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[BlackAce7727]

Gents and friends on SAS,

After this morning's mess up of my Saab Draken by Airfix I was thinking I was having to wait until Monday to get my next kit of her. But a miracle happened... an hour or so ago my next Draken appeared! I have to admit whoever was looking down on me delivered! So... my friends the journey starts again!

The sprues are crisp as is the fuselage, to boot the last model I have to admit was missing a few pieces and the canopy was scratched to heck! But this boxing is from 2005/2006. Just before they stopped production. 

Construction and painting started, the cockpit in Humbrol 102 Army Green, ejector seat painted and soon the pilot will get the treatment. After learning the mistake last time and with all the pieces in the box she'll be complete.

The colours will be in the F10 exercise ''Checkerboard'' scheme.

[Knochenlutscher]

If you care I can just point to one of the books out of my R/L studies,
in German
Max Doerner - Malmaterial/The Materials of the Artist and Their Use in Painting

English Editions exist
Stuff you usually learn on academic arts level or in similar circles.

a old recollection on painting, types of paints, for Todays artist
the latest Editions are of interest (mine is post 2005 Edition), as the Doerner Institute took care to evaluate
latest techniques, not just the originals by Doerner himself.
Here in specific, handling of Acrylics, Laqueurs, varnishes, solvents, what to do, nicely compiled

For us this was the Bible, it's still on my desk, 20th Edition, when it comes to Paint! it's
unbeatable knowledge.

Good you have a strong neck, my first self made oil paints from pigments and very first canvases with
it, looked similar, I didn't sticked with the Profs recipe and failed, learning curve...

Best wishes
Tobias

[BlackAce7727]

Thanks for that Tobi, I'll note that.

Meanwhile, in an hour of recieving the Draken... weights were added, painted a second coat on the interior and 45 minutes later... she's in one piece! I wasn't even reading the instructions either to get her to this stage!

[BlackAce7727]

Gents and friends on SAS,

I've found a solution to stop the event like I had today. It's an old friend that I was using a lot when I was using enamel paints... Apparently the problem lied with the oils in the paint reacting to the water in the acrylic spray, once applied directly it expands the oil in the paint and once the water get's underneath it's game over as you all saw and it can't be fixed.

However with what I've learned, is that if you put floor polish on the model first, add the decals then apply the same solution over the top it acts like a shield. This protects the paint as well as the decals underneath so then I can spray the Matt varnish on top!

Yep that's the solution... floor polish! Something I used to use EVERY time when working on models in the past with enamel paints.

Anyway, with the airbrakes fitted and the rear pods attached she's given her first coat of Humbrol 144. Also here's the solution I will use to preserve the paint and markings.

[Andy H]

Oh, yes - Heaven help the person who uses my bottle of 'Klear' to polish a floor. 

Quick progress there, coming along nicely. 

[BlackAce7727]

So you use floor polish as well or ''Klear'' as it once was known as? Neat!

Thankyou Andy, it's very encouraging. The second Humbrol 144 coat should be on tomorrow then Friday the camo starts..

[Andy H]

You're inspiring me to bust out my Soviet vehicles. Mind you, I've got a half-built Spit XII I should finish first... 

[BlackAce7727]

Glad I could be of help!

It's a great hobby and as I mentioned previously with my accident yes there are disappointing episodes but it's all about experimenting and learning new techniques.

[BlackAce7727]

So, continuing my second Draken build. The second coat was applied this morning and tonight the camo is on! So yep, in 2 days she's almost at the stage prior to my mess up.

[SAS~Storebror]

For those who are on Facebook, Eric has been knighted by Airfix for this kit:
https://www.facebook.com/officialairfix/posts/10159395875621271


Mike

[Gaston]

I see "1970" on a part of the kit on one of your photos... seems molds are quite old ! No problem for assembling ?

[BlackAce7727]

Thanks Mike for pointing that out.. A rare privilege and hopefully she'll be released as one of their classic's range.

Gaston, mate despite the age of the tool Airfix when they were owned by Humbrol until 2006 they constantly used old toolings which were weak and sadly aged terribly. This kit however managed to age like wine and like the Hurricane Mk.IIb model she was one of the first to have a ''frame sprue'' around all the parts, also the tool template didn't get too worn in the 40 or so years since it was released, you can still get the ''red stripe'' boxes on eBay but they command ridiculous prices, if it's the seller made it a bidding then you could probably get it cheaper.

The only flaw in the kit is the canopy, because of it's age and the brittle plastic they used to make it resulted in many scratched, cracked or even stained releases in many boxings, I got very lucky seeing as this kit is only 21 years old as it's the 2005 release before Humbrol sold Airfix until they became their own corporation in 2010.