Si B’s- Revell 1/72 F-14D Super Tomcat

[rtfoe]

Ooh...missed this Si. Really nice paint job pre-shade and all. I always shudder when it comes to decaling.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Si Benson]

Morning folks,
Thanks for looking in and for the approval of the painting so far

Moving onto decals.......now be prepared for a distinct drop in standards, F14 fans look away now

I made some mistakes with the decals, probably compounded by my choice to put them on late on Friday night.
My biggest problem was accidental touching previously laid decals.
The American flag thingy on the left wing got damaged beyond use (stuck to my finger and folded into ball) so had to use one meant for the underside
Two large blue strips either side of the cockpit crumbled when I put the Microsol on and had to be picked off, the paint underneath was damaged and I had to respray both sides.



The two yellow stripped things on the wing tips went on ok but I knocked one out of place without realising!
I’ve since scrapped them both off and painted them on instead.



The ones I feared most on the tail went on nicely to my amazement . The red piece on the tail tip needed a lot of decal softener and fiddling to get it placed....should of just painted them on!
And a huge light grey one underneath the folding wing...again could of been painted on?.




The front decals went on. I had the plane upside down when I put them on and the yellow arrow marked ‘rescue’ got put on upside down on both sides as a consequence



On the opposite side..... the large number got dislodged and was later found stuck on the handle of a paintbrush, the microsol had softened it really well and it took about 25 minutes of swearing to get it uncurled and put back on....hence the distinct bendy application



The shark mouth on the nose creased and wrinkled and made more swearing happen. After a further 20 mins it gave in and it was on. Sadly it wasn’t until next day I realised my mistake....the two halves should of met underneath but now have a gap



The ‘Navy’ decals then proceeded to fold, twist, crease and generally aggravate me!


So a late night, to much wine and being way too tired are all things that don’t go with adding decals!
Excuses, excuses I know.....I’ll have to mark this up as a practice piece and try harder next time.

Still more decals to add once my nerves settle.
Thanks for looking folks, apologies for the disaster

 

[Jim R]

Hi si
Sorry mate - a lesson for all of us. When its late and we're tired none of us are at our best. I'm sure that coming at the rest in a better frame of mind it will all be good.
Jim

 

[Si Benson]

Hi si
Sorry mate - a lesson for all of us. When its late and we're tired none of us are at our best. I'm sure that coming at the rest in a better frame of mind it will all be good.
Jim

Hi Jim,
A lesson indeed!.Hopefully I’ll learn from this
Decals have always been my nemesis. I don’t display or show my builds so once it’s done it’ll get stuffed in a box in the loft
Fingers crossed I won’t spoil too much more

 

[Deleted member 7181]

I feel your pain. Decals have been by far the trickiest thing for me so far. Hopefully we'll both have better luck next time

 

[boatman]

HI Si it was such a good build up until the decalls but to me they look ok except the recuse ones now this is not critisum of your build just tryin to help but cant you you just rewet the recuse signs an slide them off on to a very thin bit of plasticard an then repostion them rightly ? as that's what I do if I make a mistake on decalls
chris

 

[Si Benson]

I feel your pain. Decals have been by far the trickiest thing for me so far. Hopefully we'll both have better luck next time

Fingers crossed Andy

HI Si it was such a good build up until the decalls but to me they look ok except the recuse ones now this is not critisum of your build just tryin to help but cant you you just rewet the recuse signs an slide them off on to a very thin bit of plasticard an then repostion them rightly ? as that's what I do if I make a mistake on decalls
chris

Thanks for the idea but unfortunately I slathered them in microsol the night before so they wouldn’t of budged. Plus after I had touched up some missing paint I sprayed them with a coat of clear as well before I’d realised they weren’t right

Since I got a couple more planes to build I just got myself one of these stands.


Should stop me sticking my hands in the wrong place while decals are drying!

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Loving if Si .
I would not really have noticed the decals ,only because you said.

 

[Deleted member 7181]

I'd never seen one of those until Barry's Mosquito thread. Looks like a very hand piece of kit for someone as clumsy as me!

 

[stillp]

I have one of those stands Si. If you move one of the wing supports all the way up and the other all the way down, you can get at the fuselage sides reasonably well.
You still need to be very careful of where the rubber bands go (ask me how I know!) if you try to decal the upper surface before the lower decals are dry. I usually try to do the underside, take a break, overnight is good, then do the upper side.


Pete

 

[Wouter]

Ah, nice update Si, pitty of the decal issues but hey, this one has a personal touch now :D

I have a plane stand as well (adjustable plastic one) and these are very handy indeed, nice buy!

 

[Si Benson]

Loving if Si .
I would not really have noticed the decals ,only because you said.

Should of kept my mouth shut Funny as my mrs said the same!

I'd never seen one of those until Barry's Mosquito thread. Looks like a very hand piece of kit for someone as clumsy as me!

I just found Barry’s excellent build and saw the jig, now if only I could buy a bag of his skills

I have one of those stands Si. If you move one of the wing supports all the way up and the other all the way down, you can get at the fuselage sides reasonably well.
You still need to be very careful of where the rubber bands go (ask me how I know!) if you try to decal the upper surface before the lower decals are dry. I usually try to do the underside, take a break, overnight is good, then do the upper side.


Pete

That’s good advice, thanks Pete

Ah, nice update Si, pitty of the decal issues but hey, this one has a personal touch now :D

I have a plane stand as well (adjustable plastic one) and these are very handy indeed, nice buy!

Hiya mate,
I like your outlook on the errors.....makes it one of a kind eh

 

[Allen Dewire]

Hiya Mr. Benson,

Late, wine and decals are not a healthy combination Sir, especially when there are so many of them to be applied. On the bright side, when the pilot hangs his head out of the cockpit over the left or right side, he will read "rescue" correctly. Only when he is standing on the ground and looks up at his plane, he might say "That damn Si was drunk again!!!"

Other than that, Wouter has the right answer there!!!

Prost Buddy
Allen

 

[BattleshipBob]

Hi Si, I hardly drink and I still ruin decals lol

 

[rtfoe]

Ouch! ...that decal scourge hits again. Man, I feel for you Si. The other thing that doesn't mix with decals is cough syrup and antihistamines.

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Deleted member 7181]

I just found Barry’s excellent build and saw the jig, now if only I could buy a bag of his skills

If we could get John to stock it in the shop I'd buy a crate full

 

[boatman]

HI Si I just cant understand your problem with decalls when you apply them don't you keep them on the backin paper as you lift them out of the water an then get them near the model an gently slide them off the backin paper onto the model an postion them where they should be that's how I do it an its very rare that a decal goes wrong
chris

 

[Si Benson]

Hiya Mr. Benson,

Late, wine and decals are not a healthy combination Sir, especially when there are so many of them to be applied. On the bright side, when the pilot hangs his head out of the cockpit over the left or right side, he will read "rescue" correctly. Only when he is standing on the ground and looks up at his plane, he might say "That damn Si was drunk again!!!"

Other than that, Wouter has the right answer there!!!

Prost Buddy
Allen

Hi Allen,
I wouldn’t mind so much but it was only a small glass! Besides....I remember them flying upside down in the film ‘top gun’....I got confused, hence my mistake with the decal

 

[rtfoe]

HI Si I just cant understand your problem with decalls when you apply them don't you keep them on the backin paper as you lift them out of the water an then get them near the model an gently slide them off the backin paper onto the model an postion them where they should be that's how I do it an its very rare that a decal goes wrong
chris

Ya...how do everybody else apply their decals besides the way Christopher and I do?

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Si Benson]

Hi Si, I hardly drink and I still ruin decals lol

Hi Bob,
I can ruin decals at 100 paces stone cold sober, what chance did they stand!

HI Si I just cant understand your problem with decalls when you apply them don't you keep them on the backin paper as you lift them out of the water an then get them near the model an gently slide them off the backin paper onto the model an postion them where they should be that's how I do it an its very rare that a decal goes wrong
chris

Apart from the ones in the wrong place, the wrong orientation and the one that disintegrated the rest went on fine
I did slide them off the backing paper as we all do....It was my big fat fingers accidentally touching and moving some about as I handled the plane. Hence the jig thingy