This thing (for me) Was a beast. The inside was a pain but i forgot to take pics of that. Im still shabby on Bare Metal Finishes so, i know it isnt to good. So, load up whatever you want to say and fire away.
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7588/10011558me.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5115/10011420dp.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7186/10011519ue.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6346/10011376ft.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9130/10011562qt.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1851/10011577mu.jpg

I think it looks sweet! Great job! Working with metal colors isn't easy and I think you've pulled it off nicely.

Very nice and clean! Photos are a bit big to put on here, they would take ages to load for some people, but they show the detail so much better.
Live links:

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7588/10011558me.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/5115/10011420dp.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7186/10011519ue.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/6346/10011376ft.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/9130/10011562qt.jpg
http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/1851/10011577mu.jpg

You've done a pretty well job Andrew. This is a 1/72 I supposed?

Hi David!

I assume this is the 1/48 Monogram B-29! It looks overall very good! But don't you think it's a little bit TOO BIG to test a bare metal finish! You certainly used 10 bottles of Tamiya aluminium on it! :-)
Anyway, practice makes perfect and you should try other paints to find the finish YOU like most!
Tamiya metallic paints are good, but not the best choice for bare metal finish in my opinion. They are difficult to get "shiny" like real aluminium.
Testor's Metalizer are good, specialy when polished, but are more expensive and more sensible to work with.
There is also Humbrol's "Metal Coat" range. You can polish them as well but the result is also pretty good without.

My advice on bare metal finish would be: test on a cheap model first! I did on Testor's 1/48 Ryan PT2 few years ago (see below). It's a cheap kit and you can practice on it! The wings are painted with Tamiya acrylics (aluminium paint on wing fabric) and Testor's Metalize (fuselage and floats). You can see the difference!


Currently I'm working on a French F4U-7 for the "Air over the Sea" Campaign. As I want to make some weathering later, I sprayed a coat of Testor's Metalize (aluminium) wich I polished a little bit. You get instantly a shiny finish without too much work!


I hope this can be of help! Keep on building, it's the best way to improve!

Jean-Luc

Nope, its the Monogram 1:48th B29, not 1:72nd, good guess Shonan

Well Andrew, like Jean-Luc says, a bit big to test a bare metal finish on This is one hell of a model to even contemplate and without the advantage of something like Allclad II it looks very well done. Without knowing what paint you used, but knowing of the difficulties that can be associated with silver paint, you have done a splendid job.
I have this kit in my stach and one of the things that has prevented me starting it is the lack of markings that I like. Where did you get those markings, cos I do like them
Mal

Those Markings are straight from the box. As for paint, Tamiya Aluminum XF-16

Andrew,

Ahhhhh........I remember building this kit back in 1978-79. Unlike you, I never finished it, so you are up on me

Producing a good NMF ( natural metal finish) with brush painting is almost impossible. I am using automotive paints in rattlecans now, and the Tamiya spray aluminum is suppossed to be very good. One remarkable thing is that it looks like you did a marvelous job getting rid of seams!

Well done with this effort.

Let me suggest one thing. I can see your brush marks here and there, I suggest you try to paint withing the panel lines. That way, it could appear to be the grain of the aluminum sheet the bomber was built with. Look at photos of real B-29s and you can see different "shades" in different metal areas. In attribute this to the metal being lain different directions, or different types of metals. I painted mine 7 different shades of aluminum, based on an overhead color photo of a B-29. Just wish I now had a photo of it...

Keep up the great work!

Thanks alot. my suggestion to you in return is to pick up another of this kit and finish it, fun build.