Build review: FineMolds 1/72 F-14D Tomcat - Part IV

Gary's build of Finemolds F-14 Tomcat in 1/72nd scale has of course already been finished, but he has created a build article of about 10,000 words and many pictures to show you all of the elements that had to come together to create this masterwork. In this part, It is all coming together towards a conclusion. See how he details the kit before it's finish in the next article.

Build review: FineMolds 1/72nd Scale F-14D Tomcat - Part IV

This kit is currently available exclusively from the many parts of the Model Graphix Magazine from Hobby Link Japan

Other parts of this review series:
Part 1 Modelgraphix & F-14 (engine nose & cockpit)
Part 2 Modelgraphix & F-14 (Fuselage)
Part 3 SA Magazine & F-14 (stores + Modelkasten Pilots)
Part 4 Modelgraphix & F-14 (Wings & Stores)
Part 5 Gary’s finished build galery of Finemolds 72nd scale Tomcat

Part I of the build of this kit
Part II of the build of this kit
Part III of the build of this kit

Part V of the build of this kit

Today we continue on with Gary’s magnificent build in this – Part IV of the build

My preferred weapon of chose for masking is Tamiya tape. I use this tape for 99.9% of masking on my models, cutting it to shape and thickness to ensure if conforms to the job at hand. The fuselage spine bay is a very simple masking exercise as it's all straight lines but it does show to good effect the basic concept of mask the edges first then fill the centre. You will find I use these method time and time again on just about any masking task.

When using Tamiya tape to mask curves (like on this windshield) you need to cut into very thin stripes to allow it to conform to the curves. When the curve becomes too tight for the tape to lay flat you can switch to cutting the tape to shape or pick a vinyl based tape (such as the new Tamiya tape for curves) which is capable of stretching far more than the normal Kabuki yellow Tamiya tape.

Tamiya tape is great stuff but not a cure all. I also like to use liquid masking agent (in this case Vallejo) to cover those complex shapes that you just can't get the tape to cover reliably. Liquid mask is also very good at ensuring the tape stays where is should as you work on the model.

For masking awkward shapes, like circles, grab yourself a circular drawing template from the newsagent or a photo-etch circular scribing template. Lay the tape down on a piece of glass or ceramic bathroom tile and with a fresh blade use the circular template to cut out your mask. You don't need to get the diameter perfect each time as you can use multiple sections to mask just about any curve.

Thin strips and pieces of Tamiya tape have once again been used to mask the airbrake interior. Note I have been experimenting with 3M painters tape (which is blue) and used here to cover the engine exhausts.

A trick to cut down your masking work is to use tape to mask the edges and then fill the interior with liquid masking agent or wet tissue paper, foam or even Blu-Tac.

With all the interior masking complete its time to load up the airbrush.

My favourite primers these days are Alclad II Grey Primer/Micro Filler and more recently the Tamiya Grey Primer which only comes in a pressure can. Now I don't use pressure cans, instead, I decant the primer for use into my airbrush. This decanted paint can be safely stored in an air tight bottle for several months and thinned with Tamiya's own Lacquer thinner when you need to airbrush it. The Tamiya primer dries quickly to a silky smooth finish which adheres very well to the plastic.

Once your primer is dry be sure to go over the entire model looking very closely for any blemishes that need your attention prior to commencing the final painting stage. Take your time and check all the nooks and crannies as gaps and seams have a habit of hiding themselves in the most awkward place.

When masking your model don't be afraid to try different material to use as a paint mask. Here you can see I have used some packing foam in the nose wheel well to quickly (and effectively) protect the area from overspray. Use thin strips of tape along the edges to get a sharp demarcation but feel free to fill in the centre with just about anything that will keep paint out.

F-14's were painted with several different standard schemes during their service career. The aircraft which I wanted to model (as used during OIF) was finished in the standard 3 tone 'TPS' (Tactical Paint Scheme). Whilst the aircraft may look like this when it leaves the paint shop it does not take long for the three-tone effect to be lost due to grime & fading and being covered in repairs and touch ups on the carrier.

Gunze Mr Color paints are my current favourite and one of their features I appreciate on most builds is the very wide range of pre-tinted FS colours. Not surprisingly the standard US Navy greys are provided to be used straight out of the bottle and map to the real FS colours as follows:

FS36230 Dark Ghost Gray - Mr Color C307

FS36375 Light Ghost Gray - Mr Color C308

FS35237 Medium Gray - Mr Color C337

As I mentioned earlier, the one thing that disappointed me about the Finemolds kit was the single choice of markings on the decal sheet. Luckily I am a bit of a bower bird when it comes to accumulating interesting decal sheets and in particular have been a long time collector of TwoBobs. It did not take me too long to settle on sheet 72-026 which has a wide range of Tomcats from VF-31 that saw active service in OIF on the USS Abraham Lincoln. The lo-viz TPS painted F-14s were exactly what I was after for this project.

When painting a subject that will be finished in a light colour (like the greys on the F-14) I prefer to start with a dark undercoat. Normally I use a black undercoat but on this occasion, I opted for a very dark grey instead (Tamiya XF63 German Grey). At this point, I have already applied the lightest of the three greys, that being FS36375 (C308) on the undersides. A bit of overlap with the upper surfaces is not a bad idea as this gives us something to mask over.

The reason for undercoating with a dark colour should become apparent with this photo. By applying the grey in thin coats you can start to get some shading variations in the finish right from the start. Weathering the paint on a model is never a simple single step but rather a series of small incremental steps that when added together gives (hopefully) the desired result.

The underside of the wings perhaps shows this effect even more so. We are intentionally trying to avoid a solid grey paint coverage here. It might look a bit odd or overdone at this stage but by the time we add more colour, decals, panel washes etc this effect will be toned down quite considerably (trust me !!)

With the undersides dry we move onto the next grey FS 36320 (C307) which is applied to the fuselage sides and vertical tails. I rely a lot on Blu-Tack for my masking needs when it comes to reproducing variable soft edges in tricky places. I'd like to say I'm good enough to freehand these type of demarcations but that’s just not the case I'm afraid. Roll the Blu-Tack into a thin sausage and gently apply it to the model surface then backfill with tape to prevent overspray.

More Blu Tack is used to quickly mask off the nose. The trick to getting a soft edge is to not push the sausage down onto the model surface too heavily. You only want a small part of the Blu-Tack actually touching the surface.

With the C307 applied (again in thin coats) we remove the masks. You can just see the demarcation between the two greys which is mostly what its like on the real F-14 with the '3 tone' scheme often ending up looking like a single shade of grey. This photo also shows off very nicely the superb surface detail present on the FineMolds kit. It's just begging for a panel wash to make it pop.

The last of the three greys is applied only to the very top of the fuselage and wings/tails. For sharp demarcations leave the Blu-Tack in the drawer and just use tape. Again backfill to prevent overspray. I like to cut the tape into small sections as it gives me more precise control when applying it to the model surface to help ensure a perfect fit over odd shapes.

Masking off the tightly tapered fuselage sides required some very thin strips of Tamiya tape to achieve that sharp point. For masking leading edges of wings use a thin strip to get your edge and then backfill with larger pieces.

To avoid any overspray the vertical tails have been masked, again a thin strip down the bottom to get that perfect demarcation with larger (less precise) pieces to backfill. I see many modellers use cheaper tape for their masking but I learnt a long time ago that nothing works better than Tamiya tape and so it's what I choose to stick with.

The final grey FS35237 (C337) has now been applied. The mottling effect is less pronounced with this darkest of the greys but its still there even if your eyes can't immediately see it standing out. In fact, subtle is probably better anyway as we don't want any one part of the weathering process to scream at us.

Right now the finish looks like its fresh out of the paint shop, not at all what I am looking for but we need to look ahead to what it will look like with the steps yet to come. Often that's the hardest thing to do when you lack experience in model making, trusting that things will work out as you apply more layers. It's not something you can learn from a book (or a website) but only thru the school of hard knocks. Right now you can quite clearly see the difference in the two upper greys but as with the real aircraft it's my intention to lessen that with subsequent paint and weathering.

A better shot of the undersides, with the wings in place. Much to be done here as the F-14 gets very grotty down low (like most modern jets). With all the base paint work done it's time to start degrading this nice finish :)

Of course, the main airframe is not the only thing that needs to be painted. Alcald II metaliser paints are still my go-to option and here I have based coated the exhaust with Aluminium and a light coat of Pale Burnt Metal. The masking has been applied prior to painting the small square sections in Steel which represent the inner part of the variable nozzle mechanism. Note how I have used small bits of packing foam to protect the interior of the nozzle from overspray.

Part V (the final) of this build process is to follow in serial form over the next few days

Other parts of this review series:
Part 1 Modelgraphix & F-14 (engine nose & cockpit)
Part 2 Modelgraphix & F-14 (Fuselage)
Part 3 SA Magazine & F-14 (stores + Modelkasten Pilots)
Part 4 Modelgraphix & F-14 (Wings & Stores)
Part 5 Gary’s finished build of Finemolds 72nd scale Tomcat


Part I of the build of this kit
Part II of the build of this kit
Part III of the build of this kit

Part V of the build of this kit

Gary Wickham

Thanks to Hobby Link Japan for sending us the magazine/ model kit combo – look for the other parts of this magazine very soon and then a full build of this exciting looking little kit...

See more of Gary's wonderful builds on his Facebook Page and his Scalespot Website.