!/72 Academy PBY CAT

[T. van Vuuren]

I am busy with this 1/72 Cat and this is what I have done so far.

Some filling was requred on the joints, not much though.

I have also cut off and reglued the elevators back in the down position as they were on the ground.

Will be painted in the US military Pacific collours of white bottom and medium blue top.

What can I use to mask off the windows for painting, I have heard of "mask all" but will something like that work on small windows/

Some one I know have used white pva wood glue thinned with water in the same manner and said itcame off without any hassle and worked well.

Or is good old masking tape still the only real way?

Thoughts please.

Thanx

Theuns

View attachment 19604

View attachment 19605

 

[Caledonia]

Theuns, There are masks available for your aircraft, see link below. Hannants - Eduard EDCX115 - 1:72

I use these, also 6mm wide Tamiya Masking Tape.

Look forward to seeing more of your model, I like the Cat's Derek

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Derek, I am looking at something like this pic maybe.

Simple to mask and rather pretty I think.

The masking will be done with the tamia tape, it is just the windows that I am a little worried about.Will use the wood glue trick and hope for the best.

There is a lot of work still to try and restore the pannel lines and rivets that are sanded away when filling.

This is by no means a "high quality" name brand model,just a fun project.So if the blue doesn't macf perfectly I am not to worried about it.

Later

Theuns

View attachment 19607

View attachment 19608

 

[stona]

Liquid masks (BTW tippex or whatever they call liquid paper in S.A. is a cheap option) may work on your small windows but for anything with a frame good old fashioned masking and a sharp blade work best. I use regular Tamiya tape or on more complex frames Parafilm M.

I cut the masking along the frame edge using a new curved scalpel blade and a rocking action to avoid scoring the clear part. I make sure the edges are pushed down using a wooden cocktail stick with the end cut at about 45 degrees.

I mask small windows, the type you fix from the inside, with masking tape BEFORE I glue them into the fuselage. I learned the hard way that masking them later can lead to little clear windows rattling around inside the model! They may be impossible to retrieve.

Keep up the good work.

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Thanx so far.

Does the tippex tipe stuff not contain a solvent of sorts that might "eat" the clear plastic?

The wood glue trick I know uses a couple of coats aplied into corners with a toothpick and small brush to build up a masking skin over the plastic.Then after painting a sharp blade is used to lift a corner and peel off the skin.Or at least so the theory goes, I will keep you posted

I got the good old humbrol collour chart out today and tried tomach the pix I posted.The best I could comeupwith was # 109 WW1 blue. Tne # 89 middle blue looked to light.

But then again there were so many different shades of blue due to fading that it will never mach anyway.

What I am thinking to do is do use very slightly different shades of blue on the metal and fabric covered parts to simulate the way metal and fabric paints"age" over time.

Another difficult thing to do will to try and get the waterline staining on the hull right ,any ideas???

Theuns

 

[stona]

Thanx so far.Does the tippex tipe stuff not contain a solvent of sorts that might "eat" the clear plastic?

What I am thinking to do is do use very slightly different shades of blue on the metal and fabric covered parts to simulate the way metal and fabric paints"age" over time.

Another difficult thing to do will to try and get the waterline staining on the hull right ,any ideas???

Theuns

I've not tried Tippex on clear but it is fine on regular styrene. I nicked it from SWMBO's office when my old liquid mask had dried in the bottle!

Your different shades is what we do with an airbrush when we post shade. I typically lighten the centre of various panels. I don't see why you couldn't do this with a brush. I'm no expert at brush painting but could you not, for example, dry brush a lighter shade on the ribs of the cloth covered control surfaces to simulate that differential fading? Also as you suggest using different shades on metal and fabric skins/covering. I'd just add a drop or two of white to your base colour, you don't want to over do it.

I saw an article in which someone was simulating exactly that type of staining to the hull of a flying boat, a Sunderland I think. I will try to find it for you.

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Thanx Steve.

I was also thinking that drybrushing would be the awnser.The rib detail is to small for airbrushing.

I know that the paint does'nt allways fade in perfect unisin.Some paches are lighter than others.

Just read some sad news.There was a prop-liner that crashed into a school here in SA this morning.Fortunately it is a holiday and only crew onboard.Teriable situation.

I will be happy if you could share on how to do the water stains.

Thanx

Theuns

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Well all the filling/sanding done and as usal some panel lines/rivets gone aswell

I will start painting this week if weather gets better.

I read that I need to aply a coat of clear gloss before aplying decals and then clear matt.Do I put gloss only where the decals go or allover?

If I put gloss only at decal location ,what effect will the matt then have over the whole thing???Will it blend evenly where no gloss is?

Theuns

 

[stona]

I gloss the whole model. You need a gloss i.e. smooth surface to help prevent minute air bubbles being trapped beneath the decals, causing the dreaded silvering. This gloss coat will also protect your lovingly applied paint job from any mishaps during weathering etc.

It is much easier to remove excess wash or just stuff that has got in the wrong place from a gloss surface! You can then seal everything in with your top coat (matt or silk)

I can't find that flying boat build, but I'll keep looking.

Cheers

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Ok will do the gloss thing.

Just tried to put Tamia white acrylic on the wing with an airbrush, but it doesn't work all that well.Doesnt stick to the plastic, it "pools" and pulls away from jointlines ect. Why??

I think I will stick to enamels.

Theuns

 

[stona]

Hi again. First your acrylic problem. Have you given the plastic a good wash. The residue of the mould release agents is one possible cause. I always prime the bare plastic before I apply acrylic paint, a step not necassary for enamels.

As for the hull there is an interesting discussion about different paint types applied to British flying boats here:

http://theflyingboatforum.hostingdelivered.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=367

I found this picture which may illustrate the point:

And also one being dragged from the water:

Not your machine , I know, but the principles may be the same!

Steve

View attachment 19670

View attachment 19671

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Wow, talk about "man power"

It is interesting that the staining of darker collour is above the waterline, one would expect it to by darker below the water with all the stuff in water.

What do u wach the model with before acriycs? Just soapy warm water?

I will have a look at that link thanx.

Theuns

 

[T. van Vuuren]

So here is the problem, I have been painting the plane gloss white humbrol and promptly ran out before finnishing.

Will tamia acrylic "take and stick" on enamel??

Theuns

 

[yak face]

hi theuns,nice to see the cat coming along,as for the paint,usually acrylics wont go over enamels ,something to do with the enamel being oil based,if i were you id get some more enamel, to be on the safe side.looking forward to seeing her completed, cheers tony

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Rats!, well can't win them all.

Later

T

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Have been busy with some drybrushing for exhaust staining, water stains under fuse and faded the fabric somewhat.

Theuns

View attachment 19720

View attachment 19721

View attachment 19722

 

[stona]

Coming along nicely, I particularly like your fading on the fabric between the ribs.

Steve

 

[T. van Vuuren]

Thanx, the ribspacing is a little on the small size, but you can see the fading idea.

The other difficult part was the water spray marks on the fuse sides.

Now to build the finiky under cart and other stuff like ariels ect.

Theuns

 

[T. van Vuuren]

So as you will dee I put on the right decals for the period of service.

And it is basically done.

Had some hassles with masking the windows on the cabin, will have to do those over.

T

View attachment 19791

View attachment 19792

 

[yak face]

hi theuns, fantastic job! its not very often you see a cat in the early war finish it looks great.The windows look fine to me ,masking canopies and windows is a job i dread ,too! keep up the good work cheers tony