Painting instrument or control panels...

True stretched sprue would keep it's shape better. I guess either one would work. Finally, I got a picture of what I worked on using 2nd and 3rd method. As I mentioned before, its a way of doing it but the results can be less than desired. Still here is what it looks like and with patience could look a bit better. the panel I used was from Revell, an old P-61 instrument panel that is basically featureless and flat. I painted it white first then black. I then made white dots. The better you make your dots the better this will turn out. On top of the white dots I made black dots. Granted its less than stellar but when you have nothing else...

Wurger, Gentlemen,

the high detail of your controls (and the general detailing of the cockpit) is almost exasperating.

NightFighter: Very nice from you to post your wisdom. I am sure I can use some of your techniques (Newbie here)

Regards.

Thanks F_T. Thats very kind of you.

A little note for those wanting to do higher detailing but have not been formally introduced to Photo-etched parts. As most of us know, there is a company in the Czech Republic called "Eduard" famous for making photo etched detailed parts. Control panels are amoung the many parts they do and they do them very well. If you would like to try your hand at photo-etched parts, there is another way to do it without buying them separate from the kit. I have recently found that many model kits made in the Czech Republic contain photo-etched parts as part of the kit. I am currently making a Fiat CR 42 CN and to my surprise it contains a whole mess of photo-etched parts including control panels. I decided to check my stores and found all my kits from the Czech Republic contain PE parts though not all have the control panels. What they do carry in the way of control panels can be done using the 1st method given earlier. So far companies whose model kits I've found with PE parts are, "Azur, Classic Airframes, and Special Hobby." Classic Airframes is the one I'm currently working with and it has PE control panels and gauges as part of the kit. If anyone else knows of other kits with PE parts please post them here for others. Happy modeling

Undoubtedly PE parts are very useful for modellers.Especially these with control panels etc.... But I would like to pay your attention to the price of the kind of kits.These are more expensive that those without PE sets coming with kits. The more PE parts attached the more money you have to spend for them. That's why Eduard offers both these Profi Packs with PE sets and the Weekend Edition series without them.Not all of modellers can afford the Profi series.

Also I would like to make a focus on the accuracy of the PE technique.It is one of the most precise techinques that allows to make nice models. But it has some limitation indeed. For instance it is impossible to make parts that had the circular or droplet shape in its cross-section.ALso all balls can't be made correctly.

Thanks Wurger that would make sense. The kits I found however were no more expensive than those without PE parts but then it probably depends on what your modeling sources are. Location , location, location... Photo etched parts are not easy to come by where I live. I usually have to mail order them and they have never been cheap, usually costing more than the kit itself.

As with any technique, aren't there always limitations?

Night Fighter Nut said:

As with any technique, aren't there always limitations?

Click to expand...

That's true. There are always any. That's why we try to find solutions for them.And therefore these PE parts have appeared.

Just an update. Here is another control panel just like the other one I showed but this time with PE parts. This is from part of a group build and is just so any one can see the difference PE parts make.

Wow, that looks super NFN! Bravo. I've used your technique of a white undercoat sanded off. For me it makes sense to not worry the details too much if the panel is well-recessed into the forward fuselage, especially when it comes to WWII bombers that have copious canopy framing. You just don't end up seeing more than the outline of the details anyway. That looks like a Mosquito panel in an earlier post right?

Open canopies in large scales are another matter altogether. Then I always try to get my hands on some PE, preferably a color ZOOM.

Yes, that was a mosquito panel. Thanks...

Looking very nice.