Newbie material - BF 109; FW-190; Spitfire MK XXI

[Gonçalo Vale]

Hello to all!

This is my first thread where I will expose some (all) of my works. As I confessed in my presentation (in the forum) I'm new to the hobby and I really want to develop my skills. I already saw in this forum that most of you are very skilled professional modelers that build fantastic Kits! So I hope I can learn something with you! Ok. Let's get to the business:

1º - My first aircraft was a Messerchmitt BF-109, 1/72 from academy. Overall I had no idea if it quality was good or bad. The plastic had some marks, that I tried to sand and I had my first experience with putty. However I still don't know how use it. Every time I put the putty, I let it dry and when I sanded it back it always come out of the plastic. That's when I started again and again until I gave up. In what concern the colors, I made the mistake of going to the store without the proper reference, so I bought them based in what I supposed to be the right color. As you can imagine… it went so wrong. In fact, I bought lighter colors that what it was supposed to be, so in the end I had the feeling that I had built Cher (the singer) messerchmitt. (in the picture I don't show the beautiful "baby blue" colour that I painted the lower part of the plane.)

The other aspect it is about the communication wire, I just can't put it! I don't know what you people do, because they always look so stretched and real.

 

[Gonçalo Vale]

Now the second aircraft

2º For this project I continued my work with Luftwaffe and I closed a Focke-Wulff 190 1/72 from Academy. Once again, no clue about the Kit quality. To me it seems similar to the last one. This time I didn't used putty because I was traumatized and I believed that with the colors I had I could paint a lovely camouflage – WRONG! I choose two patterns that were to similar (in the vallejo bottle they seemed quite different) and in the end I found a new pattern for Luftwaffe. I was so angry with myself that I let this model several months in the bench. After almost 6 months I finished it. I have to be honest, I really didn't like to build this plane it was not fun. After put all the decals I started the wash phase with oil paint diluted in water spirit. However I forgot to seal the decals with varnish, so when I started the wash, I washed several decals from the plane… Perfect end for a perfect project. With this one I felt that I regressed on my skills comparing to the first one. I'm starting a diorama that it's not finished yes (as you can see), where I'm going to use this plane covered with camouflage net.

 

[Gonçalo Vale]

Finally the last one

3º - This time I changed for the alies. So I started a Spitfire Mk XXI with the colours of Edinburg fleet. This time I used a 1/72 airfix model. What can I say, I loved it! The kit was very good and the color schemes were printed in color!!! I was so happy, no more mistakes with stupid wrong color tons. So, I am now an airfix fan. In fact I started this week another project that is from Academy and know I see the differences! Everything is on the details. By far this was the model that I most enjoyed building. It's not perfect, I didn't use putty again and you can see that in the fuselage I improved my painting skills and I used for the first time pigments for weathering. I still don´t know the right way to apply it (in the felt wind I applied it dry and on the right wing diluted in water spirit)







Please feel free to comment/criticize I really want to improve my work

 

[vikingBerserker]

Very nice, I like the bases you made for the first 2, nice touch.

 

[Wurger]

Looking good though. What brand of a putty do you use?

 

[otftch]

Don't look too shabby.
Ed

 

[Gonçalo Vale]

What brand of a putty do you use?

I have one from vallejo

Thank you all for the comments, what you think i should improve?

 

[Wurger]

I have one from vallejo

Switch to the Tamiya one.

or the Gunze Dissolved Putty...

..... what you think i should improve?

Please pay more attention to the proper model geometry.
A correct cleaning of all seams.

Before applying of a putty wash up the area where it is going to be put on with warm water or some of clear alcohol. It should help with its coming out of the polistyrene. For sanding use a sandpaper of 800-1200 grade.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

From what I see here you have done remarkably well considering all the little problems that cropped up.

With this next build star a thread under the 'Start to Finished Builds' file, through this you can update as you go, ask questions, seek advice and in general others will look in, see how your going and answer your questions and give encouragement and whatever help they can.

The only other help I can offer is to take your time with your builds, research what you want to do with the model, think each process of the build through, test fit before gluing and be patient with yourself and if the problem makes you mad, walk away and maybe sleep on it, things always look better in the morning. Above all though, enjoy your hobby.

 

[Njaco]

Very nice and you can see you learning as you go. My first model after 30 years was a Bf 109 also and it looked far worse than yours! You are doing very well. I like the Spitfire and the diorama for the 190!

 

[Gonçalo Vale]

Switch to the Tamiya one.
or the Gunze Dissolved Putty...
Please pay more attention to the proper model geometry.
A correct cleaning of all seams.
Before applying of a putty wash up the area where it is going to be put on with warm water or some of clear alcohol. It should help with its coming out of the polistyrene. For sanding use a sandpaper of 800-1200 grade.

Ok i will give it a try, maybe i have been using the wrong putty!

 

[Gonçalo Vale]

Vic Balshaw I'm starting a new model: Lavochkin-La7 1/48 from Academy. Honestly it's a very ugly plane, i bought it because it was with a 50% discount in a local store. They are switching to airfix so they put all the academy models with low prices.
I will follow your tip, and start a thread about this plane in the "start to finish builds" topic.

Njaco, the spitfire is also my favorite and it was very fun to build it. The 190 diorama it is not finished yet. I'm working in some small details to put it more realistic, however I'm dealing with some scale problems. I explain: I bought a pack of small wood cages and containers in a train modeler shop under the scale H0, which they told me that was the more adjusted to a 1/72 scale. However I have the feeling that H0 it's too small… Still I'm going to use it and see how it looks like in the end. I'm planning to put some wood cages, containers and logs to increase the detail of the diorama (it's my first one too). I think planes look better in a scenario.
For the spitfire I'm planning to do something simple as I did for the Bf-109, but this time I want a tarmac track and I still don't know how I'm going to do that (which materials to use).

 

[Lucky13]

Very nice!

 

[Gnomey]

Good work!

 

[Wayne Little]

not bad at all for getting started....

 

[Njaco]

... I think planes look better in a scenario. ...

I agree!!!

 

[Westfield Charlie]

The effort you put into the models shows, and yes, it's obvious that you've already improved yoour painting skills. I particularly like the diorama base for the FW 190.
Some of the modelers on this site are fantastic and will be able to give you very good guidance. As for myself, my own modeling skills are moderate. But I will venture to tell you how I use modelling putty, though I'm sure someone else can improve on this: I clean up the area beforehand with a tissue soaked in warm water, then pat it dry. Next, I dip my finger in a cup of warm water and apply the putty using my finger to clean off the excess. That usually gives me a nice clean line. A little more gentle, gentle brushing with another tissue and I let it sit until it dries, then go over it with very, very fine sandpaper, the grit that Wurger recommended. Touch up the paint, and I'm done. (Until I mess up the next construction and have to start over there!)

 

[Gonçalo Vale]

Thank you for the tips!
In general i dissolve the putty in thinner and apply it with a brush (something i read somewhere). But i will try your tecnique.