discussion 1/32 HKM Do335 B-2 Zerstorer

[ozdell]

There is a bigger cannon firing through the propeller Tony. .

Hi Barry, thank, just looked back on the build and saw your workbench very neat indeed , great model collection on your shelfs , this model is sure coming along super detail , Tony

 

[Steven000]

The masking looks great Barry, always an exiting moment when you pull them off... :thumb2:
Steven

 

[BarryW]

View attachment 417044View attachment 417045View attachment 417046View attachment 417047View attachment 417048View attachment 417049View attachment 417050View attachment 417051View attachment 417052View attachment 417053View attachment 417054View attachment 417055A series of photos showing progress of masking and painting of markings. It involved several stages and the cutting of some masks to fit around detail. Some touching up is needed now.

 

[Steven000]

Nice work Barry :thumb2:
Masking looks good
Steven

 

[adt70hk]

Coming on nicely Barry. That's looking very good indeed.

ATB.

Andrew

 

[scottie3158]

Barry,
Lovely work so far the masking looks very neat.

 

[Ian M]

The markings are looking good. Not a good place to have to mask the serials over that intake!
It pays off and looks so much better than decals in the scale you work on.

 

[BarryW]

The markings are looking good. Not a good place to have to mask the serials over that intake!
It pays off and looks so much better than decals in the scale you work on.

Thanks Ian
Looking at it the UQ on the starboard side is a little higher than it should be but is OK. It was easier to cut the masks to fit than I thought it would be. Just a few minor decals to add once I have finished the touching up tonight. Then varnish and washes...

 

[Jack L]

Fantastic work, as always, Barry. Are the letter masks pre-cut, or have you made those yourself?

Edit: Just looked back and read that some were ordered...assume these are them?

 

[BarryW]

Fantastic work, as always, Barry. Are the letter masks pre-cut, or have you made those yourself?

Edit: Just looked back and read that some were ordered...assume these are them?

Hi Jack
Yes, these are Maketar Masks and I think that these are the best available. They offer vinyl or kabuki tape and have a wide range available, a lot of generic sets plus some that are kit specificin all scales. They have a much wider range on their website than through retailers.

 

[stona]

I recently ordered some from Maketar for a project and they made it from Serbia to Birmingham in about a week. A few years ago they made me some custom masks for a 1/24 floatplane, a bit more expensive than their off the shelf selection but worth it.

As Barry says, in larger scales they will usually give a better result than decals and you control the colours etc. There is nothing more annoying than the kit's version of Sky code letters being a different colour to the Sky you have sprayed on the fuselage band and spinner!

The masks are not difficult to use.

 

[BarryW]

Decals doneView attachment 417207

 

[BarryW]

I have made a lot of progress. I am keeping the weathering light and focussed, starting with a matt varnish coat.

There can be problems using lacquer varnish over lacquer paints. The lacquer reactivates the paint below and can ‘thin’ the base coat showing more primer than you want. One way to deal with this is a barrier of water based acrylic varnish but when I tried that it was not as successful as I hoped and, quite frankly, it just reminds me how much better it is to spray lacquers.

My solution is what I call the 5:5:wet method.
5 light mist coats of varnish, five minutes apart, followed by a single wet coat.

The mist coats are fairly dry when they hit and build up a barrier ready for a wet coat. It works well.

Weathering consisted of metal powders, focussed around the most commonly opened panels, the wing root, and some dry brushing strategically to show chipping and wear. Also some very light streaking, kerosene leaks and exhaust smoke stains.

I anticipated some for issues when attaching the undercarriage but, in fact, the fit was perfect.... beware to fit the correct wheels to each leg so the flattened wheel is positioned correctly.

Some pics.

View attachment 417371View attachment 417372View attachment 417373View attachment 417374View attachment 417375View attachment 417376View attachment 417377View attachment 417378View attachment 417379View attachment 417380

 

[BarryW]

One quick pic
Much less weathered than usual due to this aircraft not being operational. I will do a completed thread soon.

View attachment 417406

 

[minitnkr]

Finishes are excellent. PaulE

 

[outrunner]

Tremendous job there, well done.

Andy.