Jelger! Yep, shiny it is !

Joel! I've hadn't had any luck with those acrylic primers but it could be worth a try! I've got a bottle of Tamiya Yellow Cap also and the MiG Ammo range is carried locally here so I can get hold of one of these bottles as well.

Tim! I don't know if I will have to seal it yet. I plan to paint the roundels and if the smaller decals look OK without a clear coat I'll probably leave it as it is. I do however have the Vallejo clear that comes with the range so I'll probably at least test it on something else. I'll keep you posted!



Magnus

Magnus,
Every glossy clear or 50/50 mixture of gloss/Matt I've ever tried on a test mule with NMF always changed the NM look & "feel". I don't remember why or when I decided to try Testors Model Master Metalizer Sealer, which has been around for a million years, but it worked perfectly. It has almost no visual change to the NMF.

Joel

Joel! I have one of those bottles! Last used on a P-38 in 1995 ! I wonder if it's still functional... What do you use to thin it?


Starting on the Barracuda Firestreaks, some casting gates to remove at the rear of the missile and then a separate rear end giving a hollow rocket nozzle - a really nice touch! Then I suddenly realised that there are only enough fins for one missile and the same goes for the Red Top set I also bought at Telford. A quick mail to Roy in California solved the problem, spares are already on their way. I am almost sure this is a mistake with ALL of the bags sold since the introduction at Telford (same for my friend Anders' Firestreaks) so if you have bought a set for use later, check them now so that you can get spares!


Starting with the "shading" of the metal surfaces. I've kept the "chrome" central areas and painted the surroundings using "white aluminium". Next will be one further shade for the ailerons and the flaps. We'll see where it all ends!



Magnus

Magnus,
The sealer like their Metalizer range of paints is lacquer based. As with their paints it's already pre-thinned as it looks like the consistency of water in the clear bottle.
Joel

Joel! I'll have a dive into the paint dungeons and see if I still can find it !


As long as the Lightnings were flown in NM, they do seem to have been kept exceptionally shiny. When camouflaged, the mechanics seem to have lost interest in the parts that were still NM (belly and below the wings). At the end of the service life in 1988, many looked dirty, grey and oxidised so I'll aim for that look.


Masking off panels and painting in different shades is great fun, there is a similar process going on with the F.2A also.



Magnus

Magnus,
The shading of the various panel lines really is quite effective.

Joel

Looking really good Magnus. The shading and weathering of the the panels makes a tremendous difference. Keep up the excellent work.
tim

Joel and Tim! I'm far from finished with that part yet !

Just a quick update to show that things are rolling. I've masked off the NM areas using Parafilm. I get the feeling that the Vallejo paints are fairly masking tape safe but I won't take any unnecessary risks...


A coat of grey! Gunze 331 thinned using their own "Levelling Thinner" and mixed with a generous amount of gloss clear.

Next on the list: cutting masks for the camo!



Magnus

Magnus,
Looking good. Can't wait to see your update with the camo scheme on.
Joel

Quick evening update!


I did the masks for the wings and the tailplanes tonight and decided to paint those parts only. I'll continue with the rest of the plane tomorrow, I think this probably is easier than doing all the painting (or rather the masking!) in one go.



Magnus

Magnus,
the hard line camo scheme looks perfect. looking forward to the completion of it.

Joel

Hi Magnus,
camo looks really spot on. And the oxidation of the metal color is awesome! I can hardly wait for Your next update.

Oliver

Joel! As usual, I'm working on it !

Oliver! Thanks!

And now for a Christmas-update!


With the camo finished I had to start working on the markings. As usual I'm a bit reluctant using decals for bigger markings, especially stuff like underwing numerals where there is a lot of clear decal film that one has to try to make disappear. I've never been very lucky with that, especially not on a natural metal surface so I once again opted for cutting masks. This time, I gave up after a few tries (I wish the last Lightning lost in RAF service had been som other individual, XN774 would have been perfect for instance (easy to cut but the wrong Lightning-version :-) )). Mal promised to help me at Telford (once again, thanks!) but since I like to paint my markings and the lead time for getting it done in England out of necessity is a few weeks I've had a chat with Santa and have asked him for my own masking film cutter. Since my wife is a scrapbooker and both my daughters like all kinds of handicraft and paperwork, there were very few objections. We'll see tomorrow if all my well-behaving the last year was a worthwhile investment . Until then, there are other parts of the Lightning project to spend a bit of time on...


Missiles! One set of Red Tops, one set of Firestreaks. Barracuda delivered the missing fins promptly and now I've finally gotten around to building them. They are simply excellent! Well fitting, very simple builds that look great when finished. I only wish there had been a spare or two of the clear resin nose lenses included, they are easily lost. One of the Red Top noses went flying, twice! I found it again both times. Obviously the Plastic Gods are smiling at me for the time being!

I attached the relevant Airfix parts to the missiles (take care, they are easy to mix up!), everything will be easier to attach to the fuselage during final assembly that way. And a final word of advice regarding the Barracuda missiles: check and adjust fit of the clear nose parts before painting, the holes in the missile bodies where they fit has to be reamed a bit and that's a lot safer to do before they have been painted and decalled!

Happy Christmas!



Magnus

Magnus,
Like you, I'm always some what apprehensive whenever a decal has a lot of clear film. I've tried cutting out the individual numbers and letters, but more often then don't get them all on straight and true. What I've found is that my prep work was really lacking, and a change in decal procedures has really done wonders for me.

With that being said, I'm looking forward to your update with how you make home made masks.

Joel

Hi Magnus

Lovely work as always!

Roy Sutherland has actually just sent the Redtop, Firestreak and Lightning cockpit for review. I know it's already too late for the cockpit, but I was going to offer the missiles to you for your build - not realising you already had them. Instead, I'll add a link to your Blog in the review.

Do drop me a lone if you ever tackle another Lightning.

All the best

Rowan

Joel! I haven't given up on decals altogether so I'll try to raise the preparations bar a few notches !

Rowan! Thanks! I got mine at Telford and they're real nice (I suppose you have already seen that !). I'll keep the cockpit in mind for any future Lightning builds!

I've been working a bit on this lately but haven't gotten around to take any photos.



Magnus

Back to business as usual after the Christmas and New Year holidays, I really hope that 2017 turns out better than 2016 modelling-wise!


As I told you earlier, I had high hopes for Christmas this year and thanks to me having been EXTREMELY NICE during most of 2016 (if I remember correctly at least since late November or so...), Santa delivered! I got a Silhouette Cameo 3 from him and immediately started experimenting with it, the result of which you can see above! I've done all the standard British marking (roundels and fin flashes) and the serials, both the big ones below the wings and the small ones on the fuselage using masks.


Masking underway for the rest of the markings! The pink tape is a standard Tesa masking tape for indoor use on sensitive surfaces that I found at the hardware store: safe, easy and cheap!


Quite OK!


Underwing serials without that dreaded clear decal film!


That other Lightning is also alive and well! Preparing for the blue spine and fin.

Regarding the Cameo 3 machine, it is aimed at scrapbookers and the price is set at what I think a reasonable level. It comes with an easy-to-use (remember that I am a CAD-rat by trade before taking that for granted but I think that anyone used to some kind of graphics program and with enough interest could learn to use it in a reasonable time) software (called Silhouette Studio) for drawing you designs. I scanned the decals in Photoshop, imported them into Silhouette Studio and used them as a background for drawing my own design. The Cameo itself communicates via USB (or bluetooth, I haven't tried that yet though) and was easy to both set up and use.



Magnus

Impressive work on your painting. I am especially surprised by the quality of the serials as these numbers are quite small in 1/72.

I think it must be very nice to have the Cameo 3 machine available for your modelling as it offers to plenty of options to use markings instead of decals.



Jelger

Very nicely done Magnus, one day a cutter will be on every modellers tool list just like an airbrush

You should sell the camo masks I may even have a set myself as I may just build one of these

Absolutely brilliant, Magnus!
Followed up this thread since your start and always be impressed by each update.
Famous paint job on both the camo and the NFM - looking great. And the masked markings are spot on and a real step foreward. Quite jealous about your cutter and will definetely put one my whish list.
Thomas

... ahh, btw: may I ask what kind of masking foil did you use? And is it only a plain selfadhesive foil or is some additional "transfer paper" needed?
Thanks, Thomas

P.S.Mal: If you read this, please feel free to comment or answer about that matter...

I believe that these type of cutters use a bed on which the medium is placed. I also believe that it has a sticky base so that you can cut card and paper. For cutting paint masks you need a film that has a backing sheet (which is silicone paper) and I believe that you can dispense with the sticky bed, or change it? so that the foil with backing can be used. Anyway I would recommend Artool Ultra Mask It is arguabley as good as the stuff that I use but cannot be bought on a 50m roll (I used it in 10 metre rolls for a few years), as you can see you can buy it in A4 sheets that will(?) fit the platen on the Cameo machine. Or you can buy the roll and cut it for yourself?
You don't need any separate material for the the "transfer tape" ("paper"). Actual Transfer tape has far too higher tack. So I use the same material that I cut the masks from, or you can use Tamiya Tape, or similar. Such as Kip tape. Note that on this list "Washi" tape is what Tamiya "Kubaki" tape is! Kabuki/Kubaki is the wrong name

On a personal note, well a note for Millie She is quite happy to supply you guys with files for your cutters when you all feel the need I'm assuming that the cutter will take any DXF file Magnus?

Jelger! Thanks! I think the small fuselage serials are close to the maximum complexity that the machine can handle for the time being (see below for more on the subject!). I've made the transition slowly towards more and more painted markings over the years but they have all been cut by hand, this is the next step in that process!

Thomas! I'm glad you like it! If you start being nice immediately I'm sure that something can be negotiated with Santa for next Christmas ! The foil I use was recommended by Mal a few years ago, it's called Oramask 810. It is a dedicated masking film that comes on a backing paper and it can be fed through the machine as it is. I've also obtained a roll of film that is used mainly for decoration of vehicles, this is thinner but also stickier and stiffer, I hope that I will be able to cut smaller and more intricate designs from that material. Finally, I've bought a few A4 sheets of a Tamiya-tape-like material that I will try out later on.

Mal! If you want a set of masks I'll post them to you for free (and a few spares as well)! You really were the great inspiration for getting my own machine and you've always been very friendly and generous with advice.

There is a "sticky mat" that comes with the machine, I haven't used it yet since the Oramask film feeds nicely through the machine without the need for it. I am sure though that whenever "the girls" (there's three of them at home, one big and two smaller ) find out that they can use the Cameo for scrapbooking purposes I will have to use the sticky mat since the papers they use are thinner and more slippery!

I don't think the cutter accepts DXF directly but Silhouette Studio (the software that comes with it) reads DXF. Studio is however remarkably powerful in its own right so that's the only software I've used for creating designs as of yet! If I was fluent in any vector graphics program (which I'm not ), that would probably be even more powerful to use!



Magnus

Magnus,
Impressive to say the least. The national insignias and codes look perfect, and it does remove any chances of silvering or flash.

Joel

Joel! Thanks! Mal is however the master, I'm just a humble follower ! And I suppose you now realise how much I loathe decals considering the amount of work I'm putting in to avoid them !


As I said before, the NMF Lightning is alive and well! I've undercoated the fin with white, both to give a solid and light base for the blue coat and to be able to mask the fin flash and the letter "A". If you think that "A" looks a bit crooked you're perfectly right, I'll touch it up somehow later. The plotter refused to cut it well, I don't know why.


Here I've shot a coat of blue...


...then peeling away the masks! I'll mask the blue and paint the red in the fin flash tomorrow, better letting it harden thoroughly since there is quite a bit of surface to cover!



Magnus