The Finished Product

So finally, it ends.  All I did was drill a hole for the stand, remove any masking tape, and paint the landings lights red and green.  That’s it.

Making a Stand

To display an airplane in flight…well…you need a display stand. So I went to the local Wal-Mart, bought a small block of wood for $0.63 and I painted it blue with a white star on it. Then I drilled out a hole in the center of the wood, and glued a metal rod to it. While this is undoubtedly the easiest part, I want to remind readers that every little thing you do for a model can make or break it. I went quick with spraying the wood, so the star isn’t exactly symmetrical and the blue isn’t exactly USAF WWII blue…but it works for now.

63 cents at Wal-Mart or 17 dollars at Hobbytown, I wonder what’s the better deal.

I later cut off about 5 cm from the rod as it was a bit too high.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

Military vehicles always look beat-up, whether from exhaust, gunshots, mud, ice, or just wear and tear of the paint. So, in the effort to make my plane look more realistic, one must “weather” it Weathering is the technique of bringing out details by making the plane look beat-up. Many people do paint-chipping, gunshot holes, etc., but I’m going to stick with just two modifications: a dark wash and exhaust stains.

Now, a wash is the easiest way to weather anything. A wash takes very, VERY thin paint and brushes it over the panel lines and recessed areas then wiping the excess away. This makes the recessed areas darker and more noticeable. The wash I use is a mixture of water and chalk powder. I also add a drop of soap to break the surface tension of the water to make it adhere better to the surface of the plane. I dab it on with a big paintbrush, let it sit for an hour, then wipe off the excess with a wet rag. This stuff comes off easily, so mistakes are hard to make.

The next step is adding the exhaust stains on the top of the engine pylons. I just used my airbrush to paint the stains at an angle at a low PSI. In fact, my airbrush was at about a 15 degree angle to the pylons. This makes the paint fan out like real exhaust smoke.

After the wash had been applied.

I wiped it clean, then added the exhaust stains. If you compare this picture to another below, you will notice a difference in detail. Washes really bring out the details in models.

Decaling ‘De Model

So…decaling…make or break? That’s a big issue in the modeling field. Decals will certainly make a model look intensely better. However, a bad decal job can really diminish the beauty. So, what are decals? Well, they are micro-thin plastic labels that come on a paper decal sheet. They have an adhesive that is activated by water, and they will only leave the decal sheet if immersed in water for a few seconds. Sounds easy right? Well, let’s start with the requirements.

What you will need:

• a well-lit area
• a cup of warm water
• a decal setting solution (I use Future)
• the model
• the decal sheet
• the instructions
• scissors for cutting decals
• tweezers for placing decals
• x-acto knife for small movement of decals
• flat-tipped paintbrush for decal setting solution application
• Kleenex for wiping up extra decal setting solution/water

Now, it’s just a straightforward process of preparing and placing the decals. I cut out a few decals I want to apply and submerge them in warm water. DON’T PUT ALL OF THE DECALS IN WATER. Only apply a few at a time. While the decals are in the water, use the brush to apply some Future to spot indicated on the instructions sheet. Then remove the cut decal sheet from the water. Use tweezers to remove the decals. Don’t tug. They should slide off. Place the decal on the spot. Blot the area with Kleenex to get up excess Future or water. Position the decal with the knife. Finally, after a minute or so, brush on a little more Future to seal the decal.

The most common problem I used to have was decal “silvering.” This happens when the decal does not sit well on the model. To reduce the possibility of silvering, spray Future or a clear glossy coat over the model first. For some reason, decals adhere better to glossy surfaces. Use a decal setting solution, and put on more after the decal has been in the desired position for a minute. This should pull the decal down and seemingly glue it to the model.

A quick picture of my ideal setup

Once all of the decals have dried overnight, I spray on another coat of Future to seal everything.

The Future of Modeling

So, I mentioned it last time, now to explain the magic of Future.  Future is an acrylic floor wax.  It is almost milk thin and clear, has a pleasant aroma, and can do just about anything.

1. Future can fix cracks or dents in canopies and clear pieces.

2. Dipping a canopy in Future will it appear thinner and more realistic.

3. Future can be used as a semi-gloss coat before decal application or weathering.  It seals very well.

4. Future is a great decal application solution.  Add a little to where the decal will sit, then brush a little over the decal.  Future will actually pull the decal down as it dries.

5. Future can act as a glue for metal photo-etched parts.

6. If sprayed on prior to sprue removal, it can keep clear parts from splintering.

7. Because it’s acrylic, you can mix it with most acrylic paints to make them stronger or to make semi-transparent colors.

8. It can be added to instrument panels to make the dials appear to have a clear cover.

9.  Future makes great water for dioramas.

10. Future can mix with talcum powder to create a seam filler that dries quick.

So, it has a great many uses.  For airbrushing, mix in a little Windex, and the Future will spray on evenly.  The only enemy really is dust.  Cover the wet model before retiring fort the evening.  If dust or anything else gets on a Futured model, ammonia (Windex) can strip Future rather well.  For $8, Future was worth every penny.  Did I mention it has a long shelf-life on top of everything else?

The Future of modeling.

Laying Down the Paint

So, I’m finally here: the painting phase.  First I sprayed the underside in a flat black.  Then I masked the black off with different widths of masking tape.  It’s important to be sure to mask as much as possible in case your spray travels to an unwanted area.  Then I sprayed on the aluminum finish with an Alcad II lacquer paint.  The Alcad II system is probably the best “metalizer” around.  It comes premixed and ready to airbrush.  It dries fast, adheres to most surfaces, and doesn’t smell nearly as bad as most lacquers.

After thoroughly cleaning my airbrush and masking off the aluminum finish, I painted the front panels with Pollyscale olive drab.  Pollyscale is a high quality acrylic brand that is expensive, but very durable.  Lastly, I sprayed a thin coat of Future on.  I’ll talk more about Future in my next post.

Finished painting. Doesn’t it look great.

The engine exhausts are painted in a custom painted mixed by myself to resemble burnt bronze.

Prime Time

I can’t emphasize how important this step is, especially if you are using acrylics.  Acrylic paints are not what experts call “hot.”  In other words, they do not mold to the plastic on a molecular level like enamels or lacquers.  So, acrylics need something to “bite” onto…aka a non-acrylic primer.  I use Color Place automotive gray.  I get it at Wal-Mart for 97 cents and it does the job.

Not only does a primer allow good adhesion for other paints, but it lets you see imperfections that can be fixed before the final paint job.  For instance, I noticed a few seems that needed filling after I primed the P-38.

After the primer had dried, I sanded the plane lightly, and I painted the propellers.  First I sprayed on a coat of black, then I taped off and painted the yellow tips.

The priming is finished.

You can see that they are much easier to paint if left on the plastic sprues, not to mention it’s easier to line up the masking tape.

Prepping for Priming

Well, the pieces are together and I’ve taped off the canopy and clear sections that need to stay clear.

The hardest part was aligning the wings, engine nacelles, and the main cockpit section.  These are all independent sections and it can be a real bitch to get them to align correctly, much less sit in that position long enough for the glue to adhere.  However, I glued the engines together first in the back where the tail aileron sits.  The long fin formed a right angle to the vertical ailerons allowing me to see how everything sat while the glue was drying.

Now, many people prefer a fast dry (or fast cure) glue.  I prefer a slow cure cyanoacrylate glue, also called super glue.  This is different from modeling cement, which melds the plastic together.  Super glue simply holds it together…very well I might add.  Also, using a slow cure formula, I can reposition pieces up to a minute after I apply the glue.  This is especially important when aligning wings/stabilizers.  Moreover, the longer the cure, the stronger the bond.  Although, I wouldn’t crash the finished plane into a rock to test the strength.

As for taping the canopy, I used opaque Scotch Tape.  I like it because I can see where the panel line are.  In many models, the panel lines are simply drawn on, which can make it difficult to mask if the tape isn’t slightly clear.

This is the plane from the rear sitting on my airbrush cleaning cup.  It was the only this I could find quickly to set the model on to dry.

Everything is taped off that needs to be, and I attached the canopy with Duct Tape Poster Adhesive.  This stuff is a blue silly-putty like substance that won’t pull paint, but it will keep stuff from moving.

Making it Spin

So I finally put together the engine booms that also serve as the rear landing gear housing. I noticed that this model WAS NOT designed to be built “gear-up.” IE it was difficult to reshape the landing gear doors and glue them in the right position. I also added some filler putty to the inside to make it stable.

Problem 4: The propellers do not spin.

This really irks me. It’s not that hard to cast a plane with spinning props, not to mention that it’s almost commonplace in all prop planes. No matter; I’ll fix it. So first, I took 2mm brass wire (looks like coat hanger wire) and cut off two 2″ lengths. Then I took 3mm styrene tubing and cut off two .5cm lengths after drilling out the inside of the tube a bit more. I attached the tubes to the ends of the wire. These are the new spinners for the propellers. Because they must attach to the propeller cones, I cut off the circle attachments on the engine booms and glued them inside the prop cones. I then drilled all the necessary holes. Now, they are ready for assembly.

The idea with the circle hinges in the propeller cones is to isolate where the glue will be. I don’t want glue getting on the engine booms because then the props won’t spin. If I give a small area enclosed by the circle hinges (minus a hole for the rod spinners), then I can ensure a good connection without glue leaking everywhere.

These are the engine booms with filler inside.

This is the way the booms look unaltered. Notice the circle hinges that glue the props down.

Everything is cut and ready to be glued.

You can see the spinners I built compared to a penny.

These are the cones that attach to the propellers. I glued the circle hinges in them, and I later drilled a hole to allow the spinner to glue onto them.

Zap A Gap

So far, this model has presented relatively few problems….until now.  So, without further ado:

Problem 3: The clear nose section does not fit flush with the cockpit section.  There is a 2mm gap.

So, I went to my box of random parts and grabbed a wheel well from a German fighter, sanded it down, and stuck it in.   It doesn’t look great, but after initial painting, it will look better.  I also intend to fill the other gaps with Elmer’s glue.  Testor’s released this stuff as clear-parts cement (as it won’t frost pieces), but it’s Elmer’s glue with a better applicator.

Speaking of frosting, that is what happens when you use a glue/cement with vapors.  The vapors adhere to oil, dust, and mold-release lubricant, which frosts the surface.  Look at the pictures below at the nose section to see the effects of super glue.  Luckily, most of this will be painted over and it won’t affect the end result.

You can see the wheel well circled in red.

Trimming and sanding make it an excellent fit.