A-Wing newb build

[fubar]

Hello all, this is the first model i have built in a long while but i recently decided to get back into scale modelling again and thought i'd also try my hand at a WIP post, hope it's ok and let me know if anything needs changing!
I'm going to be starting this hobby again from scratch, i even need to buy tools and paints again so any tips on which paints/tools are best for this type of model will be greatly appreciated, in the past i have mostly used acrylics because of the large numbers of WH40K models i used to paint so i'm guessing that's what I'll go with again for this little project.

After a rummage in my 'vault' i have decided to 'cut my teeth' on an A-Wing model made by ERTL that I've had for a number of years. The aim of this is to refresh my skills and make a nice clean build so again any pointers from the pros are more than welcome.

First thoughts on the model.

It seems a fairly straight forward kit, it contains two sprues with the parts, a canopy, a clear stand for display and what could well be the worlds most basic instruction sheet.







The body of the ship seems nicely detailed with lots of little rivets and cables, they'll be a nice chance for me to practice weathering and ink washes again! I have a couple of nit picks with it so far, I'm a bit of a detail freak and i have to say that the model of the pilot is awful....i really don't see me keeping him which means that i either need to find some sort of replacement for him or paint the cockpit canopy black to hide the inside.



Another thing that's going to need attention is the underside, i don't plan on using the landing gear that the model comes with which means i now have three odd shaped holes on the underside that will need repairing and detailing, i think my nice simple build is already getting more complex ;D still that's half the fun isn't it.



The main problem i have at the moment is reference material for painting it accurately, the Instructions just say use (red brick, white and black). I have a mass of Star Wars books but there are hardly any pics of the A-Wing studio model that are usable, where do you guys get your reference material from? I have looked online and its seems to be mostly the same images i have already or its fan made art which is excellent but is it canon? The one site i have found so far which is very useful is Starship Modeler, are there other similar sites about?

Well thats enough rambling from me, have a good weekend all.

TTFN Matt

 

[Quaralane]

Can be built into a nice model, actually.
Need some putty for those landing gear holes.

I agree that the pilot looks awful, but, paint the face like a full visor, and the canopy will likely hide most of the defects.

Cockpit detail I don't remember on this, but mine was a LONG time ago

 

[Solander]

Hey, buddy, nice choice of a kit!

Here are some studio model's photos

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=7253

I may also recommend to take a look at these:

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=33356

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=2996

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=23063

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=8471

 

[Igard]

Good choice, Matt. Looks like a great wee kit.

Google image search is another useful method for finding reference pics.

I know very little about paint. I just use Tamiya because I know I can use it in an airbrush and I can brush it on.

When I started back in March, I had no tools. I just bought what I needed, when I needed it. It was a bit of a disorganised process and I ended up with some stuff I didn't need. I've spent far too much money!!

I think there are lots of tutorials, but this one's pretty good I think:-

http://www.youtube.com/user/facemodels?ob=5#p/c/598C7A5F3C5E8C2C/1/fdQWTSkcmYM

Ok, good luck dude.

 

[fubar]

Great links guys many thanks, just the sort of things i've been looking for, they're all saved now to the HDD for a closer look tomoz.

Now i have some idea of what the underside should look like. I particularly like the idea of making the model minus the pilot, i'll have to see just what the cockpit will look like without him in there!

 

[Jamaicanmodels69]

Hey, buddy, nice choice of a kit!

Here are some studio model's photos

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=7253

I may also recommend to take a look at these:

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=33356

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=2996

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=23063

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=8471

Wow what a way to find out!! The 1st link in the 2nd paragraph is a Studio Scale A-Wing model I built
3 years ago or so......now I see it got sold by the original buyer. :'(

 

[Jamaicanmodels69]

Anyway the kit your building is a nice little kit!
The hull is very well shaped, the engines not so
nice! ;D If you build it up as is it will look good,
if you want to be a bit more adventurous you can
scribe the panel lines or light it. But out the box
should look very good as well enjoy! Looking forward
to your A! ;D

 

[Jamaicanmodels69]

You can fill those landing gear holes with Apoxie Sculpt.
Just make it a bit higher ......a tiny bit. Then mask off the surrounding
panel lines so when you sand it you don't sand them away.

 

[Jamaicanmodels69]

When you get ready to paint a good color for the red'ish areas
is Boxcar red from Polyscale. IT's a good starter color to tweak
i am pretty sure it's the color ILM used on it back then.....but
they probably tweaked it a bit.

http://www.micromark.com/Water-Base-Paint.html

 

[Jamaicanmodels69]

Also the box art is picture of the actual filming miniature,
so you can use that to some degree also.

 

[fubar]

This may sound like a daft question from a greenhorn like myself but what does 'scribing the panel lines' mean? The model already has panel details on it, apart from where i'm going to have to fill in those holes!
I love the idea of lighting a model, i've been drooling over the many lighting projects on this site, but i dont have the slightest clue where to begin with such an idea!

Oh oh now my brains starting to buzz with ideas. lol

 

[MrNatural]

a lot of times when building a kit you have to do a lot sanding whether its getting rid of mold lines or manufacture details that you dont wont, or the dreaded seams from joining two parts together. while doing this sometimes surface detail and panel lines can get sanded away or down too far that your paint will fill them up so it is necessary to use a pointed tool called a scribe to scrape those details back into the plastic

 

[Solander]

Check this, bud

http://yumen.chicappa.jp/ModelersBible/dlcount.php?fname=A-Wing.pdf

it is all in Japanese, but if You don't know it ( ;D) don't worry - the images are self explanatory and this is probably the best step-by-step guide about making this kit into a real show-stoper.

However, one thing about the lines

Actually, the panel lines (where one piece of metal covering the hull meets another - like on planes, or, maybe, where distinguished panels can be taken off like hatches for maintenance, well, You know, such stuff) are simulated by cut-ins in plastick. So that while washing one can fill them up with wash to give some darker accent (it gives model the feeling of scale, highlights detalisation e.t.c.)

But on the old models such panel lines are raised, as well as all the halls for the nuts holding the panels. Same thing on this model.

For better result it would be good to sand the raised panels down and rescribe the new ones on their place, 'cause with raised panels washes and weathering would look a little bit off.

BUT! With a proper treatment and careful, clean paintjob, followed by a correct ammount of weathering a kit with raised panels left can still look awesome. And rescribing is far not the easyest thing - as for me its one of the things in model-building that I struggle most.

Anyway, its up to You to decide, would be glad to help with advice if You chose to go the path of scribing new lines.

@Jamaicanmodels69: Never know where you find, heh?
And
Wow! I must admit You've done a remarkable job on this one! Truly a pearl!
Must have been hard to give such a beauty away?

 

[Igard]

Just another couple of things on the panel lines.

If you do decide to scribe them, remember to be patient and take care when doing it. Mistakes can be fixed with putty. Don't expect it to be a quick process, it takes some time and can be laborious especially as it looks like there are quite alot there.

Also, you could use the back of a cutting knife to scribe the lines. I did this for my Defiant build. Once again be careful, mistakes on the plastic can be fixed with putty, but your fingers will need bandages.

 

[Jamaicanmodels69]

WOw solander thats a great find.....what a beautiful
little A-wing, he put a lot of love in that! Looks great with
the panel lines scribed.

 

[Weezer]

Check this, bud

http://yumen.chicappa.jp/ModelersBible/dlcount.php?fname=A-Wing.pdf

it is all in Japanese, but if You don't know it ( ;D) don't worry - the images are self explanatory and this is probably the best step-by-step guide about making this kit into a real show-stoper.

That is a beauty... the base and fighter are amazing. However the one thing that kills all that hard work is the positioning of the ship. It needs to sit at a dynamic angle! The fighter should have been put on some kind of an angle to break up the ship from the death star base (tooooo many straight horizontal lines).

 

[fubar]

That's an amazing piece of work there, it's hard to believe its the same model as i have sat here on my desk.

And all i can say is "now that's an A-Wing pilot!" lol

There's so much about that build i'd love to know how he did it, wish i could read Japanese.

 

[Grendels]

Yes that is a nice find with that A-wing. Saved it for future reference.

 

[fubar]

Anyway, its up to You to decide, would be glad to help with advice if You chose to go the path of scribing new lines.

Thanks, i have to say i'm tempted to give it a try. Especially after seeing those shots of the weathering details.
I'm finishing work early friday so i have time to nip to my local model store, think i'd better start on my shopping list of tools and paints.

 

[Igard]

Are you going to be getting an airbrush, Matt? If so, I'd recommend saving your pennies and getting a decent one (around 80 - 100 pounds).

I bought a cheap starter one for about £25 and it was woeful. I've still got the compressor which does it's job, but I really want to upgrade that too. Compressors aren't cheap either, I think the one I got was around £80 and it's the bog standard.