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The custom build continued... 
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 Rank: Super-Elite        Groups: Official Builds, Administrators, Moderator, Global Forum Support, Registered Joined: 04/06/2011 Posts: 4,509 Points: 13,687 Location: ipswich
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PACK 2
Pack 2 begins by fixing the lower observation windows in place in the bottom of the nose section.
Considering the amount of detail in the whole kit, it is a bit surprising no inner detail was included here and the windows were tinted dark blue.
An option here is to clean off the blue tint and add a small amount of detail inside.
The blue tint can be removed with cellulose thinner on a cotton bud but take extreme care not to get any thinner on the outer green surface. This part isn’t green plastic. It is clear throughout with the green painted on. You will then need to polish the inside of the windows with a polishing compound.
Another option would be to sand the inner surface of the blue windows and then polish with a rubbing compound. Both methods take a bit of time but you should end up with clear windows.
I used a Dremel with a buffing wheel for the final polishing, followed by a coat of ‘Future’, or ‘Klear’.
Remember, the clarity of the windows will very much depend on the amount of polishing you do.
The inside of the observation bays – the two grey plastic covers held with three screws – can be painted white or a very light grey so the walls etc show much better through the windows later on.
The rear walls of the inner parts can be decorated using the artwork included in the pictures below.
Print out at high resolution on photo paper – decal paper is better still.
Size the panels to 37mm wide before printing.
The printed panels can then be cut out and stuck to the rear panel using double sided tape.
Make sure you apply the panels the correct way up.
Remember, the flat ‘base’ of these grey plastic parts is actually the ceiling.
Trim the lower edge of the print with a sharp blade so that it fits the stepped area on the rear wall.
The inner edges of the lower nose section where the windows will fit should also be painted white or light grey as the green areas may show through the windows when the windows and inner parts are assembled.
Lights in the ceiling can be indicated using paint, or by using the small self-adhesive dots sometimes called Dew Drops, available in card making shops.
RECOVERY VEHICLE
Before assembling the recovery vehicle it would be a good idea to mask and paint the main section of the base either dark brown or matt black so that when the vehicle is complete, the inner surfaces of the chassis aren’t bright orange.
Similarly, when the bumpers are fitted to the upper hull, paint the inner surface a dusty brown.
Assemble the wheels as per the instructions and fit them to the base when the paint is dry.
Weather the wheels using washes of matt black, earth and sand.
The tracks can be easily painted with spray cans or an air brush after thoroughly washing the rubber tracks. Turn the tracks inside out and place over a strip of wood or card. Spray with sand, red primer or matt earth. When dry, turn out again and paint the outside of the tracks.
Fit the tracks to the wheels.
The upper chassis is then fitted along with the nose and rear sections.
Add some weathering to the upper parts of the vehicle now, while the clamp tube assembly is not fitted. Use a thin wash of sand, earth and matt black, dubbing it off with paper tissue so as to not leave brush marks.
The silver tube assembly has some prominent seam lines along the outer and inner edges. These should be sanded off and the tubes repainted silver. Fine detailing can be added using a thin marker pen.
Hose clips can be added to the black tubes using foil tape cut in thin strips.
Once the vehicle is complete further weathering can be added. Remember to make dust and dirt lines flow from front to rear, not across the vehicle.
You will probably have to ‘over’ weather this and all the other rescue vehicles as the models are quite small and more true to scale weathering would hardly show.
The vehicles in the TV show were all very heavily weathered so that it would show under bright studio lighting. It tended to give the effect that International rescue never cleaned their vehicles!
Assembly and painting of Recovery Vehicle 2 is the same as above.
PLEASE NOTE: The weathering on the models shown here does not reproduce well in flash photography. The actual models look much better.
BULKHEAD PANEL
The silver panel can be enhanced by adding shading to lower areas of all the recesses to indicate dirt/dust/weathering.
This is easily done by laying the panel on a flat surface with the bottom of the panel facing away from you.
Spray a light mist of matt black from a very low angle, across the panel.
Turn the panel around and repeat the above, only this time using silver/aluminium spray paint.
With the panel fitted into TB2, you should have dark shading along the lower edges of all recesses.
The rear bulkhead should be painted in exactly the same way.
Further assembly of Thunderbird 2 is as per the instructions at this stage. Seam and join filling, weathering and painting will be dealt with when the craft is built to a greater degree.
roymattblack attached the following image(s):
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Official Builds, Administrators, Moderator, Global Forum Support, Registered Joined: 04/06/2011 Posts: 4,509 Points: 13,687 Location: ipswich
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roymattblack attached the following image(s):
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Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Official Builds, Administrators, Moderator, Global Forum Support, Registered Joined: 04/06/2011 Posts: 4,509 Points: 13,687 Location: ipswich
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roymattblack attached the following image(s):
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