After 20 years I’m building models again. Here is my first attempt at Tamiya’s ME bf 109. I had some decal issues as you can see after spraying over with Tamiya flat coat…??? As well as some paint bubbling… Used Tamiya paints as well as Vallejo’s Air brush paints. I’m sure I wont win any awards but tips, comments, suggestions would be appreciated.
That is a damn fine first attempt Alfonso! The colors look good and the pattern looks right too. There are a few seams that I can see but there is also one missing on the spine or at least I cant see it. I know this as I recently got busted for it but I think the 109’s have a panel line that runs the length of the top of the spine so don’t fill that one. The only other thing is that the finish is a bit shiny for my tastes. Again, that one is just a personal preference but I like a pretty flat finish. Looking forward to seeing more of your work!!
Brilliant work, The only thing I would say is use a primer as it highlights any seams you have missed, however that looks really impressive, I have a feeling if you sent that picture in to the Reader Gallery it would have a good chance of getting published, really good looking kit and you appear to have highlighted all the panel lines really well.
Thanks guys for the confidence booster! I think I’ll submit it and see what happens.
Solid first build, Alfonso! Great job on the paint! You mentioned the bubbles in the decals. If you haven’t tried it yet, there are decal solvents that help your decals to lay down and snuggle in the seams. On bubbles like the cross on the bottom of the wing, you can poke a hole in the bubble and applys some solvent to it to get rid of it. Solvaset, and Micro-sol are a couple you can use.
Glenn
109’s were quite an aircraft!! you did it proud!!
I wish my first build looked like that. Nice work. Ditto on the other comments to include the nice job on the RLM colors. I still struggle with RLM 70/71 on early Luftwaffe subjects. Perhaps coincidentally, aside from masking canopies, seam work was the hardest thing for me to master when I started too. A liitle trick I use is a silver Sharpie on the seams which highlights the areas that still need attention. The silver makes the seams still out like a sore thumb. Give it a try.
Joe
Good job. Having just helped judge a contest from our local chapter, this kit is almost as good as some of the ones on the table. The seams are a bit rough, but that comes with practice, and the only ones I noticed were on the bottom, so not so bad. The only other picky detail is it looks like the crosses on the fuselage do not line up. PIcky, I know, but when we were judging, little details like that were what seperated an award winner from not. Awesome first kit, and I look forward to seeing more of your fine work as you get back into practice. I am guessing you could have contest winners very soon.
Just to echo what the otehr have said. Thats a nice build and you have somthing solid to build on. One of the things i hate doing most is seams. Eric is right about the seam along the top, its only somthing i found out recently. I believe it was a V shaped groove that ran from the back of the cockpit to the tail. But its no real biggy.
A decal setting solution would deffinatly be a good idea. And when you get little bubbles like that you can make a tiny hole in them and put some more solution on. The camo pattern looks spot on.
Very nice build!
Thanks again guys!
Thats a great build for a return build. Keep up the great work!
Alfonso great looking first attempt! Have to agree with the above comments on the seams,and the colors look spot on. There is a spine seam on the 109 but there is much debate about how much of it really would show in this scale. Check out the 109 group build if you get a chance lots of good info on these airframes there ! Looking forward to seeing more of your builds! cheers Trey
Nice!
I will and thanks.
That’s a darned fine first attempt, mate. Very well done. As has been said…watch out for that seam line running down the spine…it was there on the real deal…and your finish and cammo is WAAAAAAY better than my first dozen attempts.
You’ve got a solid skill base behind you…the hardest part is the finish. Also, watch for things like wing root joins…you might try Tamiya tape for the canopies, too…works very well.
Other than that - very well done … and thanks for posting the pics, mate. It’s always cool to see what other people are doing.
