stevielewis
Sr Member
Looks great!
Let's Build a TIE Bomber! - Final Pics
- Thread starter Boxcar Bret
- Start date
July 10, 2024
Before I get into my latest spin of tale I just want to say that I'm blown away by the bomber builds that have started since I began mine! There's so much talent out there that all I can say is I wish would've started after you so I could've followed you early in my build. We need to do a Class of '24 Bomber thread when we're all finished.
Ok, it's not the end but I can see it from here. The last kit parts that needed to be added were the from the 20mm Flak 38. Ignoring John Simmon's advice, I started with, they needed a little sanding to get them to seat properly. I used 5min epoxy. Don't tell Lorne Peterson. The reason being is that I wanted something a little thicker to act as a filler for any gaps.
Regarding the position I used the usual reference available out there and just went for it. The other reason is I wanted to be able to adjust their position while the glue set. I think they look pretty good.
Next were the seats/clamps that go around the edges. The eight parts needed to be trimmed, and sanded so that they would sit flat. In the end I ended up sanding more off than is shown in the photo because the curve piece seemed to be sticking up a little too high.
Sorry for not taking any detail shots but the the seats that sit inside the two shields on the front were tricky little bastards. They loved to jump into that hole in the fuselage. Three times. I actually used two types of cement to stick them on. Tamiya cement in the little orange hexagonal bottle on the part that stick to the dome and Tamiya extra thin where the part touches the shield. This made for a real solid bond.
And with that assembly was finished and it was ready for primer.
I was concerned about the heat in the garage that weekend because the temperature was in the upper 90's outside that weekend but it was very comfortable with the garage door down.
A few little quick blasts of air from my tool compressor to knock off any dust and I was ready for business.
I used Duplicolor Primer Filler because I wanted something that would fill in any scratches from my misadventures in scribing. It went down great (insert mom joke) and only a few spots needed the attention of a little more filler.
Now those who've been following this build know that it's been too long without it turning into a Wagnerian opera. Well take take your seats because the orchestra's warming up.
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT MEANT TO LAUNCH A DEBATE ABOUT THE COLOR OF TIE FIGHTERS. IF YOU WANT THAT THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS ON THE RPF THAT LITERALLY GO BACK DECADES.
For my color I chose ILM Stormy Sea by Archive-X. It was my go to on my probe droid dispatch pod. I have been a lifelong user of Tamiya paint and love how it mixes and sprays. I took several color theory classes in college and know how to mix color but I like Archive X for the convenience of the colors i want being premixed. It's also worth noting that it's the only water based acrylic that I've ever had success with. That's what made what happened next left me gutted.
I opened a new paint bottle and when I went to add the paint into the mixing cup, rather than nice drops, the paint came out in gloopy blobs. My apologies for the technical lingo. I tried cutting it with thinner and my mixture was either too thick and I could hear the airbrush straining or it would be too thin with the paint breaking apart. After posting my situation and a cry for help on the Nerf Herder's Facebook group I got some great feedback and tips but I was gun shy at this point. Do I change course and just paint it Tamiya Haze Grey or do I dust off my degree and start mixing?
I decided to give it one more try with the Archive-X and with some trial and error and reverse engineering, along with some tweaking of my normal airbrush pressure, I was able to get it going. Huzzah!
I was too focussed to take pictures so here it is post-paint and dry fitted together.
In the past when using either Tamiya or Archive-X I've been able to shoot the color, give it a blast with a hairdryer and then begin masking sections, moving quickly. In a rare moment of better judgement I decided to let the paint properly cure overnight given everything we had just gone through.
The next day I began masking the wing panels and it was immediately apparent that something was up. Even after drying overnight, the Tamiya masking tape was lifting the paint off as I repositioned it. This was a serious blow. I had never experienced this before. The only thing I could think of was the Archive-X and the Duplicolor didn't like each other which was weird because I've sprayed it over lacquer primers before with no issue. It was that or whatever was going on with the paint was causing it.
I got the panels masked and used my go to TIE panel color, Mr. Finishing Spray 1500 Black. It's lacquer based and has a perfect sheen to it. It's also my favorite primer on the market. Sprays beautifully, acrylics don't treat to it, dries smooth, durable and dries fast with a hairdryer.
When I removed the tape not only did some of the blue paint come up but some of the black as well. This led me to believe that it had something to do with the Duplicolor primer.
Despite all this, after some touching up, I'm actually pleased with the results and super exited to see it painted. Next was hitting all the dark grey parts with a brush.
Can I get a "HELL YEAH?!"
Before I get into my latest spin of tale I just want to say that I'm blown away by the bomber builds that have started since I began mine! There's so much talent out there that all I can say is I wish would've started after you so I could've followed you early in my build. We need to do a Class of '24 Bomber thread when we're all finished.
Ok, it's not the end but I can see it from here. The last kit parts that needed to be added were the from the 20mm Flak 38. Ignoring John Simmon's advice, I started with, they needed a little sanding to get them to seat properly. I used 5min epoxy. Don't tell Lorne Peterson. The reason being is that I wanted something a little thicker to act as a filler for any gaps.
Regarding the position I used the usual reference available out there and just went for it. The other reason is I wanted to be able to adjust their position while the glue set. I think they look pretty good.
Next were the seats/clamps that go around the edges. The eight parts needed to be trimmed, and sanded so that they would sit flat. In the end I ended up sanding more off than is shown in the photo because the curve piece seemed to be sticking up a little too high.
Sorry for not taking any detail shots but the the seats that sit inside the two shields on the front were tricky little bastards. They loved to jump into that hole in the fuselage. Three times. I actually used two types of cement to stick them on. Tamiya cement in the little orange hexagonal bottle on the part that stick to the dome and Tamiya extra thin where the part touches the shield. This made for a real solid bond.
And with that assembly was finished and it was ready for primer.
I was concerned about the heat in the garage that weekend because the temperature was in the upper 90's outside that weekend but it was very comfortable with the garage door down.
A few little quick blasts of air from my tool compressor to knock off any dust and I was ready for business.
I used Duplicolor Primer Filler because I wanted something that would fill in any scratches from my misadventures in scribing. It went down great (insert mom joke) and only a few spots needed the attention of a little more filler.
Now those who've been following this build know that it's been too long without it turning into a Wagnerian opera. Well take take your seats because the orchestra's warming up.
DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT MEANT TO LAUNCH A DEBATE ABOUT THE COLOR OF TIE FIGHTERS. IF YOU WANT THAT THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS ON THE RPF THAT LITERALLY GO BACK DECADES.
For my color I chose ILM Stormy Sea by Archive-X. It was my go to on my probe droid dispatch pod. I have been a lifelong user of Tamiya paint and love how it mixes and sprays. I took several color theory classes in college and know how to mix color but I like Archive X for the convenience of the colors i want being premixed. It's also worth noting that it's the only water based acrylic that I've ever had success with. That's what made what happened next left me gutted.
I opened a new paint bottle and when I went to add the paint into the mixing cup, rather than nice drops, the paint came out in gloopy blobs. My apologies for the technical lingo. I tried cutting it with thinner and my mixture was either too thick and I could hear the airbrush straining or it would be too thin with the paint breaking apart. After posting my situation and a cry for help on the Nerf Herder's Facebook group I got some great feedback and tips but I was gun shy at this point. Do I change course and just paint it Tamiya Haze Grey or do I dust off my degree and start mixing?
I decided to give it one more try with the Archive-X and with some trial and error and reverse engineering, along with some tweaking of my normal airbrush pressure, I was able to get it going. Huzzah!
I was too focussed to take pictures so here it is post-paint and dry fitted together.
In the past when using either Tamiya or Archive-X I've been able to shoot the color, give it a blast with a hairdryer and then begin masking sections, moving quickly. In a rare moment of better judgement I decided to let the paint properly cure overnight given everything we had just gone through.
The next day I began masking the wing panels and it was immediately apparent that something was up. Even after drying overnight, the Tamiya masking tape was lifting the paint off as I repositioned it. This was a serious blow. I had never experienced this before. The only thing I could think of was the Archive-X and the Duplicolor didn't like each other which was weird because I've sprayed it over lacquer primers before with no issue. It was that or whatever was going on with the paint was causing it.
I got the panels masked and used my go to TIE panel color, Mr. Finishing Spray 1500 Black. It's lacquer based and has a perfect sheen to it. It's also my favorite primer on the market. Sprays beautifully, acrylics don't treat to it, dries smooth, durable and dries fast with a hairdryer.
When I removed the tape not only did some of the blue paint come up but some of the black as well. This led me to believe that it had something to do with the Duplicolor primer.
Despite all this, after some touching up, I'm actually pleased with the results and super exited to see it painted. Next was hitting all the dark grey parts with a brush.
Can I get a "HELL YEAH?!"
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Last edited:
stevielewis
Sr Member
Excellent work. Really enjoyable watching this come together. 
I just learned about Upol last year. I didn’t know they made primer. I’ll have to try it.
This sounds EXACTLY like my experience using AX paints. Gloopy and thick. Dries in the tip of the airbrush. I don't want to derail your thread, but I documented my experience in my X-Wing thread here.
That paint problem literally killed my momentum on that build. Glad you were able to get it working!
SB
You are not alone, AX paints are some of the worst I've ever used.
Interesting. I had a similar experience with Reefer White. One bottle oozing and another fine. The last time I shot Stormy Sea? No problem whatsoever. I’ve experienced very little issues with tip drying. Other colors have sprayed like dream. I guess if anything they’re inconsistent with their batches.
thibkaji
Active Member
Agreed, never had a problem shooting it.
thibkaji
Active Member
My thinning solution for Archive-X is a combination of acrylic thinner, flow improver, retarder, and a splash of IPA. Works like a charm, even for thicker mixes of the paint.
Absolutely beautiful and inspiring work Bret, it looks amazing! Thank you again for all of this detailed information.
chazzychaz
Sr Member
Incredible.
