Karls RAF Journey. Pt1. Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.1a.

[KarlW]

A few months ago I was talking to a random encounter by the shelves of a model selection in a town I can't even remember (I try to buy a kit in any town I'm in with a model shop, work has me travel a fair bit.), about changing over paints from acrylics to lacquers, as I had said I was wanting to but it was a big investment. He suggested sticking with a theme for a while, that way a smaller selection of paints would initially be needed and I could expand my collection at a slower rate, so after ordering the essential RAF colours from MRP last month I have gathered up all my relevant kits and will just chip away at them here, unless I fit them into a GB then they'll be blogged there.
And of course being a typical modeller when it comes to new kits this will probobly never end.

 

[KarlW]

First up is actually going to be a shelf queen from my son's BoB group build entry that he lost interest in due to Fortnite.
He started that here.
I had already smoothed the seams and masked the canopy so time to get that glued on and squirt primer at this.

 

[colin m]

I made the change to MRP - and I'm really glad I did.

 

[KarlW]

I made the change to MRP - and I'm really glad I did.

I'm going to use AK Real Color too, as it's easier to get. And apparently mixes with MRP just fine.

 

[Jim R]

That sounds like a good plan to limit paint purchases. That Airfix Spitfire is a lovely kit.

 

[colin m]

I'm going to use AK Real Color too, as it's easier to get. And apparently mixes with MRP just fine.

Well I never knew that, let me know how that works out please.

 

[Jim R]

Am I right in thinking that MRP is a lacquer paint whereas AK Real Color is an acrylic lacquer like Tamiya???

 

[KarlW]

Am I right in thinking that MRP is a lacquer paint whereas AK Real Color is an acrylic lacquer like Tamiya???

MRP is also an acrylic lacquer.

 

[KarlW]

That sounds like a good plan to limit paint purchases. That Airfix Spitfire is a lovely kit.

It's this Spitfire that made me realise Airfix are worth considering, who else puts weighted wheels in a 1/72 kit?

 

[Jim R]

Thanks Karl. I'm easily confused What do you dilute the MRP with or is it airbrush ready?

 

[KarlW]

It's airbrush ready, but you can use any lacquer thinners, they recommend Mr Hobby levelling thinner. I'm using Tamiya to flush out the airbrush. (Been using it for lacquer primers which I switched to a few years back.)

AK say any lacquer thinners you already use will do Real Color. Their own lacquer thinners are branded "High compatiblity thinners."
Their blurb also says the paint can be mixed with any other brand, which makes sense.
And the Real Color jars are their own jars but the same size as Tamiya jars.

 

[KarlW]

Long day at work so short time at the bench, left at 0630 got home at 1830 to do a job I could of done on Friday and then one another engineer could of done yesterday.
Need to buy my planner a map.

So a squirt of interior green at the canopy, then a grey primer over the top and the starboard wing underside, then black for the underside bits that'll be silver and black.

 

[The Smythe Meister]

Long day at work so short time at the bench, left at 0630 got home at 1830 to do a job I could of done on Friday and then one another engineer could of done yesterday.
Need to buy my planner a map.

So a squirt of interior green at the canopy, then a grey primer over the top and the starboard wing underside, then black for the underside bits that'll be silver and black.
View attachment 463862

Not my scale at all this,
However I AM very interested in your paint dilemma/decisions
I'm also considering a move away,after 10 years of building up a stock of Vallejo's and Tamiya..... Got quite a bit of AK/ AMMO sets recently,and just received my first couple of HATAKA sets too....
.... Every day's a school day eh?!
Look forward to watching how you get on mate.
Andy

 

[KarlW]

Not my scale at all this,
However I AM very interested in your paint dilemma/decisions
I'm also considering a move away,after 10 years of building up a stock of Vallejo's and Tamiya..... Got quite a bit of AK/ AMMO sets recently,and just received my first couple of HATAKA sets too....
.... Every day's a school day eh?!
Look forward to watching how you get on mate.
Andy

Not my scale either, but I must say Airfix really pulled out all the stops with this one. And for £9 well worth picking up.

 

[KarlW]

Dark earth down, and I made a flying stand too.

 

[KarlW]

Another short shed session tonight, I think the pattern is about right.
Just a little bleeding which caused my to learn a thinner soaked cotton bud will take you to bare plastic.....

I really need to turn whatever lamp is causing those yellow bars off when taking pictures with my phone.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Looking good Karl. Can’t see any yellow bars apart from those on the cutting mat though……

 

[adt70hk]

Coming on nicely Karl!

 

[yak face]

Great work karl , my iPhone sometimes messes about with the colours too , it depends upon the background colour , something way too complicated for me to understand but I just try a few different backgrounds to see what the colours look like when taking the final pics. An example is my own airfix 1/72 spitfire I did a while back for the BOB group build.I used a black background and it made the colours look really washed out , but when photographing a silver or natural metal subject black really makes it stand out .

 

[KarlW]

Great work karl , my iPhone sometimes messes about with the colours too , it depends upon the background colour , something way too complicated for me to understand but I just try a few different backgrounds to see what the colours look like when taking the final pics. An example is my own airfix 1/72 spitfire I did a while back for the BOB group build.I used a black background and it made the colours look really washed out , but when photographing a silver or natural metal subject black really makes it stand out .

I do have a proper camera, but the phone is handier for quick shots in the shed.
My lamp has flouro tubes and my overhead is LED, I suspect the flicker from the tube lamp is causing some sort of interference at the image sensor on the phones camera. Didn't get it with my old phone though so that's progress for you........