Grumman TBM-3 Avenger, 1/48, Acc. Min.

[jeff]

I will try to post some pics, if I can figure it out and get them off my silly phone....

[Stuart]

Welcome Jeff - looking forward to seeing you builds, they sound like interesting conversions!

Thanks for the info on the Masks Lyle - I did wonder. (and no, I don't think I'd be using the internal ones either )

[Medicman71]

I will try to post some pics, if I can figure it out and get them off my silly phone....

Welcome Jeff. Use Dropbox. You install it on your phone and computer and you can send pics easy that way. Me and my wife use it all the time with no issues.

[LyleW]

As noted, by Floki aka The Clintmeister, the vinyl masks on the compound curves of the windscreen popped off.

I always try to save the "bones" of the mask sets if I can. I scanned them in, put the JPG I the software for the Silhouette cutter and cut what I needed. I've tried this several times and finally got this one to work. May have been the contrast or the 1200 dpi scan or both.



result

[Stuart]

Excellent recovery Lyle!

(You see - this is why I hate masking!)

[LyleW]

I have mixed feelings about it. The replacement pieces I made have laid down very nicely.

[LyleW]

I am asking for help and clear, easy to follow ideas....weathering this.

Exhaust staining.

The overall aircraft will be the Dark Sea Blue. How to lightly fade/weather the finish?

[jeff]

Thanks for the 'welcomes' and the photo advice, I will check it out.... I like the build progress, I check in every day, and cracking idea on the masks, that's brilliant

[speedgraflex]

TBM-3 Exhaust Pipe Stains

My thoughts: I start with the best photo reference, preferably a color transparency. Naval archives has this one, from 1943, which has many of the same exhaust stain features as this black and white photo from Getty Images, also taken in 1943. I always try for port and starboard views of the same plane. In the interest of time, I didn’t do so here! This usually accounts for any variables that may not be symmetrical. I do not know if there is a difference between the TBF and TBM or if that matters for the exhaust stains, however I did find this wonderful photo of a TBM with a “flame arrester” mounted on the exhaust.







My step by step notes will be my next post.

[LyleW]

These are wonderful pictures. Love looking at them. Please, do not take a lot of time away from your work on the GB you are working on. Keep in mind, too, that this will be dark blue all over, even the belly.