RAF Tornado 1/72 - First attempt in 30+ years - disaster looming

[Guest]

Well here it is,my first attempt at making a model in over 30 years - how hard can it be?

Plus I've never painted a model so this really is going to get ugly.

Now to make sure I have the essentials

Tweezers - check

Snips - check

File - check

Really rubbish paint brush - check

Glue - check

Instructions for getting glue out of eye - check

Cold beer for keeping stress and swearing to a minimum - check

First impressions - it's bloody tiny! With my big,fat fingers I think I've taken on a bit too much but I'm fairly confidant that this could be a new low for scale-models

Second impression - the models I used to make had holes on one side and pins on the other.Granted they were very basic ( quite a lot of dinosaurs,sadly none of these survived the great Action Man war of 1980), no pins and holes here so it's definitely going to be a challenge.



This took me 45 minutes . No quick build here.



A couple of questions

Do I paint bits as I go or put it all together then paint?

What tools should I have for a basic tool kit?

Right I'm off for a go at the other seat o_O

Cheers, Mick

[Alan 45]

I usually paint any interior pieces cockpits , undercarriage bays , tyres and wheels I paint on the sprue for ease.

I look at the instructions and see which parts might be obscured by other parts and paint them complete

[Gern]

This all sounds depressingly familiar Mick (except the glue in the eye - I won't ask!).

Practise and Percy Verance will get it all to come together. As for your tools, there's a few extras you should consider:

Sanding sticks. Really important for getting joints to fit properly and clean them up afterwards. Even good joints will show something - a bit of glue squeezed out, a slight gap or a step maybe. Don't spend a fortune on these, you'll find a wide selection on the cosmetics counter in your local pound shop. If you're too embarrassed, ask your missus!

A pin vice and a range of small drills will come in handy.

What sort of glue do you have? There are lots of different types which all have their uses for different jobs. Have a search through the threads on the forum, you'll find loads of helpful advice about the different types and when to use them.

You'll have to decide for yourself when and what to paint. My preferred method is to paint those bits you can't reach or mask once you put together your sub-assemblies. eg. You've done the seat which you won't be able to paint once you drop it into the cockpit tub - so paint it now. Similarly, you won't be able to paint the cockpit tub once the seat is in place, so you should do that before fitting the seat.

Gern

[stona]

I agree with Dave (Gern) about painting. You really just have to do as much assembly of the various sub-assemblies as you can before you paint them. There isn't a right and wrong, you'll find the kit will almost tell you when parts need painting.

I rarely paint on the sprue because when I remove the part and clean up the attachment, I have to paint it again anyway. I remove and clean up the parts and then paint them, held by a variety of contraptions, clips, cocktail sticks and, most importantly, Blu-Tac.

For your tool kit you are going to need some decent paint brushes, including some very fine ones for painting detail. I know we shouldn't blame our tools and all that, but you really will struggle to paint models without some decent brushes.

For sanding sticks you might consider those 'emery boards' that the so called fairer sex use on their nails. I think that's what Dave was referring to.

Get yourself some sand paper. I use the regular wet'n'dry from Halfords from 800 to 2500 grit.

Don't worry about taking your time. I always say that patience is the most important tool in the box. If you rush I guarantee that you will make a cock up

As Dave says there's loads of helpful threads, but if you are not sure of something just ask, much better than guessing and you will get a reply (and I don't mean something like "google is your friend", which I've seen 'elsewhere')

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

stick with it mate, your doing a kit for your pleasure and yours alone, this scale is called the brail scale for a reason, but when its done and you sit back in your chair no matter what anyone else thinks YOU BUILT IT! you have achived what you set out to do.

i always have a "i made that moment" when i see something on the shelf.

by the way your doing fine, we all want to see the finished model however long it takes.

my suggestion is try one of the thinner glues , humbrol, mr hobby and the like it makes a big difference and you cant see it when it's dry.

martin.

[Guest]

Many thanks for the replies,it's very much appreciated.

I can't believe I've been messing about for over 2 hours on the seats and cockpit - where's the time gone?

Even though I wear specs I can barely make some of the tiny parts out,let alone paint them.

Is it common to use some sort of magnifying glass?

I can't imagine how some of you get the fantastic results with just your eyes.

So,my lessons learned for today ;

Do not glue the snips to the table cloth - the mrs won't like it

Do not get paint on the table cloth - see above

Do not get paint on the light switches - you get the idea

Do not carry parts out of the garage on a piece of kitchen towel while it's windy - parts WILL be lost

Overall though I've really enjoyed it even though I fear this Tornado will be heading for the bin once completed - it certainly won't be pretty

Thanks again for the tips , Mick

[Guest]

Yep, most people I'm guessing have some sort of magnifier - this sort (amazon link) seems cheap & v. common. Don't throw the Tornado!way - I've had much joy from my first model (about a year ago) simply by putting it next to later builds and making them look better!

[Guest]

Brilliant,thanks for that Alasdair - just ordered one.

My eyes were killing me after only 2 hours

Thanks again

[Alan 45]

Mike don't through it away , it's good to see how far you come by comparing and with every build you get better as you learn from your mistakes and learn new technics.

[Gern]

For sanding sticks you might consider those 'emery boards' that the so called fairer sex use on their nails. I think that's what Dave was referring to.

Steve

Yeah. There's a whole range of sanding/polishing things the ladies use ranging from coarse filing down to final polishing.

Gern

[stona]

Do not glue the snips to the table cloth - the mrs won't like it

Do not get paint on the table cloth - see above

Do not get paint on the light switches - you get the idea

Do not carry parts out of the garage on a piece of kitchen towel while it's windy - parts WILL be lost

Overall though I've really enjoyed it ...

Mick, it's you first model for a long time. I've been building them regularly for quite a few years and yet only a few days ago I superglued my thumb to the underside of a model on which I was filling a gap from the top. The superglue wasn't quite as viscous as I had thought

Just so you know acetone, as found in many nail varnish removers (also available from 'the ladies section') will help detach any supeglued part of the anatomy fairly painlessly

Most important is to have fun and it sounds like you are.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Actually re-reading, you're being a lot more ambitious than I was for my first model (adult era!), and are far better prepared. My first was an Airfix starter kit, and all I had was a tiny sharp knife (this sort of thing), my wife's eyebrow tweezers and the chopping board that we used to use for chicken & fish (now reserved for styrene). OK the result wasn't fantastic, but it was enough fun that I'm still here a year on with some slightly better kit and still loving it!

[Guest]

Coming along for your first model back. As everyone else has said just take your time. We do it for the enjoyment of it, if it looks kind of like it should when we are done that's even better. I'm only 25 and i tend to stay away from the 1/72 kits so you're doing well mate.

[Guest]

No worries mate, i survived my first build because of the lads here and advice from the site. Google is always there for you 24/7. And don't forget youtube is such an awesome tools. Just enjoy it mate. good luck

[tanktrack]

keep going with the build mate you will get to the end, but if you feel you are rushing it walk away for a few minutes and then have another go , I haven't built a plane in 35 + years and I have ordered 1 for the group build and im getting nervous , you can get nail files/sanding sticks from pound shops along with some other tools but I find hairy sticks (brushes) buy the best one you can afford as it pays in the long run . steve