller blades with resin from Quickboost. Note the painted exhaust pipes and added gun barrels.
The canopy frames are correctly scribed on the inside. I painted them by hand with schwarzgrau, then coated the canopies with Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish. The framing on the outside was masked with Bare-Metal Foil and sprayed along with the rest of the model. I decided to replace the kit’s propeller blades with those from Quickboost because the kit’s blades are not appropriate for latermodel Stukas. I painted the propeller and spinner with the black-green mix and highlighted accordingly, dry-brushing the blades chord-wise with increasingly lighter shades of the black-green mixed with flat white, 14. I added paint chipping around the model in appropriate wear areas using silver
enamel (except on the propeller blades, which were made from wood). Traffic areas around the wing roots were dry-brushed with Humbrol dark earth. I also dabbed the bottoms of the wheel spats with dark earth to show where dirt would have been thrown up. Exhaust stains along the fuselage are black and brown pastel dust. I glued the canopy down solid with plastic cement, 15. The pilot’s canopy, center canopy section, and windscreen are kind of fiddly to line up, so a little patience is required. Once the glue was dry, I touched up the paint around the canopy with a brush. After the final touch-ups, my Stuka was all set for a midnight attack. FSM
15 Leaving the rear canopy open, I glued down the rest with plastic cement.
wheels and dry-brushed with Humbrol dark earth to show a little dirt on the tires. I starting rebuilding the gun barrels by cutting the plastic barrel from the base. I drilled out the base and glued in a small piece of wire to serve as an attachment point for the new barrels. I used .052" stainless-steel tubing from a hypodermic needle for the barrels, simply painting them with flat black and rubbing them with graphite powder. Then, I drilled a No. 80 hole in the antenna mast and the vertical fin to accept the antenna wire, 13. The wire itself is smoke-colored clear polyester thread. Once I super glued it in place, I tightened the wire by waving a lit incense stick underneath it. (A hair dryer also works.) I prefer the polyester thread to stretched sprue because it doesn’t snap tight like sprue when heated — easier on the nerves. It’s also a consistent diameter all along its length. However, this thread would probably be too big for smallerscale aircraft.
My finished Stuka appears ready to prowl the night sky.
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Airbrushing and weather Sea blue gloss and exhaust streaks key a Korean War attacker • BY AARON SKINNER Cockpit: Much of the conversion’s focus was in the front office. Danny combined parts from several aftermarket sets with scratchbuilding to reproduce the AD-4B cockpit and instrument panel.
Sea blue gloss: After a coat of Vallejo sea blue, Danny airbrushed layers of acrylic clear gloss, wetsanding between each with MicroMesh sandpaper to achieve a blemishfree finish.
The Douglas Skyraider is best known for service in the Vietnam War, but the aircraft was used extensively in Korea, too. Danny backdated Tamiya’s 1/48 scale kit and applied classic sea blue camouflage to build an AD-4B.
D
Exhaust and oil streaks: The big Wright Duplex-Cyclone engine produced a lot of power as well as extensive exhaust and oil streaks on Skyraiders. Danny airbrushed the exhaust stains with Tamiya acrylics, then added the fluid stains with artist’s oils.
anny Lauderdale has always liked the Douglas Skyraider, especially in the overall dark blue schemes of the 1950s. When he wanted to build one in 1/48 scale, that meant backdating Tamiya’s A-1H to an AD-4B. The extensive list of modifications includes: replacing the antennas and removing the tail beacon; installing modified Cutting Edge weapons racks; cutting out and repositioning the elevators; adding static wicks; adding wires and plumbing to
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the engine; adding Eduard photoetchedmetal and scratchbuilt detail to the wheel wells; and scratchbuilding detail for the landing gear and bomb racks. Danny replaced the cockpit with a combination of KMC, Eduard, and Cutting Edge parts, and a scratchbuilt rear bulkhead. After pre-shading with Tamiya acrylic gloss black, Danny airbrushed the model with Vallejo Aircraft Colors sea blue gloss. He used an Iwata HP-C at 18–20psi and
thinned the paints “way down” — 1 part paint with 3 parts thinner. He uses Tamiya acrylic thinner with a few drops of Winsor & Newton blending medium to slow drying time. “Once the finish coat was complete, I applied acrylic clear gloss over the entire model,” Danny says. After 24 hours, he wet-sanded the surface with Micro-Mesh sandpaper, starting with 2400-grit and progressing to 12000-grit. The water helps remove residue that might scratch or dam-
ing a Skyraider
Rain streaks: To mimic the effects of rainwater running across exhaust stains on the fuselage, Danny lightly sanded the area with fine Micro-Mesh sandpaper. He moved the paper only in a vertical pattern.
age the paint surface. He repainted damaged areas, then reapplied clear gloss and sanded again until the finish was glass smooth. “Another tip that I found useful for a smooth finish was to use a tack cloth just before applying the next coat,” Danny says. “This is especially important when applying your final clear coat.” Danny applied decals next — markings for VA-75 aboard USS Bon Homme Richard in 1952, pieced together from several
Meet Danny Lauderdale DANNY is an aircraft maintenance technician for American Airlines in Tulsa, Okla. A lifelong modeler, the first model he remembers building was Monogram’s 1/48 scale T-28 Trojan, which he attempted to build when he was 6. “My brothers and I would buy models at the local variety store,” Danny says. “When we moved to Tulsa, I had my mom take me to one of the local hobby shops — at that time there were quite a few.” He builds mostly aircraft (aviation has always been an interest), but admits to having a few armor kits in his stash. Danny lives in Tulsa with his wife and four children and is a member of the Historical Miniatures Society of Northeast Oklahoma.
Decals: Danny got markings from several Aeromaster sheets to designate the Skyraider as an aircraft of VA-75 during the Korean War. He sealed the decals under several layers of clear gloss, wet-sanding between each coat until the edge of the decals disappeared.
Aeromaster sheets — then applied more acrylic clear gloss and sanded the surface until everything was smooth and the edge of the decal film was no longer visible. The final finish was acrylic semigloss clear, thinned about 75 percent with water and applied in light coats to the desired finish. The previous Micro-Mesh step “gave it an extremely smooth finish,” Danny says. He applied the Skyraider’s conspicuous exhaust streaks freehand with his Iwata airbrush using Tamiya acrylics — tan, buff,
etc. “I had good photographic references to look at to get this as accurate as possible,” he says. Then, he sanded the sides of the fuselage vertically with Micro-Mesh sandpaper to create rain streaking. Guided by photos, he added oil streaks and stains with artist’s oils, and chipped the paint with a combination of Tamiya acrylic flat aluminum and a silver Prismacolor pencil. Time consuming but definitely worth it, says Danny of his finishing technique. FSM www.FineScale.com
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SPECIAL TRIBUTE
Shep Paine The dioramas of
The creator of many famous miniature scenes remembers his favorite projects BY SHEP PAINE
Editor’s note: Master modeler and diorama maker Shep Paine died in August at age 69. His skill, creativity, and the beauty of his work inspired FSM and modelers worldwide for years. We run this feature, which first appeared in the January 2002 issue of FSM, as a tribute.
W
hen FineScale Modeler asked me to do a retrospective of some of my favorite projects, my first reaction was that I didn’t know where to begin. I had never really thought about my work that way, and whenever people asked if I had a favorite piece, I would usually reply “the next one.” But it seemed appropriate after 30 years to look back and see which projects stuck most prominently in my memory. As I worked my way through my photos, I gradually began to realize that the models that meant the most to me — and the ones of which I had the fondest memories — were the ones from which I had learned the most. I started out painting figures, and have always considered that my “home base.” Of the various figure projects I did in the early ’70s, this model of a Grenadier of Napoleon’s Old Guard carrying the Emperor’s infant son has always held a special place. A baby’s face was far beyond my sculpting skills at the time, but inspiration struck when I realized I could shave down the face of the Historex Empress Josephine. The irony of this, of course, is that Napoleon divorced Josephine because she couldn’t produce the baby I converted her into.
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During the time I was working with Historex figures, I produced a number of three-figure mounted vignettes. The way the “Three Lancers” seem to rise dramatically out of the ground was an important milestone for me, because it marked the first time I became aware of the importance of composition (a fancy term for overall shape, balance and, pose) in diorama design.
After I stopped building Historex figures, I still sculpted occasional figure groupings. “The Union Forever” in 100mm shows Old Abe, the war eagle of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry, at the Battle of Hurricane Creek. For maximum dramatic effect I wanted to have the eagle appear to fly with no visible support — the back of one wing is attached at a single point to the color staff behind him.
“The Scots Greys at Waterloo” was a gamble because the whole grouping is suspended in midair, supported on only two horses’ legs. I wasn’t sure I could pull it off, but running brassrod reinforcements through the supporting legs did the trick.
“The Eve of Essling” was my most ambitious Historex project, comprising 28 mounted figures of Napoleon and his staff. The real challenge turned out to be coming up with a variety of interesting poses and arranging them in a natural, spontaneous manner that avoided the look of a posed group photograph. The figures were completed one at a time over a year. I then spent several weeks arranging and rearranging them until I had a layout that was satisfactory.
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The first tank model I did was in many ways my most ambitious — a 1/25 scale Tamiya Tiger I with a full interior. In 1972 this was the only kit to come with any sort of interior (even then, three-quarters of it had to be built from scratch), and at that time it was also the only tank for which a full set of interior photos was available for reference. Things have certainly changed since then!
“Napoleon at Tomb of Frederick the Great” was my first experience with controlled mood lighting and the adjustable miniature spotlights that create it. The candle flames were also a challenge, and the modelrailroad micro bulbs I used for them became a standard trick in my repertoire.
I always wanted to put an 88mm gun in a church with stained-glass windows. I had a blueprint shop copy a black-and-white design for a stained-glass window onto film, which I then colored with acetate inks. I found the statue in a religious-supply shop. This turned out to be a
controversial piece. Although I cleared this idea with Tamiya before I started, the company was asked to remove it from display at a trade show in Germany, and the German-language catalogs had the stainedglass windows whited out of the pictures!
94 Ultimate Guide to Finishing
“To a Fair Wind … and Victory!” (Nelson and his captains on the eve of Copenhagen) was challenging on several levels: designing the scene so that the small figure of Nelson was the center of attention, creating a festive atmosphere, and, last but not least, modeling the elegant cabinetry and furnishings of the admiral’s cabin. An article on this diorama appeared in the first issue of FineScale Modeler.
The research was the most memorable part of doing Monogram’s B-17. I did a lot of reading, because I wanted an aircraft that was badly shot up but in sufficiently flyable condition to make the landing. I learned, for example, that the important control cables to the tail ran along the upper right side of the fuselage, so this area was carefully kept free of damage.
The “Gun Deck of the Victory” was my first experience (but not my last!) with the use of front-surface mirrors in box dioramas. The mirror effect of the gun deck extending as far as one could see in either direction worked beautifully, which gave me the confidence to try an even riskier special effect — the slow rolling motion of the ship on the open sea. The effect was so subtle that it really startled viewers when they finally noticed it.
The Monogram 1/48 scale P-61 came with all sorts of detachable panels and interior detail, so a maintenance scene was irresistible. This was the first time I cannibalized model railroad parts for additional surface detail, and the effect was better than I’d hoped. To get the proper look, I worked from photos of the original items, cutting and reassembling the parts to simulate the real shapes. While not as accurate as the purist might like, the technique provides 90% of the results of “rivet for rivet” detailing in 10% of the time. This keeps the modeling from degenerating into drudgery, and I offer no apology for it.
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When I did the Monogram 1/48 scale TBD Devastator, I had never modeled transparent water before, and I wanted the submerged parts of the aircraft to be visible. I also wanted the sea to have a realistically choppy appearance. Experiments proved that polyester resin would not distort the plastic when applied in layers, and I found that crumpled aluminum foil (peeled off once the resin set) gave a good ocean texture.
I had more time than usual when building the Monogram 1/32 scale M3 Grant diorama, because the production shots for the new kit were delayed. I filled the time working on the knocked-out Panzer IV that was also part of the diorama, and as the delays extended I was able to put still more detail into it. It was fun working on a project that was uncompromised by deadline pressures.
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I intended to do the “Turret of the Monitor” as a 54mm diorama, but planning soon revealed that the viewing window would be quite small. Since everything would have to be scratchbuilt anyway, I decided to double the figure size to 100mm, which soon became standard for nearly all my boxed dioramas.
The Brummbär scene I did for Monogram was my first attempt at an urban building and was a lesson learned the hard way. As the project developed, it became progressively more complicated. Urban structures call for architectural details and interiors, and interiors require furniture, carpets, curtains, and framed pictures on the walls. Walls need wallpaper and plaster, and plaster walls and ceiling need wood lath and framing to support them. With a one-week deadline for the project, I had my hands full, but it was worth the effort — once.
This was an attempt to carry over to armor models the animation techniques I had developed for Historex horses. The secret to making figures look like they are in motion is to pose them in positions that would be impossible for someone to hold if they weren’t moving. The two jumping figures are suspended in midair, being pinned to the side of the Tamiya 1/35 scale SdKfz. 251 at only one small point. The smoke in the scene was from a cigarette, blown into the scene during the exposure.
I’ve always felt that one of the signs that a box diorama has succeeded is if the viewers’ heads move around as they look into it — if everything can be seen from a stationary viewpoint, it might as well be a painting. For centuries, art students have developed their own abilities by copying the works of the great masters. I have always loved the rich costumes and
martial splendor of Rembrandt’s “Night Watch,” and was curious to see what would happen if it were transformed into three dimensions. Positioning the figures so that they matched the painting exactly called for a lot of patience, but I was rewarded by seeing the viewers’ heads bobbing around in front of it when the diorama was on display. FSM
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Meet the Staff
Modeler’s Mart
Monica Freitag Editorial Associate Years with FSM? All of them — 34! First thing ever built? A 1992 Honda Civic. I owned that car and loved it. Cried when I had to sell it to drive a minivan (became a mom!) First aircraft you flew in? Terrified of flying, I fly selfmedicated with my eyes closed. Couldn’t tell you what the plane was. History likes? Music! Love anything from 1960s Motown to current alternative stuff. I was the Dancin’ Queen in the 1970s. Life outside work? Anything. I enjoy city activities (live music, festivals, markets), fishing in northern Wisconsin, gardening, cooking, grilling. I like food!
Mark Hembree Associate Editor Years with FSM? More than 15, but started modeling Revell’s Gemini capsule in the days when it was flying. First aircraft you flew in? Probably a DC-3 to get to Chicago, where we boarded a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser: “Mommy! There’s a basement in this plane!” History likes? U.S. Civil War, but have seen the Coliseum, Pompeii, the Old City in Jerusalem, London, Paris, Venice, Beijing. Life outside work? Continuing the fun part of my earlier career playing music. I was serious back then (twice Grammynominated). Now it’s just fun (bluegrass and western swing).
Elizabeth Nash Assistant Editor Years with FSM? Uh, several months First thing ever built? Legos. I got a new set every holiday as far back as I can remember. The worst thing in my world back then was getting two thin Lego brick plates stuck together. History likes? Anything ancient! Remember when they actually showed history on the History Channel? I was there in front of my TV watching the construction of the pyramids and day-to-day life of the Aztecs. Life outside work? I practically live in the kitchen. But while sauté, brine, and sear are my favorite verbs, I practice Taekwondo, watch action films, and attend festivals.
Mark Savage Editor Years with FSM? One, but 15 in the hobby world with Kalmbach Publishing. Built my first model, a fighter jet, when jets were a new thing! Favorite flight? Riding in the co-pilot’s seat of my brother’s Cessna Cardinal after he became a pilot (love the views at low altitude). History likes? Anything old and crusty, like me, or reading bios of any U.S. presidents. Favorite history topic, though, is auto racing circa 1955-’75, especially all things Indy 500 related! Life outside work? Play with my grandson, race slot cars, go to IndyCar races, collect die-cast cars, watch history shows on TV; “American Experience” is a favorite.
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Aaron Skinner Senior Editor Years with FSM? Nine, but I’ve been a modeler since I was 5. Favorite flight? My trip aboard a Delta L-1011, but a B-17 ride is a close second. History likes? Post-colonial Southeast Asia ... and pretty much everything else. Favorite sports team? The Rebel Alliance. Favorite color? Blue. No, yellow ... aaaahhhhhhhh!! Life outside work? Modeling, birdwatching, Victorian dancing, sci-fi collectibles, digging holes in the backyard, and modeling. Favorite movie? “Wrath of Khan” ... “Fury Road.” No wait, “Aliens.” Or “Empire Strikes Back.” Do I really have to pick just one?
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Aaron Skinner’s new book shows you how to complete the entire airbrushing process, from planning to execution. This comprehensive guide contains 600+ step-by-step photos so you’ll quickly master these valuable techniques.
P26747
#12485 • $22.99
Buy now from your local hobby shop! Shop at KalmbachHobbyStore.com 2BKSM
