Putting the 'pain' back in 'painting'...
So a few reasons I haven't posted much about this build in a while is partially due to work but also I've had to re-prime the model...twice!
So this is where I left off after sanding down some imperfections.
My next assumption was I would get it 97% perfect. I was half right and boy, oh boy, more than half wrong. I went outside to cover the model in Rustoleum Gray Primer and the paint cracked a tiny bit!! Not a biggie, re-sand it down.
Then I found the light leaks. As I said in the video, the fiber optic showing is an interesting fact I will consider for future applications. So I decided to prime the model with white primer (i'm asking myself why I did that now) and here's the result. I painted this inside too!!
Ack!!!! So I had to sand it down with 60 grit sandpaper over the peeled section. That meant re-sanding the whole model again!! Then, I filled the offending section with red putty (Bondo Glazing Putty).
A little bit on Bondo Glazing Putty. It's great for the most part but it needs to be remixed before it's applied otherwise it cracks too!!! Learned that the hard way on my USS Constitution NX-1700 build (a Round 2 re-release built as a 1/2 scale studio model of the 3 foot model of the Enterprise as featured in the un-aired pilot, "The Cage").
So after sanding, and sanding, and sanding, this is the 'technicolor dreamcoat' I get of the model.
So, I refuse to make the same mistake again. I looked up online on paint adhering techniques but what it comes down to are 3 things: bad paint; surface residue; cold climate. So in the images above I washed the model with light soap detergent and water after my 600 grit wet sand session and used a fan to help it dry. I let it dry for a full day before I touched it again. And now here are the results...
Finally a perfect surface!! Throughout this mess I've sanded and re-scribed every line on the model. Finally ready for white primer! (I bought new primer in both white and gray so I don't run into this problem again).
Dusting #1
Dusting #2
The moment I've been waiting for, for such a long time...the first base coat. I'm using Rustoleum Heirloom White. When I saw the Avro Arrow pieces back in 2000 at the Parry Sound Museum, the aircraft panels were not white but an off-white. This is a close match.
So i started off painting this inside but the paint smells bad so without thinking, I continued painting the model in the garage as it was -15 C or 5 F. The aerosol went clumpy and this is the result!
I was tempted to see if an Avro model could 'really fly' but cooler heads prevailed. This happened to me once before with primer on the saucer section of the Tesla (Ent-D) model I built for a friend. (I will post that build soon). So i started sanding the model with paper towel then moved on to 400 grit sandpaper. At that point I realized the model will be easy to fix. So that's where I am now.
Happy modelling and stay tuned for more updates!! Peace!
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