YOUR SCALE-MODELING HANDBOOK

HOLIDAY 2014

Models 2 IMPROVE YOUR ARMOR

— PAGE 62 —

ESSENTIAL HOW-TO TIPS

FROM OUR EXPERTS

Frank Cuden’s
Air National Guard
P-47N – p.14

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AIRBRUSHING SECRETS PREPARATION TIPS ADDING DETAIL FINISHING TECHNIQUES
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2 Build Better Models 2

Models 2
4 Editor’s page 40 Easy-to-model water
Welcome to our special issue, Put maritime models in their
Build Better Models 2 element
MATTHEW USHER CHRIS LUDWICK

5 Start building! 42 Camouflaging with

Our guide to modeling paper masks
techniques, tools, and tips Paint hard-edged schemes on
THE FSM STAFF RAF aircraft
AARON SKINNER
11 Masking unmasked
How to clear up demarcation 46 Weathering tips 56
disputes Contest modelers share their
AARON SKINNER secrets
AARON SKINNER &
14 Detailing and MATTHEW USHER
painting a P-47N
Working out of the box with 52 Master a short-run kit
resin and plastic What to do when you love the
FRANK CUDEN subject but not the model
PAT HAWKEY
18 Scale modeling
glossary 56 Easy armor
Browse through our list of weathering
modeling terms
THE FSM STAFF
Better colors, washes, and
dry-brushing for better models
42
MARK HEMBREE
20 Trimming parts
Getting parts off the trees is the 58 10 steps to highlight
first step to a successful build recessed panel lines
AARON SKINNER Distressing an old kit can make
it seem more modern
22 Decanting spray paint DAVE KOUKOL
Get it out of the can and into
your airbrush for better control 62 Making the most
AARON SKINNER of a basic build
Aftermarket add-ons and
24 Airbrush problems wily weathering give this panzer
and how to fix them extra punch
What to do when a painting BILL PLUNK
session comes to a screeching halt
AARON SKINNER 68 Improving
Trumpeter’s P-40B 40
30 The why & how of Fearless cuts make a Flying
weathering powders Tiger look more fierce
Powdered pigments can improve SIMON HARRISON
weathering when
correctly applied 75 Hollywood Zero
AARON SKINNER Build a T-6 Texan to look like
something it’s not
32 Try color modulation DARRREN ROBERTS
for armor
Shades and tones for a 79 Painting a Soviet tank
convincing IS-2 A three-color camouflage
FRASER GRAY scheme creates a unique KV-1
LUCIANO RODRIGUEZ
37 Soldering basics Build Better Models 2 (ISBN 978-1-
step by step
Getting the most out of
67200-243-1) is produced by FineScale
Modeler magazine and published by 52
photoetched metal means Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027
Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612,
turning up the heat Waukesha, WI 53187. © 2014
RICK LAWLER Kalmbach Publishing

www.FineScale.com 3
 Hit that workbench!
Welcome to Build Better Models 2
BY MATTHEW USHER
WELCOME to the second edi-
tion of FineScale Modeler’s Build
Better Models! Assembled over
the course of a year, this issue
includes all-new articles as well as
the most-requested features from
the pages of FSM. You could
think of it as a “greatest hits” al-
bum with some fantastic all-new
new songs added to the mix.
Since FineScale Modeler’s
launch in 1982, one of its top
missions has been to provide
top-quality how-to information
to help you build better models,
regardless of your skill level or
preferred subject matter. It’s one
of the main reasons I started
buying the magazine, many years
before I had the opportunity to
come work here.
Granted, I’m biased, but I’m
particularly proud of the lineup
of articles in this issue. We cover
www.FineScale.com
4 Build Better Models 2
everything from the basics of
trimming plastic parts from the
trees to the complexities of as-
sembling metal parts with solder.
Looking for a new masking tech-
nique? We have you covered. Are
you having difficulties getting
your airbrush to perform just the
way you want? We’re here to help.
And there’s plenty of other great
how-to information, too.
As always, we’re always looking
for great ideas for special editions
like this one. If you have an idea,
I’d love to hear about it. Please
feel free to drop me a note. My
e-mail address is listed below, and
my postal address is listed in the
box at the right
Enjoy the issue!
editor@FineScale.com
THE FSM READER FORUM
Discuss model building with more than
30,000 other modelers from around the
world.
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FSM PDF article collections let you down-
load the information you need directly to
your computer.
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Our Modeling Products Directory keeps
you up to date on the latest releases from
around the world.
MODEL KIT REVIEWS
Subscribe to FSM and you’ll have access
to our searchable online database of
more than 1,400 kit reviews.
Models 2
Editor Matthew W. Usher
Associate Editor Mark Hembree
Associate Editor Tim Kidwell
Associate Editor Aaron Skinner
Editorial Associate Monica Freitag
Art Director Tom Ford
Senior Graphic Designer Patti L. Keipe
Photographers Jim Forbes, William Zuback
Production Supervisor Helene Tsigistras
Production Coordinator Cindy Barder
Circulation Coordinator Carly Witkowski
Publisher Mark Savage
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John Noack, Paul Boyer, Shep Paine, Bob Collignon,
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©2014, Kalmbach Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Title
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 Start
BUILDING!
FineScale Modeler’s guide to modeling techniques, tools,
and tips
BY THE FSM STAFF

W
elcome to FineScale Modeler’s guide to
getting started in the hobby. Although
FineScale is read all over the world, here
in North America we’re headed into fall
– that means cooler temperatures, shorter days, and
more time to spend inside building models. That’s why
we included this guide. It’s a handy collection of how-to
information, tips, techniques, and trivia we hope will
inspire you to tackle a new project (or finish one that’s
been collecting dust).
Enjoy this collection of tips and techniques, and if
you have ideas for future installments, drop us a line and
let us know!

www.FineScale.com 5
 The 10 (or so) tools you need to get started
Need to stock your toolbox from scratch?
Here are the top ten tools you’ll need to get
started. As your skills increase (or as you
specialize in one genre of modeling) you can
tailor your selection of tools and supplies.
10
5 4
1.Hobby knife. Keep a small collection
of fresh blades on hand, along with a small
“variety pack” of specialty blades.
2. Sprue cutter. A good quality cutter
makes trimming parts much easier.
3. Glue. Start with standard tube glue
and white glue.
4. Toothpicks. The inexpensive, dispos-
able, tool of a thousand uses. Ideal for
everything from stirring paint to applying
glue.
6 Build Better Models 2
3 6
5.Wet-or-dry sandpaper and
sanding sticks. These will help you
smooth imperfections and eliminate seams
between parts.
6. Pin vise and drill bits. The best
way to open up exhaust stacks and mount-
ing holes.
7. Paint brushes. (Previous page.) A
good set should include a fine-point detail
brush and a variety of larger brushes. As
your brushes wear out, save them for less-
accurate work such as applying washes, pas-
8
11
tel powder, and weathering pigments.
8. Paint. Start with a collection of stan-
dard colors and expand from there.
9. Files. Flat, round, large and small.
These help tackle serious fit problems.
10. Masking tape. Use a good-quality,
low-tack painter’s tape. Look for it at hard-
ware and home-improvement stores.
11. Tweezers. Mandatory – you’re
going to be dealing with lots of small parts!
 Which glue should I use?
There isn’t a single one-size-fits-all glue
for scale modeling. Here’s a list of the best
adhesives to have on hand, as well as a
description of their most common applications.
1. Solvent-based glue: Time-
honored tube glue or liquid cement.
Solvent-based glues melt the mating sur-
faces of plastic parts to weld them together
to produce extremely strong bonds.
Solvent-based glues should be used spar-
ingly to avoid damaging the plastic parts.
Non-toxic tube glue is available for younger
modelers.
2. Super glue: Available in several
grades, from ultra-thin, ultra-fast setting to
thick, gap-filling, slow-setting varieties.
Good for general assembly and bonding
3
1 4
dissimilar materials. Always have a bottle of
debonder within arm’s reach. Super glue
should not be used for clear or “chromed”
plastic parts; the glue’s vapors can fog their
surface.
3. White glue: Ideal for attaching clear
and chrome-plated parts. Can be thinned
with water and applied with a fine paint-
brush. Errors clean up with water.
4. Epoxy: Two-part adhesive consisting
of a “resin” and a “hardener.” Epoxy begins
to cure when the two parts are mixed.
Different varieties cure at different rates,
from minutes to hours, and the resulting
bond is extremely strong. Ideal for joining
dissimilar materials. Thicker epoxy putty
can be used to fill gaps and can be used for
sculpting.
5. Clear-part adhesive: Usually
water-based and formulated specifically for
use with clear parts. Usually thicker than
standard white glue, this adhesive dries
clear and can be used to simulate small
windows, landing lights, and instrument-
panel gauge faces.
www.FineScale.com 7
 Painting tips
The days of the tiny countertop paint rack
at the hobby shop are long over. (That’s a
good thing, though – no more mixing
paints labeled “Yellow” and “Green” in an
attempt to arrive at “Dunkelgelb.”) Visit
any modern hobby shop and you’ll
undoubtedly find rack after rack (and brand
after brand) of carefully formulated, care-
fully color-matched model paint in both
bottles and spray cans.
If you’re just getting started modeling,
it’s probably a good idea to start with one
brand and/or type of paint. The folks at the
hobby shop should be able to advise you as
to what selection will work best for the type
of modeling you’re doing. As you get the
hang of things, you can expand your arsenal
of paints to include everything from acryl-
ics, to enamels, to lacquers and everything
in between. Here are some guidelines to
help you tell things apart so you can get
started properly.

Never thin paint in the bottle. Use the recommended thinner.

Unthinned paint will last a long time in a
properly sealed bottle or tinlet. Adding
thinner, however, will shorten its shelf life.
Always mix paint and thinner in a separate
(third) container, and dispose of any excess.
While some modelers like to use their own
concoctions to thin paint, your best bet is to
use the thinner recommended by the paint
manufacturer; usually it’s listed on the paint
bottle.

Don’t mix different brands. Sure,
you can use different brands of paint on
your project, but don’t mix colors between
brands.
Test first. Unsure of how a particular
paint will work? Will it match? Is the bottle
too old? Is it the right sheen? If you have
questions about a particular formulation of
paint, always test it first. An empty section
of the kit’s parts tree is a great place to acrylics. Paint formulations vary widely,
check. however, so when in doubt, test first.

Shaken, or stirred? Generally, it’s best
to stir paints thoroughly before you use
them. Shaking the paint bottle can intro-
duce air bubbles into the mix, which can
affect the final finish. Buy a big box of
sturdy toothpicks or coffee stirrers to mix
things up.
Don’t judge color in the bottle.
Some paints can change color dramatically
as they cure. When in doubt, apply the
paint to a test swatch (a leftover piece of
parts tree or a scrap piece of white sheet
styrene will work well) and let it cure for at
least 48 hours. You’ll have a textbook exam-
ple of the paint’s “final finish.”
Apply paints in the proper order.
Model paints are available in a wide variety
of formulations. Generally speaking, you’ll
want to apply paints that are chemically
“hottest” first, followed by their “cooler”
counterparts. Cooler paints have less
chance of affecting their more-durable,
hotter cousins. Generally the rule of thumb
is to apply lacquers first, then enamels, then
Date your spray cans. Unlike bot-
tled paint, spray cans eventually wear out,
starting with their first use. The propellant
inside slowly leaks out and renders the cans
unusable. The first time you use a spray can,
mark it with the day’s date with a perma-
nent marker. The next time you reach for it
you’ll know how long it’s been on the shelf,
so you don’t accidentally run out of propel-
lant halfway through your paint job. When
in doubt, it’s best to buy a fresh can of paint
for your latest project.
Do the right thing. Always store and
dispose of paint and thinner safely and
properly. Many communities offer regularly
scheduled “paint drop-off days” at recycling
and trash-collection centers.

8 Build Better Models 2

 Understanding decals
Decals can make or break the appearance of
a model. Here’s a guide to how they should
be applied.
Decals are best applied over a smooth,
glossy surface. If you’re applying them over
flat paint, first apply a clear gloss finish and
allow it to dry completely.
Apply the decals to the glossy finish, fol-
lowing the manufacturer’s instructions.
Using a setting solution will help the decals
conform to the surface.
Should your model have a flat finish
overall? After the decals dry, apply a coat of
clear flat finish. Here’s a step-by-step guide
to applying a decal over flat paint.

Shiny! Decals adhere best to a smooth, Trimming. Trim the decals from their Tweezers. Leave enough backing paper
glossy surface. A coat of Pledge Future floor carrier sheet one at a time as you apply to hold the decal securely with a good pair
shine can be applied with a soft brush. them. Small scissors are ideal for this. of round-point tweezers.

Water. Dip the decal in cool clean water Release. Place the moistened decal on Setting solution. Using a clean paint
for 5-10 seconds. It doesn’t take much time paper towel for a minute or so. It will con- brush, add a thin coat of setting solution to
to activate the decal’s adhesive. tinue to loosen from its backing paper. the area where the decal will be applied.

In place. Position the decal over the In place. Slide the decal into position. If Flat coat. After the decal has dried thor-
model. Hold it in place with a wet brush the surface is irregular (as here) apply more oughly, a coat of clear flat can be applied to
and slowly pull away the backing paper. setting solution to help the decal conform. even the finish and seal things up.

www.FineScale.com 9
 Entering a contest
Modeling is generally a solitary effort –
unless you’re in an active club, you’re more
than likely building models on your own, to
your own standards. However, as your skills
increase and your models get better and
better, you’ll probably be tempted to enter a
contest. Modeling contests are great for a
number of reasons. Sure, you’ll have the
opportunity to measure your skills against
other modelers (and maybe bring home an
award or two), but more importantly you’ll
be able to admire the work of other model-
ers and share the tips and techniques you
used to build your latest masterpieces. If
you’re thinking of entering your first con-
test, here are some guidelines to follow.

Attend first. If you’ve never entered a
contest before, it’s probably a good idea to
attend one without entering first. Enjoy the
models, visit the vendor room, enter the
raffle, and clap for the winners during the
awards ceremony. You’ll leave with a better
idea of how a model contest works.
Follow the rules. Most clubs list their
contest guidelines online. For example,
some “out of the box” categories mandate
that you bring along the kit instructions.
Don’t let a little mistake take you out of the
competition.
Ask the promoters. Every contest
flyer or website lists the names and contact
information for the event. If you’re unsure
of the event’s rules, categories, location, or
hours, contact one of the organizers.
They’re modelers just like you, and
undoubtedly can answer your questions.
Ask for advice. Some contests offer
one-on-one evaluation of your model by
the event’s judges after the awards cere-
mony. While it may take a little bravery and
some thick skin to sign up, it’s almost
always a good idea to have other more
experienced modelers comment on your
work.
Pack your models carefully. You
don’t want to damage your latest project on
its way to or from the event.
Have fun! Competition is fun, but don’t
let the pressure to win ruin your enjoyment
of the hobby. Contests are a great opportu-
nity to share your work, admire the crafts-
manship of other builders, and most of all,
enjoy your time in the fellowship of other
modelers.

A to-do list for scale modelers

A short list of things you can
do to promote scale model-
ing and help the hobby grow
• Organize or help run a
make-and-take.
• Give constructive feed-
back.
• Have a stash of kits you
know you’ll never build?
Give them to someone who
can use them: Troops serv-
ing overseas, a youth
group, or a rehabilitation
facility.
• Build a model for someone
as a gift: The ship they
served on, their first (or
favorite) car, the aircraft
they flew. Trust me, they’ll
love it.
• Join a modeling club and
contribute: Volunteer to
help run a contest, write
for the newsletter, serve as
the chapter contact to help
promote the club and the
hobby, demonstrate a tech-
nique to share your knowl-
edge.
• Build something different. If • Share your tools and
you’re an aircraft modeler, references.
build a tank or a car. It’s a
great way to broaden your • Participate in an online
skills and you’ll have a bet- forum.
ter appreciation of your fel-
low modelers’ work. • Send a tip (or an article) to
us at www.FineScale.com.
• Introduce someone to the
hobby: Nieces, nephews,
grandchildren, co-workers,
and/or neighbors.
• Donate a modeling-maga-
zine subscription to your
local public or high-school
library.

10 Build Better Models 2

MASKING
UNMASKED
How to clear up demarcation disputes
BY AARON SKINNER

N
o matter how long you try
to avoid the issue of multi-
color paint schemes, sooner
or later you will need to
apply masks to keep the paint where
you want it. Masking comes in many
forms, and a variety of techniques can
net different results depending on what
the model calls for.
This short primer will look at several
different ways of masking, but it is by
no means comprehensive. If you use a The original masking material, painter’s masking Painter’s tape has the advantages of being
technique that isn’t shown here, drop tape, has been used by modelers for years. It’s widely available and relatively cheap. To reduce
me a line at askinner@finescale.com available from several manufacturers in many the tackiness of the tape and make it more
under the subject line “Masking Ideas.” types and widths. Because model paint is thin friendly to model paint, place strips sticky-side
I’ll feature the most interesting and and delicate, look for a low-tack brand like 3M’s down on a smooth, flat surface (glass is ideal)
innovative suggestions in our Reader blue tape to reduce the chance of paint being and peel it off a few times. This should reduce
Tips column. lifted when the tape is removed. the adhesiveness considerably.

www.FineScale.com 11
Some masking tapes are made especially for
models. My favorite is the very thin paper tape
sold by companies like Tamiya and Gunze
Sangyo. Its flexibility helps it follow surface con-
tours, and its thinness leaves a clean edge.
Gunze Sangyo sells sheets of thin masking tape
in precut strips that are easy to use; just cut the
length you need and lift the tape from the back-
ing paper. The machine-cut edges can be
straighter than if you cut your own strips.
Tamiya’s flexible tape easily bends around com-
plex curves and shapes. I also like that the thin-
ness makes it easy to see where the tape is
sticking and where it’s not. This is a great help in
ensuring a good seal.

To apply a tape mask, place the edge of the tape
where you want a paint demarcation line and
burnish it with a finger. Don’t push the tape
down too hard except along the edge; the more
the tape sticks, the greater the likelihood of paint
peeling when you remove the tape.
When spraying a masked area, I start by spray-
ing a thin light coat along the tape edge. This
dries quickly and helps prevent paint from bleed-
ing under the tape. On complex schemes, like
the ZTZ-99B on the cover, spraying a light coat
of the underlying colors seals the masks.
Then, I airbrush paint into the large areas, avoid-
ing heavy applications near the tape. This pre-
vents buildup along the tape and minimizes the
chance of paint seeping under the tape.

As soon as the paint is touch dry (unless there
are more colors to be added), I remove the tape.
Wait too long and the paint will set hard and be
more likely to chip when you remove the mask.
Work slowly, peeling the tape off by folding it
back on itself at a slight angle to the tape line to
avoid damaging the edge or underlying paint.
Masking tape is easy to cut to shapes, either off
the model, as in this pointed piece replicating
splinter camouflage …
… or on the model. Here, I have applied tape
and am using a brand-new No.11 blade to cut a
curve into it. It is possible to trace a camouflage
pattern onto a model covered in tape and cut out
the mask. The same could be done with frisket, a
clear masking film available from art-supply
stores.

After cutting, it’s a simple matter of peeling the After painting, a toothpick is ideal for removing masking tape or film from the surface without
unwanted sections of tape from the model. scratches. Simply push the toothpick’s end gently against the edge of the tape until it begins to rise
(left), then peel it off with tweezers or fingers (right), avoiding direct contact with the fresh paint.

12 Build Better Models 2

All of these techniques are great for creating … then roll thin tubes of masking tape (left) and attach them under the edges of the mask (right).
sharp-edged lines. But what about softer transi-
tions between colors? The easy thing to do is cut
the shape you need from scrap paper …

Alternately, you can use poster putty (left), rolling it thin (right) and pushing it into place under the Now, when you place the mask on the model, its
paper mask. edges will be slightly raised. This gap will allow
a little overspray to filter under the mask, giving
the painted area a soft edge.

The angle of the brush to the mask will produce different edges. Spraying from over the mask back toward the edge will give less overspray and a
sharper edge (left). Angling the brush directly down gives more overspray and a softer edge (center). Spraying back at the mask forces more paint under
the mask, producing a very soft line (right).

Masking tips
• To prevent bleeding, spray the underly-
ing color or clear over the mask edges
before adding the new color. That seals
the tape and is invisible on the model.
• To limit damage to paint, score the edge
of the masks with the point of a new
No.11 blade before peeling the tape.
This should prevent the surrounding
color from coming off with the tape.
• Surface preparation is the foundation of
any good paint job. Poor paint adhe -
sion increases the chances of paint com-
ing off with the tape. Wash parts with
mild dish detergent and use rubbing
alcohol or Polly Scale Plastic Prep before
a painting session.
• Experiment! I’ve touched on basic tech-
niques here. The pages of FSM are filled
with innovative masking agents: salt (July
2003 and November 2008); Parafilm M
(February 1993); Vegemite (February Here are the results of the above paint applica-
2008); and my personal fave, Silly Putty tions using a raised-edge mask. For greater con-
(July 2003 and April 2006), to name a trol, you can use tape with its edges raised.
few. You can order back issues at Spray a couple of passes along the tape to pro-
FineScale.com or by calling Kalmbach duce soft edges, then push the tape down before
customer service at 800-533-6644. finishing the rest of the painting. This limits the
amount of paint that goes past the mask. FSM

www.FineScale.com 13

1/72 Scale
DETAILING &
PAINTING A
Working out of the box with resin and plastic • BY FRANK CUDEN
R
epublic Aviation’s legacy was
forged by a long roster of rug-
ged and sound construction:
the F-105 Thunderchief, the
Seabee, and the Thunderbolt, sometimes
called the “The Seven-ton Milk Bottle.”
There’s no mistaking the profile of the
P-47, with its low-slung belly and massive
four-blade propeller. The ability to carry
heavy loads, roomy cockpit, big engine,
eight .50-caliber machine guns, and a
wide landing-gear stance made it one of
the premier fighter/bombers of World
War II. It could absorb quite a bit of dam-
age and still bring its pilot home.
Early in my modeling career, I built a
Lindberg 1/48 scale T-Bolt. The arrival of
Sword’s 1/72 scale P-47N presented the
opportunity to build another and dress it
in a colorful Georgia Air National Guard
scheme.
14 Build Better Models 2
P-47N
Cockpit and tail wheel
Sword did a nice job on the kit. Resin and
photoetched metal enhance the 61 crisply
molded plastic parts. Scale recessed rivets
mark external surfaces. Unlike kits with
separate blades, the plastic propeller com-
prises two parts — the four-bladed prop
and a prop boss — so no individual blade
alignment is necessary.
I prepped the resin side walls, wheel
wells, and engine, as well as the plastic
floorboard, rear bulkhead and headrest,
instrument panel, and seat, 1, spraying the
interior parts Humbrol bronze green (No.
75), then hand-painting details with a fine
brush. The resin engine received thin sol-
der for the collector ring and spark-plug
wires.
The kit provides optional tail wheels:
One is a solid-plug insert; the other, a tail-
wheel strut and retraction piston. I opted
To build the P-47N, long-range
version of the famous Thunderbolt,
Frank picked up Sword’s 1/72
scale kit. He finished it as a
postwar fighter in the Georgia Air
National Guard.
for the latter, 2. The resin wheel wells are
terrific castings that look great after detail
painting, 3. I airbrushed the cockpit
bronze green and the wheel wells and for-
ward and rear sections of the fuselage
Testors yellow zinc chromate.
To reinforce the engine installation, I
installed styrene braces, 4.
Airframe assembly
To pose the elevators down, I carefully cut
them from the stabilizers.
Parts fit was pretty good, but I needed
a little filler to smooth the butt-joins
around the tail seams as well as the fuse-
lage and wings, 5. Alclad II gray primer
covered the putty, revealing rough spots.
I detailed the wing pylons with styrene
strip and rod to better represent the
weapon attachment points, 6.
Small throttle and mixture controls
 Resin Bronze Bronze
green green
Resin

Plastic

Resin
Yellow zinc
Yellow zinc chromate
chromate
1 2
It’s all in the details when it comes to Frank’s P-47. After airbrushing the After choosing which tail-wheel strut to use, Frank assembled it and the
parts bronze green, he hand-painted individual items. propeller and laid out the fuselage parts for painting.

Solder
wiring

3 4
Careful painting highlights the lovely detail in the kit’s resin wheel wells. Before sealing the fuselage, Frank attached the cockpit and engine to
opposite halves. Styrene braces behind the firewall prevent the power
plant from shifting.

Primer
Filler

5 6
Typical of short-run kits, the Thunderbolt requires a little filler along major Bits of styrene — the white stuff — detail the kit’s weapon hard points.
joins. Frank checked his work with gray primer sprayed along seams. Simple additions like this can make a big difference.

made from wire and white glue were
added to the quadrant to improve the
cockpit interior, 7. I notched the wingtips
for navigation lights that would be added
at the end of the project.
The wing machine guns were fine resin
inserts with hollowed barrels; after attach-
ing them, then filling and sanding the
seams, I tried my best to avoid breaking
them off. Of course, I broke off a few and
managed to lose one of them. I made
replacements with Minimeca tubing.
Painting
I airbrushed a coat of Floquil old silver,
my preferred natural-metal base, over the
entire model, 8.
Next came Alclad II’s white aluminum,
applied to four wing-inspection panels
and the fin’s leading edge, 9. I masked and
sprayed other panels, including the cowl
flaps, with Alclad II duraluminium, which
is slightly darker than the base. The cowl
and several more fuselage panels were
dressed up with Alclad II polished alumi-
num. I also hand-painted inspection pan-
els on the fuselage and wings with Testors
Model Master steel enamel. The secret to
a good natural-metal finish is knowing
when to quit adding additional shades,
10.
Next, I picked out panel lines with a
pencil, following engraved detail by hand
or, when necessary, using thin strips of
drafting tape as guides, 11.
I masked the long anti-glare panel and
airbrushed it black, 12.

www.FineScale.com 15
 Wire and
glue handles

7 8
To add a few finishing touches to the cockpit, Frank scratchbuilt throttle Floquil old silver, a durable enamel, is Frank’s preferred base for natural-
and mixture handles with wire shafts and white-glue knobs. metal finishes. It has a weathered aluminum appearance and provides a
good foundation for other metallic paints.

9 10
After carefully masking inspection panels and the tail’s leading edge, More metallic shades — Alclad II duraluminium and polished aluminum,
Frank airbrushed Alclad II white aluminum. and Testors Model Master steel — finished the airframe.

11 12
Rather than washes, Frank picks out panel lines with a pencil, using To prevent overspray on the wings while painting the anti-glare panel,
engraved lines or tape as a guide. Frank applied 3M Post-it Cover-Up and Labeling tape. The low-tack stuff
comes in a dispenser, so it’s easy to tear off just what you need.

Markings
The blue cowl ring and attached fuselage
swoosh required careful masking to ensure
the right look and symmetry, 13. First, I
cut two circles of Tamiya masking tape
and positioned them for the transition
between the swoosh and ring. Then, I
continued the swoosh with thin tape
strips, taking time and care to ensure the
sides matched, 14.
The diagonal stripes on the rear fuse-
lage are Xtradecal yellow striping decals.
I used spare black lettering decals for
the GA and NG — for Georgia and
National Guard — on either side of the
national insignia on the fuselage, 15.
To paint the top of the vertical stabi-
lizer, wingtips, and propeller tips, I masked
and airbrushed Floquil reefer yellow, 16.
I replaced the kit wheels with True
Details weighted tires, but only after
removing the side bulges, building up the
overly flat bottoms and filing a more real-
istic profile.

16 Build Better Models 2

13 14
Circles of tape anchor the masks for the bright blue nose and fuselage Patience is the most important part of the masking process to ensure the
markings. sides look identical.

15 16
When applying the national insignia decals to the fuselage, Frank A final splash of color: Frank masked the wingtips and tail to airbrush
carefully cut the bar to conform to the vents on each side. yellow.

Clear
A thin strip of yellow zinc chromate
navigation
was painted along the forward “travel”
lights
edges of the elevators.
The kit decals supply all of the stencil-
ing, including the numbers behind the
machine guns on the wings’ leading edges
(a nice touch). I sprayed the prop blades
with Floquil engine black and Pledge Clear Vacuum-formed
FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) navigation canopy
before adding Curtiss logo decals. lights
Yellow zinc
chromate strip
Final details
Major handling done, I installed the pitot
tube on the port wing and attached the
dorsal fuselage antenna.
I vacuum-formed a replacement can-
opy and windshield with K&B .010" clear Prismacolor
chipping Decal stripes
styrene. The frames were hand-painted
black, then coated with flat aluminum
using an artist’s detailing brush. With the last fiddly bits in place, Frank’s P-47N was ready for
I chipped and scuffed the red “No the display shelf. Careful construction and painting produced
Walk” decals on the inboard flaps with a an eye-catching model.
silver Prismacolor pencil. The same tech-
nique added wear to the anti-glare panel struts from .020" plastic rod. When the the plastic kit bag. How many times had I
around the canopy. left tail-wheel door went missing during looked in that bag?)
To add exhaust and engine grime, I the build, I had to scratchbuild a replace- Work done, I sat back and enjoyed the
gently streaked dark gray, brown, and ment, including the inner structure. (Of view. I was really happy with the kit,
black pastels behind the cowl and pipes. course, when the model was finished, there which produces a good looking replica
I made thin inner gear-door retraction was the kit door, in plain sight, hiding in with just a little extra modeling. FSM

www.FineScale.com 17

SCALE MODELING
GLOSSARY
Browse through our updated list of modeling terms
W
hether you’re new to scale modeling or have returned to
the hobby after a hiatus, you’re bound to stumble upon
unfamiliar jargon. FSM’s here to help. A few years ago,
we launched our online Scale Modeler’s Glossary and asked you to
submit your own modeling terms. Here are a few you submitted and
other popular modeling terms. Visit www.FineScale.com to browse
our complete online glossary and submit your own terms.
ACCURIZE
To improve the accuracy of a
piece.
AFTERMARKET
Parts sold independently of the
kit to replace or enhance what’s
included in the kit. These can
include decals, detail parts,
weapons, etc.
ADVANCED MODELER
SYNDROME (AMS)
The need or desire to superde-
tail every model, often at the
expense of completing any.
Rick Lawler used color modulation to enhance a monochromatic
scheme on Tamiya’s 1/48 scale Marder III, featured in the ARTIST’S OIL
September 2009 FSM. Fine-art paint; slow drying and
easily blended, it’s often used
COLOR MODULATION for figure painting and washes.
A fool-the-eye technique that simulates natural lighting
effects with highlights and shadows that bring out details on BACKDATE
a model and give it a realistic look. Because this is a perma- Converting a model to
nent color correction, it locks the lighting and shade orienta- represent an earlier version of
tion regardless of the actual ambient light. the subject.
– Tom Zmudzinski
Fort Washington, Md. BOX SCALE
A model in a nonstandard scale.
18 Build Better Models 2
Early kits were scaled to fit
existing boxes.
BUSY UP
Adding detail to an area of
model lacking it.
– Corey Reece
Olivehurst, Calif.
CONSTANT SCALE
Models produced in the
standard, consistent scales
(1/35, 1/72, etc.).
CONVERSION
A model that has been
modified to represent a
different subject or variant.
DECAL
Thin, printed transfers used for
lettering, markings, and national
insignia. Their adhesive is acti-
vated by water, so they’re some-
times referred to as “water-slide”
decals.
DIORAMA
A miniature scene, often
including vehicles and figures,
in a natural setting.
DRY-FIT
Test-fitting parts for alignment
before cementing them
together.
DRY-BRUSHING
Using a nearly dry paintbrush
to hightlight raised detail and
edges, usually with a lighter
color.
EJECTOR-PIN MARK
A circular depression in injec-
tion-molded plastic parts.
Caused by the molding process,
these flaws often must be filled
and removed.
GREEBLIES
Inaccurate, odd parts used to fill
in areas where accurate detail is
not provided, making empty
space look busy; very common
in science-fiction subjects. See
gizmology.
– Jim James
Orlando, Fla.
INDIVIDUAL-LINK TRACKS
Treads for tanks and other
tracked vehicles in which each

Dan Jayne spent five months building this cutaway from Academy’s
1/32 scale F/A-18C Hornet. See more of Dan’s model in the
September 2009 issue.
CUTAWAY
A model where the skin has been “cut away” so interior
details can be viewed.
track is made up of individual
links glued or pinned together
as on the real vehicles. Once an
aftermarket purchase; recently,
more kits have this type of
track.
– Mike Thompson
Ames, Iowa
KITBASH
To combine parts from
different kits.
Using gizmology, Tim M.
Quinlan II detailed his USS
Brooklyn (featured in the July
2010 issue) with Christmas
tinsel, piano wire, and snaps.
GIZMOLOGY
Using or creating detail
parts for models or small
models themselves from
unlikely sources, such as
other model kits, toys,
household items, and
scrap.
– Mike Thompson
Ames, Iowa
LIQUID SPRUE
Sprue from a model kit cut into
small pieces and dissolved in
liquid styrene cement. Used as a
filler.
– Dave Eyles
Weybridge, Surrey,
United Kingdom
PHOTOETCHED METAL TOOL
While this refers mostly
to small folding tools, a
photoetched metal tool can be
anything in a modeler’s arsenal
dedicated to cutting, filing,
annealing, folding, rolling, or
shaping photoetched-metal
parts.
– Tom Zmudzinski
Fort Washington, Md.
REVERSE WASH
A technique to create a wash
effect on raised panel lines by
painting the lines the desired
color, usually black or dark gray,
then painting a protective clear
coat. Once the final color coat
is applied, the panel lines are
lightly sanded, revealing the
darker color underneath.
– Harvey Baker
Jemison, Ala.
PIN MARKS
Impressions left in plastic by
the pins that eject parts from a
mold.
SLIDE MOLD
Injection molds that use more
than the traditional two-part
top and bottom steel molds. In
a slide mold, additional mold
pieces can be placed into the
sides of the main mold halves,
allowing for undercuts and even
hollow parts impossible with
two-part molds.
– Mark Wilson
Alexandria, Va.
SILVERING
When air is trapped between a
decal and the model surface.
SUPERDETAILED
A model that has been detailed
(often with many additional
parts) to the highest standards SPRUE
of detail and accuracy. The cylindrical plastic
“tree” that parts are at-
UNOBTAINIUM tached to inside a kit.
A part (usually aftermarket) These are the result of
that looked good on another channels that feed molten
modeler’s work but unfortu- plastic into part cavities in
nately is no longer available for a mold.
your model.
– Tom Zmudzinski
Fort Washington, Md. ZIMMERIT
Nonmetallic paste applied to
WASH German armor during World
Weathering process: Highly War II to thwart magnetic
diluted paint is flowed into mines. FSM
small details, such as recessed
or raised panel lines, rivets. etc.,
to color them or simulate
www.FineScale.com
accumulated grime and dirt.
Look up more scale modeling
– Hoi Sing Chan Tang
terms and submit your own to
Moncton, New Brunswick, our online modeling glossary.
Canada
Karl Logan, known for his heavily-weathered armor, used a bunch
of different weathering techniques to wear out Dragon’s 1/35 scale
SdKfz 251/17.
WEATHER
To simulate the appearance of wear and tear (battle damage,
exposure to the elements, age) on a model.
www.FineScale.com 19
 TRIMMING
PARTS
Yeah, it’s basic, but getting parts off trees
is the first step to a successful build
BY AARON SKINNER

R
emember your first models,
when you grabbed parts and
twisted until the sprue
relented and the pieces came
loose? Never mind the big chunk you
took out of the part’s edge, or the clear
part that got cracked.
One of the first things you learned as
your modeling skill set expanded – right
after No.11 blades are really, really sharp,
and glue will stick to you as well as a lot of
other things – was to cut, rather than
twist, the parts from the trees. It’s still
one of the most basic skills, and one that
bears a second look.

RESIN

Resin parts almost always have pour plugs to be removed. A razor saw Depending on how closely you cut, sanding is usually all you need to clean
is the best weapon for this work, although large parts can be removed up resin parts. It’s a good idea to wear respiratory and eye protection
quickly with a carefully wielded cutoff wheel in a rotary tool. Work while cutting or sanding resin. The dust is very fine and can be irritating if
slowly and check often to be sure the blade hasn’t gone off track. inhaled.

PHOTOETCHED METAL

The thin strips that attach most photoetched-
metal parts to frets are easily cut with a sharp
knife. The main danger is sending the part
orbital. Try cutting the part through the bag it
came in. This keeps the part corralled until you
can super glue it to the model.
Alternatively, you can place the fret on the sticky
part of a Post-it Note. The adhesive is strong
enough to stop the part from taking off for parts
unknown, but it lets go of the parts easily to pre-
vent damage (and leaves little residue, better for
the adhesion of paint and glue).
Photoetched-metal parts usually have small tabs
where the attachment points were. A fine file,
sanding stick, or whetstone will take care of
those – but be careful not to bend or crimp the
parts while you work.

20 Build Better Models 2

PLASTIC
One of the best tools you can buy is a pair of side or sprue cutters. The
blades should have a flat side and an angled side. With the cutters, it’s a
simple matter to place the flat side next to the part and cut the attachment
point. It pays to be gentle and to look after your cutters. Use them only for
plastic; things like metal and artificial flower stems will nick the blades, in
turn damaging model parts.
Speaking of sanding: After using the side-cutters and hobby knife, it
usually takes only a few swipes with a sanding stick to remove any
remaining sprue. Go lightly and pay attention to where the abrasive
touches the model.
I’ve lost count of the number of small parts I’ve sacrificed to the carpet
monster over the years. An easy way to avoid that is to make the parts
bigger. When attaching small items like the lifting rings on a Dragon
1/35 scale T-34 turret, I cut off part of the sprue with the part. It serves
as a handle when placing the part and applying glue.
Clear parts need a little TLC to ensure they reach the model unharmed.
Clear plastic is much more brittle than regular styrene, so trimming it with
sprue cutters can cause twisting or cracking, as on this 1/72 scale Italeri
H-34 canopy that I messed up with careless handling.
Next, I use a sharp No.11 blade to shave off the remaining little stub. Be
careful. (Did I mention it’s sharp?) If the plastic is soft, it is easy to cut too
deeply and damage the part. My intention is to remove as much excess
plastic as possible without cutting into the part. I find this lessens the
amount of sanding I have to do, thus decreasing the amount of collateral
damage to surrounding areas.
Because sprue cutters put pressure on the parts, there is a risk of
breaking small, fragile items such as grab handles. A razor saw is a
must here. Working slowly, it’s easy to trim the part from the tree –
and the cut is usually very clean.
Once the glue is dry, I trim the extra plastic from the part and clean it up.
Using a razor saw to carefully cut the part from the sprue minimizes
damage and reduces the amount of plastic that needs to be sanded off.
This means less handling (and fewer fingerprints) before the parts reach
the model. FSM
www.FineScale.com 21
DECANTING
spray paint
Get it out of the can and into your airbrush for better control • BY AARON SKINNER

S
pray-can paint is convenient to use, especially because you
don’t need to mix or thin the paint before use. It’s a simple
matter of shaking the can and spraying away.
The downside of using a spray can is the lack of control.
Paint comes from the can at one volume — usually a lot — in a
single pattern — usually wide. Spray painting lacks finesse and it
makes painting hard-to-reach areas very difficult.
An airbrush, on the other hand, is the epitome of fine control.
You are in command of everything from air pressure to paint vol-
ume and spray pattern.
But what do you do when the color you need is only available in a
spray can? Or you want to be able to paint smaller parts without
blowing away or drowning them?
The answer is to decant the paint from the can to the airbrush.

1 2 3
First, find a tube you can use to transfer the paint Tape the straw over the nozzle. Tamiya spray Now for a paint receptacle: I like the larger glass
from the nozzle to the bottle in a controlled fash- cans feature a nozzle that protrudes slightly so bottles that Tamiya acrylic paint thinner comes
ion. I prefer sturdy plastic drinking straws — it’s easy to get a snug fit. For other brands, you in. After cleaning it, I secure a piece of aluminum
they’re cheap and readily available. may need to trim the straw’s end to fit. foil to the mouth of the jar with a rubber band.

22 Build Better Models 2

 4 5
Cut a hole in the foil big enough for the straw. It should be close fitting but Shake the can vigorously before spraying. Just like any other spray paint
not airtight; you want air to escape as the bottle fills with paint. application, the paint should be the right consistency in the bottle.

6 7
Insert the straw in the hole in the foil and depress the button. Paint will flow As the jar fills, you’ll hear fizzing and see bubble forming. This is the pro-
from the end of the straw into the bottle. It’s a good idea to hold the jar so pellant boiling out of the paint.
it doesn’t tip or blow over. And wear gloves — decanting is messy.

8 9
Place a cap or cover on the bottle to prevent dust from settling into the When you are ready to paint, open the lid very slowly because pressure
paint, but leave it loose so the propellant can continue to escape. After may build up while the paint is sitting. If you open the jar too quickly, you’ll
several hours, screw the lid on tight and store the paint. end up wearing some of the contents.

10 11
Stir, don’t shake, the paint until all of the settled pigment is off the bottom Now it’s a simple matter to transfer some of the paint to your airbrush and
of the jar. Shaking the paint is a lot like shaking a can of soda before you start painting. The paint is already thinned for optimal spraying. FSM
open it; pressure will build up, causing paint to explode from the bottle.

www.FineScale.com 23
AIRBRUSH
PROBLEMS

What to do when a painting session

comes to a screeching halt VARIABLES

BY AARON SKINNER MOST AIRBRUSH problems are easy to

A
n airbrush is the per-
fect tool for finishing
models – right up to
the moment when it isn’t.
For every modeler, from
beginner to the über-experi-
enced, there are moments in
the paint booth when you
want to chuck the airbrush and
the masterpiece of plastic,
photoetched metal, and resin
it’s just ruined.
That’s the time to stop,
assess the situation, and figure
out what you need to do to
resolve the problem, rescue the
model, and become a hero – at
least, in your paint booth.
fix, but is worth noting that many result
from the variables involved in airbrushing:
paint thinning, air pressure, and paint
volume.
It’s also worth noting that each airbrush
setup is a little different. Single-action and
double-action airbrushes perform differ-
ently, as do internal versus external mix
guns. Atmospheric conditions such as
humidity and temperature also play a role.
This is all to say that no single answer is
perfect for all situations.

24 Build Better Models 2


KEEPIN’ IT CLEAN
IT MAY SEEM obvious, but perhaps
the single, greatest cause of painting mis-
haps is a dirty airbrush. If you start a
paint session and there is no paint com-
ing out of the brush, chances are there’s
CLEANING TIPS
MOST AIRBRUSHES come with
instructions including cleaning direc-
tions. That’s a good place to start.
Recently, I needed to really clean my
airbrush. (Despite my previous admon-
ishment, rushing to meet deadlines
means I don’t always get my brush clean.)
I had let paint residue dry in the cup and
the needle was frozen in place, 1.
First, I disassembled the brush,
removing the needle first, then the spring
and the nozzle. Be extremely careful
when handling the needle and nozzle, as
these are the heart of the airbrush – and
fragile to boot, 2. Always use the tool
provided with the airbrush to remove
parts like the nozzle.
To clean paint, especially old, cured
2 3
Easy does it: Aaron removes the nozzle from
his BearAir PEAK C-5 brush using the tiny
wrench provided.
5 6
Aaron scrubs the paint cup with a cotton
swab. Corners and crevices can hide paint
that may come off later while airbrushing.
old paint in the nozzle preventing paint
from moving. I’ve picked up my brush a
couple of times, even after cleaning, and
had the needle stuck fast.
The most important advice for air-
brush users is to strip and clean the brush
after each painting session. I sounded like
my dad for a moment there: “Clean that
paint, whether it’s acrylic or enamel, I
prefer lacquer thinner – it’ll shift about
anything. I also use cotton swabs, paper
towels, and pipe cleaners, 3.
Dip a cotton swab in lacquer thinner
and rub it over the parts to remove the
dried paint, 4. Pay particular attention
the brush’s internal paint channels, like
the bottom of the paint cup, 5. Use a
pipe cleaner to get even deeper, 6, but be
careful; don’t force it or you risk damage.
Remember, the brush is a precision tool,
and slight damage to certain areas can
destroy it.
The needle is worthy of extra atten-
tion; any paint residue on it will affect
paint flow. I use a soft paper towel, rag, or
cotton square damp with lacquer thinner
and pull the needle through, applying
light pressure to the sides to remove the
paint, 7. Never push the point through or
Cleaning supplies: Aaron uses lacquer thinner
to clean the brush applying it with cotton
swabs, paper towels, and pipe cleaners.
A pipe cleaner is essential for getting into the
airbrush’s tight spaces. Don’t push too hard,
though, or you can damage the metal.
shovel before you put it away so it doesn’t
rust.” Of course, I hated yard work and
would have happily fed the shovel into a
car crusher, let alone let it rust, but I got
the picture – take care of your tools and
they’ll last a long time. By contrast, I love
painting, so I don’t need much encour-
agement to maintain my airbrush.
you will bend it, causing uneven painting.
After I’ve put everything back
together, I usually reconnect the brush to
an air supply and blow a little lacquer
thinner through it to make sure nothing
remains.
1
What not to do: Aaron failed to follow his own
advice and didn’t clean his airbrush after a
painting session.
4
A cotton swab damp with lacquer thinner
quickly dissolves the month-old paint on and
in the brush.
7
Aaron drags the needle through a thinner-
dampened paper towel. Note the paint depos-
ited by earlier passes.
www.FineScale.com 25
 SPIDERS
PAINT SPOTS with leg-like
tendrils of paint spreading out
from the center means you are
using too much of everything.
(Remember the variables we
discussed earlier?) Too much
paint, too much thinner, too
much time spraying in one
place, holding the brush tool
too close to the surface, etc.
If you’re using a single-
action brush, close the nozzle
down so only a little paint
Spiders are a sign of too much of everything. It’s time to dial everything comes out. If you’re on a dou-
down and start again. ble-action, don’t yank the trig-
RUNS OR PUDDLES
PUDDLES and runs of paint
indicate the paint isn’t thin
enough or you are not moving
the brush across the surface
fast enough. Several thin coats
are better; don’t try to cover
the entire model in a single
pass.
Try thinning the paint
slightly, and definitely move
the brush more. Start and fin-
ish strokes off the model, and
Patience, Daniel-san. It’s better to spray several light coats than to try keep the brush moving. Be
to put all the paint on at once. vigilant of the distance from
DUSTY, GRITTY LOOKING PAINT
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS
when particles of paint dry
between the airbrush and the
surface. One of the biggest
problems I had when I started
airbrushing was getting up the
nerve to hold the airbrush
close enough to the surface. I
was taught not to hold the
brush too close for fear of
runs, but the rough texture
that results from being too far
away is equally hard to fix.
First, be sure the paint isn’t
too thin – thinner dries the
The surface of a model shouldn’t look like 60-grit sandpaper. Move paint faster. Then dial down
closer and watch how much thinner you’re using. the air pressure and hold the
26 Build Better Models 2
ger straight back. Move it back
slowly so just a little paint
comes out. Grab a test model
or scrap board. Start spraying
off the surface and slowly
move the brush toward the
test subject. If you are still get-
ting spiders, either the paint is
too thin or you are using too
much air pressure – or both.
If you are using a regulator,
reduce the air pressure. If you
can’t, or if that doesn’t solve
the problem, add more paint
to the mixture in the brush.
the brush to the surface. (See
“The Perfect Pass” on Page
29.) If the model is uneven,
make sure the nozzle never
gets too close to the surface or
you’ll get runs.
If you see a run forming,
don’t be tempted to try
smoothing it out by adding
more paint, and don’t wipe it
away. The best option is to
wait until the paint is dry,
sand smooth the lumps, and
repaint.
brush closer. Airbrushed paint
should go on slightly wet, with
a flat finish’s sheen disappear-
ing in a few seconds.
Related to this is a problem
with corners, like the right
angles where wings meet fuse-
lages. While you are painting
one surface, paint particles
swirl about and hit the other
surface already dry. Low air
pressures can minimize the
vortices, and temporary masks
can help with overspray.
Paint retarders slow drying,
allowing the paint to level
more as it dries.
 FISH EYES
COMMON with resin mod-
els, fish eyes result when oil
on the surface (or even within
the plastic or resin) repels the
paint. The most common cul-
prit is the heavy-duty mold
release agent used in resin
casting. But oil from finger-
prints can also be responsible.
Other contaminants that
cause the strange circles to
appear include grease, soap,
and wax.
THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE
PAINT SHOULD LEAVE
the nozzle of the airbrush in
an even, cone-shaped pattern.
If the paint is not hitting the
model where you are aiming
or is scattering, it’s obviously
not even. Worse yet, if there
are splatters of paint, chances
are the needle or nozzle – or
both – are damaged. Most
likely, the nozzle is split or the
tip of the needle is bent.
It only takes a small bend
in the tip to affect paint flow.
But small bends can also be
repaired.
Dragging a needle across your fingertip will help you figure out which
direction the needle is bent.
Thoroughly cleaning the
model before painting is
always a good idea, and it’s
essential when working with
resin. I soak resin parts in
Westley’s Bleche-Wite tire
cleaner. When working with
plastic, I wash the sprues
before starting on the model.
Before painting, I apply rub-
bing alcohol or Polly S Plastic
Prep with a cotton swab and
let it air dry.
Oil and paint don’t mix. Whether it’s mold-release agent or fingerprints,
be sure to clean the model before painting.
Examine the tip with a
magnifying glass, or drag the
needle’s point across a finger-
tip, turning it slowly as you
go. If it catches on your skin,
then it’s bent.
Drag the affected side
across a medium grit sanding
stick once, then test it again.
Repeat until the snag is no
longer apparent.
Check the nozzle with a
magnifying glass, looking for
a ragged tear from the open-
ing. If you find damage, you’ll
have to replace it.
Uneven paint coverage and a strange angular pattern point to a bent
needle.
Both the nozzle (left) and needle of this single-action airbrush are
damaged beyond repair.
www.FineScale.com 27
 DUST AND DEBRIS
I’M NOT SURE that I’ve
ever airbrushed a model the
first time without some kind
of schmutz appearing in the
paint – either dust, grit, or the
odd hair.
This is one problem not
caused by the airbrush, but
rather the painting environ-
ment. Keeping the painting
area clean is a must. Vacuum
or dust the workspace hours or
days ahead of time to allow
airborne particles time to set-
Most modelers don’t have the luxury of a high-tech “clean room” to
work in, but there are ways to avoid dust in the paint.
THINNING
BECAUSE properly thinned
paint is crucial to airbrushing,
let’s discuss dos and don’ts.
First, if you are new to air-
brushing, or using a new
brand of paint, stick with the
paint brand’s own thinner.
This eliminates issues of com-
patibility (and trust me, noth-
ing clogs an airbrush like a
bad paint-thinner combina-
tion) and ensures good mixes.
So, how do you ensure your
paint is neither too thick or
too thin, but just right? Many
manufacturers print thinning
Most paint brands have their own thinner. guidelines on tins or bottles of
SAFETY
PAINT AND THINNER –
even acrylics – can be hazard-
ous to your health. So, it’s a
good idea to take a few pre-
cautions when airbrushing.
Airbrushes atomize paint,
and the tiny droplets scatter
easily. Always work in a well-
ventilated space away from
ignition sources such as heat-
ers or a water heater.
If painting indoors, a
Gloves and respirator masks provide protection from paint and thinner. spray booth that vents to the
28 Build Better Models 2
tle. If you’re using a spray-
booth, turn on the fan 15
minutes before painting to
pull most of the dust out of
the room.
Wiping the model off with
a tack cloth before painting
will remove anything on the
surface. (Be careful around
delicate bits!)
And watch what you wear:
Newer clothes often shed tiny
fibers that are attracted to
fresh paint like fleas to a dog.
paint and thinner. That’s a
good starting place. The other
option you’ll hear repeated
often is the adage: “Thin the
paint to the consistency of
milk.” Apparently, 2 percent
milk is a good target. This is
also a good starting point.
That said, there are actually
no definitive numbers. Ask 10
modelers how they thin paint
and you’ll get half a dozen or
more different answers.
Experiment to find what
works best in your airbrush at
pressures you are comfortable
with.
outside is a great investment.
Otherwise, look for a corner
of the garage or porch that can
be ventilated naturally.
A two-stage respirator
mask, available from hardware
stores, also provides important
protection.
Latex or rubber gloves
will prevent your skin from
absorbing paint or thinner.
 THE PERFECT PASS

IT’S BEEN SAID the “posi-
tion is everything.” That’s cer-
tainly true in airbrushing with
regards to the model and the
brush. As illustrated earlier,
many airbrushing problems
can be eliminated by holding
the brush the right distance
from the surface and keeping
it moving.
So what does the perfect
painting pass look like?
Place the model on a stand
or hold it in your hand, if you
prefer, and aim the brush at
a point about 2-3" ahead of
the model. This is where you’ll
start spraying. Why not start
on the model, you ask. Two
reasons: First, if you start on
the model you begin spraying
while the brush isn’t mov-
ing; there’s a good chance too
much paint will end up on the
model at that point. Also, if
there’s any paint on or around
the nozzle, the first blast of air
will send it splattering onto
the model.
After you get the air and
paint flowing, move the brush
steadily onto the model and
continue spraying until the
nozzle passes beyond the
model. Stopping on the model
risks excessive paint buildup.
You usually need to make
more than one pass to paint
the model. If so, you can
keep the paint flowing but
reverse course off the model.
Subsequent passes should
overlap the preceding one to
ensure a smooth finish.
How far off the model
should you hold the brush?
This is a question a lot of
novice airbrushers ask. After
years of trial and error, I find
a good starting point is 4-5"
away. This is far enough to
prevent runs (as long as you
keep the brush moving) but
close enough that properly
thinned paint won’t dry before
it reaches the surface and give
you a gritty finish.
Watch for low and high
spots: A bulge in the surface
may cause a section of the
model to be a lot closer to the
brush during a pass. Adjust
the height as you spray to
compensate.
Most modelers develop a
system that works for them.
Experiment, learn from mis-
takes, and have fun! FSM

Begin spraying off the model. This prevents heavy buildup at the start- Hold the airbrush 5-6" from the model’s surface with the trigger held
ing point and prevents paint splatters that may result from paint that down. Keep the airbrush moving.
has gathered at the nozzle.

Don’t be tempted to keep the brush in one place to cover detail. You are Finish each pass off the model, even if you keep the trigger down.
better off coming back later and adding another light coat. Again, this minimizes buildup and lessens the chance of mistakes.

www.FineScale.com 29
 Weathering powders or pigments are available
from several manufacturers for scale modelers
and model railroaders.

The why & how of

WEATHERING POWDERS
R
Powdered pigments can ead FSM and every other author or gallery entry mentions
improve weathering using weathering powders or pigments. It seems especially
prevalent among the most dramatically weathered models.
when correctly applied Are these magical powders the key to masterpiece modeling? The
BY AARON SKINNER
straight answer is that they are another useful tool in the arsenal.
And like the best tools, they reward careful use.

1 2 3
Weathering powders are similar to artist’s pas- It’s best to scoop a little – and a little goes a long Colors can be mixed using two or more bottles.
tels modelers have used for years, but many of way – from the container onto a piece of scrap To add a layer of Caucasus dirt to an Alanger
the modeler’s brands contain a dry adhesive that paper, rather than using it out of the bottle, to 1/35 scale 2S9 self-propelled gun, I set out Mig
helps them stick to surfaces of all kinds. Most prevent contaminating the powder with other Productions Russian earth, rubble dust, and con-
come premixed in useful colors such as light rust, colors or solvents. crete. Use paintbrushes to apply and manipulate
dark mud, and desert dust. powders, but separate them from brushes used
for paint; pigment residue will discolor paint.

30 Build Better Models 2

 4 5
Using a medium-sized round brush with bristles
trimmed about half their length, I mix a little
rubble dust into the Russian earth. The mixture
doesn’t have to be thorough; remember, dirt is
rarely a uniform color.
7 8
A handy blending tool: I use a fingertip (I prefer
my own for this) to blend the powders and
remove even more from high points where dirt
and mud would be rubbed off during operation.
Be careful how you handle the model after this –
1/1 scale fingerprints, even in the right shade,
will not enhance a model’s realism.
10
It’s easy to quickly add a layer of dirt to a model
with powders. After about 15 minutes, my 2S9
looked like a vehicle that had been deployed in
the field by the Russian army rather than sitting
in a museum. I paid attention to photos and
thought about where dirt would most likely
accumulate on the vehicle.
SAFETY
Pigment powders are very
light and easily inhaled, so
it’s a good idea to wear
respiratory protection.
6
I liberally apply the basic mix to one of the 2S9’s Using the same brush, I grind the powders into
road wheels. How much to use is a matter of the wheel, pushing the color and texture into
personal taste. I always try to keep in mind crevices and shadowy areas while removing
where the vehicle or aircraft was operated and them from ridges and points. Again, it’s better to
replicate that, using photos when possible. apply the powder unevenly.
Before proceeding, I lightly blew on the wheel to
remove excess powder.
9
For a nice coat of dust, stop after Photo 7. For Although the powders are adhesive, you may
other effects, you can use liquids. Here, Mig’s want to fix them to the surface to make sure they
paint thinner carries the powders deeper into the don’t shift. You can use a clear coat, but it may
wheel’s detail, caking or leaving clumps behind. change the color slightly. Mig makes a pigment
Experiment with alcohol, water, and other fluids fixer that’s easy to apply and seems less likely to
for different effects, but be sure whatever you shift the color. Here, I touch a brushful of fixer to
use won’t affect the paint underneath. a road wheel and let it flow. You can still manip-
ulate the powders while the fixer is wet.
11
Here’s the same model after drying. First, note how much lighter the color is compared to the previous
photo. Also, look at the three-dimensional effect of the dirt – something I’ve never been able to do
with pastels. Used well, weathering powders can dramatically change a model’s appearance. Can
you do the same thing with artist’s pastel? Mostly, yes. But weathering powders’ premixed colors and
inherent stickiness are a great addition to the toolbox. They’re easy to adjust and correct. Experiment!
If you have a novel use for the weathering powders, or a technique that gives good results, drop me
a line at askinner@finescale.com. I’ll use the best advice in a future Reader Tips column. FSM
www.FineScale.com 31
1/35 Scale

The “IS” series of tanks was named for

Josef (Iosef )Stalin. When the 85mm gun of
the IS-1 was replaced with a massive
122mm cannon, the designation became
IS-2 — and the “Victory Tank” became
the spearhead of the Red Army’s march to
Berlin. Fraser Gray got his IS-2 off to a
great start with construction. But his chief
goal was the finish as color modulation
enhanced a monochromatic scheme.

1 2
Using Tamiya paints (unless otherwise noted), Fraser primed, then blended Next, the midtones: Fraser airbrushed J.A. green (XF-13) from above, cre-
NATO black (XF-69) and clear (X-22) with Tamiya’s own thinner (X-20A) ating the illusion of shadows under overhangs and in recesses. “The inevi-
and airbrushed the lower hull, the darkest shadows of the tank. The glossy table overspray blends the two shades of paint,” he says.
clear keeps subsequent flat coats from turning pebbly, Fraser says.

32 Build Better Models 2

 TRY COLOR
MODULATION
FOR ARMOR
Shades and tones for a convincing IS-2
BY FRASER GRAY
R
embrandt was famous for it … the Old
Masters practiced it in classic paintings
… and in recent years, modelers have
adopted it. It is color modulation, a term coined
by master modeler Adam Wilder to describe
the use of paint tones to depict the effects of
light on a subject, imbuing its detail with depth
and dimension.
I had a practically complete Italeri 1/35 scale
IS-2 on my shelf, waiting for paint and gather-
ing dust. But when I saw Adam’s DVD on the
color modulation technique, I determined to
3 4
When previous paint is completely dry, Fraser masks and highlights promi-
nences such as the distinctive engine grilles. Here, he mixed J.A. gray
(XF-14) with the J.A. green and sprayed from a low angle to hit only high
spots and preserve shadows.
put it into practice straightaway with the IS-2
as my subject.
By this method of painting, the monotony of
a monochromatic paint scheme can be gradually
broken up by masking and highlighting inter-
esting details and airbrushing different tones
and shades. Deeper tones suggest shadows,
while airbrushed highlights emphasize salient
features.
Washes and filters help moderate the con-
trasts. That’s important, because as with weath-
ering and other “special effects,” subtlety is key.
More masking and a lighter shade pick out rear-deck details. Some high-
lights were applied by hand-brushing. Fraser mixed up a little yellow green
(XF-4) to provide more variety.
www.FineScale.com 33
 5 6
As the process is repeated, with slightly varied shades to differentiate To save time on scratches and chips, Fraser uses a bit of scouring pad, dips
details, a pattern emerges — lighter toward the top, darker toward the it in a mix of Humbrol black enamel (33) and brick red (70), wipes off most
bottom. Fraser painted each fuel drum differently, so they looked as if they of the paint, then dabs the model. Just a little turpentine corrects mistakes.
had been added at different times.

7 8
Highlighted panels really stand out at this stage. A clear gloss overcoat Here’s that thinner: A black wash settles into recessed details. The clear
shields paint from weathering treatments, facilitates the flow of washes, undercoat kept dark washes from dulling the background color, improving
and even preserves construction by protecting glued joints from the solvent- contrast and making it easier to wipe away excess with a cotton swab.
based thinners to come.

9 10
Delicate photoetched-metal grille screens get special treatment: Fraser Color modulation on the turret. (Top) A coat of NATO black followed by J.A.
attached double-sided tape to a card and stuck the screens on it for primer green. (Below) A mix of J.A. green and J.A. gray for highlights. The mask-
and color coats. ing tape preserves the darker shade at the base of the barrel for contrast
with the mantlet.

34 Build Better Models 2

11 12
Further highlights call out the loader’s hatch, bolts, hinges, etc. Again, This time Fraser chips with a lighter shade of enamel, mixed to an approxi-
darker shades near the bottom, lighter near the top, in the same way that mation of J.A. gray.
light plays on a varied surface.

13 14
The tip of a hobby blade makes deeper scratches. “Use this effect spar- Shades on the turret are blended with Sin Industries’ “The Filter” for light
ingly,” Fraser says. “Place the blade at 45 degrees and scrape carefully to green. “I was delighted with the results!” Fraser says.
reveal black undercoat.” Again, clear-coat before washes and weathering.

Filtered turret
Unfiltered hull

15 16
Fraser put the turret back on the untreated hull to show how the filter coat A mix of Mig pigments is thinned with mineral spirits …
moderates contrast. He’ll continue the filter on the hull, painting around
details he wants to stand out.

www.FineScale.com 35
 REFERENCES
F.A.Q Vol. 2, “Modulation Style,” by Adam Wilder; DVD by
Night Vision Creations; available from Mig Productions,
migproductions.com.
IS-2 Heavy Tank, 1944-1973, by Steven Zaloga, Osprey
Publishing, ISBN 978-1-85532-396-4
Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two,
by Steven Zaloga and James Grandsen, Arms & Armour Press,
ISBN 978-0-85368-606-4
The IS Tanks, Mikhail Baryatinsky, Ian Allen Publishing,
ISBN 978-0-7110-3162-3

SOURCES
Powdered pigments, washes, Sin Industries “The Filter,”
Mig Productions (above)
Photoetched-metal engine grilles, details, Eduard,
www.eduard.cz
Metal individual-link tracks, Friulmodel, www.friulmodel.hu
17
… then applied liberally to the drivetrain and lower hull. “Even dried
excess can be removed with a chisel brush or a cotton swab moistened
with thinner,” Fraser says.

Dragon DShK 12.7mm

machine gun

Tamiya IS-3 muzzle brake

Brass-rod grab handles

Dragon bucket

Friulmodel tracks

Layers of postshading, weather-

ing, and pigments add up to a
high-mileage, battle-worn IS-2.
Fraser says, “Despite my inital
Tamiya IS-3 drivetrain reservations about the severe
Differently painted fuel drums contrasts between highlights and
shadows, I find the overall effect
Pigments for mud, rust pleasing.” FSM

36 Build Better Models 2

 SOLDERING
BASICS
Getting the most out of photoetched metal
means turning up the heat • BY RICK LAWLER
F
or some modelers, photoetched metal is the scourge of
the hobby. Others embrace the delicate brass bits. Most
seem to fall somewhere in between, with a sort of reluc-
tant acceptance that, at some point, they will use pho-
toetched metal on a model.
I was one of the latter: Although I could see the potential of
using the thin metal accessories, I could not seem to get over some
of the technical hurdles.
Starting slowly, I built up my experience with photoetched-
metal parts. Moving on to complex assemblies, I quickly came to
realize super glue had its limitations. And these shortcomings
would make it difficult to take my work to the next level.
If I was to truly embrace photoetched metal, I needed to come
to grips with the soldering iron. Boy, was I apprehensive! In my
mind, soldering was an advanced technique reserved only for a
select few who had “traveled to the crossroads.”
Turns out, it’s not that hard if you take it step by step and prac-
tice. Start with scrap photoetched metal, not a key project.
What you need
There are a bunch of soldering tools available, some with more fea-
tures, but they all serve the same purpose: Melting the solder for a
strong, durable join between two metal parts.
My tools are basic: An inexpensive 40-watt soldering iron, sol-
der, flux, pliers, tweezers, single-edge razor blades, sandpaper, steel
wool, and an Etch Mate folding tool, 1.
step by step
Tinning
Tinning is the process of adding a thin layer of solder to the parts
being joined prior to actually sticking them together.
Begin by applying flux to the surfaces to be joined. Flux dictates
where solder will stick. I use a small brush to apply flux to the area
where I want the solder to flow, 2.
Next, I cut small chips of solder (a new hobby knife works well)
and position them on the flux-coated areas, 3.
Finally, I touch the tip of the soldering iron to the flux near the
solder chips. Soon, the flux will sizzle and bubble. Then, as the sur-
face temperature rises, the solder chips liquefy. Keeping the iron’s
tip in contact with the molten solder, I spread it over the fluxed
area, 4.
Assembly
To join the parts, I apply a little flux to the tinned areas of each
piece. Then, holding the parts together, usually with tweezers, I
apply heat. The flux sizzles as the solder liquefies and sweats
between the parts, 5. Removing the hot iron stops the process. The
result is a tight bond.
Simple cleaning of the area may be required if the solder has
oozed from between the parts. Light sanding with fine-grit paper
or steel wool is usually all that’s necessary, 6.
If small gaps remain, squeezing the parts together while heating
the join will eliminate them, 7.
To add small parts, tin the attachment point of the detail, 8,
www.FineScale.com 37
 SAFETY
Soldering involves heat, molten metal, and
chemicals, so there are potential hazards.
It’s a good idea to wear eye protection.
Cotton clothing that covers arms and legs,
as well as closed-toe shoes, can prevent
burns from runaway solder, which melts at
more than 350 degrees Fahrenheit. It goes
without saying that the iron’s tip is hot.
Don’t touch it, don’t leave it on while not
working, and use a stand – don’t lay it down 1
on your workbench. Also, work in a well- Tools of the trade: Rick’s soldering arsenal includes a 40-watt soldering
ventilated area. iron, solder, and flux, as well as sandpaper, files, an old paintbrush, a
hobby knife, and tweezers. A folding tool, such as Mission Models’ Etch
Mate, is great for working with photoetched metal.

2 3
Rick paints flux along the mating edges of Aber’s Panzer IV turret stowage Rick cuts chips or slices of the soft solder and places them in the flux on the
bin. Precise flux placement keeps solder where it belongs and minimizes part.
cleanup.

4 5
Tinning: Heating the metal part with a soldering iron, Rick melts the solder, The moment of truth: Holding the tinned parts together, Rick heats the join
then spreads it over the mating surfaces. with the iron, liquefying the solder on both parts and bonding them.

38 Build Better Models 2

 6 7
Cleanup is easy. Most joins require only simple To take care of gaps, Rick squeezes the joint
sanding to smooth the solder and blend the closed, then heats it to liquefy the solder.
components.
9 10
… then paints flux onto the larger part where the rib will attach.
Glossary
ANNEALING: Heat treatment that alters the microstructure of a
material, causing changes in properties such as strength and
hardness. This technique is especially helpful in softening the
brass to ease bending.
FLUX: Chemical cleaner that removes oxidation from surfaces
to be soldered, seals out air (thus preventing further oxidation),
and improves the wetting characteristics of liquid solder.
SOLDER: Fusible metal alloy; easy to find at electronic, hard-
ware, and home improvement stores. It is the material that
joins metallic surfaces.
TINNING: The process of adding solder to mating surfaces
before joining them.
8
To add ribs inside a stowage box lid, Rick tins
the attachment side …
After placing the part, Rick touches the iron to the back side of the detail,
melting the solder and binding it to the lid.
and brush flux onto the larger part, 9. Using tweezers, position the
detail solder-side down. Touch the iron to the part; the heat will
transfer through the thin brass, liquefying the solder on the under-
side and attaching the part, 10.
Practice, practice, practice
There you have it: Soldering in a few easy steps. As with any mod-
eling technique, practice makes perfect. Don’t train on shiny new
kit parts – find some unused or spare parts. Scraps are great sources
of material to practice every aspect of working with photoetched
metal, from bending to soldering.
If there is one point to remember, it is to be restrained with the
amount of solder you use. The thinnest coating yields more than
enough holding power for modeling. Using too much solder results
in buildup, less definition, tougher cleanup, and, worst of all,
destroyed parts.
The good news: If you make a mistake, you can unsolder parts.
Just add a little flux to the area, heat it, and pull the pieces apart.
This is especially handy if you should happen to attach a part
incorrectly or it becomes crooked during soldering.
I hope I’ve taken a little of the mystery out of soldering by
describing these simple techniques. Enjoy the brass bits, and happy
modeling! FSM
www.FineScale.com 39
1/72 Scale

Easy-to-model
WATER
Put maritime models in their element • BY CHRIS LUDWICK

W
hether your boat or ship kit
comes with a full hull or as
a waterline model, it will
always look more at home if
it’s afloat. Of course, most kits don’t include
the water — but you can have fun model-
ing your own to enhance the realism of any
scale boat or ship.
There are lots of different products and
methods for modeling water. One easy and
inexpensive way is to sculpt it in Celluclay,
sometimes called “instant papier-mâché.”
It’s non-toxic, easy to prepare, and you can
sculpt it with your hands. Once it’s dry
(about 48 hours), it’s durable and paintable.
We’ll use Revell’s 1/72 scale S-100
Schnellboot (kit No. 05051) with Andrea
Miniatures and Hecker-Goros figures. You
can find everything else you need in a
hobby shop, craft store — or maybe even
your own basement or workshop.
Build the base, make the mix
I usually use a sheet of plywood for the
base, but here I used Styrofoam so I could
cut a hole in it for a full hull.
If you use plywood, treat it with a seal-
ant (I use water-based varathane) to pre-
vent the wet Celluclay from warping it. I some white glue, 2. You want to get it to
would put nails or screws in the wood to look like oatmeal, using as little water as
help anchor the Celluclay; with Styrofoam, possible. The white glue helps hold it
I simply cut small dowels from sprue and together, but don’t use too much. Celluclay
stuck them in the foam, 1. will shrink, depending on how much water
Now mix the Celluclay with water and and glue you use. I wish there were an exact

1 2
Chris cut a hole in the Styrofoam base to put his full-hull model into the Celluclay “instant pâpier-maché” is easy to sculpt with your fingers.
water. Sprue dowels embedded in the Styrofoam help anchor the layer of Sharing Chris’ workspace on another project is his daughter Skyler, 6.
Celluclay to follow.

40 Build Better Models 2


recipe for this; you may want to try a time
or two before committing your best model
to the deep.
Celluclay comes in either white or gray.
I prefer the gray for seawater. You can add
acrylic paint to it while you’re mixing it. I
usually don’t, but on this one I mixed in
some blue. Be careful, though — adding
paint is just like adding more water, so fig-
ure that in.
3 4
Chris mixed a little blue paint into gray Celluclay.
The watery plume is Celluclay sculpted around a
spire of sprue.
Making waves
Next, spread the Celluclay on the base and
use your fingers to form the waves you
want. I wanted to show a couple of nearby
explosions, so I planted long sticks of sprue
in the Styrofoam and sculpted Celluclay
around them to form geysers of water, 3.
Let the Celluclay dry for 48 hours. The
surface should feel like it’s at room temper-
ature. If it’s still cool to the touch, it’s prob-
ably not thoroughly dried.
After a couple of days, I was ready to
paint. I used Liquitex Basics acrylic paint,
available in discount stores, and used only
four colors: dark blue, green, light blue, and
Mixing blue, green, and white acrylic paint,
Chris started with the darkest shades and
finished with white-topped waves and wakes.
Like anything else, ships and boats look best in
their natural element. All you need to model
good-looking water is a base, Celluclay, acrylic
paint, and a model to put in it.
white. Mix the colors as you like, starting
dark and going lighter as you get to the
peaks of waves and wakes. The last color I
used was white for the whitecaps and ocean
spray, 4.
Add gloss, frame, and admire
After the paint dries, you can add a layer of
clear resin to impart a watery gloss — or
you can skip the resin and use Pledge
Future floor polish as I did. It’s easy: Just
brush it on and let it dry. I added three or
four coats, surrounded my water with a
black picture frame, and my seagoing scene
was complete. FSM
Water-based, non-toxic, and very squishy,
Celluclay is fun stuff to use for water.
www.FineScale.com 41
Camouflaging with
How to paint
hard-edged
schemes on
RAF aircraft
BY AARON SKINNER

Painting over paper masks and

poster putty created hard-
edged patterns on Airfix’s
1/48 scale Spitfire Mk.XII.

A
lthough they look like free-
flowing shapes, Royal Air
Force camouflage schemes
were anything but random.
The patterns were specified by the
RAF. Large mats — some sources say
they were made of horsehair impreg-
nated with rubber — were used in
painting the aircraft to create hard-
edged camouflage.
That creates a challenge for model-
ers. The scheme should be pretty uni-
form, so masking needs to follow a 1 2
pattern. And because demarcation The model went together with little need for filler. Outboard of the cannons, the leading edges are
between the colors should be hard, the I installed the windshield masked with tape, but yellow; I base-coated these areas flat white, then
masks must hug the surface. not the canopy. The cockpit is masked with a lit- applied the yellow first (rather than trying to
Here’s how I did it when I built tle bit of paper towel nestled in the opening. cover darker colors). All paints are Testors Model
Airfix’s 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk.XII. Tape covers it and the frame behind the seat. Master enamels with Testors enamel thinner.

42 Build Better Models 2

PAPER MASKS

3 4
Airbrushing insignia yellow: When working with Model Master’s flat colors, It’s good practice to lightly sand the colors between layers. Rough paint
I use one part thinner to two parts paint. attracts stray paint particles, making the surface even rougher.

5 6
I masked off the leading edges and the little round clear part under the Colors are best applied starting with the lightest shade and working
cockpit with thin Tamiya masking tape. toward the dark. On the Spitfire, that means starting by airbrushing the
underside medium sea gray. I sprayed recesses such as the wheel wells first
to ensure good coverage and prevent excess paint buildup.

7 8
With the pressure set at 25psi, I opened the nozzle and sprayed the model. I like the effect, but the next stage — post-shading — is optional. I added a
Moving the airbrush parallel to the airflow makes any unevenness look like couple drops of white to the paint in the cup, dialed the pressure to 15psi,
weathering. Move the model around to be sure you cover all of it. and, using a narrow spray pattern, airbrushed panel centers. This breaks
up the monochromatic finish and starts the weathering process. If the con-
trast is too severe, mist a little straight medium sea gray over the model.

www.FineScale.com 43
 9 10
Using Tamiya’s thin, flexible tape, I masked the edges of the medium sea
gray. The good news is that many of the edges fall on or near panel lines,
making alignment easy. Burnish the tape along the paint edge with a fin-
gernail to prevent paint from bleeding past the edges of the mask.
11
I sprayed the upper surfaces with RAF ocean gray, then post-shaded with a
little white mixed into the remaining gray paint in the airbrush cup.
13
I applied worms of poster putty along the edges of the cut-out section,
pressing it firmly into place as I followed the outline.
44 Build Better Models 2
Rather than waste a bunch of tape and increase my chances to pull up
paint, I covered large areas between tape edges with Post-It notes. I
applied the tacky side to the tape at the leading edge of the wing, rein-
forced the join with tape, then trimmed the rear edge and taped it down.
12
The painting instructions provide the camouflage pattern. I enlarged the
sheet 170 percent on a photocopier to get the right size for masks. Then I
cut out each section, keeping the scissors just inside the demarcation line.
Make sure you cut out the gray area, not the green areas (as I started to
do). Also, extend the mask a little past the edges of the airframe.
14
Then I aligned the wing edges with the diagram of the model and pressed
the mask onto the surface. I made sure the poster putty formed a solid seal
with the paper and the model.
15
For masks that ran from one side of the fuselage to the other, I cut the
areas from both side views as well as the top, lined up the overlaps where
it looked right, and taped the pieces together. Then I applied poster putty
and wrapped it around the model.
16
I needed two batches of poster putty to get it done, but I ended up with a
model wrapped in paper masks that were a good match to the pattern
shown in the painting instructions.

17 18
I started the RAF dark green by spraying a light line along the edge of the Then, I dialed the pressure up to 25psi and filled in the open areas. Next, I
masks with the pressure set at 15psi. This helps seal the mask and prevents post-shaded as before. Make sure to spray the light color past the edge of
paint ridges from forming as the paint dries. mask if the panel extends past the demarcation line.

I peeled the masks off shortly after finishing the dark green to minimize paint ridges or lifting
along the edges. Now the model was ready for clear gloss, decals, and weathering. FSM

www.FineScale.com 45
WEATHERING
TIPS
from contest modelers
PHOTOS BY MATTHEW USHER AND AARON SKINNER

W
eathering, a collective term for a range of techniques and ideas, is
the process by which models can be transformed into true minia-
tures of their full-size counterparts. There are almost as many theo-
ries on how and what to weather as there are modelers. We chose 12 top-quality
models from more than 100 we photographed at the 2010 IPMS/USA
Nationals in Phoenix and asked the builders how they weathered them. Here’s
what they told us.

▲ TIM NELSON
KIRKLAND, WASHINGTON
“Working research planes were dirty,” says Tim of his Special Hobby 1/72 scale Douglas D-558-2
Skyrocket. The overall finish is Floquil reefer white enamel mixed 50:50 with PPG DTL 876 automotive lac-
quer thinner and applied with a Paasche H airbrush. The lacquer thinner is “hot,” but if you build up the
color with light coats it shouldn’t craze the plastic, Tim says. He airbrushed Model Master insignia yellow
for the NACA tail stripe, and Floquil grimy black for the anti-glare panel. After sealing the paint and
decals with PPG Duracryl automotive gloss clear coat, he picked out panel lines with a light pinwash of
burnt umber artist’s oils mixed with odorless thinner. Then he brushed charcoal pastel powder around
exhaust ports. A semigloss coat — a mix of Duracryl gloss mixed with Testors Dullcote — toned down the
shine. Tim’s model is marked for Scott Crossfield’s November 20, 1953, Mach 2 flight.

▶ JOHN B. STANKO
MESA, ARIZONA
Lockheed’s Lightning served Allied forces in the tough conditions of the Pacific campaign, and John
wanted his model to show that. He added Eduard photoetched-metal seat belts and True Detail resin
wheels to Academy’s 1/48 scale P-38J. After applying Model Master enamels for the olive drab and
neutral gray camouflage, John airbrushed lightened colors to highlight panels. He defined panel lines
with water-based washes from The Detailer (386-776-2887, www.thedetailer.net), painting them into
engraved detail, allowing them to dry, then wiping them up with a damp cotton swab. Exhaust stains
behind the superchargers on the booms are white chalk applied with an old brush. SuperScale decals
(sheet No. 48-934) mark the Lightning as Buffalo Blitz, flown by ace Lt. Fred Champlin, assigned to the
431st Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group.
 LEIGH EATON
MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA
To deploy AFV Club’s 1/35 scale M10
Achilles in late World War II Europe,
Leigh primed with Model Master burnt
umber enamel. Then, using his Iwata
HP-CS and 12-15psi pressure, he air-
brushed Humbrol bronze green
(No. 75) panel by panel, leaving burnt
umber exposed around the edges. He
lightly airbrushed panel lines with
bronze green lightened with Humbrol
army green (No. 102). “I know, espe-
cially to aircraft modelers, this method
seems backwards … but it is really
effective on AFVs, and pretty much
takes care of pre- and post-shading,
leaving nice, worn-looking edges,”
Leigh says. After dry-brushing the
whole model with Model Master Afrika
khakibraun, he applied the decals. To
simulate mud, Leigh stippled Liquitex
acrylic texture gel with ceramic stucco
tinted with Ceramcoat paint around the
running gear. A heavy wash of burnt
umber artist’s oils added depth to the
dirt, while a raw umber pinwash
accented panel lines. Leigh added
paint chips by dabbing a cosmetic
sponge dipped in Model Master Acryl
burnt umber across the model. Dot fil-
ters – spots of artist’s oils streaked with
a thinner dampened brush – further
broke up the finish. A mist of thin
Tamiya flat earth and buff added dust.

▲ ED BAROTH
PORTER RANCH, CALIFORNIA
“I was going for a weary but proud look,” says Ed of his 1/48 scale F6F-3 Hellcat. He
improved the Hasegawa kit with Eduard and Aires details, a Squadron vacuum-formed can-
opy, and a cowling, bomb, bomb rack, and wheels from an Eduard kit. For the mid-war
camo, Ed airbrushed Gunze Sangyo and Tamiya acrylics, mostly freehand. Where masks
were used – tail, wings, and cowling – Ed oversprayed with thin blue and white to produce
soft demarcations. He sprayed the fabric control surfaces with lightened blues, and airbrushed
exhaust stains freehand with several shades of gray oversprayed with Tamiya smoke (X-19)
near the engine and softened with Tamiya polish toward the rear. He highlighted panel lines
with washes of Payne’s gray artist’s oil paint on the white areas, and white over the blue.
▶ MIKE OTIS
PALMDALE, CALIFORNIA
Mike likes old trucks, as he
proved by building Revell’s
1937 Ford panel delivery
van as a long-disused
laundry hauler made into a
storage shed. After detailing
the engine, he cut open the
rear doors. He airbrushed
the body Tamiya acrylic sky
(XF-21) and black (X-1), and
added the kit decals. To rust
the roof, Mike airbrushed
Tamiya flat brown (XF-21),
varying the coverage to
keep the corrosion from
looking uniform, and sprin-
kled on baking soda for tex-
ture. Brush-applied Rustall
added further variation.
“Then I took real rust dust
from a rusty shovel and
applied that with a worn-out
paintbrush using a scrub-
bing motion,” Mike says. He
added dirt streaks to the
van’s sides by streaking dots
of artist’s oils with a fan-
shaped brush dampened
with turpentine. Paint chips
and scratches were created
with Tamiya acrylics.

GLENN BINGHAM
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
Glenn describes Hasegawa’s 1/32 scale Ki-44 Shoki as a nice build that required little putty.
After a coat of Tamiya fine surface primer, he painted the model with Tamiya silver leaf from a
spray can. Next, he painted the yellow leading edges, white fuselage bands, white and red
lightning flashes, and the black anti-glare panel with Model Master and Tamiya acrylics. Glenn
masked off these areas and the underside of the airplane, then painted a slurry of salt and
water around the wing roots, fuselage below the cockpit, ammunition-access and maintenance
panels, leading edges, and cowling. Once the saltwater masks were dry, he airbrushed Tamiya
Japanese army green acrylic. Removing the salt under a stream of warm water revealed the
metallic undercoat for realistic chipping. He airbrushed a lightened version of the green to
delineate control surfaces. A sharp silver pencil and light sanding with 800- and 1,000-grit
sandpaper depicted scratches. This was the first time Glenn tried salt weathering: “I’m pleased
with the results,” he says.
48 Build Better Models 2
 ▲ TONY ALVAREZ
LAGUNA HILLS, CALIFORNIA
Tony added to Tamiya’s 1/35 scale StuH 42 Ausf G: Cavalier resin Zimmerit; a photoetched-
metal stowage rack, upper schürzen, engine screens, and bucket; picture-wire tow cables;
scratchbuilt lower schürzen; and metal tracks. Epoxy putty sandbags were textured with fine
mesh. The tarp is tissue wrapping paper dipped in a 50:50 mix of water and white glue. Before
painting, Tony mixed Mig Productions acrylic resin, Mig dark mud pigment, plaster of paris, and
sifted dirt, stippling it over the lower hull, suspension, and fenders. He lightened Tamiya desert
yellow 25 percent white for the base coat, and mixed Tamiya red brown and dark green each
50:50 with the lightened desert yellow for the camouflage. Tony oversprayed the tank with a 1:9
mix of lightened desert yellow and thinner. After a gloss coat, he applied a medium brown wash
to accent detail, then finished with light dry-brushing and pigments.

▶ DAN CLOVER
NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA
Modern U.S. Navy fighters quickly take
on an uneven, patchy appearance that
Dan wanted to replicate on Hasegawa’s
1/48 scale F-18F. He used Eduard pho-
toetched-metal details and Quickboost
resin seats for the cockpit. After priming
with Tamiya acrylics, he airbrushed sev-
eral shades of Model Master Acryl paint
to create a patchy gray camouflage. Then
he covered the entire aircraft with a very
thin wash of black artist’s oils. Dan sealed
the model with a coat of Pledge Future
floor polish to preserve that wash, then
washed engraved panel lines with raw
umber artist’s oil thinned with low-odor
mineral spirits, wiping excess in the
direction of the airflow. After
applying Fightertown decals to
mark the model for VFA-103 Jolly
Rogers’ first Super Hornet deploy-
ment in Operation Iraqi
Freedom, he airbrushed
with Testors Dullcote.

www.FineScale.com 49
▼ JORGE MOREYRA
SIMPSONVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA
After adding resin guns and a seat from AML, Jorge gave Trumpeter’s 1/72 scale P-40B well-
worn camouflage using arts-and-craft acrylic paints. He says he likes them because they are
cost-effective. To make the thick paint flow like modeling colors, Jorge mixes them 50:50 with
water and adds 2-3 drops of Winsor & Newton Galeria flow improver. He says 3-5 drops of
Winsor & Newton Galeria retarder prevents paint from drying in the airbrush nozzle. Though
paint looks very watery, Jorge notes, just apply it like enamel. He usually sprays at about 30psi
pressure, sometimes stepping down to 15-20psi for details. A pencil eraser removes overspray.
Jorge says these paints handle any washes, pastels, decals solvents, and clear coats. After toning
the camouflage with lighter shades of the base coats, Jorge used Model Master clear gloss for
decals, then added a wash of Cotsman watercolors thinned with brush-cleaning fluid.

VICTOR MAESTAS
PLACITAS, NEW MEXICO
Victor added Eduard pho-
toetched-metal details and an
Aires ejection seat to Trumpeter’s
1/32 scale F-100D, and painted it
in a natural-metal finish for Vietnam
War fighter Pretty Penny. He started
by painting the model with Tamiya
spray-can silver leaf. Then he hit the
engine section with Model Master
Metalizer magnesium. Other Metalizer colors
were airbrushed on masked-off panels to fur-
ther vary the metallic finish. To heat-stress the
metal over the engine, Victor sprayed Tamiya
acrylic clear orange over the panel lines and Tamiya
clear blue on panel centers. He applied the decals between
coats of Pledge Future floor polish, then added a wash of thin
Model Master black and brown enamels to panel lines. When the
wash dried, Victor ran a thinner-dampened cotton ball over the air-
frame in the direction of the airflow, leaving the wash in the panel lines
but smearing the thin paint over the surface to give it an uneven, weath-
ered appearance. Some of the decals were damaged during the thinner-
rubbing process, an accident that looked like realistic chipping to Victor. So
he continued the process, helping it along with a hobby-knife tip. After a coat
of Testors Dullcote, he added pastels around access panels.

50 Build Better Models 2

 JEFF RAYNER
GILBERT, ARIZONA
Jeff built Pit-Road’s resin Akula-class submarine as K-419 in “parade dress” as
seen on its initial deployment. He painted the lower hull Model Master Acryl anti-
fouling red mixed 3:1 with Model Master acrylic thinner. The upper hull is a 2:1
mix of Model Master enamel Navy gloss gray and Floquil enamel engine black
with Model Master lacquer thinner added. The color of the upper hull sensors fore
and aft on the sail is a 3:1 mix of Navy gloss gray and engine black. To color the
sensor panels below the waterline, Jeff lightened anti-fouling red with a little
Model Master Acryl white and gunship gray. He says the gray prevents the white
from turning the red pink. Pledge Future floor polish provided a good decal sur-
face; then Jeff toned down the shine with a mix of Future and Tamiya flat base. A
little more flat base than usual gives the model a saltwater-weathered look, Jeff
says. The streaking on the hull sides was applied with white and black artist’s oils.

▼ RUSSELL HOLM
ROUND ROCK, TEXAS
In early World War II, French armor was more than a match for German tanks. But you don’t see much of it at model shows, says Russell,
explaining why he built Heller’s 1/35 scale SOMUA S35. After applying the four-color camouflage with Model Master, Humbrol, and Floquil
enamels, Russell faded the colors with lightened shades sprayed into panel centers. He sealed with a coat of Model Master Acryl clear gloss,
so he could use artist’s-oil washes and thinners without harming the paint. Using a 00 brush, Russell put small dots of red, brown, white,
green, yellow, black, yellow ochre, and blue artist’s oils over 1⁄8 of the model. Next, he dipped a clean chisel brush in enamel thinner and
drew it through the paint dots and down the hull sides. Repeated passes produced a subtly streaked finish. A pinwash of black and burnt
umber artist’s oils accented detail. After misting Humbrol dark earth over the running gear, Russell lightly dry-brushed Polly Scale dirt
(No. 414308). He mixed Model Master colors with white or light gray oil paint to dry-brush the upper hull. “The artist’s oils make for an
even application without the grainy effect straight enamels often produce when used alone for dry-brushing,” Russell says. FSM
1/48 Scale
Master a
SHORT-RUN
KIT
What to do when you love the subject but not the model •
S
hort-run kits from manufacturers
such as Special Hobby and Classic
Airframes have covered many sub-
jects the big-boy manufacturers
like Revell, Tamiya, or Trumpeter would
likely never bother with. But if your experi-
ence has only been standard, injection-
molded kits, you’ll probably want to
approach building a short-run kit with
some care. A good rule of thumb is to
assume nothing is going to click into place.
Special Hobby’s 1/48 scale Douglas
D558-1 Skystreak (kit No. 48080) is an
ideal introduction to this type of model.
Like many short-run kits, there are
thick sprue attachments and heavy-duty
ejector-pin marks, 1. In addition to the
plastic, there’s a package of resin parts
(wheels and cockpit items mostly) and a
small fret of photoetched metal. The resin
and photoetched-metal parts provide sharp
detail not possible in molded plastic.
The front office
I began with the cockpit. The main item is
52 Build Better Models 2
a three-sided tub. After excess resin was
removed, the first problem became clear:
How to paint the detail on the cockpit
walls? There’s not enough room to maneu-
ver a paintbrush. My solution was to care-
fully trim away one of the walls to open
things up, 2. Both a photoetched-metal
and styrene instrument panel are provided;
I went with the metal.
The photoetched-metal handles for the
control column were oversized, so I made
replacements from bent wire. Lap and
shoulder belts are also provided in pho-
toetched metal. While this is better than
nothing, thin strips of metal don’t look like
flexible canvas or leather straps. I cut thin
strips of lead foil and rolled them into tiny,
tight balls between my fingertips. Carefully
unrolling them gave me suitably wrinkled
belt material. I trimmed away the buckles
and fittings from the photoetched-metal
belts and super glued them to the lead-foil
strips. Then I super glued them to the kit’s
seat, 3.
Once cockpit painting was complete, 4,
Building Special Hobby’s
1/48 scale Douglas D558-1
Skystreak challenged Pat’s
construction skills.
BY PAT HAWKEY
I returned the removed resin wall and
closed the tub, gluing the rear bulkhead in
place. The front of the tub forms the air-
intake interior. After test-fitting this in the
nose, I discovered there was no place for
weights to balance the plane on its tricycle
gear. The instructions show the area
directly under the cockpit has room for
weights, but it didn’t look like enough. Just
to be sure I wouldn’t have a tail-sitter, I
drilled more holes through the solid resin
and filled them with lead, 5.
On to the fuselage
Directly behind the cockpit is a box assem-
bly, the bottom of which becomes the nose-
gear well. With the box built and test-fitted
in the fuselage, I discovered the nose-gear
strut had to be in place when the fuselage
halves come together — a recipe for trouble.
With all the handling to come, odds of an
exposed gear strut surviving are not good,
but I followed the instructions and vowed
to be careful. In checking references, I
found the kit’s nose wheel faces right when
it should face left. So, I drilled a hole for a
short section of straight pin at the top of Ejector-pin marks
the oleo. With the pin inserted, I reversed
the wheel fork and fixed the mistake, 6.
Test-fitting the finished box in the nose
revealed another problem. The gear strut
was about ⅛" too far back, not allowing the
fuselage halves to mate, 7. Though I cer-
tainly make mistakes at the workbench, I
couldn’t see what I’d done wrong here. The
only solution was to remove ⅛" from the Removed
front of the box with a razor saw. Sacrific- cockpit
ing wheel-well detail for correct location of wall
a gear strut was an easy choice.
Bringing the fuselage halves together
reveals a common issue with most short- Heavy sprue
attachments
run kits. The trailing edge of the tail surface
is quite thick, 8. On a real airplane you’d 1 2
find a knife-edge here. Coarse sanding of Heavy sprue attachment points and pronounced Pat had some work to do on the cockpit. He
the interior and exterior thins it consider- ejector-pin marks are common in short-run kits. removed a wall to ease painting, and replaced
ably. Before closing the fuselage, I added ¼" “More cleanup is required than with an injection- the control handles and harnesses. The instru-
styrene tube to represent the engine molded kit, but the soft, waxy plastic makes it ment-panel options are shown at the bottom: sty-
exhaust. (There wasn’t one in the kit.) I easy,” Pat says. rene (left), or film with a photoetched-metal face
anchored the tube in a styrene bulkhead I plate (right).
shaped to fit the fuselage interior.
The horizontal stabilizers are one-piece
moldings with no positive attachment
points to the vertical surface. I drilled holes
in them and the corresponding point of the
vertical stab, and used a short piece of 1/16"
brass rod as a pin. This allows for adjust-
ment of the stabilizers and adds strength. In
test-fitting, I found that without some
trimming of the elevators the rudder would
be trapped in place. Though this would
pose no danger to the model, I wanted to
correct this little error for my own peace of
mind.

Building the canopies

Both the early bubble and later slit-window 3 4
canopies are included in the kit as one- Pat replaced the photoetched-metal belts with The cockpit is finally ready to come together. Pat
piece items. For the later version, an open lead foil, and bent wire for the control handles. painted subtle, dark pastel work around the
canopy was the only way any interior detail Clunky kit pieces are shown in comparison. raised objects to create shadows.
would be seen. With a razor saw, I carefully
cut the clear piece in two, 9. Then I cut
masking tape to match the four window
outlines, applied them to the interior of the
clear pieces, and painted the inside surfaces
flat black. Some interior structure was now
required for the exposed areas. I added this
with .010" sheet stock.
The rear section fit poorly to its cutouts
in the fuselage, 10. I centered it on the
spine as best I could, super glued it in place,
then filled the gaps at the sides with epoxy
putty. When it had cured, I protected the
small windows with masking tape and 5 6
sanded down the epoxy putty. Finally, I A slot is provided under the cockpit for weight to To reverse the nose wheel, Pat trimmed the fork
masked this rear section off to the shape keep the model resting on its nose wheel. from the oleo strut, inserted a pin, and mounted
that the clear part should have been and Wanting a little more weight, Pat drilled out the fork on it, facing the opposite direction. He
applied several coats of primer. The built- some of the resin and filled the holes with lead. painted the wheel well before mounting it in the
up edge defined the panel around the rear fuselage half, where it would be hard to reach.
of this piece.

www.FineScale.com 53

7 8
Pat found another problem to work out before
joining the fuselage: The gear strut was too far
back. He removed about 1⁄8" from the forward
edges of the nose well to bring the strut forward
and allow the fuselage to join.
9 10
Pat cut the one-piece canopy in two with a razor
saw.
11
With the wheel well walls in place, Pat filled
gaps and depressions with thick super glue.
The front section of canopy tipped for-
ward to allow for ground entry and exit.
Because the kit canopy wasn’t designed to
be open, I had to improvise. I super glued a
pair of wire pins in the bottom leading edge
of the front canopy, then drilled corre-
sponding holes in the fuselage above the
instrument panel. Pinning the piece into
place, the flexible wire allowed me to bend
it to the correct angle. Later, I glued a rod
of stretched sprue to the cockpit edge and
angled it to touch the canopy.
The walls of the wheel wells are sup-
plied as separate pieces to attach to the
inside of the upper wing half. I could see
the join with the lower wing was going to
be rough. Deciding this would be more vis-
able than the top of the gear well, I
54 Build Better Models 2
Thick trailing edges are typical of thickly-molded
kits. Pat thinned both the inner and outer sur-
faces to create the knife edge of the real aircraft.
The rear canopy piece didn’t fit its space in the
fuselage as well as Pat had hoped, so he posi-
tioned it and smoothed it in with putty.
12
Pat dropped the flaps by scoring along the sepa-
ration line, then chopping the ends with a razor
blade. After that, flexing up and down easily
removed the flap. Remember to thin the trailing
edge of the upper wing as much and as evenly
as possible. On the real airplane, the skin here is
thin and the flap fits snugly against it.
attached them to the lower wing half
instead, then filled gaps and low spots with
super glue, 11. When it was dry, I sanded
until the joins were seamless.
Final construction
I decided to drop the flaps to add interest. I
deeply scored the flaps’ leading edges with a
No.11 blade. Next, I used a single-edge
razor blade, guillotine-style, to chop the
flap ends from the wings. Gently flexing
the flap released it from the wing half, 12.
When I joined the flap halves, the top
and bottom were different lengths, 13. I
couldn’t find any photos proving this was an
error, but I thought it was unlikely this
would happen on a real Skystreak. So I
trimmed the extra length from the bottom
flap half and returned these small pieces to
the model’s belly later.
With flaps trimmed and glued together,
I added a sheet-styrene leading edge and
sanded it round to match the flap shape. I
also sanded the trailing edge of the upper
wing to paper thinness to eliminate an
inaccurate step when the flap was fitted.
That done, I glued the wing halves together,
thinning the tips and aileron trailing edges
as on the tail.
The central section of the wheel well is a
resin piece. Part of the bottom edge of the
fuselage also makes up components of the
wheel well. After careful test-fitting and
tacking it in place with super glue estab-
lished the proper location of the resin piece,
it was generously super glued into place. To
give the wing-to-fuselage joint more gluing
surface, I added a hefty styrene tab to the
inside of the fuselage, reinforcing it with a
sprue rod, 14. Then I attached the wing to
the fuselage. The poorest fit was around the
nose-gear strut, 15.
A distinctive feature of the Skystreak’s
wings was a pair of long probes in the
wingtips. Special Hobby provides these, but
they best serve as templates for truly round
and straight pieces. I made mine from
stainless-steel tubing and drilled holes in
the wingtips to anchor them. This resulted
in some chipping of wing surface, but I eas-
ily filled and reshaped with super glue.
The last step before painting was pre-
paring the main landing gear for installa-
tion. This is always best done before
painting. I sawed the resin wheels free,
cleaned the surface, and drilled out the
wheel centers for the axles. The main struts
are weakly mounted with small pimples fit-
ting shallow holes in the upper surface of
the wheel wells. I trimmed the strut tops to
fit into the wells. I bent and super glued
photoetched-metal oleo scissors to the
struts, then joined the struts, wheels, and
doors to the airframe in the paint shop.
Painting
The one-color scheme required two paint
jobs. After dusting seams and sanded areas
with Tamiya white primer in a final check
for scratches, the model was wet-sanded
smooth. After a scrubbing with a tooth-
brush and water, the model got a coat of
Model Master gloss white enamel thinned
to the consistency of milk. After many light
coats, I sprayed a heavy, wet coat, almost to
the point of running. After it dried for a
day, I sanded off imperfections. Once the
model was even and shiny, it was time for
the next paint job.
I took Testors red (No. 1103) and added
a little bit of yellow (No. 1114) for the top
coat, thinned it, and applied it over the
white, 16. For a bright color, a white base
coat is a necessity. Even with several coats
of color applied, the red is still transparent
enough to show the difference between
pure white and off-white underneath it, so
the base coat needs to be as solid and even 13 14
as you can get it. The only other painting After the flap sections were removed from the To add more gluing surface and prevent the back
was a flat black anti-glare panel on the wing, Pat realized the tops were shorter than the of the wing from falling too far into the fuselage,
nose, and natural metal over the exhaust. bottoms. He trimmed the extra length from the Pat added a styrene-tab reinforcement.
After painting, I assembled the gear and bottom half.
wheels, which was pretty straightforward
since I had dealt with fit issues before the
paint. Without real solid mounting points,
some care was needed to get the main
struts angled forward at a matching 12
degrees, and 90 degrees to the ground from
head-on. The smaller main doors were
meant to connect to the outer walls of the
wheel wells via separate hooks. There was
no way these hooks were going to touch
those well surfaces with the gear struts in
place. I scrapped the hinges, glued the big- 15 16
ger doors into place (after some trimming Of the wing-fuselage fit around the nose-gear No fancy equipment needed here. Pat uses a
here and there), and attached the smaller strut, Pat says: “This is a perfect illustration of Paasche H airbrush to paint very thin red paint
door to the bigger door’s outer surfaces, as why it’s preferable to add things like gear struts on smoothly. The white base coat is necessary
on the real airplane. The nose gear door after all the body work is done. Making seams for a truly vibrant shade of red, Pat says.
also was connected to the airplane by a like this disappear is enough work without a fin-
couple of separate hinges. This door pre- ished gear strut in the way.”
sented no problem.
After decals, my Skystreak was com- shorten them. Considering the potential
plete. The stance of the finished model was trouble, I chose to live with it. Still, with a
a little tail high, but the only fix I could see little problem-solving this short-run kit
was to break the main gear struts out and resulted in a great replica. FSM

After cutting, sanding, and

detailing, Pat’s Skystreak is a
finished model to be proud of.

www.FineScale.com 55
1/72 Scale
Easy armor
WEATHERING
Three-step process of base colors, washes, and dry-brushing
W
ith advanced finishing
concepts such as color
modulation and “zenithal”
highlighting, modelers
depict the play of light on an object to add
depth and dimension. An extension of
brush-painting ideas from fine art’s Old
Masters, some of these techniques are rel-
atively new to modelers — but their pur-
pose is older than any Strombecker kit.
Light and shadow define shapes and sur-
face details to emphasize and more fully
exhibit the details of a model.
However, it’s easy to achieve these
effects without art lessons or prepackaged
paint sets. A basic three-step process —
base color, dark wash, and dry-brushing
— will deepen recessed details and bring
high spots into greater relief, helping to
distinguish surface detail overall. A final
clear coat unifies these effects.
56 Build Better Models 2
BY MARK HEMBREE
Fujimi’s 1/72 scale JGSDF Type 10 MBT Prototype is a fairly complicated small-scale build, but
Mark saved a little time with a basic approach to finishing the Japanese tank.
I like this simpler approach for smaller
scales with less surface area to show off
the graduation from shadow to sunlight,
as with color modulation. The same ideas
apply, though — and just a little shadow
and light can improve your model.
To demonstrate, I chose Fujimi’s 1/72
scale Japanese Type 10 MBT prototype
with dozer. Just out of the box, the build
was a little tougher than what I had hoped
for in a story about painting — but, com-
pared to the challenge of sanding (and
even seeing) the microscopic parts, the
finish was easy.
Wash
Tamiya has both colors of the Type 10’s
two-color Japanese Ground Self-Defense
Force camouflage: dark green/JGSDF
(XF-73) and brown/JGSDF (XF-72).
After painting the soft-edged scheme, I
was ready to apply a dark wash of 1 part
burnt umber artist’s oils to 10 parts Mona
Lisa odorless thinner; using oils or enam-
els, I was able to avoid getting into the
acrylic paint beneath, 1.
On bigger models, I might apply a
gloss coat before weathering to better pro-
tect the paint and improve the flow of the
wash. Here, working with much smaller
areas and amounts, I charged ahead.
Keep another clean brush or swab to
soak up excess, 2. Start light: It’s easy to
add more wash if you like.
For shallower features in wide open
areas, I applied the wash more precisely with
a 10/0 detailing brush, 3. This is often called
a “pinwash.” It produces a greater contrast
between the selected details and the sur-
rounding areas. Again, mop up excess to
maintain the effect — a wash makes a dif-
ference, but it should be slight, 4.
 1 2 3
All you have to do is get a little wash in the If you use too much wash, the model will look A pinwash targets selected features, leaving
brush and touch it lightly to the details you like you applied too much wash. Mop up their surroundings lighter for greater contrast.
want to deepen; the wash will run into the excess to maintain subtlety. This hatch will be more noticeable for the
recesses. A 1:10 mix of paint to thinner is a darkened line around it; mopping up excess
good starting point for most washes. will thin the line around its edges.

4 5
A view before (left) and after shows the difference a wash can make — the trick is to keep the For dry-brushing, mix a lightened shade of the
effect from being too obvious. If you think you should stop, you should. Take a break, then come base color, load a brush, and work most of the
back and look at it again and see if it’s enough. paint out of it. Then, lightly brush just the salient
spots with a sweeping motion to bring them
into greater relief.

6 7
This turret is freshly dry-brushed. A clear flat Powdered pastel chalks applied with a fluffy A basic three-step process of base color, dark
coat will make the effect more subtle — but the brush give the skirts a realistically dusty, wash, and dry-brushed highlights shows off the
edges and high spots will remain defined. scuffed surface and bring out the detail. angular shapes of the Type 10 tank.

Dry-brush
Let the washes dry for a day and you’re
ready to dry-brush. Returning to the
cupola hatch, I mixed a lightened shade of
the green, dipped a fluffy brush in it,
worked most of the paint out of the brush,
then lightly brushed just the high spots to
make them stand out, 5.
Here again, easy does it: Making the
dry-brushing shade too light will make it
stand out too much, and brushing on too
much of it will simply change the color of
the piece. Either way, the effect will be lost.
Dry-brushing should make angles and
edges stand out, but not obviously so,
emphasizing without overstating, 6.
A few more little things
After washes and dry-brushing I applied
an over-coat of Vallejo polyurethane matte
varnish. That took care of any little shiny
spots of glue remaining and unified the
finish, reducing the contrast of wash and
dry-brushing by the same degree. Then I
painted details such as headlights and
vision glass to make them bright and
glossy in the midst of the flat finish.
Finally, I used a billowy brush to dust
the tank with powdered chalk pastels, 7,
giving those wavy fender skirts further
form and providing a little of the great
outdoors to the tank. There was no need
for more weathering; the Type 10 proto-
type is as close to a showroom finish as
any tank you’ll ever see.
There are more-complicated ways to
highlight and weather models — but they
are all based on the same concept of using
light and shadows to define shape. FSM

www.FineScale.com 57
10 STEPS
to highlight
raised panel lines
Distressing an old kit can make it seem modern
BY DAVE KOUKOL

I
n an era of kits featuring jaw-dropping
recessed panel lines and surface detail, some
exceptional kits from “back in the day” have
remained unbuilt and hidden in boxes in garages,
basements, and attics the world over.
The reason for their exile? Simple: Raised panel
lines and surface detail — perfectly good and accu-
rate kits relegated to the “shelves of shame” in favor
of their modern counterparts.
Using simple variations of common techniques,
these seemingly obsolete legends can join any
modeler’s collection. And there’s no scribing Dave’s easy highlighting method for panel lines works over decals, too.

required!
I became enamored with the F-8 Crusader while What you’ll need
watching “Dogfights” on the History Channel. So I • Kit with crisp, well-
had to add one to my 1/48 scale aircraft collection. defined raised panel
lines (later Monogram
I had two options: Drop $60-$70 on a modern kit kits are great for this)
• Tamiya tape
with great features, or do something exceptional
• Mr. Surfacer 1000 or
with a $15 Monogram kit I’ve had in my stash Mr. Dissolved Putty
• Ultra-fine Sharpie
since 1991. What the heck, I thought, there’s noth- • 600-grit sanding paper
ing like challenging the old comfort zone. or film
• Flat black paint (enamel
or lacquer recommended)
• Main colors for finished
subject
• Pledge Future floor polish
• Sludge wash
• Clear flat, gloss, or
semigloss
• Soft, medium-size
paintbrush
• Airbrush

58 Build Better Models 2

Careful painting and sanding make the raised
panel lines on Monogram’s 20-year-old 1/48
scale F-8 Crusader stand out — just like a wash
defines engraved lines.
A
Monogram’s 1/48 scale Delta Dagger was pro-
duced around the same time as the Crusader
Dave built, and features similarly well-molded
panel lines.
I moved forward with caution and
patience as well as a sense of anticipation.
Several weeks later, my anticipation was
met with a great degree of satisfaction and
a model that has sparked many questions at
contests, namely, ”How did you do those
panel lines?” The answer is a simple,
straightforward process that requires only
average skills and a good measure of
patience.
1 Choose a kit
Finding the right kit is critical for this
technique. Look for well-defined raised
panel lines, as on Monogram’s 1/48 scale
F-102, A. Lighter surface detail is more
B
Dave built the F-8 as he does any other model, constructing the major subassemblies, then filling and
sanding.
difficult to work with; results will be more
subdued, but still effective.
2 Basic assembly
Dive into assembly, seam removal, and
blending and preparation for paint, B.
Forgo primer on this project to minimize
paint buildup on raised details.
3 Restore damaged detail
Replacing obliterated lines is easy — it just
takes a little more time and attention. First,
apply masking tape so one edge is against
the damaged line, extending the tape just
beyond the end of each line. If you have a
lot of lines to replace, mark the edge of the
adjacent tape so there’s no confusion. Apply
Mr. Surfacer 1000 or Mr. Dissolved Putty
along the marked tape edges. Draw it up to
the tape, then feather it away to blend it
into the surface, C. Let it dry. Before
removing the tape, lightly sand the blended
edges — not the tape edge — with 600-grit
sandpaper.
4 Blending new lines
If any of the restored panel lines are jagged,
lightly sand them with 600-grit sanding
film, being careful to avoid obliterating the
new line, D. Replace rivet and fastener
detail with small drops of Mr. Surfacer
1000, Mr. Dissolved Putty, or super glue
www.FineScale.com 59
 C D
Dave outlined damaged panel lines with thin masking tape, then painted After removing the tape, Dave smoothed out rough spots with 600-grit
Mr. Surfacer along the edge to replace the raised detail. The arrows indi- sandpaper. He replaced rivets with dots of super glue.
cate which edge of the tape represents the panel line.

E F
Dave airbrushed black enamel over all raised details and panel lines. It doesn’t need to be neat, but it Airbrushing the main camouflage colors, Dave
is important that all the lines are covered. used a light touch over the pre-shaded panel lines.

applied with the tip of a toothpick; allow to
dry.
5 Pre-shading
Lightly airbrush flat black over raised pan-
els. It’s important to keep your pre-shade
coats light to avoid obscuring surface detail,
E. There’s nothing hard about pre-shading;
just spray a thin line of paint freehand. It
doesn’t have to be too neat. For more infor-
mation, read “The art of pre-shading” in
the October 2010 FSM. Allow the pre-
shaded lines to dry overnight.
6 Paint
It’s time to transform your ugly duckling
into the swan you’ve been envisioning.
Airbrush the camouflage colors, taking care
to keep coverage as light as possible over
panel lines, F. Then let it sit for at least 24
hours — I recommend 48 if you’re using
gloss paint.
7 Distress
Grab some 600-grit sanding film, a bowl of
water, and a fistful of courage. The aim is to
lightly distress the body colors by sanding
off panel lines and other raised details to
reveal the black pre-shading. Bring a very
light touch and patience.
Starting underneath, lightly sand panel
lines in the direction of the airflow. After a
couple of light passes, you’ll notice the pre-
shaded panel lines becoming more promi-
nent, G. Subtle effects are better than bold
ones, so go slowly — you’ll sand right
through the black if you’re not careful.
Don’t worry about scratches and scuffs in
the paint; Pledge Future floor polish will
repair those. Work your way around the air-
craft until all the panel lines and raised
detail are exposed.
8 Touch-up
If you sand through the black to the plastic,
simply repeat steps 4 to 6. In areas where
the paint has been marred by sanding,
blend the damage with 600-grit sandpaper
and repaint.
9 Gloss and decals
After wiping the model with a damp paper
towel or cloth to remove sanding residue,
apply Future or any other clear gloss in
preparation for decals. After adding and
sealing the decals, repeat steps 6 through 8
anywhere decals cross panel lines, H.
10 Final weathering
Apply a sludge wash — a thick mixture of
acrylic paint, water, and dishwashing soap
— to recessed details on the model. Other
dry-brushing and post-shading effects can
also be added.
Finally, apply your gloss, semigloss, or
flat coat. Then stand back and admire your
handiwork! FSM

60 Build Better Models 2

G H
After just a couple of passes, Dave had the black paint of the pre-shaded Dave gloss-coated and decaled the Crusader. Careful sanding highlighted
lines showing nicely. Don’t sand too hard or too much or you’ll expose the the panel lines under the decals.
plastic.

Don’t overlook those old-but-good kits in

your stash just because they have raised
detail. With the last parts and final
weathering, Dave’s F-8 looks as sharp as
a modern kit with engraved lines.

www.FineScale.com 61
 1/35 Scale

Bill did some adjusting to

upgrade Dragon’s PzKpfw III
Ausf G to a 5cm gun with an
Armorscale conversion set, but
it’s mostly straightforward
building with corrections as
necessary and practical — and
fine weathering for the finish.

Making the MOST

of a BASIC BUILD
Aftermarket add-ons and wily weathering
give this panzer extra punch • BY BILL PLUNK

W
hen the first German units were being sent to North Africa in
early 1941, the process of increasing the armor and firepower of
the PzKpfw III was already in full swing. Having started
production with the underpowered 3.7cm gun, the Ausf G was
converted to mount the 5cm KwK L/42, giving it more punch and greater range;
hull armor was also increased with bolt-on armor plates. Many of the Ausf Gs
sent to North Africa had these upgrades, as does my model of a PzKpfw III G of
the 5th Panzer Regiment, North Africa, June 1941. The base kit is from the
“Imperial Series” produced by Dragon in the 1990s; a little bit of extra care, some
scrounging for details, and a reliable reference satisfied the specifics.
62 Build Better Models 2
 Modelkasten Kit part Exhausts hollowed
Mount moved Filled holes

1 2 3
Before proceeding, Bill made minor corrections Modelkasten makes working track and supplies Bill bored out the ends of the exhaust pipes with
to the lower hull. the parts to let the drive sprockets move, too. a pinvise (hand-turned mini-drill).

Removed

New locator holes

4 5 6
More preliminary corrections on the upper hull, Properly applied, rubber bands help join the At the rear, Bill attached the kit’s smoke-grenade
mostly by deletion, although Bill opened locator major hull pieces and eliminate warpage and rack; the grenades and chains are from Voyager.
holes for the armored vent covers to come. gaps as the glue dries.

Lower hull/suspension
I started construction by cleaning up the
road-wheel and return-roller halves, sand-
ing seams down, and assembling the
sprockets and idlers.
The lower hull required corrective sur-
gery to achieve the G configuration I
wanted. I removed the first molded-on
return roller mount and put a separate, kit-
supplied mount in the correct position, 1.
I also sanded off various molded-in locator
lines and filled unneeded locator holes with
Squadron white putty.
The Modelkasten workable track set
includes parts and adapters to convert the
sprockets from static to movable parts, 2,
so I cut down the mounting stubs on the
hull to allow for those. I installed the
sprockets and final-drive housings on the
hull along with the suspension arms and 7
elements. I took extra care building and On the rear deck, Bill installed armored vent covers and photoetched-metal grilles, taking extra care
installing the idler mounts so they to level the tops of the intakes before gluing the grilles down.
remained movable, allowing me to give the
idler its proper tension later. from the underside to accept tropen (tropi- plans from Panzer Tracts (No. 3-2). I
Moving aft, I added the rear hull plate cal) modified armored vent covers later. I trimmed a couple of millimeters from the
along with the mufflers and tow points. I also added the side and front hull plates to rear of the barrel so it would clear the case-
used a pinvise to drill out the exhausts “paper over” the StuG III G casemate and mate edges, then attached the barrel with
below the mufflers, making them a little create the gun-tank upper hull (at least super glue gel. Finally, I joined the upper
more convincing, 3. from the outside). and lower hulls with styrene cement, wrap-
The front hull plate was molded as a ping the assembly with rubber bands to
Upper hull and fenders single, solid plate; I had to cut a hole in it ensure a good join, 5. Once the glue had
The upper-hull assembly uses a StuG III for the ball mount. I replaced the kit’s set and the bands were removed, I added
hull as its foundation and, like the lower machine-gun barrel with a two-part turned remaining details such as the bolt-on armor
hull, needs modifications to match Ausf G, brass barrel and cooling jacket from plates to the nose, glacis, and superstructure
4. I removed unneeded features from the Armorscale, checking the length of the bar- front.
engine access hatches and opened holes rel extending from the mount against scale The kit-supplied grenade rack at the

www.FineScale.com 63
 8 9
Studying photos of the tank for which he had
decals, Bill removed a front section of the left
fender.
Conduit
Replacements
11
Bill replaced several parts with superior pieces from other kits. The
electrical conduit is .5mm solder wire.
hull rear received grenades and chains I got
from a Voyager detail set, 6.
I added armored covers to the engine
deck and installed the side intakes, carefully
sanding the tops of the intakes level, 7. I
added Aber’s photoetched-metal grilles,
attaching them with more super-glue gel.
I found a photo of vehicle 114 in the
5th regiment, and the kit provides its mark-
ings, so I made a few changes accordingly.
Most prominent was a missing portion of
the left fender; I removed the section with
sprue cutters, then carefully trimmed the
remainder to leave the fender support
mount tabs intact, 8. This missing section
had forced the crew to rearrange the gear
on that side, so I shifted the tools and other
gear by filling open mount holes with putty
and relocating stowage, 9. I replaced the
kit-supplied S-hooks, wire cutters, fire
extinguisher, and rear Notek light, and
added a spare road wheel with a leftover
from another Dragon kit. All the tool
clamps were replaced with Griffon pho-
toetched-metal parts. The track tool box
was moved slightly to the rear, the jack was
moved forward, and the fire extinguisher
64 Build Better Models 2
Modified fender, modified stowage; Bill moved
equipment around to reflect the change.
12
After cutting off the mudflaps on the right side, Bill raised a brass antenna
— then took it back down until later to avoid breaking it off while handling
the model.
relocated to properly clear the intake and
the jack. I replaced the jack block with a
more-detailed item from an old Tamiya
PzKpfw III Ausf J. I also removed the rear
mud flap but added the underlying stub
plate, another spare part from a different
Dragon kit. Then, I installed that fender on
the left side.
I also modified the right fender for des-
ert duty, 10, replacing the ax with a “field-
fitted” jerry can rack I scratchbuilt to hold
four water cans; the rack is made of pho-
toetched-metal strips from an old fret and
glued with super-glue gel. I removed the
front and rear mud flaps on this side and
added the same stub plate as on the left
side, then installed the fender.
I had better spare parts I used upfront
for the light and siren, 11. I cut off the
crank starter’s molded-on clamps and
replaced them with Griffon photoetched-
metal clamps. I added a wiring conduit for
the front light and siren using .5mm solder
bent to shape and super glued in place. The
small retaining brackets are small “fingers”
of flexible, thin photoetched metal (from an
Eduard fret) that I curved using a short
10
Same goes for the right fender. Bill built a jerry-
can rack from photoetched-metal scraps.
Kit part drilled out
segment of the same solder as a form for
bending.
To model an antenna base, I drilled out
the swivel arm and added a Lion Marc
brass antenna, 12; I left the arm off until
later to avoid damaging it.
Turret
I joined the turret’s top and bottom, then
added the front plate and interior mantlet
pieces; the exterior mantlet was replaced
entirely with an Armorscale resin mantlet,
13. I removed some of the plastic molding
from the rear side to fit the resin mantlet,
added the turned-aluminum barrel and
locking nut, then super glued the outer
mantlet.
I added a turned-brass barrel from RB
Models to the coaxial machine gun, then
fitted the side hatches, commander’s cupola,
and other details on the turret.
I built up the rear turret storage bin, but
its lower portion was molded hollow; I
repaired this with sheet styrene cut to fit
the opening and super glued in place. Once
the glue had set, I trimmed the edges and
sanded them smooth, using putty as
 Armorscale
RB Models
13
PzKpfw IIIs were upgraded and even retrofitted
to mount the 5cm gun. Bill made the change to
Dragon’s kit using Armorscale conversion parts
and added a brass machine-gun barrel.
16
Dressing his panzer for North Africa, Bill
airbrushed Afrika grunbraun and splotches of
Afrika khakibraun.
19
Metal parts of the tools are painted with gunmetal and a dry-brushing of
steel; wood is a tan custom mix tweaked with leather washes and burnt
umber pastels.
needed, 14. Then I mounted the bin and
test-fitted the turret on the hull.
Painting and detailing
I began painting with an airbrushed primer
coat of Italian dark brown, checking all my
putty and sanding work, 15.
I selected the 1941 authorized tropen
camouflage scheme — ⅔ RAL 8000 and ⅓
RAL 7008 — spraying Afrika grunbraun as
the main color and Afrika khakibraun for
the disruptive color, 16.
I started the road wheels with gunmetal
Sheet styrene
14
Bill closed up the kit’s rear bin with sheet styrene,
sanded it to fit, and filled gaps with putty.
17
A base coat of gunmetal was followed by Afrika
grunbraun sprayed through a circle template to
leave the road wheels’ rubber dark. Inner
wheels received only red oxide primer.
20
Layers of paint gave the mufflers their properly burned, corroded color. The
brake light is painted with Tamiya clear red.
and airbrushed the outer hubs with the hull
color using a drafting template to mask off
the rubber portions, 17. The inner hubs
are airbrushed with a custom mix of dark
red to simulate the Germans’ red oxide
primer color the hull paint would not have
reached.
Using the construction jig that came
with them, I assembled the Modelkasten
tracks with pins inserted from each side
and the hollow guide horns added as sepa-
rate pieces, 18. I assembled 90 links per
side, but a test fit showed 92 links were
15
A dark brown primer coat revealed sanding/
filling flaws and gave depth to the finish.
18
Modelkasten provides a jig for building the
individual-link tracks. Here, only about 170 links
to go!
needed to produce the desired sag. After
assembling and installing the road wheels
and return rollers, I set them aside to let
everything dry before installing them.
I detailed the fender tools with nonbuff-
ing Metalizer gunmetal and a light dry-
brushing of steel on the metal portions, 19.
The wood parts were given a base coat of
light brown/tan custom-mix I keep on
hand; I followed with a very thin wash of
leather, then lightly dusted with burnt
umber artist’s pastels.
I began the mufflers with a base coat of
www.FineScale.com 65
 Paint worn off teeth Paint chipped
from lower hull
Modelkasten Kit parts
21 22
Before mounting the track, Bill made sure to give the lower hull and Spare track upfront was de rigueur for DAK tanks. Bill loaded up kit track
sprocket teeth an appropriate degree of wear. on the lower front hull and a few spare Modelkasten links on the upper
front.

Decals cut apart

to conform

23 24
My, what a shiny panzer! Pledge Future floor polish provided a smooth An overall wash of raw umber artist’s oils gives recesses and edges greater
gloss coat for better decal adhesion; another overcoat sealed the decals dimension and tones down the bright base coats.
and allowed subsequent washes to flow freely.

nonbuffing Metalizer followed by a wash of
rust and a dry-brushing of burnt umber,
20. I used Tamiya clear green on the
Notek light lenses and Tamiya clear red for
the brake light.
I airbrushed the water cans with panzer
schwarzgrau and hand-painted white
crosses (denoting water, not fuel) with light
gray. The water cans are kept in their rack
REFERENCE
Panzer Tracts No. 3-2,
www.panzertracts.com
SOURCES
Aber, www.aber.net.pl
Armorscale, www.armorscale.com
Griffon, www.griffonmodel.com
Mig Productions,
www.migproductions.com
Modelkasten, www.modelkasten.com
RB Models, www.rbmodel.com
Voyager, www.voyagermodel.com
by applying small amounts of glue and
sticking them directly on the fender.
Covering my tracks
I airbrushed the tracks with a primer coat
of flat black to protect the fragile pins from
the “hot” airbrushed base coat of the lac-
quer-based nonbuffing Metalizer gunmetal.
Then I dry-brushed heavily with steel and
applied a raw umber wash.
A random stippling of panzer schwarz-
grau weathered the lower hull (revealing
what would have been an undercoating of
panzer gray), 21. Likewise, the sprocket
teeth showed wear with a light brushing of
steel. Then I installed the tracks and idlers.
A common sight on Afrika Korps vehi-
cles was a run of spare tracks hung between
the front tow points and used to hold vari-
ous items, such as spare road wheels. I
added this feature using the kit-supplied
plastic “static” links and two road wheels
from my spares, 22.
After cleaning up the molded links, I
assembled a short run using styrene cement
and waited about 15 minutes before form-
ing the curve I needed by hanging them on
the tow pins and gently bowing them out-
ward, using the road wheels as a guide to
just the right standoff from the hull nose. I
left these links in place with the road
wheels until they had set hard so I could
paint and detail them separately. These, as
well as nine spare Modelkasten links, were
painted the same as the other tracks except
for an extra wash of rust and some dry-
brushed raw umber.
Decals and weathering
Before weathering, I airbrushed a sealant
coat of Pledge Future floor polish and let
that dry before applying the decals, 23,
using the kit-supplied turret numbers but
trimming them into individual digits so
they would fit better on the curved turret.
Multiple doses of Solvaset helped the
decals conform to the complex surface.
I replaced the kit’s inaccurate white
crosses with black-and-white cross decals
left over from a Tristar kit. After the decals

66 Build Better Models 2

dried I applied a second sealant coat of
Future, allowing it to fully cure before start-
ing my weathering process.
In the first step of weathering, I used a
round 0 sable brush to deliver an overall
wash of thinned raw umber, 24.
This established the foundation for the
next step: “dot filtering” with several small
dots of light gray, raw sienna, and armor
sand to add variation and fading to the base
coat. The filter is applied through repeated
strokes of a square-tipped brush just barely
dampened with thinner to blend the dots 25 26
until there’s virtually no paint left behind, “Dot filtering” lends depth and color variation to A precisely placed pinwash (hence the name) of
just a subtle streaking and color variation, the finish. Looks funny, but most of this layer of burnt umber deepens recessed details, in turn
25. paint will be removed, leaving the filtering trace making raised features stand out.
This was followed by a pinwash of burnt that forms the effect.
umber to bring raised details and panel
lines into greater relief, 26. You can remove
excess wash or adjust it with a small,
pointed brush and clean thinner.
Then I sealed the entire vehicle with
Testors lusterless flat clear to cover any
gloss remaining from the Future, unifying
the weathering effects. The final step in the
weathering process is a wet mix of Mig pig-
ments Gulf War sand, 27; I used ordinary
tap water with a drop of liquid dish soap to
break the water’s surface tension and allow
it to flow. I let the wet mix air dry, then
removed excess with a stiff-bristled brush
(wearing a dust mask to avoid inhaling the
finely ground pigment). You can make
additional adjustments with both wet and
dry cotton swabs; I used pigment collected 27
on the dry swabs to subtly add dust accu- After a flat clear coat, Bill applied Mig Gulf War sand powdered pigments for a properly dusty look.
mulations on the hull.
As a final touch, I installed the radio Dot filtering
Armorscale Decal cut
antenna in an elevated position. Then I gun/mantlet apart
took a series of walkaround photos, letting Hand-painted Aber
the camera “see” what I’d missed. A few jerry cans on RB Models grilles
minor adjustments later, I took some final scratchbuilt barrel
rack
photos and placed my panzer on the shelf
as a completed build. FSM
Armorscale
barrel/jacket

Must-have stuff Mud flap

TO MODEL a PzKpfw III G of the removed
Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) in 1/35
scale, Bill used:
• Dragon PzKpfw III Ausf G “Afrika
Korps” (kit No. 9032)
• Modelkasten workable 36cm tracks
(No. SK-26)
Tristar
• Armorscale aluminum/resin
decal
5cm KwK L/42 (No. B35-087)
Fender
• Armorscale brass/resin 7.92mm removed
MG34 (No. B35-030) Pigments
From spares applied
• Aber photoetched-metal grilles Kit tracks Modelkasten tracks
• Testors Model Master enamels
except where otherwise noted And done: Bill shot walkaround photos, studied the pictures for unseen errors, made a few minor
corrections, and pronounced the project complete.

www.FineScale.com 67
1/32 Scale

Simon Harrison took on Trumpeter’s big P-40B with the goal of making it look leaner and meaner — but
it was a long safari to get where he was going with Curtiss’ famous fighter.

SHAPING UP
TRUMPETER’S P-40B
Fearless cuts make a Flying Tiger look even fiercer
BY SIMON HARRISON

M
uch ink has been spilled over Trumpeter’s 1/32 scale
P-40B (No. 02228), and many talented modelers have
produced exquisite builds of it. But I always thought
something about the finished model just didn’t look right. An early
P-40 should look svelte and eager. But, to my eye, the kit looks too
jowly. I wanted to capture the lean look of Curtiss’ long-nosed
fighter — but without getting bogged down in a superdetailing
marathon. That’s not always easy, because one change usually does
lead to another — and, sometimes, unanticipated complications.

68 Build Better Models 2

 1 Bulkhead locator
The kit’s cockpit is too shallow; I substituted
CMK’s resin but deviated from instructions by
mounting the side walls on the fuselage.
Styrene scraps helped locate the aft bulkhead.
I also shimmed up the gun breeches about
2mm at the front to level them.
2 3
Except where otherwise noted, I painted with Now CMK’s cockpit really looked the part! I
Testors Model Master enamels. A mix of interior formed a Sutton harness using foil from a wine
green and zinc chromate approximated Curtiss bottle and attached CMK’s photoetched-metal
interior green. Using a 10/0 brush, I hand- buckles. I also added paint chips and scrapes
painted details with enamels. Then I dry- here and there with a silver Prismacolor pencil;
brushed flat gull gray and applied a wash of it’s easy to control to apply color precisely.
ProModeler acrylic rubber thinned with
Jo Sonja acrylic flow medium and tap water.

Brass rod
and tube

4 5
The tail-wheel strut looked too short, so I sawed Forget line drawings; trust period photos. A straightedge placed along the fuselage’s ventral
off the lower yoke and drilled out the upper centerline should just kiss the bottom of the aircraft along the lower fairing; not the case with the
strut for an extension of telescoping brass rod kit. How could I fix this without creating a ripple effect of fit problems?
and tubing. A main wheel from a Hasegawa
1/72 scale Nakajima Oscar made a good
replacement for the kit part.

Intake supports plastic

6 7
I laid Dymo labeling tape along a line roughly 1.5mm down the fuselage Taping the intake ducting in place provided support while I carved away
from the notch for the wing joint and scribed along it with a needle in a plastic flush with the step I’d just made. I smoothed the cut with a nail
pin vise until I freed the lower section. file, careful to preserve the fit of the intake lip, and trued up the removed
section of cowling with sandpaper laid on glass.

www.FineScale.com 69
 8 9
I assembled the engine, painted it black, dry-
brushed it, and pried the nose apart far enough
to slip it into place, locking it in with super glue.
A heavy, oily looking wash followed.
11
The radio access hatch is molded proud of the
fuselage. That won’t do. First, I scribed around
the raised panel and drilled into each rivet.
14
Flowing Micro Weld liquid styrene cement into
the new panel lines melts dust residue and
smooths lines and little rough spots.
17
This created new fit problems and spaces to fill,
but it corrected the stabilizer’s chord and the
elevator’s position.
70 Build Better Models 2
After blending the lower cowl in with super
glue and sanding, I rescribed lost detail, again
using Dymo tape as a guide.
12
Masking protected surrounding details while I
chiseled and whittled the panel …
15
I subdued rivets on the elevators by brushing
on Humbrol flat slate gray and sanding them
smooth. Then I drilled new rivet detail.
18
More styrene strips and scrap match up the elevators and stabilizers. A length of brass rod makes
a good equalizer bar.
10
I refined the openings in the upper cowl with a
new No. 11 blade and a round jeweler’s file,
then installed brass tubing for each .50-caliber
machine-gun blast tube. They should exit about
the middle of each aperture. The one on the left
is where Trumpeter would have you install it;
the other is where it should be.
13
… then sanded it flush with the fuselage. I
brushed off the dust, then removed the
masking.
16
I super glued a lamination of 1mm x 2mm
styrene strips to the elevator hinge line and
scraped and sanded it to shape, smoothing it
with a nail file and sandpaper wrapped around
a small wood block.
19
Modifying the fuselage to accept the tail
feathers, I filed and sanded scrap styrene to
match the contours of the stabilizer fairing. The
leading edge of the rudder can be sanded to
reduce its chord.
20
I also reshaped and thinned the rudder’s
trailing edge and toned down the fabric effect
on the control surfaces by scraping and
sanding.
21
Part of getting the right look was increasing the
kit’s dihedral. I began by clipping off the
locators on the fuselage.

22 23
I sanded the wings’ fairings back slightly (left) and tweaked the leading-edge cutout (right), test- When the dust settled, I had the right profile
fitting as I went. and a better-looking dihedral.

24
The leading-edge landing-gear fairings look a
little too buxom, and they ride too far up. I filed
and sanded them to shape, using a
photoetched-metal scrap as a scribing guide.
25
Trumpeter missed the cartridge ejectors just behind the cowl flaps; I used Dymo tape guides to
scribe their outline, drilled out the openings, and filed them square.

Tow hook
Strut
parts
Brake line
Tamiya tape

Strut

26
Inboard gear struts were missing from my kit (a
risk when buying castaways on the Internet), so
I made new ones from thin strip styrene.
27
The outer gear doors lacked detail; I sketched
shapes for inner panels on styrene and drilled
and shaped lightening holes in them before I
cut them out and cemented them in place with
Micro Weld.
28
Brake lines are wire held in place with Tamiya
tape coated in super glue. I added finer wire
for a tow hook on each landing gear leg.

www.FineScale.com 71
29
I wanted replacements for the kit’s windshield
and its armor. After securing the kit’s wind-
shield to a wooden spoon handle with a lump
of Blu Tack, I heated a sheet of PETG over a
stove burner until it started to sag, then drew it
over the kit “master.” My second pull was a
good one.
32
I detailed the exhausts with weld beads made
from sliced strips of yellow Tamiya masking
tape coated with super glue.
35
… with 5 parts green drab, 4 parts Euro dark
green, and 1 part Aeromaster RLM 83,
darkened with a little flat black. After removing
all the tape, I airbrushed the underside color
along the leading edges of the wings. I sprayed
perpendicular to the wing, buffed off overspray
with an old T-shirt, and touched up little flaws
with a brush. When mixing your own colors, be
sure to have enough for touch-ups!
72 Build Better Models 2
30
I cut a swatch from a CD jewel case to replace
the kit’s armor glass. Its brass-rod mount will
be cut to fit later.
33
I mixed my own camouflage colors: For the
underside, 7 parts light gull gray with 2 parts
French light blue/gray and 1 part insignia
yellow. When that was dry, I masked the lower
fuselage (but not the wings) and hit the upper
surfaces with a mix of 4 parts Humbrol light
Earth matt, 2.5 parts Aeromaster RLM 81A, 2.5
parts dark earth, and 1 part insignia yellow. It
looked bright, but weathering would mute it.
36
After spraying the model with several clear
coats of Testors Sealer for Metalizer, I applied
the decals — starting with that iconic shark’s
mouth. Removing the black edge that wraps
under the nose improved the fit.
31
My kit didn’t come with wing guns, so I had to
make them. The .50-caliber guns from an old
1/32 Hasegawa P-51 were a tad oversized,
but I thought the cooling jackets would look
good. I cut four matching lengths and drilled a
hole in one end to use snippets of brass tubing
for barrels.
34
EagleCals (sheet No. EC69) provides a good
paint-scheme reference; I enlarged the artwork,
cut out paper masks, and ran Tamiya tape
around each, trimming with a new No. 11
blade before burnishing it down. Tape masks
worked better for the fuselage. Now I was
ready to spray the green …
37
The decals were brittle and broke in a few
places; I gently sanded, then touched up with a
10/0 brush.
38
After decals came washes: ProModeler acrylic rubber with a touch of
Cobra raw umber thinned with Jo Sonja’s flow medium and tap water. I
removed most of it with damp rags, wiping along the airflow.
39
Wing roots get a lot of wear from foot traffic; I brushed them with
aluminum to show bare metal. It looks a bit overdone, but because of the
previous clear coats I can erase excess with thinner on a cotton swab.
The same goes for other details that I brush-painted at this stage.

40
Model Master flat clear lacquer, cut about 1:1 with generic paint thinner, provides good surface for pastels. I treat panel lines first with a mix of black
and brown pastels, tapping it along panel lines, blending it with a cotton swab, and smearing it along the airflow with my fingertip.

41
Scrubbing pastel powder into the finish blends
vivid paint chipping and varies solid colors.
Before sealing the pastels with a clear coat, I
remove as much as I can from fabric-covered
surfaces to subtly represent sun-fading.
42
The mess made by fuel leaking from the tank
behind the cockpit distinguishes early P-40s. I
mixed a ProModeler acrylic rubber wash and
brushed it along panel lines, then blew it down
the fuselage with an air hose. I followed with
hand-brushing and built the effect in layers.
43
I painted exhausts dark brown, then dabbed
and blended light brown, gray, red and black
paint onto them, finishing with a light gray dry-
brushing and a dark wash.

www.FineScale.com 73
44
For exhaust stains, I rubbed black pastel just aft of the openings, then roughed out the larger shape of the stain with gray pastel, blending and
scrubbing with cotton swabs and brushes, and finally dragging a moistened wide brush down through it to represent rain streaks. Airbrushing a
very thin, flat black mist pulled it all into the finish.

I trimmed the brass mount on the

armor glass to length, flipped the
model upside down, and carefully
positioned it inside the windscreen.
A drop of super glue at each end
of the brass rod fixed it into place.
It’s quite an improvement on the
kit, even if it did take what seemed
like hours!

45

There’s always one more thing

to fix or improve, but by
focusing on the overall look of
the airframe I chose a series of
smaller battles I figured I could
win. I’m pleased with the result
— this model of an early P-40
makes the right impression. I
gave it to my brother, a Flying
Tigers fan, who confirmed my
sentiment when he said, “This
one just looks right.” FSM

74 Build Better Models 2

1/48 Scale

Over the years, Hollywood has used many creative ways to depict World
War II fighters in its movies and TV shows. Darren built a Zero that
wasn’t a Zero, as seen in such movies as “Tora! Tora! Tora!” and “The
Final Countdown.” He started with a Revell 1/48 scale T-6 Texan.

A HOLLYWOOD
ZERO
Build a T-6 Texan to look like something it’s not
BY DARREN ROBERTS

A
ll my life I’ve been in love with airplanes. Growing up,
I would watch any and every TV show and movie
with planes in it. One of my favorites was “The Final
Countdown,” with Kirk Douglas. In it, the USS
Nimitz enters a rift in time and is transported back to Dec. 6,
1941, where F-14 Tomcats shoot Japanese Zeros out of the sky.
To an 8-year-old kid, it didn’t get any better.
The Zeros, of course, weren’t really Zeros. They were North
American T-6 Texans made over to look like Zeros. Originally
built for “Tora! Tora! Tora!” the heavily modified T-6s have
appeared in many productions, from “Black Sheep Squadron” to
“Empire of the Sun.”
I’ve always wanted to do a Hollywood Zero, but it wasn’t until
I saw a resin conversion set from Lone Star Models that I zeroed
in on getting it done. I started with Revell’s 1/48 scale T-6/SNJ
Texan (No. 85-5251). The soft plastic is perfect for cutting and
adapting parts. The kit also contains a long exhaust pipe and a
spinner for a two-bladed propeller — which some Hollywood
Zeros had.
Getting started
The Lone Star Models resin conversion set (No. LSM 40438)
was essential. It provided a new rudder, intake scoop, seat, wing-
tips, vacuum-formed canopy, and upper fuselage parts.
I got underway by cutting the rudder off the kit part while the
fuselage halves were still separate, 1. I also removed the upper
portion of the fuselage behind the cockpit, leaving a little extra
plastic to be sure I didn’t cut away too much, 2.
Next, I removed the roll bars from the cockpit side walls to
accommodate the rear fuselage piece from the conversion set, 3.
I finished the cockpit, leaving the rear detail because you can’t
see any of it once the resin piece is in place.

www.FineScale.com 75
 1 2
Darren began building his “Tora! Tora! Tora!” Zero by removing the Dymo embossing tape serves well as a guide when rescribing panel
rudder from the tail. lines, or, in this case, cutting away entire panels.

3 4
Darren removed the cockpit roll bars to accommodate the resin Preparing for a longer exhaust, Darren removed the one molded into the
conversion part that sits over the cockpit rear. starboard fuselage half.

Closing up the fuselage

I had two jobs to complete before joining the fuselage halves:
First, I sanded off the exhaust pipe on the airplane’s starboard
side, 4. This would allow me to attach an extended pipe later.
Second, I filled the hole for the airscoop on the front end of
the port side, 5. Doing this now meant less hassle as more pieces
were attached to the airframe.
I glued the cockpit in place, buttoned up the fuselage, and
added the resin fuselage conversions in front of and behind the
cockpit opening. I filled the gaps between resin and plastic with
putty and sanded them smooth.
I noted that the vacuum-formed canopy wasn’t going to fit
well, so I built up the side walls with styrene strip to fix the prob-
lem, 6.
Underneath were three holes for ID lights. I plugged the holes 5
with styrene rod, cut them flush, filled remaining gaps with putty, In a normal model of the T-6, the depression up front would locate an air
and sanded the area smooth, 7. intake. Not so with Darren’s conversion; he filled it with putty.
Remember when I sanded off the exhaust pipe molded on the
fuselage? Hollywood Zeros have an extended exhaust pipe that faired in the resin replacements with 2-part epoxy putty, filling
comes out from beneath the cowl. I cut the extended exhaust pipe the areas for landing lights at the same time. Once the putty
provided with the kit, 8. After sanding the back of the pipe flat dried, I sanded everything to shape, then attached the wings to
so it would sit flush against the fuselage, I glued it in place. the fuselage.
On normal T-6s, there is a rounded area on the leading edge
Giving this bird wings of the wings where the wheels retract. These needed to be faired
I glued the wing halves together, then cut off the wingtips. I in to straighten the leading edge.

76 Build Better Models 2

 6 7
Once the fuselage was together, Darren sanded the opening around the
cockpit for a good fit with the resin parts. He added strip styrene to build
up the side walls to meet the canopy.
8 9
Darren cut the longer exhaust pipe to length, sanded its back flat, and
glued it in place over the area where the original had been.
10
Once the putty was dry and sanded to shape, Darren drilled it with a pin
vise and inserted a short length of styrene rod to represent the Zero’s not-
so-real “guns.”
I used swatches of sheet styrene to get the basic angle correct,
then filled the rest of the area with epoxy putty and sanded it to
shape, 9.
For the “gun” emplacements, I drilled holes in the filled land-
ing-light areas with a pin vise and inserted short lengths of sty-
Styrene rod and putty filled the holes along the rear fuselage. Darren
then sanded the area smooth.
Sheet styrene and 2-part epoxy putty straightened out the wing’s leading
edge near the nose, while just a bit of putty fixed up the landing-light
recesses.
rene rod, 10. Then I opened up the ends of the rods with a
micro-bit.
Impressively, the more I worked, the less my T-6 looked like a
Texan and the more the Zero I envisioned emerged, 11!
The front end
I wanted a three-bladed prop, but the kit only provided one with
two blades. Where to find a replacement? I found an original
issue Tamiya 1/48 scale A6M2 at my local hobby shop, and what
should be in it but the very propeller I was looking for. It also had
the markings I wanted. Win!
Back at the workbench, I set about removing the chin scoop
molded on the underside of the fuselage, 12.
I added the engine and cowl. Cowl flaps were made from
.020" styrene strip, smoothed and shaped with putty and sanding.
Then I positioned the resin chin scoop from the Lone Star set
and glued it in place.
The Zero I was modeling had another intake scoop posi-
tioned beneath the cowl. Initially, I figured I’d have to scratch-
build one, but, after picking up the Tamiya kit, my task was made
much easier. I cut the scoop halves from the Tamiya cowl parts,
glued them together, and attached the scoop to the underside of
the T-6’s cowl. The fit was terrible, but 2-part epoxy putty and
judicious sanding came to the rescue, 13.
www.FineScale.com 77
11 12
With all the resin replacement parts, Darren’s T-6 looks less a Texan and The air-intake scoop between the landing-gear bays needed to come off
more a Zero all the time! to make room for its resin replacement.

Resin scoop

Tamiya
scoop

Extended
exhaust

Cowl flaps
13 14
Darren added the engine and cowl to the front end: Lengths of styrene He attached the landing gear, wheels, and bay doors after all the paint
strip made convincing cowl flaps. The chin scoop came from a Tamiya and decals — less of a chance to knock them off that way.
A6M2 kit.

“Probably the easiest way to quickly differentiate a real Zero from a Hollywood Zero is that the real Zero has rather long landing gear, while the
replicas look shorter and squatty on the ground,” Darren says.

That’s a wrap!
Replica Zeros are typically painted light gray, so I airbrushed
mine Testors Model Master Acryl light gull gray. Once it was
dry, I followed up with a coat of Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface
Finish (PFM) to gloss it up and get it ready for decals. The
markings from the Tamiya kit worked perfectly. After they were
on, I hit the model with a final coat of PFM to seal everything.
I added the Revell kit’s landing gear, but opted to use the bay
doors from the Tamiya Zero. I cut them down to fit the T-6’s
shorter struts, 14.
With that detail out of the way, my Hollywood Zero was
complete. The build brought back a lot of good childhood mem-
ories. Speaking of which, where’s my DVD of “The Final
Countdown?” I think it’s movie night! FSM

78 Build Better Models 2

 Painting a
1/48 scale
SOVIET TANK
A three-color camouflage scheme creates a unique KV-1
BY LUCIANO RODRIGUEZ
T
hanks to the many fans of Soviet armor, KV tanks have
become popular modeling subjects. I decided to try my
hand at Tamiya’s 1/48 scale KV-1 (kit No. 32535), but I
wanted mine to be different. The challenge was to steer
away from a typical plain green or whitewash finish to create a
KV-1 with a standout paint scheme.
I decided on a three-color camouflage scheme that I saw in a
drawing. I couldn’t find an image of a KV in this scheme, but I did
find a few photos of T-34s and field artillery with it. So, I think the
possibility of KVs wearing this camouflage is pretty good. I could
confirm that these tanks operated on the Leningrad front during
1942, so I went with it.
Easy assembly
I built the kit from the box, with good fit and quick assembly. The
only details added were a handle for the commander’s hatch (made
from stretched sprue) and a clear lens (from the spares box) for the
Luciano gave Tamiya’s
1/48 scale Soviet heavy
tank KV-1 a three-color
camouflage scheme to
model a brave
Leningrad defender.
front light. The Tamiya kit includes extra armor plates that are
marked as unused in the instructions. My guess is they will be used
in upcoming KV versions. Following my references, I decided to
add lower and upper front plates to my KV-1.
Painting
It is always best to begin camouflage with the lightest shade. My
first coat was a primer of Tamiya brown (No. XF-72) to cover the
dark green plastic parts, 1. Once the primer was dry, I sprayed
Tamiya dark yellow (No. XF-60) over the model. Note that I left
the running gear brown for weathering later, 2.
Again following references, I masked dark yellow patches with
tape, then sprayed a 1:1 mixture of Vallejo Model Air camouflage
light green (No. 006) and Russian green (No. 017). At this point, I
also brush-painted the tracks with Vallejo Model Color chocolate
brown (No. 872), 3.
For the final camouflage color, I brush-painted patches using
www.FineScale.com 79
 1 2
To cover the kit’s dark green plastic, Luciano painted a Tamiya brown base Starting with the lightest color in the camouflage, Luciano sprayed every-
coat. thing but the running gear Tamiya dark yellow.

3 4
Luciano masked off the areas that would stay dark yellow, then sprayed a No more masking for Luciano! He hand-painted Vallejo Model Color flat
1:1 mixture of Vallejo Model Air camouflage light green and Russian green earth, the final color in the camouflage. Excellent leveling properties make
over the model. the Vallejo paint perfect for hand-brushing.

5 6
Luciano applied a diluted Tamiya flat black wash to raised and recessed Luciano chipped paint and added scratches with a mixture of mahogany
details, and a Vallejo Model Color mahogany brown wash to the tracks. brown and flat black.

80 Build Better Models 2

 7 8
Using Sin Industries’ German filters set, Luciano toned down the contrast in Luciano applied diluted Tamiya brown for dust on selected areas.
the camouflage. He gave the running gear a dark yellow wash to match
the rest of the tank, then painted final details.

9 10
Dark stains on the turret, front and rear hull, and exhaust are Vallejo Graphite on the edges replicates worn-off paint.
Model Color smoke.

11 12
Luciano painted a figure from a Mig Productions Russian tank crew set with Vallejo acrylics. Luciano covered a wood base with plaster, then added
sand, stones, static grass, and a telegraph pole.

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Vallejo Model Color flat earth (No. 983). Although this takes
time, it is easier than you think; it eliminates more tedious
masking, 4. I painted the steel rims Vallejo Model Color dark
gray (No. 994).
Weathering
First, I applied a wash around all raised parts and inside
recessed lines with diluted Tamiya flat black (No. XF-1). (Be
careful to avoid darkening the whole model.) Also, the tracks
received a wash of Vallejo Model Color mahogany brown (No.
846), 5. I painted small scratches and chipped paint with a
mixture of the mahogany brown and flat black. I also dry-
brushed a subtle green shade over the running gear, 6.
Next, I softened the contrast using Sin Industries’ German
filters set, and gave the entire running gear a wash of dark yel-
low to match the rest of the tank. Then I painted all the small
details, including the machine guns, exhaust, and
front light, 7.
I wanted to add dust to the model, but it’s impor-
tant to leave some areas completely free of “dust” for
contrast. I selectively applied the dust with a thinned
Tamiya brown, 8.
I created dark stains on the turret, front and rear
82 Build Better Models 2
hull, and exhaust with diluted Vallejo Model Color smoke (No.
939). To increase depth on the dusty parts of the road wheels, I
painted smoke on raised lines, 9. Finally, I rubbed a pencil
along edges to highlight areas where paint was rubbed away,
10.
Figure and base
I always like to add a figure, so I enlisted one from a Mig
Productions Russian tank crew set. I painted it with Vallejo
acrylics, 11.
Using an oval piece of wood for a simple base, I shaped plas-
ter over it and, while it was still wet, affixed tiny stones and sand
with a little white glue. After that dried, I super glued static
grass. A styrene tube textured with putty formed a telegraph
pole. I made insulators from small sections of styrene rod, and
arms from fine copper rod. Dark shades of Vallejo Model
Colors tinted the road, while a gloss coat gave the grass a fresh
look. After the base was painted, I added wires to the pole using
black sprue stretched very thin, 12. Finally, I positioned my
KV-1 on the base and placed the figure on top.
I usually don’t like to create models with so few references.
But this time, the scarcity of information allowed me to simply
enjoy the project. FSM
After the tank and figure were
placed on the base, Luciano’s
KV-1 was ready to go thwart
some Germans.
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