John W Brown by Jack12477 - FINISHED - Trumpeter - 1:350 - PLASTIC - liberty ship

[popeye the sailor]

sorry  for being late to the party.......looks to be a real neat build     I'll be watching as well .

[Jack12477]

Okay, time for a airbrush paint use question.  I've tried using both a Paasche and Badger airbrush with the Life Color paints but it's no go. Nothing flows from the nozzle - no matter what pressure setting I use. I even disassembled both brushes and cleaned them thoroughly, still no go.  I thought I read a post some place here that said this brand could be used straight from the bottle, undiluted, but I'm thinking that's not true.  So what dilution do I need for this paint to work in an airbrush?  Right now I've been using Tamiya rattle can primer then hand brushing the Life Color on. I used to know the formula (dilution) for Floquil/PolyS/Model Master but these new acrylics are nice to brush on but airbrush is a new mystery.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Jack12477

[cog]

Try 50%, and USE THE BRAND'S OWN THINNER or you have a clogged airbrush

 

Didn't I write on this paint in my build of the H-class tribal (current build)

Edited January 14, 2019 by cog

[Jack12477]

Thanks Carl

 

 (You may have but too many pages/posts to dig thru and whose log too).

[cog]

read down from this post.

I would try 60% and increase if necessary but you'll need some layers

[lmagna]

Hi Jack

Will your airbrush spray water or thinner just like it was paint? If not then like Mark says it could be blocked somehow. Or it could be that you have the needle adjustments wrong and need to open them up a little until you can get a good spray of water. Then you can try paint and adjust as required.

 

As for the doors I am not certain what to say. If you have the door in a proper position and held down with a sharp instrument of some sort then take a small tip tool and apply the glue to an exposed edge and let the capillary action pull it in. Let that application set up and get solid while still holding the door. When that has set then you should be able to fully glue the door into place without it moving from the first position. I feel kind of stupid giving instructions on PE applications as I have yet to do it myself on my builds, (I am almost done drilling porthols though, and after over 800 I think I can speak with authority on doing that) all I can offer on your doors is how I would possibly do it. By all means ignore me and listen to ANYONE with ANY experience on getting your doors straight if they offer another way.

[Jack12477]

Lou, I did test both brushes with a jar of plain water, sprayed fine, even adjusting needles pattern so water got wider or smaller as I manipulated them. So it was the paint that was the problem.

 

Re: doors:  That's what I was trying to do. Guess I need more practice. And maybe a new set of eyes 

Edited January 14, 2019 by Jack12477

[Canute]

Most acrylics seem to prefer their proprietary thinners. I'd be hesitant to use tap water to thin the acrylics; no telling what chemicals are in there. Buy some distilled water if you want to use water.

 

Don't waste the proprietary thinners on cleaning brushes or airbrushes. I've put out some formulas for home made brews for cleaners, since you will use more cleaner than thinner.

[cog]

5 hours ago, Canute said:

Don't waste the proprietary thinners on cleaning brushes or airbrushes. I've put out some formulas for home made brews for cleaners, since you will use more cleaner than thinner.

Formulas being ...

[Canute]

Use this link. It doesn't cost you anything to log onto the site, but you do need to log in. Sorry about that.

https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/subscribers-only/painting/acrylics

 

The whole pamphlet is excellent, but chapters 3 Mixing and Storage & 4 Formulas for thinners apply here. They address Modelmaster, Badger and Vallejo paints. Like a lot of hobbyists, model railroaders were put out by Testor's when they dropped the Floquil/PollyScale lines. This was done to help folks move into acrylics. And many have adopted the Badger and Vallejo paints. Hence the extensive charts for converting the old paints into these newer acrylics. I'd like to see more on the Tamiya paint, since the big box craft stores seem to stock them around here.

 

Maybe we should put the link in a pinned area in the Paint section. I've been on another site that also addresses home made thinners, but parts of that site are undergoing renovation and I can't find the appropriate page to link to.

[thibaultron]

Are you using the quick setting thin CA or the thicker ones? The thicker ones take a few seconds longer to set, giving you a little more time to position the door.

[Jack12477]

Using medium CA 15 second set time 

[Jack12477]

While I await the delivery of the needed thinners, I primed and brush painted the hull halves, and upper structure. glued the two hull halves together.  The deck superstructure will wait for now.  All the brass add-on have been added and painted. And the splotchy paint has been fixed.  Photos follow:

 

 

Tomorrow (Saturday) morning is back to the ice yacht restoration project before the "monster snow storm" they've been forecasting since last Monday hits us.  Up to 20 inches could fall overnight Saturday into Sunday.  Good time to stay in the shipyard with some beer, chips and shrimp for sustenance.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Jack12477

[Jack12477]

On 1/4/2019 at 10:05 PM, lmagna said:

Also are you going to replicate the "Nose art"?

To answer your question Lou, YES !!!!!  It's included with the decal set. 

[Jack12477]

Decals applied -

 

Here you go Lou !  Just for you ! 

 

 

Considering the scale and the magnification of the camera lens, it's not a bad representation of the original (see below)

 

 

Other decals from the kit set applied:

 

 

Now to seal the decals and then start placing all the sub-assemblies on the deck.

 

 

[lmagna]

1 hour ago, Jack12477 said:

Decals applied -

 

Here you go Lou !  Just for you ! 

 

OUTSTANDING Jack! That alone makes her unique. I don't think I have ever seen "Nose art" on any ship before. Kind of makes me wonder if it is a museum add on. I am pretty sure the campaign ribbons on the bridge are.  

[CDW]

Jack

 

I'm late for your build thread, but enjoyed browsing through your progress. Love the subject model, so much solid history behind the Liberty Ships.

 

Regarding your photo etch doors...I recommend trying/using acrylic glue rather than CA. 1. It allows all the time you need to adjust the position of the photo etch part and will provide a superior bond (IMHO) for flat items like doors to plastic. 2. It dries totally clear and will not mar the finish of your plastic or photo etch. 3. It's water soluble so clean up of excess glue is a breeze just using a water dampened q-tip. 4. Because it's water soluble, it's easy to remove a part if you make a mistake...even if it's dry. 

Gator's Grip acrylic glue works a charm for photo etch. A small bottle of it lasts a very long time, years even.

 

Regarding your air brush issues...is yours a siphon feed or gravity feed air brush?

[Jack12477]

12 hours ago, CDW said:

Regarding your air brush issues...is yours a siphon feed or gravity feed air brush?

It's a siphon feed. Badger 150. 

 

Thanks for tip on Gator Grip glue. None of my usual online suppliers carry it, but found a new source, Free Time Hobbies,  that does carry.  What's the shelf life on this glue? 

 

 

[Jack12477]

Lou, I think you are right about the museums adding the nose art and campaign ribbons. The 2 museum ships in Buffalo have campaign ribbons painted on also. 

[CDW]

1 hour ago, Jack12477 said:

It's a siphon feed. Badger 150. 

 

Thanks for tip on Gator Grip glue. None of my usual online suppliers carry it, but found a new source, Free Time Hobbies,  that does carry.  What's the shelf life on this glue? 

 

 

With a siphon feed airbrush, an often overlooked source of flow blockage comes when the tiny vent hole on top of the jar lid is blocked, but my first guess would be your percentage of reducer : paint is too low. In that case, the siphon is not capable of pulling the mixture through the feeder tube. I have never used Life Color paints so I don't know the viscosity you're starting with. Sometimes, even a 50 : 50 mix of paint to reducer is too low and you may have to simply increase the percentage amount of reducer until it will flow through.

I am using the same bottle of Gator's Grip glue for almost three years now. Since it's water based, you'll need to keep it at/near room temperature. Over time it will thicken, just add distilled water to reduce it to the viscosity you want. 

[CDW]

One other tip about photo etch. If you use CA, and the excess glue becomes smeared on the surrounding plastic or on top of your photo etch, use a Q Tip dampened with CA debonder to remove the excess. Only use enough debonder on the Q Tip to dampen, not saturate it. Too much obviously may cause your part to become unfastened. 

[lmagna]

4 hours ago, Jack12477 said:

The 2 museum ships in Buffalo have campaign ribbons painted on also. 

Still a nice addition I suppose to brighten up an otherwise gray ship.

[Jack12477]

5 hours ago, CDW said:

With a siphon feed airbrush, an often overlooked source of flow blockage comes when the tiny vent hole on top of the jar lid is blocked,

It wasn't any of these as I was able to spray clear water thru the brush from the same/similar bottle.  It was the paint itself, not diluted enough.

[mtaylor]

7 hours ago, Jack12477 said:

Lou, I think you are right about the museums adding the nose art and campaign ribbons. The 2 museum ships in Buffalo have campaign ribbons painted on also. 

The "nose art" probably wasn't standard although it may have added by a bored crewman.  As for the ribbons.... from what I read these were added by the crew as they were awarded.  A point of pride.

[cog]

just like the awards for the Eagle in Roman days

[Jack12477]

Installed all the subassemblies to the main deck.  Only thing left is the cranes and the crane rigging. 

 

[Old Collingwood]

Looking nice and busy jack  well done.

 

OC.

[Jack12477]

Thanks, OC

[Jack12477]

Added the cranes to the model:

 

 

Some of the PE railings look like they've been beaten on with a sledge hammer to knock off the ice build up from a North Atlantic transit to Murmansk

 

If you are wondering what the wrinkle background is, it's the portable nylon spray "booth/shield" I picked up thru the Woodcraft catalog. Works quite well.

 

I haven't decided whether to call it  a "wrap" at this point.  I haven't figured out if there are pulleys included in the PE sheet and how to assemble them or where to attach them as I don't have a clear rigging diagram for the cranes.  In addition, I would have to order some EZ Line if I am going to rig it further. 

 

Decisions ! Decisions ! Decisions !

 

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by Jack12477

[Old Collingwood]

Now she is looking impressive  some nice work gone into her.

 

OC.