Kitbasher's blog: City slicker turned beach bum

[kitbasher]

Yep, used in steel production I believe (anthracite, not the Revell paint!) due to its excellent burning properties and therefore heat output.

[NARSES2]

Yep, used in steel production I believe (anthracite, not the Revell paint!) due to its excellent burning properties and therefore heat output.

Put my old work hat on here  

Anthracite is used for steam raising in steel works but hasn't been used in the steel making process (in the UK at least) since the early 20th Century. Iron making (Blast Furnaces) uses coke which strangely comes from coking coal. I won't go farther for all our sanity's  

Re your use of enamels Dave - I to am a brush painter and must admit I have no trouble with Xtracrylic but then again I don't get your standard of finish   As for Humbrol acrylics I find they dry out in the pot, not a problem as they can soon be sorted with water. My favourite acrylics however are Lifecolor. The original "clear" bottles dried out rather like Humbrol but the new "opaque" ones don't seem to. Again good old tap water is all you need.

The only problem with Lifecolor is getting them, but the Aviation Hobby Shop is the main stockist  

I've just started using some Vallejo Model Colour and they are good as well

[JayBee]

I've just started using some Vallejo Model Air and they are good as well

Interesting Chris, as far as I understand the Vallejo Model Air range is the stuff that is intended for airbrushing being pre-thinned and having finer ground pigment. Does it brush well?

Mind you it is a bit of a moot point as I can not get that range anywhere near here. We do have a local model shop which does stock Vallejo standard range but he is very armour orientated. So what is available is rather limited.

Jim

[NARSES2]

I've just started using some Vallejo Model Air and they are good as well

Interesting Chris, as far as I understand the Vallejo Model Air range is the stuff that is intended for airbrushing being pre-thinned and having finer ground pigment. Does it brush well?

Jim

Sorry Jim, I meant Vallejo Model Colour  which is the one designed to brush. Thins well with water

[kitbasher]

BH-3 day 4: all primed.  May get up a bit earlier in the morning to apply the first of the three upper surfaces camouflage colours, so I can put the second one on in the evening before the weekend layoff.

Anthracite:  thanks for the clarification Chris.  New it had something to do with steel ('O' level knowledge never leaves you!).

As for acrylics, must try out some Lifecolor and Vallejo.  I have looked at them and considered buying them, but always default to enamels.  Humbrol matts make good bases for Xtracolor topcoats, I've found.

[NARSES2]

As for acrylics, must try out some Lifecolor and Vallejo.  I have looked at them and considered buying them, but always default to enamels.  Humbrol matts make good bases for Xtracolor topcoats, I've found.

Next time you need to top up the basic colours on your pallet give Vallejo a go. I was a little sceptical about the eye dropper type bottle at first but it works fine. Shake the bottle, small drop of paint onto a pallet, add water to taste "et voila". Very, very little waste which was one of my concern to start with.

[kitbasher]

BH-3 latest: two of the three upper surface colour applied.  The recommended Humbrol 83 seemed a tad garish, so I toned it down with some Humbrol 84.

That's it for the weekend, up in Brum and popping in t Midlands Expo on Sunday for a couple of hours.  Will be looking out for a Kopro 1/72 Piper Cub.  Last of the big spenders, me!

[Martin H]

Does it matter if it has floats?

Ive got one in the stash that im unlikely to build anytime soon.

[kitbasher]

That's a generous offer Martin, looking for the wheeled version and from what I've seen on t'interweb the wheels aren't included as an option in the floats version. Need to check the spares box to see what could be adapted before saying one way or another.

[kitbasher]

Pah! I can make the u/c - PM how much you asking for it Martin. 

[Martin H]

we can haggle over it tomorrow at the Brum show

[kitbasher]

Dark brown on the BH-3 tonight.  Some touching upof the tan/ochre shade and possible silver undersides tomorrow.

[kitbasher]

Sod's Law.
Just when you think your quick build is going swimmingly......
.....the decals act up.

BH-3 all painted and ready for its markings.  Nicely printed sheet and decals go on well.  A bit of splitting along the upper aileron but nothing a little paint can't sort.

Then the bummer: there's a white square either side of the fuselage and a choice of two are provided.  Selecting the one with the black outline the first is applied.  Sticks immediately in the wrong place at the wrong angle AND WILL NOT BUDGE.  No matter what.  And of course it breaks up.
So, remove all traces and apply remaining outlined square; not quite the right angle - able to move it about but small corner piece detaches and that will not budge from its new resting place.  Remove detached scrap.  And then the top of the B in one of the serial numbers (BH-3.5) breaks off.  

Sense of humour being tested now.

So tomorrow - a day of anticipated joy and celebration at the the thought of finishing the build - will now be spent adding a black border to the damaged outlined square, adding a black border to the border-free square and touching up paint here and there.  Friday (hopefully) will see the gun muzzles and windscreen attached and the BH-3 given a coat of matt varnish and done.  If so it'll have taken about an hour a day for 12 days to complete.  Could be a lot worse!

[kitbasher]

BH-3 News: touching up with paint tonight - sorting the damaged decals will have to wait until the weekend.

It really is a nice little kit and I would recommend it to anyone.  OGL it transpires has built several over the years - and still has some in the stash - and will vouch that it's nice to build.  Also has whiffing potential - think WW1 Junkers monoplanes and JMN spoofing potential.

[kitbasher]

Huzzah!  BH-3 finished:


Looks like a decent new Dr Who (start a campaign now for William Shatner as the new Master - originally rumoured a year or more ago, BTW).

And finally its now time to concentrate on the Bristol Beaumaris.