Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star 53-5819 81 TFW USAFE
![Album image #1 Album image #1](/albums/img/9/5/3/1313953-43210-38-720.jpg)
All parts are plated with “chrome” (actually aluminum)
![Album image #2 Album image #2](/albums/img/6/9/9/1331699-43210-18-720.jpg)
Tamiya yellow spray paint without primer did not cover the plating well. Tamiya primer did cover the plating well.
![Album image #3 Album image #3](/albums/img/8/7/5/1332875-43210-92-720.jpg)
Trying perfect plastic putty + Molotow pen to fill gaps between plated parts.
![Album image #4 Album image #4](/albums/img/1/9/1/1336191-43210-96-720.jpg)
Painted jet engine and stand
![Album image #5 Album image #5](/albums/img/8/1/0/1336810-43210-49-720.jpg)
A bunch of the parts are only partly plated. The seller had to know this as the kit had been re-packed and inventoried. Oh well.
I bought a partial kit for $10 and although it says some of the parts are scratched, I’ll do what I can to piece one kit together.
I bought a partial kit for $10 and although it says some of the parts are scratched, I’ll do what I can to piece one kit together.
![Album image #6 Album image #6](/albums/img/0/4/2/1358042-43210-82-720.jpg)
![Album image #7 Album image #7](/albums/img/4/2/4/1359424-43210-36-720.jpg)
All sprues are plated.
![Album image #8 Album image #8](/albums/img/7/4/3/1360743-43210-70-720.jpg)
Gonna use some old decals.
![Album image #9 Album image #9](/albums/img/1/7/9/1362179-43210-67-720.jpg)
Glued the decals for the instrument panels in place. Not a very detailed cockpit ?
![Album image #10 Album image #10](/albums/img/5/3/7/1365537-43210-16-720.jpg)
![Album image #11 Album image #11](/albums/img/5/3/8/1365538-43210-26-720.jpg)
Various subassemblies coming together
![Album image #12 Album image #12](/albums/img/8/1/8/1365818-43210-49-720.jpg)
Dry fitting
![Album image #13 Album image #13](/albums/img/5/7/8/1366578-43210-97-720.jpg)
Testing a decal I don’t need on a part I don’t need
![Album image #14 Album image #14](/albums/img/5/2/9/1367529-43210-28-720.jpg)
![Album image #15 Album image #15](/albums/img/6/4/2/1368642-43210-89-720.jpg)
![Album image #16 Album image #16](/albums/img/4/6/6/1369466-43210-63-720.jpg)
![Album image #17 Album image #17](/albums/img/8/7/9/1375879-43210-85-720.jpg)
Dead decals from 1961. I scanned and selected the anti-glare panel on the nose.
![Album image #18 Album image #18](/albums/img/8/7/7/1375877-43210-41-720.png)
Imported the scanned png into the cricut software
![Album image #19 Album image #19](/albums/img/8/7/8/1375878-43210-19-720.jpg)
Cut out the anti-glare panel with the cricut
![Album image #20 Album image #20](/albums/img/8/8/0/1375880-43210-13-720.jpg)
Applied anti-glare panel to the nose.
![Album image #21 Album image #21](/albums/img/5/4/7/1376547-43210-48-720.jpg)
![Album image #22 Album image #22](/albums/img/5/5/7/1376557-43210-28-720.jpg)
![Album image #23 Album image #23](/albums/img/5/5/8/1376558-43210-85-720.jpg)
Everything is drying, photos soon
![Album image #24 Album image #24](/albums/img/5/6/9/1376569-43210-75-720.jpg)
![Album image #25 Album image #25](/albums/img/6/0/7/1376607-43210-42-720.jpg)
![Album image #26 Album image #26](/albums/img/6/0/8/1376608-43210-94-720.jpg)
![Album image #27 Album image #27](/albums/img/6/0/9/1376609-43210-44-720.jpg)
![Album image #28 Album image #28](/albums/img/6/1/0/1376610-43210-72-720.jpg)
![Album image #29 Album image #29](/albums/img/6/1/1/1376611-43210-96-720.jpg)
![Album image #30 Album image #30](/albums/img/6/1/2/1376612-43210-80-720.jpg)
![Album image #31 Album image #31](/albums/img/6/1/3/1376613-43210-28-720.jpg)
![Album image #32 Album image #32](/albums/img/6/1/4/1376614-43210-55-720.jpg)
![Album image #33 Album image #33](/albums/img/6/1/5/1376615-43210-29-720.jpg)
![Album image #34 Album image #34](/albums/img/6/1/6/1376616-43210-91-720.jpg)
Commentaires
34 3 October 2022, 00:19
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
Haha John! I have occasionally tried to salvage decals this old but in this case I have a more modern decal set that will hopefully fit this ancient hawk kit.
9 October 2022, 01:59
![](/profiles/img/118183-835-s.jpg)
I figured you did! Curious to see how it turns out. I vaguely remember these plated kits from back in the day but haven't seen one in years.
9 October 2022, 02:01
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
Working with the plated parts is a hassle. Need to decide if I'm going to try to scrape down the seams and cover up with a molotow pen. I guess since I have parts from two kits I can experiment…
10 December 2022, 13:38
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
Uploaded a pic of the sprues. I ended up getting two copies of this kit as they both have imperfections in the plating, so I'm trying to use the best parts from both.
12 December 2022, 03:43
![](/profiles/img/58017-515-s.jpg)
thanks for the last pics I understand better. why not repainting all in gloss black and having a good chrome paint ? (just asking🙂
12 December 2022, 17:57
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
My father built this kit when I was a kid, so I'm building it the way he did.
12 December 2022, 19:02
![](/profiles/img/25292-311-s.jpg)
it is interesting to see, how the old decals work and coming out when attached. i think about the yellow film...is it dissapearing? thats the question i'm interested.
the full plated kit is awesome, never saw this.
15 December 2022, 09:29
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
Im just going to try the instrument panel decals.
My experience with decals this old is often you have to glue them in place. I will cut away the carrier film so it doesn't matter that it's yellow.
15 December 2022, 13:03
![](/profiles/img/21096-573-s.jpg)
i have read in SCM that in order to remove the yellowing, you can place them with tape in one of your windows, and leave them for some time there. Depending on the amount of sun light available, the time required will be different.
I have not done it myself, and actually I have thought about using some UV light to do it faster, but have not tried yet.
15 December 2022, 13:07
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
I tried that, left some decals in the window for a month, it didn't seem to make much difference.
15 December 2022, 13:44
![](/profiles/img/44957-709-s.jpg)
For the record: The sun & window thing worked for me... (ok, it took some time, even with a Mediterranean sun... - but it worked).
15 December 2022, 19:22
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
I can't get them to soak off the backing sheet. I'll have to glue them in place!
18 December 2022, 01:39
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
Reference photo:
abpic.co.uk/pictures/registration/53-5819
Wing marking references:
flickr.com/photos/dlberek/3667241672/
airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/001271083.html
23 December 2022, 17:22
![](/profiles/img/22896-413-s.jpg)
I did the plated Tamiya Tbirds F-84. That was a pain enough dealing with already chromed parts. On something this old and I'll fitting I would strip the plating and repaint with Alclad. Looks like far too much puttying and sanding is needed. Good luck!
24 December 2022, 17:45
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
I decided to try one of the cartograf decals I'm not using on a part I'm not using and see if the problems you had Donald were due to the plating or the tamiya decals (which I'm generally not a fan of)
25 December 2022, 22:55
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
So far no issues with decal adhesion. These are caracal decals printed by cartograf and I cleaned the areas I applied them with tamiya X-20a
28 December 2022, 00:21
![](/profiles/img/43210-278-s.jpg)
Done! Not sure I'll build another plated kit after this one. Might do the Hawk/Testors F-104.
7 January 2023, 23:18
Album info
Chrome plated version from 1961. My dad built this when I was a kid.