Right now I don't have anything like that, but it's not a bad idea. But to be honest I stick to fairly generic and low cost stuff. I don't really have any "fancy" equipment. In fact, the more years go by, the more I find I am reducing what I use - not adding to it. So much of what I thought would be helpful for various tasks often only gives incremental improvements over older tools - yet costs more. But it is a good idea... let me think on that.... 🤔😁 Thanks for watching and commenting!

I'm glad you liked it! I've been accused of being a "Barney Builder", but I'm OK with that! I am always glad to know that the work I do is helpful. Thanks for watching and commenting!

@ As fellow Army Vet, I will gladly support your channel

@@haroldscheg Thanks so much brother!

Thanks for asking about that! I'm no longer on Patreon, and I'm in the process of releasing all of my former Patreon videos (250+) on KZbin for everyone. And I still need to go through the old videos and adjust all the links in the descriptions. If you'd like to hear the long boring explanation, this post on my website has all the information (text and video): www.jonbius.com/2025/01/01/vlog-25-01-a-new-year-and-some-new-changes/ And if you'd like to support what I do, either one time or ongoing, you can visit this page: www.jonbius.com/support/ I'd be grateful, and thanks again for your kind inquiry!

Thanks for watching and commenting!

I like them even more! I've always enjoyed Vallejo's products, and as time goes on, I continue to do so. A lot of the actual paint characteristics of their new line take care of things that I'd have previously listed as "things I'd change", with the matte finish being one. I prefer a matte finish. The bottles don't bother me. It's a bottle. Apart from noting it when I first purchased these, and getting used to the different feel, I don't even think of it now. The Xpress Colors will replace Citadel Shades for me as I need refills. I like those as well. They work well and are more affordable. I'm glad the Vallejo workers came to a settlement that was agreeable to them. The conditions they faced absolutely needed to be addressed. But to be honest, I have no idea if conditions are better for any other worker in the industry. We often tend to get very animated about a situation like that, yet we often overlook the phones we carry everywhere, or the fruits and vegetables we eat. Those workers often have far worse conditions. (I've seen that with my own eyes regarding the life of farm workers.) It's a sad fact of life in this world we live in. It certainly doesn't mean we turn our backs, but I think if we approached it honestly and humbly, we'd realize it was everywhere. I've always wondered if the YT creators who took advantage of the headlines with Vallejo workers - and accepted the sponsorship money that came with it - donated any of that to the workers fund that was set up for people to contribute to. Thanks for watching and commenting.

It is tough to see all sorts of kits and realize you only have time to build a fraction! It was a lesson I had to learn the hard way actually. I had to do some serious "herd thinning" a few years ago. Now when I see a kit that I like I add it to a list and check it again a few months later. I tend to find that by that time another kit, or kits, have come along to replace it. 😊 There is a load of possibilities with this one!

Thank you for watching and commenting!

Thanks for your kind words! Those exhaust stains were applied with an airbrush. It is a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black and XF-9 Hull Red. It's a color I call Wauchop Brown". I'd seen Chris Wauchop use that mix many years ago for various aircraft weathering and streaking, and always thought it worked really well. I thin it down *heavily* with alcohol, so the evaporation rate is really fast, and then lightly airbrush it on, often taking 15-20 passes to get a color built up. Sometimes I use two colors, doing a dark stain with that color, then some light passes in the inner portion of the stain with XF-19 Sky Gray. I think for this type of exhaust stain I prefer the airbrush, because it gives a very "air flow" look to it. Thanks for watching and commenting!

@@JonBius Thanks Jon, it does look great, and it looks natural on the model. I guess it's time I developed that skill. I haven't built all that many models, and I've always chickened out with the exhaust stains - hand brushing with pastels. It actually looks good and provides plenty of control, but adhesion is tricky (and light over dark is essentially impossible without multiple clear coats). I guess it's time to practice, practice, practice with the airbrush and then just go for it.

@@MikeKZbin2024 As you mentioned, the key for that is practice. Certainly air pressure and thinning play a part. But if there is any "trick" to it, I'd say it is trigger control. Being able to deliver paint precisely and consistently will be the way to success. And it's a constant flow... I never do that "burst method" I so often see on KZbin. I get the paint flowing, control the trigger precisely, and then use distance to determine what is hitting the model. When you develop the muscle memory for it, you can make just about any stain or streak you want... smoky, solid, whatever. It's all about the repetitions! Happy day to you friend!

@@JonBius Thanks for the detailed advice! I'm getting pretty good at trigger control with my Neo for Iwata - the big breakthrough was when I removed the rear cover so I could lay the back of the needle against my hand. That provided some constant tension and stability so my trigger finger could concentrate on small changes. I saw that trick on The Art Workshop YT channel. This week I'll use this project to practice with my relatively new Sotar 20/20, and then start cranking out those exhaust stains! 🤞

@@MikeKZbin2024 Both of those are excellent airbrushes. That's a clever way of helping control things. Over time you'll likely find you're relying less on that, and your technique will carry the day for you. While I now have several airbrushes (including the Sotar) and can choose from anything ranging from a .2 to a .7 needle, most of the learning I did with that technique in particular was on a stock Badger 105 Patriot with a .5 nozzle. It sort of forced me to really focus on the technique. Keep at it! That Sotar and its ability to dial-in a trigger stop can be very, very helpful. And it is so cool when you get into the groove of it... you can really do some great effects on your models. Have fun!

Thank you for watching and commenting!

Thanks so much for your kind words! And I agree - those Vallejo washes (and their other weathering products) are quite useful. Try that dusty filter over chipping fluid - magic! :) Thanks again, and happy day to you!

"We're not hosting an intergalactic kegger down here." LOL Thanks for watching and commenting!

Hey George! Good to hear from you. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thanks so much! It's really rewarding to hear that the videos are of value. That really means a lot. I am grateful for your kindness and friendship John. Happy day to you!

Thanks John! :D

It is tough, but I think what has helped me is to consider distance. For example, when I held this particular figure right up to my face to see it for painting, I hated it. Then when I took a photo about a foot away from it, I realized it looked "better". So more and more I have realized with my eyesight, unsteady hands, and general lack of figure painting talent 😊 I still paint up close, but I hold it at arm's length to see how it looks at a normal viewing distance. This was further reinforced when I was able to see some high resolution photos of a few high-end figure painters. While their work was for better than mine (at distance and up close!) I realized that the perfection I saw in a video or magazine was not quite the same when zoomed in very close, or viewed through a magnavisor. So I still try to be precise, and learn to do the blends, etc. But I have learned to view my work different from both an objective standpoint, and a subjective standpoint. Objectively, I know there is room for improvement, and I try to work on things to get better. But subjectively, I know there is improvement, and at the end of the day "am I having fun" is the key. One other thought that took me a bit to factor in. The great figure painters spend hundreds of hours perfecting their craft. I realized I'm just not willing to do that. So I now set a time frame, say one hour, and I simply do the best I can in that time. Thanks again for watching and commenting!

Thank you so much! I am grateful. Happy day to you friend!

Hey brother! I was on a team from A Co 9th PSYOP BN (ABN), and we were sliced to the 10th MtnDiv, first to 1/22 INF, and then 2/14 INF. But we worked with pretty much everyone over there. That was summer '93. Seems like a million years ago don't it? I'm betting we were at Bragg at the same time. My opdet was over on Buker street just down from the GB Club.

@ I was at Bragg from 1990-1998. It’s been many moons ago. Lol We was 20th ABN Bat.30th Brg. 362nd Engr co.Right there beside All American Highway. If I remember right? lol

@@ErnestBegley-nl6sb Yep, you were across the street from us basically! All that old stuff is gone now. I jumped with 30th Brg a few times if I recall correctly. Heck, we were neighbors! LOL Keep your feet and knees together brother!

That's hard to say. It would vary greatly depending on the condition and type of decals they are. If there are any on the sheet you won't need to use, I'd test it out and see what happens. I've had some very old decals that worked like a champ, and yet other that looked the same would fall apart if you so much as blinked at them. At the very least, I'd say apply them with water, flatten them as gently as possible with a q-tip, and then after they dry a bit, give them *one* application of Micro Sol... adding more may be pushing it. And then see what happens. Good luck with that! Thanks for watching and commenting!

​@@JonBius I forgot to state it was on a model already, but I tried a little test area and it work well. Thank you!

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

No, I have not. To be honest, I never thought to try it. I'm not a big fan of the water based putty really, because in my experience it tends to be far less durable than the lacquer based ones I have used. I would often get chipping, or it would outright pull up when sanded, even after a long period for curing. That said, it can be great for creating visual effects that leverage those properties! Of course, I'd say give it a try. If it works well for you, go with it! Thanks for wathcing and commenting!

@@JonBius I've tried using it to fill seams and gaps but with mediocre results, similar to what you describe. I guess I will get myself some Tamiya's instead. Thanks!

Thanks for watching and commenting!

I don't actually - I prefer it! For one, I go back to the wet Mr. Surfacer a lot, which keeps things moist. But I like the roughness of the brush because it helps add texture... the very "clumpiness" of it improves the application tool (the brush) throughout. Also, you can put some of the Mr. Surfacer in a small palette (I use plastic bottle lids), and add a little thinner to it. (Lacquer type.) Test a more wet application and see if that is more to your liking. The fun and beauty of this technique is its configurability. It can be as thin or as thick as you want. Rough like cheap concrete, or more smoothed out like cast metal. At the end I give it a very good cleaning with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner, or other lacquer thinners. You can even do a light cleaning now and again in the process to make the brush a little less gnarly, though I usually only do that in very long sessions. This is also why I always use an old synthetic brush. it will really wear down a brush! I hope this helps. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thanks for watching and commenting!

OK, thanks! Happy day to you!

I'm glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching and commenting. Happy day to you Jim!

I've been happy with Citadel, AK3G, Vallejo, TTC, and a few others I've tried. But two years on from when this was originally recorded, my plan going forward is to just buy Vallejo. Aside from a few specific things from Citadel, I've given up the "perfect paint pursuit". LOL Of course, I have SO MUCH paint sitting around I can't imagine I'll need to buy any more for at least another decade! 🤣 Happy day to you friend!

Thank you for such high praise! I am grateful. It's a fun technique, and can yield great results. Here are some other videos I've published that might be helpful as well: Basic Modeling Skills - Adding Chipping To Your Scale Models - kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWXCgYqBnNiDfpo Building The Macross Tomahawk! Part 2: Panel Lining, Chipping And Streaking - kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYTTnIN4ns6La6c Advanced Modeling Skills: Multi-Color Chipping: (Kaiyodo 1/35 Ma. K Sturm Käfer Part 5) - kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWqwpqqAnJp8adk Happy day to you friend!

I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for watching and commenting my friend!

Thanks so much! I am grateful. :)

I'm glad you found it helpful! You may want to check out this 3 part series I did. It's quite old, but I think the content is useful. Thanks for watching and commenting! kzbin.info/aero/PLZt56FNuWOKeOiywAlXlB-uAdF_VaJ_mj

Thanks so much for your kind comment! I am grateful. Happy day to you friend!

Thanks John! I'm so glad to know that was helpful. It's really fun for me when I do research like this, and then working on making color choices. In a weird way that is part of the hobby too - and I have fun with it! It is very Hoth-like here right now! 🥶🥶🥶 Happy day to you dear friend!

@@JonBius No snow here but temps to low 20's Brrrrr.

*That* would be epic! Maybe one of the tiltrotors will show up on Ebay?

@@JonBius it would be cheaper to buy an Osprey kit and kit bash one together. The Tiltrotors I've seen are like $70.

Thanks so much! They are great kits. Be sure and stay tuned - three more Ammoknight releases coming this week! :D

Thanks for wathcing and commenting!

I'm actually not on any of the social media sites. I used to be but just gave up. LOL Anything I do will be here on KZbin, or at my website, jonbius.com. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Cool! It is a *great* model kit. I highly recommend it. Keep watching too - there are three more that will follow each day through Thursday, going all the way through the process. There's are older videos that were previously Patreon Exclusives, but I think they still have some value. Thanks for wathcing and commenting!

The bulk of the content that is "canon" is in Japanese. While there have been some translations, it's only in more recent years that it is opening up to the English speaking world. One of the older resources is this site: www.maschinenkrueger.com/joomla4/index.php/mak-articles Lincoln Wright of Paint on Plastic has been releasing books in English that dive deeper into lore, and they are official, being approved by Kow Yokoyama. His site and his KZbin channel discuss a lot of lore. www.paintonplastic.com/ I'm sure there are other books, videos, and websites. A Google search will likely turn up more. The "lore" for my won build though was just building on what I knew of Ma. K, and adding my own twist to it. That's one of the cool things about the franchise. It invites everyone to add to it! Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thanks for the sub, but especially for your kind words! It's always such an encouragement to know that the videos I spam... errr.... upload are helpful! 🤣 Keep having fun in the hobby, and happy day to you friend!

@ Thanks Jon. Nothing better than a talented person willing to share their knowledge!

@@sultanoftippoo3857 Thank you so much!

Thanks John! I tried to talk about as many assembly techniques as I could in this one. I figured if I'm going to assemble it, I may as well talk about it. 😂 Thanks for watching and commenting dear friend!

Thanks so much for your kind words! And I'm so glad to know it has helped you try again. It is an excellent product, and I think just a few adjustments will help you find success. Perhaps if you can do some work on a test model? That can let you try different variations to find the "feel" that will be right for you. Thanks again, and happy day to you friend!

@@JonBius I will do some tests for sure. I usually use Pledge in my car models but apply it with a brush and got quite good results, even when applied over acrylic paint, so yes, I agree that is an excelent product. Is just that I want to airbrush it on an airplane model now. Thanks again my friend. Cheers from Alberta.

That has kept me out of trouble more than once! Enjoy the F-2A. Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

I appreciate the kind words - it's good to be back on KZbin in "The Big Carport". 😊 Looking forward to sharing more in 2025! Happy day to you friend!

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for your kind words. I am always happy to share what I know as we site around the "Big Carport!" 😊 Happy day to y'all my dear friend!

Those are some AWESOME models... I have added them to my "ant" list. :D I know you'll have fun with them. They are great kits, tons of fun to weather. Your diorama idea sounds veery cool. Thanks for watching and commenting! Happy day to you!

Yeah! It really does! It has just enough "real world" to sell it as authentic, but then all the fun stuff 40K throws on top of it. This was definitely one of my favorite builds. Be sure and check out the full playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLZt56FNuWOKd6iqCtv877oii7whoNfjFc Thanks for watching and commenting!

Good stuff! Thanks for sharing those tips. The TIE Fighter kits from Bandai are some of my favorites! They are just a win on so many levels of modeling. You may like to see some of my other TIE Fighter and Star Wars content: Vult Skerris' Tie Interceptor: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmPOlqqmrZeUsJo TIE Striker (3 part series): kzbin.info/aero/PLZt56FNuWOKfECs36-lm2LfVOMFXvQQ5e All my Star Wars videos: kzbin.info/aero/PLZt56FNuWOKfe7NpLjHcWXaaPinifHi0O Older blog content: www.jonbius.com/category/star-wars/page/4/ Thanks so much for watching and commenting!

@@JonBius You would probably get a kick out of my TIE interceptor Build video then. I even incorporated a scatch built star field for the viewport behind the pilots seat.

I'll have to give a politician's answer - it depends. 😊 I've never had a precise measure, because it's a very subjective color. The best I can describe it is a slightly warmish off-white that looks white until you put white over it. So the amount of those other two colors depends on how much white you start with. I experimented by putting some white on plasticard, and then as I added the -55 and -19 to a nearly full bottle of -2, I dabbed some right at the edge of the white, and proceeded from there. My initial drops of the -55 and -19 were in the 5 drop range each. (It's been a lot of years.) And then I added from there until I got the color I was looking for. But the key is not the ratio, but rather how it looks. And that is very subjective of course. I'd recommend starting small, and then adding color until it gets to TLAR Standard. "That Looks About Right". 😉 That pretty much describes half of my entire philosophy of modeling. To state it fully, "Have fun getting it too look about right." LOL Thanks for watching and commenting!