Tools & Such: Best New Addition

mr.Fiberglass pen

I have quite a small arsenal of tools that I use for my hobby, ranging from multiple x-actos (each with a different blade), tweezers, photo-etch folding tool, flexi-file, every grade of sandpaper, mr.Hobby jar opener, miter saw & box and the list goes on. Recently, my most prized tool has been the fiberglass pen. I wanted one of the these for some time now, ever since Marcus Nichols used one in issue 151 of Tamiya Model Magazine, on the Opel Blitz. Not being able to find one locally, I broke out mr.Credit card and ordered it online via Amazon. It's great for cleaning up seamlines on curved surfaces or removing putty from inner corners. This came in really handy for the Y-Wing when cleaning up the front part of the T-beams that connect the engine nacelle to the vector control vanes. Some care is needed, as the fiberglass splinters are rather sharp and a good cleanup of your work area is recommended post session and wearing a mask during work session. But in all honestly, it is the best $15 I've spent on a tool in some time and as refills are available, it's something you'll be using for years to come. _pL

Y-Wing Completed

So, its been awhile but I am happy to announce the Y-Wing is finally complete! It was finished some time ago but I was only able to document her recently.

I'm really happy with the final result and glad that after 3 years of sitting on my shelf, she is finished. To sum up the extra detail added during build, I first attacked the vector control veins, which was the cause of the original pause on the project. I up-detailed the front of the spacecraft with extra plating from styrene sheet as well as busied up the cockpit with cables and hoses made from various diameters of copper wire. The final touch was a custom droid. The finish was a multistage process utilizing the hairspray technique I learned from Brett Green in issue 51 of Model Military International. The Y-Wing received a few filter washes using Humbrol enamels and 502 Abteilung oil color, and finished off with MIG Production pigments. A big thanks goes out to the builder at Studio-ACCESS, as his piece was a great reference and inspiration for this project. And of course Fine Molds for producing such a fantastic kit!

Happy to say that this is the first completed model of 2012 and there's more to come! _pL

Weathering Stage

Mr.Weathering Station

It was a pretty productive weekend: I temporarily setup in the kitchen as the missus is currently working on her thesis and decided to give her the studio area until she's done. I have to admit it's not a bad compromise as I have lots of natural light coming in and within reach of copious amounts of coffee & beer! After a two week hiatus I finally began the weathering stage. I first sealed all the sub-assemblies with a satin clear coat I mixed from Tamiya acrylics. I was a little concerned with what wash I should use as I felt a black/sienna wash would look too strong on such a light colored paint scheme. I opted to go with a mix of Panzer Grey (P035) darkened with Russian Earth (P034) pigments by MIG Productions, which gave it the subtle grungy look that I was looking for. I then highlighted some areas with a darker shade and let it all dry. Strangely, even though I had protected the sub assemblies, I think the thinner I used weakened the plastic and partly due to my clumsiness some of the parts cracked or broke off, most notably three pieces of plumbing. I manage to find and glue one of the pipes back in place but the remaining two had to be remade from wire. I decided then and there to glue everything together (before anything else broke off!) and leave her be on the display stand. I have a few details to finalize and then I can put her to bed, stay tuned! _pL

Say "Hi" to my Little Friend

Mr.Droid

I wasn't making any particular Y-Wing, so why settle for the astromech droid that came with the kit?
I took the R5-D4 head from my FM X-Wing kit, some plastic tube and surgically removed the legs from the droid provided and then up-detailed it with MIG Productions PE washers, leftover photo-etch and wire. I then decaled up the little fella and sealed it with a semi-gloss coat in preparation for the weathering stage. _pL

Getting Closer To Completion

Mr.Decal Time

More often than not, my plastic subjects rarely progress to the point where I get to apply decals (I am hoping to change this in the coming months). But, here we are! I know I said I wanted to paint on as much detail as possible but I figure let's test my decalling skills. The yellow bands on the nacelle caps were a breeze but the front module was something else. A lot of Micro Sol and Micro Set was use but in the end the decals complied. Next stop: weathering! _pL

Time For Stripage

As I mentioned before, I wanted to detail paint as much as was feasible rather than resort to the decals. Employing the 'hairspray' technique again to keep the weathering consistent, the blue was applied using Mr.Hobby Colour H323 Light Blue and then washed away with a stiff brush for the cockpit canopy and the side stripes. In the background you can see the nacelle caps nice and worn as well. _pL

Off To A Good Start: Main Colour Coats Are On

Mr.Hairspray Technique

The kit comes with a great set of decals including some very well rendered battle damage but I wanted to incorporate this by using paint and weathering techniques. I first laid down a base coat of XF-63 German Grey to create a blank canvas for the main color coats, which are Tamiya flat white for the front module and the engine caps while using off white by Mr.Hobby Colour for everything else - I really like the subtle contrast between the two. The colors were sprayed using my Badger 200NH in light coats, letting the German Grey show through to add some depth. I wanted the Y-Wing to look like it had logged a lot of combat hours and this was achieved by using the hairspray technique. It turned out really great, the paint was chipped away heavily on more exposed areas while fading the color on flatter surfaces. It looks well worn and it hasn't even received a wash yet - off to a great start! _pL

Time To Break Out The Tweezers

Mr.Detail

Decided to spend an evening and detail the cockpit with hoses and cables using fine copper wire - definitely looks a lot more busy! The front module also received some attention in the form of panels, lots and lots of panels, made from styrene sheet. Once secured in place, they were sanded down some. Now let's get some paint on her! _pL

FM Y-Wing: Almost Ready for Paint

Mrs.Y-Wing

Alright, happy to say that she's coming along, the sprues are empty of parts - just need to super detail the nose, including the cockpit area. Getting closer and closer to breaking out the paint!  _pL

FM Y-Wing Progressing Nicely

Mr.Vector Vane Installed

They're on! I think it was worth the extra effort, especially for such a visible area. Still have a bit to do before paint but it's progressing nicely. _pL

And So It Begins

Mr.Vector Vane

As promised, here is an in-progress pic of what I've been working on: FM Y-Wing. It's a fantastic kit and something a lot of collectors/builders have been waiting a long time for. I began this kit about three years ago and then shelved it. I wanted to up detail certain areas of it but didn't know to what point. After I finally finished unpacking, I felt the Y-Wing deserved to be the first kit I should work on in the new place. I've finished scratch building the vector vanes as they were a little simplified in the kit and though they took longer to construct than expected, I'm really happy with the effort! _pL