Airfix BBMF & WW2 Airfield Set

[Wolster]

Originally Posted by Geek44

Dunno what the availabilty of magazines is like for you Wolster, but I know the usual mags sometimes have articles about groundwork and such...maybe you should keep an eye out?

No magazines here, I may be able to get some at Schipol airport on my way through in a couple of weeks, they do most English mags, otherwise I relie on my Australian dealer!

;(

I have already picked up and used a few hints and tips from the mags you sent me, thanks!!

Here is what I have done with the BBMF Hurricane so far. When I get a chance I am going to break out the airbrush and start painting him!

[Geek44]

Glad to be of help mate and it's a shame you can't easily get your hands on them. I read a lot of articles and absorb a heck of a lot of info...I can't use everything on a single kit. Groundwork is a different bird mate...difficult to get looking good for me. Probably why I haven't tried a diorama for 24 years.
That Hurricane looks like a tidy little model. Nice job man.

[Whiterook]

Wow...nice work mate...looking REALLY good! Keep the pics coming!!!

[MAGNA]

I would definitely go for base flock as grass on the revetment Wolster. You can get yellow and green and use either light grey or bright green paint as a base coat (if you use gloss paint the flock will stick to that when the paint is still wet - otherwise use PVA white glue).

The flat area was usually concrete I think so a couple of shades of grey should be good.

I hope you can get bags of flock ok. As Whiterook said they are available from model railroad suppliers too. One bag goes a long way.

[Whiterook]

Would the whiteglue stick OK to the plastic?? The base looks like pretty thin plastic, and I wonder if it'd peel up??

[Geek44]

You can roughen the surface a little with sand paper to give it some tooth.

[MAGNA]

That's right. It's also the reason for the base coat of paint first. I usually only use an oil based paint and let the flock stick to that. White glue will stick nicely to the paint if needed too. For grass I use a gloss paint and pour the green flock on really thick. When the paint dries the flock comes off where it is not embedded and it's a really good finish. For gravel areas I use a grey primer which dries very quickly and can be put on fairly thick. I don't use gravel flock usually as it tends to look like wood. I prefer to sift actual gravel and then pour that on. Looks really good.

[Geek44]

Kitty litter any good if sifted well?

[MAGNA]

You mean use a sifter with bigger holes punched in it or crush the kitty litter ?

The gravel is good because it is already the right colour and the grey enhances the effect. I first thought brown would be the obvious thing but it doesn't look good at all. I read about the grey in an article by Ian Weekly, a famous diorama and scale building maker. He was right.

Sifted kitty litter..... what is he up to ?........

[Whiterook]

Well, as a kitty litter expert (it's my chore with the three cats!), they make a fine-grained kitty litter that is the consistancy of sand. The only question I would have is, would spraying on a diluted mixture of water/whiteglue clump (which is what kitty litter is designed to do) too much? I plan on testing that sometime, and will let you all know.