fm.01.2018

FineScale.com

12 easy steps for whitewash tank camo > January 2018 p. 52

PERFECTING A P51 SIMPLE TECHNIQUES 8PAG IPMS/USEA NATIONA GALLERYLS

PUMP UP DETAILS

p.30

Raúl Corral’s 1/48 scale P-51D from Tamiya – p. 24

How to build an odd Tiger p. 20

3-D printing opens the final frontier p. 46

Improve a carrier-deck display p. 38

How to paint realistic hands p. 18

“FITTER COMPARO” ||| JAPAN NEWPRODUCT REPORT We build HobbyBoss and Kitty Hawk Su-17s – p. 60

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT CODE PAGE 3 Vol. 36 • Issue 1

CONTENTS

ONLINE CONTENT CODE: FSM1801

January 2018 /// Vol. 36 /// No. 1

Enter this code at www.FineScale.com/code to gain access to web-exclusive content

42 FEATURES

KIT REVIEWS

15 Airbrushing & Finishing

56 Trumpeter M915 tractor and M872 flatbed trailer

Small details tell big story of Akagi AARON SKINNER

18 Form & Figure Giving your figure a hand JOE HUDSON

56 Revell Spitfire

20

58 Tamiya M1A2 Abrams

20 How to build an oddball Tiger Cyber-hobby kit with resin Zimmerit BILL PLUNK

58 Takom Maus V2 59 Moebius Death Dealer

24 Relax and build a Mustang Easy details and weathering RAÚL CORRAL

30 Show Gallery IPMS/USA National Convention

60 “Fitters” compared: Kitty Hawk vs. HobbyBoss

35

IN EVERY ISSUE

38 Deck out a Nimitz-class carrier Correct Italeri’s carrier deck section HUGO PETIERS

5 Editor’s Page 7 Scale Talk

42 Build Hasegawa’s Skywarrior Improvement and paint for an A-3B STEVE EVANS

46 Modeling New Horizons

9 New Products

38 44 Reader Gallery

3-D printing opens hobby frontiers ROBERT F. LaPORTA

55 Questions & Answers 50 Revive an Airfix relic New decals and nose for a BAC-111 FRANK CUDEN

62 Reader Tips 64 Modelers Mart/Classifieds

52 Whitewash, rinse, and repeat Lighten up with easy camo technique JONATHAN CAMPBELL

50

66 Final Details

FineScale Modeler (ISSN 0277-979X, USPS No. 679-590) is published monthly (except for June & August) by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187.

Periodicals Postage is paid at Waukesha, WI and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to FineScale Modeler, PO Box 62320, Tampa, FL 33662-2320. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement #40010760.

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EDITOR’S PAGE

By Mark Savage

The perfect season arrives With Christmas and other holidays year, I received three models (Dad just around the corner and New Year’s had taken the hints I’d been dropknocking at our door, the perfect sea- ping for months), which kept me son is nearly upon us. busy through spring.

I call it the perfect season because I had two setups: One, the card we all know that there are benefits, table I put up in our tile-floored famespecially for those of us in the ily room. This worked best for larger northern climes, to being housemodels I was working on, but it got bound for a weekend. As the wicked in the way of Mom’s ironing board. north winds blow and the And two, a metal snow piles up against the TV tray that no one I call it the porch, it’s less likely we’ll cared if it was painted perfect have a lot of interruptions on or nicked with my season to our favorite pastime. hobby knife. At the because we Now we can model in time, I had a couple peace, create to our (mainly pocket knives) all know heart’s content, snuggle my dad had given me there are up with our latest issue through the years. benefits to of FineScale Modeler, I had an old cigar box being and just enjoy ourselves. that held my plastic tray of housebound It’s this time of year Testors paints, along with that gets me reflecting my brushes and a tube of on my early modeling days. First, glue. No liquid glue back then, at getting that new biplane, jet, or car least none in our house. model for Christmas, plus maybe a I’d plunk myself down in front of couple of new paintbrushes. One the TV (black-and-white still), watch

Two fabulous models from my “wonder years.”

Bonanza, Combat, Gilligan’s Island, or Man from U.N.C.L.E., and while away the hours making models.

It was a good time, the best of times in the perfect season.

Here’s hoping you find some peace and creative quiet time this winter to relax, reflect, and build!

editor@finescale.com

Off the sprue: What’s your favorite current TV show?

Editor Mark Savage msavage@Kalmbach.com

Senior Editor Aaron Skinner askinner@FineScale.com

Associate Editor Mark Hembree mhembree@FineScale.com

Assistant Editor Elizabeth Nash enash@FineScale.com

Editorial Associate Monica Freitag mfreitag@FineScale.com

I laugh the hardest at Modern Family, but really enjoy the genealogy show on PBS, Finding Your Roots, with Henry Louis Gates Jr. It’s entertaining and really digs into some historical topics that are often overlooked.

I’m watching several including most of the PBS Masterpiece Theater shows, but the new show that surprised me, and I look forward to the most, is The Orville.

Actually, we don’t watch much TV at our house (for which my kids have thanked us), other than Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, sports, and Netflix.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is just hilarious. The talented yet immature detectives of the NYPD are on the case! Each episode, I laugh nonstop (so much so that sometimes I have to rewind to hear the jokes I missed while giggling).

Well I’ve got two. This is Us, because it’s a fantastic drama with a lot of unexpected turns and a great cast, and The Middle because I can relate! (Sad to see that it’s the last season for that one).

www.FineScale.com

5

Editor Mark Savage Art Director Tom Ford

EDITORIAL Senior Editor Aaron Skinner Associate Editor Mark Hembree Assistant Editor Elizabeth Nash Editorial Associate Monica Freitag

ART Illustrator Kellie Jaeger Photographer William Zuback Production Coordinator Cindy Barder

CONTRIBUTING MODELERS Paul Boyer, Federico Collada, Andy Cooper, Raúl Corral, Frank Cuden, Phillip Gore, James Green, Joe Hudson, Rick Lawler, Karl Logan, Harvey Low, Rato Marczak, Chris Mrosko, Bill Plunk, Darren Roberts, Chuck Sawyer, Cookie Sewell, Bob Steinbrunn, Cristóbal Vergara, Jim Wechsler, Adam Wilder

KALMBACH PUBLISHING CO. CEO Dan Hickey Senior VP Sales & Marketing Daniel R. Lance Vice President, Content Stephen C. George Vice President, Consumer Marketing Nicole McGuire Advertising Director Ann E. Smith Art and Production Manager Michael Soliday Circulation Director Liz Runyon New Business Manager Cathy Daniels Retention Manager Kathy Steele Single Copy Specialist Kim Redmond

EDITORIAL 262-796-8776

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SCALE TALK

Your voice in FSM

Now that’s a big model I’ve been building models for 65 years, give or take. The latest project: Would you believe the front 28 feet of a full-size F-100D? The fuselage portion of the project started in 2006. The attached photo shows me in the “model” just after it was completed in July 2015. Steve Rettell taught me how to do the metal work — there’s no way I could have done this without his help.

The vinyl decals were made by Jack and Beth Harrell, using my drawings as templates.

My wife, Anne, painted the Statue de la Liberté details. This airplane was based in Chaumont, France, and the color scheme was carried in the 1958 William Tell Weapons Meet at Nellis Air Force Base.

There’s not enough space to go into the building process here, but if you go online to www.supersabre.com you can follow the fuselage construction process.

Clearly, some FSM readers are certifiably nuts. But we sure have a great time!

– Peter Rob Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Correction Note that Airfix’s 1/72 scale Handley Page Victor B.Mk.2 reviewed in the November 2017 issue requires a .9oz. nose weight, not the hefty 9oz. we called for.

Where did it come from?

I’ve enjoyed the recent Scale Talk letters on how to properly weather a model. If you’re going for realism, you have to consider the location and type of facility the equipment was kept in.

During the Vietnam War, I was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in California. We trained air and ground crew on F-4s. I noticed that visiting

Air Force F-4s were cleaner than ours. Our aircraft showed fluid leaks more readily.

I also worked at Naval Air Station, Moffett Field, also in California. The state of the aircraft were different there, too.

For the most part, I think panels on models are exaggerated. It’s nifty looking, but not something you’d see in real life.

– Richard Jones via email

What tools are essential to you?

Motor tool attachments Congratulations on 35 years! I enjoyed the November anniversary issue with the appropriately named article “35 tips, tools, & techniques you need.”

I have two important additions to your list of essential tools: If using a motor tool, I highly recommend getting the flexible shaft attachment and a micro chuck.

The flexible shaft makes the bulky tool much easier to control and hold. The micro chuck just makes changing bits so much better than changing collets for different bits.

– Robert Norman Painesville, Ohio

Mini clothespins In the November tool article, you note using clothespins from the laundry room.

An alternative is the mini clothespins I find at my local A.C.Moore crafts store,

made by Loew Cornell (No. 1021179).

There are 24 to a package and they are 1¾ inches long. They are coated with a clear finish so the outside doesn’t snag or scratch delicate parts. I find they provide the right amount of clamping pressure.

– James Davies Newark, Del.

Prescription glasses Regarding magnifying glassware, I had tried a few of the clip-on types but, given how nearsighted I am, they never felt quite right. It seemed that objects weren’t in focus.

Then I saw a CraftOptics booth at an exposition and knew I had found what I needed. I now have a pair of prescription magnifying glasses (including bifocal lenses) that I can actually see with.

If you wear glasses, I strongly recommend looking into prescription magnify-

ing glasses. Oh, and the optional LED light doesn’t hurt, either.

– Greg Dieter Tigard, Ore.

Inspiration, of course I have read FSM since the late 1980s.

While I am distressed by developments within the hobby world (fewer U.S. manufacturers, higher kit prices, and the closure of most brick-and-mortar hobby shops), I am heartened to see that interest is still strong among the generations.

Your publication undoubtedly contributes to this endeavor.

Since I have an estimated 4,000 kits in storage waiting for me to build them, I will be a continual reader looking for that fresh idea, technique, tool, and recommendation.

– John Kiser Arlington, Texas

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Spotlight

Exclusive: All Japan Hobby Show Report

T

he Tokyo International Exhibition Center hosted the 57th annual All Japan Hobby Show Sept. 29-30, 2017. Most of the major Japanese model manufacturers attended and showed off upcoming releases. FSM’s special correspondent Greg Bower checked out the offerings; here are some highlights.

BANDAI

Continuing its established line of Star Wars kits, Bandai showed off the muchanticipated Perfect Grade 1/72 scale Millennium Falcon. The kit reproduces the 5-foot filming miniature used in the original Star Wars: A New Hope, including three landing-gear legs as opposed to the five used on later models. Surface detail includes faithfully recreated scratches and impact craters, and the kit includes lighting and photo-etched parts. It should be available soon.

FREEDOM MODELS

Developed in Taiwan for the Republic of China air force, the F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo entered service in the late 1990s.

Freedom Models has released 1/48 scale kits of the single-seat -1C and two-seat -1D variants and they should be coming out soon.

ing armor. The legs are posable with working pistons and the cannons are movable and would be great with other 1/72 scale armor. The kits should be available now.

TAMIYA

GREAT WALL HOBBY

FINE MOLDS

In 2015, Fine Molds released a detailed 1/72 scale F-14D Tomcat with posable hatches, but it was only available in sections sold with issues of Model Graphix.

The company retooled some of the intake parts to improve accuracy, then added new cockpit and exhaust nozzle parts to produce an F-14A. Decals include a choice of markings for either VF-84 Jolly Rogers or VF-111 Sundowners. A missile set is being sold separately. Both were expected to be available in December.

Following the success of its 1/48 scale MiG-29 and F-15, Great Wall Hobby showed off sprues and a buildup of its upcoming Russian Sukhoi Su-35S “Flanker-E”. The release date was unknown at press time.

ROCKET MODELS A new Japanese company, Rocket Models, has a range of 1/72 scale kits under the Fist of War brand. Based in an alternate universe, the kits theorize the results of German work to produce walk-

Using technology normally associated with its 1/32 scale aircraft kits, Tamiya showed parts and buildups of a 1/48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6. Magnets and optional parts allow the cowl to be closed or open to display a detailed engine.

Carefully installed polycaps leave the drop tank removable. Three marking options will be included. The release date was unknown at press time.

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9

NEW PRODUCTS AIRCRAFT KITS 1/48 SCALE

Mitsubishi F-2A 3SQ 60th Anniversary Tornado IDS 60th Anniversary 311 GV RSV from Italeri, No. 1403, $22.99.

from Hasegawa, No. 0261, $45.99.

IDF F-CK-IC Ching-Kuo from AFV Club, No. AR48108, $55.99. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

Shinmeiwa SS-2 Rescue Seaplane from Hasegawa, No. 0260, $59.99.

Fw 189A-1/A-2 from Italeri, No. 1404, $17.99.

Area-88 F-14A Tomcat Micky Scymon from

SBD-5 Dauntless from Italeri, No. 2673,

Hasegawa, No. 4755, $59.99.

$34.99.

1/72 SCALE F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (2 kits) from Hasegawa, No. 5265, $99.99.

Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 Finnish Aces (2 kits) from Hasegawa, No. 0259, $45.99.

F-106A Delta Dart from Trumpeter, No. 01682, $47.95. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

ARMOR KITS Kugisho P1Y1 Ginga “Frances” Type 11 from Hasegawa, No. 5101, $37.99.

F-35A Lightning II fighter Lockheed Martin from Meng, No. LS-007, $69.99. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

1/35 SCALE

Mitsubishi G3M2/G3M3 Type 96 attack bomber from Hasegawa, No. 5111, $42.99.

Merkava Mk.1 from Takom, No. 2078, $55.

Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

10 FineScale Modeler January 2018

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Join Admiraal Maarten Sweers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, as he leads his battlecruiser-carrier squadron against the might of Imperial Japan in Mark Klimaszewski’s WW 2 novel FAR AFT AND FAINTLY.

by Robert Rowe

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11

NEW PRODUCTS 1/56 SCALE

Merkava Mk.1 Hybrid from Takom, No. 2079,

M4 Sherman tank Black Magic‚ from Revell,

$55.

No. 85-7864, $23.

Wargame King Tiger tank from Italeri, No. 5765, $29.99.

1/72 SCALE

M109A3 from AFV Club, No. AF35304, $55.99.

M3 Lee (early) from Takom, No. 2085, $59.95.

Look for a detailed review in an upcoming FSM.

PzKpfw IV Ausf F2 and 8-ton halftrack from Hasegawa, No. 0046, $64.99.

FIGURE KITS 1/48 SCALE MIM-23 from AFV Club, No. AF35283, $59.99.

Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

WWII pilot Albatros from Plus Model, No. AL4077, $11.50.

M3 Grant from Takom, No. 2086, $59.95.

AMD35 French armored car 1940 from Tamiya, No. 32411, $40.

15cm sIG 33 auf Fahrgestell PzKpfw III (Sf) from Dragon, No. 6904, $69.99.

1/48 SCALE OTHER SCALE

R.O.K. Army K2 Black Panther from Academy, No. 13511, $65. Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM.

German Heavy Tractor SS-100 from Tamiya, Military Miniature Series No. 93, No. 32593, $26.

Polish Line light horse Lancers from Warlord Games, No. 302212001, $35. Black Powder Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815.

Prussian Landwehr Regiment (1813-1815) Carro Armato L6/40 tank from Italeri, No. 6553, $29.99.

12 FineScale Modeler January 2018

from Warlord Games, No. 302012501, $25.50.

Black Powder Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815.

Polish Vistula Legion from Warlord Games, No. 302011801, $25.50. Black Powder Napoleonic Wars 1789-1815.

AIRCRAFT DETAILS

1/35 SCALE

1/72 SCALE

SHIP KITS

Flaps for P2V Neptune from Plus Model, No. AL7019, $26.10. 10 resin parts, photo-etched sheet and decals.

1/350 SCALE

Gas station from Plus Model, No. 494, $80.60.

SPACECRAFT DETAILS

JMSDF DDH Hyuga Helicopter Destroyer from Hasegawa, No. 4154, $59.99.

1/350 SCALE 1/700 SCALE Greengrocer trolley from Plus Model,

Japanese Navy Destroyer Asashio from Hasegawa, No. 9463, $22.99.

No. 513, $20. 9 resin parts and laser carved wooden parts.

Fluid tank from Plus Model, No. 495, $33.30. 24 resin parts and photo-etch sheet.

1/48 SCALE

Japanese Navy Light Cruiser Tatsuta from

TOS Enterprise engine grills from

Moonlander spacecraft from ParaGrafix,

ParaGrafix, No. PGX208, $29.95.

No. PGX209, $31.95.

Hasegawa, No. 3173, $64.99.

MISCELLANEOUS KITS

Wheel extinguisher

Portable toolbox

from Plus Model, No. AL4074, $17.30.

from Plus Model, No. AL4075, $17.90.

AIRCRAFT DECALS 1/32 SCALE

28MM

Space Racers Make Your Own Paper Rockets, $29.99. From Laurence King Publishing.

F-16C Alaskan Splinters from TwoBobs Aviation Graphics, No. 32-068, $14. Also available in 1/48 48-259 and 1/72 72-105.

Ma’al Drakar from Reaper, No. 77580, $149.99.

The Dragon Tyrant.

Welcome new manufacturers Linden Hill Imports: www.lindenhillimports.com

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13

NEW PRODUCTS

BOOKS

1/48 SCALE

Arctic Flankers — Su-27 Guardians of the North update

Su-27 Flanker airframe stencil data (Russian) from

from Linden Hill Imports, No. LHD48040, $21.99.

Linden Hill Imports, No. LHD48011M, $12.99.

F-16C Thunderbirds from TwoBobs Aviation Graphics, No. 48-260, $24.

Red Stars for Russian Soviet Su-27s & Mig29s 1980 - 2017 from Linden Hill Imports, No. LHD48041, $7.

Want to see more?

Visit www.finescale.com for Workbench Reviews, details of books and decals and FSM’s New Product Rundown videos with Aaron Skinner and Elizabeth Nash. Need to replenish those modeling supplies? Check out the variety of modeling tools at the Kalmbach Hobby Store. Visit www.kalmbachhobbystore.com and browse our selection of essential tools!

14 FineScale Modeler January 2018

US Navy Escort Carriers 1942-45,

TSR2 Britain's Lost Cold War Strike Jet,

M1A1 in Iraqi Service, $25, soft-

Krupp Protze and Variants, $18, soft-

$18, by Mark Stile, softcover, 48 pages, all black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-14728-1810-2. From Osprey Publishing.

$20, by Andrew Brookes, softcover, 80 pages, mostly blackand-white photos, ISBN: 978-1-47282248-2. From Osprey.

cover, 66 pages, all color photos, ISBN: 978-1-5267-0691-1.

From Sabot Publications.

cover, 46 pages, all black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-1-94755200-005. From Sabot Publications.

MiG-21 Aces of the Vietnam War, $23,

Sturmgeschütz, $45,

The Panzer IV Hitler's Rock, $22.95,

The Boat that Won the War, $34, by

by Anthony TuckerJones, softcover, 123 pages, black-andwhite photos, ISBN: 978-1-84832-099-4.

From Pen & Sword Books Limited.

Charles C. Roberts, Jr., hardcover, 128 pages, black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-1-52670691-1. From Pen & Sword Books Limited.

by Istvan Toperczer, softcover, 112 pages, mostly black-andwhite photos, ISBN: 978-1-4728-2356-4.

From Osprey Publishing.

by Thomas Anderson, hardcover, 272 pages, all black-and-white photos, ISBN: 978-14728-1752-5. From Osprey Publishing.

B-29 Superfortress vs Ki-44 Tojo, Pacific Theater 1944-45, $20, by Donald Nijboer, softcover, 80 pages, all black-andwhite photos, ISBN: 978-1-4728-1886-7.

From Osprey Publishing.

Junkers Ju 88 The Early Years Blitzkrieg to the Blitz, $24.95, by Chris Goss, softcover, 147 pages, black-andwhite photos, ISBN: 978-1-84832-4758.

From Pen & Sword Books Limited.

AIRBRUSHING & FINISHING

By Aaron Skinner

Small details tell big story Paint, weathering, and animated aircraft and figures capture a moment in time

Pilots of Mitsubishi Zeroes and Nakajima Kates run up the engines and prepare to take off as deck crew make final preparations aboard the Japanese carrier Akagi on Dec. 7, 1941. Dave crowded his 1/350 scale model with more than 20 planes and scores of figures.

C

rews hustle about the deck and propellers spin as the Akagi launches the first wave of fighters and torpedo bombers against Pearl Harbor. That’s the scene set by Dave Adamson’s 1/350 scale model of the Japanese carrier.

The Parker, Colo., resident pulled out all

the stops when he built Hasegawa’s Akagi with four of the company’s detail sets embellished with some Eduard photo-etch (PE). In addition to ladders and railings, PE replaced much of the kit plastic under the flight deck.

Dave painted most of the 29-inch-long model with Testors Model Master enamels

mixed with Testors Universal Enamel Thinner. He uses different ratios for flat — 3 parts paint and 1 part thinner — and gloss colors — 3 parts paint and 2 parts thinner.

Using a dental compressor (a leftover from his career as a dental laboratory technologist), he sprays enamels at 15-20 psi for

Meet Dave Adamson “I’m an 84-year-old youngster still learning my way through the hobby of scale modeling,” says Dave. As a preteen, he built stick-and-tissue airplanes with his older brother and remembers whittling airplanes from shipping-crate planks. In late World War II, his brother, on leave from

the Army Air Corps, gave him a Comet kit of the B-29. “The kit came with solid-wood precut parts, glue, paint, clear plastic blisters, and, yes, sandpaper,” Dave says. From the late 1940s to the late 1960s he didn’t build much as high school, four years in the Air Force, some college, marriage

to his wife, Norma (they’re still together 56 years later), and a career occupied much of his time. “I do not remember what prompted the reentry,” he says. “I didn’t have much time to build, but I did start buying up lots and lots of kits — the beginning of that monstrous thing known as

the stash.” He builds mostly 1/48 scale World War II aircraft, but dabbles in 1/32 scale planes, some jets, and loves the change of pace offered by 1/350 scale ships. “I have two children — both now married — and I’m blessed with five grandchildren,” he says. “I used kits from my stash

to get my son, Troy, started in the hobby, as well as two grandsons, Nicholas and Christian.”

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AIRBRUSHING & FINISHING general coverage. For small areas and details, he moves the brush closer to the surface and reduces the pressure to 10-15 psi; he may add more thinner for better flow. He painted the Akagi with a Badger 200 single-action airbrush.

After assembling the hull, minus the flight deck and some details, and wiping it

Painting photo-etch: The model’s extensive PE poses paint adhesion problems that Dave remedied by lightly sanding both sides of the thin metal frets before removing any parts to give the paint something to hold onto. “Sanding is certainly not a panacea to the adherence problem, but it does offer an improvement,” he says.

“The procedure is tedious, but with care and patience, can be done without damaging parts, even the more-delicate ones.”

Akagi by the numbers 855 feet 3 inches (length)

54

(number of aircraft launched against Pearl Harbor)

180

(days between Pearl Harbor and Akagi’s sinking at Midway)

with Testors Plastic Prep (out of production), Dave pre-shaded details and recesses with flat black. Then he airbrushed the lower hull with Floquil oxide red (an outof-production color replaced by Model Master British crimson).

The next day, he masked the lower hull and sprayed everything above the waterline,

No primer: Dave rarely uses an overall primer — the Akagi was no exception — because he doesn’t worry about enamels not sticking, spot-checks problem areas such as filler and repairs, and prefers a targeted approach for pre-shading or color modulation. Rather, he is concerned that each layer of paint, including primer, obscures fine detail molded into modern kits. “Overly thick paint application, whether it is the result of too many paint layers or overly thick paint spraying/ brushing technique, destroys details and contributes to a toy model look,” he says.

as well as the still-separate island and the fore and aft decks, Kure naval arsenal gray (No. 2167). “I applied a thinned and lightened version of that color to achieve a bleaching or fading effect, concentrating on the center of the broader areas both vertical and horizontal,” he says. “With the airbrush fine-tuned to more-detailed control, I

Rigging: Dave rigged the mast and radio antennas with EZ Line attached with tiny drops of super glue. Dabs of white glue applied with a toothpick and painted with thin gloss black produced insulators. “I wanted to present the Akagi with a high wind over the deck using the flags to pose that impression,” Dave says.

For flag lines, he gently bowed fine wires, painted them black, and anchored them with super glue. He applied decal flags to thin foil, then bent and rolled them over toothpicks so they waved in the wind.

Figures: Dave crewed his Akagi with a variety of figures: L’Arsenal resin, Eduard PE, and Fujimi plastic. PE figures can look a bit flat, so, after bending them into poses, Dave bulked them up with tiny dots of thick super glue added to heads, shoulders, buttocks, and stomachs. He attached them to cardboard strips with double-sided tape and airbrushed sailors with insignia white, the pilots light brown, and officers black. Details such as skin, hair, hats, and shoes, were hand-painted.

applied the same paint mix to the smaller detail areas around the ship. In spite of having pre-shaded the model, I decided to accent some recesses and shadow areas even more with darker shades of the base color.”

Linoleum decks were common on Japanese vessels; Dave masked and painted them with White Ensign linoleum

Markings: Concerned that decals might diminish the fine, engraved planks on the wooden flight deck, Dave chose to paint the markings.

After masking the long stripes with Tamiya tape, he airbrushed Model Master insignia white (2751). He used a circle cutter to make masks for the curved markings around the elevators. Freehand masking and more insignia white produced the Akagi symbol on the deck’s stern.

(IJN 10). He installed the painted ship’s boats and other details, then attached the completed flight deck and island. Alliance Model Works resin hammocks destined for the bridge’s splinter shields were painted with a mix of insignia white and a little tan, then given a wash of black watercolor.

He weathered the carrier with a combi-

nation of airbrushing, dry-brushing, and pastels. Vertical fading and saltwater streaking on the hull were applied with airbrush and pastels, but the subtle rust shades were just pastels. Dry-brushed light gray highlighted details and blended the weathering.

He sealed the finish with Winsor & Newton flat varnish. FSM

Ship’s boats: After airbrushing the tops of the boats with Model Master tan (2738) lightened with a little white, Dave flipped them over and painted the bottoms with Model Master Russian topside gray (2120). After dry-brushing highlights with white, he applied a wash of black watercolors.

Flight deck: Dave assembled the threepiece flight deck early in the build and added all of the Hasegawa PE underneath, test-fitting it with the hull to ensure alignment. While it was off the hull, he airbrushed the underside with Model Master Kure Naval Arsenal gray (2167). For the wooden topside, he applied Model Master tan (2021) with a little yellow added. He post-shaded the flight deck with two mixes of the base tan, one with a little white, the other with dark brown added. A red-brown watercolor wash emphasized the molded wood and toned down the white markings, giving the deck a weathered appearance.

Aircraft: Dave cut the molded canopies from Hasegawa’s clear plastic Zeros and Kates to make way for Rainbow PE frames. After hollowing out the cockpits, he hand-painted the cavities dark gray. A coat of thin gray primer minimized the translucency of the plastic for subsequent camouflage colors. The aircraft were painted with Model Master enamels lightened a little for scale — Japanese army light gray (2115) on the Zeros and the underside of the Kates, Japanese navy green (2116) for the bombers’ upper surfaces, and flat black for the cowls and tires.

Punched clear disks replicate spinning propellers. He lightly weathered the planes with airbrushed splotches and streaks of lighter and darker base colors, and enhanced panel lines with gray pastel powders.

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FORM & FIGURE

By Joe Hudson

Giving your figure a hand Usefu tips for getting a grip

Often exposed, hands grip objects that give context and they can project emotion as much as faces.

M

ost of the time, authors concentrate their step-by-step instructions on painting faces as the focal point of any figure. But hands are just as important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Hands that look like they were painted as an afterthought can mar an otherwise beautifully finished figure and destroy the overall effect of a vignette or diorama.

To demonstrate hand care, I painted one of Tamiya’s recently released German tank crewmen (No. 35354). These plastic figures are beautifully molded.

Next Issue As part of FSM’s Vietnam special in February, Joe shows how he painted the uniform of the Battle of Huê´ U.S. Marine seen at the top of this story.

18 FineScale Modeler January 2018

Paints used Scale 75 Light Skin SC-18 Scale 75 Golden Skin SC-19 Scale 75 Indian Shadow SC-23 Scale 75 African Shadow SC-24

Vallejo Surface Primer Light Gray Vallejo Model Color Beige Red 70.804 Vallejo Model Color Mahogany Brown 70.846 Vallejo Model Color Flat Black 70.950

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2

I base-coated the assembled figure with gray primer, then painted the areas around the hands flat black. This frames, or blocks in, the hands so I can better see what I am doing.

4 Adding progressively more Indian shadow to the mix darkened subsequent shadow applications as I added three or four layers, each slightly narrower than the one before. I left off the deepest shadows until after applying highlights to get a better feel for the hands.

5

Returning to the shadows, I brushed thin African shadow around the wrists, between the fingers, and under the tanker’s right hand.

Adding a little black to African shadow separated the fingers.

For the first layer of shadows, I mixed beige red and Indian shadow and applied several thin glazes to the areas below the wrists, the section of fingers below the knuckles, and under the right hand.

6

For highlights, I mixed beige red and golden skin. (These colors are from different manufacturers, but blended just fine.) Thin glazes of this shade were added to wrists and knuckles.

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3

As a base for the flesh, I mixed beige red and mahogany brown. I make this layer a little darker than the base color I use on faces because it will help with the shadows later.

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Adding progressively more golden skin to the mix produced brighter highlights. Brushing on several thin, controlled glazes prevented uneven color buildup. I painted fine lines along tendons.

9 With the shadows in place, I finalized highlights by painting very thin light skin on top of knuckles and the uppermost edges of fingers. Less diluted light skin colored the fingernails.

To further brighten the hands, I mixed light skin and golden skin and brushed it over the highest spots and the center of other highlights.

10 As a crowning touch, I added veins to the backs of the hands. First, I brushed fine lines of a mix of mahogany brown and Indian shadow; parallel lines of a mix of light skin and golden skin made the blood vessels stand out. FSM

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How to build an

oddball Tiger Aftermarket Zimmerit and add-ons for the mismatched F13

BY BILL PLUNK

From the bottom up

T

iger F13 is a rolling contradiction — a hybrid tank cobbled together with components from motley vehicles from training schools and unit remnants. It comprises an early production turret with Zimmerit, a midproduction hull, and late-production steel wheels! A part of the Gruppe Fehrmann scratch unit, it saw action late in the war as part of last-ditch German defenses.

Only a couple of poor-quality photos are known, but they prove that this tank did exist. I referred to the grainy images as I built Cyber-hobby’s White Box limited-edition Gruppe Fehrmann Tiger I (No. 6335). I also used Atak resin Zimmerit (No. 35032), designed for Dragon’s late Tigers.

20 FineScale Modeler January 2018

I replaced the kit tracks with workable plastic Modelkasten Tiger I Late tracks, which include a jig that holds five links at a time.

Each link has two separate guide horns.

Using the magic number of 94 links per side, I assembled two runs with the characteristic Tiger sag.

I added the rear hull plate and side plates, using a sprue spreader to correct a slight warp at the front hull so the glacis and superstructure plates would mate properly, 1.

Adding Zimmerit I removed the front left mud flap for interest, taking care to leave the supporting lip from the main armor plate intact. Using Gator’s Grip Thin Blend glue, I added Atak Zimmerit panels to the glacis, front superstructure, and hull nose plates off the

1 I test-fitted the Modelkasten track runs with the adjustable idler to get the proper sag.

4 … but I left the right side pristine.

7

2 Testors cement won’t affect resin, but it softens the underlying plastic to serve as a glue.

5 The rear Zimmerit left room for mufflers.

8

3 Using curved scissors, I cut the thin resin to show damaged Zimmerit on the left side …

6 Photo-etched clamps secure tools.

9

I didn’t modify the turret’s right-side Zimmerit.

Gaps on the left depict a missing bin.

Before painting, I test-fitted the turret and hull.

model. I followed that up with Testors liquid cement around the panel edges to lock them down, 2. Small amounts of Squadron White putty filled in a couple of gaps and blended the panels with the kit parts. The plates were then installed. A pair of compression clamps pressed the sides and roof together, creating a solid join.

I used small, curved scissors to carefully remove key parts from the Atak side panel, creating damage on the left side, 3. The right side was added as a whole piece without damage, 4.

On the rear hull plate, I added the Zimmerit first and then the exhausts, mud flaps, and tow hooks, 5.

unneeded Feifel air cleaners. Also filled were the square openings created by the misalignment of the gun cleaning-rod holders, due to the different types of hull parts used in the kit.

For the front part of the main deck, I used Griffon PE tool clamps, 6. Blu-tack masked the periscopes.

I replaced the kit’s mantlet with Atak’s part, complete with Zimmerit, then attached an RB Models brass MG34 coaxial machine gun with super-glue gel to detail this area. The kit’s recoil sleeve and 8.8cm main gun with muzzle brake finished the mantlet.

Matching details and Zimmerit on the turret to photos of F13 proved a little tricky, since the kit’s early-style turret didn’t account for spare-track holders. The tank lacked a turret bin, so I filled the mounting holes with sheet styrene, then puttied and

sanded the area smooth. With a pencil, I marked the areas that wouldn’t have received Zimmerit had the bin been in place, then outlined the area covered by the commander’s pistol port. Lastly, I marked out the left-side spare-track supports using the panel openings as a spacing guide. The Atak panels are thin and translucent, so I could see the pencil marks through them and know where I needed to cut.

I attached the right-side panel first, adding resin viewport covers and the escape hatch, 7.

I cut the left panel down significantly and added the armored viewport without Zimmerit, 8.

Leftover Zimmerit covered the pistol port, and a small patch was added to the front top edge of the turret for some added detail, 9. Nothing went to waste with this build!

Hull top and turret I added in the engine access panels and the kit-supplied photo-etch (PE) screens. Small amounts of putty filled the locators for the

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10

11

12

I began painting with an overall primer of dark brown, followed by patches of red oxide.

A base coat of panzer dunkelgelb and light gray followed.

For the second camouflage color, I airbrushed Italian olive green.

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Then I applied red-brown. Note the difference in the patterns on the hull and turret.

Removing the masks revealed the red oxide exposed by the damaged Zimmerit.

I painted spare track links with burnt umber; dry-brushed steel highlighted wear.

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Black artist’s pastels produced smoke stains on the already weathered exhausts.

After highlighting the edges of the chipped Zimmerit, I added spare track on the turret …

Time for paint

hull runs, and I used the Modelkasten links I wanted the hull and turret patterns to for the turret racks. The spare tracks were be different from each other, so the two airbrushed with burnt umber, lightly drywere painted separately and the pattern brushed with steel and given a wash of applied freehand. Over the base coat I thinned leather. A dusting with orange artapplied Italian olive green, then added the third camouflage color using a 50:50 mix of ist pastels finished their look, 15.

The exhausts were finleather and military brown, 12, 13. ished in a similar fashion, I misted a thin base coat minus the steel dry— 9 parts thinner to 1 part brushing and with the paint — over the model to addition of black artist pasThe date Gruppe tels blend the colors and mute as exhaust staining, 16.

Fehrmann For the damaged the camouflage.

Zimmerit areas, I picked out From there, the maskformed. The chipped edges with a light ing came off the red oxide unit comprised tan color, then dry-brushed areas, 14. Most of the six Tiger tanks paint work was now with horizontal strokes to reand five complete. create residue captured in the The kit included texture. The spare tracks were Panthers, individual spare links then installed in their holders, numbered 17, 18. that were used for the

I used Testors Model Master enamel paints for this project except where noted.

First, I airbrushed a primer coat of Italian dark brown over the vehicle, including the road wheels and running gear.

I mixed a custom red oxide primer using 9 parts insignia red and 1 part flat black, and airbrushed the damaged Zimmerit areas and the exposed area on the turret, 10.

Once dry, this area was masked off.

I used a mix of equal parts panzer dunkelgelb and light gray for the base coat, airbrushing the hull, turret and the exposed faces of the road wheels, 11.

Photos showed that F13 was missing side fenders. To re-create this, I masked off the attachment line so that there would be a clean break in how far down the pattern extended — as if the pattern had been set while the fenders were attached.

22 FineScale Modeler January 2018

… and on the front of the hull.

April 1945

F01 to F13.

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I painted the tow cables and tools in position.

After brushing steel onto contact points on the wheels, I applied washes and dry-brushing.

The tank doesn’t have many markings, but I settled the numbers with Solvaset.

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The first step in the weathering process was an overall Ammo wash sealed with PFM.

A pinwash enhanced hull and turret details.

I painted the tracks burnt umber, flowed on a raw umber wash, and dry-brushed steel.

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My mud recipe included Mig dry mud, water, and liquid dish soap.

Another dry-brushing of steel highlighted the tracks treads and guide horns.

To finish, I added a convoy light and radio antenna. My unique Tiger was ready to roll.

I used non-buffing Metalizer gunmetal for the tow cables and metal portions of the tools, followed by a dry-brushing of steel, 19. The wood portions of the tools were painted with a base coat of equal parts light gray and Afrika grunbraun followed by a wash of leather and raw umber artist pastels.

The bare-metal contact surfaces of the road wheels, sprockets, and idlers were detailed with Metalizer steel and drybrushed with burnt umber. I also stippled some burnt umber to show chipping and scuffing.

To these areas, I applied Ammo by Mig Jimenez Afrika Korps wash, then drybrushed the base coat mix over that. The wheels were added and the sprockets and idlers left movable to support the tracks to come, 20.

I airbrushed a coat of Pledge FloorCare

Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) over the entire vehicle to protect the paint work from the weathering. F13’s markings were limited to hastily applied turret numbers; the kit-supplied decals were added and Solvaset was used to ensure they conformed to the complex surfaces and Zimmerit. Once the decals had set, a second coat of PFM sealed them, 21.

The first step in the weathering process was an overall wash of Ammo Afrika Korps wash, 22. After it was blended and adjusted with clean thinner, I airbrushed a light coat of PFM to preserve it.

Dot filters came next. I used a combination of flat white, raw sienna, and the custom base-coat mix. The Zimmerit required a horizontal application to achieve the desired effect. This was followed by a pinwash using the Afrika Korps wash, 23. The work was sealed with lusterless flat.

After an airbrushed base coat of burnt umber, the tracks were heavily dry-brushed with steel and given an overall wash of raw umber, 24.

I weathered the tracks with pigments by applying a wet mix of Mig Productions dry mud using tap water with a drop of liquid dish soap added to break its surface tension, 25. The mix was added and left to air-dry; then excess pigment was removed with a brush. I dry-brushed some additional steel on the cleat faces to highlight them, 26. I applied the dry mud pigment as a dry powder to the road wheels. The tracks were then installed.

The last remaining details were added in the form of the rear convoy light and a brass RB Models 2-meter radio antenna, 27.

F13 was now ready to head out for one last battle before the end! FSM www.FineScale.com

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Relax and build a

Mustang

Easy details and weathering for Tamiya’s 1/48 scale P-51D

BY RAÚL CORRAL

W

orking on a never-ending project? Tired of filling, sanding, dry-fitting, and sanding some more? I was — and there was no better medicine than a kit like Tamiya’s 1/48 scale P-51D (No. 61040).

Relax, sit comfortably, put on some music, and enjoy the model.

Released in 1994, it is a fantastic piece of engineering and a remarkable demonstration of detail and simplicity. Just two sprues provide everything you need for a really good-looking Mustang to add to your World War II collection.

What got me going was a decal sheet from Eagle Strike (No. 48090, “Checkertail Clan Pt. I”) including three colorful Mustangs from the 325th Fighter Group operating in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO). I chose Stinker Pat (P-51D-15, 44-15131), flown in the 317th Fighter Interceptor Squadron by Maj. George Hamilton, who named his aircraft after his young son.

24 FineScale Modeler January 2018

AMS stands for Advanced Modeler Syndrome — and if you suffer from it, a basic build of a solid kit can rejuvenate your juices.

An old reliable, like Tamiya’s 1/48 scale P-51D, can be just what you need to reinstall fun on your workbench.

Checkertail Clan – Name given the 325th Fighter Group by “Axis Sally” in German radio propaganda

1 I began the cockpit with a base coat of Tamiya flat black (XF-1).

3 I added Eduard’s precolored photo-etch for Tamiya’s P-51B (product No. EDPFE219) to the cockpit walls and pilot’s seat. This kit comes “silver color-plated,” but I painted over that.

5 I wanted a yellow undercoat for a bright checkertail, but coverage with yellow can be tricky. I primed the area with Tamiya flat white before spraying several light coats at low pressure with GSI Creos semigloss RLM 04 yellow (413).

2 I mixed my own interior green: 50% Tamiya deep green (XF-26), 25% Tamiya light blue (XF-23), and 25% LifeColor RLM 04 (UA 140) yellow (but any acrylic yellow would do).

4 I base-coated the floor with an acrylic 60-40 mix of GSI Creos chocolate brown (406) and Tamiya flat red (XF-7), then brushed streaks of LifeColor yellow for wood grain. Other details were Tamiya flat black and flat aluminum.

6 Back to the cockpit: After a few finishing touches, dry-brushing with Humbrol light gray matt enamel (64) makes edges and raised details stand out.

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7 Before the fuselage is joined, a light spray of Humbrol clear varnish matt enamel reduces any gloss from the previous interior painting and drybrushing.

9 Red markings on the nose, spinner, and wingtips were airbrushed with Tamiya flat red. At this stage I also painted the propeller blades, masking the yellow tips.

11 Overall, I airbrushed Tamiya chrome silver (X-11).

26 FineScale Modeler January 2018

8 Now it’s starting to look like a Mustang! After joining the fuselage halves, more yellow: white primer, then MTO stripes for the wings; hand-brushed touch-up, then a light airbrushing for the tail.

10 Before airbrushing the airframe, I masked MTO and unit markings with Tamiya tape. I also carefully masked the stabilizer roots, since they are metallic, not yellow.

12 Next, several panels were called out with a different metallic shade, a 3:1 mix of chrome silver and Tamiya gunmetal (X-10 ). Make sure the masking tape is low-tack; you don’t want to pull up any paint.

13

14

I airbrushed a light coat of Tamiya gloss clear (X-22) to prepare for decals. Then came the best — and most challenging — part of the model. With the proper cuts, the Eagle Strike decals even fit the tailwheel door!

After protecting the checkertail with a light coat of Tamiya clear, I masked and painted the antiglare panel Tamiya flat olive drab (XF-62), being careful to protect the immaculate chrome silver surface.

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16

To weather selectively and add contrast, I mixed different metallic washes: Humbrol metallic silver enamel (11) and Metalcote acrylic polished aluminum (27002), each of them mixed 3:1 with Humbrol black matt (33).

Go easy: Do the washes quickly but gently, and only once, to lessen the risk to underlying paint. Don’t forget the underside.

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I detailed the main landing gear with brake lines made of metal wire from a bottle of good Spanish red wine; the wire is painted flat black.

On the tires, a wash of Humbrol red brown (100) over Tamiya flat black brought out the tread.

Back to the main airframe: Another coat of Tamiya clear gloss prepared the kit for the major decaling. I over-coated with another coat of clear, then let it dry for 48 hours before further weathering.

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I thin a 1:1 mix of brown and flat black artist’s oils and use my finest-tipped brush to apply the wash to panel lines and rivets.

After a few minutes, I begin removing/cleaning excess wash using a cotton swab damp with Humbrol thinner.

The more thinner you use to clean up excess, the cleaner the final result.

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Naturally, the longer you use a swab the dirtier it gets. (Nothing new here.) With this dirty swab you can apply additional dust and dirt to certain areas of the aircraft that should show more wear.

You can add dirt with a brush; wait for it to dry before applying more. To replicate dust and grime, I change my weathering ratio to 7:3 (brown/black).

I applied additional washes to outline the gun compartments. When to stop is up to you.

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I used a pencil to place scuff marks where the crew and pilots would walk.

Using a fine brush and Humbrol Metalcote aluminum matt (27001), I chipped the propeller blade’s leading edges …

… and on the antiglare panel, I used a sewing needle to make sure the chips were small enough.

28 FineScale Modeler January 2018

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Exhaust stains and gunsmoke were painted by dry-brushing Humbrol flat black enamel.

I added some wiring to the radio and batteries behind the pilot’s seat.

Drop tanks, painted and weathered same as the airframe: I made hoses with fine rubber tubing from my spares, brush-painting with flat black enamel and using a sewing needle to paint flat silver hose clamps.

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I attached the canopy with Humbrol Clearfix — a delicate moment I wish Tamiya had spared me by molding the frame and canopy as one piece.

Just a touch of Clearfix gave navigation and formation lights a glassy look.

Nearing the end, I used a fine brush to handpaint the molded .50-caliber machine gun barrels with Humbrol gunmetal (53), immediately dry-brushing with Humbrol Metalcote aluminum matt.

Dry-brushed flat black Varied panel shades

MTO stripe

Fitted decals

Rubber tubing for fuel lines

Aluminum matt chipping Wire for brake lines

Clearfix for glass

After airbrushing light coats of Tamiya clear gloss to unify the weathering effects, I let everything dry for 48 hours. Finally, I sprayed several light coats of Humbrol enamel varnish matt, including the checkertail but increasing the contrast by avoiding areas where the natural-metal finish was less weathered. It was the finishing touch for Stinker Pat. FSM www.FineScale.com

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SHOW GALLERY

IPMS/USA Nationals 2017

Hundreds of terrific models covered the tables at the 2017 International Plastic Modelers Society/USA National Convention at the La Vista Conference Center in suburban Omaha, Neb. FSM’s Mark Savage and Aaron Skinner were there and took these photos.

The 2018 convention will be held August 1-4 at the Phoenix Convention Center in the heart of Phoenix, Ariz. For info: www. ipmsusanationals2018. com.

More great models SPECIAL ISSUE

100 PAGES OF THE BEST MODELS HOLIDAY 2017

170+ CONTEST MODELS Coverage from the biggest shows Be inspired by top builders’ best models SHIPS

SCIENCE FICTION

VEHICLES

ARMOR

AIRCRAFT

10

SHOWCASES + DAN JAYNE CUTAWAYS

For more IPMS/USA models, pick up Great Scale Modeling 2017. Order your copy today at KalmbachHobbyStore.com.

30 FineScale Modeler January 2018

DAVID FALK APPLETON, WISCONSIN David says his 1/25 scale Caterpillar 594 pipelayer is 99% scratchbuilt. The seat cushions came from an AMT truck kit; everything else is styrene and metal. He painted the unique vehicle with Floquil railroad paints — the old stuff — and weathered with pastels and real sand on the tracks.

▲ RICHARD VAN ZANDT

OLIVE BRANCH, MISSISSIPPI Richard replaced the landing gear legs on AMK’s 1/48 scale MiG-31 with cast-metal parts and resin tires. Over a black base coat, he airbrushed pre-shading patches of blue, yellow, and brown, then applied the gray camouflage using Mr. Paint acrylic lacquers.

◀ DJORDJE NIKOLIĆ

FIFE, WASHINGTON Djordje reduced a map of France to 1/48 scale for two Luftwaffe pilots to consult next to Tamiya’s Kübelwagen. He painted the vehicle with Vallejo acrylics, then weathered it with enamel washes and powdered pigments for mud.

The ground is plaster decorated with kitty litter, model railroad grass, and leaves. ▶ RON BRITT

MUSTANG, OKLAHOMA Ron customized Moebius’ 1/18 scale Batpod with cables, wires, and scratchbuilt monoshock and oil reservoir. He painted the bike and Batman’s fiendish feline counterpart, Catwoman, with Tamiya acrylics.

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SHOW GALLERY

▲ ROGER TORGESON

▼ DANA SMITH

SEQUIM, WASHINGTON

WEAVERVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Roger raised some decks and lowered others to convert Trumpeter’s 1/350 scale USS North Carolina into USS Washington. Other changes include: correcting the contour of the stem, ends to the armor belt, outboard shaft shape, V struts, and bilge keels; replacing the boat booms; adding eyebrows to the bow; replacing molded deck details; using resin main turrets; and correcting locations of the 20mm guns. He painted the battleship with Testors Model Master acrylics.

To model a recently landed DUKW on a beach awaiting off-loading instructions, Dana filled the bed with stowage and covered it with a net, then added rope bumpers, hung chains on the bow, and an improved muffler.

He painted the Italeri 1/72 scale model with True Earth acrylics and filters.

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▲ RICHARD C. ENGAR

▲ JIM CHURCH

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

SAGINAW, MICHIGAN

Richard built Roden’s 1/144 scale C-124C out of the box and used custom decals to mark it as the Globemaster II flown by Sen. Jake Garn when he was in the Utah Air National Guard. The model was painted with Testors enamels and lacquers. “I made two of these and presented one to Senator Garn in June,” Richard says.

“It’s a Welsh warrior from the 1270s,” says Jim. He finished the Andrea Miniatures 54mm figure with Vallejo acrylics, including five different washes. Pigments and pastels provided highlights.

▲ ALEC KIRIKAVA

APPLETON, WISCONSIN Alec improved Dragon’s 1/72 scale P-61A by scratchbuilding the belly gun bay as well as the wheel wells, and adding Aires resin. He painted the Black Widow with Testors Model Master acrylics. www.FineScale.com

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SHOW GALLERY

▲ SERGIO LAURENZANO

NEUQUÉN, NEUQUÉN, ARGENTINA

Sergio improved Aoshima’s 1/350 scale Japanese I-41 with Alliance Model Work railings and AFV Club photo-etched details. Mixing Tamiya acrylics with Tamiya lacquer thinner, he airbrushed the sub gray, then masked and sprayed the lower half red. Next, he airbrushed thin, fine gray splotches to weather the submarine.

▶ EARL PETRIKIN

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA Earl spent five years building and painting Pocher’s 1/8 scale Alfa Romeo 8c 2300 Monza. He had to modify all of the body panels for fit, replaced all of the screws with bolts, nuts, and pins, relocated the oil tank, scratchbuilt the windshield and fender arms, and upholstered the seats with genuine leather.

◀ KEVIN WENKER

PEORIA, ARIZONA On Sept. 29, 1918, American fighter ace and Medal of Honor recipient Lt. Frank Luke was wounded by ground fire and landed behind the German lines; he died soon after. To model Luke’s final moments, Kevin cut and repositioned the control surfaces and scratchbuilt a cockpit for Hobbycraft’s 1/32 scale SPAD XIII; Aviattic decals over Tamiya and Mission Models’ acrylics finished the plane. The ace is a repositioned Andrea Miniatures’ figure.

◀ EUGENE MARDAR

McCORDSVILLE, INDIANA After adding antennas and navigation lights to Zvezda’s 1/144 scale Airbus A320, Eugene marked it for Air Moldova with Pas Decals.

▶ ERIK ZABEL

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA Soviet pilots liked the Airacobra, and more than 4,700 were sent to the USSR during World War II under the Lend-Lease program.

Erik built one from Eduard’s 1/48 scale P-39N with photo-etched details and resin exhausts, then painted it with Testors Model Master enamels. Poster putty provided masking, and he weathered the fighter with washes, pastels, and pre- and post-shading.

www.FineScale.com

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SHOW GALLERY

JOHN CURATOLA KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI Early B-29s operating from bases in India wore olive drab and neutral gray camouflage, as seen on John’s 1/72 scale Academy Superfortress. He detailed the bomb bays and engines and airbrushed the model with Testors Model Master enamels.

▶ BRETT AVANTS

ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI Brett built Academy’s 1/35 scale Korean War T-34/85 out of the box and painted it with Ammo by Mig Jimenez’s Russian 4BO green modulation set. Extensive weathering followed, including washes, highlights, pigments, and rain streaking. The angled groundwork is Celluclay over styrene foam.

36 FineScale Modeler January 2018

STEVE ROSARIO OLATHE, KANSAS This is one of six Polar Lights 1/1000 scale Enterprises Steve has built — each corresponds to a favorite Star Trek episode, including this one for “Space Seed.” He scribed panel lines on the primary hull and replaced the kit windows with homemade decals.

He painted the Federation starship and the SS Botany Bay with Testors Model Master enamels over black pre-shading, and weathered the sleeper ship with pastels.

◀ PAUL JOHNSTON

ADELL, WISCONSIN Nice ride! Paul painted Tamiya’s 1983 Honda CR-X with Tamiya Italian red, masked with Tamiya tape, and sprayed Tamiya gloss aluminum on the lower body.

Photo-etched badges and India ink flowed into panel and door lines finished the sports car.

▶ KEN NILES

FAYETTEVILLE, GEORGIA “A ragged, rugged Marine Corsair in the island campaign,” says Ken of his out-of-the-box Tamiya 1/48 scale F4U-1. He painted and postshaded the camouflage with Mr. Paint acrylic lacquers over a base coat of Alclad II dull aluminum.

Gently scraping the upper layers chipped the paint to reveal bare metal.

www.FineScale.com

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Decking out a

Nimitz-class carrier Cut up and correct Italeri’s carrier-deck section

BY HUGO PETIERS

F

or years, builders of modern naval aircraft in 1/72 scale have felt left behind when it comes to diorama accessories. So I was excited when Italeri produced a large Nimitzclass carrier-deck section (No. 1326).

I had already built a Hasegawa F-14A Tomcat and thought I would be placing it on an assembled surface in no time. This was far from the truth…

The good parts of the kit are: 1) the tie-downs on the deck look realistic; 2) there’s a posable hatch (opened or closed) for the catapult operator’s position; and 3) the carrier deck is made of a sturdy piece of plastic.

The bad parts are: 1) the box art makes you think that you can make bow catapult No. 2, which you can’t; 2) the decals of the deck lines are much too wide and the yellow lines too short; and 3) the antislip surface on the deck seems coarse for this scale.

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1 The downright ugly is: 1) the rows of tie-downs are not parallel with the deck plates, which are oriented in the ship’s direction of movement; 2) the jet blast deflector (JBD) is supposed to be at a right angle to the deck plates, which it is not; and 3) the catapult is at a wrong angle and too close to the JBD. Time to get out the hobby knife.

2 I settled on making the waist catapult No. 3 of the USS Theodore Roosevelt. To make an accurate Nimitz-class carrier, I would have to cut up the deck and reposition the catapult and JBD, putting them at the correct angle. For safety’s sake, I practiced on a sheet of paper, making sure that all parts would align again later.

3 Moving back to the plastic, I dug the same pattern originally on the paper into the deck with a scribing tool, carefully breaking those pieces off. The loose pieces were rearranged and glued in the correct position.

4 The back was reinforced with styrene strip. I filled gaps with putty and sanded everything smooth. All of the deck lines were restored with a scribing tool.

5 By adjusting the angle of the catapult, some tie-downs became misaligned. I moved these around on the deck. After finishing the new edge around the diorama with styrene sheet, the biggest part of the reconstruction was done. Whew!

www.FineScale.com

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6 Next, a layer of gray paint helped me check the flatness and smoothness of the surface. A black pre-shading of the newly made deck lines was followed by a few thin layers of lightened gunship gray paint.

8 Going for realism: Subtle color variation was achieved by applying clouds of lighter shades of gray between the deck panels and tiedowns.

10 Preshading, paints, and pinwashes brought color to the six plates of the JBD. I waited until the end of the build process to attach them on the deck.

40 FineScale Modeler January 2018

7 Photos show that the texture of the antislip coating on a carrier’s deck is slightly different around the seams of the deck panels. I tried to re-create the look of these lines by airbrushing them with a slightly lighter gray color.

9 I added the white, yellow, and red lines and painted the outlines of an access hatch next to the JBD. A piece of 1200-grit sanding paper removed some of the deck lines. I wish I had put on a layer of varnish before painting the lines, but it still worked. Luckily, I did not sand through the gray paint, so no touch-ups were necessary.

11 A pinwash of all nooks and crannies with Rembrandt raw umber and black artist’s oils came next. Dry-brushing the tie-downs with light gray made them stand out. Layers of matt varnish sealed the deck.

12 In my research, I noticed quite a few tire marks around the catapult. How to paint those in a realistic way? Well, what better way than with actual tire marks! I made a rolling contraption with one large Lego wheel for rolling paint on the deck, and another wheel wrapped with insulation tape to absorb the paint and act as a reservoir. My contraption worked so well that the effect was exaggerated. Dabbing away excess paint with a turpentine-soaked cloth left me with the desired effect .

A set of 1/72 scale crew from Fujimi added scale to the display’s size. It took much more work than I initially expected, but the final result was worth the effort. My Tomcat is now ready for launch. FSM

A few improvements and nice paint for an A-3B

BY STEVE EVANS

F

or no reason other than size, the A-3B Skywarrior is one of the most impressive U.S. Navy aircraft ever. Known as the “Whale,” the aircraft comes in different shapes for a variety of missions, which only adds to its desirability in model form.

Relatively new, Hasegawa’s 1/72 scale Skywarrior has been

1 The cockpit’s simple detail belies the kit’s age.

There are basic seats and consoles with decal dials. I added masking tape seat belts and carefully painted the area.

42 FineScale Modeler January 2018

released in a variety of guises — and you can get aftermarket bits to convert them into a bunch more.

It features fully engraved panel lines with nice crisp detail. There is very little flash, few shrink marks, and the panel fasteners are well done with only the larger “bolt”-type fasteners and no rivets on show, fully appropriate for this scale.

2 The cockpit fits neatly into the fuselage with the nose wheel bay. Don’t forget to add weight up front, as the Skywarrior is a natural tailsitter. There’s plenty of room in the nose.

3 The J-57 engines are each represented by just the starter bullet, the compressor fan, and the turbine inside the pod halves, but that suits the scale.

4 Filler and sanding corrected mismatches between the wing and fuselage.

7 All that filler and sanding eliminated panel lines. I sprayed the repair work with Alclad II gray primer and micro filler to reveal any problems and provide a smooth surface to rescribe lost details.

10 To mask hard edges, I applied Tamiya tape; BluTack poster putty worked perfectly for softer demarcations. Then, I airbrushed Tamiya white under the plane.

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The alignment of the engine pylons with the wings left much to be desired, but a little filler and sanding fixed that also.

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As molded, the horizontal stabilizers point up too much. A little sanding at the mating edges corrected the dihedral.

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After attaching details including the masked canopy, I sprayed the model with Alclad II primer and pre-shaded panel lines with dark gray.

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I airbrushed the upper surfaces with GSI Creos acrylic light gull gray (H315) mixed with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner.

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More masking followed so I could paint the black antiglare panel and nose as well as the radome. I used GSI Creos acrylic off white (H21) for the last.

Once I had painted the intakes red and the airbrushed Alclad II metallic around the engines, I dragged gray and burnt umber pastels back from panels and hatches to show fluid spills and streaks.

13 The nicely molded landing-gear doors, struts, and wheels look great under a black artist’s oil wash. I painted most of the antennas and pitot tubes before attaching them.

Super glue secured static discharge wicks made from 1-pound fishing line. FSM www.FineScale.com

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READER GALLERY

▲ ▶ DAN JAYNE & CHUCK STEWART

MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN The late Dan Jayne had a knack for transforming plastic models into something above and beyond — or below, in the case of Minicraft’s 1/350 scale Titanic. Sixteen years after modeling the wreck, Dan built a topside version of the same kit. Among the superdetailing was drilling out 964 portholes. “Yeah,” he said, “I counted them. Phew!” You can see more of Dan’s works (also photographed by Chuck Stewart) in the latest edition of Great Scale Modeling 2017, available on newsstands now.

◀ DON CZECH

CAPE CORAL, FLORIDA Don built Monogram’s 1/48 scale Cessna 180 — “probably more like 1/43 or maybe 1/40,” says Don — to be a news plane, adding STOL winglets and a luggage trunk under the fuselage. He made the cowl removable to show off his thoroughly plumbed engine. The cabin also was upgraded, with resin seats, dashboard, and wood flooring. Don made the cargo hatch functional and says it fits perfectly.

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▲ JOSE ALBERTO ALBITES TAPIA

LA CHORRERA, PANAMA OESTE, PANAMA Revell’s 1/48 scale Huey got a makeover from Jose when he painted it with Testors Model Master colors and made his own decals to show it in the Panamanian air force (Fuerza Aérea Panameña) in 1976. ◀ CHARLIE PANZERA

WESLEY CHAPEL, FLORIDA Tamiya’s 1/35 scale 105mm M4A3 and accompanying figures wear a deft paint job

by Charlie, who finished the Sherman with acrylic colors and weathered with artist’s oils and pigments.

▲ BRIAN SCHUTT

▲ JASON NIKL

ARLINGTON, TEXAS Jason says this is his first attempt at weathering; he used Ammo by Mig Jimenez products. Still more impressive, he scratchbuilt this 1/24 scale Hitachi 870 excavator from “mostly styrene sheet and a few 3-D-printed pieces,” he says. He up-scaled it from a 1/50 scale die-cast digger.

CORAL SPRINGS, FLORIDA Attaching a plastic tray to a wood display base, Brian created a seaside setting for PiLiPiLi’s 120mm Pirate of Tortuga, 1670. He fashioned the water and waves from resin and handpainted the crab basking in the shallow surf. www.FineScale.com

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3-D printing opens up the hobby’s frontiers

BY ROBERT F. LaPORTA

Download 3-D files and information: www.nasa3d. arc.nasa.gov/ detail/newhorizons

46 FineScale Modeler January 2018

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The New Horizons kit comprises four parts -the antenna, left and right body halves, and the radioisotope thermal generator.

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Most of the scaffolding is easily pried off with gentle pressure and pulling …

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After sawing away sections of the antenna, I finished the first step with a cut-off wheel in a motor tool.

To maintain the dish’s curve, I ran the motor tool at slow speed and gradually removed the excess.

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3 … or sliced off with a sharp hobby knife.

6 Before gluing the new antenna base into the dish, I chamfered the edge to match the contour. Clamps held it hard against the dish as the glue set.

n July, 14, 2015, NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft passed within 8,000 miles of the surface of Pluto at 30,900 miles per hour. This mission completed the U.S. reconnaissance of every major and minor planet in our solar system.

To celebrate this milestone, NASA provided files to construct a 1/12 scale model of the probe using a 3-D printer. They offer hundreds of other models, too. In addition to the STL printer files, the download includes 1/12 scale PDF plans that are a gold mine of information for finishing the model. I printed the parts at my local library; they have a 3-D printer that patrons can use for 50 cents an hour.

Parts is parts Pieces made on a 3-D printer are a little different from the styrene kit parts most of us know. The printed plastic is much harder, more akin to resin. Unlike resin, printed parts are usually hollow and use a honeycomb internal structure for support. The most obvious difference is the rough surface produced by the layered printing.

Fortunately for modelers, Mylar thermal blankets cover the vast majority of New Horizons, so the condition of the surface is not a big concern.

Of the kit’s four parts, 1, the antenna presented the greatest challenge. The medium- and low-gain support structures are solid blocks, but they should be frames.

I planned to remove them and scratchbuilt replacements.

First, I removed the material, also called scaffolding, used to support sections of the part that might otherwise fall during printing, 2 and 3. Be careful to remove only the scaffolding and not part of the model — check the plans frequently.

Dish it out I removed the solid antenna support in several stages. A saw and a motor tool took

care of the initial step, 4. After shaving more of the base with a No.18 chisel blade, I eliminated the underlying honeycomb with a sanding bit in a motor tool, 5.

I cut .6mm styrene to match the shape of the missing material and glued it over the opening, 6.

Using a chisel, I scraped the edge of the triangle to blend it with the part. Then I smoothed the dish with a flexible block to begin mitigating the ridges left by the printer.

Research indicated three methods to eliminate the ridges on 3-D printed parts.

One involves melting the surface with acetone vapor. Upon testing, it resulted in nasty, flammable vapors and over-softened the thin plastic.

The second process I tested was brushing two-part epoxy over the surface and let www.FineScale.com

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7 After all the work to remove the kit’s solid antenna, the wire replacement is a welcome sight. The feed horn for the main antenna is a Lego piece I requisitioned from my son’s collection.

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8 The lid wasn’t sturdy enough to support the wire for the low-gain antenna to come, so I reinforced it with a ring of .6mm styrene.

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9 The scratchbuilt heat shield, missing from the kit, will go between the body of the spacecraft and the RTG.

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Working slowly, I applied pieces of the selfadhesive foil to the RTG so that each overlapped the cooling fins.

I painted each of the bolts silver off the model, then attached them with super glue.

Clamps and two-part epoxy make for a strong body that can withstand the rest of the construction process.

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The model’s adapter ring is represented as a solid chunk of plastic, and it’s too big.

Using a circle cutter, I produced a perfect blanking plate to cover the void left by the amputated adapter ring.

It pays to hold onto odds and ends, such as the modified tape holder that became the spacecraft’s adapter ring.

it level itself as it dried. I was unable to achieve a smooth coat because, despite being thick, the liquid wanted to flow down.

I settled on old-school putty, in this case a tube from Tamiya. After repeating this process several times to be sure all the grooves were filled, I brushed on Mr. Surfacer 500 and sanded again. Finally,

I airbrushed the antenna with Tamiya white acrylic.

the disposable inner cap, to be precise, 8.

For the support above the new dish, I assembled a frame using stretched sprue and 22-gauge hypodermic needles.

Before starting work on the radioisotope thermal generator (RTG), I cut an octagonal heat shield from .6mm styrene, 9.

The RTG has a smooth, dark metal surface, so I covered it with black chrome

48 FineScale Modeler January 2018

Can you hear me now?

Referring to the plans, I used wire to make the structure supporting the smaller antennas, 7. Looking for a replacement for the medium-gain antenna, I found what I needed inside a carton of half-and-half —

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I burnished the film over the surface and into corners with a cotton swab.

I detailed the inner face of the main camera cover with strips of styrene.

Visit MyScienceShop.com

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Before applying the decal flags, I brushed Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish over the area.

After the glue on the images dried, I sealed the base with two coats of Krylon clear acrylic.

Bare-Metal Foil, 10. Medium-viscosity super glue that I applied with a toothpick aided the foil’s adhesion in troublesome spots. For added detail, I attached Grandt Line bolts to the areas between the cooling fins, 11.

new part. I scratchbuilt a low-gain Omni antenna and secured it to the body with wire at the end of the build.

Heavenly body To align the halves of the probe’s body during assembly, I inserted ¼-inch wooden dowels into one to match holes in the other.

After coating the mating surfaces with two-part epoxy, I pressed the body together and clamped it as the glue set, 12.

The underside of the body features a circular adapter that mated the spacecraft with the upper stage of the Centaur rocket that sent New Horizons on its way, 13. But it’s inaccurate, so I sawed it off and covered the resulting hole with styrene, 14.

Searching my spare parts stash, I found a plastic ring that once held tape. It was a little larger in diameter than the adapter ring needed to be, so I cut out a section and closed the circle, 15. Super glue secured the

Mylar covering Orange-gold Mylar protected the body of New Horizons and the outside of the antenna from radiation. Thin Mylar film in all kinds of colors is sold for wrapping gifts and making decorations. I used Aleene’s Tacky Glue to attach it — this craft glue is plenty sticky but provides working time to get the alignment correct.

I cut pieces of Mylar roughly the size needed and crumpled them so they would look like multiple layers of insulation. I spread glue over the back of each piece of Mylar then attached them to the model, 16. It’s tedious to cover small spots, but the results are worth it.

Go for launch I attached the RTG and antenna with short pieces of dowel for support. To cover the roughly printed surfaces of the cameras and

Ever wondered what the surface of Pluto looks like?

Now you can own the dwarf planet in the form of a globe produced from photos taken by New Horizons. Go to: www. myscienceshop.com/ product/globe/81075

sensors, I punched discs from sheet styrene and glued them in place, 17.

The only markings worn by New Horizons were two small American flags; I applied a pair from my decal collection, preparing the surface with Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) and using Microscale Micro Set to settle them over the crumpled Mylar, 18.

To make a display base for the model, I sealed a round wooden plaque with a few coats of polyurethane. I let each coat dry and sanded before brushing on the next.

Then I sprayed the plaque flat black.

I glued laser-printed photos of Pluto and Charon, one of its moons, onto the base with Aleene’s Tacky Glue, 19.

A 5mm clear acrylic tube attached to the base with 5-minute epoxy suspends the model over its planetary target.

It’s hard to imagine an injection-molded plastic kit of New Horizons ever being available. Now, thanks to NASA and 3-D printing, you can have one at home — and it’s not that hard to build. FSM www.FineScale.com

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Revive an Airfix relic Replacement decals and a new nose sharpen a BAC-111 /// BY FRANK CUDEN

Having lain dormant for years, the kit decals were useless — but an ATP decal sheet not quite as old made Airfix’s 1/144 scale airliner worth a try.

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hen I looked at the beat-up old Airfix 1/144 scale BAC-111 (No. 903178), it reminded me of just how long I’d had it — and when I opened it, the primitive kit emitted that familiar old-box bouquet. The British Caledonian decals had curled and yellowed over the years — a “someday” kit gone past its day.

Nonetheless, I was able to obtain an ATP decal sheet for a Pacific Express BAC-111 that included windows and windshields. Calling up photos of the plane, I welcomed ATP’s guidance on changing the shape of the nose to make it more pointed. The wing fences would need to be relocated inboard, and ATP covered that change as well.

50 FineScale Modeler January 2018

1 Searching through a spares box, I fished out a drop tank with a tip that would provide a new nose; I ran a strip of masking tape around to mark a straight cut and, with the aid of a miter box, sawed off what I needed.

2 The kit nose was history — sanding and shaping produced the distinctive point I wanted.

3 I replaced the kit’s exhaust caps with styrene tubing, cut to length and thinned with a halfoval file and 400-grit sandpaper. Thinned white glue blended the new sections into the engine bodies.

6 Adding black trim required a lot of measuring and guesstimation to get it “just so.” I cut the trim decals right up to the edges and used them as a guide for masks, then airbrushed Testors gloss black enamel.

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Relocated wing fences

After smoothing the putty work, I sprayed Alclad II gray primer. Note the relocated wing fences, per ATP’s instructions; I cut slits in the wings and glued .010-inch sheet-styrene “roughs” into the slits and shaped them.

7 I masked and sprayed leading edges with Alclad II airframe aluminum.

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5 I saved a lot of time by filling the windows with Microscale Kristal Klear. Later, I would correct the unique Airfix wheel mount you see here.

Now, I was ready to paint the fuselage white.

8 I brushed the old decals with Kristal Klear to prevent cracking. To avoid mismatched blacks, I sliced off the black part of the decal; then I applied the two shades of gray decal stripe in segments for easier, straighter application.

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White striping from Yellow-Wings (No. 48-004) edges the two gray bands. I placed the cabin window decals one by one, coating them each with white glue to fill the slight depressions.

ATP’s sheet provided wing exit markings as thin yellow outlines; instead, I used those as templates to outline white decal sheeting with black Scale-Master striping.

I hand-painted the wheel wells and gear legs with Testors steel. Note the cant of the engines: That’s the way they’re supposed to be. Thrust-reverser decals came from an ATP sheet designed for 727s; I cut them to size.

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The wing exit arrows came from an old Microscale sheet. You can see how I have traced panel lines with an artist’s B pencil. Two flat ADF antennas on top are made from .010inch sheet styrene and painted flat black.

I made an antenna aft of the windscreen with .010-inch styrene; I used the same for new gear doors. For nav lights, I notched the wingtips, filled with Kristal Klear, and painted them with Tamiya clear red and clear green.

The BAC-111’s APU vent pipe was mounted on the fuselage behind the rudder; I cut and thinned styrene tubing and painted it with Testors steel — and, with that, I had a sleek BAC-111 for my showcase. FSM www.FineScale.com

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Whitewash, rinse, and repeat Lighten up with an easy camouflage technique /// BY JONATHAN CAMPBELL

I built Dragon’s 1/35 scale PzKpfw IV Ausf G (No. 6363) and decided to try my own whitewash technique.

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wonder if German tankers ever struggled as much as we do with winter whitewashes. They tried to make it blend in; we try to make it stand out. They spent hours; we spend weeks.

And even after we apply a beautiful whitewash, we weather it down with muck and mud.

Whitewash techniques range from airbrushed paint to premade mixes. Neither is economical. That and my sinuses’ aversion to anything enamel are the reasons I decided to try my first whitewash with Tamiya flat base (X-21).

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Tamiya flat base (TFB) is a water-soluble acrylic resin that can be mixed in to flatten the finish of Tamiya gloss paints. It can be thinned with Tamiya’s thinner (or most other acrylic thinners). You can add it to Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) to create a strong flat coat. And, unlike most Tamiya paints, TFB can be easily brushed on straight out of the jar. If you’ve ever done that, you know it dries to a white powder that lifts easily. My idea was to seal this white finish to create a whitewash.

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After Vallejo gray primer, I applied Tamiya German gray (XF-63) and painted the stowed tools. Detail painting is best left until after the whitewash.

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I applied a coat of PFM, then decals. I like how the whitewash looks over the decals; you may prefer to apply the decals after. TFB is easily removed until you seal it.

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I thought to brush on TFB with a small flat brush, similar to how it was applied it in the field. At first it looked faint, but within a minute it turned white.

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I globbed it on and tapped the brush here and there to make it look haphazard.

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After the TFB dried for about two minutes, I used a short, hard-bristled brush to distress it, gently brushing up and down to create streaks and break up chunks. I used a dry, pointy cotton swab to remove it from decals.

Then I airbrushed more TFB, adding just a few drops of Tamiya thinner and spraying at about 10 psi. Even if the airbrush spat, the coat still looked fine and was workable.

Meet Jonathan Campbell Jonathan writes: “I delved into scale modeling to fill several gaps in a particular Star Wars toy line discontinued in 2002.

Eventually, the simple weekend repaints became kit-

bashed beasts that took months and several trips to the hobby store. Since then, I have incorporated German World War II aircraft and armor in my array of subjects.

I’m more of a “make it look unique” modeler than an “accurizer.” It’s an art and a hobby — both of which I try to enjoy without too much headache.”

www.FineScale.com

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Because the airbrushed layer was much lighter than the hand-brushing, I opted for a softer touch to distress it. Be sure to use a dry swab to remove TFB from decals; otherwise, it will reappear when it dries.

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A soft brush works best for distressing airbrushed TFB.

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A sealant coat of PFM seems to erase the TFB …

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… but once it dries, the whitewash reappears. However, thinner layers are diminished, while thicker areas appear more opaque.

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I repeated this process four times: Airbrushed TFB and added more with a small brush; distressed the finish; swabbed TFB from decals; applied PFM; then used a 4200-grit sanding pad to smooth it out.

Artist’s oil washes, paint chips, then a sprinkle of PFM on the muffler: I loaded a dry brush with DOA dark rust pigments and tapped it over the wet PFM to create a textured, rusty look that topped off my tank. FSM

Top 10 tips for TFB • TFB absorbs moisture and oils (fingerprints!); I applied oil washes only to areas that didn’t have much TFB. • TFB looks better airbrushed than hand-brushed. Handbrushing may leave edge marks, even after removal.

• Tamiya thinner diluted with water or windshield washer fluid can remove TFB traces completely, but you risk the paint underneath, too.

• Just brushing or rubbing airbrushed TFB off will create a lighter base tone and produce

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scale effects with color (similar to oil fading).

• TFB works for aircraft, too.

• You can dry-brush with TFB to contrast details.

• Alcohol-based thinners will make TFB dry too quickly.

• A clear flat over TFB whitewash

will make thinner layers disappear and whiten thicker areas.

• TFB dries to a cool white color.

Clear coats bring out more of a basic white, but white paint usually stands out a little against TFB. • Experiment and have fun!

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

By Mark Hembree

Boring can be exciting

United Nations blue Q Has FSM ever published an article about a United Nations vehicle or airplane in which the source of United Nations blue paint for models might have been discussed? I have tried quite a few blues from various manufacturers but cannot find a close match.

A micro bit in a pin vise is a precise way to bore into gun barrels or, as in this picture, a landing gear strut.

Q

I’ve read articles about drilling machine-gun barrels. How about some tips on how to drill such a small item, such as the best way to locate the center for drilling, and selecting the drill bit size so you do not split the barrel material. Any good tips?

– Dale Popula Antioch, Calif.

– Bill Snyder Fargo, N.D. A In its definition of the color azure, Wikipedia cites U.N. blue as an example. Checking in at www.paint4models.com, “U.N. flag blue” is indicated as Federal Standard (FS) 35250. To me, that looks pretty close, but that’s all the help we’ll get there — the site’s tables reveal no brands with that color.

However, searching for FS35250, I find Ammo by Mig Jimenez lists its acrylic sky line blue (A.MIG-224) as matching the Federal Standard. Likewise for Vallejo’s deep sky blue (70.844). And Hataka’s HTK-A284 is listed as U.N. blue (FS35250).

If you broaden your search to “sky blue,” you’ll find colors that look close, such as Testors light blue and flat sky blue, and Tamiya’s sky blue. You may want to mix your own from there.

If you go with a custom color, be sure to mix up enough to finish the job — custom mixes can be difficult to duplicate, and you’ll want enough for touch-ups. (There are always touch-ups.)

One more word of encouragement: U.N. vehicles are generally painted white, so the blue would likely be for a flag, helmet, or cap, and those can vary in the field. In that case, use a sky blue and tell people it’s FS35250.

Bringing old decals to life Q In one of my back issues there was an article on reusing old decals and how to bring them back to life. Could you please provide me with the month and date of the article?

– Kenneth Harrison Golden Valley, Calif.

GOT A MODELING PROBLEM? Our Questions & Answers column is here to help. Email questions@finescale.com, or visit FineScale.com and click on “Contact Us.” We are not able to conduct lengthy research, such as answering questions on markings and unit histories. Mail volume and space limitations prevent us from printing every question. Please include your name, town, state, and a daytime phone number.

A

Irish troops on patrol as U.N. peacekeepers in Liberia, 2006.

A Kenneth, we’ve had so many articles on this that, rather than search one out, it’s faster for me to just tell you.

If decals have yellowed, you can put them in a sealable plastic bag and set them on a sunny window sill and leave them there for a week or two to let the sun bleach out the yellowing. Lacking a sunny sill, one reader says he put them up on the dash of his car under the windshield, achieving the same result.

When you are satisfied the sunlight has done all it can do, brush-coat the decals with Microscale Liquid Decal Film (www.microscale. com). This will prevent them from shattering, as old decals sometimes do. However, you will have to use a hobby knife to trim along the edge of each decal to cut through the protective film and allow decals to slide off the backing individually.

If a decal does crack, sometimes a matching color of paint can save the day. For example, when an old decal broke up on a Boeing 377, I found insignia blue was a pretty darned good match for the United Airlines livery.

One more tip — when all the decals are on, a coat of clear in the desired sheen (flat, semigloss, or gloss) will help keep them on.

That’s important because old decals just won’t stick as well, even if they go on whole.

Boring out a tiny barrel can be a nervous business. The trick is to start small and sneak up on it. Here’s what I do: If the end of the barrel is convex, gently sand it to square off the barrel end. Then use the tip of a needle or hobby-knife point to make a dimple in the center of the barrel end to serve as a pilot hole. Be careful to center it; if you’re off, it is hard to correct. I suppose you could use a micrometer to measure the diameter and radius, but I eyeball it.

Then chuck the smallest micro bit you have into a pin vise (above) and slowly turn it to deepen the hole. If you dare, you can go another size bigger on the bit and do it again. The trick is to stop before the outside wall distorts or collapses.

A pin vise will work well enough, but an ideal tool for this is a dental file (endodontic taper in DDS lingo) such as those used for a root canal. (Whee! Now that’s fun stuff!) It’s easy to hold the file between thumb and finger, giving you more control.

Remember, you don’t have to go very deep — just enough to create the illusion of an open barrel. I paint the inside of the barrel flat black and drybrush the end to highlight the detail.

And in case you are having trouble finding a suitable pin vise, you can visit the Kalmbach Hobby Store and get one just like the hotshots around here use: https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/ product/modeling-tool/84027. FSM

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55

WORKBENCH REVIEWS FSM experts build and evaluate new kits

Trumpeter M915 tractor and M872 trailer

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he M915 tractor was based on the Crain Carrier Company’s Centaur series of trucks and built under license for the military by American General. Powered by a 440-horsepower, 855-cubic-inch Cummings diesel engine, the 6 x 4 tractor can pull heavy loads on improved roads.

Trumpeter’s new M915 includes an M872 flatbed trailer with a 40-foot container. Molded in light gray plastic, the kit features good detail and excellent fit. The curbside kit lacks an engine; only the lower part of the motor and transmission are visible underneath.

Kit: No. 01015 Scale: 1/35 Mfg.: Trumpeter, www.trumpeter-china.com Price: $156.95 Comments: Injectionmolded, 517 parts (36 PE, 24 vinyl), decals Pros: PE easy to work with; lights molded in clear plastic; doors and front wheels posable Cons: Painting instructions lacking details; only one marking option; rubber tires difficult to install; no engine

The cab is molded in one piece. Clear plastic provides all of the windows and lights; the 24 tires are molded in a hard vinyl. Photo-etch (PE) is provided for radiator grille, steps, grates, and exhaust shield.

The large instruction booklet features clear steps and relatively uncluttered diagrams. Unfortunately, it does not include color callouts for the cab interior or other details. The only painting information provided is the full-color painting and marking diagram. Decals provide markings for just one vehicle.

I’m always concerned about getting a multipart frame like that on the tractor square and flat, but Trumpeter’s engineering ensured the frame was perfectly aligned. Getting this many wheels flat on the ground can also be an issue, but Trumpeter’s engineering was spot-on here as well. The front axle is posable, but glue the steering in place once you achieve the desired position. I left the wheels off until the tractor was painted.

I was impressed with how easy the PE parts were to work with. There are a couple of complex folds, but the relatively thick metal is forgiving. The only really tricky bit

is forming the exhaust shield. I bent mine around brass tube slightly smaller in diameter than the muffler.

Basic features fill the cab; advanced modelers may want to add some details, but they will be difficult to see unless the doors are posed open.

Photos on the internet show the cab interior to be mostly NATO green. It’s not mentioned in the instructions, but the kit includes a decal for the dashboard.

However, getting the single decal to con-

Revell Germany Spitfire Mk.IIa

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evell’s new kit of the iconic early Spitfire features optional windscreens, well-illustrated instructions, and comprehensive decals with markings for one aircraft.

Cockpit assembly was trouble-free. I painted most of the components with Testors Model Master RAF interior green; a brown artist’s oil wash popped the molded details. After applying the instrument and seat belt decals, I sealed the assembly with clear flat.

The fuselage halves fit so well that I didn’t need filler to eliminate a seam. Be careful, though, as the tail wheel and fin antenna mast are molded on one of the

56 FineScale Modeler January 2018

halves and easily knocked off during assembly and painting.

The wing fit well except for small gaps at the joins with the separate wingtips; I filled those areas with white glue. Both the wing and the horizontal stabilizers fit perfectly.

The canopy pieces were a bit thick, especially the armored windscreen, which seems to protrude too far forward. However, the clear parts fit without modification, and you can see the interior despite the thick parts.

I painted the RAF day fighter camouflage with Testors Model Master enamels.

Recessed panel lines received a brown wash.

The decals were the one low point; some

laid down nicely but others were too stiff, even on a glossy surface. I used decal softener on the bottom roundels with limited success because of the uneven surfaces. The red tape for the gun muzzles refused to conform to the leading edges without decal softener. Some of the decal silvered, but another dose of solvent remedied the problem. Testors clear flat dulled and sealed the finish.

I spent eight hours building and painting this little jewel. Parts breakdown points to the possibility of other versions in the future. The kit is a good value and would make a good first airplane build.

– Tom Foti

form to the raised detail is nearly impossible. So, I cut the decal into small sections and used parts of it; I painted the rest of the details.

The door windows are a snug fit; after masking them, I pressed them into the door openings without adhesive. The doors also fit snugly, so I pressed them into place to mask the interior during painting.

The rest of the cab exterior fit was impressive.

The biggest problem I had on the build was cleaning up and installing the six tiny

clear roof lights — I’m still surprised they all made it onto my model!

I had trouble slipping the nicely molded vinyl tires over the wheel rims. I used a micro screwdriver like a tire iron to install them, but that slightly damaged some of the rims in the process.

The trailer built quickly, starting with the perfectly aligned frame. In Step 25, be careful installing the tops of the storage bins (Part H24); make sure the single hole faces the closed side of the bin. It is not keyed, so it’s possible to install it incorrectly.

The container was also a quick, easy build; cleaning up and installing the door latches was the only fiddly part.

For primer red on the container, I mixed Tamiya flat red and red brown. A flat black acrylic filter dulled the finish and variation to the color.

The decals went on the container and tractor easily and responded well to Microscale decal solutions.

I spent about 34 hours building my M915, aided by the kit’s impressive fit and engineering. The PE would make a good introduction to that media for intermediate builders. The finished model exactly matched the dimensions found on www. military-today.com/trucks/m915.htm.

Advanced modelers would probably want to add additional detail to the cab, hoses for the pogo stick, and brake lines on the tractor to really dress up the kit.

- John Plzak

Kit: No. 03953 Scale: 1/72 Mfg.: Revell Germany, www.revell.de Price: $9.95 Comments: Injectionmolded, 38 parts, decals Pros: Straightforward build Cons: Minor fit problems; armored windscreen seems too big; decals silvered

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57

WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Tamiya M1A2 Abrams

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he Abrams tank seems to be a hot subject with kit manufacturers lately. Rye Field, Dragon, Meng, and Tamiya have recently come out with one Abrams or another in 1/35 scale.

What we were missing was an Abrams in 1/48 scale — until now.

Tightly packed in Tamiya’s box for the M1A2 are five trees of parts molded in tan plastic, all finely molded and flash-free. I was impressed at first glance: It was shocking to see that the antislip coating was molded into the parts, something the 1/35 scale molds lacked.

The instructions are a 10-page foldout booklet. They include a recommended tool guide, paint-color callout guide (Tamiya colors only), and a separate sheet with a brief history on the Abrams and a decal placement guide. The instructions are easy to follow and I did not notice any errors in them during the build.

The hull is the first major assembly. A

metal bar is provided to add weight to the model. I am not sure what purpose it serves but it does give the small vehicle more heft. After installing it, I noticed that the bar is a little loose and rattles inside the hull. That’s not a big deal, though.

Pay close attention to the instructions in Step 4. This makes building the tracks much easier.

The turret is the next major assembly.

Again, follow the instructions closely as there are several small parts to install. One thing to note: There are no clear parts; all the windows are depicted by decals, as is the CITV (Commander’s Independent

Thermal Viewer). I waited to install these decals until after I had painted the entire model and had a gloss coat down. This prevents damage during the build.

The decals in this kit were a big letdown.

After applying them over a gloss coat, most of them silvered. They are also rather thick and flat in finish. I would recommend replacing them with an aftermarket set if you can.

I used Testors Model Master armor sand overall, with rubber black for the tracks, and

road wheels, move to the next and fail to notice that one of the arms is stuck.

Fortunately, the amount of travel is small, so it’s not a great loss. In fact, it’s probably easier to just go ahead and glue them in position.

The tracks look great and work well, but assembling them is tedious. Each set comprises 165 parts. But the upper run is pretty well hidden by the sturdy body of the tank, so you could probably build about half of each run without anyone noticing.

Deviating from the instructions, I

attached both sides of the bogies at the same time. There is a bit of wiggle room in them, and if they dry crooked you’ll have a devil of time getting everything aligned when adding the side skirts.

With the complex running gear done, the upper hull went together quickly.

Despite the simplicity, details pack the hull, including photo-etched engine grilles and scale-thin handles.

Turret assembly involved just two quick steps. The shell is a slide-molded part with beautifully molded cast texture on the

Takom Maus V2

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he word big describes the fullsize Maus. It also describes Takom’s kit and its level of exterior detail. Most of the more than 700 parts go into the suspension and running gear; only 50 parts make up the hull and turret.

The build begins with the suspension and road wheels. If you’re careful during assembly, the bogies should be movable.

But it’s easy to get a bit of glue in the wrong spot and, given the large number of

Kit: No. 03.02.2050 Scale: 1/35 Mfg.: Takom, www.takom-world.com Price: $55 Comments: Injectionmolded, 720 parts (10 PE), decals Pros: Excellent cast texture; working tracks Cons: Two-part barrel

58 FineScale Modeler January 2018

Moebius Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer Kit: No. 32592 Scale: 1/48 Mfg.: Tamiya, www.tamiya.com Price: $34 Comments: Injection-molded, 172 parts, decals Pros: Crisp, clean molds; good fits; straightforward build; easy-tofollow instructions Cons: No interior detail or stowage; decals were thick, and they silvered

lightly weathered the model using Tamiya Weathering Master pastels.

Parts count is relatively low at 172, so it doesn’t take forever to complete this — I spent slightly more than 15 hours at it, and it was a refreshing, simple build. It would be perfect for a beginner, and an experienced modeler should have fun, too. Highly recommended!

– Chris Oglesby

armor and no seams. The one downside is the gun is molded in halves, which seems like a throwback. However, the halves fit well and the seam was easy to clean up.

Only one Maus V2 was ever completed, but the kit provides several colorful and creative camouflage options. I was drawn to the late-war octopus scheme, but went with my other choice of a dunkelgelb (dark yellow) lower haul and red oxide turret using Tamiya acrylics. To give the colors depth, I modulated them a little with slightly lighter and darker shades.

I took a few liberties with the turret markings, as there are no real photos of Maus turrets in the factory. But I based the main numbers on a photo of a Maus hull.

The lettering was done with a water-soluble colored pencil. The larger, starker numbers were painted with Ammo by Mig Jimenez washable white.

I had fun building Takom’s Maus, and despite the complexity of the running gear and the tedium of the track assembly it went together quickly. I spent a little more than 35 hours finishing it. Any modeler with a bit of experience will have a great time with this kit.

– Chris Cortez

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n 1973, noted fantasy and comic artist Frank Frazetta painted a now iconic image of a mysterious warrior on horseback. The Death Dealer graced album covers and spawned comic books, novels, and role-playing games Moebius’ 1/10 scale kit was sculpted by the talented Jeff Yagher, who did a masterful job of turning a painting into 3-D. Noteworthy, too, is the packaging, with a removable sleeve featuring the kit’s title and other information. Removing the sleeve reveals an unobstructed copy of the original painting suitable for framing or as a backdrop for the completed model.

After washing the parts, I started building the horse with the legs and tail. Seam cleanup was much easier before the limbs were attached to the body.

The halves of the horse trapped the tail. I attached the ears before cleaning up seams. The parts fit well, but on organic subjects it pays to eliminate joins. I had little trouble filling and sanding seams along the back, chest, and rear with Tamiya surface primer, but seams between the leg quarters were tricky. Fortunately, it’s mostly hidden on the finished model, so you could skip that if you wanted.

Before assembling the figure, I temporarily attached the saddle back and pommel horn with white glue to the horse to properly fit the rider.

Spend extra time dry-fitting the rider’s subassemblies to check which seams and ejector-pin marks will be hidden on the finished figure. When I glued the legs to the torso, I taped them in place on the horse overnight to ensure proper fit. I left the arm, cape, stirrups, head, hand and ax, and shield off for painting; they were easily attached during final assembly.

I cleaned up the tack but painted it separately. The reins are fragile, so be careful when clipping them from the sprue and removing the attachment points.

The kit provides chain and small metal rings to decorate the saddle blanket and suspend the sword. The instructions show them being attached to pins on the back of the blanket corners, but there are no

pins on the parts. Instead, small indentations indicate attachment points.

I base-coated the subassemblies with Badger Stynylrez black primer. For the horse, I airbrushed shades of brown acrylics; the rider and equipment were colored with dry-brushing and washes over the black.

Final assembly was a breeze. I enjoyed building and painting the Death Dealer.

It’s one of Moebius’ best offerings thus far, and I recommend it for figure fans.

Armor modelers will probably get a kick out of it, too.

– Jeff LaMott

Kit: No. 961 Scale: 1/10 Mfg.: Moebius, www.moebiusmodels. com Price: $69.99 Comments: Injection-molded, 47 parts (1 metal chain) Pros: Good sculpt and fits Cons: Small mistake in instructions

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59

WORKBENCH REVIEWS

Fitters compared: Kitty Hawk versus HobbyBoss

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oth Kittyhawk and HobbyBoss have graced us with newly tooled kits of the Su-17M3/M4 in close succession. Previously, there was only one option for building an Su-17 “Fitter” in 1/48 scale, that being the old KP/OEZ mold that has also been reissued

by Eduard and Smer in recent times.

Kittyhawk (KH) provides 766 parts, including 11 in clear styrene and 24 photoetched (PE) brass, versus 403 (13 in clear and 20 PE) from HobbyBoss (HB). You can choose from seven color schemes with the KH kit, two from HB. The KH instructions cover 19 steps in

Kit: 80144 Scale: 1/48 Mfg.: Kitty Hawk, www.kittyhawkmodel.com Price: $79.99 Comments: Injectionmolded, 766 parts (24 PE), decals Pros: Accurate details; plenty of options Cons: Difficult fits exacerbated by complex part breakdown; some loose fitting alignment devices

60 FineScale Modeler January 2018

34 pages. There are numerous faults in the instructions, including misnumbered parts, some parts not numbered at all, and several areas where it is not that obvious where parts go or how they assemble. I needed to look at pictures of several areas of the real aircraft to determine correct positioning/ assembly. Color callouts could be more thorough but are generally accurate.

The HB instructions encompass 24 steps in 16 pages and share many of the failings of the KH instructions, having misnumbered parts and even less color information than KH. Both have armament instructions that are incomplete and inaccurate. Each of the kits includes a comprehensive array of weapons to hang under the jet, with KH including quite a few that are not relevant to the Su-17. Both kits provide plenty of spare-parts bin fodder!

The KH cockpit is fabulous, with the panel, side walls, and seat well depicted by intricate small parts. I must confess that the PE belts for the seat had me baffled, being approximately 10 scale feet long, so I left them off, as I could not figure how they should be folded to fit. The only issue I had was with the K-36 ejection seat headbox, which looks a little too tall compared to pictures of the real thing. On the other hand, HB has missed the mark in regards to accuracy and execution of the cockpit: The molding of the tops of the buttons has a strange, stippled texture, and the panel and side wall details are “approximate” in several areas. The seat is acceptable in shape

but has simplified molded-in belts that are not terribly realistic. Unlike the KH kit, a resin replacement cockpit is a must for accuracy.

The wheel wells of both kits compare similarly to the cockpits, with KH’s being much more detailed and accurate than that of HB. The main undercarriage legs of both kits are somewhat flimsy and wobbly. This is largely due to the design of the undercarriage itself — it would be an ideal application of white-metal or brass legs! The HB tires are vinyl versus KH’s plastic wheels.

Exterior surface detailing reflects the same attention to detail as the interior of both kits. The KH molding is quite accurate and well presented, with numerous little touches that make the end product just that little bit more impressive, such as the ends of the cannon barrels being bored out and the depiction of the heat exchanger vent on the base of the tail. On the other hand, the HB molding has solid cannon-barrel ends and simple engraved outlines for the heat exchanger vent with no details at all.

Regarding assembly, let’s look at KH first. It is a difficult kit to build! Twelve parts make up the main fuselage/tail-fin assembly. Compounding this is the fact that the engineering of the individual parts is not optimal. Alignment devices are present, but they allow the underside centerline join of the fuselage to float; it is essential to progress slowly when gluing the seams to minimize alignment issues. Filler is required in virtually every seam, due to the

alignment pins on the upper fuselage parts leaving conspicuous gaps.

In comparison, the HB kit almost falls together; there really are no construction difficulties. The KH intake “bullet” fairing is inaccurate in the way it is mounted. The real thing has wedges on the top and bottom of the cone that direct airflow around the cockpit. KH uses pins on each side of the cone to hold the assembly, which makes it difficult to center when installing it in the nose. Similarly, the engine (which is provided as a complete unit that can be displayed separately or by leaving the tail section of the fuselage unattached) is difficult to align in both axes. HB handled both of these areas very well, correctly depicting the bullet-fairing mount and making alignment of the burner easy.

Numerous options are included by KH, with opened air brakes and blow-in doors on the nose. But the parts do not fit their respective recesses well at all, leaving no option but to pose them open. All flying surfaces are separate pieces. However, the flaps would require modification to droop.

HB molded the air brakes, blow-in doors, and flaps closed, so major work would be needed to show them opened. KH provides separate leading-edge slats, with slight modifications required if you wish to have them retracted. HB molded the slats closed.

KH includes parts to show both cannon bays open, with reasonable representations of the cannons themselves. HB does not provide open cannon bays, but does include

a very nice tow bar to attach to the nose wheel should you wish to use it in a diorama.

The KH construction of the wings allows them to swing and correctly depicts the hollow rear inner-wing section that the outer wings slide into. HB has dedicated swept and extended wing panels, with two pins that attach the outer wing panels to the inner wing. HB only supplies one set of ailerons, but if it had included two sets it would be possible to exchange swept and extended wings. Some trimming of the mating surface is required to fit the pylons on the KH kit, as excess plastic prevents a good fit. The HB pylons literally click into place and fit perfectly.

I chose to build the KH Fitter in Ukrainian markings, and the HB as a Russian air force Fitter that flew over Afghanistan in the early 1980s.

I spent approximately 60 hours on each model, much of that time being devoured by applying the multicolor camouflage. The decals from both manufacturers performed just fine, except the KH yellow stencils were too transparent.

In conclusion, the obvious question is, which kit is better? The answer depends on what you want in a model. An easy build that has some shape discrepancies and questionable detail with few options? Or a better-detailed model with more options which is trickier to build? Both kits have their problems, but both are streets ahead of what has previously been available. If I

were looking to build another Fitter, I would choose the KH offering because accuracy of detail out of the box is more important to me than an easy build that is not as accurate. Yes, the KH kit is more time-consuming and harder to build, but really all it needs is a resin seat to improve the cockpit — whereas the HB kit needs a full cockpit replacement if accuracy of detail is important to you. Both manufacturers have also released versions of the two-seat Su-17UM3. One of them may find its way into my stash!

– Matthew Walker

Kit: No. 81758 Scale: 1/48 Mfg.: HobbyBoss, www.hobbyboss.com Price: $87.99 Comments: Injection-molded, 403 parts (20 PE, 3 vinyl), decals Pros: Good fits; easy to assemble Cons: Details poorly molded; cockpit and wheel wells are approximations of the real thing; inaccurate windscreen shapes

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61

READER TIPS

By Elizabeth Nash

1

2

3

This inexpensive modeling tool comes in handy all around the workbench.

Claying around On my workbench is a substance that I couldn’t do without: modeling clay. Its many uses include: 1) Gap filler — Have you ever had a tiny gap, such as on an aircraft between the wing and fuselage? Maybe it’s only 1/64 of an inch, but you know it’s going stand out like it’s a foot wide once painted. Usually, the filler and the sandpaper come out, and so does the surrounding detail. Instead, take a little lump of clay, roll it around until it’s nice and soft, and squeeze it into the gap. Don’t worry about the excess, just take a damp paper towel, cotton swab, or pipe cleaner and rub it off.

Then paint directly over the clay. I’ve never encountered any bad reaction between the clay and paint. I find clay’s crack-filling property to be particularly useful on figures when the arms or legs or whatever simply don’t fit, or when you are trying to reposition the limbs.

Use a toothpick to push the clay into the gap and a cotton swab or pipe cleaner to smooth it out.

2) Nose weight — Many years ago, I went to a sporting goods shop and bought a 5-pound sack of birdshot (today, there is still 4½ pounds left). I take a wad of How to warm a rattle can I find that warming a can of spray paint under hot tap water makes the spray smoother and creates a better finish.

However, it’s tiring having to wait for the faucet to run hot again each time you need to rewarm the can.

Lately, and with good success, I’ve experimented with hand-warming packs used by skiers and hunters. These packs are activated when opened and exposed to air. After opening the pack, I form it around the can — it will not reach all the way around. To make it into a glove-like ring that I can slip the can in and out of, I loosely wrap masking tape around the pack, using a small wad of paper towel between the tape and the can 62 FineScale Modeler January 2018

clay and knead it into the birdshot until the clay is filled with little lead balls. This can be jammed into the nose, under the cockpit, or wherever you need to put it.

On at least one occasion, I stuffed it in the engine nacelles in front of the landing gear. Once you have it in place, paint with white glue to lock the shot in.

3) Tiny palette — If you need to apply a little bit of super glue or paint and don’t want to dirty a container, reach for the clay. After flattening it out, use the nonbusiness end of a hobby knife to make dimples that can be filled with glue or paint. Once finished, let the impromptu palette dry overnight, which makes removing paint easy, letting you use the clay again.

Eventually, after five or six years, the clay will become too grimy and dirty to use — not a bad lifespan for a $2 modeling item.

– Chet Mohn New Cumberland, Penn.

to keep it from sticking.

To insulate the warming ring, I add an outer layer of foil-faced bubble wrap and secure this with more tape.

Using this setup, I’ve found my rattle can stays warm for five hours.

A word of caution: Take this method outside on the first few tries to test that the brand of warming packs you’re using won’t cause the can to overheat and rupture.

– Brian Yerich Stamford, N.Y.

Stop the corrosion If you’re building a kit with metal (not photo-etch) parts, make the finish last with this tip I learned way back in the 1970s,

when most 1/35 scale figures were lead (also known as pot metal).

Back then, a common problem with poorly-prepped figures was a kind of corrosion that would, after a year or two, bubble the paint off. The solution was simple: Soak the metal in a bath of white vinegar overnight. Next, prime the figure in enamel or lacquer (not acrylic). I always preferred the now-unavailable Floquil primer, but any enamel or lacquer will work.

I still have figures from the mid-70s that have never suffered from corrosion. So, if you’re using metal landing gear, propellers, or other parts, try this old but faithful tip.

– Ned Barnett Las Vegas, Nev.

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685)

A putty recommendation Deluxe Materials Perfect Plastic Putty is an excellent one-part acrylic filler that goes down smooth and is easy to work with.

Even when dry, it can be removed with a damp cotton swab or paper towel.

I’ve sometimes found no sanding is necessary to get a smooth line, such as when filling a wing fillet.

If it dries up inside the tube, don’t toss it away. Use an eyedropper to add a couple drops of tap water, shake well, and let sit for a few minutes. The water softens the putty so it’s like new again.

– Ernie Urtiaga Oviedo, Fla.

From toy box to workbench Need to make a mold? Use your kids’ (or your own) Lego blocks.

Using a large Lego base, build up the blocks as you would a brick wall, with each new layer overlapping the seams of the layer beneath. This will form a tight seal.

Create whatever form you need, be it large or small, and fill it with silicone or

resin (it even holds reusable, reheatable molding material). I’ve never had the material seep through, and cleanup is easy.

The molding possibilities are endless!

– Craig Hay Bronx, N.Y.

Dirty to clean in three minutes If you invest in a jewelry cleaning machine ($19-$49), you can easily wash several items on your workbench.

I use one to thoroughly clean out empty paint bottles. They can then be repurposed as small paint mixers or as a reservoir for an airbrush. The machine also removes those pesky, sticky bottle labels.

I have also used a jewelry cleaner to wash out my airbrush. I break down the parts and stick them in the plastic tub.

Once they are paint-free, I let them air dry.

Using a teaspoon of cleaning powder ($1.39-$1.89 per bottle), lukewarm water, and the 3-minute setting on the machine, you can clean with ease.

– Kenneth Uffelman Fresno, Calif.

1.

Title of publication: FineScale Modeler

2.

Number of publication: 679-590

3.

Date of filing: October 1, 2017

4.

Frequency of issue: Ten times per year

5.

Number of issues published annually: 10

6.

Annual subscription price: $39.95

7.

Location of known office of publication: 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, Waukesha County, WI 53187-1612, ph.

262-798-6607

8.

Location of headquarters or general business offices of publishers: Same

9.

Publisher: Steve George, 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53186. Editor: Mark Savage, same address. Managing Editor: N/A

10. Owner: Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; Stockholders owning or holding one (1) percent or more of total amount of stock are: Deborah H.D. Bercot, 22012 Indian Springs Trail, Amberson, PA 17210; Gerald & Patricia Boettcher Trust, 8041 Warren Ave. Wauwatosa, WI 53213; Alexander & Sally Darragh, 145 Prospect Ave., Waterloo, IA 50703; Melanie J. Kirrene Trust, 9705 Royston Ct., Granite Bay, CA 95746; Harold Edmonson, 6021 N. Marmora Ave., Chicago, IL 60646; Laura & Gregory Felzer, 3328 S. Honey Creek Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53219; Susan E. Fisher Trust, 3430 E. Sunrise Dr., Ste. 200, Tucson, AZ 85718; Bruce H. Grunden, 255 Vista Del Lago Dr., Huffman, TX 77336; Linda H. Hanson Trust, P.O. Box 19, Arcadia, MI 49613; Mary Kay Herrmann, 1530 Tallgrass Circle, Waukesha, WI 53188; George F. Hirschmann Trusts, P.O. Box 19, Arcadia, MI 49613; James & Carol Ingles, 1907 Sunnyside Dr., Waukesha, WI 53186; Charles & Lois Kalmbach, 7435 N. Braeburn Lane, Glendale, WI 53209; Kalmbach Profit Sharing/401K Savings Plan & Trust, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; James & Elizabeth King, 2505 E. Bradford Ave., #1305, Milwaukee, WI 53211; Mahnke Family Trust, 4756 Marlborough Way, Carmichael, CA 95608; Milwaukee Art Museum, Inc., 700 N. Art Museum Dr, Milwaukee, WI 53202; James W. Mundschau, N24 W30420 Crystal Springs Dr., Pewaukee, WI 53072; Lois E. Stuart Trust, 1320 Pantops Cottage Ct. #1, Charlottesville, VA 22911-4663; David M. Thornburgh Trust, 8855 Collins Ave. Apt. 3A, Surfside, FL 33154.

11. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: Not applicable 12. Tax status: Not applicable 13. Publication title: FineScale Modeler 14. Issue date for circulation data below: September 2017

Protect Your Investment Preserve your library of FineScale Modeler magazines with durable hardcover binders.

ONLY $13.95 each

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average No. Copies of Each Issue During Preceding 12 months

Actual No. of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

50,873

51,553

24,539

24,619

0

0

8,330

7,776

A. Total no. copies (net press run): B. Paid and/or requested circulation 1. Paid/requested outside-county mail subscriptions: 2. Paid in-county subscriptions 3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, counter sales, and other non-USPS paid distribution: 4. Other classes mailed through USPS:

0

0

C. Total paid and/or requested circulation:

32,868

32,395

1. Outside-county:

0

0

2. In-county:

0

0

141

143

D. Free distribution by mail

3. Other classes mailed through USPS: 4. Outside the mail:

0

0

141

143

F. Total distribution (sum of 15c and 15e):

33,009

32,538

G. Copies not distributed:

17,864

19,015

H. Total (sum of 15f and 15g):

50,873

51,553

I. Percent paid and/or requested:

99.57%

99.56%

E. Total free distribution (sum of 15d (1,2,3,4)):

16. Total circulation includes electronic copies: Average No. Copies of Each Issue During Preceding 12 months

Item #14006

P29466

A. Paid electronic copies: B. Total paid print copies + paid electronic copies (sum of 15c and 16A):

Shop at KalmbachHobbyStore.com

Actual No. of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date

2,564

2,317

35,432

34,712

C. Total print distribution + paid electronic copies (sum of 15f and 16a):

35,572

34,855

D. Percent paid and/or requested:

99.61%

99.59%

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Will be printed in the January 2018 issue of this publication.

18. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

Nicole McGuire, Vice President - Consumer Marketing, 9/29/17

www.FineScale.com

63

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Classified Marketplace This section is open to anyone who wants to sell or buy scale modeling merchandise. FSM reserves the right to edit undesirable copy or refuse listing. For FSMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s private records, please furnish: a telephone number and a street address.

Coming Events Rate: $35 per issue (55 word maximum).

Ads will contain the following information about the event: state, city, sponsoring organization and name of event, meet, auction or show, dates, location, times, admission fee, name and/or telephone number and/or email of person to contact for information. Word Ad Rates: 1 insertion - $1.13 per word, 5 insertions - $1.08 per word, 10 insertions - 99¢ per word. $20 minimum per issue.

Count all initials, single numbers, street number or name, city, state, zip, phone numbers each as one word. Payment must accompany the ad. To receive the discount you must order and prepay for all ads at one time. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

Send Your Ads To: FineScale Modeler â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Classified Marketplace, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Phone toll-free: 1-888-558-1544, Ext. 815, or fax: 262-796-0126.

E-mail: onlineclassads@kalmbach.com

Closing Date: February 2018 closes Nov. 1st.

COMING EVENTS CA, CAMARILLO: Modelfest 2018. Sunday, February 25, 2018 from 8:30am - 3:00pm. Plastic model contest and swap meet to be held at the Commemorative Air Force Hangar/Southern California Wing. 455 Aviation Drive. Admission $10 per person. For more information contact Vernon Morseman or Stuart Mackie at 805-658-8138

64 FineScale Modeler January 2018

COLPARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HobbyTown USA PLANES â&#x20AC;˘ ARMOR â&#x20AC;˘ CARS â&#x20AC;˘ SHIPS â&#x20AC;˘ SCI-FI

We carry a huge inventory of plastic model kits from around the world! Full Line of Detailing Accessories.

Airline models, Decals, Books, Promos, Die Cast Collectibles, Historical & RPG Games & Miniatures, Airbrushes & parts. Large Paint and Tool inventory.

Full line R/C department. We ship worldwide.

www.deanshobbystop.com Contact us for a FREE catalog! (specify car or military list)

116 N. Washington Street, Owosso, MI 48867 989-720-2137 â&#x20AC;˘ Fax: 989-720-0937 Email: dean@deanshobbystop.com

www.colpar.com COLPARâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HobbyTown USA To order call: 1-800-876-0414 1915 S. Havana St. For information: 303-341-0414 Aurora, Co 80014

Advertising Increases: â&#x20AC;˘ Visibility â&#x20AC;˘ Opportunity â&#x20AC;˘ Credibility To advertise, call 888-558-1544 ext. 549

FOR SALE

WANTED

ATLANTIS MAIL ORDER HOBBY SUPPLY Deep Discounts on Thousands of New kits, Discontinued and Closeout items. Send $2.95 to 9 Connor Lane Unit-G Deer Park, NY 11729 OR CALL 631-499-6733 M-F 11-4PM est. You can also visit www.atlantis-models.com to order the Catalog.

A BIG BUYER OF AIRCRAFT, Armor, Sci-Fi, Resin, Hybrid or Plastic kits. We buy collections whether they are small or large- Worldwide as well. Call Don Black toll free 1-866-4627277. Don Black, 119 Bernhurst Road, New Bern, NC 28560.

E-mail don@donblack.com

ATTENTION KIT BUILDERS: If you are missing something in your collection check this out! Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s over 500, (some hard to ďŹ nd) models, 1/72 and 1/48 scale, plus over 100 decal sets available to be sold individually at fair prices. For a complete list categorized by scale send a SASE for $1.61 to: Bob Twistol, 5005 Briar Oaks Circle, Orlando, Florida 32808. Questions? Call 407-491-1586 or E-mail jetpilotf105@yahoo.com

AIRCRAFT, ARMOR, SCI-FI, FIGURES, AUTO, ETC. Buying kit collections, large or small, worldwide. Top prices paid. Call Jim Banko 610-814-2784 or mail list to 122 Independence Ct., Bethlehem, PA 18020, fax 610-439-4141. E-mail: cth1@prodigy.net

AVIATION ART STORE Famous American, Allied and Axis Aviator limited edition prints. Rare signatures of French, Italian, and Japanese aviators. Aviationartstore.com CANOPY MASKING AND MORE! WWW.EZMASKS. COM List $3.00. Chris Loney, 75 Golf Club Rd., Smiths Falls, ON, Canada K7A 4S5. 613-283-5206, ezmasks@gmail.com NEW! WOODEN SHIP MODEL KITS BlueJacket Shipcrafters, Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest maker of wooden ship model kits has launched several new kits including the Pauline sardine carrier, USS Cairo ironclad civil war gunboat, the Revenue Cutter of 1815, the J/24, and coming soon, the Perry! Visit us at www.bluejacketinc.com to see these and our more than 75 other ship model kits for everyone from beginner to master craftsman.

Experience Wooden Ship Modeling!

SHIP AND AIRCRAFT MODELS. Built for display. For additional information contact, Ray Guinta, PO Box 74, Leonia, NJ 07605. www.modelshipsbyrayguinta.com THOUSANDS OF MODEL KITS for sale. All types from Old Aurora to new releases. Send a $.70 SASE to: Dean Sills, 116 N. Washington, Owosso, MI 48867.

Specify Military List. Phone: 989-720-2137. Fax: 989-720-0937.

E-mail: dean@deanshobbystop.com

I WANT TO BUY YOUR UNBUILT MODEL KITS. Any size collection. Dean Sills, 116 N. Washington St. Owosso, MI 48867. 989-720-2137. Fax: 989-720-0937. E-mail: dean@deanshobbystop.com MODEL CAR AND TRUCK KITS. Unbuilt or built. Any size collection. Good prices paid. Please contact: Fred Sterns, 48 Standish, Buffalo, NY 14216. Phone: 716-838-6797. Fax: 716-836-6057. E-mail: fsterns@aol.com

MISCELLANEOUS 1ST AND ABSOLUTELY THE BEST MUSEUM-QUALITY MODELS. IPMS Nationals winner building aircraft and armor to your speciďŹ cation, including conversions and scratchbuilt. Call BC Models for quote and information at 913-385-9594 or visit www.bcmmodels.com FINESCALE MODELER AUTHOR and IPMS medalist will build your favorite aircraft, specializing in metal ďŹ nishes. Contact John Adelmann at 563-556-7641 or jjadelmann@yahoo.com

Subscribe to FineScale Modeler!

Call 1-800-533-6644 or visit FineScale.com today!

Local Hobby Shop Directory Local Hobby Shop Directory listings are available for the next ten issues for $275 (payable in advance) or at $37 per issue (billed to established accounts for a minimum of ten insertions). Ads will be set in standard listing typography. All insertions must be consecutive and may be invoiced if you have credit established with us. No mention of mail order business permitted. For information call 1-888-558-1544, ext. 815. Closing dates listed in Classifieds section.

ALASKA • Anchorage

907-277-7778

ARKANSAS • Jacksonville

Headquarters for scale hobbies. Models; N-HO-O trains; gaming; tools; paints, etc.

Discounts & special orders.

Open 10-6, closed Sundays and Wednesdays www.railandspruehobbies.com

RAIL & SPRUE HOBBIES

501-982-6836

CALIFORNIA • Burbank

818-848-3674

CALIFORNIA • Canoga Park

Kits, plastic & wood, Slot cars & toys.

Rockets, paint, glue and tools. Model trains.

Mon 10-5; Tue - Sat 10-6 Closed Sun & Major Holidays. www.scalemodelstuff.com

SCALE MODEL STUFF

818-716-7847

CALIFORNIA • Garden Grove

Rewards program for 10% back on purchases.

Plastic aircraft, armor, ships, cars, decals, books, paints, tools, miniatures war-games.

Mon-Thur 11-8, Fri 11-midnight, Sat 10-midnight, Sun 11-7 www.brookhursthobbies.com

BROOKHURST HOBBIES

12188 Brookhurst St.

714-636-3580

CALIFORNIA • Hollister

Model planes, car, ships & figures. Model train scales: Z, N, HO, O & G. Paints, tools. R/C & parts, incl. service. Craft & educational kits, supplies, products. Clinics available. Tu-Sat 116; Sun 12-4. www.debbiebartunek@mac.com

B.C.T. HOBBY & CRAFTS

201-C McCray St.

CONNECTICUT • Cos Cob Planes, tanks, cars, ships, rockets, plastic and wood kits. Trains. Authorized Lionel dealer & repair. Die-cast, RC, slot cars, structural and diorama supplier. Special orders welcome.

ANN’S HOBBY CENTER

405 E. Putnam Avenue

203-869-0969

TIME MACHINE HOBBY

71 Hilliard St.

860-646-0610

CONNECTICUT • Milford

Extensive selection of armor kits & Verlinden accessories. Military, auto & aircraft plastic models. Photo-etched parts. O gauge train sets. Open Tues - Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5. www.HQHobbies.com

HQ HOBBIES

394 New Haven Ave., Unit 1

203-882-1979

Plastic modeling kits.

Paint, tools, scenery, accessories, & scale model railroads.

Mon - Sat 10:00am-6:00pm; Closed Sun www.metrotrainsandhobbies.com

BURBANK’S HOUSE OF HOBBIES

7259 Canoga Avenue

800-876-0414

FLORIDA • Ft. Myers

Large selection of plastic kits, paints, and supplies. Special orders no problem Visit us in person or online www.houseofhobbies.com Secure online ordering

911 S. Victory Blvd.

COLPAR HOBBIES

1915 S. Havana St.

Largest hobby shop in NE. Military, cars, trucks, plastic models, diecast cars, trucks. Planes, RC planes, cars, trucks, slot cars, rockets, Breyer, Detailing supplies, games!

Mon-Wed 10-6 Th-Fri 10-9 Sat-Sun 10-6

ANCHORAGE HOUSE OF HOBBIES

1200 John Harden Dr.

Large inventory of models from the world over! Detailing accessories, research publications, games, trains, R/C, tools, and supplies. Easy access from D.I.A. http://www.colpar.com

CONNECTICUT • Manchester

www.anchoragehouseofhobbies.com Alaska’s best hobby supplier since 1964.

Two stories, 6,300sf, 1st floor all R/C, 2nd floor general hobbies, plastics, trains, slot cars, telescopes & more!

2803 Spenard Rd.

COLORADO • Aurora

831-635-0537

CALIFORNIA • Orange

New Products, Old Kits & Great Service!

Everything you need to build plastic models Armor, Aircraft, Ships, Cars, SciFi and more.

M-F 10:30-6pm, Sat 10:30-5pm, Sun 12-5pm www.militaryhobbiesonline.com

METRO TRAINS & HOBBIES

12951 Metro Parkway

239-332-0422

GEORGIA • Blue Ridge

Huge selection of model kits & accessories.

Ships, Armor, Aircraft, Figures, Cars and more.

Visit: www.freetimehobbies.com for complete listing.

Monday to Friday 10-5, Saturday 10-4

FREE TIME HOBBIES

47 Dunbarton Farm Rd.

706-946-1120

HAWAII • Kailua, Oahu

Wide selection of plastic model kits, paint, books, magazines and tools.

Located on the beautiful windward side, a scenic 20 minute drive from Honolulu.

Mon - Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-2

WELLER’S HOBBYCRAFT

767 Kailua Road

808-262-0211

MASSACHUSETTS • Malden (Boston)

Largest store in area, easy access via I-93, Rt. 1, and the T. Complete line of model kits & supplies, plus toy soldiers, figure kits, games, etc. Shipping available. Info: hobbybunker.com

HOBBY BUNKER, INC.

33 Exchange St.

781-321-8855

MASSACHUSETTS • Norton

714-637-1211

6,000 model kits, old and new: Autos, armor, planes & sci-fi. Reference books & supplies.

Open T-Th 11-7, F 11-8, Sa 10-5. Rt. 495 to Rt. 123E, behind Dunkin’ Donuts. www.mymummy. com E: mummy@mymummy.com HARRY’S HOBBIES & COLLECTABLES 250 E. Main St., Rt 123 508-285-8080

Your source for plastic models, diecast and all supplies needed to finish your latest model.

Open 7 Days - Call for Hours www.talbotstoyland.com

Thousands of model kits from old Aurora to new releases. Mon 4pm-7pm, Tues - Fri 11:30am-5pm. Sat 11:30am-4:00pm E-mail: dean@deanshobbystop.com

MILITARY HOBBIES

830 E. Lincoln Ave.

CALIFORNIA • San Mateo

MICHIGAN • Owosso

TALBOT’S HOBBIES

445 South “B” Street

650-342-0126

Ad Index

We believe that our readers are as important as our advertisers. If you do not receive your merchandise or a reply from an advertiser within a reasonable period, please contact us. Provide details about what you ordered and the amount you paid. If no action is obtained after we forward your complaint to the advertiser, we will not accept further advertising from them. FineScale Modeler magazine, 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187. The Advertiser Index is provided as a service to FineScale Modeler magazine readers. The magazine is not responsible for omissions or for typographical errors in names or page numbers.

New & Old Toy Soldiers, Historical Miniatures, Models and Figure Kits from Around the World. Our famous selection of hobby supplies includes scenics, paints, reference and more. www.michtoy.com MICHIGAN TOY SOLDIER & FIGURE CO. 1400 E. 11 Mile Rd. 248-586-1022

MICHIGAN • Traverse City Let your imagination run wild!

Aircraft, ships, cars, armor, special orders, diecast cars, model railroading Z to G and more...

TRAINS & THINGS HOBBIES

210 East Front St.

231-947-1353

MICHIGAN • Ypsilanti-Metro Detroit

Your single stop model building shop.

Michigan’s largest selection of new and vin-tage kits in all genres plus everything needed to build them. Wed - Sat 11-8, Sun 12-5 Visit us on Facebook. www.modelcave.com

MODELCAVE

103 W. Michigan Avenue

734-316-2281

NEVADA • Las Vegas

HOBBYTOWN USA

702-889-9554

NEW HAMPSHIRE • Dover

ELITE HOBBIES

603-749-0800

NEW JERSEY • Kenvil

KENVIL HOBBIES

973-584-1188

NEW JERSEY • Magnolia (Camden) Huge foreign & domestic model selection all scales. Automobiles, aircraft ship, books, wargames, scenery, diorama supplies, parts, tools. Open 7 days

AAA HOBBIES & CRAFTS

706 N. White Horse Pike

856-435-7645

NEW YORK • Middle Island Excellent selection of lead miniatureshistorical and fantasy. Plastic models, wargames & modeling supplies.

Books and magazines.

MEN AT ARMS HOBBIES, INC.

134 Middle Country Rd.

631-924-0583

NEW YORK • Upr Eastside GR Manhattan Visit our in-house Aircraft Model Museum.

Foreign and domestic plastic and wood kits.

Open 7 days.

JAN’S HOBBY SHOP, INC.

1435 Lexington Ave.

989-720-2137

918-274-0433

Full service hobby shop.

Over 6,000 recently acquired models.

All the supplies you need to build your model. www.hillsborohobby.com

HILLSBORO HOBBY SHOP

345 E. Main St.

503-648-3788

PENNSYLVANIA • Landisville (Lancaster) Large Selection New & Used Kits Military books, tools, paint, airbrushes Full line hobby shop open Tue - Thur 10-6, Fri 10-7, Sat 10-4 www.CoolTrains.com

COOLTRAINS TOYS & HOBBIES

106 W. Main Street

717-898-7119

HO & N, Lionel trains.

Complete line of plastic kits, military and architecture supplies.

Open 11am-6pm M-F, Sat. 10am-5pm www.gandgmodelshop.com

G & G MODEL SHOP

2522 Times Blvd.

713-529-7752

Scale modeling from beginner to expert.

A wide selection of aircraft, armor, autos, figures, ships, & sci-fi. Lots of reference material, detail parts, decals, tools, & eight lines of paint. Open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm.

DIBBLE’S HOBBIES

1029 Donaldson Ave.

210-735-7721

WASHINGTON • Seattle

Full service hobbies, a full line of HO, N, 3-Rail, military, cars, boats, planes, dollhouses, scratchbuilding supplies, plus details-details-details!

590 Rt. 46

TOP SHELF MODELS

119 S. Main St.

TEXAS • San Antonio

Best plastic, resin & balsa kits from around the world. Scratch building & diorama supplies, reference books, large paint selection including Humbrol, Citadel & Testors #334 90 Washington St.

Oklahoma’s largest plastic kit, paint & aftermarket inventory. Planes, cars, trucks, armor, ships, trains & sci-fi. Special orders welcome!

Tue - Fri 10-5:30, Sat 10-5, Sun 1-4:30 Web site: www.topshelfmodelsllc.com

TEXAS • Houston

While in Las Vegas, come see our wide selection of models and detail accessories.

Less than 5 miles off the Las Vegas strip Hours Mon-Fri 10-7, Sat 10-6, Sun noon-5.

4590 W Sahara Ave Ste 103

OKLAHOMA • Owasso

OREGON • Hillsboro

212-987-4765

NORTH CAROLINA • ARDEN

DEAN’S HOBBY STOP

116 N. Washington Street

MICHIGAN • Royal Oak (Metro Detroit)

Not just trains. Academy Models, AFV Club, Bandai, Hobby Engine, Morgan Cycle, Revell Monogram, Tamiya & More! www.

FactoryDirectTrains.com

Plastic Model Specialists. Large selection of rare & out-of-production models.

Large selection of detail parts. Largest selection of plastic models in South Seattle! www.skywaymodel.com

SKYWAY MODEL SHOP

12615 Renton Ave. South

206-772-1211

CANADA–ON • Ottawa (Vanier) One of Canada’s leading model shops.

Complete line of military & aircraft kits, decals, paints and accessories.

Free parking. On Parle Francais.

HOBBY HOUSE, LTD

80 Montreal Rd.

613-749-5245

CANADA–ON • Toronto Large selection of new & out-of-production kits.

Accessories & finishing products. Servicing the hobbies since 1986. We buy kit collections. www.wheelswingshobbies.com

WHEELS AND WINGS

1880 Danforth Ave.

416-752-0071

Run your Retail Directory ad in the next issue of

FineScale Modeler!

Call 888-558-1544, ext. 815 for more information.

FACTORY DIRECT TRAINS

7 GLENN BRIDGE RD STE B

800-990-3381

Alpha Precision Abrasives, Inc.___ 6

FineScale Modeler Modeling Tools 67

Plastruct, Inc. ________________ 8

ARA Press__________________ 11

Glenn Hoover Models ________ 64

Proxxon, Inc. ________________ 11

Aves Studio __________________ 8

Hobbylink Japan ______________ 8

Powercookie Boards LLC _______ 8

Colpar’s Hobbytown USA _____ 64

Hornby America ______________ 6

Roll Models______________ 11, 64

Cult TV Man _______________ 14

Mark Klimaszewski __________ 11

Squadron Mail Order __________ 4

Dean’s Hobby Stop ___________ 64

MegaHobby.com_____________ 64

Tamiya America, Inc. __________ 2

Evergreen Scale Models ________ 6

Michigan Toy Soldier Co.______ 64

TotalNavy.com ______________ 64

Fantastic Plastic Models _______ 64

Micro-Mark Tools ____________ 6

Wargaming America __________ 68

FineScale Modeler Binders_____ 63

Oldmodelkits.com ___________ 64

Xuron Corporation ____________ 8

FineScale Modeler Magazine-Digital 67

ParaGrafix Modeling Systems ___ 6

www.FineScale.com

65

FINAL DETAILS

By Mark Hembree

A season of giving

Modeling ships was not Dale’s forte — but it wasn’t about him. He built Monogram’s 1/150 scale USS Susquehanna for a co-worker’s father.

Photo by Cristian Ortega.

T

he spirit of gift-giving is part of all the ways in which the holiday season is celebrated. Right alongside peace on earth and good will toward men (and women) are those true gifts born of selflessness, sacrifice, thoughtfulness, and compassion.

In the spirit of the season, a few modelers will present their own special gifts representing hours spent for charity — builds destined for others’ shelves, keepsakes for someone else’s life.

This year, one of those charitable modelers is Dale Stanek, of Sarasota, Fla., who challenged his own skills to build his first tall ship — for someone he didn’t even know. We’ll let him tell the rest of the story: “A co-worker was looking for a home for about two dozen model kits that his dad had. His dad used to build models, but gave

Check out Great Scale Modeling 2017 See FineScale Modeler‘s nationwide show coverage, including the Midwest Model Ships & Boats contest in Manitowoc, Wis. 66 FineScale Modeler January 2018

up due to his eyesight. People in the office know about my model building, so they offered the kits to me. Most of them were 1/48 and 1/32 scale aircraft, with this one ship kit. I offered to build one of the models for the dad as a thank-you, and the Susquehanna had a special memory for him.

So, even though I am mainly an aircraft builder, I jumped at the chance to try something different.

“I had always used enamel paints before, but I found some YouTube videos demonstrating weathering techniques with acrylics to make plastic look like worn wood. I used these techniques on the deck, the black portion of the hull, and the masts. The sails were also treated to an acrylic wash.

“Almost every small part also got a weathering treatment. The only significant enamel painting was the copper cladding, which was then weathered with a green acrylic wash to replicate corrosion. The heavier black (standing) rigging thread came with the kit; I dyed it with ebony wood stain, then ran it through a block of beeswax. The lighter standing rigging and the running rigging (rope color) were from

Model Expo. I treated the black line same as the heavy black line; the rope color came from golden oak wood stain.

“I was able to learn some of the authentic knots used by serious ship modelers, but some still elude me; I ‘cheated’ in many places with simpler knots.

“The sails came with dimples molded in for the rigging, and I punched them out.

Using a needle to sew the sails to the yardarms was a disaster, but I found that dipping the end of the thread in super glue made it stiff enough to go through the holes without fraying. Then, just carefully tightening each line finished the sewing job.

“In spite of Hurricane Irma roaring through here, I was able to finish the model in time for Modelpalooza 2017 in Orlando, Fla., where it earned a bronze medal.

“After the contest I took the model to work, where my friend Cristian set up his gear and took photos. Then we turned the ship over to its new owner (or at least his son) to be delivered to its final home.”

Good modeling to you and good will to all this season! FSM

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