Airfix Lancaster Build

[ME453]

OK< so let's get this show on the road! Sorry it's not a Stirling, I don't happen to have one of those in my "stash" of kits, but I hope this will do.

Firstly, what I find are essential tools to make construction as easy as possible:



This shows a few sanding sticks of varying grades, they go from coarse to very fine. These tweezers aren't really up to the job, I keep intending to buy some better ones, I will one day. I have other pairs, including some spring ones which come in handy at times. Sharp knives are a must; these have different blades for different circumstances, though one good one will do. I use Tamiya masking tape for many purposes, it comes in various widths and last ages. Finally of course, polystyrene glue.

Some shots of the kit:





A battered box! And one of the sprues, black plastic causes minor difficulties in having to be pre-prepared with an undercoat before painting.



The decals (we used to call them transfers in my day!) are so old they'll be useless - look at that yellowing!

More soon
Max

[halifax1]

Well at last some movement!! So far so good. Just one little interjection - in addition to the "glue" shown by Max above it is quite useful to have some "MEK" well that is the technical term but it is not readily available to joe public; but it can be obtained from model suppliers under names like MEK PAK or Plastic Weld. It is just like water in appearance and is better (I find) for joining parts - particularly small ones - where the fit is good. Far less messy. Max will explain it all of course soon (after I have explained the mysteries to him of it's application). Poor old soul. Shouldn't mock the afflicted.

[ME453]

Oi Parky!!! Buzz off!

[halifax1]

No, Alice, shan't!

[ME453]

To keep old Moaning Minnie off my back, I've made a few preliminary moves with the Lanc. As I said previously, black plastic is just about as nasty as it gets for painting, even if you intend doing a plane that flies at night! So I wanted to put some primer on some areas which I would need to start painting soon, firstly the cockpit.
Cutting sections off the sprues can be hazardous at times; if not done carefully you can be left with a nasty jagged hole which is hard to file to a smooth profile or to fill, especially if it's in the leading edge of a wing for instance. I always use a pair of side cutters to snip the sprue, then clean up with a sharp knife and finally sand smooth.



The most readily available primer is Halford's car body primer; there are a couple of types which work, one is specifically for plastic. The only drawback with this is that it comes in quite a large spray can and the "field" or speed of spray can't be controlled. Vallejo do an acrylic primer, but I usually use Alclad in my airbrush so I have complete control over what I'm doing. Two points about Alclad though: firstly be sure to shake the can very thoroughly for a couple of minutes so that the primer is very well mixed. It does settle in the can when not being used and can be very "sludgy" and will quickly block the airbrush if not really well mixed......I speak from bitter experience! And secondly is that it's spirit-based, I'm not sure which type, but it's very smelly and should only be used in a ventilated space. The airbrush should be cleaned using Alclad airbrush cleaner, which does what it says on the tin!



More soon I hope!
Max

[K4KittyCrew]

Thanks Max,

Sorry if I'm getting too far ahead but .......... (You may want to hold off the answer till you get to the relevant stage )

What is your opinion on painting the aircraft.
Do you brush paint?
Spray Paint?
OR
A combination of both?
John

[ME453]

I use an airbrush John. Some people are very skilled with brush painting models, but to get the finish that I want I have to airbrush. It takes a while to get used to, there are many variables such as air pressure settings on the compressor, use of the trigger on the brush, thinness of paint etc which affects the success or otherwise of the job, not to mention having to maintain the airbrush in top condition, but I love my airbrush!! And I always use acrylic paints - again people will have their favourites but I like Vallejo Modelair paints, which incidentally can be brushed painted on small areas whereas some like Tamiya can't.

[halifax1]

Yes - go with that John. Can I suggest that unless you really want to spend the money, given your trade or calling, you will be able to get a pretty good finish with Acrylics. I find the Hannants ones work OK too - they are "gloss" - better for applying decals. But best to thin them. Again the old scholar will no doubt enhance this process in due course. Surface tension and all that.

[K4KittyCrew]

Thanks guys for the tips.

I have 3 compressors of different sizes and spray a few 'motors' in my time and would certainly like to attempt an airbrush in the future.

Any costs indications for a fair example / airbrush?

If i went with an airbrush, how is the good is the 'masking up' ........... any special brand of tape? ......... or am I going down the wrong track?

You both mention acrylics ............ Do they give a solid colouring like lead base paints?

David, you mention 'gloss' paints, which led me to my next question. Do you 'clear coat' over the finish paint job or have I been watching too many episodes of 'Overhaulin' ( car show)

I'll think i will stop it there with the questions, keep a couple up the sleeve for later.
Thank you gents,
John

[ME453]

My airbrush is a Harder and Steenbeck Hansa 381 and the compressor a Iwata Sprint Jet. I'll look into costs for you but I'd advise not to go with the very cheap airbrushes because you're unlikely to have the degree of control that you have with the better ones. I see my airbrush cost me £90, what's that about $120? You'll get a very reasonable one for that price.

Masking is usually done with the Tamiya-type stuff John, it comes in various widths, is thinner than normal masking tape (though I do use this as well for larger areas) and is in its own dispenser, as shown in the "tools" pic above. You can chose whether to use matte or gloss paints, I use matte but then give a few coats of Klear (this is actually a floor polish but it's great for applying to models) once the painting is finished and before applying the decals. The shiny surface helps prevent "silvering", that edge often seen around roundels on models for instance, which is air trapped under the decal. Then of course if you finally want a matte finish you spray the model again with a matte spray - I use Tamiya Flat Base and Klear mixed in a 1 : 4 ratio but you'll see all this later!!