Search found 387 matches

by seam-filler
Mon Nov 20, 2023 6:09 am
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: removing electrolplate from parts
Replies: 11
Views: 27328

Re: removing electrolplate from parts

Rocketeer wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2023 8:50 pm ScaleCoat Paint Remover will remove the aluminum layer and the clear conductive layer under the aluminum.
Except that ScaleCoat went out of business at the beginning of the year. Model railroaders have been moaning about it for months.
by seam-filler
Fri Nov 17, 2023 6:29 am
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: removing electrolplate from parts
Replies: 11
Views: 27328

Re: removing electrolplate from parts

I haven't tried it, but I remember someone saying Coke will strip chrome off. Yes it does, but it doesn't always remove the undercoat. It's an overnight job, but a lot less toxic than almost anything else. Use regular Coke - none of that diet, low or zero calorie swill - I've found they just don't ...
by seam-filler
Fri Nov 17, 2023 6:01 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Not a lot of experience working with acrylics
Replies: 11
Views: 42417

Re: Not a lot of experience working with acrylics

There are acrylic iridescent and iridescent paints designed for airbrush out there... Jo Sonja's, Createx. Mission Models, Chestnut, Jacquard & Hobbynox. Most of the suggest a needle size of 0.2mm or larger.
by seam-filler
Wed Nov 15, 2023 3:12 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Not a lot of experience working with acrylics
Replies: 11
Views: 42417

Re: Not a lot of experience working with acrylics

I want to achieve transparent to semi transparent colors mainly so the iridescents can be layered with one another with additional colors. Acrylics really lend themselves to semi-transparent finishes. Thin the paint slightly more than usual and just mist on the paint with your airbrush from a light...
by seam-filler
Mon Jun 19, 2023 3:46 am
Forum: Construction
Topic: Reliable methods for scribing on a sphere or cone?
Replies: 5
Views: 16295

Re: Reliable methods for scribing on a sphere or cone?

The best results I've had for straight lines on curved surfaces is Dymo tape. It's self-adhesive and gives a good hard edge to scribe against.

Edit...

I've found this blog... http://otakuonabudget.blogspot.com/2014 ... ibing.html
by seam-filler
Tue May 09, 2023 9:15 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Fluorescent Paints?
Replies: 4
Views: 9003

Re: Fluorescent Paints?

Green Stuff World do a range of "Fluor" fluorescent paints, These emit light when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. Their pigments are designed to absorb UV light and then re-emit it at a higher energy level, which causes them to appear bright and vibrant in the presence of UV light.
by seam-filler
Fri Apr 21, 2023 3:10 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: I feel dumb asking this,but...Vinyl models,acrylic paint&oils?
Replies: 11
Views: 15921

Re: I feel dumb asking this,but...Vinyl models,acrylic paint&oils?

What do you use for priming vinyl kits? Acrylic only? I personally use automotive acrylic primers all the time for vinyl - in the UK we have a really excellent brand, Halfords. They even do a plastic primer intended for use on plastics used in cars such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polycarbonate...
by seam-filler
Thu Apr 20, 2023 9:39 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: I feel dumb asking this,but...Vinyl models,acrylic paint&oils?
Replies: 11
Views: 15921

Re: I feel dumb asking this,but...Vinyl models,acrylic paint&oils?

Unless the acrylic paint is completely and fully cured, it will not stop oil paints from leaching through to the vinyl below. Even then, the oils in the vinyl may still creep through the acrylic/lacquer into the oil paint above preventing it from drying. Don't forget, too, that oil paints never real...
by seam-filler
Fri Apr 07, 2023 1:32 am
Forum: Lighting & Electronics
Topic: LED flexible filament
Replies: 13
Views: 26981

Re: LED flexible filament

I'm using these to light up the 2500 Enterprise D. Bit of advice. Use thin wire, unless you are a soldering grand master, as the terminals are only a few millimetres in length and is very fiddly. Speaking as someone who does this for a living, thin wire would be a mistake. Use thicker wire (prolly ...
by seam-filler
Wed Mar 15, 2023 4:40 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Dust! How to vanquish it?
Replies: 17
Views: 52856

Re: Dust! How to vanquish it?

I use a tack cloth for un-detailed surfaces. Where there are a lot of breakables, I use a blast from a perfectly clean, dry airbrush (with an inline moisture trap). And to prevent more dust settling, I have some old packing cardboard soaked in water for a while at the back of my spray booth - this t...
by seam-filler
Mon Feb 13, 2023 7:15 am
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: How Do You Start?
Replies: 24
Views: 96890

Re: How Do You Start?

A CAD drawing in 3-D for such an endeavor is straightforward to do, requiring no dexterity skills at all. When my first job got CAD, I played around with making solids of revolution by drawing out the section profile, and extruded bolts and washers. But that was over 30 years ago, when there were n...
by seam-filler
Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:15 am
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: How Do You Start?
Replies: 24
Views: 96890

Re: How Do You Start?

For me, I want to get into the 3-D game because there are some things I want custom made that are nearly impossible for me to do by hand building, like tires Tires (or tyres if you're in the UK) are actually very, very easy to make by hand (there are at least two ways I've used) Easy, but terribly ...
by seam-filler
Tue Jan 31, 2023 3:52 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Burnishing Chrome foil
Replies: 19
Views: 68348

Re: Burnishing Chrome foil

southwestforests wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 11:19 pm For me in my experience, the less texture the surface has, the better.
Agreed. Many years ago, I did a Ford tri-motor in BareMetal foil :shock: . If it hadn't been a commission it would have flown out of the window long before completion!
by seam-filler
Fri Jan 27, 2023 5:25 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Anyone else have problems with Vallejo?
Replies: 11
Views: 35432

Re: Anyone else have problems with Vallejo?

I got myself one of those shakers for nail varnish and tattoo inks - largely to preserve my increasingly arthritic wrists. As far as Vallejo Model Air paints are concerned, a couple of minutes in this shaker works well. It definitely needs longer with the Vallejo Color paints, but it is still not th...
by seam-filler
Mon Jan 09, 2023 4:24 am
Forum: Lighting & Electronics
Topic: Lighting kits
Replies: 2
Views: 5791

Re: Lighting kits

Comicsalemodels.com - site not found??
by seam-filler
Mon Oct 10, 2022 8:28 am
Forum: Construction
Topic: Styrene cements and construction
Replies: 125
Views: 518054

Re: Styrene cements and construction

I dislike CA intensely and only use it when I really have to. When I tried using it as a filler (with baking soda) but even if the joint survived more than a few months, I was never able to make the joint look truly seamless - it just doesn't take paint the same way as the surrounding material. Whil...
by seam-filler
Thu Sep 29, 2022 2:14 am
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: Best online source for hemispheres?
Replies: 35
Views: 184373

Re: Best online source for hemispheres?

This sounds weird, but at the pet store they sell these clear globes you can put critters in so they can run around the house. Without being eaten by the local cats I guess. And not escape I suppose. :thumbsup: One of the most impressive scratchbuilt Death Stars I've ever seen started life as a 12&...
by seam-filler
Mon May 30, 2022 4:16 am
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: Best online source for hemispheres?
Replies: 35
Views: 184373

Re: Best online source for hemispheres?

Official ping pong balls are made of ABS since 2013 - so MEK would work fine. Cheaper (toy) ones may be made of styrene. Before 2013, they were made of cellulose (which is why acrylic cement with methylene chloride wouldn't have worked back then). As an aside, the size of ping pong balls was increa...
by seam-filler
Thu Apr 28, 2022 4:43 am
Forum: Lighting & Electronics
Topic: Diffusion via sheet styrene
Replies: 12
Views: 36174

Re: Diffusion via sheet styrene

There is special paper for technical drawings for use in plotters. They are thin as paper but are of plastik and diffuse fairly well without blocking that much Light from the source. If you use several layers with some spacing inbetween (1/16 to 1/8) the diffusing becomes more even. :thumbsup: Usua...
by seam-filler
Tue Apr 19, 2022 3:07 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: thinning and airbrushing artist oil paints. Anyone have experience with that?
Replies: 7
Views: 16333

Re: thinning and airbrushing artist oil paints. Anyone have experience with that?

I may look into "Gesso" if it can be thinned enough and brushed on. I can't air brush it on, but it's is said to be "the best" surface prep for oil paints second to a good acrylic primer. I think Vallejo might be the best acrylic primer to use, but I am not sure? Gesso can be sp...
by seam-filler
Sun Jan 23, 2022 11:24 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Anyone ever try something different than super glue for vinyl kits?
Replies: 7
Views: 19382

Re: Anyone ever try something different than super glue for vinyl kits?

I might try the vinyl glue on some trimmed off scrap to see what it does. Like, if it melts the begeeses out of it, sticks it together or does nothing? I think it should work. Vinyl kits are made of PVC vinyl, so...if the glue is made for PVC vinyl, it should work without attacking it and it should...
by seam-filler
Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:30 am
Forum: Construction
Topic: Anyone ever try something different than super glue for vinyl kits?
Replies: 7
Views: 19382

Re: Anyone ever try something different than super glue for vinyl kits?

Not being a great fan of CA, I mainly use 5-minute epoxy on vinyl kits anyway. It's got far better mechanical properties than CA, especially shear strength. You can still use CA to tack parts together while the epoxy cures. I have heard that some contact adhesives also work for a really strong bond....
by seam-filler
Mon Jan 17, 2022 4:39 am
Forum: Construction
Topic: Which glue for old Lindberg kit "Visible Human Body"
Replies: 8
Views: 17721

Re: Which glue for old Lindberg kit "Visible Human Body"

I don't know specifically about this one, but I built the Visible Horse as a commission (a veterinarian) and had the same problem. I suspect that it is one of the softer ABS formulations. 5-minute epoxy worked well enough for the assemblies that needed some strength, but for the majority I used Plas...
by seam-filler
Thu Jan 13, 2022 7:06 am
Forum: Construction
Topic: working with ABS
Replies: 19
Views: 47917

Re: working with ABS

It won't (shouldn't) expand, turn to vapor, or off gas like it would in summer temperatures. Driving to Nevada right now isn't much of an option with all the snow. Unless the van it's in is in an accident. Then flammability may well become an issue. On top of that, MEK is extremely toxic - there ha...
by seam-filler
Tue Jan 11, 2022 5:56 am
Forum: Construction
Topic: working with ABS
Replies: 19
Views: 47917

Re: working with ABS

overseas availability, but Tamiya makes a nice ABS glue: Just now looked at 5 different places I've ordered hobby supplies from here in US and none listed it though several had other Tamiya cements. It is also turns out to be not listed on the Japan website's English language page for cements, http...
by seam-filler
Wed Jan 05, 2022 11:05 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Thinning Humbrol for airbrush?
Replies: 11
Views: 17235

Re: Thinning Humbrol for airbrush?

If Humbrol is made in China now then I'm not gonna bother, I'd rather try some other paint then waste my time with junk. Humbrol enamel paint is made in London or the North-East of England (there are 2 production sites - I believe one makes it, the other packs it). The acrylic paints are made in Ma...
by seam-filler
Mon Dec 13, 2021 4:38 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Very thin laser-printed decals
Replies: 5
Views: 16607

Re: Very thin laser-printed decals

Okay; thanks! I have never used setting solution, but I am planning to apply some Micro-Sol to these after they dry. I wonder if there is any sense in leaving a decent margin of blank carrier film around the edges of the print when I cut the decals prior to wetting them; I was thinking that if ther...
by seam-filler
Fri Dec 10, 2021 10:07 am
Forum: Lighting & Electronics
Topic: Alternative to soldering wires for lighting
Replies: 10
Views: 31380

Re: Alternative to soldering wires for lighting

Mr. E Man wrote: Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:34 pm Terminal block?
Micro crimp joint connectors?
by seam-filler
Fri Dec 10, 2021 9:06 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Very thin laser-printed decals
Replies: 5
Views: 16607

Re: Very thin laser-printed decals

I've used this for the really large decals on car and airliner models. It avoids lifting and handling the decal and reduces the number of steps between dish and model and cuts the amount of water around, all of which help reduce the risk of folding, curling and crinkling. You could always test/pract...
by seam-filler
Thu Nov 04, 2021 4:44 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Paint storage racks
Replies: 2
Views: 8886

Re: Paint storage racks

And here's the link bigbluejavelin missed out to Typhoon's website...
https://www.typhoonpainting.com/typhoon-paint-racks-1

In a similar vein (and probably more cost-effective if you are in Europe) is HobbyZone in Poland...
https://www.hobbyzone.pl/en/