Baby steps with the Red Arrows

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JJ

Senior Aircraftman
Registered:1544116843
Posts: 7

Posted 1544196512 · Edited	Reply with quote #1

Hi all, I'm tentatively starting model building again and thought I'd document my plans and progress. This is me starting from scratch as a complete novice, making plans, watching videos and ultimately building something. If nothing else, this'll serve as a reference point for me - planning things, making mistakes and being able to refer back to what I did to help the learning process. Anyone who does read this will probably spot mistakes before I do, so feel free to chip in . Plans I have no modelling tools, no paints and certainly no airbrush & compressor. Yes I eventually want to build complex models with fancy camo patterns, but that's the pipe dream for now. I need to start simple - learn how to just put something together and basic brush techniques. So no airbrushing yet and a basic model. But I do need some tools. I don't just want to snap some parts off a sprue, lump a load of glue on and stick them together. I did that when I was 12 and I'm no longer 12. So a starting parts list (now bought): - Modelling knife + blades - Sprue (side?) cutter - Sanding sticks with variety of grits - Tamiya thin cement - Tweezers - Filler/putty - Micro Sol - Cutting mat - Decent paint brushes All the above were pretty cheap although I did splash a little on brushes (Winsor & Newton) as the finish I think will be important. I also have some things lying around the house to help: cotton buds; cocktail sticks; blu tack; Pledge/Klear (lucky). The Model It needs to be simple. I'd love to get stuck into a Nimitz or a highly detailed 1/32 Raptor or such like, but it'll just end up in the bin when I cock it up. I'm also avoiding anything with a detailed camo pattern. Apart from DIY, I haven't painted anything in years so I need to learn basic brushing techniques first. I'm also not about to buy huge amounts of modelling paints as I need to see where this new hobby takes me first. And ideally the subject matter will be a model of something that I actually find interesting. After looking around, I decide to go for the Airfix RAF Red Arrows 2015 Starter Set 1:72 model https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/starter-sets-and-gift-sets/red-arrows-hawk-2015-starter-set-1-72.html. It comes with some paint, no camo to worry about, good (to my eyes) decals, not many parts but a nice little bit of detail. The solid red colour should help me with brush techniques too. It's cheap so if (when!) I make mistakes, it won't matter. That's about it for the planning stage. I'll post more with some pics once I get cracking on the build. Thanks for reading.
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Kit'n'Kaboodle

Squadron Leader
Registered:1535379978
Posts: 1,002

Posted 1544198323	Reply with quote #2

Very wise decision, to start with something simple. get a few of those under your belt, and gain some experience before tackling something bigger. I don't know what your plans are regarding moving on up to an airbrush, but this month, just for Christmas, Graphics direct are doing a special offer. https://www.graphicsdirect.co.uk/products/sparmax-tc5000-automatic-airbrush-compressor I have both of these, the compressor and the airbrush, mainly because Bobby uses the same compressor, and I can heartily recommend them. Might be worth considering for the future, even if you don't feel ready just yet to tackle spraying. __________________
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JJ

Senior Aircraftman
Registered:1544116843
Posts: 7

Posted 1544201809 · Edited	Reply with quote #3

Thanks for the tip kit. Something for the future . Starting Point I've got the kit and bought my shiny new tools. I take a little time to first of all look through the instructions and take a good look at the kit itself. There's some nice detail with seam lines and injector points (correct terminology?) are not overly obvious. I also give the kit a good clean in some warm soapy water (with a little vinegar) in case of any dirt or oil residue. I'm also not planning on applying a primer - this is for my own experiment, to see the difference with / without a primer (I'll make another model soon with a primer coat). It's a test and learning curve for me. The instructions say to start with the cockpit, so that's where I begin. A little light filing to remove sprue points is all that's really needed. When test/dry fitting one of the panels is a bit tight to fit properly so that's sanded. Dry fitting is something I'd never have done previously. I apply the first coat of paint as well. Again another little experiment here - the thinner I'm using for the supplied acrylic paint is just plain old water. I want to see what that's like before I start playing with other types of thinner. The thinking here is to apply a few thin coats rather than just one or two thick coats. This is the incomplete cockpit with it's first coat (some other pieces such as the joysticks are being painted on the sprue): As you can see, all very thin for now but mixing the paint with the thinner is experimental for me as well. My first mix was far too thin and really wasn't painting properly. After the second coat: A couple more coats to go yet, but I can see how it's starting to come together. The headrests will be black and I may mess around with a little wear and chipping detail. I only have 4 colours so that could be another fun challenge. Having a great time .
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TedUSA

Air Commodore
Registered:1375939909
Posts: 9,505

Posted 1544353805	Reply with quote #4

Off to a great start! cant wait to see your progress. __________________ Ted pinterest pg. of scale models/dioramas: http://www.pinterest.com/intrstinpintrst/awesome-scale-models/
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JJ

Senior Aircraftman
Registered:1544116843
Posts: 7

Posted 1544356322	Reply with quote #5

Cheers Ted, learning a lot. Here's two close ups of the finished cockpit. It looks fairly poor but that's kind of the point really - I'm experimenting with things to see the result. There's only so much you can learn from videos without trying things out. The black headrests are ok, a little light chipping with a knife for wear and tear. I originally tried just a little light dry brushing on the seats themselves and they actually looked kind of alright. I then added a wash as well with the poor end result you see. It's too much. However I'm actually pleased as it's teaching me lessons, which is exactly what I want. The end product is very much secondary. I'll add as well that the supplied decals for the instruments are very poor in my opinion and a very bad fit - they are a totally different size to the plastic mount. I tried to show this in the second image below. But again, learning how to actually apply the decals is the point here. Decals: And talking of fit, so far I have to say this model's fit is fairly poor. Just putting the cockpit together took a fair amount of cutting and sanding. Below you can see how the two halves of the main fuselage fit together: There's going to be some filling and sanding required, but again I actually like this as it'll be another process I can practise. And that's what I'm particularly enjoying from this build .
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TedUSA

Air Commodore
Registered:1375939909
Posts: 9,505

Posted 1544377541	Reply with quote #6

The willingness to subject yourself to the learning process is admiral. I did the same with my kit builds of P-38 (1976 molding), F-16 (1979 molding), and the Futura car build (1956 molding). __________________ Ted pinterest pg. of scale models/dioramas: http://www.pinterest.com/intrstinpintrst/awesome-scale-models/
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JJ

Senior Aircraftman
Registered:1544116843
Posts: 7

Posted 1544614660 · Edited	Reply with quote #7

Painting The fit took a while. To be honest I was a little surprised at how poor the fit was but for a very cheap plastic kit I can't expect too much plus I was actually pleased in a way as it got me involved with fillers, filing and sanding. So onto painting. I made a mistake by putting some of the detail (such as landing gear) onto the model before painting the main body rather than painting separately. All part of the learning process . I'm using only the supplied Humbrol acrylic paints which came with the kit and using only brushes (albeit nice quality Winsor & Newton). Mixing the paint was the first challenge. It became clear fairly quickly that the Humbrol paint was already very thin. I did water it down and even after 3 thinned coats the model looked like it had hardly any paint on it. I ended up applying 5 coats, the 5th coat being straight out of the pot, unthinned. It'll need a little touching up around the cockpit and the landing gear still needs paint, but overall it's ok. Not great by any means but I learnt much from the painting process. Some very light brush marks are visible here and there which I think is down to the quality of the paint and the painter! However as can be seen above and below, some panel detail remains so I can experiment with washes. I don't want to go overboard with these as the impression I always have of the Red Arrows are sparkling, clean and bright, so just a little highlighting I think. Decals will also go on soon as well of course. Overall, and as my first ever attempt at painting a model, I'm reasonably happy. Much room for improvement of course but as a starting point it gives me something to build from - which is the whole point.
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Kit'n'Kaboodle

Squadron Leader
Registered:1535379978
Posts: 1,002

Posted 1544615789	Reply with quote #8

Nice progress. It's admirable that you are treating everything as a learning curve, and not letting any mistakes sap your drive. Just a quick tip, apply the decals first, before adding any washes. And if you haven't already, invest in some decalling solutions, such as Micro-set and Micro-sol. They're not too expensive and can really make a difference, making the decals themselves look sprayed on. Then the wash will sink into the panel lines across the decals too, giving a good overall look. __________________
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JJ

Senior Aircraftman
Registered:1544116843
Posts: 7

Posted 1544616747	Reply with quote #9

Quote: Originally Posted by Kit'n'Kaboodle Nice progress. It's admirable that you are treating everything as a learning curve, and not letting any mistakes sap your drive. Just a quick tip, apply the decals first, before adding any washes. And if you haven't already, invest in some decalling solutions, such as Micro-set and Micro-sol. They're not too expensive and can really make a difference, making the decals themselves look sprayed on. Then the wash will sink into the panel lines across the decals too, giving a good overall look. Thanks for the tip . I have some Micro-sol, so something else to experiment with. I'm really enjoying the learning process, taking my time and not rushing things. Even if it ends up looking rubbish that's not a problem - so long as I understand why it looks rubbish and how I can improve things next time.
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TedUSA

Air Commodore
Registered:1375939909
Posts: 9,505

Posted 1544616964	Reply with quote #10

You are doing exactly what you should be doing to get a start. Early on I would google something like “video build red arrow 1/72” . You might have to weed through several videos to find a good one to follow, but it can be helpful. I think your ted arrow is looking good. Thanks for letting us follow you! __________________ Ted pinterest pg. of scale models/dioramas: http://www.pinterest.com/intrstinpintrst/awesome-scale-models/
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JJ

Senior Aircraftman
Registered:1544116843
Posts: 7

Posted 1544617488	Reply with quote #11

Quote: Originally Posted by TedUSA You are doing exactly what you should be doing to get a start. Early on I would google something like “video build red arrow 1/72” . You might have to weed through several videos to find a good one to follow, but it can be helpful. I think your ted arrow is looking good. Thanks for letting us follow you! Cheers Ted. Yeh I've been avidly watching videos. I like the idea of a "ted" arrow though .
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Kit'n'Kaboodle

Squadron Leader
Registered:1535379978
Posts: 1,002

Posted 1544617937	Reply with quote #12

'Ted Arrow!' Wishful thinking, perhaps?! __________________
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TedUSA

Air Commodore
Registered:1375939909
Posts: 9,505

Posted 1544652503	Reply with quote #13

Must have been a Freudian slip!! LOL---that typo should have been RED ARROW. I like the Red Arrows and have thought about a set before. So many subjects, so little time? __________________ Ted pinterest pg. of scale models/dioramas: http://www.pinterest.com/intrstinpintrst/awesome-scale-models/
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Navysteve

Senior Aircraftman
Registered:1563512824
Posts: 6

Posted 1566122296	Reply with quote #14

Great build, love how glossy the red is. They do get cleaned all the time especially before a show, so it looks spot on
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