Hasegawa A6M3 type:22 Zero (rookie builder)

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Thanks guys! :)

I've started painting the cockpit, the green color is lovely!
And I've acquired a proper desk lamp so I can see properly! :D
(pictures tomorrow)

I'm gonna try get some Johnson's future, I've read that it's called Johnson's Klar polish in Sweden but apparently it contains ammonia which future in other countries doesn't?
Would it still work as intended?
 
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It has various names in different parts of the world. It used to be called Johnsons Klear in the UK, but recently changed to Johnsons Pledge Klear, and is now not clear in appearance, but dries clear - if that makes sense!? The stuff you have is the same and works the same way.
 
I've been to two stores so far, haven't found any future.. :/

I've also given the interior cockpit parts another coat.
I bought a magnifying glass too, which shows that there is a lot of dust mixed in with the paint that shows up as small bumps :(

I was studying the instrument panel, and wow, not sure how I'm gonna be able to get any decals in place there and make them line up properly..
It's soon time to give the interior parts some shading, not sure how long I should wait when using acrylics..

I also got some new paint, Tamiya Dark Green 2 for the top and then clear green and blue for Aotake (painted over metallic), read about that method somewhere.

I also asked about buying a primer that could be brushed on but the guy in the store didn't think I'd need any specific primer other then the acrylic paints I already have, so I'm not sure what to think. The paint does chip off rather easily though, so I guess I'll have to be extra careful..
Or should I go back and get some enamel color?

(I've got a backlog of pictures, gonna post them once I get the camera from my sister)

I also bought some fine 1200p wet-sanding paper, it works like a charm.
Got a box with 5 huge sheets, gonna take a while before I've even used up one of them.

[EDIT]

After spending quite a few hours shading the interior I'm completely exhausted.
Shading is hard! Mixing paint is hard! First I mixed a green that was too dark, I was going for subtle but ended up with quite harsh shading.
Then I tried to tone it down, toned it down too much, shaded again, made the same mistake again had to tone it down and then it went like that, back and forth a few times.
So the cockpit has a quite rough and uneven shading now.

Not sure how to feather down the paint with acrylics, I've seen that with enamels you can just use a soft brush to soften and spread it out before it dries and I tried doing that with a wet brush with varying results.
Now I'm gonna call it a night and let what I've learned sink in..
 
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So, here are the pictures of the progress so far!
I actually found a bottle of future lying around here at my moms, the little amount left in it will probably last a long time.
Can I dilute it with water?

So now I'm eager for some decal work, but it's scary, and first I have to dry brush the instruments panel and other stuff..

Painting the details like boxes, levers and such is a pain, it's hard to keep track of what is what when comparing to photographs, because every detail hasn't been molded.

The wings will require some extra attention since the fit wasn't perfect, but that's after the cockpit is finished.

(the light in the images differs a bit, so the color are a bit off in some shots)
 

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Looking good, but you might want to adjust the pilot's seat a touch, it's pointing off to port. Use the Klar neat.
 
Wash and some weathering applied, I went a bit crazy with it, would have preferred if it was more discreet, I also feel like there might be some paint chipping in the wrong places..

Edit: Wait, now that I think about it, I forgot to dybrush the highlights before doing the weathering, oh well, perhaps that can make the weathering a bit more subtle..
And I should really get a silver pen instead, brushing is good for smaller paint chips but for larger parts it looks too soft and smudgy.

I just want to get this cockpit over with but the decals scare me..

I'm thinking of unboxing an cheap old 1:72 model I've got lying around since last year just to get used to painting, because I feel like I've overestimated my abilities a bit and need to get some more practice, especially with decals :p
 

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Not bad at all. Good idea about using an old model for practicing on.
I've been modelling, off and on, for almost fifty years, but I still have an old 'hack' 1/32nd scale model I use for experimenting with various painting techniques, trying out various colour shades etc,
 
I got a bit disappointed at how messy the interior became with the wash, but I really want to get the cockpit over with.

I managed to get some more work done, dry brushed the whole interior, painted the rudder bar and instrument panel with the throttle on, and the stick.

And it's now time for decals..

I also managed to break the arresting hook in two pieces.. :/
Gonna try to glue something on the backside to keep the pieces together.

I also managed to deform the hole for the right machine gun, I was trying to re-scribe the panel line when I pressed a bit too hard with the knife and shaved off a large chunk.
I fixed it with some putty, but I'm not sure how it's gonna look when painted, luckily most of it will be covered by the engine cowling.

I really need a scribing tool or something, I keep getting really messy panel lines and I keep slipping and making quite nasty scratches outside the lines..

(images will come later today)

Edit: Images will come tomorrow, my sister is not home and she took her camera with her xD
 
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It can sometimes help, when scribing, to fix a piece of 'Dymo' label tape along the line to be scribed, using it as a 'straight edge' to guide the tool. Being flexible, it will, of course, conform around curves too.
 

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