so i think im just gonna paint as is. i will definately have to prime again the spots if i try to sand them more. lesson learned… i used the tamiys soft putty. anyhow, i found another site.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/12/05109.htm
trying to figure out if there is a waterline stripe or just hull paint to bottom paint? Thoughts?
so im not going for historical correctness, but just trying to finish a model and get better. tks
guess no line…
Not sure what to think of this. I’ve never done this before so maybe not too bad? I marked it with thin styrene then taped it with blue tape Then removed the strips. Didn’t know what else to do. Obviously bleed through. Guess I didn’t press it down enough. Help on how to fix it up? Let it dry then tape off the red and repaint the grey?? HELP. Tks.
The promo/war bond tour just needed “close enough.”
Which gets ‘sticky’ quickly–witness accounts are that the green was a locally-procurred paint applied to all surfaces in an indiscriminate fashion.
Said testimony getting confused, over the years, with the official green paints and schemes. Also testimony that 109 was in gray paint the night of her loss (and at least one report of a black color).
The “Peter Tares” operated very far forward, well forward of “the brass” so a number of the actual practices varied from Book considerably. Black for underwater hulls was pretty common. And, quite logical as the forward bases had nothing that needed official red bottom paint, which was in considerable need elsewhere.
[quote]
Or a nice “just got here” look: (Grey everywhere above the waterline)[/qoute]
With a darer gray deck and horizontals–the shadowed numberals are very prewar, too. Very much “just got there.” Which is a hugely appropriate paint schem for 109, and with more thna a little documentation. Both of the foredeck depthcharges would be in place or, at least the racks would.
That’s harbor scum with rather a lot of fuel oil scum.
Technically, all WWII USN grey are in a Purple-Blue hue of one sort or another. On Ekachrome film, blues are always enhanced, too. It’s still excellent analog film stock for daytime, blue sky photos. And equally awful for indoors under flourescents everything goes yellow-green. This is something to take in consideration when assessing period photography.
Now, should OP change the paint on his hull? Only if he wants to. As I mentioned above, the 109 (and other forward boats) is tricky to model, as the plywood hulls had no weld beads to run a chalk line between to establish neat waterlines and the like. They were often painted in the water with local paints of dubious quality, and under considerable time pressure, which is not the sort of thing that allows careful masking and neat paintjobs.
So, the modeler has to do what makes them happy. Even when “the real thing” did not look as good as one’s model–as other people will judge the model on the modeler’s skills at painting, seam filling, etc. Modelling something normally painted sloppily is probably at the zenith of modeling skill.
Yes let the paint dry- a week at least. Then mask the red, sand off the blood and repaint the gray. Up to you how well you choose to blend it in. A good argument could be made that there’d be patches of slightly different gray, dockside scrape repairs etc.
From the Morrison book of advice freely given but not followed by the author: I usually paint the red first as I like to get the hull mounted on a workstand. Then mask the red, hit the edge of the tape with more red, and then apply gray.
tks much. Will wait and tape and redo after sanding off the boo boos. I understand what you mentioned on painting the red first, but what do mean when you then mask the red and hit the edge with more red?? If it’s red 1st, wouldn’t you then tape over the red then do a hull color?
The reason G suggested shooting the edge of the tape with red was to seal it to keep the gray from seeping underneath the tape in case it didn’t seal properly. A couple of other tips. After you’ve sanded everything smooth, wipe everything down with rubbing alcohol. This will help remove any sanding dust and skin oils left by handling the model. Before you apply your masking tape, lay the tape down on a flat surface and take a straight edge and knife and cut a thin strip of tape off the edge that is going to form the demarcation line. Doing so will remove the crud that has accumlated on your roll of tape and give you a very sharp line. It will also help it stick better and prevent seepage underneath. After you’ve laid the tape down are satisfied with how it looks, burnish the heck out of the edge to get it to seal better. Your 109 is looking good, keep at it!
Lewbud - thanks for the explanation… Also, Tks for the other tips. Great to know as I get more into it. Reminds me one of the reasons for the board - sharing and learning! Have a safe day.
Hey GM or anyone else… It’s starting to look as if this should have been in the techniques forum - sorry. One more question, at least until the next one - rule of thumb on how long to wait until I peel the tape off the waterline after the respray? Let it dry all the way or until tacky or what? Looking for best way to do it. Tks agin!
Sorry for not answering sooner, but the answer depends on what type of paint you’re using but the simple answer is as soon as it’s dry to the touch (abuot 15 minutes for lacquers/acrylics and 30-45 minutes for enamels ). Take a new/sharp xacto blade and lightly score the edge of the tape, this will help keep the paint from lifting when you remove the tape. Remove the tape by lifting it perpendicular or at an angle to the tape line. Then set it aside to fully cure. The reason I said dry to the touch instead of fully cured is that the paint will form a hard edge that is noticeable under a decal if allowed to cure with the tape in place. If you remove the tape when it’s dry to the touch it will still produce a sharp line, but the paint will settle slightly making a softer edge that won’t be noticeable under a decal. This may not be as noticeable on a ship but when you build a airplane with a multi color camo scheme, it can be very noticeable. Not important for a shelf sitter, but can make the difference between taking home a trophy or going home empty handed if it’s a contest model. Hope this helps.
hey lewbud —— To confirm, when you say score the edge, are you talking about what the other poster said, cutting the edge of the tape prior to laying it down or scoring after it dries before pulling it off? I’m guessing before pulling it up. Also, if I can explain this clearly, when pulling off at an angle, does it make a difference if the angle is towards or away from the freshly painted area?? Tks !!!
In my first response I said to take your knife and straight edge and cut the edge of the tape to remove the dust and fuzzies that are picked up. This gives you a sharp edge for the mask. In this case, what you are doing is cutting through the paint, breaking the the bond at the edge of the tape. This allows you to remove the tape while minimizing the risk of lifting the paint. As for removing the tape I start at the edge furtherest from the paint and lift towards towards the paint, that way you don’t run the risk of marring the paint while trying to lift the tape. Hope this helps.
I forgot to add, use a light touch when doing this. Let the weight of the knife do the work. Work slow and you’ll be okay. Nothing worse than having the knife get away from you and have fill, sand, and repaint an unintended gouge.
TKS Lewbud!!!
You’re welcome. If by chance you forget and let the paint fully cure (happens to me all the time) make sure you use the knife before pulling the tape. It really sucks to have to remask and repaint after having the paint pull up with the tape. Not that I’d know about that or anything[whstl].
so i taped and resprayed wit the gray primer(i think is paint too - dont have can in front of me). have to say, much better i think. anyhow, by the time i “mess it up” i think itll be good considering my 1st time taping freehand. Still a little blip on the starboard underneath - oh well! New pice. Tks for the tips!
Looks okay to me!
Nicely done. Good Recovery!
I have been using the old Rattle-Cans for 4+ years now. I keep brake fluid, Easy-Off, and Purple Power nearby at all times. I usually take all the paint off when I make big booboo and re-paint. You did REAL good.
I am now, slowly, practicing with an airbrush on some model TANKS. (I don’t want to ruin any really good models like SHIPS.)
Nino
