Egilman

I found the source of the pics, it's a product called Rub-n-Buff...... I got the pics from a different site..... (but they are all here and more) The builders name is Paul Coudeyrette and it was built back in 2009.... Hyperscale..... F-104C, and the F-104G His claim is that it is entirely Rub-n-Buff.... I've got a tube of the silver and am about to test it.... EG

Ok maybe If I show my brothers what I'm trying to do with the finish on my zipper they will understand why airbrushing paint isn't going to cut it....... 1/32nd scale Hase F-104 C..... And he replicated this finish on a Hase 1/32nd F-104G.... That's is what I'm trying to replicate and it ain't happening with paint.... that I already know.... there is a product out there that will put a polished metal finish on plastic that looks like real metal in scale and will take decals and finishing... Uschi's powders come very very close to that.... but can't take decals or be finished..... I've tried contacting the builder but he's fallen off the planet.... Now this is where a stubborn streak comes in, it's been done, I WILL find out what product or products do this finish on plastic.... There is no paint product that can match that.... EG

Yeah I know, I'm hearing ruminations from the Admiral along those same lines. But she doesn't understand what I'm trying to accomplish..... (and she knows that she doesn't understand) It can be done..... I have photo proof...... Will post a series of what I'm trying to do on a model in a minute.... (it's been done before) Trying to replicate what someone else already did.....

I tried that too, polishing rouge are powders are very very fine abrasives, they only work on very hard surfaces like steel, they strip painted surfaces.... Thanks for the suggestion Jack....

Yes Brother, I've tried them and I call them false advertising.... They don't work, for anything... Thanks for the suggestion...

It looks like fine aluminum paint when it goes down, the can says let it dry for an hour then buff it... so when you buff it it lays down and starts to shine like polished metal, or is supposed to... Testors reccommends shooting it over bare plastic, forget that, doesn't work, just looks like blotchy paint... putting it down over ultra clear gets about half way to a NMF but it is still blotchy also, same with Future except more blotchy.... Over the gloss black paint, does nothing... except come off.... This isn't working at all.... I had better results with uschi powders over gloss red with a thin coat of future.... Now, it's becoming a real challenge....

Yeah I did, isn't cutting it either... and if you happen to hit an edge..... OUCH!

My hand and an old t-shirt.... thought about using the dremel but I think that would be too much. anyway, I don't seem to be getting the results they show on their pics.....

Ah, I guess while I was off researching you came to your own conclusion on your own... Good Show.... Yeah, your right, full service base is where you would find such equipment... (and not near the aircraft)

Ok, what your looking at in those pics are "Armorers" (anyone they had available) making up ammo belts.... Now one must understand that the British by 1936 were using the disintegrating belts in all their machine guns un aircraft as were we and the germans... Also note, they are doing it by hand.... they have no device to assist them... It's not difficult.... Take two clips place them together and insert a round into the ring that is formed, once the round is inserted and snapped into place, the ring stays together, add another ring half and round and you could make up belts as long as you wished... The machinery for making belts was not something that went to forward bases, Such was reserved for established airfields. I believe OC that your depicting such an airfield? so the machinery would be there, but it still wouldn't be near the aircraft.... But it's neither here nor there by 1944 there was no threat of attack in southern England except for V weapons aimed at the cities your bomb carts, starter cart and oil browser would all be equipment at a regular RAF station and most of the time wouldn't be present at a forward airfield.... I've included some shots of arming fighters during and just after the Battle of Britain.... As you can readily see, there is no ammo handling and assembly gear around when loading aircraft ammo, they are hand loading it form ammo boxes.... The fields depicted include North Weald, Yeovilton and others.... That was a piece of equipment that just wasn't around the aircraft....... and you would only find it at full service airfields.... That's my story and I"m sticking with it... {chuckle} EG

Ok, New paint test..... Testors Metalizer Rattlecan aluminum Plate (buffing).... I took the lower hull of my junk M-41 and prepared it for the buffing test this way... On the left is an undercoat of Testors Ultra Gloss To the right of it is bare plastic (green tamiya styrene) To the right of that is Krylon Shortcuts Black (supposed to be gloss but is actually a semi gloss) And on the right is a finely brushed coat of Future.... They are all oversprayed with metalizer buffing aluminium plate and the can directions say let it dry for an hour... It has dried.... Time to do some buffing..... EG

Yep, she was shooting for the women's world land speed record of 512 mph....... She had made a previous high-speed run at 483.227 (good looker too) She was my neighbor.... Fastest woman on wheels.... Rest in peace sweetheart....

Yeah, I suppose it is easier to just let the plastic take it's own color..... and more natural that way.... Shame I was hoping that there was a specific technique....

Hasegawa did N104RB Red Baron in 1/48th back in 2007.. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegawa-09749-f-104-starfighter-red-baron--101097 Esci did it in 1/72nd about '83 or so.... From what I can see there are no 1/32nd scale decals, although images of the Hase decals sheet are available if one wants to do it in paint.... (or duplicate, scale and print them in white decal paper for a red airplane)

And it shows what one little minute detail can do to such endeavours.... they forgot to secure a battery near the tail gunners compartment, in the rough ride to get to the improvised runway, it bounced out of it's bracket and threw a spark which ignited some flammables which quickly spread to the fresh paint.... It filled with smoke in seconds and was a smoking lump of melted aluminum in minutes..... If it had a full crew it would have been saved..... but by the time the pilots realized they had a fire it was too late.... A real heartbreaker.....

According to daily sales data Diet Coke surpasses the next nearest competitor by more than 2x..... Surpasses regular Coke by 50%...... It's what the people actually buy.... I drink predominantly Black coffee with a pass towards irish creme occasionally....

Welcome to the build Allen.... That is a striking scheme, it is a beautiful airplane.... (in any color scheme) Darryl was one of the few civilians who had the privilege of being in the Mach II club.... an amazing man as well as airplane..... The biggest privilege of being a model maker is being an inspiration to a fellow modeler... Thank you most deeply for your gracious compliment...... EG

They had two different crank devices for dealing with machine gun ammo, one made up the belts, (which is what that one looks like) and one to load the belts in the magazines that were not removable from the aircraft... Unfortunately, the belting board would be in an ammo shack and nowhere near the actual aircraft..... The ammo would be carried to the aircraft in standard ammo cans or drums in a trailer, the feed chutes would be attached to the device, and the belts of ammo cranked into the magazines..... spare ammo would be loaded in 200 rnd ammo cans (.30 caliber) & 50-75 rnd cans (.50 caliber) basically each can held one belt.... Fighter aircraft usually got one 200 rnd belt per gun so they were loaded by hand from ammo cans... Bombers with huge 600 rnd boxes were loaded with a cranked device from a drum.... Prior to that they used individual ammo cans loaded in racks... They would have several of those at the airfield my friend, but it wouldn't be in a trailer on the back of a jeep.... EG

Well that what my cardiologist tells me, all the red meat I can eat.... (although I do prefer a nice medium well 20 oz. sirloin, an earthquake will pass in a pinch) and Americas favorite drink is Diet Coke and has been for at least two decades....

Well, they do need some traction.....

Not right now, but then my blockage between the hours of 11:00 am and 6:00 pm here has come back. I did take my test piece out to the spray area and hit it with the metalizer over everything... tomorrow I'll be buffing it up over the various finishes and see what it does.... And yeah I made sure the recommended bare styrene was there.... Should have the rest of the stripping done tonight, then have to remask the canopy after I test some clear in super clean to see how it handles clear styrene..... And RL is trying to make itself felt..... but it will pass as well...

To me it is no better than Jack-in-the-box or Wendys, they all sell basically the same things.... Me? I'm a triple whopper kind of guy when there are no earthquakes to be had..... (fair only nowadays)

So am I.... It's a large pop cup from a local burger joint Carl. I hear a lot of people like their stuff, I wouldn't know, I"ve only bought pop from them... Called Carls Jr...... I don't know why they call it that.....

That's more than luck my friend... The blower fan on top of the motor, the fuel tank in that off white pasty semi-translucent plastic? I"ve tried for years to replicate that look with no luck at all...

Well it's time for another update... The ugly work of cleaning off past mistakes goes on..... Pretty much just the nose left, from here a light (very light) sanding and priming in the near future..... Thankfully the IPA doesn't really effect cured paint, (if you don't leave it too long) but it does take off/craze cured Testors high gloss lacquer somewhat and everything else.... It doesn't matter the brush has scratched the paint in a few places so a reprime is a requirement..... I have acquired a rattle can of Testors aluminum plate metalizer, (two more on the way) so I will be testing that on another scrap part in a few to see if what I've been told by the experts is true........ More to come... EG