I had high hopes for getting lots done today, but things didn't pan out quite as well as I'd hoped. My intention had been to get the airbrush out and prime as many figures as possible. It started out OK, but then I hit a major snag. I'd noticed that when cleaning between colours/fills there were a lot of bubbles coming out of the nozzle cap threads which is an indication that the nozzle is either too loose or too tight. So, I removed the needle and went to unscrew the nozzle...
...and it snapped with most of the thread still in the body of the airbrush. And too deep to get it out with the tools I have. Not that getting it out would help much as I don't have a spare and they seem to be out of stock everywhere. B****r! As I'm going to need a 0.5mm airbrush and I don't see any way of getting the broken nozzle thread out, I've had to order a new one. It should be delivered next weekend.
In the meantime I'll have to use my other airbrush which has a 0.35mm needle which means I'll need to add thinners and probably flow improver to the primer, not to mention cleaning even more regularly to prevent blockages.
One thing I did do in this session was to test out my Vallejo red primers to see if I could use them instead of spray-cans for priming the SYW Russian infantry.
The Pure Red seems to be pretty close so I'll go with that. I lightly re-primed the ones I'd done in German Red Brown (they're slightly darker in the pic above).
Anyway, here's what I did get primed:
The Soviet women also got primed, as did two more choppers I bought this morning (£1.50 each from Wilko). Having learnt from last week how annoying the rotor was when airbrushing, I removed them today for painting these two. I'll be trying out some alternative camo schemes tomorrow using the mini-hexocam stencils.
Apart from the new airbrush, I've ordered a few more things this week. Last night I ordered a few more stencils and some paints/primers from SnM Stuff. I also did a restock of bases from Tiny Tin Troops ready for the Challenge - nothing worse than running out and having to wait for more to arrive.
This evening I've placed an order with Timecast for some Old Glory 15s - the additional Koreans I need to complete that army, some SYW casualties and two ancients armies for ADLG. I foresee a lot of figure prep at work in the weeks after they arrive!
I've got a couple more orders still to place - the limbers and wagons from Essex and some more ACW infantry from Baccus when I finally work out how many more regiments I want/need.
Plans for this week:
1. Do the basing on the Salutesville figures. Lots of messy Milliput action!
2. Camo scheme test on the choppers.
3. Start painting the Mongol cavalry I started a long, long time ago.
Lots of exciting progress Tamsin, great job.
ReplyDeleteThat does sound like a messy situation with the airbrush Tamsin - puts me fumbling a loaded paintbrush into my shirt in perspective! Hope the replacement arrives promptly.
ReplyDeleteI just bought a new can of spray primer today myself - weather's holding up here so I'm trying to get as much primed and ready to go as I can! The red looks brilliant - I haven't yet been able to bring myself to give the colored primers a go; feels like I just figured out painting over a white primer!
More Russians ready to go!
ReplyDeleteWE all have setbacks, I seem to anyway! however you do seem to have some exciting projects on the go. No Challenge prep for me as I am still sorting out what I will do.
ReplyDeleteBut if you want a 6mm side challenge I would be up for it!
The days when you just had to worry about plonking your brush in a cup of coffee pale into comparison to 'modern' set-backs.
ReplyDeleteRed primer is an interesting thought though.
Great progress even given the airbrush disaster!
ReplyDeleteI like the 'Red Army' - and the Russians too!
ReplyDeleteYou can never have too many sheep!
Well, airbrush disasters apart you seem to be progressing well on many fronts. I was tickled by the concept of 'sheep and Soviet women'. Beterr than sheep and Welsh archers, I suppose...
ReplyDelete@ Michael A - thank you m'Lord! :)
ReplyDelete@ Bill - weather here is a bit cold for spraying outside (and wet this afternoon when I might have risked it) which is why I like to use an airbrush for priming where I can. Besides which, my flat is 2nd floor (3rd floor for the Yanks) which makes it even more hassle to use spray cans :)
@ David C - one can never have enough Russkis! ;)
@ Clint - cheers! I might be up for a 6mm side challenge - Ian has already suggested one. It will depend on which figure batches take priority :)
@ Zabadak - the reason for the red primer is that I found it gives a good base for the Russian infantry and artillery :)
@ Herbert - cheers! :)
@ Herkybird - thanks! The sheep are for a running gag hopefully :)
@ Legatus - cheers! "Sheep and Soviet Women" could be a very niche interest magazine ;)