Tamiya 1/48th Supermarine Spitfire mk.I

[Stikpusher]

Oh damn Gary, you’re planting a seed…

[Stuart]

Wow, thank you for such detailed photos and narrative, Stuart. That does seem an odd design choice to make an end cap in a high visibility area! One note from my Da about using putty is the amount used—is that amount of PPP necessary? My Da would apply red Bondo in thin layers and that’s how I do it too, avoiding sanding almost completely. Sanding puts the lungs at risk he would say to me, so that’s the approach I’ve always taken. Now I’m curious to know what you think! Let me know! And this is by no means a critique of your work, which is brilliant!

Hi Bruce,

No worries - it's not actually PPP but Revell's Plasto basic filler. PPP is great for filling in fine gaps etc. but in my experience it's crap for applications where you need to build up a bit of body - e.g. filling in steps, in sink marks etc. Revell's Plasto is a good basic filler. It's quite light, very easy to sand and has a much better constancy than something like Squadron Green or Tamiya basic, both of which I've used and hated. Its a lot more like the old Humbrol Filler.

The thick build up you see in the photo's is actually mostly on the tape. What I applied to the surface was quite thin and sanded off easily.

It's all done now anyway, the tailplane is on and I'm building up the wings.

[Gary Brantley]

Gary! I have Fernando’s wheels!!



Why not build a kit here? I’d love to see his work in your hands!

I tried. I thought I could handle one of Fernando's resin models and decided to build one for another forum. I have two of his kits, seen here:



Since I'm a huge fan of those Auto Union racers, I chose that one for my first try. Pinto's instructions consist of a exploded parts drawing and one receives all the parts but none are labeled. The Ferrari kit has so many little odds and ends that allegedly go together to form that beautiful model. The Auto Union seemed much simpler. And it kicked my *ss! Getting the resin parts free from the surrounding flash was incredible frustrating. The exhausts were simply put, a nightmare:





Here's a shot of the beautiful engine:



And yes, the beautifully done wire wheels:



Nose piece:



An ocean of flash:



Hey, here's a link to the rest of the parts photos:

https://photobucket.com/share/fffcb086- ... 0e3ca21ec8

When I began cleaning up those exhaust headers I thought I was being careful. Those parts give a whole new meaning to the word brittle! I have forgotten now how many I broke in the process. In fact, removing any part resulted in some breakage. The kit is quite old now and perhaps that's part of the problem. I'm sure there are modelers who can build these things but I'm not sure that I'm one. I've seen this Auto Union racer done with a lot of extra details and additions and it's breathtaking but for my first resin kit? I'm afraid not. Here's a pic of a completed one done by Fernando himself, from his FB page:



It's a real shame that I couldn't handle it because a really fine model exists somewhere in that little square box!

Guitar strings?! Now thats a cracking great idea. What size do you recommend. I have a 1/32 scale Sopwith Camel in my stash. This may be the thing I should use for rigging biplanes.

What and how did you use guitar strings to attach them to their rigging points?

Tom, they work great. I just bought several different gauges and went from there. I drilled holes where they attached and cut the wire a bit over length. That allowed me to slide one end in a hole and then pull it back into the hole at the other end. A drop of CA sealed the deal. They don't allow much approximation of turn-buckles but are a nice, rather simple way to rig a biplane. Biplanes scare me.

Oh damn Gary, you’re planting a seed…

Just call me Johnny Appleseed! Anything to help!

[BlackSheep214]

Yeah, they scare me too. Aside from the Sopwith Camel, Ive got the Revell Stearman in my stash.

[speedgraflex]

Thanks, Stuart! I didn’t realize you use two different types of putty but that makes sense. For big projects I’ll still use Bondo red as it’s cheaper than regular putty but for most projects I use ultra fine Milliput which has its own advantages and disadvantages. I’ll check out what you’re using!

Gary, Where to begin? I think Nando is an artist but I’ve never purchased one of his kits just the wheel set for the old Aurora kit. He made that or had it made by 3D printing and I’ve seen on his FB site that he’s redone the tub for one of his later kits the same way. It’s tough to admit it but with the rising cost of materials for resin it’s probably on its way out as a medium for garage builders; I did some patterns for a science fiction project for a company that’s now defunct because its owner didn’t make the switch. I can understand why you would take on that kit due to the subject but the parts do look delicate. I’d write to him for replacements, though. Maybe you have a bad batch.

[Stuart]

Thanks, Stuart! I didn’t realize you use two different types of putty but that makes sense. For big projects I’ll still use Bondo red as it’s cheaper than regular putty but for most projects I use ultra fine Milliput which has its own advantages and disadvantages. I’ll check out what you’re using!

Hi Bruce - yeah it's just tools in the arsenal. I use Milliput as well.

[Stuart]

Progress, progress progress - all the main parts are together now - just a bit of PPP to add to the wing-roots and some bits and bobs to add and it;s ready for some paint.



All in all it's a nice kit to build - although a bit overly fiddly in places. The Radiators for instance, were 11 pieces.



Cheers!

[speedgraflex]

Bravo, Stuart! I saw this progress on the 3rd or 4th of February and I meant to reply then. Forgive me, mate. It's been a bit crazy here for me. How are you doing?

[Gary Brantley]

Thanks, Stuart! I didn’t realize you use two different types of putty but that makes sense. For big projects I’ll still use Bondo red as it’s cheaper than regular putty but for most projects I use ultra fine Milliput which has its own advantages and disadvantages. I’ll check out what you’re using!

Gary, Where to begin? I think Nando is an artist but I’ve never purchased one of his kits just the wheel set for the old Aurora kit. He made that or had it made by 3D printing and I’ve seen on his FB site that he’s redone the tub for one of his later kits the same way. It’s tough to admit it but with the rising cost of materials for resin it’s probably on its way out as a medium for garage builders; I did some patterns for a science fiction project for a company that’s now defunct because its owner didn’t make the switch. I can understand why you would take on that kit due to the subject but the parts do look delicate. I’d write to him for replacements, though. Maybe you have a bad batch.

That is a good idea, Bruce! I may try to do just that; the kit is already many years old and may have been somewhat old when I bought it. Perhaps that's why it was so brittle. I've been told that more recent resin kits are not. And yes, it may have been bad product, too

[Stikpusher]

Progress, progress progress - all the main parts are together now - just a bit of PPP to add to the wing-roots and some bits and bobs to add and it;s ready for some paint.



All in all it's a nice kit to build - although a bit overly fiddly in places. The Radiators for instance, were 11 pieces.



Cheers!

Wow! Tamiya did not skimp on the details in those!