Fine Molds Tie Fighters

1
April 22, 2024
There are so many parts the same on these three kits - the 'Standard' TIE and Interceptor are pretty much the same apart from the front cannons and wings. Building them all three at the same time.
2
April 22, 2024
Assembled the cockpits ready for primer. I've used liquid mask on the column and seat as there are parts to be glued to those after painting.
3
April 22, 2024
Cockpit side walls ready for primer.
4
April 22, 2024
Three figures, not as bad as I remember them being when I first looked in the boxes but they needed some seam cleanup and are now ready to prime.
5
April 22, 2024
Steering x3 ready for primer.
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April 22, 2024
Primer coat. Gloss Black for the figures and steering. USN Light Ghost Grey on the cockpit parts/
7
April 23, 2024
The "Three Wise Monkeys" 😉 get some paint. Panzer Dark Grey and some touches of Neutral Grey and Silver.
8
April 23, 2024
Cockpit parts get their base coat of Neutral Grey.
9
April 28, 2024
There's a reason that I don't build many Fine Molds kits and that's because I only need to look at their decals and they fall to bits! The ones for the X-1 worked fine but the Standard and Interceptor TIE decals just disintegrated. I've already learnt not to use any sort of decals setter/softener with them so the only thing left is that I must have the "wrong" kind of water!! Oh well, you're never going to see them anyway.
10
April 28, 2024
The tiny decals on the pilots were OK though!
11
April 28, 2024
Three cockpits completed 🙂
12
April 28, 2024
Started on the fuselages by fitting the sight on the front of the cockpits.
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May 5, 2024
Front and backs have had their greeblies added and the front section primed with One-Shot grey.
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May 5, 2024
Front section painted Anthracite Grey and drybrushed with Sky Grey
15
May 5, 2024
Cockpits fitted.
16
May 5, 2024
Body assemblies. Now you can see the slight difference between the Standard TIE (Left) and the TIE Interceptor (centre) - it's just the front blasters.
17
May 6, 2024
The top hatches have been masked and fitted and the front window area masked off. Circle cutters are amazing things if you don't already have one - get one 😉
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May 6, 2024
Front windows masked but kept seperate for ease of painting.
19
May 6, 2024
The 'normal' TIE bodies have a nice hole each side to grip with a crocodile clip for painting but the X-1 didn't so I've glued a bit of sprue on the side as a 'handle' for holding it while painting
20
May 6, 2024
All three primed with One-Shot Grey.
21
May 6, 2024
This is a grade 1 f*ckup!! I've glued the Ion Engines on the X-1 backwards so I've ended up, not with a TIE Advance but a TIE Retreat 😄. No-one look at the back of it 😉
22
May 6, 2024
Base coated the bodies. All of them Pale Blue Grey
23
May 11, 2024
Due to having it's Ion Engines glued on backwards, I decided to stop at that point with the X-1 Advanced and have ordered another so I'll start that one again. Did some hand painting on the Standard TIE and TIE Interceptor bodies with Panzer Dark Grey on the 'clasps' either side of the front window.
24
May 11, 2024
Panzer Dark Grey for the Ion Engines and Anthracite Grey in the centre of the back. Panels picked out with Medium Grey.
25
May 11, 2024
Standard Tie gets Panzer Dark Grey sections on the top hatch, Medium Grey on the Interceptor.
26
May 11, 2024
Front windows sprayed Panzer Dark Grey.
27
May 11, 2024
Made a custom mix of Gloss Black primer and Metallic Blue (approx 70:30) and sprayed all the solar collectors.
28
May 11, 2024
The metallic really shows up in the sunlight - they sparkle 😎
29
May 11, 2024
Also made the stands. Gloss Black primer with Metallic Gunmetal Grey base coat. Picked out the logo with Gloss Black primer.
30
May 12, 2024
Front windows are glued on with Revell's Contacta Clear.
31
May 12, 2024
Both main fuselages get a coat of clear gloss ready for weathering.
32
May 18, 2024
Three sets of wings assembled, masked and ready for primer
33
May 19, 2024
Three sets of wings primed with Mig One-Shot Grey
34
May 19, 2024
Starship Filth pinwash was made and applied then cleaned up from the Tie Interceptor body
35
May 19, 2024
Same process on the Standard Tie
36
May 19, 2024
Views of the wash from above and the back
37
May 23, 2024
Three sets of wings base coated with Pale Blue Grey
38
May 23, 2024
The Tie Advanced X1 re-joins the party 🙂 It's at the same stage with base coat as I got to with the other kit but this time the Ion Engines are pointing in the right direction 😎
39
May 25, 2024
The Advanced X1 gets some detail painted with Medium Grey and the front window is glued on.
40
May 25, 2024
Details from the back, all four Ion engines have been picked out with Medium Grey
41
May 27, 2024
Three sets of wings glossed and then pin washed with Starship filth and cleaned up. They're ready for a matt coat.
42
May 27, 2024
The X1 Advance gets glossed and then pin washed with Starship filth and cleaned up also ready for a matt coat.
43
May 27, 2024
X1 Advance view from the back/top. The panel lines on this one are much more defined than the other two so took the wash really well.
44
May 27, 2024
X1 Advance view from the back/underside.
45
May 27, 2024
Wings have been matt coated and the masking removed.
46
May 27, 2024
The three tie bodies have been matt coated and I've painted the front blasters with Metallic Silver - also did the Ion engines the same ready for transparent paint.
47
May 27, 2024
Front blasters painted with a mix of Transparent Red and Transparent Yellow (I don't have any Transparent Orange 😄)
48
May 27, 2024
Ion engines painted with Transparent Red.
49
May 27, 2024
Final assembly and they're all compete 🙂 I'll get the plain background out later and do some 360s.
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36 22 April, 18:53

S M
Following! Interesting to know, that one kit includes 1/72 Darth Vader.

22 April, 19:37

David Fuller
Following along! A cool thing I did with my standard TIE was add a sheet of .005" clear sheet between the solar arrays and the outer structural portion. Gives it a cool look.

22 April, 19:41

ED
"I have you now!"

23 April, 23:30

Skyhiker
Fun fun

5 May, 21:17

S M
Cool progress! Thanks for warning about Finemolds' decals.

6 May, 15:30

Markus Helmers
that is a lot of decals tho... wow! Did you get the standing Vader with the Tie Advanced as well? I noticed it's missing from the Revell Master Series rebox.

16 May, 21:56

Gareth Lloyd
Hi Markus, yes there's a standing Vader included. As I needed to start the Tie Advanced again due to glueing the Ion Engines on upside down, I've now got two!

17 May, 06:25

Gareth Lloyd
Calling these ones done. Fun building three at a time as there was so many similar parts to make it easy to do. Usual nightmare with FIne Molds decals but as they were hidden away in the cockpit it wasn't a showstopper. My fault with the X1 Advanced Ion Engines but another kit was easily found to "fix" the issue and I've ended up with three lovely Tie fighters. Very happy with the way the solar collectors on the wings worked out, the mix of Gloss Black & Metallic Blue looks really good, especially on the Standard Tie.
Thanks for the likes and those that followed along. Hope you enjoyed it 👍

27 May, 17:50

S M
They came out nicely. Very cool trio! And those solar arrays do look great for this scale!

27 May, 20:21