Hi Everyone

So here it goes. My very first attempt at plastic modeling, trying to be part of what my husband spends so much time with.

I looked through his collection, and selected this 1/48 scale Nakajima, because it looks easy and dosen't have to many parts. I'm surprised that this kit costs so much originally(+/- $25.00US), as there's not alot in the box compared to his other kits. O-well!!

This morning, I started removing parts and cleaning them up. I'm going to start with the cockpit and the engine. Hopefully, I'll be able to paint these by this coming evening.

I'll be posting quite afew photos here, as I'll be looking for some help, and photos tell the story. My husband is a non-expert modeler who helps, but his patience level stinks and considerable blue language comes out of the modeling room. I don't care for that.

Here's where I'm starting. Soon with some glue:





This is also my first posting into the Aeroscale general forums. I'm looking forward to this new hobby.

Leslie

Hi Leslie, always great to have more women in a male dominated hobby! Hope you enjoy building the model kit. Take your time, realize it is a learning curve like anything else and you get a little better with each one you complete. Good luck. If you have any questions, just ask, everyone here is very helpful. Russell

Hi Leslie, welcome!

I'm sure you'll get lots of good advice on any challenges that you may come up against.

One very useful thread on this forum is this one:
https://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/forums/111677&page=1

It discusses building without using a lot of filler- by thinking ahead, test fitting, and designing ways of modifying parts or adding spreaders to eliminate any gaps that would otherwise need filling, and sanding, and filling again, and re-scribing detail that was lost, etc.

When you come to the painting stage, it might be worth asking people on here about paint combinations, when to use clear coat, how to get decals to go do without the silver edges, etc. Will you be using an airbrush?

Thankyou gentlemen, for the encouragement. That a wonderful link you offered up, robot_. It took me an hour to study and I'm going to read it again. Thankyou

My start on this little plane didn't produce the mind-bending happiness that I anticipated. For the most part, I've made more mistakes, and raised more questions than I have answers for.

eg. When cutting parts off the sprue, in some cases I cut-off more than the attachment point, and removed small detail along with the sprue. Never knew it until I looked at the drawings.

Also, I'm a very messy gluer. The stuff I'm using is aggressive and melts the plastic. The supplied brush attached to the cap is too large for tight areas. I'm going to find a very small glue brush to work with. This is where I'm at:



Its not all glued. I'm going to paint the small parts first. The directions say Navy Blue for sidewalls and floor, and grey for the seat. I guess I'll follow that. No one will see it, though, because the canopy will not open and it has a small cockpit hole.

Sorry if I'm yapping to much. I talk alot in real life too. But, I would like to get some advice from those in the know; based on what I'm doing. And I thankyou in advance for that.

Leslie

Leslie, I've used Ambroid before too. It takes a little practice to get the application of the glue just right. A smaller brush is a good idea though, giving you much more control.

If you google J aircraft, you can find a site which is devoted to Japanese aircraft exclusively. It is a great reference site and I've used it often. Relax, have fun, that is what this hobby is about after all. I know you want to do the best job you can, practice really does make better. There is no such thing as a perfect model because there aren't any pefect people. Enjoy. Russell

Hi Leslie,

Welcome to the site!

Enjoy the model. Don't take it so seriously--this is meant to be fun. That said, Siderius and others can tell you I need to follow that advice myself!

To remove parts from the parts tree, use a clipper. These cost several dollars but are worth it if you like the hobby. In the cosmetics area of a store, there are suitable substitutes--get something small enough for the parts. A sharp knife works well for removing the parts. Sometimes what is and is not part of the attachment points is not as obvious as it could be. But if you snip off a bit too much, so be it. Enjoy the model. Learn for your next one.

If you are the type who is not immediately satisfied with less than 100%, then you can learn the skill of filling blemishes. There are many methods to that, some pretty easy.

Yes, a small applicator is best. Too much liquid glue can inspire blue language from any of us! So long as it does not melt the plastic you will be OK. If you get too much on your model, do not try to wipe it off--that will only smear the damage! Let it dry and then contend with the blemish.

Looking forward to your progress.

Test-fit parts. That is a VERY important thing.

Looking good Leslie. From the size of your cockpit, this is a 1/72 kit? The Hasegawa box isn't marked with the scale. I don't see any missing bits in the photo, so I guess whatever was left on the sprue can't have been too important!

I agree with Fred: better to take off a chunk of sprue with the part, and trim down with a knife afterwards.

I've not used your liquid glue before, so don't know how 'hot' (i.e. strong/fast-acting) it is, but I think a normal sable or nylon paint brush should be resistant to it, so you can use an old brush to apply the glue. If you do need the larger brush area (e.g. for the fuselage halves), wipe the brush against the bottle lid several times to reduce the amount of liquid on the brush.

When I returned the to hobby, I began by spending a lot of time on a detailed cockpit, and not enough time getting the rest of the kit together cleanly, and as you point out, the cockpit is very hard to see in most cases! It is all personal choice, but some people like knowing that there is a detailed cockpit in there, even if no-one else sees it. At least if you post photos on here, people will see the work you've done, before it is sealed up inside.