Mold Lines MAY 2018 AN INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC MODELERS SOCIETY CHARTER CHAPTER.

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1 Mold Lines MAY 2018 AN INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC MODELERS SOCIETY CHARTER CHAPTER.

2 IN THIS ISSUE Caterpillar D8H PLUS Club News brings us all the coverage of past and upcoming events from the Sonoran Desert Model Builders In Photos from the Field - Rick Herrington shares his surprising find. In Tips & Tricks - we talk about how you can use paint to give your entries and edge in a Scale Model Contest 2

3 Mold Lines is the official publication of the Sonoran Desert Model Builders Modeling club. We publish it on a monthly basis and it is your source for Club news, interviews, model reviews, photos or our member s modeling work as well as articles on modeling techniques and other articles of interest to our members. MEETING DATES 2018 JANUARY 4 FEBRUARY 1 MARCH 1 APRIL 5 MAY 3 JUNE 7 JULY 5 AUGUST 2 SEPTEMBER. 6 OCTOBER.. 4 NOVEMBER... 1 DECEMBER.. 6 WHO ARE THEY? The Sonoran Desert Model Builders is a chartered IPMS model club in Tucson, Arizona dedicated to advancing each others skills through tip sharing, encouragement and, most importantly, hands-on building. Our members enjoy a deep camaraderie and level of respect for each other as well as a passion for model building. We build it all... cars, airplanes, armor, ships, figures, sci-fi... Our mission is simple LET S BUILD! WHERE CAN I FIND THEM? We meet at the Northwest corner of Alvernon and 22 nd from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M South Alvernon Way Tucson, AZ 3

4 Editor s Workbench Hello fellow modelers and dear friends. Welcome to another issue of Mold Lines. This month we bring you an interesting article by Jeff Wallen. Jeff is a frequent contributor to our newsletter, but what makes his article interesting is, he is predominantly an automotive modeler. This means he is used to shiny, glossy finishes and this time he has ventured out of his comfort zone to try out something totally different. Let me tell you the result will not disappoint you. Our hobby is one of those things that can be found at times in the most unexpected places. This month Rick Herrington shares with us a nice experience where a nice model collection surprised him in the least expected place. This time on The Road to Nationals we will talk about a subject that is considered one of the basic criteria for contest entries and is often not used to its full potential. More often than not articles that cover paint talk about what not to do, how to obtain smooth coats free of orange peel effects and so on, but paint can be an very powerful tool in your modeling toolbox. Paint can offer endless opportunities to create interest in your entries. We will talk about how you can apply painting techniques to make your models more interesting and help them stand out in the competition table. Now, sit back and enjoy. Until next time! Model on!! 4

5 UPCOMING EVENTS CLUB NEWS Make and Take at the Pima Air and Space Museum - This event is designed to introduce children to the hobby of model building and the math and historical research used to build accurate scale models. It will be held on July 7 th, 2018 from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Support our Monthly raffle! Each month during our club meeting we hold a raffle with new and used kits. For every 10 tickets sold one model will be given away. Tickets are only $1 each. 5

6 CLUB NEWS UPCOMING EVENTS The modelers of Arizona would like to invite you to join us for the 2018 IPMS/USA Nationals on August 1-4, 2018, in Phoenix, Arizona. The convention will be held in the Phoenix Convention Center located in the heart of Phoenix For information visit: 6

7 CLUB NEWS RECENT EVENTS Monthly Club Meeting The SDMB held their monthly meeting on May 3rd, 2018 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. I was not present at the last meeting so I apologize for the lack of captions on the photos. Luckily this time some models have ID cards. Enjoy! 7

8 CLUB NEWS RECENT EVENTS See more awesome model photos from our meeting at: 8

9 By Jeff Wallen Time to get building boys! AMT 1/25 Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer Several years ago I was inspired by fellow modeler Dave Brown when he built his version of the Caterpillar D8H. Being a former heavy equipment operator I wondered how close to the real thing I could get the model. So armed with a copy of Rinaldi Studio press Tank Art and SM City Tractor books and tons of references I decided to give it a go. This is a very old kit and construction was a challenge right off the start. The model had numerous fit issues. Many parts did not look good and other just did not fit. There wasn t even numbers on the sprues for the parts. As I got into this kit further I discovered why I like Tamiya and other Japanese based kits. They go together with little effort. It took a good three or four months but at the end I had completed several subassemblies. I kept the blade, the engine, the main frame and several other parts primed and ready. 9

10 Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer The tracks were made in separate links and were molded in a silver, vinyl material. I wanted to represent old and worn down tracks and the supplied tracks where too tall for my purposes. With the links still on the sprues took a Dremel and ground all the links down. Extra sanding was needed to try and reduce the grind marks. Now I needed to create the effects of rusty old tracks. After much research and watching tutorials in YouTube I started on the tracks. They were painted in Tamiya XF-79 Deck Brown. After a Model Master dull coat to protect the paint from weathering I applied a mixture of two different colors of Pastels and a little plaster (DRY) over the tracks. These were fixed using Tamiya x-20a thinner applied with an eye dropper. I used a make-up sponge I started to wipe away some of the excess till it looked ok. I used on a sponge applicator and MIG 3009 Gun Metal on running gear side to create the metal sheen often seen in worn down metal parts. This was followed by various pastels applied at random. I didn t get the rust look I was first looking for but ended up with something far better. Really like the end result. 10

11 Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer My goals for this project was to try out the Hair Spray technique and Oil Paint Rendering technique detailed in the Rinaldi Press City Tractor and Tank art books. I am predominantly an Automotive modeler where this kind of weathering is no the norm so all this was new to me. I tested the techniques on an old car body. I must of spent two months trying and re-trying this technique. Then I finally got the hang of it enough I was ready to try it on the model. Here is a summary of the steps: Base (rust color) is painted Seal coat of Dull coat applied to protect base layer from weathering steps Two light coats of hair spray sprayed at arm s length Once dry light coats of the Mission Models Acrylic paint Using a mixture of water and Windex start the chipping process. Here you need to practice to know when the paint starts to chip and not to take too much away The Hairspray reaction to water is what causes the chipping. I started on the Blade assembly since I figured if I messed this part up it would be easier to repaint and start over. I was really y impressed on how much more realistic the chipping looked vs painting on chips or using a sponge. I can see why Mike Rinaldi says he uses this on most every armor project he does. I did this technique on virtually every part of the Dozer except the engine 11

12 Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer Now that I felt comfortable with the chipping technique I continued the assembly. The Engine was installed prior to all the chipping on the main frame. Added in the floor boards, Hydraulic and Fuel tanks. The Hydraulic rams front and back took a great deal of scratch building. The rams were replaced with aluminum tubes. Hydraulic lines were also added that were not even a kit part. Rear Hydraulic lines were added using Top Studio Black braided Line TD23208 (Part Number). The radiator in the model is a solid part and relies on a decal to add the mesh details. There was no way I was going to us e a decal in such a visible part. So I used the decal as a template and found some computer speakers that had a cover that were a exact match. I cut a large opening in the main part and glued in the grill on the back side of the part. Plastic stock was used to add straps and corner mounting points. Resin bolts provided the final touches. 12

13 Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer I covered the seats in a layer of cloth medical tape and added a few tears by cutting it with a knife because have you ever seen a seat that didn t have a few tears in it. Especially in a subject like this. I brush painted the seat using Tamiya acrylics and weathered it using artist oils. 13

14 Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer Weathering and here is where the fun begins At this point all the hard work with assembly and construction were done. The was all together except for the tracks. The goal now is to add a layer to enhance the chips and add that rust affect using artist oils and enamels. Burnt Sienna and Burt Umber were the two primary colors used for rusty areas. I applied very small amounts of paint and then blended the paint in with a second brush. Burnt Umber was used in the middle of the chips to add more realism A make-up sponge was used in some places to blend the colors or to remove paint that went too far onto an area where I didn t want it. Having reference photos of real heavy equipment was a big help in getting the effects I was looking for. 14

15 Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer Filters and washes I didn t do a lot with washes except over the engine area. There I was using more of the Ammo by MIG enamel products. These were harder for me to use than the artist oils but the results were very good. I recommend the YouTube videos from MIG and the two videos for the Tractor I applied some filters from MIG. Mainly used the artist oils heavily thinned. I was able to add different shades of Yellow and add dust shades using filters. I also created oil and fuel stains using MIG Fresh Engine Oil (1408) and MIG Fuel Stains (1409). 15

16 Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer Lastly I wanted to create mud and dust effects. For this I turned to pastel pigments. These were applied dry onto the model and then fixed in place using Tamiya x-20a thinner. A Makeup sponge was used to remove what I didn t want while it was still wet. Last I used Alcaline Dust or Rust colors DRY to add more contrast 16

17 Caterpillar D8H Bulldozer With the build done I could reflect on some of the lessons I learned along the way. Here are my thoughts. Testing! If you haven t done something before or used a product before, test it first. Artist Oils, one needs to put them on a cardboard pallet. It is a big deal to get that linseed oil out of the paint. Dries faster and is much easier to work with. Little goes a very long way. Reference. Study don t just read those modeling books. Understand the technique being done and practice it. Go to YouTube and see how things are done from the creator of the product or Technique. One thing to read about it in his books but wow is it nice to actually see it. Really hope you find this informative and enjoyable. Certainly was way out of my comfort zone on this project. Learned a lot and had a lot of fun. My advice to you is to challenge yourself and try some new things. All my best to everyone! 17

18 Scorpion Gallery Last month our fellow club member Rick Herrington made a very interesting find. Let s hear the story from Rick himself. Sunday the 6 th of May I was walking through the Albuquerque Airport and ran into the best aviation exhibition I have ever seen. My thoughts immediately went to you guys (and girls). I took a bunch of pictures with the hopes you, my fellow Scorpions will enjoy seeing this work of love for flight. -Rick Herrington 18

19 Scorpion Gallery 19

20 Scorpion Gallery 20

21 THE ROAD TO NATIONALS By Dave Diaz Under the IPMS system of judging paint is considered, along with construction basic criteria although it works in a very different way than construction. Remember those days in school when you would get bonus questions? With a bonus question if you get it right, you get the extra points and if you got it wrong it has no effect. Paint on a model works the same, but in opposite. If you have defects on your basic paint job it will count against you, but if you get no defects it basically doesn t improve your chances. Important to note that a paint error will never override a construction error. Judging paint on a model is very tricky and the reason is because paint is a less mechanical and more subjective. According to the IPMS judging guide, when it comes to basic paint the things that are important are that the paint is applied in smooth and even coats, that there are no spills into different parts and paint coats have no orange peel effect. Also, the paint must have even coverage meaning that no areas of the model are left with exposed plastic, (or other material). Now, remember the bonus question? If you master all these basics you are still at zero on the scale. You will not be penalized but you will not be ahead of the competition. Because a painted finish is very suggestive in nature it can be hard to judge and evaluate. 21

22 THE ROAD TO NATIONALS If this does not sound very motivating, well I understand. However paint offers us an immense opportunity to create interest in our entries and catch the viewer s attention. So, how do we make our model more interesting using color, well with the same attribute that makes every object in the world interesting, variation. One of the first things you learn in art school is that no surface is ever one color. In the example below, we see a photo of my back yard fence. If somebody where to ask what color should we paint a scale representation of the wall the first answer that comes to mind will be a tan or light brown color. If we analyze the wall using imaging software we see that there is a wide range of colors. Some, are created by the shadows but most are due to tone variations in the blocks themselves. What happens is your brain takes all these variations and averages out the color. It then tells you that the color is tan or light brown. This is a very powerful concept that can truly bring your paint job to a higher level if we can recreate it in scale. 22

23 THE ROAD TO NATIONALS In the example below, the wing on the left was painted using two colors. The same tone was applied uniformly to all the wing. The wing on the right was painted using the same two colors but additional tones were applied at strategic places to recreate color variations in the surface. At this point this all has been done with just paint. No washes, or filters or any other products or effects have been used. Notice that the wing on the right while it may not look entirely realistic it is more pleasant to look at. Can you guess why? Because its allowing your brain to do what it does naturally, look at the variations and average the color instead of having the answer given to you by just using one tone. Now, it is beyond the scope of this article to go into lengthy detail about the different techniques that can be used to create variation. However we will mention some of the techniques and encourage the readers to research them and there are plenty of good online video tutorials about each. 23 Colors used to create the tonal variations on the wing.

24 THE ROAD TO NATIONALS Pre-shading Pre-shading consists of applying a darker color along joints where parts assemble in a vehicle. When paint is applied in thin coats over this pre-shade some of it will show through creating some depth to the finish. This technique can be use effectively for almost any model, from aircraft to armor. The 1/32 Su-25 was displayed at Model Fiesta in San Antonio, February See how the paint job has a depth to it? Compare it to the F-16 (tail just visible to the left) next to it. Which model do you think will grab your attention better? 24

25 THE ROAD TO NATIONALS Paint using a spectrum and shade in different colors In order to recreate the multi-shade effect in scale we need many shades of the color presented. I have often seen modelers attempt pre-shading and / or post shading by just adding black to the base color, or just plain out using black or dark brown. While that can be made to work it will be way more effective to use more variation. Look at this 1/35 th Leopard from ModelZona Notice how the main color isn t just green but various shades of green. This color variation breaks up all the smooth surfaces making the model more interesting and pleasing to look at. Color Modulation Color modulation is a technique that aims to simulate highlights and shades on surfaces by airbrushing gradients and using sharp edges. Many people consider this technique to be a fashion or a way to make artistic representations. While many consider it totally unrealistic all it is really trying to is create color tone variations on the surfaces of a vehicle. What is important to remember is that often less is more, and applying subtle color modulation can be very effective at creating variation. 25

26 THE ROAD TO NATIONALS An example of color modulation on a Jagdtiger. Notice the gradients and sharp edges used to create variation. The attribute that creates interest in every object is variation. Work on thin layers Now, none of this techniques will work very well if you are slapping paint on your model like a 4 year old using finger paint. Learn to apply very thin layers and build the opacity of the colors gradually. Not only will all the shading work show better through thin layers but this gives you a chance to apply layers of different tones. Remember several thin layers are better than one thick layer. Learn Color Theory Yup! That stuff you learn in Art school. Take some time and read about color theory. It is very useful to know how you can create a splash of color using a complementary color that will make your model look more vibrant or how to support a main color with color adjacent in the color wheel creating harmony in your composition and avoiding your models looking like a circus wagon. 25

27 Color schemes can create uniqueness THE ROAD TO NATIONALS One of the things you can do with your paint job is create interest via a unique color scheme. An example of this is an Out of the Box (OOTB) build. This refers to a model that is built only with what comes in the kit. No aftermarket, no modification, etc. But wait, how can I bring something interesting to the table if I build it OOTB? The answer is color. Lets imagine that you want to build an F4 corsair but you dislike the Navy blue color scheme and would like to do something unique. The last bit of advice I can give you is give it a go! When it comes to contests, as long as you know how to apply a paint job, what that paint job ends up being is very flexible. Don t be afraid of trying out new techniques and over all practice and practice. In the next part of this series we will look at a subject that can be quite controversial, yes we will talk about weathering. We will also talk about other finishing aspects such as details and decals. Join me for the next issue as we head down the road to Nationals. See you all in Phoenix! 26

28 Over the past 4 decades the International Plastic Model Society has become a 5,000 member, allvolunteer organization dedicated to promoting the modeling hobby while providing a venue for modelers to share their skills in a social setting, along with friendly but spirited competition in the form of local, regional, and national contests and conventions. As a long time member, I highly recommend joining the IPMS. There is no better environment to learn and share our passion for the small world. Other benefits include six issues of the IPMS Journal per year and being able to participate in the IPMS National Contest. Go check out their webpage at 27

29 HOW CAN I JOIN THE SDMB? Test the water before you join! Here's how: Drop by and say "hello" at one of our monthly meetings (see our Next Meeting page for date and location details). If you like what you see and hear then drop by again the next month and be sure to bring your questions and we'll help you get started! The first two meetings are free so drop on by! After your second meeting we would appreciate you joining our club. Our club dues pay for various things such as community programs and sponsorships of trophies in contests. We are happy to have visitors but even happier when you join our club of award winning modelers. Visit our website at You can also find us on Facebook. SDMB is an affiliated club of the International Plastic Modeler s Society SDMB Club Officers & Contacts Derek Campbell (PRESIDENT) Damon Blair (VICE PRESIDENT) Kent Weeks (TREASURER) Mike Scotto (SECRETARY) Dave Diaz (NEWSLETTER EDITOR) Mike Bilcik (CLUB IPMS POINT OF CONTACT) Steve Barlow (CLUB WEBMASTER) 4nagato1@gmail.com ec130crewchief@yahoo.com newt27@cox.net quickfixer@yahoo.com EDITOR.SDMB@GMAIL.COM mbilcik1@cox.net redsteve921@gmail.com 28