Painting visible B-17 help

[Guest]

:nono:Actually, it's more than just painting. This being my 1st project, I have seveval concerns.

1. Directions says to wash parts before painting. Do I submerge each section in a basin of sudsy water while still attached to the tree? With what do I use? Cloth, cotton balls, etc.?

2. Do I paint each piece I'm working on at the moment before assembling?

3. If I have a large area to cover in a certain color, the fuselage for instance, do I order more of that paint?

4. If I'm using color red at the moment, do I color every piece that requiers red? Or do I color each section complete first, then go on to the next section?

As you can see, I am a complete novice. I would hate to do a less than adequate job on so such an awesome piece of workmanship. Any general advice is heartfully appreciated. And anyone who has worked on this particular model would be a godsend. Thank you all so much for your advice and attention.

[Guest]

a few tips by ian lanc !!

:nono:Actually, it's more than just painting. This being my 1st project, I have seveval concerns. 1. Directions says to wash parts before painting. Do I submerge each section in a basin of sudsy water while still attached to the tree? With what do I use? Cloth, cotton balls, etc.?

2. Do I paint each piece I'm working on at the moment before assembling?

3. If I have a large area to cover in a certain color, the fuselage for instance, do I order more of that paint?

4. If I'm using color red at the moment, do I color every piece that requires red? Or do I color each section complete first, then go on to the next section?

QUOTE]

Have you actually built a large model before ? Making the clear B17 look good from one side takes alot of effort/time to make it look nice.

1, Leave all the parts on the sprues. Wash all the parts in mild soapy water, then rince well with clean cold water, then let it air dry or use a hair dryer on a very very low heat to aid drying time if needed DON'T GO CLOSE TO PARTS WITH AN HAIRDRYER AS IT COULD MELT PLASTIC PARTS. Don't use any things like cotton buds/towels these will only get snagged on the parts thus' leaving horrible bits all over the place.

2, Before you do any painting follow as per instructions, remove parts off sprues which are to be painted and make sure they fit the other part nicely by cutting/trimming bits off. Use woodpegs/self clampng tweezers etc to hold the part while you paint it, DON'T paint the part where it has to be glued together.

3, If your going to paint large area's by hand use a wide brush and only paint in one direction, don't paint in direct sunlight it will start to dry and you'll end up with over lapping of the paint.

Always buy more paint than what is needed its good for your stock, the last thing to happen is for you to run out of paint, the olive drab colour will need two coats to cover well, so get at least 3 tins of that.

Airbrushing large area's is best done by a simple airbrush set up, you don't need expensive airbrushes/compressors to do simple jobs. mixing the paint is done at about 50 % paint 50 % thinner.

Take this for example.............

Badger Air-Brush Universal Spray Gun Set on eBay, also Airbrushes, Painting Supplies, Painting, Drawing Art, Crafts (end time 15-May-09 20:28:16 BST)

4, I sometimes paint all the parts in one colour, i look for all the parts that need to be matt black say, cut them off clean up/test fit them, then stick them on cocktail sticks/pegs, then paint them all.

You'll encounter problems when you come to glue the clear parts in the fuselage, with the glue going white, so you'll have to get a glue which doesn't go white !

Super glue can be used sparingly ! only add a little bit to the corners.

PVA glue is ok as it dries clear. I sometimes stick clear parts in with humbrol clear gloss, i paint one edge with clear gloss leave it for a few minutes to go 'tacky' then put the window in, then leave for at least two days, then apply some more clear gloss around it to secure it even more.

Heres a B17 i built, not the clear one ! but it should help a bit in putting it together, scrowl down towards the bottom of the page and you'll see an in-build of a B17, then theres a few more to look at on further pages.....

The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum :: View topic - ianlanc's workbench/tray, vac form 1/48th Whitley build.

When you come to join the fuselage halves together don't worry about the join line ! You can bring the Olive Drab colour over the joint in a sort of wavey line, like you see on cuttaway models.

hope this helps you a bit.

ian.

[Guest]

hope this helps you a bit.

Thanks so much, ian. Much more than I could've hoped for or expected. A virtual by-the-numbers step guide. Only pray I can do it justice. Again, a hearty handshake thanks.