That Trumpeter riveting tool usually sells for under a fiver, but there’s classic Amazon markup there. I’ll try the dressmaking tool tip though.

Re camouflage, I also used paper masks on my Tamiya Spitfire Mk1, it turned out really very well. I also use the tried and trusted Blu-Tack technique for marking out camouflage patterns, all you do is to paint the base camouflage colour in the lightest shade (either dark earth or grey) then bend lengths of Blu-Tack to an approximate shape and attach, before painting the dark green.

Project Lightning is coming along okay, everything has been sanded and rescribed, but late Lightnings were finished in a satin grey shade, which looks terrible if you try and pre-post shade. I’m keeping any shading to a very subtle level and once painted, I’ll give it a gloss coat, a pin wash and a coat of satin varnish.

Check this out!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-cornwall-42750033/ark-royal-model-started-in-1992-is-ready

Better photos of the Jaguar and Gannet.

nickc – Member

I know it’s an unfashionable view at the minute, (and I know that personal views are always subjective) but I’m not a fan of overly weathered 72nd scale kits. I think it’s fine for some of the larger scales like 48th but it can look a bit overdone on smaller planes, especially panel lines.

ChrisL’ll probably have pics, we went to Leuchars one year and they had a couple of Tornados that were just back from overseas service- iraq or afghanistan, I forget. And they looked like someone’d gone mental with the world’s biggest drybrush.

Anyone going to the Bolton show next weekend?

Like the Jaguar btw!

I am, with my lad and my dad.

Anyone going to the Bolton show next weekend?

Yes. A mate of mine is displaying some stuff. From West Yorks & does WW2 bombers & what not.

I’ll be there at 10:00am. Should us STWers have a secret signal?

Should us STWers have a secret signal?

Well I’m short & fat with glasses….Oh wait….so are lots of other people at these affairs!

I’ll be wearing a very fetching faded red pink baseball cap with ‘Norway’ on the front. (Just the word, not the actual country)

I look like Eddie Hitler and my lad will be wearing a Star Wars themed top. My dad looks like Eric Morcombe if he hadn’t died.

I finally completed a pair of tiny Star Destroyers! They have been co-opted into Rebel Alliance service, hence the firebird insignia:

More photos here.

Northwind – Member
ChrisL’ll probably have pics, we went to Leuchars one year and they had a couple of Tornados that were just back from overseas service- iraq or afghanistan, I forget. And they looked like someone’d gone mental with the world’s biggest drybrush.

I probably do, but the number of airshows I’ve attended is sadly much greater than the number of airshows whose photos I’ve sorted and uploaded. However I did find a couple of shots that I have uploaded which show that some aircraft can get pretty dirty and weathered:

Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire MkI – 610 Squadron RAF June 1940. Mostly finished OOB but with a bit of hairspray technique on wing leading edges, wing root where the pilot walks. EZ-Line for the aerial wires.

Next up? BSG Raptor by Moebius I think

^Nice.

hairspray technique

???

Do tell…

Undercoat of whatever the base material was, in this case aluminium. Layer of hairspray* on top, leave to dry. Next coat(s) the camouflage colours, again let dry. Then with an old brush cut down to maybe 1/5 of original bristle length, wet the top coat with the appropriate thinner – I use acrylics so water – and scrub away. Try to go In the direction of ‘traffic’, in this case the airflow or the pilot’s feet

After a while the bare aluminium underneath starts to break through in a random pattern. Not unlike the intakes of that Harrier up there ^. You can just make it out on the leading edge of the starboard wing in my last picture

* I used a pump action gel spray, decanted a bit into a spare Tamiya paint jar & diluted it with water. Much easier to manage than a can of Insette Spiky

Picked up some bargains!

Airfix Red Arrows Hawk – £3

Airfix Beaufighter – £3

Mr Hobby Hawker Hunter – £6

Hasegawa Intruder – £7

There’s definitely some bargains there, where did you find them?

I have a partially completed Beaufighter I really need to start working on again. It’s a nice kit.

Bolton model show.

The Beaufighter is a very old and basic moulding and the Hunter is pretty crude too.

I came away with a magnifying lamp & a size 10 flat brush.

I avoided adding to the plastic, but stocked up on filler, brushes, and a paint stand.

In the next couple of weeks I’m gonna have a clearout, I’m heading into the darkest depths of the garage loft to sort some kits out. Last time I counted I had about 60, not all of which I’ll want to build, so I’ll flog some off & buy something I now fancy doing. Some of them will date from the late 80’s!

One thing I did learn today was that there is no point in me getting a 1/72 Victor as it is massive.

Thought the display of TSR2s was quite impressive. I had a cheeky punt at one on eBay the other week, but it went for daft money.

My favourite today was the 1/32 2 seat Harrier done in black.

Do I win the longest ongoing build prize.

Got this for my birthday in 1998

The mottling on the skin was quite hard & 48 dreadlocks to stick on & paint, so got stuck & then there was uni…

Anyway moved with me from one end of the country to the other for 2 decades, dusted off today , gonna get some paints and see how out of practice I am now!

(Also found some 2002? Kona stickers in there)

Do I win the longest ongoing build prize.

Got this for my birthday in 1998

The mottling on the skin was quite hard & 48 dreadlocks to stick on & paint, so got stuck & then there was uni…

Anyway moved with me from one end of the country to the other for 2 decades, dusted off today , gonna get some paints and see how out of practice I am now!

(Also found some 2002? Kona stickers in there)

Do I win the longest ongoing build prize.

Got this for my birthday in 1998

The mottling on the skin was quite hard & 48 dreadlocks to stick on & paint, so got stuck & then there was uni…

Anyway moved with me from one end of the country to the other for 2 decades, dusted off today , gonna get some paints and see how out of practice I am now!

(Also found some 2002? Kona stickers in there)

Do I win the longest ongoing build prize.

Got this for my birthday in 1998

The mottling on the skin was quite hard & 48 dreadlocks to stick on & paint, so got stuck & then there was uni…

Anyway moved with me from one end of the country to the other for 2 decades, dusted off today , gonna get some paints and see how out of practice I am now!

(Also found some 2002? Kona stickers in there)

Do I win the longest ongoing build prize.

Got this for my birthday in 1998

The mottling on the skin was quite hard & 48 dreadlocks to stick on & paint, so got stuck & then there was uni…

Anyway moved with me from one end of the country to the other for 2 decades, dusted off today , gonna get some paints and see how out of practice I am now!

(Also found some 2002? Kona stickers in there)

Do I win the longest ongoing build prize.

Got this for my birthday in 1998

The mottling on the skin was quite hard & 48 dreadlocks to stick on & paint, so got stuck & then there was uni…

Anyway moved with me from one end of the country to the other for 2 decades, dusted off today , gonna get some paints and see how out of practice I am now!

(Also found some 2002? Kona stickers in there)

6 of them? Wow!

Oh gosh

I am not syncing with this new forum

“I am not syncing with this new forum”

No shit Sherlock, me neither! (Cant even put a winkey face on anymore)

Anyway, my mate had some nice stuff on display on the Bomber Command table. A Night fighting Mozzie, a white Halifax & a Lanc.
Anyone going to the Huddersfield show In 2 weeks time?

I’d love to, but my “stash” is out of control. Lots more building. No more buying.

Getting the hang of the airbrush now.

<em style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.8px; vertical-align: baseline; background: #ffffe0; color: #454545;”><span style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.8px; vertical-align: baseline; background: #eeeeee; color: #444444;”>I finally completed a pair of tiny Star Destroyers! They have been co-opted into Rebel Alliance service, hence the firebird insignia</span>

Ah, the Lusankya

Imagine how much all that red paint must have caused

I meant “Cost”, but I can’t update it now for some reason

Paint. Done.

Looking good. Did you pre-shade with the airbrush or with a hairy stick?

The airbrush is a great tool for applying the all over gloss clear coat ready for decals. And then for the Matt/satin/gloss coat after the decals

Pre shade was with the airbrush too.

Decals later in the week. The last hour with it, touching up the paint, has given me a headache so I’ve put it away. If I carry on now I’ll ruin it.

Looking good HtS, can’t beat the double ugly!

Fin.

I do like that Phantom. 🙂