paul71

enjoying watching this ratch looks like there is plenty of detail in it, think i will be getting one at some point

A varnish will help protect once painted i would leave at least a day for the paint to cure, a gloss varnish is best for putting decals on it helps the film around the decal blend in see at the top of the main pages about putting decals on, then you can put a coat of varnish over it to get the finish you want gloss, matt or satin. at the moment i use humbrol clear found it to be good I've still not been able to find the floor polish that some people use (other people will be able to help point you in that direction), A few light coats of humdrol clear is better than one thick coat as its self levelling so it can pool in places if it goes on too thick, a problem I've had in very hot humid weather is that it can dry blotchy and white so i leave the varnish off till the temperatures have cooled down if it has happened usually another coat of varnish has sorted most of it out.

i brush paint and I've never primed a model yet but i do wash the sprues in warm soapy water just a little bit of washing up liquid and then rinse under a hot running tap dab excess water off and leave to air dry for around a day. I've used both acrylic and enamel on the same kit from humbrol, revell and vallejo not had a problem yet but i have heard that some people have had problems but if you don't try new and different things you don't know how it will go for you. As for using acrylic paints I've found them a lot better to use than enamel so always go to my acrylic colours first if i have the colour in both types i always give the pot a good stir or shake the bottle really well before using, when painting i have a small tub of water so i can keep cleaning the brush as i paint so i don't get any small dry bits off the brush when doing big areas and just dab off the excess water on a bit of toilet paper. if I'm going to mask over the paint to get some straight lines between different colours i will always leave the paint to dry at least 24hrs before i put any masking tape on the kit but I'm a slow builder so this suits me. i would say always try different things and see what works for you and keep practicing.

nice recovery there digger looking a lot better. I'm a bit higher than Notts not too far and last years high temperatures and humidity was a bit of a problem when building i use humbrol clear varnish and just didn't gloss anything till the temperatures and humidity came down, clear can go white when its humid or damp air I've not used Vallejo varnish yet.

its all done by machine all the parts are ejected as individuals the bit of sprue is even taken by machine and recycled but they are bigger robust parts, look on you tube there's a great video on making lego bricks, airfix have very small fine parts and would brake using that method.

You are probably right about that TDA but i would guess most people wouldn't know that name either so i think we would have to call it a bridge too far 😆 im a slow builder so it could take some time but you have got me thinking about it, i will see what tips i can get off you as you do yours👍

If i haven't got the scheme that comes with the kit i would build that but i do have aftermarket decals which i will get around to using at some point as i have bought extra spitfires hurricanes and Messerschmitt's and other planes to do them. This kit to me would be better called operation overlord as it then represents a point within the battle, but as people are more commonly to know it as D-day the title makes sense as a selling point for airfix, to some people D-day is just that first day of the battle to a lot of other people and that is the way its seems to be taught now is that D-day includes all of the D-day +++ and is not just a single day anymore. overall i like the kit and must get around to building it.

If you are going there you have to call in and see the BBMF its well worth the money and you get nice and close to them and see the ground crews working on them and just outside is where they park the typhoons. paul

How many people would have to be employed to remove the parts from the sprues and what would the cost of doing this be added onto each kit to cover there wages and work space, as for putting each stage in bags these very bags would be plastic waste them selves, and again there is wages space and the bags all adding to the cost of the kit, as for different colours for parts to id them wouldn't they need to be moulded separately all having there own waste and added costs of moulds and different colour plastic pellets and there storage all adding even more to a kit, this cost would dwarf what it would cost for us to send the few bits back. There are many firms out there making a profit recycling all sort of things you paying them to do it instead of them paying you just increases there profits ( a smart move by them), Carefully separating your junk properly MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE ( contaminated loads wont be rejected and sent to land fill or burnt) you might not see it or benefit it but our great grandkids will benefit from us trying to sort it now.

these do look good TDA and i enjoyed reading the back story of the aircraft.

seeing this remined me i had this and a few others sat in my stash, I've built the older tool kit but not this one and there is a big difference in detail looking at this, great build ratch thanks for sharing its remined me what I've got put away.

Well Dominic I've no room for any more units unless i can find a short but long one to fit under the pitch of the roof, so only option for now is a trip to ikea to get some more glass shelves for my billy bookcase and squeeze them in putting the shelves closer together I've only got 3 glass shelves in now plus the solid wood dividing one halfway down ( i use the lower half of the bookcase for my books giving the whole thing some weight to stop it tipping over), it might look a bit cramped but i might get 3 or 4 more shelves in at least then i can build more kits and keep them safe but that's if they aren't too big for the shelf with my doors on, and i can get the shelves as i need them. paul

some interesting ones grumps nicely built paul

some nice looking builds there grumps, a few bombers I've got sat in my stash that I've been thinking about building but haven't really got the room to put them anywhere but looking how well they could look I'm going to give it some more thought now paul

This is a nice build TDA got me thinking about doing some of the bombers I've got sitting in my stash if i can find somewhere to put them once I've built them. paul

this is a great topic we bought all this for my son at Christmas( might be able to get my own setup one day) and about to start the adventure of learning to spray. Thanks for the great advice ratch and TDA. paul

I've got both of these sat in my stash been thinking about when to do them will watch this with great interest on how you do it and any problems you come across, will you be building the vehicles as you go along. paul

that's a great build you have really got the knack of doing white, I'm impressed with the decals you made for it you would think they came with the kit. paul

another great build ratch the back story makes it very interesting to read (i am a bit behind with everything again), the diorama is great really sets it off and I'm liking the weathering you have done on it. paul

thanks ratch i will get him these much appreciated for the help.

they look good tour de airfix I've got them sat in my stash

its not a bad little kit ratch, like it in the dioramas

looking for an alternative to humbrol 72 cant get hold of it in shops, ideally vallejo model air as my son is going to learn to airbrush and enamel isn't an option for him

first look at the new set up looks ok a bit different, the pictures look bigger and clearer to me now

its not a bad setting at all ratch for them, looks like it takes a bit of room up though.