Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat - Eduard 1/48

[KSaarni]

The paint looks great to me. What is it that you don't like?

It's not really visible in the picture, but the painted surface is like the skin of a peach fruit, not smooth at all. Looks sort of "sticky" without being it.
Not sure what went wrong in the painting process. The yellow part is ok, but not the red..
Not sure how to fix that, sanding off the color and re-painting... hmm...


- Kari

[Medicman71]

Ahhh the dreaded "Orange Peel".

I may have missed it but what kinda paint are you using?

[KSaarni]

Using acrylics, Mr Hobby (aka gunze) thinned with same brands thinner.
Primed first with Vallejo "desert tan"..

Has never happened before, though I have never sprayed glossy color either.. if that differs from classic matt/satin colors?



- Kari

[Medicman71]

The "Orange Peel" occurs because too much paint is going onto the model. You may try moving the airbrush faster across the surface. You may try spraying from further away. You may try dialing down the airpressure. Or it could be the paint to thinner ratio.

[KSaarni]

The "Orange Peel" occurs because too much paint is going onto the model. You may try moving the airbrush faster across the surface. You may try spraying from further away. You may try dialing down the airpressure. Or it could be the paint to thinner ratio.

Yeah, must be something like that... My "routines" when airbrushing is pretty same all the time... same thinner ratios, same distance, same pressure (cheap compressor, no adjustable pressure).. The thing is that first time this happens and first time I airbrush this gloss paint.

So I blame the glossy paint!
Had it been flat, ah, then no problems! :-)

- Kari

[Medicman71]

Don't feel bad, I have the same problems all the time. Still learning how to use my airbrush the right way.

[KSaarni]

Yeah....that result can be a combination of things, but it basically is the product of paint drying before it reaches the surface. Since you already using lacquer thinner I'd recommend Mr. Leveling Thinner....ESPECIALLY for gloss...man...that stuff will give you a beautiful gloss coat. It's the same thinner as you're using above, but with a retarder or something in it..

Thanks Jim!
Sounds great, I will for sure try that out!

- Kari

[KSaarni]

Ok, got some motivation to continue a little bit with the Hellcat...

Main decals are on ( applied with the help of Micro Set & Micro Sol ) and then some first initial weathering.. It indeed turns the plane to become more "live", more real... perhaps it still gets a soul... :-)

Well ja, weathering and weathering... Actually I just added Tamiyas black panel line accent in "generous" amounts and then carefully whiped it off with a piece of cloth. Just to reduce a little bit the "factory clean" red... Have not touched the yellow tail yet..

Still pretty much to do, but ja, perhaps this plane still will be finished before X-mas..





- Kari

[KSaarni]

Its really true!!

Those lost and forgotten pics are back!

:-)

- Kari