Another Wingnut Wings SE5a

[lcarroll]

    Coming along in spectacular fashion Tug! I really like the subtle chipping effect on the panels and the masked markings, an art form I avoid in deep fear of failing, are beautifully done. This is going to be a real beauty!
Cheers,
Lance

[Borsos]

it's going to be a real beauty. your paintjob is absolute first class!
Borsos

[Ian from Doncaster]

looks perfect to me!

where do you get your roundel masks from?

[Alexis]

Excellent results Tug , looking very sharp indeed . Yes , Roundels are forward just a bit . Should be just behind the cockpit open , but it is perfect just the way it is . I don't think they where perfectly place every time any way .

Do you re-use the tin foil after the painting and unmasking stage ? I kind like this idea and the tape should peel off so the foil can be used again .




Terri

[RAGIII]

Tug,
I m in awe of your painting and masking skills! Lovely results.
RAGIII

[Suffolk Lad]

Hi guys, thanks for all your kind comments 

I think I'm rushing this a little though definitely not intentionally but these little errors are beginning to niggle. A little bit more thought and especially some better attention to the one image I have my have helped. Whatever it's going to have to stay as it is now.

Lance - I've always preferred to do an 'under painting' to 'expose' rather than apply it afterwards though that often has to happen if you go too far  Given your lovely work on your Nieuport cowling I know you can do too 

Ian - the masks are cut on a small vinyl cutter that I have a 25% share in. Four of us clubbed together and bought a Graphtec 'Robo-Cut' It will do basic shapes from it's own drawing function though that is a bit limited but it will get 'outlines' from scans and self plot. It will also import dxf files from a drawing package.  It is very accurate though I notice of late roundels are not quite as true as they used to be in the smaller sizes. - The serial No on the fin was done using the text function at 5mm high but I have done them as small as 2.5. It will go much smaller but the problem is that the very small pieces of masking material get plucked off the backing sheet. The nice thing is that once you have a design in the file you can quickly scale it to any dimension. To give you an idea of the accuracy I once traced word FORD (as in auto) in pencil on A4  and scanned it and converted to 'outline'. I did a trial plot (you can use a pen instead of the cutter) and could not for the life of me work out why it was going round the outline twice. Finally the penny dropped - once outside the pencil line and once inside . Easily cured by filling in the letters with a felt pen.

Terri - I do recycle the foil but usually cut Tamiya 40mm wide tape into 6-8 mm wide strips and apply a piece across one end or edge of the foil pre-cut pieces. As it comes off the model I leave the tape in situ - by the time the sticky begins to fail the foil just about needs replacing anyway. Foil is a great masking material and I've used it for a long time. Not my idea but from a well known American control line model builder way back. Far far easier to use than any paper particularly when it can be moulded around varying awkward shapes.

Though we packed up sailing early today I still haven't got into the workshop - an afternoon nap got in the way   

Back soon - Tug

[gedmundson]

Hi Tug,
brilliant work - great to follow along. A lesson for me contained in each one of your updates! Painting roundels and other such markings is something I really need to learn.
Cheers,
Gary

[Suffolk Lad]

Hello Gary, my thanks for your comments - coming from such a fine modeller as yourself leaves me feeling very honoured.

I've been painting markings since doing a SU27 Flanker early on and finding the decals were difficult to weather to fit in with the worn and faded scheme chosen. It's not a difficult process but can be testing at times - the most tedious is getting the mask off the backing paper without distortion and ensuring it is in the correct position as unlike a decal it can't be moved around. I find the result is usually worth the extra effort though.

Regards  - Tug

[jeroen_R90S]

Looking good -bookmarked for when I (ever) get to mine!

[Suffolk Lad]

Thanks for looking in Jeroen - good luck with it when you do - it's a nice kit that's for sure


Well guys I've been slowly getting to grips with things so here are a few pics to bring you up to date on progress so far.

Another one of the wing before painting the code on


The masking of that went okay


And after a slight toning down with a mist of 'PC10' and another of Nato Black


I used the same to tone down the fuse and it was at this point I realised a mistake  The angle of the bar of the 'H' was reversed to that in the image!
After checking the initial drawings for the mask I had actually got it right but must have inverted the mask and put it on the wrong side on application - easily done with my fading cells


Once realised I knew it had to go so I took the opportunity to increase the thickness of the letter at the same time. It now matches the one image I have on the port side at least. I did the starboard side a mirror image which of course reverses the bar as you look at the letter. Didn't notice that at the time but this time it's staying! Besides I haven't seen any image of the other side of this aircraft I'm also beginning to dirty things up a bit on the fuselage at this stage with varying oil washes. On that front I'm not sure how long this specific aircraft flew before young Mr Truscott had his hard arrival with Terra Firma but for me I wanted this one to be dirty!




There's still a way to go with that process and the tail has yet to be tackled but only after it comes out of this fixture


It's uncanny how the camera accentuates things - that cordite stain really shows white-ish here but looks rather under done on the model  The cockpit padding was done with the Alkyd oils and was totally dry overnight.


Also began dirtying the underside - had several attempts to create a 'spray' of spots blowing across a paintbrush with the airbrush but could not master the technique in a narrow band for the wheel spray - can anyone enlighten me on using this method? After several attempts on scrap paper I resorted to doing it by hand with a paintbrush and pigments in white spirit





And finally some 'bits and pieces'

I 'wrapped' the cabanes using strips cut from the gummed area of cigarette papers and gently teased it around with a paintbrush and saliva.


Once painted the effect is quite noticeable


The undercarriage parts are pre weathered. The tire 'Palmer' decals were  fixed in place with Kleer (Future) then abraded slowly and gently with 1200 grit wet and dry paper to tone them down some


The exhausts were treated with rust pigments before sealing with a light mist of Kleer


And finally today the prop got it's grey tips and a light weather with an oil wash



Well that's it for a while I guess. There are still a few parts to add to the fuselage before it comes out of this fixture but I certainly hope to be able to get on to it here and there over the Xmas break so with luck the top wing will be on before too long.

Have a good Xmas break guys and get that plastic ready for a Camel (or two  ) for a New Year pressie to your self 

Regards - Tug

[Alexis]

Beautiful job on the weathering Tug  Really love how the exhaust turned out .




Terri

[Ian from Doncaster]

Wonderful stuff Tug!

For wheel splattering, I flicked a just-wet thin paintbrush with my finger a few cm away from the model.  The liquid was Klear/Future (I think, could have been water but Klear sticks).  This makes a fine mist leaving tiny droplets on the model surface.  I had already prepared powdered pastels - but you can of course use proprietary weathering powder - and blew this dust onto the model before the droplets had dried.  Then by blowing the spare dust away gently, the splattering appears.  Once dried, the effect doesn't even need sealing.  I will try and dig out a reference to this if I can find it!

Edit.. Here is my DVII with wheel splatters.  The top one was unfortunately over brushed with clear before the splatter had properly dried so has streaked, but the lower wheel is just splatter.




I also did mud splats on the base of the rudder, rear of the fuselage by flicking paint off a brush with my finger.

My example may not have the best results in accuracy of the splattering pattern, but the technique works, plus you can vary the dust colour for further effect..  As always, this can be easily practised on spare plastic beforehand..

I think I read about this method for weathering mud onto tank and armoured vehicle modelling...

I don't have the SE5a, but your log is seriously making me want to get one!

[Juan]

Outstanding, she is going to be one good looking bird.

[boggie]

Absolutely marvellous Tug! 

More please 

[lcarroll]

Tug,
    Great update, the finish is superb and your weathering is really well done! Very enjoyable to follow your progress and this one is going to be a spectacular model, keep up the exceptional work!
Cheers,
Lance