Insert Bad Word Here: Hellcat Part 9

The problem with doing something worthwhile is that it can go wrong. Today I took up my work like I always do, but the outcome was a mess. I managed to go from THIS:

 

 

To THIS:

The calamity began in the manner of most foul-ups, with a string of errors, compounding each other, no one error bad enough to bring down the whole enterprise, but each tiny mouse eating enough elephant to eventually cause the behemoth to fall.

The trouble began when I failed to get the color right for the sea blue. I had to repaint it with the correct color, using a gloss version. I did this, but smelled the beginning of trouble. This was already a complex build, adding another layer of paint, and complexity, was not a good idea. But I pressed on– what did I have to fear? I added a layer of paint on top of a layer of Future–normally not a huge problem but the seeds of disaster had been sown.

My next major mistake was grabbing brush I had used to apply Metal Color, and attempting to apply a coat of Future, in order to bring the top and bottom of the model to the same degree of “shine” for the application of stencils, which I figured were important on such a “plain” model. The brush had not been cleaned as well as it should have been, and it left metallic “sparkles” everywhere. My next move sealed the fate of the great liner, er, model. I decided that if I were quick, I could wash off the Future. I have done this successfully in the past, but remember the “sandwich” created by the application of paint, Future, paint? I tried washing off the Future but the entire paint job just bubbled up. Then I added Windex (a weak ammonia solution) to attempt to remove all the Future and the layer of sea blue, but now the Windex proved to be a wonderful paint remover and what hadn’t been damaged before was now kaput. I grabbed an old toothbrush and attempted to remove all of the paint, but only some of it came away. The result you see above.

To cheer myself up at times like this, I read about larger, more serious disasters (doesn’t everybody?). I found this wonderful article about the disastrous Scott expedition to the South Pole. In it I found two hilariously inappropriate advertisements.

 

and…….

 

 

Well, he said with a chuckle. We’ll get ’em next time.

 

5 Replies to “Insert Bad Word Here: Hellcat Part 9”

  1. Bummer. Maybe the second coat of paint wasn’t dry and the Windex went right through. You could probably drop the whole thing into Simply Green and strip the rest of the paint, but you would loose your cockpit detailing also. It is always the overly quick correction of a minor error which leads to disaster. Thanks for the Scott story!

    Johnnyb

  2. I only discovered yesterday that windex seemed quite good at cleaning brushes….If only I had reported that immediately.

    I was actually going to come here and complain about my latest model, a p51-mustang, going to hell from a terrible application of Humbrol Acrylic (overthinned and like all crap paint, goes apart into its constituent parts on the model), but I see you had it worse than me.

    I have already had your issue previously. Some decals went on incredibly poorly, and I needed to take away some Humbrol Clear varnish, so I thought a cotton tip with some isopropyl alcohol would do the trick. Of course it did, right down to the plastic. That model is still waiting for a restoration attempt.

  3. So been there seen it done that.
    Tamiya Lacquer thinner doesn’t harm plastic and will remove almost any kinds of paint.

    I spent untold eons trying to remove layers of old paint/primer from a Wms. Bros Caudron C.460. Tried windex, 409, Simple Green, brake fluid, father time. Finally after bleeding my fingernails, I tried the Tamiya Lacquer Thinner. Worked really well, killed a few brain and liver cells, don’t try this at indoors Maynard.
    I would keep the Future where it belongs, on the floor, under the sink.

  4. My problem was MMP blue paint that turned dark purple, and being too stubborn to opt for simple solutions like re-priming over the purple, and just getting on with it.

    One day in the future I may try out Future.

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