The Little World

Is each build making you a better modeller?

It can, if you let it. If you learn one new technique, or have one new disaster, or accomplish one new task each time you complete a kit, you are on the road to success. Hopefully, you will not reach it – else what’s a Heaven for?

I struggled years ago with the line decals that Italeri printed for some fo their big aircraft. You know – the wing walk lines and the thin streaks. I tried to put them on and they went to piecs – or slid off the models. I came to dread them.

Then the little model of the De Havilland 60G came along and the box art was beautiful – it depended for its impact upon a line drawn between two colours. The real aircraft had this originally, though the modern restoration has left it off. Never mind – the thin black stripe made the design.

I took my heart in my hands and printed out a copy of the decal sheet in 100% on sticky paper to provide a mask for the grey and white colours. It allowed the paint job to be precise.

Then I coated the Avis decal sheet with a spray of clear acrylic lacquer – in case it was inclined to break apart. I soaked it on a piece of wet paper towel so that the release would be a gentle affair.

Teasing it off the paper with a brush and pair of tweezers, I managed to manoeuvre the line to the space between the white and grey, and to settle it with a paper towel. It will be sealed in when the side registration is added, but for now I’ll just be careful around it. I never could have done this if the top wing and the struts were in place.

I have already won something – now to complete the rest.