i’ve been workin’ on my 109 for a few months off and on…with school it’s hard to squeeze in any build time! and my disability slows things down ten-fold. anywho, i’ve had a few issues which have all been nOOb mistakes mainly with gluing. i usually use Testors MM glue in the container with the needle tip. my problem almost always is finding a spot somewhere that gets marred. i also have been using superglue from hobby lobby that i like, hasn’t frosted anything, and dries fast but doesn’t seem to be all that super. it seems to not bond well to the plastic, but does to skin! [:P] what’s all of my glue options out there? or the best few to have in the tool box?
my question about the 109 i think i’ve asked before but no harm in clearing things up. i’m building the 109 outta the box (using the 8 unit based in Afrika) and i’m confused about what color the area’s under the slats and between the flats and wings should be. RLM02 or the SandGelb the rest of the wings are? what about the sides of the flaps and the edges of the ailerons and part of fuse that meets the flap? the area’s are indicated in the pics.
also, i have another question. i see other modellers mix white with the exterior colors of planes to simulate sunfade, then clear, then decals, then finish. my question is, why don’t you paint color without white, clear coat, then decals, THEN mix a tad of white in with the final clear coat? did the logos, insignia’s and other markings not fade as well? i find it kind of odd when somebody makes an airplane look sun worn with non-faded insignia’s… can someone clear this up for me? no pun intended…
The areas under the leading edge slats and the exposed areas of the flaps when in the down position should be RLM 02. That is as long as no one did any respraying of the plane when it was in service. In my opinion the best way to fade the whole upper surface of a desert service airplane is to spray all of the colors as they are out of the jar. Put down your coar of Future. Then add your decals and seal them under another coat of Future. Add you panel lines and any staning if you want. Then to get a even faded look take a small jar and put a couple of ounces of what ever thinner you use then add a couple of drops of Buff color to the thinner until it looks like dirty thinner. Then using you air brush start randomly spraying it over the entire upper surfaces. There is so lillte paint in the solution that it makes it easy to gradually add the faded effect and it is very easy to control. Start out slow if you are not sure. let it dry. Then if you do not think it is faded enough go over it agian then let it dry and inspect. keep doing this until it looks right to you eye. The thin Buff overspray really ties all of the colors together and will fade out the decals so they do not look bright compared to the fainted paint. Give it a go I think you will like it.
I mainly use Testors Liquid Cement for Plastic Models but have also used Testors Plastic Cement for Models (red tube). Although tube cement application is less precise, I feel it gives a slightly stronger bond. I might use the tube for gluing larger parts like wings or fuselage halves. Funny though, neither seem to yield as strong a bond as similar glues I used decades ago. Back then, once things were glued together, they weren’t coming apart! I wonder if they’ve toned down the formula over the years - perhaps for safety/toxicity reasons.
I also have Loctite Super Glue Precision which I specifically bought for gluing antenna “wire” (both thread and fishing line). It didn’t work. The packaging and fine print say “most plastics” - polystyrene is not one of the listed exclusions.
look for a small bottle of Loctite 380. This stuff will glue just about anything but water. Sets up extremely fast and I recommend wearing surgical gloves as the last thing you want to do is glue your fingers together. When not in use keep the bottle in the fridge like all other Loctite glues.
Frank "Daywalker"is the one that turned me onto the buff overspray technique. I have to give him credit for it. I just beat him to posting it[:)] You should post a pick of your 109 Frank to insprire him. Do’nt be shy we all know it was so good it was in the Mag.[:)]
I use Tenax 7R for fuselages and wings, bombs, drop tanks, etc. I use Testors tube glue for stuff that I need to move around to align after applying glue. Super glue I use mainly for landing gear, gear doors, attaching bombs and drop tanks to pylons, etc. The Tenax 7R has the advantage of eliminating the need for filler putty along a seam if you apply it correctly. And for canopies, I use Elmer’s glue, and, occasionally, Testors tube glue. If the canopy has a coat of Future on it, then you can use super glue without the fogging effects.
thanks for everyone’s input! it’s appreciated. i’ll post pics of my 109 here soon…i won’t be able to airbrush for a while tho…school takes up lots of time!
