**** DONE: 1/48 Arado AR 196-A2 - Seaplanes / Floatplanes of WWII (1 Viewer)

Ad: This forum contains affiliate links to products on Amazon and eBay. More information in Terms and rules

Vic, that MG sticking out of the fuselage. Is it an MG? I thought it was a pitot tube. The italeri piece does not look like an MG (to me anyway) and the instructions do not name the parts. As an MG I assume it would then fire through the hole in the cowling?
I've read a lot about the pre-shading of panel lines, never tried it so it will be very instructive to see how it turns out on your model
Looking very nicely done, I like your additions
 
Definitely not a pitot tube. These need to be mounted in undisturbed air to work properly. That's why you often see them sticking out of mainplane or vertical stabilizer leading edges.

Great details Vic and happy anniversary!
 
Thanks folks for the good wishes.

Mike, just to confirm that is a machine gun, a 7.92 mm MG17. There are also a couple of 20mm in the wings which look to go where there are a couple of wing blisters and some sort of capping arrangement. Have not been able to find any pics that give clear or even detail of fitment.
 
Last edited:
hi Vic

happy anniversary to you and the missus man. well done. makes me think about my own situation. Been married once before, this time around its just over 11 years and still hanging in there. My wife is one long suffering and incredibly patient gal i can tell you. im not the easiest person to co-habitate with....

When you re-surface I do have a question. Is the way that youve darkened up the panel lines that youve applied a dark overspray and then sanded back leaving obnly the dark colour inside the line indentations?

What is the procedure if the panel lines are the raised bits of the skin?

These are all optional questions. Its your build, and Im not intending to derail thread by asking sily questions. im just very intersted to learn about how to apply "panel line" finishes like that....
 
Michael, not a silly question and I'm only too glad to share. As mentioned to Mike earlier, this method of panel line enhancement is very experimental, I've not seen or read of this method being used before, so fingers crossed.

I should say the idea came from reading an article where felt tipped pen was used. But, this as one would expect, simply by the use of a felt tipped pen turned into a disaster for the modeller. Felt tip is not very kind to paint application and will either instantly or in time work its way up through any over paint. However, if using like but thinned paint, in theory it should work.

What I have done is diluted some black paint with thinners, a ration of roughly one third paint – two thirds thinners. Taking a fine brush (I used a long haired 20/0 brush) I've dipped it in the paint mix and then lightly dabbed the tip on some kitchen paper to remove the blob from the end of the brush and then run the brush slowly along the panel line, frequently dipping, dabbing and brushing. I worked on the parallel lines of one side of half a wing first. Any excess paint that flows onto the surface either side I left until I completed this first stage. By this time the paint should be starting to dry so taking a 'Q' tip, gently run it along the side of the panel line to remove most of the excess. This will leave a deep black line in the panel line and a lighter shade either side. Having done the parallel lines, you now repeat the process on the vertical.

The hope is that when the main lighter colour for this build is applied, the darker shade will show a darkening in the panel lines and surrounding areas. This may also mean that some effort is required to not spray heavily on the panel lines but still apply a good coat between the lines. Only trial and error and time will tell.

As for raised panel lines, my only suggestion is to use these as a guide to scribe the main areas with sunken panel lines, then sand or scrape the raised lines back to the plastic level.
 
One of the tips I've read for raised panel lines is to paint the panel lines the weathering color you want to show, paint your camo colors and then, using fine sand paper, very, very carefully remove the paint from the raised panel lines. Sounds very time consuming and probably prone to upsetting the paint around the panel lines. However, I have seen the end result in magazines and it does look pretty good if done right.

Geo
 
thank you so much guys. i will crawl away and cogitate on this advice some......its for my PBY and i dont want a uniform black or near black if i can learn how to do an alternative. i need to practice this somewhere i think....my cannobalised P-38 frame may get a use after all.....
 
Vic, going back to paint mine gunmetal. Could the 20mm cannons be behind what looks like headlights (that's what I thought they were) sticking out of the leading edge of the wing? Now that I look closely at the pic you sent I can see the cannon barrels of the wing

Michael, the pannel-line method I use is to go over all sunken panel lines with a very fine pencil (>0.5) sharpened to a chisel point after you apply you final paint coat. If I recall properly it is something I learned from Wayne and I think that there is a tutorial from Wayne on it. I just finished the lines on the Arado so check for posted pics. While it looks like a lot of darkening when you initially pencil in the lines when you spray with Future, apply decals, and overcoat once again with Future/Flat Clear the lines will not appear so dark. I used this method on my Horton posted below
The pre-shading can be done with an airbrush as well as a brush since you are going to spray your regular color over the darkened lines. There are also "paint sticks" which work like a permanent marker but which contain actual paint so the lines could be pre-shaded with one of these.
I have never tried the preshading so I will also be watching Vics results
 

Attachments

  • DCP_1562.JPG
    DCP_1562.JPG
    47.2 KB · Views: 111
Im thinking about doing this for some of the panel lines on my PBY. Trouble is, from what ive read, i should have scribed these lines (which i read as widening the gap) before assembly. ive started assembly and have not scribed. these lines are pretty fine so it might be too late this time around. Second thing is....the background colour is a black or a very dark grey....i would need to do these panel lines a lighter grey to make it work, which means a very fine and high quality brush I guess. Really thinned down paint application. hmmm what would happen to the blacker colour underneath that thinned down paint application of a lighter colour.... too many variables for me to deal with this time around methinks.

Sorry Vic, I will retreat at this point mate.
 
Michael, not a silly question and I'm only too glad to share. As mentioned to Mike earlier, this method of panel line enhancement is very experimental, I've not seen or read of this method being used before, so fingers crossed.

I should say the idea came from reading an article where felt tipped pen was used. But, this as one would expect, simply by the use of a felt tipped pen turned into a disaster for the modeller. Felt tip is not very kind to paint application and will either instantly or in time work its way up through any over paint. However, if using like but thinned paint, in theory it should work.

What I have done is diluted some black paint with thinners, a ration of roughly one third paint – two thirds thinners. Taking a fine brush (I used a long haired 20/0 brush) I've dipped it in the paint mix and then lightly dabbed the tip on some kitchen paper to remove the blob from the end of the brush and then run the brush slowly along the panel line, frequently dipping, dabbing and brushing. I worked on the parallel lines of one side of half a wing first. Any excess paint that flows onto the surface either side I left until I completed this first stage. By this time the paint should be starting to dry so taking a 'Q' tip, gently run it along the side of the panel line to remove most of the excess. This will leave a deep black line in the panel line and a lighter shade either side. Having done the parallel lines, you now repeat the process on the vertical.

The hope is that when the main lighter colour for this build is applied, the darker shade will show a darkening in the panel lines and surrounding areas. This may also mean that some effort is required to not spray heavily on the panel lines but still apply a good coat between the lines. Only trial and error and time will tell.

As for raised panel lines, my only suggestion is to use these as a guide to scribe the main areas with sunken panel lines, then sand or scrape the raised lines back to the plastic level.

Mr. Balshaw, you are doing a wonderful job!
 
Slow progress guys, couple of bad days, very damp, not contusive to spraying of pics, but some progress has been made and were just waiting on the rain to stop or the morning mists to disperse.

Maybe tomorrow!
 
It was colder in Canberra than at Hobart the other day......

Nice work Vic old boy.

***Just took a glance at your floats. They have a "spreader bar". Since Mine does Not! I may add a couple when I string it, then remove them at the end!!!!! It'll keep me from distorting everything pulling on the wires.....
 
Last edited:
That spread bar is very flexible me old mate, almost came a cropper today while I was fiddling with then.

Looks like I may also be out of luck with the spraying again tomorrow, forecast wet, windy, lashing rain and damn cold.
 
its been cold and miserable here in central NSW as well. I spent the day gluing things after i was driven from the garden

gotta say vic, your stuff is inspirational for me
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back