Heres some info on the build and what I used:
For the painting I mainly used an airbrush for laying down the white and tube stripes and hand painted everything else. The paints I used were:
White Gesso diluted with water for all of the white & touch ups.
Tamiya TS-13 Clear Spray Paint for the clear coating to give the white some shine.
Tamiya XF-49 Khaki for the undercoat (the second time) & touch ups mixed with some white to bring it closer to a grey khaki.
Humbrol Gloss 14 (Blue) for the tube stripes.
Humbrol Gloss 5 (Grey) for the frown, traps & tears.
Humbrol Gloss 21 (Black) for the traps & tears.
A black sharpie for the traps & tears touch ups.
All of the above are available from most model stores - I used ToyCo as they are local but will probably use hobbyone from now on as theyve opened up a store in the city(Acorn & Hobby City are also good).
For masking fluid I used:
A bit pricey but itll last a long time - I got from Warehouse Stationary. I should have used it from the beginning instead of going down the toothpaste/tape route but it came right in the end.
For Mic Tips I used some resin Hovi's that Oota had given me:
For the mesh I bought a large cheap frying pan splash guard thing when I was building my AP & its been my go to for mesh - Im sure I couldve bought mesh cheaper by the metre but I made do with what was available to me at the time. I cut a small square of mesh, pressed it into the end of the mic tip, trimmed the excess, pressed it some more, trimmed it some more and voila - one self adhering non glue needed mic tip mesh. Sure not too accurate but it works.
For the frown screen I used a small black grill (not pictured) - I have no idea to where source some good ones if anyone has some ideas.
For the lens I used Green Lighting Gel:
After having a hard time finding suitable welders masks in NZ & at a reasonable price - I found that the hardcore UK Garrison guys had been using Green Lighting Gel. I found plenty of that available locally and bought some off Surplustronics for $3.50 a sheethttp://www.surplustronics.co.nz/product ... -gel-sheet. One sheet is enough to do two helmets at least. Its sturdy but easily bent/dinged but looks the part. I havent tested them in trooping conditions but for that price its worth a try.
For the brow trim I used Channel Strip size no.50 from Para Rubber:
At $7.49 a metre its a pretty good deal for a very accurate brow trim: http://www.pararubber.co.nz/product.php?id_product=468. Ive yet to find a good source of S Channel Stripping locally so this can double as a good neck trim also. I bought 2m but but 1m should be enough to cover one helmet depending on the neck hole but play it safe and get 2m.
For ear screws I found some great brass screws from my local Hammer Hardware:
They were cheap and look the part but I couldnt tell what size they were - hope that pic helps.
Things I learnt while doing this build:
-Masking fluid works really well - just be aware that the space it leaves behind is a little bit bigger than you will expect.
-Using too much clear coat can melt your underlying paint.
-I hate handpainting tears & traps.
-I prefer working with acrylic paints instead of enamels.
Things I couldnt do before this build:
-Use an airbrush
-Clear coating
-Handpainting tears & traps
Thanks for following my build - on to the next one
Cheers
Hads
