Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire mk1

[Jantk14]

I'm sure it came off when I was putting another on. Must have touched it and it stuck to my finger.

 

[Littlemarten]

I'm sure it came off when I was putting another on. Must have touched it and it stuck to my finger.

That's what I suspected. You might try using Holloway House® Quick Shine® Multi-Surface Floor Finish as your base gloss coat for decals, and as your setting solution. It dries completely in 45-60 minutes, so you have to work on one side of the model at a time but it dries to "light touch" in about ten minutes. This may slow you down, but once the stuff dries it's nearly impervious. This is basically the same technique that Paul Boyer pioneered with Future™, which is no longer available.

 

[Jantk14]

I just have trouble with decals for some reason. Either I tear one, or I screw up one I already put down. I try not to but it seems inevitable that I do it. In this case I tore the W on the fuselage. Not even sure how I did that. Luckily I was able to fix that.

 

[BarleyBop]

Not even sure how I did that

Sounds like you need one of them-there newfangled babycam thingamajiggers over your bench hooked up to a recording doohicky so you can see what the heck is happening at your bench!

 

[Edbert]

The only time I've lost a decal

I had that happen before. Well not literally lost since I found it, but lost as in not where it belongs and no longer usable.

In my case it was from handling, but also because I had micro set on my hands, there's no amount of careful handling that is enough in those cases.

 

[Ron2]

I just have trouble with decals for some reason. Either I tear one, or I screw up one I already put down. I try not to but it seems inevitable that I do it. In this case I tore the W on the fuselage. Not even sure how I did that. Luckily I was able to fix that.i

 

[Ron2]

Are you letting Edward Scissorhands help you ?

 

[Jantk14]

I think I am Edward scissorhands

 

[Wig41]

I've had good results using Ammo's camouflage putty. Your results look good.

 

[Jantk14]

Finished

 

[Wig41]

Great looking bird !!

 

[BarleyBop]

Nice!
I like the weathering around the guns...

 

[kevin]

Well done.

 

[VegasAWACER13]

Very nice!

 

[Jantk14]

So this combat aircraft that I wanted to show hours of battle looked to clean for me so I added some light chipping on the leading edges and around the prop. I'm not a fan of chipping but it's the only way I know how to simulate wear and tear. Turned out pretty good.

 

[BarleyBop]

So I'll soon be in same situation... how do you do your chipping?

 

[Wig41]

The chipping came out great. My only suggestion would be to add some chipping on the wing root and near the door, areas that get most of the traffic from pilots and mechanics.

 

[Jantk14]

I use a sponge and Tamiya flat aluminum on aircraft. Ive tried doing them with a brush and I've tried pencils but I get the best results with a sponge.

 

[Jantk14]

The chipping came out great. My only suggestion would be to add some chipping on the wing root and near the door, areas that get most of the traffic from pilots and mechanics.

Thanks. I did add some there but went light. I'm afraid I'll do too much and it will look silly. One guy I like on YouTube always says don't get carried away with the weathering on aircraft because any good pilot isn't going to get into a plane that looks like it's about to fall apart.

Could probably put some by the door. And some more a little further up to the engine.

 

[Jakko]

Could probably put some by the door.

The edges around the door are a good place, but not the door itself: since a Spitfire door folded down, pilots and ground crew getting into the cockpit would eventually wear the paint off the fuselage but not off the outside of the door itself. Even then, it would only be very little, I'd say, like in this photo:

Most of the wear is on the upper edge of the inside of the door, because of course that's where everybody puts their feet.

 

[Wig41]

Oh I seem to have missed that top down photo showing the chipping on the wing root. That looks great, no need to do more there. Yes I agree too much weathering is simply that … too much !

 

[Jantk14]

No you didn't miss it. I added it afterwards

 

[Wig41]

 

[user 22148]

Very nice indeed!