BUILD LOG - Tamiya's 1/32nd A6M5

[Heavens Eagle]

I bought the Tam Mosquito kit and have not regretted it. I am finding these nice new shiney kits from Tamiya give more build pleasure than several smaller kits. Heck I have spent that much on a $30 Revell kit loaded up with Eduard. Save your pennies (or the NZ equivalent) up Ian and pick one of them.

Now off to weed out the stash.



Keep up the good work Scrodes! I love it!

 

[Trogdor]

Killer work :woohoo: I can't wait to see this in person and I might try this method on my ship see what happens. We will talk more at our next meeting :captain

 

[Scrodes]

For sure - sorry we didn't get much of a chance to chat last meeting, it ran late and the Missus was exhausted. Thanks for the glue!









I've been adding some plumbing and stuff that isn't really worth doing a whole update on. But you know, some stuff has arrived. The mail lady tried to walk away with these "Oh, I guess you didn't hear me ring the doorbell..." Orrrr, you didn't ring it, I was sitting at the front door.

So here's the cat, exiting the bag - I'm building two [of my three] Zeros consecutively

I have spent most of my modeling time doing research. That bulge on top of the float isn't seen in any photos that I've found, nor is it on the Tamiya or Hasegawa 48th scale offerings. I emailed MDC to ask - I didn't want to complete the build and display it with a pour stub (albeit a pretty one). Turns out it's a cover for a pump within the float.

The float is one solid chunk of resin.


Soon - it will be time to cut the wing.

 

[jknaus]

That is very cool. I built one in 1/48 once upon a time along with a P-40 to make the only RCAF kill over North America. I'm watching this with great intrest.
James

 

[moon puppy]

That hump does look like it's suppose to be there doesn't it. Looks good.

 

[Scrodes]

That is very cool. I built one in 1/48 once upon a time along with a P-40 to make the only RCAF kill over North America. I'm watching this with great intrest.
James

It had better not have been purple! *Shakes fist*

 

[Scrodes]

Uh oh guys, an update!




I've been working away, did a lot of cutting for the Rufe conversion only to find that some of the pieces in my set had shrunk considerably. One email to MDC and new parts are on the way! I've been slowly plugging away in the meantime.




Work on the interior is progressing. I have completed the aotake process (more on that later).

First, I have painted all of the bottles. It's mind numbing. The cylinders are different colours and they get strapped to the fuselage so each cylinder typically has four colours on it - the colour of the cylinder, the colour of the nozzle, the metal of the band/clamp and the interior colour from the structure it is secured to.

By now you know I hate brush painting, it never looks as good as something airbrushed. So allow me to offer you another lesson in clever masking in the name of being lazy.


Here's one cylinder, nothing special. It's already painted its brown colour. I've masked of the body as you can see, but I need to paint the bands and the fuselage colour. The problem lies in masking the ends of the tank - it would be more work than it's worth to use masking tape to cover the curved ends.

The build logs on here have really got me thinking outside the box lately, and it's paying off.

What's the diameter?

You might think you know where this is going, but....

The problem with a non-adhesive loose style mask,is that you don't want to spray down into it. Okay, I'll elevate the cylinder when I paint so I'm spraying across it.

....I typically keep all small thin cardboard boxes that we go though in my house. They have countless uses.

The end result; nice and clean, no brushmarks, no stray paint...

If I had any of the metallic colour overspray onto the brown, I would simply have held a post it note on the band and sprayed the brown back in.




Some good ol' hair spray technique

Remember - it's important to have a section of hairspray that isn't covered by the paint you're chipping off so you can get to the level that responds to water (the hairspray). Over the hairspray I use the tiniest spot of sticky tack, or I dip the end of a toothpick into Maskol and just touch the tip to the area. once the overlaying colour is dry, pull up your small mask and scrub away!


On the left foot runner, you can see the outline of the sticky tack that I've already pulled off, now I just need to chip the green back.

Remember - it's only paint, if you overdo it, just paint it again, there's nothing to be afraid off. If it's too stark, then spray a thinned coat of the [green] paint to reduce the effect

 

[Scrodes]

AOTAKE


This subject deserves a post of its own. It's a contentious issue and no one will ever agree, but I'll give you my take on the subject.



Aotake is a translucent paint used by the Japanese. It's bluish green in colour and it is primarily a protective coating for bare metal, although some people will refer to it as a primer (despite it very rarely being painted over - the Japanese used an oxide red primer typically).


As such, it is typically found on the interior surfaces of aircraft.


So what's the problem? When exposed to oxygen (and possibly UV rays as well) it doesn't fade so much as it changes colours entirely.


Keep in mind the conditions it was applied in and the conditions these aircraft were operated in. It is entirely possible to find two pieces of the same airframe in two entirely different colours, despite being finished in a colour that was fairly universal to begin with.


Check out the photos halfway down the page linked below.
http://colesaircraft.blogspot.ca/2014/01/japanese-wwii-aircraft-aotake-primer.html



Here's an example, These photos were taking from the remaining A6M2, the gear bays are typically painted in aotake because they're exposed areas and to save exterior paint (don't forget, the Japanese eventually left the under-surfaces bare metal as they ran short on supply.

As such, the main gear and the tail wheel bay were originally the same shade - look how oxidation has changed the main gear to a dark green, while the tail wheel bay retains it's original hue

So there's the background. I contend that the original paint was more blue than green. I apply it as I believe it was originally applied - clear, over a natural metal surface. For my metal base, I paint the plastic black, then I use the same technique as I did with the interior earlier and apply an alclad metallic, post shading with a lighter metallic or dry brushing with a chrome. I mix my aotake with Tamiya clear blue and green and apply it in a mottled fashion until I have fairly even coverage.


(it's less blue in person, I can't get the white balance right)

This blue paint, is a metallic that Tamiya originally intended for aotake. It never caught on, but still lives a happy life in their paint range.

The ones with aluminum bases are for the A6M5, it seems even aotake was becoming sparse and was eventually only applied in the engine bay and wheel wells in later Zeros.

I forgot these in the previous post - these sidewalls were previously painted the interior green as you saw, the black fuse panel and green radio were masked only with post it notes and airbrushed

Aaaaaaaaand my wife literally just walked in the door with the next colour I need :-H

 

[chukw]

I remember getting the Testor's metallic blue to paint my 1/32 Revell Raiden waaaay back when I was fifteen or so. I still have some parts to that never-finished build (half the engine cowl was missing and deflated my resolve.) I was amazed that someone even made this color! That has been my sole experience with aotake- until now. Fascinating stuff- and a poignant note on the absolute lack of preparedness of the Imperial Japanese war industry to fight a prolonged war. Thanks, Matt!

 

[moon puppy]

Pretty slick trick with the masking. Quick and easy and it looks good. That's for the 411 on the colors

 

[Scrodes]

I remember getting the Testor's metallic blue to paint my 1/32 Revell Raiden waaaay back when I was fifteen or so. I still have some parts to that never-finished build (half the engine cowl was missing and deflated my resolve.) I was amazed that someone even made this color! That has been my sole experience with aotake- until now. Fascinating stuff- and a poignant note on the absolute lack of preparedness of the Imperial Japanese war industry to fight a prolonged war. Thanks, Matt!

Interestingly, I just picked up a copy of the matching 1/32 N1K1 from Revell. Should make for an interesting build.

I can't remember the last time I bought a bottle of Testor's paint.... (as opposed to Model Master, which is my go-to for enamel).

Pretty slick trick with the masking. Quick and easy and it looks good. That's for the 411 on the colors

Thanks man, I'll do just about anything to not have to use a brush until it's my only option. I think it makes an enormous difference in the final finish, feels neater.

 

[Scrodes]

Hey guys

I realize it's been a while, but it is that time of the year and I've been running around. I'm finally getting some solid modelling time in and I hope to have the cockpits closed up this week.


First though, some [hopefully] helpful stuff.

I hate seams - especially on parts that are going to have a metallic finish. You may think you have the problem solved, and then - voila, ghost seam that you notice far too late.


I like to use a coloured primer, black for grey plastic and grey for coloured plastic. You want to be able to see how close you are to being entirely into the plastic.


It's midnight, so I wont be MS painting the explanations.


The edge of this tank has a mold seam. I thought I had it licked pretty good, so I primed with black and took a quick swipe lo and behold, one side of the seam was still higher than the other. The flexifile sanding sticks are awesome, for rounded surfaces like this you can just slide them down the curve. You can see the solid line of black. That indicates a seam, on the bottom side the seam is lower than on the top, so you have a slight ramp up to the height of the seam. Sometimes this is as you're going to get it, but take the extra time. Basically you're looking to sand until you can't see the primer butting up against the ridge.

We continue on until the primer is entirely gone, now we have no raised seam.

Flexifile is awesome, I just got these and I love them. That tank is now seam free and smooth

Oh no, the cylinders again - They just keep coming. Almost done, just need to paint the nozzles.

Punched some of the thin cardboard I always have floating around, cut a slit to it and we're good to go.

Sometimes I use this stuff, I think it's called masking tape.

More cylinders

Back to the hole in the box.

So much nicer than brush painted.

Masked with tape for a quick spray of the black.

Came out nice and crisp.

Another way I mask. punched tape. The trick to punching a clean disk/circle is to place it on a thin piece of plastic,and then place than in your punch set. Retrieve the punched disk with the tape on it and then slide your knife between the plastic disk and the tape and use the tip of the knife to place the mask where you need it.

How dry brushing should look. The coming clear coats will change the contrast, so keep that in mind. I'm particularly happy with how the instrument panel came out. (One of these days I'll fork up the $800 for a good macro lens)

Now a small project. The Zero has a lever next to the pilots seat to adjust height. The kit piece is a poor representation of the part. Eduard make a nice photoetch piece, but I have three Zeros and only one of that set of etch. So I'm going to try something we've all learned from Chukw.

I sprayed the p/e part on plastic,creating a template. Now to carefully cut and file away the black.

Left overnight to form a little.

More coming soon - I have some days off.

 

[moon puppy]

You got that from Chuck? I missed that one.

Start calling you Mr. Mask.

 

[lupanzer]

Great job so far!...love this sbs

Luiz.

 

[Scrodes]

You got that from Chuck? I missed that one.

Start calling you Mr. Mask.

Don't you dare turn me into a Gunze product! [They no longer sell to us Canadians and it's irritating.]

I'll settle for Mask Man, to the tune of Batman though :salute



Thanks Luiz. I try to share what I've learned from the likes of everyone here. A pay it forward kind of deal.

 

[Paulw]

From out of the dark and stormy night come a lone masked man, with a hardy "Hi Ho Silver".
the original masked crusader.

 

[chukw]

"Masking" tape? Where might one find such a marvelous material, O Mr. Mask?

Great stuff, Matt- seams are my bane as well. And ejector pin marks, and.. well, I could go and on. The interior bits are indeed shaping up quite nicely.

I much appreciate the credit you've so kindly given, my friend- cheers!

 

[moon puppy]

"Masking" tape? Where might one find such a marvelous material, O Mr. Mask?

Watch it, a handle like that might stick to a guy...stick...get it.. :tomato

 

[helios]

Watch it, a handle like that might stick to a guy...stick...get it.. :tomato

A little "tacky", but it works.

 

[Scrodes]

Chuk, it is the least I can do to give you credit. I thought i had learned as much as i could and that my skills had peaked - and then i discovered your threads. I have learned much from you and best of all, I am lucky enough to be able to call you a friend. :drinks I peddle your threads every chance I get, theyre so accessible and straightforward.


The rest of you, well played - good punnery.