• Modelers Alliance has updated the forum software on our website. We have migrated all post, content and user accounts but we could not migrate the passwords.
    This requires that you manually reset your password.
    Please click here, http://modelersalliance.org/forums/login to go to logon page and use the "Forgot your Password" option.

New beginnings one of which is a Boeing

White_Wolf

Master at Arms
G'day all,

I thought of writing this post to apologise for not being very active over the past few months. Long story short, I have a new job and it starts tomorrow. I live in Sydney, the new job is in Canberra, but for the time being I do not have to move to Canberra. Right now, all I know is that I will be in Canberra until Friday.
Since I could not bring the Bismarck with me, I have decided to make a start on a kit that my wife bought me as a present. Not sure how much time I will have to work on it this week, but I will try.

The kit is Revell's Boeing 747-8F Cargolux cutaway special edition 1/144th scale. Big thing when done, but I really like the livery on this beast. I ordered the detailed PE kit from Metallic Designs, as the rotor blades are nearly impossible to fix - too much flesh if not totally broken / unusable.


The box art is quite spectacular - see the Revell glue there - helps understanding the size of the kit.


h62c3ab0.JPG




The decals - lots of fun, never have worked with decals this size before.


ha379c3e.JPG



The kit and the detail kit


h4b0fbb3.JPG



This is it for now, I will post updates when I can. Might take a while before it's done though, Bismarck is still my priority.

Thanks for reading

Laurence
 
My suggestion on those huge decals is this. Wet the area down with a diluted Solvaset solution. Then when it is in place use your airbrush with more diluted solution and the pressure set to like 5 pounds. Start in the middle and slowly move in with constant air and spraying little spurts of solution. You just want to blow it down flat and into the surface features and to blow the water from underneath. Slowly (and not too close) work from the center out. Be careful at the edges and tilt the airbrush to blow away from the edge. (again not too close)

What this does is settle the decal fully down and presses it down without touching it. It also speeds the drying process a considerable amount. The key is low pressure, distance, and patience. I have used this with clear decals over flat enamel paint and had NO silvering of the decal. Acrylics and over Future it could have different effects.

Just an idea and suggestion that I have found to work.
 
My suggestion on those huge decals is this. Wet the area down with a diluted Solvaset solution. Then when it is in place use your airbrush with more diluted solution and the pressure set to like 5 pounds. Start in the middle and slowly move in with constant air and spraying little spurts of solution. You just want to blow it down flat and into the surface features and to blow the water from underneath. Slowly (and not too close) work from the center out. Be careful at the edges and tilt the airbrush to blow away from the edge. (again not too close)

What this does is settle the decal fully down and presses it down without touching it. It also speeds the drying process a considerable amount. The key is low pressure, distance, and patience. I have used this with clear decals over flat enamel paint and had NO silvering of the decal. Acrylics and over Future it could have different effects.

Just an idea and suggestion that I have found to work.

That sounds like a really good idea, thank you for that (y)

Long way until decals, I will try with some big ones that I have not used on other models, see how it all works and exercise in preparation for these monsters.
 
Congrats on the new job. And looking forward to seeng this build also :)
James

Thanks James appreciate it.

Well, so far so :vmad sort of speak. Very much unlike the Revell quality I have always appreciated. Lots of corrections to make, clean, file etc and those parts are so thin that I am really afraid to even touch them. If I were to build this plane with the landing gear up, it can be done and it would save a lot of headaches. There is a stand I could put it on, showing it in flight. However, I think the landing gear would add a lot to the quality of this model, and I will try deal with it as best I can. If I break some parts and if I cannot fix them, then I have no choice, but, for now, I will keep trying.


Laurence
 
That sounds like a really good idea, thank you for that (y)

Long way until decals, I will try with some big ones that I have not used on other models, see how it all works and exercise in preparation for these monsters.

One other thing, When I did my Albatros build I used the airbrush trick on the decals. Had the air a little high and it tore through one of the lower wing decals. Also if you don't do the edges right it can blow a bubble back under the edge. So just take it slow and light. REALLY LOW air pressure will get the job done.
 
Right, text only update, sorry folks, things are a bit complicated at the moment.

The big parts are now glued together - I have a fuselage and two wings. Engines .... lots of trouble with the PE detail kit that is NOT for the 747-8F, but rather for a 747-400. It will have to do, I refuse to buy another kit, and, as it seems, at this moment, replacement parts from Revell are a little bit impossible to obtain. My Cargolux will have the blades of a 747-400, I hope people won't get very upset because of that.

Thank you,

Laurence
 
My Cargolux will have the blades of a 747-400, I hope people won't get very upset because of that.

Thank you,

Laurence

Oh that's completely unacceptable. Next you'll be telling us you're using Bright White instead of Boeing Bright White.... :hmmm :rotf
 
My Cargolux will have the blades of a 747-400, I hope people won't get very upset because of that.

Thank you,

Laurence

Oh that's completely unacceptable. Next you'll be telling us you're using Bright White instead of Boeing Bright White.... :hmmm :rotf

By "people" I meant those nice folks at competitions who look at your model, judge it and sometimes count rivets or something, the experts ... :D

I won't be telling you anything about bright shiny white because I am not using any ... it's going to be Tamiya Royal Light Grey TS81 all over. Unlike passenger jets, it seems cargo jets of the Boeing 747 variety are not painted white, at least the ones owned by the folks in Lux.

Laurence
 
Somehow I missed this one!

Congratulations on the new job!

Looks like an interesting model to fill in when you can't work on the Bismarck!

Bob
 
Somehow I missed this one!

Congratulations on the new job!

Looks like an interesting model to fill in when you can't work on the Bismarck!

Bob

Thanks Bob :notworthy :notworthy :notworthy

It is interesting and frustrating a little bit. Problem with Bismarck build being on hold at the moment, is related to my new job. Waiting for some paperwork to come through, and, while that was happening, I could not commit to spending the money on a top quality base and cover. Now that is sorted out, these days I will get some quotes on the base and have it professionally done. Didn't want to move forward putting a million small pieces in place while not protected with a nice perspex cover either, anyway, things are looking up and the Bismarck build will soon resume :D

As for this thing called B747, managed to get some decals in place, but still a long way to go.


h980013b.JPG




h7b04a33.JPG




hc4d60e8.JPG




h8009251.JPG



That's it for now, engines are on the bench, and the landing gear too.


Thanks for watching,

Laurence
 
Back
Top