Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

[Hunter Rose]

Well I was tempted to do my usual gutless "build-it-first-get-it-spot-on-then-post-the-WIP" technique    but have instead decided to get cracking with this awesome model and just start the WIP as I go so you can all correct my mistakes!  

I was really blown away by the model when I opened the box, and also a little terrified as I've never built a resin model before or worked with photo etch, but the best way to learn is just dive in, so first things first I cleaned up all the resin parts with some isopropyl alcohol (also known as rubbing alcohol) to break down the mold release and then scrubbed with a toothbrush and warm soapy water

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Next I got to grips with the first bit of photo etch, the ringlets on the top section of the legs, which finally gave me a chance to use a tool I bought for another project which never happened called "The Bug" for quickly and easily bending photo etch parts, dont know if this a commonly used/known tool or not but its really helpful.

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

I just clamp the parts under the grip and use the supplied razor blade to slide underneath the part and bend it over to the desired angle.

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

There's the finished eyelet, 5 more to go!

Next I glue them on to the legs using some z poxy 5 minute resin

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

The only other thing I've done so far this evening is to glue the blades onto the lower section of leg (just held in place with blue tack while the glue dries) and also sorted out the really cool antenna blades

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Okay thats the lot for today, the plan is to use alclad metallic lacquer paint aluminium and hot metal red, so tomorrow I will lay down the primer, alclads black gloss one. I'll put more pics up after.

Thanks for looking as always comments and questions are welcome  

[JohnLogan]

Those castings look really good. Nice and smooth. Did you have alot of clean-up to do?

[FichtenFoo]

On the tops of the legs where the mold lines are. Those look like you may need a little putty there to make them perfectly smooth. I had to do that with mine as well. Otherwise, looking good!

Oh, and be careful with the wings... being LARGE PE parts, there's extra risk of accidentally kinking a part while working with it. I kinked one of mine but managed to unbend it nicely.

[Sharkdog]

Hot metal red? Really looking forward to seeing that now!

[Hunter Rose]

@Sharkdog - Yep, hot metal red, still debating how much red, thinking legs, engine, maybe wings I'm thinking less will probably be more if you see what I mean. Also I've got a real hankering to paint the cool leather seat red to make it look like one of those old style red leather chairs!

@FichtenFoo - Yeah I see what you mean, I thought sanding was enough but on seeing the photos it definitely needs some. Thanks for the tip with the wings, I just about salvaged a kink in the antenna so I'll be extra careful with the wings!

@JohnLogan - Clean up was pretty minimal, just had a few mold lines to sand out and a little flash around the feet hooks, and will just need a little putty on the legs as mentioned above, being my first resin kit I have no frame of reference but overall I'd say its a damn fine cast

Man I've been at work for 25 minutes and it already feels like a long day, seriously want to get back in the shed to continue working on it!

More updates soon

[Hunter Rose]

Well the good news is the legs are totally smooth and sorted now, the bad new is this : -

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Bugger! The alclad gloss primer went down fine on the cockpit section but when I sprayed the thorax it didn't want to take, which I'm assuming means I didn't do a good enough job cleaning the resin.  Its the last bit in the old tin, might try opening the new one and seeing if its a problem with the primer itself, I'm bloody annoyed though, was hoping to get all priming done today. damn!

More updates when I've got my head around this, hopefully soon! Any suggestions welcome, think I'm going to have to just strip the paint and start over.

[FichtenFoo]

Ouch! I never used a can of alclad before. All of mine, including the black are bottled.

[Hunter Rose]

When you order larger quantities of the black primer it comes in a screw top tin rather than the usual glass bottles.

I transferred the last lot of primer I had into a jar because the tin leaked, I think it may have gone weird because its been sitting for a while and I didn't mix it around enough. Its frustrating because it could be a few things and I dont know what, strange, still I'll persevere and It will come right.

[FichtenFoo]

Well... it looks as if you didn't "prime" first. I think that alclad calls that primer only because it's meant as an undercoat for their metal paint. You should still use a true primer first.

[Hunter Rose]

Oh right, I've used it lots of times before and its been fine. But what primer would you recommend to go under the gloss black?

[Hunter Rose]

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

I was right, the old stuff must have gone a bit funny, got the new batch shook the shit out of it and misted it on like normal and it covered straight over it, thought that's what i was only because I've used the gloss black primer for a long time and that was the first time its let me down. Have done all the body parts and antennae, will prime the legs tomorrow and start laying down some aluminium alclad on the main body parts I've primed today.

Man I am so glad that crisis was solved pretty damn easily! Should go smooth from here (fingers crossed) more updates tomorrow after more painting

[Hunter Rose]

Okay all the legs are were primed

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

and now I've laid down the aluminium alclad on all but the wing parts

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

I'm pleased with the finish, I'm a big fan of alclad metallics. Tomorrow I will start masking and painting some alclad hot metal red, I'll deal with the hornet one body part at a time starting with the thorax.

More updates soon 

[Sharkdog]

Can't wait to see the metallic red :)

[JohnLogan]

Looking really good.

[Hunter Rose]

Thanks John! I was planning on doing this mainly aluminium with hot metal red details, but I am starting to think I'll do it the other way around becasue I really like how alclad hot metal red looks (and partly because of sharkdogs enthusiasm for it! ) . hmm, decisions decisions!

I'll decide and paint some more over the weekend, more pictures soon, am definitely leaning towards making it The Red Hornet!

More updates soon

[Hunter Rose]

Am bored at work so just worked out my colour scheme on my lunch break

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

The three colours are the ones already mentioned, aluminium, steel, and hot metal red.

[Blappy]

Some thoughts on your Alclad issue.

It may have been a bad batch and that was part of the problem.  If this is your first resin kit I assume you have used it on Styrene kits only in the past.  The Lacquer based gloss black undercoat will bond to the styrene far better then it will to resin.  The Alclad Gloss Black is a UNDERCOAT as opposed to an actual primer.  It is still designed to go over a primer.  Alclad now had a black microfiller primer that you can get.  If you use that and polish it to a shine it will do the same thing as the gloss black or you can leave the finish flat and get a bit different reflectance to your metal finish.  Or you can use the black primer to look for imperfections then once those are fixed go over it with the gloss black undercoat.

I hope that helps shed some light on the use of Alclad for you and anyone else reading this.   

[Hunter Rose]

Thanks for the info Blappy.  The only issue was it was the dregs of the last bit of an old tin so it must have gone a bit funny, opened a new one and it was fine.  Its gone over the resin just as nice as when I've used it on styrene and its not scratching off, so I'm mightily relieved!

Some more progress photos

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

masked out the mouth parts as per my colour scheme and sprayed the hot metal red, I'm really pleased with the finish, its a real deep blood red. The rims of the eyes are going to be steel and the lenses of the eyes are going be painted with alclad chrome when I put them in to give a real shine.

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Did the thorax, you cant quite tell in this photo but the lower armour plates are steel in colour and masked out, I've left it on for now because I think I'll give it another coat, the finish on the sides are good but its just not quite right on top.

 

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Have sprayed the cockpit section also.

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

And I also did the engine part that sits under the thorax, just for a bit of colour variance I kept the exposed stinger holder aluminium and did the rest in steel, I've just noticed as you can see a slight pinkish residue on the stinger holer, thats just where all the alclad red fumes have been billowing around the shed and settled on it, a mask is essential when using alclad paint! I have wiped it off but this photo was taken before that.

Next I will put another coat of the red on the thorax and start detailing it by painting the trim detail on the ridges in silver and all the rivets in steel, I'd thought about doing the rivets in silver but I think it will look too stark against the red.

Thanks for looking guys, more soon

[nico]

That's nice. Will it stay red or Will you do stripes like the real insect. Could be nice with red shadowed stripes. This bending tool for PE is great.

[Hunter Rose]

Thanks nico! Yeah the PE tool is really great, I did all the eyelets and the antennae in under 10 minutes it makes it so simple. It is going to be mainly red but as you can see from these photos of the painting I've just finished I'm doing silver and steel detailing for some of the armor plating and the rivets

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Got all the rivets done on the thorax, the silver detailing is a bit bright for my liking but I'll tone it down when I come to the final light weathering phase.

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Did the rivets on the cockpit section too, all the rivets are done with a mix of humbrol enamel silver with some humbrol enamel black in it so they are not too bright, eyelets and the little deatial underneath were done in bright silver which again will be toned down after all painting is complete.

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Riveted the head too whilst I was going, the eye rims will be sprayed in alclad steel like the lower plating on the thorax, thats why I haven't done the rivets on them.

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

After spraying the leg connectors that go under the cockpit section the metallic red I detailed the bolts and the leg connectors themselves with the same custom enamel metallic grey mix.

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Fichtenfoo's Hornethopter - The Red Hornet

Also took the opportunity to detail the engine/stinger shooter that sits under the thorax with some silver and the dark metallic grey

Things are progressing nicely, next step will be to mask out the eye rims on the head and the small curved section of armor plating under where the wings connect and spray them both steel. I'll also be spraying the antennae the metallic red leaving the blades on them aluminium.

Things are moving quickly so there will be more updates soon