I’m now starting to get into this project. It’s the biggest airbrush project I’ve tried (slightly bigger then my Harridan, but far more complex). I’ve really enjoyed the precision of this project so far. I can’t believe I’ve lined and highlighted the whole thing with an airbrush! If you compare it to the previous picture the shading isn’t as harsh. This is because I gave the entire model a light misting of Ultramarine blue and this has tied it all together nicely. I like the depth it’s created, despite it being flat panels and boxy it seems to have some depth to it which I think is great. I’m really enjoying using my airbrush as a tool to get better results rather then to speed paint minis.
I suspect this model might take over a month to complete, I wonder if I should break the project up and paint some smaller stuff in-between? Perhaps I’ll treat the base of this huge flyer as a separate project. Speaking of the base, I have ordered 300mm long acrylic rod which is 20mm in diameter and a 20mm forstner dill bit. I will be using this drill bit to create a hole in the plywood base and the bottom of the Thunderhawk. Fingers crossed it works and I don’t destroy my hawk.
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Thanks Jeff. My initial plan was to drill across from side to side on the body where the wings join and then slide a thick piece of coat hanger wire/rod into this to create a bar. Then I would drill through the bottom. When I slide the hawk onto the acrylic rod this bar would act as a ceiling.
The sweet spot to drill seems to be on the front of the central engine which looks quite thick. My hole is going to be 20mm so quite wide and sturdy.
I'm thinking if I try this first and it doesn't work, then I'll add plasticard over the hole and then fill with resin as per your instructions. Thanks for the advice though.
Do you have links to your hawks?
Hi Garfy,
So I used a boat resi, that I had lying around from another project. I just looked and the place I bought it from went out of business. If you have a resin you have used before I would go with that. I pored mine in a couple of layers, to help keep heat levels down, I was worried about warpage. I use my hawk a lot and this has been one of my better ideas, and has held up really well. When I did my second one I mount a nut in the hull as well,and bought a threaded steel rod from Home Depot, to screw the base in. It is super stable. Hope it helps
Jeff
That's a fantastic solution Jeff. Any advice on what kind of resin I should use? Link perhaps? Cheers.
Here is a quick tip for you to think about when drilling for the stand, that I did on both of my Thunderhawks. As you know the body is mostly hollow for the most part, I was worried about stability when a stand was attached, so I ended up filling the bottom of the T-Hawks with a resign to give the stand rod more of a bite, if you will, to hold onto. It worked really well and I feel quite comfortable now with my T- hawk floating above the ground. Just a thought for you.
I like your progress so far, very nice! I'm really interested in the point where you need to switch your airbrush for an ordinary paint brush, as that's the point where things get frustrating on a model that size. However, considering your previous work (especially your HArridan) I'm sure you'll make it. Keep 'em coming!
Top advice Zab. I knew about the pilot hole and did that with my Harridan. I'll try the tape but I think the area I'm drilling will be through the central engine so it's a curved area. That's where the balance sweet spot is. Ill try the second tip though, cheers mate.
When you go to drill into your hawk do two things to help you not wreck it.
1)Drill a small guide hole and gradually use bigger bits to get up to the size you want.
2) Before you drill, tape some low tack painters tape over where you are drilling so you don't scuff or chip the paint around where you are drilling and you get a nice neat hole with no need for touch ups. Same thing works on drywall when redecorating;)
Divide it up in parts. Have some infantry to paint in between.
Looking good with the subtle shading so far mate.
You should check out the tutorial section (http://taleofpainters.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Tutorials). We have covered some of the questions we get asked on a regular basis already (for instance I'm forever linking people to my airbrush links).
To get the information on what thinner I use and how much follow this link.
http://taleofpainters.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/tutorial-airbrushing-necron-vehicles.html
Great work so far. Maybe you could tell me whats your ratio thinner/paint that you are working with? First I tried to use a foundation paint thinned with water, but still paint dried and clogged the airbrush. Had a little bit more success with a layer paint and vallejo thinner but still its hard to find a way to spray all the time, especially for bigger projects like a landraider, not to mention a gunship.