Beginners Guide 1/48 spitfire

[viper3111]

Hi folks,

I now have my Tamiya 1/48 spitfire Mk.Vb, it does have two 'schemes' but thankfully they are both the same colours

The conversion for these paints instead of using the Tamiya mixing combo's are

Humbrol; 78, 106, 159, 165. These are the paints for the interior and the camouflage.
Other useful paints are
Humbrol; 33, 29, 69, 11, 191, 21.

If you would like to use different makes of paint you can convert these using the colour conversion chart link on the 'references' thread in the general chat area.

[viper3111]

Here is the kit, I haven't seen this one inside the box before but from the first look it is a really nice kit. There is a nice bit of detailing without being difficult to build Which is what I wanted for this build. This really makes me interested in getting there forthcoming 1/32 spit
Ive built there 1/48 ME-109 and that was pretty much the same set up, simple kit but nicely done.



The kit is made up from 2 sprue's, molded in dark grey styrene with no 'flash' what so ever. You are given the choice between the normal wing set up or a 'clip' wing version. For those who are following, there is little difference between the schemes so it is your choice which wing you would like to do. I will be doing the clip wing version.



On closer look there are 3 aircraft to choose from, they are all the same colour cammo but the markings are as follows;
1) 243sqdn serial EN821 coded SN M
2) 316sqdn serial BL479 coded SZ X
3) Fighter comand, wing commander A.G.Malan coded AG M
So again the choice for those following, is yours

[tc2324]

316 Sqn gets my vite Viper.

[viper3111]

Thanks for waiting, now that I have my kit I can start this properly.

First things first, here is the kit



This is a fairly simple kit but there is a nice bit of detailing to get stuck into. It is molded in dark grey styrene with no flash what so ever (which is good for a stater kit). The lay out is nice and straight forward as well, and comprises of 2 'sprues' of grey parts and 1 'sprue' of clear parts. It has a choice of canopy to which I will come back to when building the aircraft. I wont be putting the pilot in but please feel free to put yours in if you wish (I never put the pilots in as I cant paint people to save my life )

right where to begin, this sounds like an obvious question but when you have been building kits as long as I have it doesn't necessarily mean starting at part '1'. For this build I will stick mainly to the lay out of the plans, but as time goes on you will find that whilst the parts you have just painted or glued can be left to one side you can start another section eg the cockpit is drying so you could start on the drop tanks of armament (aircraft dependant) but you get the idea. This is your hobby so do it how you feel comfortable.

Firstly we have the instructions



One good thing about Tamiya instruction sheets is that they are clear and well laid out. As a bonus they also tell you what colour pretty much every part is to be painted. It is in there own paint range numbers but these can be easily converted using the paint conversion chart I have posted on the references section. Failing that, on this build if you need to know what colour it is just ask me. I will however point out what paint I am using for what part as I go along. But please if you have a better idea or colour then use that and if you want point it out to myself and other people on here then please do so. I will be posting on here every Saturday so there will be plenty of time during the week for people to post there questions about what we have just done or are about to do after my post.

I will show the part of the instructions first, before I start showing what we are doing. That way we can see where we are up to, but as I said I will be folowing the instructions step by step so we shouldn't get to confused.

OK, here we go
As I always say, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask

Firstly these are the tools I will be using to start with



Revell contacta, sprue cutters and my trusty file.



I have removed the first parts of the cockpit from the sprue, the areas were they were attached to the sprues has been cleaned up with the file. Thankfully there is no 'flash' (this is when the molds are not very good or are getting old so the styrene runs out) to clean up so we can move onto dry fitting these parts. I would always recommend dry fitting parts before you glue them as this will ensure a good fit or will point out where any filing or filling may be needed.



There are however a few injector pin marks on some parts. These are easy to get rid of with just a file. Injector pin marks are where the styrene is injected into the molds, some are usually very small but you will find some really do stick out. Thankfully, the majority of them are in places that wont be seen and its just down to personal preference and pride of work as to whether you remove them.



I will be leaving the rear armour plate off for now as it will be easier to paint. I will be spraying mine but please use what ever technique you feel best with. I will of coarse explain what Ive done and how Ive done it as we go along.
But for this I think it is best to leave the plate of for now even if you are brushing it as it will allow you to get to all the parts. You can even leave the plate on the sprue for now as it will be easier to paint what ever way you are doing it.

I have run a bead of glue along were the red is on the picture below. Revell contact actually melts the styrene so please use it sparingly.



The bottom section of the cockpit has now been fitted



I actually started building on friday, so please don't think I have done this all in one go. The next steps were done on Saturday after the parts I glued friday had dried.

Next I will glue the head armour on to the cockpit, apply a thin bead of glue around the area shown. You don't need to cover the entire area in glue, this is just to show the general area. Revell contact runs quite nicely so you don't need to much of it.



The head armour is now put in place



I will also glue the pedals in place so that they are easier to paint, and as they all need a coat of 78 interior green it just makes it easier to do this way.



I have run a bead of glue along were the red line is



The pedals have now been put in place, just for simplicity I won't show all the parts in there 'dry fitting' stage so all parts from now on have been dry fitted and then glued.



Now for the regulator, this goes behind the head armor



For this I think it is bets to put the glue just around the opening for the pin as this will limit any glue over spill



It is now in place



The next step will be to paint the cockpit and the side interior wall of the fuselage. This will be done in the next edition, I will be using humbrol 78 interior green.

[viper3111]

Sorry folks, as it was such a dismal day weather wise I have done a bit more.
I have now given the cockpit and the fuselage side walls a coat of humbrol 78 interior green. As I don't do many RAF aircraft im not used to the RAF interior green, I must say that is is a lot nicer than the US version.
Any way back to the build, I sprayed the cockpit with a ratio of about 30:4 (which is 30 drops of 78 mixed with 4 drops of white spirit) I never normally measure my paint out but just for this I have. The way I normally do it is, if I am using enamels (which isn't very often any more) I just put enough paint into the paint cup to cover the bottom up to about 1/4 of the way up then add a few drops of white spirit. I then give it a stir and if it 'clings' to the side of the colour cup without being to thick or thin that will do. But as I have said as this is a beginners guide I actual measured them out.
I used my compressor on about 15-25psi and sprayed the parts from a distance of about 10cm (2-3 inches in old money). The best way to get a nice coverage is to keep your brush moving, and not to hold it in one place as this will create 'puddles' and 'runs'.

Here is the outcome





As you can see I use my clamping tweezers to hold the parts whilst spraying/painting. Basically you can use what ever comes to hand, as long as you don't mind getting paint on the. But even if you do get paint they are easy to clean with some white spirit, acrylic cleaner and some wet and dry paper.

I have also sprayed the side walls with the 78, I find that if you have a few parts that all need a coat of the same colour then spray them all in one go. I usually forget which parts should be the colour that Im spraying and end up doing parts that don't need it (so if you see that I have sprayed a part that isn't meant to be that colour, this is why. We shall just call it undercoat )



The next step, once all this is dry will be to start brush 'picking out' the detail parts. Below is a link to some really nice pictures of the spit MKvb cockpit, which I will be going by for this build. So I won't be following the kit instructions for the painting of my cockpit. I will however explain what I am doing and how at every step.

This is the link http://gallery.kitmaker.net/showgallery.php/cat/23005

For those who are following with the exact same kit, you will notice that in the instructions it states that the dials should only be partly black in the center. But as you will see in the pics the whole top part is actually black. For our build this will make it easier to paint.

I have now started to paint the cockpit details, this is my instrument panel. As you can see I have painted the top half black using Vallejo black but humbrol 33 will be just as good.



The regulator on the back of the seat and the control handle has also been 'picked out' using Vallejo black brushed on. I like this paint as it's not to matt but isn't to shiny (if that makes sence )





I promise I wont jump in anymore until next saturday.

[HighlandSniper]

Excellent and really interesting, I'm learning something new with every installment. I'm getting more and more convinced that I need an airbrush but the thought terrifies me.

[viper3111]

Today I will be picking out the detail on the cockpit side walls, instrument panel and seat. For those people who would like to do a bit of weathering I will also be using some of the pro-modeller washes. These wouldn't normally be in a beginners guide but they are so simple to use and give such a good effect I thought that it may be good for me to show people how to use them. This is totally up to personal preference and I will of coarse show you how to get other effects with just normal paint.

To begin with I have 'picked out' some of the boxes and dials on the side walls using my trusty Vallejo black (33 is just as good)



I have also gone over some of the details using the 'dry brushing' technique. To do this what you do is take a fairly warn brush (or you can even buy a proper dry brushing brush by Vallejo, I use my on for my weathering washes) and choose your colour, for this I am using humbrol 11 silver fox. Then dip your brush into the paint (not to much on the brush) then using a piece of kitchen roll or like me just wipe the it on the card that cover my desk wipe of the excess so that when you go over the surface there is just the slightest hint of the paint. When you go over your surface any 'lumps and bumps' will be highlighted by the paint. You may have to repeat the proses as the paint that is left on your brush doesn't last long. I tend to use this on dials, switches and anything that may get warn by general use.





You will see that I have paint the dial in the box white, this is on the photo bellow so I thought that I would paint it as such. I used Vallejo white (34 will be just as good). I will add a bit of red as it has a red stripe on it.

The seat, I sprayed interior green when I sprayed when I painted the other green parts. I have now used vallejo tan on the cushion on the back (29 or similar shade will be good).



Now for the first weathering part. For this I will be using the pro-modeller light dirt wash. For any one not familiar with these products, they are a water based weathering wash that you brush on to the area that you want to be 'weathered' Leave it to dry for about 1hr then using a piece of kitchen roll (not loo roll as it gets a bit messy as the loo roll breaks up) or a cotton bud that have been slightly moistened just wipe of the the excess solution. This will then leave you with a 'dirt' build up around structures, pipes or any thing that is raised or sunk.

Here is a link that will give you a better picture of the products http://www.promodeller.com/ You can buy it direct from them at £5.50 a bottle. This sounds a lot but they last a very long time.

This is what I will be using



All I have done is brushed the wash over the rear cushion on the seat and let it dry(its still wet in this picture, the washes all dry mat)



I have now used a slightly moistened cotton bud to wipe of the excess wash



As you can see, all that is left is some 'light dirt' in between the lines and the overall appearance is 'worn'.

On to the Cockpit walls, I am using pro-modeller dark dirt for this. It is applied in the same way as the seat and removed it the same way.



I have brushed the wash over the surface of the side walls





Once that is dry I will wipe of the excess with a moistened cotton bud.
It has now been left for 1hr so I can wipe the excess off.





As you can see all you are left with is a 'dirty' look to the cockpit. I will be giving the rest of the cockpit a coat of the wash as well.

I have dry brushed the instrument panel with 11 silver fox to pick out the dials and rivets. I have also painted the dial bezels with 69 yellow and one with vallejo red.



The real one



The seat and the cockpit have now been given the same treatment with the wash





For the control column I have used Vallejo black (33) for the wires and I have then used a very fine paint brush (about 5-0) to paint the gun lever using 11 silver fox. This was all sprayed green with the rest of the cockpit.





The cockpit itself, the rear armour plate has now been glued into place and I have painted the foot pedal straps with Vallejo leather brown and then dry brushed the actual pedals and surrounding area with 11 silver fox. I have now brushed the entire cockpit with pro-modeller dark dirt. After 1hr I have now wiped of the rest of the wash to leave the 'dirty' look.



Once all the was done, I have painted the two control rods that go up the side of the floor with 11. Then I have dry brushed the armour with 11 to give it a 'worn' look.

Next time I will be assembling the rest of the cockpit and any more detailing that is needed, then it will be on to putting the fuselage together. Strangely on the Tamiya kit the cockpit goes in after the two halves are toghether.

[tc2324]

Excellent work so far Shaun. The level of detail so far is well beyond my capabilities at the mo. Looking forward to the next update and finished product.

[HighlandSniper]

Looking good Shaun.

Can you please give details of the Vallejo dry brushing brush, i.e. number etc., and who stocks them. I haven't ben able to find it on their website - thanks.

[viper3111]

Sure thing Rob,


It actual came in the Vallejo starter paint set, its code is Vallejo Drybrush, p530#4
Here is there entire product range, http://www.wargame-innovations.co.uk/fi ... alogue.pdfI will search the net to see where you can get them separately

[HighlandSniper]

Thanks Shaun - I've already tried searching with little luck. I use drybrushing quite a bit for my 1/6th scale figure work and weapons and have been looking for a proper brush for this for ages. I have quite a selection of Vallejo paints, but have never tried their brushes. SWMBO is quite into arty-farty things and guards her Kolinsky sable brushes despite the fact I bought them for her

[viper3111]

This is the set it comes in with one other very nice brush http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/vall ... 10124.html

http://recreationalconflict.lusagi.com/brushes.html

http://www.global-models.co.uk/product_ ... ts_id=8836 this one is similar

[HighlandSniper]

Thanks again - I just hope I can be as helpful as you are when the need arises.

[viper3111]

No worries,
Its what I do

Don't suppose you've got the winning lottery No's

[HighlandSniper]

I wish ... ... ... my main problem with regard to the lottery is failing to buy a ticket

[viper3111]

Excellent work so far Shaun. The level of detail so far is well beyond my capabilities at the mo. Looking forward to the next update and finished product.

Sorry about that, my intentions were for a beginners guide, I forget that after modeling for 25 years there are some things that people wouldn't do as a beginner. Its hard trying to forget everything I have picked up over time. Everything I do is quite easy to do, the washes are literally brush on, wipe of. If you go wrong or don't like what you have done you can just wipe it of completey and start again.

I find the best way for a good bit of basic detailing is research, on here I am supplying pretty much all the research that is needed. Like instrument panel lay out, interior that sort of thing. Then all you need is a tiny paint brush (about a 5-0), a steady hand and a cup of tea (or coffee) and enjoy . Detailing is down to personal choice, you can do as much or as little as you like. What I have done on here is purely a guide on some of the techniques, they are not mandatory and there are other ways to do things.

Im glad you like it any way, I will try to keep it simple. I can always do another build that is just the basics, but if people don't tell me what they want then I don't know how simple/detailed to go. So any feed back please post it in the 'beginners guide general chat' thread and I will take note and do a build according to what people want.

[viper3111]

As it is boxing day next Saturday I have moved on with the build, so just in case the Christmas cider gets a bit much I have posted this to make up for it.
Hopefully I will do a bit more and then write it up in the week so there will be a post next Saturday (even if its a small one)

Now that the detailing has been done I can start to assemble the cockpit. Firstly the instrument panel has to be glued into place. This is done by putting a small amount of glue around the red areas.



Once that has dried for at least a couple of hours the seat can then be glued into place.



And now for the control column.



The right hand lever can now be glued into place



Next step is the fuselage.



That can all be put to one side to dry, in the mean time I can start on the fuselage. The first thing to do is glue the oxygen bottles in. I have painted them with 3 brunswick green and the bands are 11 silver fox.



I left them to dry over night as gloss paint takes longer to dry.

Now that they are dry I can start to assemble the side walls. This is where I am up to in the instructions.



Firstly the oxygen bottles can be glued into place.



And now the 'black boxes'.



levers.



Now for the rear support, I have run a line of glue along where the red line is.



Now the support can be put in place



I will now let all those dry until next week and I will then continue with the fuselage halves.
Thanks for eveyone who is following this and I will return after christmas so for now Happy christmas and more importantly happy building

[viper3111]

Sorry all I forgot to mention that I have removed the pilot door on mine using a very fine razor saw attached to one of my scalpels. The choice is of coarse down to you whether you do the same.

[HighlandSniper]

Most excellent dude - party on ... ...














... ... where have I heard that before

[viper3111]

I thought I would post this early, before I start on the Christmas scrumpy

Next step, Fuselage halves



You will notice that the instructions tell you to glue the support in as you put the halves together, I find it easier to glue things like that into place before, otherwise you will need two pairs of hands to put these things into place. If you do it before hand then it holds itself in place. The only thing I would suggest when doing this is make sure that they are straight (basically in the correct position).

Now that the rear support and the 'black boxes' have had time to dry nicely I can now glue the fuselage halves together. Dependant on the size of the model there are a couple of ways to do this. The main reason for this is that on big model there is a larger area to glue so by the time you get to the end, the bit you started on will be drying. I find the best way to overcome this is either use a slow drying super glue or use a liquid poly. The liquid poly that I use is Ambroid Pro-weld. With this you can dry fit the halves and then using a paint brush, run the glue along the join. The glue will run into the join and then act in the same way as the revell contact, as in it will melt the surface of the styrene creating a 'weld' Just be very careful to get it on the join only as it will melt any surface of styrene it touches.
One of the most important things to do when gluing the halves together is always dry fit, as it is easy to sort any problems out without the mess of the glue (I have of coarse found this out the hard way).
As this is a nice small size I can just run a bead of glue along the whole area of the fuselage and not worry about it drying. The best thing to do when putting the halves together is take your time. There is nothing to rush for, no time deadline, no one judging you (unless you are doing it for a show, then that's a totally different thing that I don't really do. Yet).
I have run the glue along the red line




Now to hold it whilst it is drying I find it best to use pegs and rubber bands. There are many clamps and such like on the market, but I have never used them let alone bought them so I cant coment on them. I just find pegs are good for flat surfaces, missiles, fuel tanks, narrow parts of the fuselage etc etc. The rubber bands are good for Fuselage halves, larger round area's, wings, large fuel tanks that the pegs won't go on. As for the pegs I would use wooden ones as they tend not to slip as much as the plastic pegs, although I do have one plastic peg which opens up wider than any of my others so I keep the for fuselage's. Ive had pegs shoot across the room when they haven't gripped the surface so that's when I went over to the wooden ones (I also broke all of our plastic ones so we had to buy some new ones anyway, we got the wooden pegs so I didn't break them)



Whilst that is drying I will now move onto the wings, I have removed them from the sprue with my side cutters and the area has been cleaned up with my trusty file. I will do a proper clean up once the wings are glued in place, this is ok to do as long as there is nothing that will get in the way of gluing. So I would definitely dry fit them to make sure the fit is good.



I have already sprayed the inside areas with Humbrol 78 interior green when I painted the rest of the interior parts.

If you are brush painting yours then this can be done as and when you are ready. I would normally use the pro-modeler wash inside here but for now I will just leave it. When your paint is dry the 3 wing parts can now be glued together. As with the fuselage, dependant on the size of kit you can either glue one at a time but as this is a nice small kit and I have raided the peg bag I will do all 3 parts.
Firstly I will run a bead of glue around the upper surface of the wing, there is no real way to do this as it is up to personal preference as to whether you put the glue on the top or bottom half.



I have done the same with the other wing section and they can now have there pegs put on the hold them.



I will now leave that all to dry, the next steps will be to glue the wings in place and the the tail planes.

I will see you all in the new year, so happy new year and thanks to all who are following my guide