Search found 143 matches

by karim
Thu May 10, 2018 8:30 am
Forum: Construction
Topic: Applying strip styrene to cylinders - evenly!
Replies: 10
Views: 39431

Re: Applying strip styrene to cylinders - evenly!

Second Rocketeer’s approach. Once you have the pencil line, you can also wrap (a few layers of) masking tape along the line to give you a raised straight-edge, to help line up the foil strip.
by karim
Mon Sep 12, 2016 4:57 pm
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Odorless Mineral Spirits Changing the Color of Paint....
Replies: 17
Views: 26850

I'm not familiar with this particular paint, so take this with a grain of salt, but is it possible that the pigment for this color has some transparency and the action of thinning this particular paint increased its translucency, resulting in an effective lightening?
by karim
Tue Feb 23, 2016 4:38 pm
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Airbrush Dilemma.
Replies: 13
Views: 20208

If you are looking to spend the kind of money that they charge for that Grex I'd recommend getting a Harder & Steenbeck Infinity. I replaced all of my regular double action AB with these two years ago. The 1.5 mm tip will give a super fine line and they a SUPER easy to clean. I absolutely 100% ...
by karim
Mon Feb 15, 2016 12:02 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Best table surface
Replies: 10
Views: 17360

If you have a ReStore nearby, it's worth a trip. I may have the only workshop in the area with Corean tops for my shop sink & paint bench :D also go a bunch of kitchen-grade cabinets and stainless sink/faucet all for <$300.
by karim
Fri Feb 05, 2016 7:41 pm
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Paint layering for lighting?
Replies: 8
Views: 16793

Another alternative is aluminum duct-sealing tape (http://m.homedepot.com/p/Intertape-Poly ... /206313672) (not the same as duct tape—it's basically adhesive aluminum foil).
by karim
Sat Jan 03, 2015 3:52 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Small Square Holes-How to cut
Replies: 12
Views: 23421

I didn't mean make the broach out of a needle file... I meant use hand tools like needle files instead of a lathe to make the broach ;)
by karim
Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:31 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Small Square Holes-How to cut
Replies: 12
Views: 23421

If you have (or have access to) a lathe, you can make a custom broach pretty easily. Here's a quick tutorial: http://www.sherline.com/tip20.htm If you're broaching styrene, you can probably even get away with skipping the hardening step. In fact, styrene is so soft, you probably could make it out of...
by karim
Tue Nov 11, 2014 10:01 am
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Alclad polishing?
Replies: 15
Views: 32669

You definitely need to do all your work on the surface and the primer. You want the black primer coat to look like a mirror BEFORE you shoot the Alclad. I had really good luck using the following process: 1. polish raw plastic surface to 800 grit. 2. shoot Mr. Surfacer 1000 3. polish from 1200–6000 ...
by karim
Wed Feb 12, 2014 7:40 pm
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Will glitter ruin my air brush??
Replies: 18
Views: 27253

No way glitter will go through a brush. I'd recommend shooting a base-coat, then dusting the model with the glitter while the paint is still wet... then covering it with a light top-coat.
by karim
Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:53 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Neat Idea: Shapelock Sanding Blocks
Replies: 2
Views: 7028

Neat Idea: Shapelock Sanding Blocks

Saw this today... pretty cool idea. I need to get some of this shapelock stuff:

http://blog.makezine.com/2013/03/05/how ... ng-blocks/
by karim
Thu Feb 14, 2013 4:13 pm
Forum: Lighting & Electronics
Topic: Power source UK vs US
Replies: 4
Views: 6848

What I would do is decide on a DC voltage to support, and spec out both US and UK power supplies (AKA wall-warts) that have the same DC supply output.
by karim
Wed Nov 14, 2012 4:15 pm
Forum: Lighting & Electronics
Topic: Left is Port and Right is Staboard...
Replies: 13
Views: 10123

Yeah Johnny I must be getting old...ER! :shock: I didn't think to try and find something on Wiki before I asked the original question. :oops: But I wondered if in space things might be a little different. I mean is there a standard attitude of ships that has to maintained at all times? Do they have...
by karim
Sun Sep 02, 2012 1:02 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: How to glue fibre optics?
Replies: 27
Views: 29493

The fumes that CA gives off when it cures (the same fumes that will craze clear plastic) can make most modeling-grade FO brittle to the point of breaking at a touch. If you're really lucky, or if you can avoid fume concentration, then you can get away with CA, but it's definitely courting disaster i...
by karim
Thu Jul 12, 2012 12:17 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: How to build up a solid surface on plastic?
Replies: 11
Views: 11737

As a prop, it's got to stand up to a little more wear and tear than a typical model. Aves Epoxy putty all the way. You can order it right here from SSM.
by karim
Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:30 pm
Forum: Lighting & Electronics
Topic: Side Lighting Fibre Optic Cable
Replies: 10
Views: 16563

Agent Orange wrote:Would it give off more light with a standard LED if the strand was given a milky coat of paint?

steve
Considering that the paint would block some of the light... no.
by karim
Fri Jun 08, 2012 11:28 am
Forum: Construction
Topic: How to glue fibre optics?
Replies: 27
Views: 29493

I use Aves... not exactly glue, but much easier to control, and doesn't harm the FOs
by karim
Wed May 02, 2012 7:15 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Mystery paste
Replies: 4
Views: 5724

I think I agree with Kekker. I used to use Tamiya putty a lot, before I was inducted into the faith of Aves.
by karim
Thu Mar 22, 2012 3:07 pm
Forum: Finishing
Topic: Washing a kit with REALLY hard well water help
Replies: 6
Views: 5648

Distilled Water?
by karim
Mon Feb 27, 2012 8:44 pm
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: Shooting Star — My contest entry that never was...
Replies: 15
Views: 25084

Kylwell wrote:Well fine, send it to me and I'll paint it.
But who would take home the award? :D :D
by karim
Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:22 pm
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: Shooting Star — My contest entry that never was...
Replies: 15
Views: 25084

So fix the flaw and bring it. Looks very interesting. I've pretty much reached my frustration tipping point with this model. There's only so many times I can strip down a paint-job and repaint, especially since painting is my least-favorite part of a build. I still love the subject, but I don't thi...
by karim
Mon Feb 27, 2012 12:49 pm
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: Shooting Star — My contest entry that never was...
Replies: 15
Views: 25084

Thanks guys! :D It feels really good to actually finish a model for once and get good feedback. Something I'd love to explore in the future is extending this design philosophy and aesthetic to a small universe of related craft, a' la MaK. Kenny: I had it at WF last year... I might bring it again if ...
by karim
Sun Feb 26, 2012 12:18 pm
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: Shooting Star — My contest entry that never was...
Replies: 15
Views: 25084

Thanks Dr. Yo. Your comments are much appreciated, as that's exactly what I was going for. I really struggled with the cockpit notion, as I definitively don't want a canopy... I briefly considered building it as a pre-launch scene, with the cockpit open and a pilot climbing in, but I wanted to show ...
by karim
Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:51 pm
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: Shooting Star — My contest entry that never was...
Replies: 15
Views: 25084

Shooting Star — My contest entry that never was...

I finally managed to document the build for the model I started for the Starfighters Contest. While I did finally finish the model, it was too late both for the SSM contest and for Wonderfest (and there was a major finishing flaw that occurred while racing to finish at the last minute, so it will ne...
by karim
Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:34 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Source for large, thin o-rings?
Replies: 7
Views: 12157

Helpful stuff. Thanks everyone. I knew you guys would be able to help.
by karim
Sun Feb 05, 2012 9:23 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Source for large, thin o-rings?
Replies: 7
Views: 12157

Source for large, thin o-rings?

I'm nearly done with my first model of the year: a 1:1 scale plasma grenade. There are a couple of seams that I'd like to cheat with o-rings but I'm not sure where to find o-rings with the rather specific dimensions. I need one at ~2.8—2.9" inner diameter, and another at ~2.1—2.2", with a ...
by karim
Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:51 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: aves mold material
Replies: 4
Views: 6799

Aha! No wonder I couldn't find it. Thanks!
by karim
Wed Nov 09, 2011 10:56 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: aves mold material
Replies: 4
Views: 6799

aves mold material

I've got a part that I've carefully modified from a kit that I'm using in a scratch build, but the last coat of Alclad I put on it has affected the plastic something awful. I'd like to cast the part as a backup before trying to fix it, as it's pretty crucial to my build, and I'm not sure I'll be abl...
by karim
Fri Jul 01, 2011 6:46 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Foam?
Replies: 36
Views: 69890

Has anyone ever tried turning a foam shape on a lathe? I want to make a round fuselage shape like the space ark or Mercury 9. I have done this with great success. The trick with turning the blue or pink foam on a lathe is to run a bolt or screw through the piece of foam, and chuck that up. The even...
by karim
Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:10 pm
Forum: Construction
Topic: Foam?
Replies: 36
Views: 69890

Has anyone ever tried turning a foam shape on a lathe? I want to make a round fuselage shape like the space ark or Mercury 9. I have done this with great success. The trick with turning the blue or pink foan on a lathe is to run a bolt or screw through the piece of foam, and chuck that up. The even...
by karim
Fri May 20, 2011 10:48 am
Forum: Scratchbuilding
Topic: Place to buy greebles?
Replies: 30
Views: 74999

You may also want to start a greeblie kit collection. If you look around, there are some great-looking armor kits that go on sale periodically. For example, Squadron is currently selling a 1/35 scale Trumpeter M1132 Stryker ESV for $38 ($29 with the right coupon code) Some detail pics: http://www.sq...