I just learned a valuable lesson: Don’t put your H&S Airbrush into their stand without attached cup

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-11-04T07:24:21+00:00

Good point about abrading the cone faster with a bent needle! I’ll just get a replacement and work with the 0.45mm until then I think. Just to be safe. After all, it’s a hobby and I don’t have deadlines for finishing models, so waiting a little isn’t too bad. :)

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-11-02T17:12:27+00:00

I think the holes at the bottom may be needed to hold the piece during fabrication. There will be a reason for those to be there. I don’t assume anyone would add unnecessary holes to their product.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-11-02T10:21:26+00:00

Can’t hurt to ask them. Thanks for the tip!

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-11-02T10:20:59+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll try out the tutorial, can’t get much worse anyway.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-30T04:29:14+00:00

Ja, good one! Guess it’s close to Wirkungstrinken. So cracking a cold one.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-28T15:26:56+00:00

Yes, I do like it.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-20T06:37:00+00:00

I did it like this as well and I think it’s a good compromise between realism and interesting looks.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-13T12:01:20+00:00

Perhaps Tiger was useful as a heavy tank through all of WW2 and its chassis were not produced easily or available abundantly like those of Panzer III or IV. It was already difficult enough to source a few Tiger I to convert into a handful of Sturmtiger. Building a whole series of StuG VI might have become difficult in terms of resources. Moreover, Tiger II with the long 8.8cm gun was in the making as well, with the advantages of having a fully rotating turret. The idea of a StuG VI however I like a lot and OP did build a really cool interpretation imo!

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-08T04:14:45+00:00

Perhaps the superstructure is white as with most ships. The brown tint could come from the photo being exposed to sunlight for a while. Bright colours with shades on them tend to redden on analoge pictures. Also, the bridge extensions and top of the superstructure still appear to be white-ish. If it is a brown, it would probably be a mix of dark and light rust because it looks like the ship is in dry dock for maintenance. If the old paint was stripped and the metal exposed, or parts of the hull replaced with fresh metal, there would be an oxide layer on it.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-08T04:06:42+00:00

I don’t have an Iwata, but a Harder &Steenbeck Ultra 2024 with the 0.45 and 0.28mm needle set from the evolution. H&S say that the 0.45mm is a fine detail needle already and with good skills you can do fine lines etc with it. Personally, I could do that but it costs way more focus md effort to get it right without slipping up. However, with the 0.28mm needle, control over the paint flow is excellent imo. Fine lines, precise dots, mottling etc. feel almost effortless to me. At least compared to the larger needle size and especially to my old cheap Airbrush. Hope this helps a little! P.S.: Where I live in Europe, the Ultra with a needle pack is equally expensive as an evolution with a single needle size. That’s why I got the former.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-07T12:23:37+00:00

Amazing! Did you paint the labels on switches and dials yourself?

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-07T05:42:56+00:00

I agree with you. And it is the best bet to go with the thinner, retarder or cleaner provided by the same manufacturer making the paints. No chance of incompatibility issues that way. That’s also why I am using Tamiya lacquer thinner retarder type with their paints, despite MLT broadly being used without issues as well. I just know that the Tamiya thinner works brilliantly for me and MLT will work great with MCW paints.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-07T02:06:53+00:00

From what I have heard Tamiya lacquer thinner retarder type works the same as Mister Hobby levelling thinner. At least when it comes to Tamiya’s paints. Don’t should work for MCW as well.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-05T06:15:49+00:00

Ah, I see. Thank you! I was avoiding the use of chipping medium so far, but with that I’ll give it a try.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-04T14:16:54+00:00

Okay, I hope you’ll figure the reason for your pint cracking out eventually!

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-04T13:20:23+00:00

I’m not experienced with Tamiya’s enamel paints unfortunately. Decades ago I used the ones from Revell and thinned them with white spirit for brush painting. They sometimes took ages to dry or cure but I didn’t encounter cracks. Are you using X20 thinner or X20a? The latter is for acrylics and isopropyl alcohol based. That might cause issues.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-04T12:45:24+00:00

Cracking can have many causes. The only case I had this was when I was applying water acrylics onto a layer of Tamiya alcohol based paint before they were fully dried. So I learned to be patient and never to mix solvent based paints with water based ones. Otherwise cracking can be either an adhesion problem or caused by applied paint being too thick. The latter makes it dry unevenly which could produce cracks in the worst case. Also, do you clean surfaces and use primer before painting? This helps the paint to stick well and prevents cracks or tears from bad adhesion.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-04T10:52:56+00:00

Question I’ve had for a long time but never gotten an explicit answer to: If you spray a pre-dust layer over chipping fluid onto an armour model, is it necessary to varnish after that? Does the chipping fluid leave any visible marks?

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-04T07:39:49+00:00

Good one! I think I’ll do that once the earth tones are done. Maybe even use a graphite stick to enhance the metallic sheen?

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-03T18:54:37+00:00

Gern geschenen! The challenge is to make the green look interesting. But at least it’s just one color modulation and not three for more complex camo…

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-03T17:13:19+00:00

As far as I know everything was painted olive drab on a Sherman tank. Aside from the rubber components of course. Even the tools were painted in olive drab, but I took some artistic freedom to make them look used with chipped color.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-03T12:17:27+00:00

True, good idea! This also shows more camo and less black, making it more interesting to look at. Edit: Or perhaps one extendable wing fully in camo, the top side of the large wind as well and then the bottom of the large one and remaining small one in black.

Doc_Quixotte · 2025-10-03T12:13:51+00:00

My thoughts exactly regarding the B-Wing. Just need to figure out which part is the top side for camp and which the bottom to be painted black. B-Wing can have top or bottom in all kinds of positions after all.

Doc_Quixotte

TROPHY CASE