Tamiya 1/35 Churchill Mk VII Tank

[Guest]

I ordered some Tamiya paint a few days ago, it just arrived with a bottle of X-20A Thinner.

Now before I do this, is it correct what I've been told, that if you open them and fill them almost to the top with thinners, then the paint is perfectly airbrush ready?

[Mark1]

You may find some colours will require a bit more or less thinners than others so i would just mix as i need.

[Andy T]

It's a rumour that goes around so much that many believe it to be true.

As Mark says, it might be fine for some colours but not necessarily all.

[Tim Marlow]

It’s a good starting point, but overfilling like that makes mixing a bit difficult. I dilute to the shoulder of the bottle, mix thoroughly, then adjust the mix in the airbrush cup to make it properly spray friendly. As the guys say above, each colour will need its own adjustment to spray as you want it to.

[andy55]

I find that the vallejo model air are very good in the AB straight from the bottle, tried adding thinners to vallejo model color and a bit hit and miss (thats down to me). Its the old adage, take as much advise as you can get, then use the bits that suit you. The guys and gals on here are very knowledgeable.

[Guest]

Working on the build and I need a little advice.

Looking at this section, there are two small box-like objects (B8) that glue onto the rear of the tank.
These sit on two pins, however along with the two pins they sit on, there are also six other smaller pins surrounding it
which means the boxes will not sit flush.


My question is this, should I trim off the smaller pins so these fit flush? or am I supposed to leave a horrible gap?

[langy71]

If memory serves the pins are there to bring small boxes out in order to sit flush with the rear plate.

[Mark1]

How does it look with b9 fitted

[Guest]

Those boxes B8 are smoke emitters (inside each are two smoke candles that are set off electrically from inside the tank), and they look like they should sit on top of the little pins, which are most likely the lugs they bolt onto on the real tank.


(source)

So no, don’t trim them off, and yes, leave a small gap between B8 and the hull plate

[Guest]

Thanks, that's sorted now.

The next phase is the wheels/tracks. Now I'm not sure about this. Do I prime all the parts separately and then build, or build it and then prime it.
or does it not matter about the order you do it?

also, any tips for getting rid of moulding (molding?) lines in curved and weird shaped parts? this is proving to be very tricky indeed!

[Andy T]

Personal preference with the painting vs building. I prefer to paint the wheels and tracks separately whenever possible as they may want different colours, finishes or weathering effects.

As for the mould line, scraping along it usually removes the majority, if not all. You can get dedicated mould line removers, or scrapers, but I find the back of a hobby blade, or even the sharp side, works well enough.

If there is a tiny bit left that you just can't reach to sand, some carful brushing with an extra thin cement will melt it and blend it in.

[Tim Marlow]

Personal preference with the painting vs building. I prefer to paint the wheels and tracks separately whenever possible as they may want different colours, finishes or weathering effects.

As for the mould line, scraping along it usually removes the majority, if not all. You can get dedicated mould line removers, or scrapers, but I find the back of a hobby blade, or even the sharp side, works well enough.

If there is a tiny bit left that you just can't reach to sand, some carful brushing with an extra thin cement will melt it and blend it in.

Agree with Andy. My weapon of choice for scraping the join is the sharp side of a 15a scalpel blade used at about ninety degrees to the surface. I find the curved shape doesn’t dig in as much as the tip of a straight blade. The tip of a number 11 fine straight bKade is useful for getting into closed areas though, and tools like a small fold of 600 wet and dry Emery paper also work for getting between some areas. In the end it just takes time, but it’s one of the things that makes a good build stand out.

[Tim Marlow]

Forgot to say, some fine parts are best cleaned up while still on the sprue, just leaving the scar to clean up when they are cut off, and some smaller bits may even be easier to clean up after they are glued on. It’s just one of those things that gets easier with practice. Doesn’t get any faster though :crying:

[Dave Ward]

Thanks, that's sorted now.

The next phase is the wheels/tracks. Now I'm not sure about this. Do I prime all the parts separately and then build, or build it and then prime it.
or does it not matter about the order you do it?

also, any tips for getting rid of moulding (molding?) lines in curved and weird shaped parts? this is proving to be very tricky indeed!
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Steve,
if you dry fit the road wheels & offer up the tracks, then you can see which mould lines will be visible after assembly - no point in spending time on something that won't be seen. Scraping with a knife blade should remove the worst, finished with a sanding stick. ( or a half round miniature file )
I would assemble the major part of the model first, then prime - the overall base colour is olive drab, so nothing's gained by priming the individual parts. Small detail parts ie exhaust pipes, primed off the model & painted before adding. Often the sequence of priming.painting doesn't matter, just whichever is convenient to you
Dave

[Guest]

Steve,
if you dry fit the road wheels & offer up the tracks, then you can see which mould lines will be visible after assembly - no point in spending time on something that won't be seen. Scraping with a knife blade should remove the worst, finished with a sanding stick. ( or a half round miniature file )
I would assemble the major part of the model first, then prime - the overall base colour is olive drab, so nothing's gained by priming the individual parts. Small detail parts ie exhaust pipes, primed off the model & painted before adding. Often the sequence of priming.painting doesn't matter, just whichever is convenient to you
Dave

Thank you!