**** DONE: GB-43 1/32 Spitfire Mk.VIII - Aces' Aircraft of all Eras

[Airframes]

Some progress on the exhausts, but still some work to do.
After further sanding and clean up, a base coat was applied, being a mix of Xtracolor Natural Steel enamel with a touch of Humbrol Matt Black.
Once dry, some 'burnt' tones and exhaust gas discoloration were added, using shades of grey, pink and brown, brushed on with one of those eye liner 'wands', getting progressively lighter toward the rear of each exhaust stack.
Once this has fully dried, a little more light coloured toning will be applied, using thinned colours, with a final clear coat to smooth out the surface finish.
The completed exhausts will be fitted after the model has been painted and the final clear coat applied.

I was hoping to get some more done tonight, but I've just been 'roped in' to play in a skittles match - wow, really exciting, yawn !
But, as I have to stay in tomorrow, waiting for a delivery from Hannant's, I should have plenty of time to get the exhausts finished, and move on to masking the model and spraying the Dark Earth.
The tones don't show up too well in the pic below, but should stand out more when the exhausts are fitted to the painted model.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Much better than originally cast. Very good.

 

[fubar57]

Some nice detail work Terry

 

[Wayne Little]

Sweet Terry.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks chaps.
Still some work to do on the exhausts, but I should have them finished today, and get the Dark Earth sprayed on the model.

 

[Airframes]

Been having a somewhat frustrating time since last night, trying to spray the Dark Earth.
After spending over an hour masking the underside demarcation, I prepped the airbrush in my usual fashion, spraying neat thinners to ensure everything worked, and that the spray pattern was how I wanted it, and then mixed the paint and thinners, ready for spraying.
The first couple of passes, on the rudder, where fine, and then the airbrush refused to spray.
Empty the paint cup, strip down, clean and check and carry on spraying.
Same result, and I figured that the clutch, or the needle locking nut was slipping, or both, as the 'brush was really struggling.
So, having had enough, I gave up for the night, cleaned up, stripped, cleaned and re-assembled the 'brush, and went to bed.

Tried again today, mixing a new batch of paint and thinners, and had the same problem - the 'brush was really struggling, rather like trying to push a length of string uphill. More stripping, cleaning and adjusting, and it would spray, unevenly, and then struggle once again, and at one point, I could feel air escaping from somewhere, although only lightly, and moisture collecting in the in-line water trap / filter.
Having checked all the connections, I knew these were fine, so perhaps the braided hose is worn, and letting in moisture from the air. (no problem, I have another couple of brand new hoses).
I persevered for a while ( a while = around two hours !) managing to get a rather patchy, thin coat on the fuselage and the port wing, with the 'action' of the 'brush being constantly adjusted to cope, and then I noticed that the trigger was getting rather stiff, finally packing up altogether.
And to cap it all, as I went to replace the lid on the paint tin, I knocked it over, spilling half the contents of a brand new tin of Dark Earth !
Needless to say, the component parts of the airbrush are now spread around various parts of the room, having bounced off at least two of the walls at a fair rate of knots !!!
Fortunately, this was a cheap, temporary replacement I got nearly two years ago, after being burgled when, among other things, my compressor and other airbrushes were stolen, so no major loss, and I guess that after two years' use, I've had my money's worth.

So, I've ordered another 'brush, which hopefully will be with me by early next week (why does this sort of thing always seem to happen on a weekend ??!!), but it means that this stage of the build has temporarily stalled, although I suppose I can get on with the prop and undercart.

The pics below show the situation to date, with the (still wet) paint looking patchy. The two small patches on the starboard aileron give some idea of how poorly the paint was spraying.

 

[Wurger]

Oh boy.. I hope you can get all that sorted out soon.

 

[Crimea_River]

The effect achieved, though through challenging circumstances, will look fine in my opinion.

 

[Airframes]

Me too !
It's stopped the momentum, but to keep the current enthusiasm going, I might make a start on a 1/32nd scale Hurricane Mk.1, cutting bits off the old Revell kit !

Thanks Andy, but it looks worse "in the flesh". I should be able to get it sorted, though I had hoped to get the painting done by the end of the weekend.

 

[Crimea_River]

Every day is a weekend to retired guys like us.

 

[Airframes]

True, with the working week being the hour or so needed for shopping - for more kits or accessories !!

 

[Red 3]

Hey Terry, sorry for your frustrations, been following your build with interest. Great job so far, really looking forward to finished pics.
Which airbrush did you select for your replacement? Would this be a good pick for a starter brush for a rookie like myself?

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Alan.
I've ordered a AB130, a double action, gravity fed 'brush, the type I used to have, which is inexpensive, but works very well. It has a 0.25mm nozzle, so fine lines are no problem.
I've had a few of these, including those which were stolen, and they normally last around 3 to 5 years before any 'major servicing' is required, when it's often more economical to just buy another one, and keep the other as a spare, for general, large area use.
Price-wise, they're much cheaper to buy than, say, an Iwata (and look and work the same), so even if it needs replacing after a few years, it still works out to be cost effective.
The 'brush that's just died on me is a cheap copy of the AB series, but even that has lasted two years, and could probably be salvaged by replacing seals, trigger spring etc, but it's not really worth the effort and cost to do so,.
I use "Everything Airbrush" as my supplier, and their service and backup is very good.

 

[Red 3]

Thanks Alan.
I've ordered a AB130, a double action, gravity fed 'brush, the type I used to have, which is inexpensive, but works very well. It has a 0.25mm nozzle, so fine lines are no problem.
I've had a few of these, including those which were stolen, and they normally last around 3 to 5 years before any 'major servicing' is required, when it's often more economical to just buy another one, and keep the other as a spare, for general, large area use.
Price-wise, they're much cheaper to buy than, say, an Iwata (and look and work the same), so even if it needs replacing after a few years, it still works out to be cost effective.
The 'brush that's just died on me is a cheap copy of the AB series, but even that has lasted two years, and could probably be salvaged by replacing seals, trigger spring etc, but it's not really worth the effort and cost to do so,.
I use "Everything Airbrush" as my supplier, and their service and backup is very good.

Thanks Terry.
Found my old stock of cans the other day, while looking for something else! I'm still having trouble getting back the enthusiasm I used to have for building but the Spitfire was always a fun build. Thanks for the info, it's obvious that all you guys are getting better results with airbrushes over the hand.

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far Terry!

 

[Wayne Little]

 

[Airframes]

Thanks, Hugh and Wayne.

The new airbrush has arrived, so I can get back to painting. I may possibly get the Dark Earth done tonight, but more likely tomorrow, as I'm a bit stiff after having that assessment session today - nearly four hours, with the travelling back and forth, for what seemed like a complete waste of time !

 

[Airframes]

Got a second coat of Dark Earth sprayed over the existing paint, and a first coat on the starboard wing.
Went on nicely with the new airbrush, although I over-thinned it a bit, allowing for the second coat on the already painted areas, so the starboard wing will need another coat. Obviously, the patchy finish was due to the old airbrush acting up, so there shouldn't be any further problems
As the paint was thin, it's going to take longer to fully dry, so I'll leave this overnight, and hopefully get the Dark Earth finished tomorrow, when I'll post pics. I'll experiment a little more with thinning ratios first, allowing for the better paint cup/ channel/ nozzle arrangement on the new brush.
I hope to be able to get the Dark Green done by the beginning of the weekend, after allowing the DE to harden sufficiently, and then remove the masks (apart from the cockpit and I.D. lamp) and start on the panel lines and weathering etc,
Back when there's something to show ................

 

[Airframes]

The Dark Earth is done, and currently drying in the pic below. Apologies for the weird colour balance - combination of strong, low sunlight, shadows from the window frame, and fill-in flash !
The starboard wing was sprayed last, and still a little wet in the photo, hence the streaky appearance in some areas. This should even out when fully dry.

I think I've just about got the hang of the thinning ratios for this brand of paint - it seems to handle being thinned a lot less than other enamels I've used and, having initially thinned it as I would Humbrol or MM paints. I had a bit of 'pooling' and a couple of small runs on the port wing root. This was allowed to dry, and then lightly sanded back, before spraying the area again, and giving a further light coat to the rest of the wing, in order to even things out.
I'll now leave this to fully harden, and tackle the Dark Green tomorrow. Given that goes alright, then I should be back on track, and should have the model completed by the end of the GB.