Messerschmitt Bf109 F-4 ”14” of Hans Joachim Marseille, eduard 1/48

Started by Erik Gjørup · 45 · 5 years ago · 1/48, Bf109, Eduard
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    Louis Gardner said 5 years, 5 months ago:

    You my friend are a 109 building machine !

    I especially enjoy reading these 109 articles. A person can tell by how you post your pictures and explanations that all of your 109 models are labors of love.

    Thanks for the latest update. I don’t comment on every one of them, but you can rest assured that I read each and every one. I’ll be using your postings again as building references for any of the 109’s that I make in the future.

    Thanks !

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    Erik Gjørup said 5 years, 5 months ago:

    Thanx Louis - doin' my best 🙂

    Even though comments are welcome, it is OK to sit back and enjoy the ride. Looking forward to the 109 of the future..

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    Erik Gjørup said 5 years, 5 months ago:

    All closed up and painting commences


    With the major assembly done, painting has commenced. To that end I built a paintbooth out of some roofing boards and an old kitchen fan. Did wonders to reduce the dust in the paint!



    Some light masking and the old Badger 150 with a fine needle and some 30 years old Humbrol 22 Gloss white thinned with fresh Humbrol thinner did a fine job I think. Could be better, but I still have a large “L” on the airbrush 🙂



    The nav-lights could be better, or the surroundings at least. Considering to cut off the entire light and fairing in the future and make a fairing of some sheet material. Time will tell if that will take place – could be fun to spend a few hours on each wingtip, right?

    And so this installment is done, and I will see if I get time soon to continue painting – next will be RLM04, perhaps Humbrol insignina yellow?.

    That’s it for now – next time painting will continue I suppose – feel free to comment

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    Tom Rodgers said 5 years, 5 months ago:

    Thanks very much for your insight and detailed explanation. I'm going to be doing this kit in Marseille's markings soon and will defiantly "steal" a lot of these tips. Cheers, Tom

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    Erik Gjørup said 5 years, 4 months ago:

    Painting, masking, painting, masking. . . .

    With the painting having commenced, things have indeed slowed down as I wait for paint to dry – and my deadline for August 24th is just around the corner.

    The white gloss came in a little thick



    Sanding a bit before masking for RLM 04. And I forgot to take pictures of that..

    Oh well – it will be seen on the finished model, but was done with Humbrol Signal Yellow.



    I suppose the mix was a bit too thick – there is a lot of “Orange-peel skin”, hopefully that can be reduced by sanding and a cote of clear – a thinned coat of clear that is..

    That’s it for now – next time painting will continue as I move up for RLM79 and then hopefully decals soon – it has to be ready for the 24th

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    George R Blair Jr said 5 years, 4 months ago:

    Orange peel is evil, and hard to fix. I think sanding and repainting is about the only way to do it. If it is acrylic you might be able to use something like window cleaner to remove the paint. I always figured that orange peel came from thick paint, or low airbrush pressure, or both, or maybe humidity problems. Who knows? Good luck fixing it.

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    Erik Gjørup said 5 years, 4 months ago:

    @gblair thank you for the compassion 🙂
    I think this time it is both - that is thick paint and low pressure. It is Xtracolor enamel, and needs to harden up before I can get to sanding, so the pressure really is on on this one as it is a birthdaypresent to the miss..

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    Erik Gjørup said 5 years, 4 months ago:

    Painting, paint drying, painting. . . .

    just a short update as painting continues

    This time I added a lot more thinner, and stopped a long time before I thought I had to!



    That did the trick – at least for now! Looking a lot smoother that the RLM78 on the belly.

    One more layer of (too thin) RLM79 later on, and as a gloss xtracolor has been used, I suppose it will be ready for decals soon?

    not sure what will be next – I suppose the next post will be when decals are in progress?

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    Erik Gjørup said 5 years, 3 months ago:

    Short update

    While the paint dries . . .

    Here are a few pictures of the mostly unmasked “14”



    With the deadline creeping in on me, the paint dries

    hope to add some decals and last details shortly – 24th approaching fast

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    david leigh-smith said 5 years, 3 months ago:

    You’ll nail it by the 24th, Erik. Great work.

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    Don Mk1a said 5 years, 3 months ago:

    Your attention to detail is exemplary. And your creative solutions. When do we get to see those secret exhausts?

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    Erik Gjørup said 5 years, 3 months ago:

    Thank you for the kind words!

    @dirtylittlefokker, I shall do my utmost, but has to build in secret as it is a present for the one that must be obeyed 🙂

    @plasteekgeek - the secretive exhausts I'm afraid will stay undercover till the very end!

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    George R Blair Jr said 5 years, 3 months ago:

    Desert paint schemes are very cool, and the environment they were in gives lots of latitude for weathering, if you wish. Looking really good. Your deadline looks good, but this is where things always slow down. It seems like this time in a build has more waiting than doing: Paint the clear, let dry for a day. Add the decals, let dry for a day. Add the clear overcoat, let dry for a day. etc, etc...

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    Erik Gjørup said 5 years, 3 months ago:

    @gblair - you said it! (then why am I here at the PC and not decalin') Weathering will be kept at a minimum, as it is supposed to be representing the plane on the date when "the star of Africa" came back from R&R in Rome to fly in his new kite. I am not entirely sure it was a new plane, but nonetheless, I think they might have cleaned it up as best they could for their hero. Should I be ahead of schedule there is a Kübelwagen waiting that might be added (the one Marseilles drove, named OTTO)

    Oh - darn - no decals getting wet with me sittin here - off to work!

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    Erik Gjørup said 5 years, 3 months ago:

    DECALS!

    And on they went . . .

    Finally I got around to decals – as I had painted with gloss xtracolor paints, I skipped the gloss layer. That might have been a mistake? But I really have to get it done.

    The detail on those eduard decals are something!



    For parts of this photoshoot I used a macro-lens, and thus got really close, the dust and blemishes being all the clearer!

    Anyway – it got a few brushes of micro set/sol and a knife in all the long panellines, and now it will have to settle before I fumble with it again.


    And this is as far as I got this morning.

    think next post on this one will be after some clear when done with all the stencilling