Trumpeter 1/32 P47D Thunderbolt - Razorback.

BarryW

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Olive Drab is great for weathering and after spraying the Neutral Grey I used three slightly different shades of OD. As well as the black base it really helps produce a weathered effect.

in the picture you cannot really see the effect properly but it should show up better when I have done a Matt coat.

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Later today I will remove the masking and get on with masking up to paint the stars and bars.
 

BarryW

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I might be wrong but it seems to me that a lot of people are wary of using paint masks instead of decals. I would maintain that masks, with the right preparation and a planned approach, are a lot easier than decals.

I hope that the photos below inspire others to give them a try. The don’t totally replace decals, they only replace the major markings, some decals are still needed such as the aircraft serial number for which I painted an OD box on the fin. You can see below how she looks with the masking removed. There will be a little touching up to do after spraying the markings, but not much

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below I have applied the masks for the bars and stars with the elements removed where we need white paint. You can see some pen marks on the masks, this was to help me position the mask accurately. How you mark the masks will depend on the insignia being applied. In this case I wanted to line up the tip of the star appropriately and the bars along rivet lines and define the ends of the bars. This was necessary because I used tape over the insignia to help lift the mask as a whole which obscured the borders. Once the mask was in position I removed the white elements, putting them aside for later making sure I noted where each fitted. Better not to mix and match even if, technically, they should all be the same.
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Below I sprayed, first the usual light white primer coat the help coverage. It is always surprising how little base colour is then needed, in this case Insignia White.
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while lacquers dry in minutes to be safe I left the model for half hour before replacing the elements over the white. In this case, after spraying the white, I found it easier to position the white elements over the white segments after removing the blue elements. Something it is best done before removing the next elements. I am left with this, ready to spray insignia blue

Again it is best to play safe and leave half hour before removing masking. If you use water based acrylics or enamels you would need to leave longer B1FD1CFF-A778-4C50-A244-424C155AFDC4.jpeg

then we get this with masks removed
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Next I will touch up, for this some localised masking is needed.

Then I will hand paint some details with water based acrylics before applying decals.
 

BarryW

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I have praised Kits World decals before. They are the best around not just because of the great artwork but they have the right combination of being thin yet strong. I have never had one splinter apart and with the application of solution they bed into detail well.

I have finished decal application and brushed some Microsol over them.
I did not apply a gloss varnish, there is no need to with MRP as it is glossy enough.

I will apply a couple more Microsol coats

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therapy

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Thanks for the tutorial Barry - the markings really do turn out very nicely.

Nick
 

adt70hk

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Coming on very nicely indeed Barry.

Well done.

Andrew
 

BarryW

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On to final fittings and I get to the very last piece and find the only bad fit of the whole build!

no matter how I adjust the canopy windscreen it will not fill the gap. All I have been able to do is position it carefully to minimise the gap and try not to get any step. I have also had to use c.a. which I usually keep well away from transparencies but I need a quick and fairly strong bond. Fingers crossed that the frame is wide enough. I did only use a couple of drops.

I will apply Vallejo Plastic Putty to the gaps, wipe surplus away with a cotton bud and, when done, do some localised masking and spray OD.

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BarryW

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I see in the expanded photos that there is a ghost scheme just in front so I will try a little filler there too.

I will say that bomb attachment was somewhat problematical too. There are no positive locations and trying to line up with the small attachment points was not easy. Got there in the end though. More pictures will follow.
 

BarryW

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Popping back 10 minutes later I applied some VPP. It is not suitable for the ghost seam so for that a dab of Mr Dissolved Putty.

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It will take some careful masking and where the decal is must not be sticky so I will be using Parafilm M for this which is ideal for these situations.
 

BarryW

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I have resolved the issue. Not perfect but acceptable.

masked
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Note the Parafilm M in place. It’s not tacky but does have some adhesion. In this case it worked for me to also use masking tape for additional hold. It covers fully the decals and will not damage them. For the tape on the window I detacked it somewhat as I wanted it to come away with minimal pull.

After spraying

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Before removing the masking I need to matt varnish.

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There is it, as I said acceptable rather than perfect.

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Finally the rest of the canopy held down while the Gator Glue dries.

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I do have a little more weathering to do tomorrow to finish. More pics to follow.
 

Neil Merryweather

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A skillful and elegant save there ,Barry!
Have you ever tried fly-tying UV glue? you can put it where you want it and only cure it when it's in the right position, and it doesn't affect transparencies like CA does. I dries perfectly clear and instantly once you apply the UV
 

minitnkr

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Never let perfection be the enemy of the possible. Amen to Neils' comment.
 

BarryW

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A skillful and elegant save there ,Barry!
Have you ever tried fly-tying UV glue? you can put it where you want it and only cure it when it's in the right position, and it doesn't affect transparencies like CA does. I dries perfectly clear and instantly once you apply the UV
I do have some and was not particularly impressed by it. Perhaps I should try it again but, for now, I got away with using the c.a. Thanks Neil.
 

BarryW

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I’m kind of wondering why you didn’t just brush-paint this to touch it up.
MRP, being a hot lacquer, don’t brush paint and even if you did it would not match the surrounding area.

You never touch these up with a brush unless it is in a discrete corner in which case you just dab a little paint, not brush it. The canopy is much too visible to get away with that.
 
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