discussion Fine Molds Type 3 Chi-Nu, 1:35

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko
Nice to see this with some paint. Looks good.
Jim

 

[Guest]

I really need to get this one finished, but my lack of enthusiasm for airbrushing in general combined with the lacquer paint troubles has kept it from getting more paint on it so far …

 

[Jack L]

Good to see this back on the go.

 

[scottie3158]

Jakko looking good.

 

[Guest]

Thanks I continued painting today, adding highlights to the three colours:

View attachment 449361

This was very much a struggle, though. Already as I was adding a bit more paint to my M4A2, the airbrush wasn’t cooperating too well, and by the time I had this one half done, I was having a very difficult time getting any paint out of it beyond spattering After that it only got worse, spraying not at all or to one side, but nothing usable despite pulling the needle out, removing the nozzle, cleaning both and the paint cup — several times. In the end I gave up, chucked the airbrush into the ultrasonic cleaner for fifteen minutes, cleaned it out by hand some more, and then tried spraying again. That time it worked fine, so I re-sprayed all the highlights (with slightly different colours) to hide the first attempt

 

[stillp]

What fluid did you use in the ultrasonic Jakko?
Pete

 

[Jim R]

Hi Jakko
I reckon even the best maintained airbrush will need a good strip down and clean every now and then. I'm always amazed at how much gunk comes out in the ultrasonic bath from a supposedly clean airbrush.
Glad it's sorted and you've done a fine job.
Jim

 

[Guest]

What fluid did you use in the ultrasonic Jakko?

Water with a splash from a bottle of ultrasonic cleaner fluid I bought a few years ago. Not sure what’s in it, exactly, as I don’t have the bottle here with me in the living room, but IIRC it’s fairly high-pH

I reckon even the best maintained airbrush will need a good strip down and clean every now and then.

This one hadn’t had a bath at all since I bought it, so I think you’re right

 

[The Smythe Meister]

Hi Jakko,
Only just seen this, looking very nice indeed mate,I do like that "feather edge" type style,much more pleasing to o the eye than the hard edge approach imo,
Good stuff,
Andy

 

[Guest]

After the camouflage, I added an overall wash to add shading:

View attachment 449483

This was complicated by the different colours in the camouflage, because using the same colour of wash on green as on brown is probably going to cause unwanted colour shifts or odd effects. I used Mig wash for olive drab over the green and “parched grass” (the yellowish-greenish-brown base colour), straight from the bottle, but thinned-down (about 1:1) Army Painter soft tone on the brown. Important there with soft-edged camouflage, I think, is to make sure you apply the second before the first has had time to fully dry, so that they will run into each other a little where they meet. This will disguise the line between them, so it doesn’t end up as a hard edge.

When this had dried overnight, I drybrushed each of the camouflage patches with a lighter version of the colour to bring out highlights:

View attachment 449484

Oh, and to come back to the question of what I put into the ultrasonic cleaner:

View attachment 449485

This is the bottle I poured a little from into the cleaner’s tank before adding plain tap water. It says (at the top left of the label, partly out of sight here) that it’s “special cleaner for ultrasound”, and has pH 9.9, apparently when mixed as a 1% solution. It’s also only for professional use … so I guess I should put it away and never touch it again

 

[Jim R]

Very nice shading/variation in that camo. As you say not easy on a multicolour scheme.
Jim

 

[Tim Marlow]

The Nu Nu is starting to look good Jakko

 

[stillp]

The reason I was asking about the ultrasonic fluid is that I used some "Jewellery Cleaner" diluted as per instructions, to clean my Skagen black mesh watch strap, and it cleaned the blacking off! I didn't risk using the same solution on my airbrush, so just used windscreen washer fluid.
Pete

 

[stillp]

It’s also only for professional use … so I guess I should put it away and never touch it again

It does seem to be powerful stuff: http://dr-h-stamm.info/downloads/rw7783029gbenstamm.pdf
Most material safety data sheets are pretty scary though, I'm sure it's fine if you're sensible with it.
Pete

 

[adt70hk]

That's coming on very nicely Jakko. Good to see you back at it and something different from the 'usual'.

ATB.

Andrew

 

[Guest]

Most material safety data sheets are pretty scary though, I'm sure it's fine if you're sensible with it.

That’s my take on it, too. I take the cap off, pour a small amount into the ultrasonic cleaner, and put the cap back on before filling the rest of the cleaner’s tank with tap water. I’m not scared I will get chemical burns or anything from it, especially not with a solution as diluted as that.

Good to see you back at it and something different from the 'usual'.

You may be slightly disappointed with the next one, then, which I’ll get right on to once I’ve finished his and/or the M4A2 …

 

[Tim Marlow]

That’s my take on it, too. I take the cap off, pour a small amount into the ultrasonic cleaner, and put the cap back on before filling the rest of the cleaner’s tank with tap water. I’m not scared I will get chemical burns or anything from it, especially not with a solution as diluted as that.


:smiling3:

You may be slightly disappointed with the next one, then, which I’ll get right on to once I’ve finished his and/or the M4A2 …

There’s a safety saying for that Jakko…..”Always do what you oughter, add the acid to the water…..”.
It works for alkali as well . In effect, always add the concentrate to water, not the other way around. Some chemicals give off a lot of heat when they dissolve (an exothermic reaction) and a small amount of water can then boil, spraying chemicals around. A large amount of water dissipates the heat quickly so the boil issue doesn’t happen.

 

[adt70hk]

That’s my take on it, too. I take the cap off, pour a small amount into the ultrasonic cleaner, and put the cap back on before filling the rest of the cleaner’s tank with tap water. I’m not scared I will get chemical burns or anything from it, especially not with a solution as diluted as that.


:smiling3:

You may be slightly disappointed with the next one, then, which I’ll get right on to once I’ve finished his and/or the M4A2 …

I'm never bored by your builds... The amount of work you put into them always makes them interesting!

 

[Guest]

”Always do what you oughter, add the acid to the water…..”.

Chances are I was taught this when I studied chemical engineering about 30 years ago, but if I was then I don’t remember In any case, with the amounts etc. we’re talking about here, I’m not exactly concerned.

 

[Guest]

I’ve been working on and off on this model, and have now gotten the wheels painted as attached. Then it came to trying on the tracks, and, well …

View attachment 452920

I’m about five links short for each side And this is with all the links that came in the packet, as I recall. I may have to search a bit better for where I put the remainder, if there were any left, but when comparing this to the single-piece track Finemolds provides, then the metal one is about one link short, not five. Which would mean the kit track is ridiculously tight …

But looking at the photo, I think I can see what’s wrong: the track spacing seems to be slightly too small. I hadn’t noticed it in the flesh on test-fitting, but it looks like the links don’t want to go between the sprocket teeth and sit on top of them instead for most of the curve around the sprocket.