We started with a test of the Tamiya Paint Retarder. Those who had used it before did so with an airbrush which in our climate makes a lot of sense. This time however we wanted to see how it did with brush painting. With a spare piece of sprue we painted with Tamiya XF-19 out of the bottle using Victor's brush painting technique of patting the paint on rather than brushing it on. Then we added a couple of drops to a small amount of the same paint and used the same technique for applying the paint. The paint with the retarder took much longer to dry allowing it to self level better. But is it enough to make it worth while? I gave the bottle to Victor and asked him to go try it out. I'm looking forward to Victor's report.
Next up was the Tru-Color Paint (TCP) that is not new to railroad modelers but is new to us ship builders. There aren't a lot of color matched choices for ship colors so this was worth exploring as an alternative to Enamels. TCP is described by the manufacturer as an Acrylic Lacquer which is becoming more popular with modelers lately because of the smooth finishes and fast drying times.
So, time for the test. The test subject is a Bronco Model 1/350 Type IXC U-Boat. I had some fun filling the seams so I wanted to have a good primer base. The model was cleaned in advance. I applied the Tru-Color primer to the model. It went on very well and dried quickly and was also very smooth. After 3 days I then masked over the primer and when I removed the tape about 30% of the primer came up with the tape. I don't know about you but I use primer to make sure my model is clear of mistakes before I add my finish colors. It's also important with resin models because those kits often have tiny air bubbles that need to be corrected.
Next I tried a couple of different lacquer primers. The first was automotive primer sealer. The second was Alclad II Microfiller primer and after 24 hours tested with tape again to make sure it wouldn't come off the model. No issues with either of these primers. Next I painted over the primer with TCP paint. The automotive sealer performed better than the TCP primer, but the Alclad II primer worked the best with absolutely no finish paint pealing off. Another thing I noticed was that the paint straight out of the bottle was a little rough and this I'm sure is due to the paint drying before it hits plastic. I thinned with 10% thinner and achieved smoother results. I've ordered some of TCP's retarder and will give that a try.
To be fair to TCP, they recommend not using primer so more testing is required. I would also add that the colors are excellent matches to the Snyder & Short paint chips. I'm going to test the paint some more and bring the results to the next meeting.
Next we took a look at some of the new items acquired by our members.
John Widmar brought some real finds.
John found a detail set for the USS Missouri made by The Wood Hunter made for the 1/700 Tamiya BB-63 Missouri kit. The set contains 12 frets of photo etch, brass barrels, and wood deck. Actually one of the best wood decks I've seen. No burn marks anywhere. Now for the most amazing part of all. Delivered to the US for $20.00. That's an outstanding value and the quality of the photo etch is superb. I ordered three of these sets, one for Martin, Ron, and myself. Nice find John!!
John also brought a new kit by a new manufacturer by the name of Snowman. This is a 1/700 scale Gearing class destroyer. And there are two kits in the package! It contains a little photo etch but is missing railing and other items that could really spruce these kits up. Reviews have been excellent. Criticisim of the kit is limited to the freeboard which can be corrected by adding sheet plastic to the bottom. Also some have complained about the size of the rivets on the turrets. You be the judge. Expect to see some detail sets coming out on this kit.
What else did John have today! How about 1/700 HP Models Unicorn resin kit from Freetime Hobbies holiday sale. Take a good look at the hull. Very detailed and thinned out for the cut outs in the side of the hull of which there are many!
Yes, John brought more! How about a 1/720 Zeppelin LZ47. This looks like a great little kit. John previously brought a mooring tower from Shapeways so it would be interesting to see the two come together.
Was John done yet? I think not! How about some great little 1/700 parts from Finemolds in Japan. John brought in several different sets including 1.1' and 20mm Oerlikon anti aircraft guns. Finemolds makes a number of different aftermarket sets that will really dress up your ship.
Thank you Peggy for delivering Roger to us. Roger brought in a couple of USN barge sets from Lion Roar. These will be great models on their own and in dioramas. Roger solicited the group for some ideas on how to roll some photo etch parts for one of the kits. Some suggestions were to roll just a little tighter than needed so when it springs back the joints meet up. Another suggestion was to use some paper on the inside to secure the parts. Finally annealing the metal (softening with heat) to take the spring out of the part. I'm anxious to see how Roger resolves this challenge.
John DuGene brought in his finished model of the Italeri 1/35 M.T.M. Barchino. John did a great job painting and weathering this little gem. Also took on painting the included figure. In the open hatch you can see the charges. The idea is that the pilot steers this high speed boat at the target and then jumps out. If all goes well he escapes and the boat with the charge takes out its intended target. What could go wrong? Thanks for bring this John!
Next Brian brought a couple of things to share. First is his Christmas gift to his son which is a Venator Class Star Destroyer. What made this so amazing was the LED and fiber optics used to light her up. Brian explained how he used the fiber optics to light up the different sections of the ship. Outstanding work Brian! We would love to learn more about incorporating lighting into our ship models.
Brian also brought a future project which is the Trumpeter 1/700 USS Colorado which included the Artwox wood deck, FStar photo etch set, and the Blue Ridge Models 3D printed cage mast. I'm looking forward to seeing this one because I have all the same parts myself!
Last but not least was Jerry who is embarking on one of the most satisfying builds you can do, which is a tribute build. Jerry is putting this together the Mikro-Mir 1/350 USS Lafayette SSBN-616 model for his friend who served on this boat. Mikro-Mir makes limited run unique subjects. They build into very nice models with a little work. Some are better than others and this one looks pretty decent. Good on ya Jerry!
I think that covers it. Looking forward to seeing you all in January.
Dave
