Global Scale Modeller

Having managed to get down to just one model on the bench in the paint stages i figured it was a good time to make a start on this, first impressions are not good, lots of flash, softly moulded detail and panel lines so small as to be almost non existent. Ok the panel lines are probably closer to scale than any other 1:72 I've built but whether i can get a wash to stay in there is another matter, anyhoo, on with the pictures.

Having checked scalemates it appears that this is a 1984 tooling with new decals pretty much, wish me luck!

Sweet build
I have this kit too, gonna follow along for sure

Lets just say i will know your pain Scott, it's proving a far from pleasant experience so far!

Following on from an ok start despite minimal detail in the cockpit (at least everything fitted) it was onto the larger parts and this is where everything went rapidly downhill, warped fuselage halves, fit issues, gaps, steps, seams etc what followed were two lengthy sessions equipped with sanding sticks and fillers.
Eventually i had the main assembly subdued and it somehow still resembles a phantom despite the lap fulls of sanding dust, miraculously the four part canopy fitted perfectly!

John's filling spree nice work so far.

Sorry to hear its a dog kit , im building a Fujimi F-4K but thats apparently a newer tooling then their other F-4 kits and fit has been pretty good so far , stay strong

Thanks klargplutte but i appear to have beaten it into submission!
Thankfully the undercarriage and ordnance put up far less of a fight than the rest of the build, here it sits ready for primer.

Coming along great, you are flying in comparison to me
I really like the pilot you have on your paint rack...she might just be a bit too "racked" herself to fit in that cockpit

Erm yeah, she's 1:12 scale, scale 75 jessica thunder bust or as i call her, thunderbust!

hilarious

wookiee76 wrote:Erm yeah, she's 1:12 scale, scale 75 jessica thunder bust or as i call her, thunderbust!

How many hard points on that rack?

Lysus wrote:

wookiee76 wrote:Erm yeah, she's 1:12 scale, scale 75 jessica thunder bust or as i call her, thunderbust!

How many hard points on that rack?

If memory serves correctly, I believe there are two

she is coming along really well great work so far

Wow, I'm honoured! That'll get you a couple of days abuse free Ivan! Thanks bud it's quite literally been a grind.

Back on topic, primed the beast in Ultimate black, added a mottle/marble coat as i like the black basing technique to give tonal variance to the top coat, then mixed up a very dark blue for the top coat, sprayed it on thinly so that the mottling showed through and.... the bloomin seam on top of the fuselage decided to rerear it's ugly head.
Time to sand back to the plastic, sort that out, respray and then move onto masking off the metallic parts around the back end a quick squirt of a couple of tones of steel from mr hobby and alclad had that sorted and then time to unmask and remask for the white wheel wells, that's where it sits now.

demonstrating some great airbrush skills there
I like the mottled idea

Aw shucks, no great skill involved other than not pulling the trigger back all the way and waving it about semi carefully lol.

Much better than my mottling to be sure.

John, this build is progressing very wel . Like the mottling effect used to create the tonal variation, might just have to borrow it for my own build ...

I think it will give a more random pattern to the paint job as compared to eather pre and post shading or the black primer techniques more commonly used now a days.

As always happy modeling and keep sticking styrene.

Paul J

Thanks guys, i may do a video on how i do mottling, some people can't seem to get their head around it and seeing an oaf like me manage it albeit in a specatularly hamfisted fashion may help.
Anyhoo, got the gear bays painted in white and the inevitable touch ups sorted before a coat of aquagloss and then the decals. This is where it started to fight me again! Extremely thin, brittle decals that even using warm water did a great job of falling apart and then silvering, some more prodding with the tip of my knife and some more dousing with decal solution should sort that out.

Oh she is looking good!!!,
I for one, would love to see a mottling demo.
Do you do it instead of preshaded panel lines??

Yup, no need to preshade although for the working panel lines like ailerons leaving them unmottled does leave a kind of preshade.
When i get a space i shall re prime a paint mule and fire up the camera, may not be too soon though! Youtube channel is Sharpies models.

Great job John considering the flaws you had to deal with

GuyMac wrote:Great job John considering the flaws you had to deal with

Yeah, gives us all hope; if he can beat back fifty seams, I can do one, right?

Lysus wrote: Yeah, gives us all hope; if he can beat back fifty seams, I can do one, right?

I'm sure you can

Angle grinder, that's all I'm saying!

wookiee76 wrote:Angle grinder, that's all I'm saying!

Hmm, I might just try that myself