Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

If the clay still won't hold it well enough, just go one step further and pop it in the freezer for awhile. That will make it hard enough to clamp pretty securely.

-Rog

It's hard to tell from that pic, but classic orange peel is usually caused by paint that is too viscous, not enough air pressure, or other conditions that cause the paint to not be able to flow out before it dries. If it's more like the paint hasn't stuck to certain areas, that could be oil, wax, or...

If you like the effect without the change to the paint, you can experiment with other granulated substances. I've used sand and hairspray before with good results. Now that is an interesting idea - sand. Though I wonder if it will stick to the model as well as salt. That's why you need to use hairs...

Yeah, I was going to say it looks about perfect.

If you like the effect without the change to the paint, you can experiment with other granulated substances. I've used sand and hairspray before with good results.

-Rog

It's because it's not really chrome, but basically a very fragile lacquer paint. It usually flakes off if you look at it wrong, so time, temperature, and moisture will definitely affect it. Since most of the time it's pretty out of scale anyway, it's usually a good idea to strip it and redo with the...

You're right about it looking completely different on screen. When I first started working in theater I couldn't figure out why nothing was being sanded, why there were pencil and even marker lines being left in plain view, and why nobody was patching the thousands of screw holes all over the set. F...

Wow...

Lots of amazing designs. If you had the budget to turn all that into a big movie I'd definitely pay to see it!

-Rog

Stingray24 wrote:Would any of you be interested in seeing the concept art, props, costumes, sets, and other goodies related to the project?

Silly question.

Let's see it! It'll be nice to have such a unique project around here.

-Rog

You've got great ideas! Doing things on a budget without computer effects (like in the good ole days) is exactly how you come up with simple but really effective techniques.

I hope you'll post the finished product.

-Rog

Lately I've become a fan of sanding dry with the finer grits. I tried it on a whim and find that while it does clog faster, it doesn't cut nearly as quickly (so it's harder to sand through), and it's a lot easier to tell when you're smooth or if you're about to sand through. The blasphemy! But it re...

I've worked at a couple different retail stores (never Walmart though), and a lot of times the store brand stuff would either stop coming for awhile or we would get 500-1000% more than what our inventory normally requested. Turns out it was usually due to the warehouses doing their inventory counts,...

http://dealnews.com/Oral-B-Cross-Action-Power-Toothbrush-for-4-free-shipping-via-Amazon-Prime/478562.html Deal of the day, ORDERED. :) Thanks for the tip. I picked up a couple myself. Probably the worst toothbrush made, manual or powered, but it was easy to modify for use as a sander. Amazon Prime ...

Go to the hardware store, get a tube of 100% silicone. Apply a mold release to the area. Take the silicone and brush it on carefully. Let it dry then apply another much thicker coat and press a quarter inch piece of plywood into it, equal to the area's size that you are covering. Let it set up and ...

I'm wondering if (per your other thread) "vinyl dye" is stuff like DupliColor Vinyl & Fabric spray, for instance. I was thinking of something you would dip a piece in, but if that's what everyone's talking about then it works really well. I'm doing the interior of a '78 Audi I have and...

I haven't found it to be any more durable ... On some of the classic car forums I visit people are crazy about it for interior trim pieces, but I found that it eventually flakes off just like regular spray paint as the underlying plastic lets go of it. It's not like it somehow bonds to the plastic l...

Here's a couple demonstrations of the poster tack method (scroll down a bit): http://www.scalespot.com/onthebench/t2/build.htm#31102010 http://www.scalespot.com/onthebench/f16c/build.htm#18042009 I personally think it's one of the better techniques for having an in-scale soft edge. Some of the other...

I've used clay before, as well as hot glue, liquid latex, silicone caulk, and the like. All are good for single use or very few uses.

What will you be using to make the new part out of?

-Rog

I don't know about tubing, but for strips I like the first style. As long as you have a sturdy desk you can put a lot more leverage on it, making it easier. They would probably work for plastic tubing, but anything else would just get mashed. Of course the hand held device is easier to store... BTW,...

I find that hard masked edges just don't look right in scale. A happy medium is to use "poster hanging tacky stuff" (various name brands). Gary does a great job of showing this in s couple of his builds on Scalespot: http://www.scalespot.com/onthebench/t2/build.htm#31102010 http://www.scal...

Topics get auto deleted pretty quickly. The moral of the story is to not spend a lot of effort on your build posts so you don't get too annoyed to keep posting.

I certainly want to see how it turns out!

-Rog

EDIT: That, mostly. ^ For a start, I would forget Word. I find it much easier to create an 8.5x11" document in Photoshop and arrange things how I want. Be sure to print "actual size" and ignore the clipping warning (just leave yourself a little border, knowing it'll get cut off). Work...

So far every time I've see a video with someone saying "deck-ull" they turn out to be from Canada. Videos (that I've seen) from Europe, the US, and even Asia, all say "dee-cal." The last time this was brought up someone posted an explanation of the pronunciation, but I have long ...

I like this stuff. I think even experienced modelers should check it out, especially those with kids.

My first models were fairly complicated WWII fighter planes, and it would've been nice to know a better place to start.

-Rog

I'm partial to real window tint myself. A giant roll from the auto parts store is like $20 and will last forever. I find the lighter tints to work better, unless you plan on lighting the inside. It's thin, but still doesn't work that well on compound curves, so it's not for every application. The be...

sure, I don't think i've linked a picture on this forum that *wasn't* hosted anywhere else though, wasn't even aware I could upload images here. You can't. The issue is often confused and confusing, we go through this every time... :roll: It's solely as a courtesy to the few people who are still on...

Or if you're used to a more vector-based program, Inkscape is free also.

-Rog

I guess the first place to start would be to decide if it's going to be made up of flat panels or if it's going to be curved in some way. Panels are easier, but with a simple curved shape you can do the old trick of heating up some clear plastic and smooshing it down over your mold. The next step up...

If you use it by itself, then yes it will be brittle. It's not intended to be used like that though. If you reinforce it with either fiberglass mat or cloth, or polar fleece, it's tough stuff. If you were casting something with a lot of detail and really wanted to use fiberglass, I'd basically fill ...

I've done it, but I had to find a really fine-mist bottle. This turned out to be one from a spray-on hair conditioner, which I of course washed out. It worked good a full strength, but you can always thin it down. I'd also do a test with your respective spray bottle to make sure it doesn't give you ...

Enamel really sucks sometimes for trying to get it to behave properly. At least with acrylics there's a hundred different household things you can dump into it... The only retarder for enamels I know of is made by Floquil: http://shop.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&P=WR&I=LXG068 Should w...