I cannot find where I posted this but in this build I have been trying out a few new tools purchased at Telford and here is a swift summary:
Most expensive was my new pistol grip
Topnotch Models airbrush. It is a development of the Grex with a feew refinements. It has a 0.3 needle. I got this at Telford because I am finding my finger cramping up when I do a lot of airbrushing and with 1/32 aircraft it can mean a lot more time airbrushing and tryint to maintain a steady pattern.
Well the
airbrush is excellent, I like the control I get from the pistol grip and I had less cramping issues. A real success. I still love my Harder and Steinbeck airbrushes and they still will be used, indeed I used my 0.4 H&S for the varnish coats on this F16. The one advantage the H&S has over the Topnotch is an easy breakdown for cleaning without having to use a tool. That is not to say that the Topnotch is difficult, it just takes a little longer and you use a tool the release the nozzle. The H&S also seem a little more robust.
One other thing, a small thing perhaps, but I find the aibrush cup lid on the Topnotch a lot easier to pop off than on the H&S..... The H&S does seem to sometimes stick in place making me struggle to remove it...
To summarise, a success. If you want a pistol grip
airbrush but prefer to stick with H&S then they do the Colani but I have not used that one.
Next I got my
Zoukei Mura scraper that looks a bit like a samurai sword. An excellent tool and it is now my favourite scraper as it can reach areas the other scrapers cannot. Expensive for what it is but worth it.
Also from
Zoukei Mura I got some sprue cutters. I loved these as I was able to get right close up to a part reducing the amount of residual sprue that needed sanding off. Very sharp, small and pointed I used my old cutters to get the part off the sprue and then went in with these to trim the part.
All in all good finds, all of them.
Here is a link to my 'Telford haul' thread with pictures of the tools in question.
I will get a session on the F16 tonight but I am in The City for a couple of days at a conference but still hope to finish this model off this weekend....