Chronic's Research and Aeronautics Project (C.R.A.P.)

[TheChronicOne]

 

Amazing how that works, innit!!!

Reminds me of the time back in 2012 when I didn't get paid for 6 weeks yet I still kept up with the job... and paying the overhead. Just after the 6 week mark I said, "I'm not working another minute until the balance is paid."  Funny how within the next couple of days I got paid my money although the cheap bastards shafted me on half a weeks worth. I was GUARANTEED to be paid the equivalent of a 40 hour week whether I worked one hour or 100 so this clown was in violation of the terms of my employment. All I skipped out on was HALF A DAY but got got HALF A WEEK taken away. A bunch of sorry b@astards for sure.  Anyway.... I went ahead and had the guy running the National Cemetery where I did the work put in the official paper work with the Feds, outlining how I'd work for weeks on end without a dime worth of pay and I doubt highly they ever were awarded any more contracts with the gov't. Serves them right.

[TheChronicOne]

Stopping to clean up the modelling space here and re-organize everything before I get back to work on the Morningstar. I'd love to get the wings glued on today.

Also, I've been researching the paint issue.... ya know... can I sand an polish the silver paint without wrecking it??  So far no answers but I have only done a tiny bit of looking so far. I'll do that in the break time portions of building the Morningstar.

Looking forward to 2018, this is my next kitbash stuff up for consideration:



Straight up wing/engine swap. I'll have a look at the plastic at some point today and see if the stuff is even compatible. High wing set up might not jive with mid-wing set up. If I can make it work, though, I think both aircraft would look pretty cool!

[DogfighterZen]

Also, I've been researching the paint issue.... ya know... can I sand an polish the silver paint without wrecking it??

I've never really done experiments on polishing silver paint but i guess it depends on the paint type you're working with and to be honest, i don't know much about it. I've only used Tamiya "acrylic" metallic colors so far and those can be a bit buffed but i figure one has to let it dry completely and be careful during the polishing process to avoid scratches.
I've tried buffing X-11 Silver and that came out ok, although not mirror like, but glossy. This Mustang was brush painted with X-11 Silver, straight from the bottle, no thinning, the surface of the model wasn't even clean when i painted it. It was left unfinished for about a year and then i lightly buffed the silver paint with a clean cloth, before painting the rest of it. Can't remember if i gloss coated it with floor polish before decalling but i think i did.





Not the best example, your NMF finishes look way better than what i've achieved so far so, i should be asking you for advice.

[kitnut617]

I always polish/sand the silver paint on the models I paint with a NMF or even the speed silver Brit planes got painted with, but you use very fine grit sandpaper, like 1600 grit and always with water. You rub very lightly, then apply more paint, repeat the process until you're satisfied. I then always seal it with a clear coat. I use enamels for the silver and acrylic clear coat, usually gloss clear.

[zenrat]

I have buffing metalisers but I find they tend to buff off too easilly on raised detail.
My best results come from using silver car paint from a rattle can with an appropriate clear coat over it.  Trial and error is required to find the closest match with smallest flake size as the lids never match the paint that closely.
I don't sand or polish the car paint as that can mess with the metallic particles.  I polish the underlying primer and undercoat though before I spray and try really hard to get a good finish.
I use Bare Metal Foil on model cars for the chrome trim but have yet to try it out on a whole plane.

[TheChronicOne]

Portu-stang is awesome, DFZ!!

It occurred to me finally that I still have that stand that I started working on that has the same type of paint on. I think instead of being so chicken and too terrified to work on the Mitsubishi, I'll get back to doing my experiments on the stand instead. The whole point of the Mitsu was to experiment on but I just can't bring myself to do it because I really do like how it looks right now and ... gosh... it would be a shame to mess it up. 

Anyway, I need to just stop being so scared to get on with it and just get in there and do something. I'll never get anywhere like this. 

I went outside today and took some more pictures of almost all of my models. Man, that C-Fury.... totally without a doubt one of my favorites. Truth be told, orange peel or no this paint is really nice stuff and it doesn't really take much "extra" to have a good result. I can't remember now ( ) but I think I took all the pictures of the C-Fury inside?  If so, these outside pictures are good to have. 



Here's one...... stay tuned for a massive-ish picture dump coming late this evening.  Everything I've built in the last year and half since I got back to the hobby was included (minus two BIG ones and the MiG-27 that I completely forgot).  Needless to say I took some more of the C-fury not only with the others but by itself as well.

[TheChronicOne]

If you like pictures.... this post is for you. I left out 5 aircraft builds: The 1/48 U2 Interceptor, Vatican City MC 205, the TU-4 Bull in Cuban service, Soviet Apache, and the 1950's era USAF Mig 27. I'll add some of these at the end, but, they will be old pictures. Also omitted are my Sci-Fi stuff. Just focusing on planes for now.

Anyway....  I did a bunch of "groupings" and "pairings" based on certain things like size, colors, like aircraft, and other more random considerations such as "for the hell of it":














































(Grouped together because both are "Star Trek" universe)

[DogfighterZen]

See what i mean? That C-Fury is way shinier than my Mustang, it looks so smooth!!
I suffer from the same type of fear when it comes to untried techniques or cutting up kits, it takes me at least a couple of days to build up courage while looking at a certain model and trying to visualize how i'm going to do whatever is scaring me... planning the steps always helps but there are those things that we just can't predict the outcome no matter how much we plan ahead.
Re the Portu-Stang, gotta buy a kit and build a better version... might even try a 1/48 Tamiya, looks like a great kit...  the detail on bigger kits is starting to exert a weird influence on my wishlist, i may end up buying more 1/48 kits in the future... and new shelves to display them on, once built.

Excellent collection, but that C-fury sure stands out, very good indeed, thanks for the pics!

[TheChronicOne]

You bet!!

I'm surprised the site let me post so many pictures at once. 

There goes the bandwidth! 

DEFINITELY do the Portu-Stang again in 1/48th.......

[DogfighterZen]

DEFINITELY do the Portu-Stang again in 1/48th.......

That would really mess with a few Portuguese JMNs i know... they'd be twice as outraged as they were with the 1/72 build... imagine if i manage to do a good job of it, that would be too much for them to take, probably would put a price on my heretic head...

[TheChronicOne]

 

ALL THE BETTER, dude!!  Lovin' the train of thought here. 

On that note and a bit of a coincidence concerning the whole rivet counting aspect, I posted a couple pics of my fake U2 Spyplane on the "1950s-1980s USAF Aircraft" page and getting some funny comments and some slightly "aggro" ones. It's not a modeling page but they are posted from time to time.. just has to fit the criteria of the page name...  but it's funny watching some of these people squirm. 

I mean... some people act like they are downright offended.... angry even!     Not really experiencing that here, but something approaching it with some of the comments.


EDIT:  Man I got distracted with this stuff^^ and forgot the whole reason why I stopped back by. 

I'm finally back to work on the Morningstar...  7:30PM before I got started but the rest of the stuff I did today was necessary and actually pretty fun. I enjoyed the "class pics." 

ANY HOW.... I sanded the utter daylights out of the sides of this thing again up at the front and also the sides. Front seems ok, I'll know more when I prime. The sides I'm less worried about looks than I am fitment between the fuselage and wings. It was like a teeter totter... so I took files and low grit paper to it and improved it.

I also sanded up the Ailerwrongs and glued them to the wings. I think they'll look just fine. NOW, I'm finally gluing wings on so to that end:


The United Kingdom's "S.M.A.R.T Morngingstar."  Will let you all in on the abbreviation stuff at the end. I still need to come up with some type of number/letter designation though.... something like "XT-49A" or something.

[TheChronicOne]

Well, I have the wings on. They sit on here very well and it can sit it here upside down on the flat surface to keep them level. Handy rock to keep it flush with the desk...



Video games can kiss my arse right now.

I need to start filling in the big open spaces up top where wing pieces from the Vigilante would have went and also putty the seams before I move on.....

After this will be time to glue on the canopies. The glass for them can go in dead last, which I love!  That said, the fitment of the canopies to the fuselage is terrible and will require some work.

[DogfighterZen]

It is "dangerous" to post whifs on those groups, some people just don't get it and think that they have the right to tell others what they can and can't do... which makes it even more fun to read their childish comments and just answer back with another whif model... 

The Morning Star is beginning to shine...

[TheChronicOne]

^^

Love it.... 

Moving forward, let's take a look at the wing root gaps that I will need to fill, and the open areas where the Vigilante wing connections would have went:



The actual space between wings and fuselage aren't so bad!!!  Putty should work really well in here and, while I'll have to mask over the panel lines to keep from erasing, I think they will PSR well.

The "holes" there, however, will require a bit more work. I don't want to just slather putty in there and risk shrinkage so I'll grab my box full of empty sprue and throw a bunch of that crap in them holes with some glue.     



This kitbashing stuff can become addictive... pretty fun.

[DogfighterZen]

The "holes" there, however, will require a bit more work. I don't want to just slather putty in there and risk shrinkage so I'll grab my box full of empty sprue and throw a bunch of that crap in them holes with some glue.     

This kitbashing stuff can become addictive... pretty fun.

Good thinking, too much putty can be hazardous to a kit, found that out the hard way...
Kitbashing is fun, yes sir. I haven't done many but i enjoyed the ones i did.