Hi Guys

Any thoughts on reproducing the black wing root walkways, thought of fine emery paper not sure the edges would look right.

Thought about painting it with some kind of additive. Then again with my painting perhaps I will try gloss as when I want that finish it comes out matt and rough!!!

It is for a 1/4 scale jet


thanks Ian

I use 3M 400 grit wet or dry sand paper for the walk ways. Cut to size and glue 'em down. Just don't try to wipe them off with a paper towel. You'll have a bunch of white fuzzies in your walkways. LOL Emery paper IS too thick......

Hi Terry

Sorry I meant wet and dry. what do you stick it down with on to a glassed surface?

Ian

Hal parenti has a segment in the AMA video about doing this. I think he uses sand or something. I would have to watch it again. Maybe you can get ahold of a copy. Russ

Testors make sanding films that are plastic and very thin.

http://www.testors.com/catalog_item.asp?itemNbr=1193

The dark grey one might be perfect........

Ian, I use a thin film of "white" glue on the sandpaper AND the surface you are gluing to.. Let the glue dry then use your monocoat iron to stick it down. Just place the Iron down then pick it up again to change position, don't try to slide the iron as tou will sand the shiny side of your iron off LOL.

I mark the outline location of the walkway with a #2 pencil and scuff the area so the glue has a better surface to stick to.

Clear as Mud?? LOl

Ian , Nice seeing you at Top Gun this year sorry about the Saber, I heard of using micro balloons sprinkled over wet clear on top of black paint before.

Tim Redelman

A certain man known only as "Bob" showed me the finish on their factory T-33 with metal cote and the walkway.

He said they used an old spray gun and mixed micro balloons with black paint. Now I am sure he said it was microballoons but could be mistaken. However it was definitely done with an old spray gun for obvious reasons... It was superb, and faultless to look mind a lot of effort had gone into this model to finish it, have a look at the site, bvm jets of course!! Its the one with the green foredeck,

Hope that may help,

Gazzer

Hi Ian

I use Humbrol Matt Black and mix in Polyfiller to get the right consistency and then mask off the area to be painted and then just brush it on. Fine emery paper dos'nt work as the edges will lift sooner rather than later, especially at speed.

IB

Hi Ian,
If you send me a PM with your home address, i will send a sample of SELF ADHESIVE anti slip walkway strip (comes in 2" or 4" wide) used on B767's. For 1/4 scale birds its great. Of course the strips can be cut with scissors to any size. Once stuck on, its a pain in the a--se to get off again.
Regards
Dave Burns
IJMC Rep Australia
Skymaster Rep Australia.

Try model Railroad black aggregate. Several sizes available in Black.

I thought on the full-size they used paint for the walkways? I could well be wrong. If I am right, can you not get hold of the same stuff? Not sure exactly how well it would 'scale'.

EDIT: Try this as an example http://www.transair.co.uk/product4.a...Product_ID=799

Thanks for the replies guys

Tim R sorry I am the wrong Ian R. Although I know Ian Richardson and I too was upset with the loss of his brilliant model

Hi Dave B. I may try some tests with paint ideas if they do not work I will be in touch. thank you for the kind offer

Ian

To the best of my knowledge full size walkways are usually non slip paint, so I use paint also.... easy to reproduce! best method I have found is use higher airbrush pressure and less paint mixed a little thicker then apply paint in light coats until desired effect build up is achieved. You will end up with a dry orange peel looking effect, sort of oppisite of what you want when painting a model just remember to experiment with varing degrees of air pressure until paint is going on near dry....
heres a couple of pics I just took of the walkways on my CF-18 applied using this method. Sorry about pic quality as flash tends to washout the detail but pic without the camera flash on you can see the texture much better and I think you can get the idea.

Thanks Marty

I will try that. Should be no problem given I get that sometimes anyway!!!!!!!!!!

Ian

Heres a couple more pics of my CF-18 walkways with better lighting... You can see the texture contrast much better in these pics I think. Another good reason to use the paint method is you can customize walkway colours of course, but the best reason to do it this way is its scale
I have used the wet/dry paper for walk ways also and they do look ok but tend not hold up to well over time I have found. I have not tried the micro balloon mix method (nor seen it) myself so cannot comment on that method although sounds interesting! I have been happy with my painted method so until I see a better solution myself will stick with this way for now

Hope this helps...

Cheers-

Hi Ian!

How are you? What about your Strikemaster? I am really looking forward to see that bird.....

I just remembered, that I need to add these walkways on mine. The last time I used Zap 30 minute epoxy for that job. I then put a coat of very fine sugar on the surface. When the resin has cured, you can easily vacuum the sugar of. The rest is washed out with water. After that, I painted it in black and added some artist chalk to get the rigth colour and used impression.

To save some time you can just paint it the right colour and put that sugar on it. or you put the sugar on your clearcoat....... and if you need some of that scotch tape, don't send your mail-adress to Dave Burns, but to me . He gave me 10m of the stuff and it would be easier to ship from germany to england than from australia......

[off topic] Are you comming to the Pampa Jet Meeting again? I just saw that it is the week before the JWM....[off topic]

Best regards,

David

P.S.: Did the first test-flight with smoker on monday. Hey I just love my big, ugly, heavy Bluntie. 19.5kg dry, plus 3.5l kero (2.5kg) and 1.5l smoke-oil (1.2kg) and plenty of power on JetCat P-120

Marty

I am going to try your method on a test this weekend

David

Hi Thanks for the offer of the tape. The sugar idea is good I will try that as a test this weekend as well. I will be back if I need the tape

I am building mine as a Jet provost nearly finished have a smoke system installed, but have not weighed the model yet!!!

No I will not be going to the Pampa event this year but I am going to the WJM, so might see you there


Thanks Ian

Thanks to Marty

I tried micro balloon ok, but could not get the effect I needed.

I tried humbrol and micro balloon, better but not quite

sugar no I thought I try paint first

so I tried the paint sprayed towards the dry side of normal method, came out well not too rough just right

So thanks Marty

I was worried about the wet and dry lifting after a while so ruled that out

hope this reply helps anyone who searches with this problem in the future

Bye for now
Ian

I have used 600 grit wet dry held down with a very thin layer of superZ. I have not done it on a jet but fiberglass is fiberglass.
As for full scale, it depends on the plane. I have seen paint and I have seen stick on anti skid.

Dave

Hi Ian glad you found the painted walkway suggestion worked ok for you.... Do you have any pics of how they turned out?
Iam just about to start painting my Fiber Classics Mig 15 and will use this method again for this particular model...I also use Humbrol paints a lot for detail work and weathering, they are great to work with and have great coverage (high pigmentation).
Another good reason why I like this painted process for doing my walkways is I can lay a silver (aluminium) base coat colour down in the masked off walkway area prior to colour top coats and buff through using 1000 grit wet and dry paper later on to reveal some worn areas this finishing method for walkways is also ideal for many WW2 aircraft and of course the Mig 15