Space Shuttle Launch Pad 39A with Challenger STS-6 (1:144)

[spacerunner]

Thank you Becky, Marcell, DiscoveryOne (?) and Ed, I have no words ...

You're heaping so much praise on me, that on the one hand it's nearly embarrassing me, but on the other hand, it makes me proud and happy and spurs me on continuing to do my best.

[beckychestney]

Originally Posted by spacerunner

I have no words ...

I can't speak for everyone, but THAT'S the way I usually feel when I see you've posted an update. Literally speechless.

[spacerunner]

Thanks Becky for your kind words,
if that's really the case, that would be great, but I'm even more pleased about every one of your comments.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

after I've printed out my new Reference photo with the selected brighter ET color shadings,



now I'm going to order the matching Vallejo Model Air Colors together with the associated Airbrush Thinner.


Source: modellbau-universe.de

Actually, I had so far assumed that the Model Air Colors in the practical dropper bottles are already sprayable.

That this is not the case, I have learned now in this interesting video by Jens Kaup, in which he gives important tips for working with Vallejo colors that should be considered.

Important tip for working with Vallejo colors

The video is unfortunately only in German, but it is very vivid and therefore hopefully understandable.

In that he says, that as practical as the dropper bottles from Vallejo are, the poor color mixing is a problem, wherfore relief is provided. The consistency of the Model Air colors is too thick for fine airbrushing. Here it helps to fill up each new color vial simply with Vallejo Thinner,



and to insert a Stainless steel hex nut M5 as shaking aid for better mixing.



Of course, Stainless steel balls (0.25 inch) fulfill the same purpose.

Conclusion:
Two simple measures with great effect!

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,
my ordered Vallejo colors (7x Model Air, 2x Model Color, 1x Thinner) have arrived meanwhile, and I did buy a handful of Stainless steel nuts M5 too,



so I could actually start with some mixing tests.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,

but there is another interesting source, and this is this Airbrush Beginner Course CD by Heinz Wagner, which I had bought a long time ago and have now looked again. Therein my friend Heinz is presenting his Test method for testing and determination of the sprayability of colors that is simple yet ingenious.

First, I did insert a M5 Stainless steel nut as a mixing aid into all Vallejo vials, as described in the video by Jens Kaup in my penultimate post, which surely can not hurt.



Then I did shake each vial for three minutes,



as recommended on Heinz Wagner's CD, whereby I could hear the clacking of the nuts when shaking the Model Air colors, but not at the two Model Color colors (2nd row on the right) what suggests that they are thicker and therefore not sprayable at all, as indicated in the video, which is why a diluting with water 1:1 to 1:2 should take place.


Source: Airbrush Beginner Course CD (Heinz Wagner)

And now to his simple Test method, whereby holding the vial on the top of a ruler (30 cm),


Source: Airbrush Beginner Course CD (Heinz Wagner)

and let dropping a drop from that height.


Source: Airbrush Beginner Course CD (Heinz Wagner)

And if the diameter of this color point is between 11 mm and 14 mm, the color should be sprayable in the opinion of the Airbrush Guru.


Source: Airbrush Beginner Course CD (Heinz Wagner)

And then I tried that,



first for the Model Air 71.033 (Yellow Ochre). But to my astonishment the diameter of the color point was < 10 mm.



And since the tests with the next three Model Air colors have shown this surprising result too,



then I started carefully to add a few drops of the Vallejo Thinner step by step (3, 6, 10, 15 drops), then did shake again for three minutes and retested, but without getting drops > 10mm, which has disillusioned me pretty much.



During dripping I also noticed that sometimes at first only a bubble comes out of the dropper and only then the color comes, and that the drops of paint on the paper have sometimes even contained air bubbles, which may possibly falsify the result.

The following tests I have done on glossy paper, the first tests on the other hand on normal copy paper, because the absorbency of the paper could probably also have an influence on the diameter of the color points, I think, right?



After that I was stumped and a nervous wreck and have communicated these results Heinz Wagner, in the hope that he has an explanation.

[spacerunner]

Hello friends,

since the results so far have not convinced me, I have become more courageous and have according to the advice of Jens Kaup topped up the vial with the Model Air 71.077 (Wood) with Vallejo Thinner.

Then I did shake again for 3 minutes and then carried out the test. And lo and behold, this time the color points were at least approx. 11 mm in diameter, whith what I can better warm to.



As a result, his tip seems to be correct, especially as it meets the criterion of Heinz Wagner (> 11 mm), according to which this color should be sprayable indeed, what makes me smile.
My friend Heinz has not commented yet, but I suppose he might be surprised by this result, I guess.

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,
still under the impression of the many colorful Easter eggs I 've grabbed the brush and started to mix the first ET colors.

I started with the sprayable-thinned Vallejo Model Air 71.033 (ochre), which I wanted to darken a little with the help of the Vallejo Model Air 71.034 (sand brown).



For this I have filled 4 drops of the MA 71.033 in a crown cork and placed it next to my test drop on the image, whereby this shade corresponds pretty well with the bright ET color tone in the lower part.



Then I added a drop of the MA 71.034 to it and mixed it with the brush, what corresponds about a shade between MA 71.033-B-30 and B-40,



whose test brushstroke I've put on the lower ET area,



and in front at the Nose cone that of pure color MA 71.033.



And already with this mixture, some of the shades can be quite well represented, I think.



And so I will now also test the shades of the other two colors MA 71.076 (skin color) and MA 71.077 (wood).

[spacerunner]

Hello everybody,
and so the mixing went on.

As previously announced, I first tried mixing the lighter color shade, namely from the two colors MA 71.076 (Skin Tone) and MA 71.077 (Wood),



whereby I have dripped one drop of each color in the crown cap, which already run into each other here.



And so the mix of both colors looks like.



And as one can see in the reference photo, the shade of the mixture (1:1) is almost perfectly hit right away.



Then I also tried mixing the darker color shade of the IT for which now still the color MA 71.034 (Sand Brown) comes into play, which I've mixed together with the MA 71.077 (Wood) in several tests with different proportions MA 71.077: MA 71.034, whereby I've slowly felt my way, from 1:1, over 2:1 and 3:1, up to 4:1.



Here is the comparison in the mixing ratio 3:1 to see, which already fits relatively well to the IT's color shade, whereby 2:1 looks similar.



And here all previous color shades are to see once again.



After comparing the Mix shades on paper now the comparison on the white primer on the Flour&Strip Texture of the ET Dummy is to be done, which will give yet the final indication of how well the shades actually fit the reference photo, whereon I'm very curious.

[luro1964]

Beautiful work! I am saving the info for when I get time to start my 1:200 Hasegawa model!