Richards Kinetic 1/48 F-18D

rtfoe

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Thanks Christopher, Paul, Joe and Steven...yup quite a sexy butt.

Watching the decals crinkle can give you goose bumps while waiting for it to settle down and hug the surface.

F70.jpg

I just can't wait and normally use a cutip and roll over it to squeeze out any bubbles trapped.

F71.jpg

Close ups can really reveal things you can't see with the naked eye so touch ups will be needed...

F72.jpg

The satin surface will be rubbed down with the next coat of varnish and then a semi-matt coat...to hide the decal edges.

F73.jpg

Still the other wing and starboard side to finish. Surprisingly the wing decalling was the most difficult...twice decals folded on itself and I had to pry them apart. Even the K on the left fin came apart. I just placed them back on the backing sheet which was still wet and did some revovery micro surgery. :smiling2:

I think I can breath a little now.:smiling6:

Cheers,
Richard
 

rtfoe

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Finally the decals are done on the plane...

F74.jpg

So while this is curing I painted the WW covers and this is the thing I hate about navy jets...why must they have that red edge. You can either mask and airbrush but I decided to paint by hand.

F75.jpg

Needs touch up before I paint the other side...

F76.jpg

The trick to get a neat painted edge is to concentrate on one side and don't worry about the other. Once the edgehas been painted then flip it over and spray the other side towards the edge at an angle and away.

F77.jpg

Once that's done (not shown yet) then clear coat and pin wash that would soften any imperfect brush work.

Cheers,
Richard
 

JR

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It's a wow from me on those decals Richard.
I've had then fold over on them selves, but as you say the wet brush soon cures this.
I gave up on a cup of water, just place the decal on a ceramic tile and added a couple of drops of warmish water , they soon lift, the trick being to catch them as they start. How long did those take, must have been an hr a least if not longer .
 
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Bloomin' 'eck, that's some decal work Richard. Great tips for dealing with the damned things.
 

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So while this is curing I painted the WW covers and this is the thing I hate about navy jets...why must they have that red edge. (Richard quote )

HI Richard you say that's thing you hate about navy jets with the red edgeing on the undercart doors its on there so the deck crew don't walk into the edges an can be seen easy as I had this problem when I was workin at RAF COTISHALL I walked in to a hanger an walked straight into a edge on tail plane on a jaguar an the edges were very sharp an I though I had scalped myself as there was no red an white tab on the tail to warn me although there was one on the other side tailplane just my luck had to sit down for a while until the seein stars went away so the red is a safety concern
chris
 
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Jim R

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Hi Richard
Decals have gone on so well. Is that Mr Softener quite aggressive - more so than MicroSol? It has certainly worked well.
The satin surface will be rubbed down with the next coat of varnish and then a semi-matt coat...to hide the decal edges.
Sorry to be a pest but can you explain more please.
Jim
 

boatman

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YEA Richard please for me as well I wondered how well that works for me when I build my kits
chris
 

Si Benson

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Top stuff Richard :cool:

Me and decals quite often fall out when they decide to fold on themselves :angry: !
 

rtfoe

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Hi Guys, thanks...

John, I use a paper towel to absorb most of the water from the base of the backing paper so whats left on the top is the moist adhesive and the decals just enough to slide it off.
Christopher, they were daunting at first but I must say Cartograph decals are really good. I had an idea that was a purpose for those red edges.
Peter, they were like a classroom full of kids in detention...everyone had a mind of its own.
Jim, don't know about Microsol but Mr Mark Softener seems to work for me as it has a slow reaction which gives enough time for corrections and last minute adjustments. Ok, a rub down is gently wet sanding with fine grit paper but in this case I didn't have to as against light the surface was smooth as shown here...
F78.jpg
...all it needed was the matt varnish which is solvent based which hid the decal film...don't know how it works but it happens as I spray.
Colin, I had a cane in my desk drawer which kept them out of mischief :tears-of-joy:
Si, patience and a cool head normally will prevail for me of course I remember to breath again after it's done.:smiling2:

I'm calling this done. More pictures in the completed section which I have just put up...see you there.

F83.jpg

Thanks for following this thread and I apologise for the long intermissions, superlatives and rants along the way. With all that it's a kit that can be built.

Cheers,
Richard
 

Jim R

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Hi Richard
As always with your builds I have enjoyed following along and picked up many useful tips.
I'll look at the completed pictures later. Can't be appreciated on this little phone screen.
Jim
 

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HI Richard fab u los a build that id think twice about takin on but you have done it an what a fab job to very well done I like very much
chris
 

rtfoe

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Glad you liked the process of the build Jim and Christopher. The build has been a learning curve for me as well. Apart from the old post war jets I'll be comfortable doing the newer ones too.

Cheers,
Richard
 

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Glad you liked the process of the build Jim and Christopher. The build has been a learning curve for me as well. Apart from the old post war jets I'll be comfortable doing the newer ones too.

Cheers,
Richard

HI Richard well you say you are now comfortable doin fairly newer jets well If i remember rightly you are gion back to dio's yes ? but if an when you do come back to fairly modern jets how about a big starfighter as i hav'nt seen one done on here yet unless ive missed it
chris
 

rtfoe

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Christopher, you're right about me going back to dios...have to finish some that I had started way back in the old forum. As for the F-104, that will definitely be built as my friends who have built the recent Kinetic kit say it's a dream to build and quick with low parts count...my kind of thing. See if I can trade my Hasegawa kit for a Kinetic one. I can only build one.

Cheers,
Richard
 

boatman

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Christopher, you're right about me going back to dios...have to finish some that I had started way back in the old forum. As for the F-104, that will definitely be built as my friends who have built the recent Kinetic kit say it's a dream to build and quick with low parts count...my kind of thing. See if I can trade my Hasegawa kit for a Kinetic one. I can only build one.

Cheers,
Richard
HI Richard well you say you will build a F-104 brilliant i'll be lookin forward to that an a request ( but don't if you want to make a different one ) but can it be the sort with the big wing tanks on the wing tips as I many yrs ago built the german marine F-104 with the day glow orange wing tanks in 1/32 an it had a showable Vulcan gun in the fusalarge on the left side an it was a fanstastic model an id just finished it an go to put it on the sideboad tripped an dropped the model an well lets just say it was not woth repairin an hav'nt seen another to this day so happy modelling m8ty
chris
 

rtfoe

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HI Richard well you say you will build a F-104 brilliant i'll be lookin forward to that an a request ( but don't if you want to make a different one ) but can it be the sort with the big wing tanks on the wing tips as I many yrs ago built the german marine F-104 with the day glow orange wing tanks in 1/32 an it had a showable Vulcan gun in the fusalarge on the left side an it was a fanstastic model an id just finished it an go to put it on the sideboad tripped an dropped the model an well lets just say it was not woth repairin an hav'nt seen another to this day so happy modelling m8ty
chris
The Kinetic decals may have that scheme but I'm looking at an all silver bird with all the different shades for the panels. The chrome section for the tail will be a challenge. Definitely adding the wing tanks.

Cheers,
Richard
 

boatman

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The Kinetic decals may have that scheme but I'm looking at an all silver bird with all the different shades for the panels. The chrome section for the tail will be a challenge. Definitely adding the wing tanks
Richard

OH yes Richard I also love it in the chrome with the US AIR FORCE decals what
chuck yeager flew it was also one of my fav so a big :thumb2: up from me if you do that
i'll follow the build avidly
chris
 
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