1/72 Scale USN F4-L USS Hancock 1978

[Gondor]

Acylic or enamal?

Liquid reamer/Airbrush cleaner would shift it if its acylic paint. Ive used it very spareingly in the past on some builds to remove bleed throu. I apply some to a q-tip/cotton bud and gently wipe the paint away. I would recomend experimenting on a scrap model first as I may have just been lucky so far not to cause any harm to clear parts that ive cleaned up

Halfords Plastic Primer with a top cote of Halfords Appliance White. Think I will just sand it as that should be easy enough to do.

Gondor

[Gondor]

The canopy is now clear again. It will get a coat of Klear in the near Future, (did you SEE what I did there?) then I will start on the Grey of the uppersurfaces.

Somehow lost a clamp from one of the weapons pylons  its going to bug the h£ll out of me unless I pinch one from elsewhere seeing that I have no spares 

Gondor

[Captain Canada]

Painted grey with gray and used klear to make the canopy look clear ?

Good luck finding you clamp too. You might have better luck if you turned on an extra lamp  

[Gondor]

Painted grey with gray and used klear to make the canopy look clear ?

Good luck finding you clamp too. You might have better luck if you turned on an extra lamp  

Actually I do have two lamps on my bench. The main one I use has a Magnifying Glass in the middle and two Daylight bulbs either side of the glass. The second lamp is a simple angle poise lamp.

Gondor

[NARSES2]

The main one I use has a Magnifying Glass in the middle and two Daylight bulbs either side of the glass.
Gondor

How effective do you find that ? Thinking of getting one

[Gondor]

The main one I use has a Magnifying Glass in the middle and two Daylight bulbs either side of the glass.
Gondor

How effective do you find that ? Thinking of getting one

I find it quite effective although working on the bench while looking through the magnifier takes a little getting used to. As I used to work on rather fine pitch IC's in the electronics industry while using similar devices I took to it like the proverbial duck to water. Only problem I have is trying to remember not to breath out through my nose when using the glass as it steams up 

Anyhow, The demarcation lines for the White/Grey have been put in place and the canopy given a coat of Klear so I start with the Grey tomorrow as I am out tonight and first thing tomorrow.

Gondor

[zenrat]

The main one I use has a Magnifying Glass in the middle and two Daylight bulbs either side of the glass.
Gondor

How effective do you find that ? Thinking of getting one

Good for doing spark plug wiring, fuel lines and throttle return springs on 1/25 engines but as Gondor says - takes some getting used to.  Mine has a circular flouro tube around the lens.

This build has inspired me to order a Hasegawa F4-EJ from HLJ.

[Gondor]

Started painting the upper surfaces today. The progress so far is....





A bit rough and ready but it is only the first coat of Grey. Not much touching up to do to the canopy though even though I hand painted it. I am finding that the trick is to paint the same way that sign painters paint, long bristles and a well loaded brush then use simple steady strokes of one movement.

Gondor

[NARSES2]

Thanks for the info on the magnifier gents   I currently use the ones you wear and view through my own specs

I think I'll leave it until the Sunday at Telford. I can then take a kit and have a longish chat with them on the stand whilst looking at the kit parts. Won't be as busy as Saturday plus the young lady was quite attractive last year 

[Captain Canada]

Looking good Alastair. Love the shape of the Phantom and the way she looks in grey. I really need to build an RAF example for my shelf. And the painters trick ? Are you talking about for the canopy frame ?

[Gondor]

Looking good Alastair. Love the shape of the Phantom and the way she looks in grey. I really need to build an RAF example for my shelf. And the painters trick ? Are you talking about for the canopy frame ?

I was. As it was a clean and clear surface once I got a good solid coat on first time I don't need to do anything other than tidy up the edges where I went over slightly.
Second coat of Grey is on and looking at applying a third this evening which should finish that colour off.

Gondor

[Gondor]

This was going so well until I started to put paint on it. I will persevere though as I am sure the decals will lift the aircraft from the doldrums that I am feeling about it.
The blending of all the parts had gone very well, the reattachment of the nose to the fuselage was almost invisible and I had also made a good job of blending in the Hasegawa parts onto the Fujimi airframe. The paint looks as if its been applied by a five year old with poster paints and a 1/4 inch brush 

Hopefully it will look ok if sat at the back of the stand 

Gondor

[zenrat]

Satin clear (hides a lot IME) and then weather the f##k out of it?

Chris - I suggest you don't just look at parts but take some tweezers and a paintbrush and simulate putting them together & painting them.  In particular see how you feel about focal changes as you move parts towards your eyes.

[Captain Canada]

The model itself looks excellent, and like you say, once decalled and weathered it's going to be perfect ! Keep at 'er !

[NARSES2]

Chris - I suggest you don't just look at parts but take some tweezers and a paintbrush and simulate putting them together & painting them.  In particular see how you feel about focal changes as you move parts towards your eyes.

Cheers mate, very sound suggestion