Scale Modelers in Great Battles Community

[SARFlytitus]

ok friends. let the show begin again !

After the summer/fall break, it's time to get back to getting our fingers dirty with glue, putty, and paint. I'm back with my latest WIP...

 

 

 

[No_85_Gramps]

Looking good SARFlytitus! I'm working on the markings/stenciling on this Lightning. Still a ton to add to the fuselage and then the wings.

 

 

[SARFlytitus]

WOHA !!! Very very nice Lightning M8 ! TOP !

[Mysticpuma]

This isn't mine, but this guy on FB has a great page and some of his work is next level. This post shows an animated Dauntless with an engine fire.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17PFYqeawm/

 

Edited December 15, 2025 by Mysticpuma

[No_85_Gramps]

Wow! If you can click on the link and watch the video! Amazing stuff!

[No_85_Gramps]

Finally made it to the finish line, F.2A Lightning! Well, done for the year, we have family coming in for the holidays on Monday. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

 

 

[SARFlytitus]

@No_85_Gramps  I admit the Lightning isn't in my personal top ten list but... WOW! Beautiful livery, you transformed a frog into a gorgeous pin-up. Truly a beautiful job M8, Bravo !

[No_85_Gramps]

49 minutes ago, SARFlytitus said:

@No_85_Gramps  I admit the Lightning isn't in my personal top ten list but... WOW! Beautiful livery, you transformed a frog into a gorgeous pin-up. Truly a beautiful job M8, Bravo !

Thank you! I swear I spent more time with the markings/stencils than the actual build. 12 decals for the canopy alone, I got 8 and called it quits. 

[Lofte]

Not an airplane, but anyway..)
Here is my Z-43. The model has a lot of problems, but I would say that this is my training model, so don't kick me too much :)

 

[HootsButOlder]

Been a while since I made an aircraft and I’m currently doing some caring for my parents and needed something to do. Nipped out to the nearest crafts and hobbies shop (which was pants) and bought just enough stuff to build a tamiya 1/48 sea harrier. Which, after reading about it, is a model lacking detail. It very much is. Turns out this was lucky as the brushes I bought were not much cop. 
Anyway, I enjoyed building it but gave up on the millions of tiny stencil decals, maybe jets aren’t my thing…

[HootsButOlder]

Enjoyed the Harrier too much so am revisiting my youth and taking a break from wooden boats. It was all going well until this happened, I had put a gloss coat of varnish over the paint and then added the decals, then sprayed a flat coat of varnish over them. Came back 20 minutes later and some of the decals had got white patches on them which could be scraped off in some places. They were just rattle cans of varnish by the way, I don't own an airbrush. Any guesses what happened? It's only on some decal not all which is both annoying and confusing...

Lovely kit btw, Tamiya 1/48 spitfire.

[No_85_Gramps]

Strange how the fuselage decals look good, but not the wing. What type of paint and clear coats? Did you use any kind of decal setting agent? And one last thing, how old are the decals?

[HootsButOlder]

8 hours ago, No_85_Gramps said:

Strange how the fuselage decals look good, but not the wing. What type of paint and clear coats? Did you use any kind of decal setting agent? And one last thing, how old are the decals?

It was Tamiya acrylic and the clear coats were just revel rattle can things. No idea how old the decals were but the kit seems quite news, had some photo etch parts included with it. Agreed on the randomness, I could understand better if it was all of the decals. Odd. 
I’ll call it weathering and try to ignore it…

Thanks for the reply 🙂

 

[Darth_DooBoss]

this is a problem from Tamiya decals, I have several with the same problem

[mrmertz]

Okay…new forum, new thoughts…everyone put on your thinking caps!

I’m doing Takom’s 1/35 Tadpole from WWI…

The situation: I’ve already black based and shot Alclad II Steel over the top as desired.

The problem: I want to shoot a realistic haphazard WWI British landship green over top but I want to wear it back which means I’m going to use AK’s Worn Effects. Sooo…how do you successfully do this over an Alclad II finish without destroying the Alclad II underneath? If you use their Aqua Gloss yes, it will protect the shine/sheen of the Alclad II but it won’t allow the Worn Effects to properly lay down since it’s being airbrushed over a gloss finish - it pools like small raindrops. I know because I already did this on my Shinden but this was the effect I was after - this won’t be the case with this tank. I want even smooth coverage like when you lay it over a flat finish. This won’t happen over a gloss (see pics). If you shoot the Worn Effects directly over the Alclad II Steel I’ve heard it will reduce it to looking like grey paint instead of steel as it will loose its luster.

So I’m looped back to my original question - wearing down or chipping paint over Alclad II successfully while maintaining full control over what happens while you’re using the Chipping or Wear formulas?

UPDATE: Moderators feel free to delete this post if you wish. Discovered the answer which confirmed what I was leaning towards trying. 

Edited January 28 by mrmertz

[mrmertz]

On 1/7/2026 at 2:55 AM, HootsButOlder said:

Been a while since I made an aircraft and I’m currently doing some caring for my parents and needed something to do. Nipped out to the nearest crafts and hobbies shop (which was pants) and bought just enough stuff to build a tamiya 1/48 sea harrier. Which, after reading about it, is a model lacking detail. It very much is. Turns out this was lucky as the brushes I bought were not much cop. 
Anyway, I enjoyed building it but gave up on the millions of tiny stencil decals, maybe jets aren’t my thing…

Couldn’t agree more with the stencil thing. US jet aircraft have always loved stencils in particular. As if the entire air operations manual is printed on the fuselage. I’m dreading my 1/48 F-4E simply because of this.

[mrmertz]

On 1/24/2026 at 11:18 AM, HootsButOlder said:

Enjoyed the Harrier too much so am revisiting my youth and taking a break from wooden boats. It was all going well until this happened, I had put a gloss coat of varnish over the paint and then added the decals, then sprayed a flat coat of varnish over them. Came back 20 minutes later and some of the decals had got white patches on them which could be scraped off in some places. They were just rattle cans of varnish by the way, I don't own an airbrush. Any guesses what happened? It's only on some decal not all which is both annoying and confusing...

Lovely kit btw, Tamiya 1/48 spitfire.

Plugged this into my AI I use for model questions and here are the results. Maybe it can give you some ideas and or direction…

That’s classic flat-coat “frosting” / blushing — the flat varnish dried in a way that left its matting agent (the stuff that makes it flat) sitting on the surface as a whitish, chalky film. The fact you can scrape some off is a big clue it’s mostly on top, not “inside” the decal.

The usual culprits (most → least common)

1. Humidity / cold air (moisture trapped as it flashes off)

• Rattle-can flats are really prone to turning milky if the air is damp or the part is cold.

2. Spraying too heavy / too close

• A wet heavy coat can “skin over,” trap solvent/moisture, and go cloudy.

3. Spraying too far away

• The varnish partially dries in the air and lands as powdery flat particles (chalky white). This often hits decals unevenly.

4. Flat varnish not shaken enough

• The matting agent settles hard in the can. If it isn’t fully re-suspended, you can get white patches (exactly like yours) and it’ll only show on some areas.

5. Residue on certain decals (Micro Sol/Set, finger oils, decal film differences)

• Some decals/areas react more, so it looks “random.”

Why “only some decals”?

Decals vary in film thickness and surface energy, and some spots may have had a slightly wetter pass or a bit of residue. Flat coat problems tend to show up worst on smooth, non-porous decal film versus painted areas.

I dunno. Maybe this will help. It just looks to me like the carrier film but decal is still good.

[HootsButOlder]

6 hours ago, mrmertz said:

Plugged this into my AI I use for model questions and here are the results. Maybe it can give you some ideas and or direction…

That’s classic flat-coat “frosting” / blushing — the flat varnish dried in a way that left its matting agent (the stuff that makes it flat) sitting on the surface as a whitish, chalky film. The fact you can scrape some off is a big clue it’s mostly on top, not “inside” the decal.

The usual culprits (most → least common)

1. Humidity / cold air (moisture trapped as it flashes off)

• Rattle-can flats are really prone to turning milky if the air is damp or the part is cold.

2. Spraying too heavy / too close

• A wet heavy coat can “skin over,” trap solvent/moisture, and go cloudy.

3. Spraying too far away

• The varnish partially dries in the air and lands as powdery flat particles (chalky white). This often hits decals unevenly.

4. Flat varnish not shaken enough

• The matting agent settles hard in the can. If it isn’t fully re-suspended, you can get white patches (exactly like yours) and it’ll only show on some areas.

5. Residue on certain decals (Micro Sol/Set, finger oils, decal film differences)

• Some decals/areas react more, so it looks “random.”

Why “only some decals”?

Decals vary in film thickness and surface energy, and some spots may have had a slightly wetter pass or a bit of residue. Flat coat problems tend to show up worst on smooth, non-porous decal film versus painted areas.

I dunno. Maybe this will help. It just looks to me like the carrier film but decal is still good.

Thanks mate, I’m thinking it may have been humidity or the setting solution. Or both. Or all 🙂

[Bulldog]

I am always looking for great modellers to join our range of titles dedicated to three scales.

If of interest, please do reach out.

The final materials for the Spitfire were handed in this week and am expected the Zero next week.

Jay

j.slater@fonthillmedia.com

Edited January 29 by LukeFF
no advertising, please

[HootsButOlder]

Rediscovering the fun in plastic modelling has been an unexpected bonus of recent weeks. Not sure why I picked this up as it's stupid small but it went "ok". The model shelf is getting fuller.

[Mysticpuma]

Not mine, but some great work in this Facebook reel:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18L5QMcDLw/

An image from the video:

[Kettensaege]

[SARFlytitus]

@Kettensaege Very nice models here !

I like your painting skill !

 

[Kettensaege]

There are different ways i Painted the Models, for example the Panhard Pz.Spw. is painted 90 percent with the AK Real Colors Markers. The Figures/Miniatures require a different way of Painting than the 1:35 Tank Models, here the stug IV for example is painted Grey and then White overall and then strip the paint with paint thinner (it was the time before the Hairspray technique).

  

Edited February 16 by Kettensaege

[Kettensaege]

there are some more pics of my stuff, my workspace and my ride, in the german board if someones interested.