coming along very nicely Barry.
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I removed the masking fom the canopy, except that protecting the inside.
Nice clean frame lines, so much better with MRP than in the old days using Vallejo. The cocktai;l stich was used to help lift the masking and then to burnish down the edge of the new mask.
I then re-masked with the new masking going right up to the canopy frame. When finished it will leave a thin 'rubber colour' seal on the inside of the frame.
I have started on the stores.
I will next clean up the join lines, sanding and if necessary filling. These being Tamiya they are pretty good so it will be an easier job than with the Revell and Kitty Hawk builds. Some fins then to add....Comment
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I spent a lot of time on the seam for the stores but here they are now, all primed and ready:
Shown with just a bit of final sanding along the fuel tank seams to do..
I have laid down the underside paint.
As this aircraft was painted up to celebrate 75 years of the 'Wild Weasel' mission I will be doing only light weathering and the colour moderation will be subtle.
Lots of masking and painting to do....Comment
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I have finished painting the stores. I still have some work to do on them, varnish, decals and weathering. I will show better photos when done.
I have also masked up the airframe for the top camo coat
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Top camouflage sprayed. As explained I have done just a very subtle modulation due to the scheme being a commemoration of the 75th year of the Wild Weasel mission and I would expect a very high level of maintenance. The weathering will be light touch.
a quick glimpse of the underside.
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I am not sure now what to do about markings.
Tamiya is always let down by its decals so I never use them and always buy
aftermarket. Hence using these ‘Two Bobs’ decals there not being any masking sets available. In fact there are not many sets for a F16CJ.
They are beautifully printed but utterly useless.
They are as bad as Tamiya’s for splintering and do not conform into the detail even with the use of the strongest decal solutions available.
Look at this.
There is no chance at all of matching colours and using paint to improve the appearance. It is actually worse than in the picture as I had pieced lots of splintered pieces together to minimise the damage. Applying decal solution over them shifted their position and it just got worse and worse from then on.
I spent well over an hour applying those above what with all the piecing together of the splintered decals, initially it looked OK or would do once I painted a few areas black where damage still showed.
But after the decal solution dried overnight it had not conformed and looked awful. I therefore carefully cut down into panel lines ready to apply more decal solution hoping to draw the decals in. Utter failure, it just splinters yet again and now it is so bad it cannot be retrieved.
I will be scraping and removing the decal then the fin will need to be resprayed.
so what to do then?
I don’t want to repaint with one of the Tamiya schemes as I will face the same issue with their decals, maybe worse.
I think therefore I will keep the same paint scheme and hash up a fictional scheme Using a mix of the Tamiya and Two Bobs decals. Between the two sets I hope enough decals will behave to complete a scheme.
Very disappointed. Revell and Kitty Hawk, who make dreadful kits, at least produce workable decals but Tamiya, who produce the best plastic that you can get, is incapable of providing decent decals. I will also make sure that I avoid ‘Two Bobs’ decals as well.Comment
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Well I removed the decals using masking tape to pull it away. Easy peasy....
it is now all resprayed.
so what do I do now? Well nothing, for now, family due to arrive and no benchtime left for a week. So I can take my time to decide.
any suggestions
I will keep the scheme of FS36118 top camo and FS36270 bottom and sides. I really do not want to do a complete repaint job.
I have most of the markings for this aircraft still, minus the tail logo. Hopefully as they are all fairly small decals even if they splinter they will go down OK. I have the Tamiya decals, but for different paint schemes and with some large decals that we can confidently predict will give the same issues, though the small ones might work...
A mix of the two sets might work and one of the Tamiya schemes does not have a large potentially problematical colourful tail decal to use. I should be able to cobble something together that won’t relate to a real aircraft but will look OK.
any other ideas?
oh
And a very Merry Christmas....Comment
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Would a coat of Microscale liquid decal film help to stop the Tamiya decals splintering Barry?
PeteComment
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You could create your own masks for the tail logo by scanning the decal, if you have the one for the other side left (or finding a scan of it online, of course), printing it out so you can put airbrush masking film over it and cut that in the shapes required. Not saying this will be all that easy, but it should be doable given that it’s the kind of thing traditional airbrush artists (who retouched photographs) used to do that kind of thing all the time.Comment
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HI Barry its a really great shame about the decals as I thought that wild weasel dec was fab an I know you are disappointed but us also as had high hopes on this plane as I know an think you are a premier builder as the only time I had probs with any kind of kit was the K/H jag. Now can you tell me please if trumpperter kits have crap decals as I have two big kits ? an I will be wery when I fit my decals I really hope when you start again after crimbo that things work out on this plane as I thought this was gonna be a cracker but you can't help crap decals .QUESTION why are tamyia decals not good ? is it because these are big decals ? an they also splinter ? as I always have had no probs with mine but the kits were only 1/72 anyway happy crimbo
chris an jenComment
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Hi Chris
Tamiya decals are manageable when small but the larger ones have, in my experience, had a tendancy to splinter. They are also thick and need repeated treatments with solutions to get them to conform. I have never really been happy with Tamiya decals as I dont think they end up looking painted on at all. Trumpeter are just as bad, if not worse. I have tried lots of different decal solutions with them.
In 1/32 it is best to use paint masks for the main markings but with modern jets they are not practical as they are not good for small and complex markings. That does mean aftermarket decals.
It was a nice surprise when I found that Revell's decals are good and an even bigger surprise when I discovered that Kitty Hawks also worked rather well. The other decals that work well for me are Zoukei Mura (the best I have found). Pyn-Up decals and Kits World are also excellent in my experience.Comment
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Well Barry that's a rummin as I found the K/H decals for my jag just all fell apart when dipped in the water but yet you say they are good well that two different opinions do you think that these decals deteriorate if the model is over a certain age an not been sold for a fw yrs until we come along an buy it ? an where do you buy your Z/M an PYN UP decals as ive never heard of them please
An you got me worryied about the trumpeter decals but see how they go
an thank you for your answer Barry cheers
chrisComment
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Try Googling Pyn-Up Chris as I should not mention a competitor of John's....
Perhaps Kitty Hawk improved their decals on later kits, the decals were the one stand out good thing about their F-5E.
Trumpeter are bad so get am if you can.
Decals, I understand, do deteriate over time but I have heard of some very old yellowed Airfix decals have worked.Comment
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Trumpeter are bad so get am if you can.
Decals, I understand, do deteriate over time but I have heard of some very old yellowed Airfix decals have worked
Sorry Barry im not up on kits these days as building to many ships but whats this AM ?
ChrisComment
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