Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Bingo. I should have done 2 coats. But I have limited time to model so...

The major issue is I have several deep ribs close together I used masking fluid to protect the body color from the detail painting for the metallic engine. Tough to get tape down in the crevaces.

Ambroid EZ Mask. (no comment)

OK, I searched. 1. I won't trust Goo Gone on my paint again. 2. Tape doesn't work. 3. What could isopropyl alcolhol do to Floquil enamels? 4. I have bits of blue masking fluid on a turquoise paint job so it's hard to see.
Won't a bath in hot water loosen the dried masking fluid?

Thanks much. I read a little more on the Abbey of Aves and found similar responses. Putty seems more appropriate for uneven seams and buildups while maybe the paste is easier to apply for relatively smooth seams, hard-to-get-to seams and resin model pinholes (which thankfully are mostly a thing of t...

I finally ran out of Aves putty and wanted to get more and there are 3 products: Apoxie Sculpt, Fixit, and Apoxie Paste. Good grief. I just want to fill seams, rough spots and occasionally build up structure. Which one works? Which is which?

I suspect Krylon gold will cover minor imperfections. I've seen models with reflection painted. A friend made some decals from the famous Aldrin photo that I plan to use on the Reheat Aldrin figure. Might be interesting to see how that would do over reflective gold Krylon vs. just gold, white, etc. ...

I asssume I could inspect the faceplate after painting the suit, sand, mask and paint the gold.

Bare Metal Foil on a compound curve? Suicidal.

Thanks. All good points. On the visors, the area around the faceplate is usually raised, making it easier to paint the faceplate first, mask, then paint the rest of the suit. But then I'm probably having to mask off the suit to spray the faceplate anyway cause gold plating overspray probably wouldn'...

This applies to several models I'd like to do. 1. Can I spray Krylon metallic silver over the metallic gold plated paint that comes on the Monogram 1/32 Apollo Command Module, or do I need to strip the kit part and then repaint? (In oher words, will the metallic over a plated finish stick or just no...

Well, I scratched the picture, so I guess I'll ask what it is when I go back to the store. Photo is third image down: http://boojum.as.arizona.edu/~jill/NS10 ... 12/io.html

I've printed a photo on regular paper to paste to a base. What's the best/safest thing to overcoat it with? Future?

Thanks. I've got a few more models I can use that process on. The wash and weather thing is still new to me.

I was kinda afraid the wash would eat the decals, and there I'd be with a whole model covered with eroded, washed out decals. If I'd done that, I assume I should have overcoated the decals before the wash?

I gloss coated my Nu Galactica and did a panel line and rib wash. Do I need to gloss it again for the Acreation armor and rib decals or can I just apply them?

It's a resin kit. The fins are about 1/16th square. They have a small base attached to the fin. The fin is triangular in cross section. I'm going to try to repair with sheet stock. Thanks.

I sanded down the upper finlets (whatever) on a 1/144 tactical Redstone missile way too much. I could make new ones from card stock but they wouldn't (easily) have the triangular cross section. So I've CA'd them (tenuously) to the body and plan to try to fill them with Aves and use putty sculpting t...

Excellent. Thanks.

Thanks, Mod. I'll bet I've walked past it a hundred times and not looked at it cause it's in the RC stuff. Does it not bow/flex when you try to drill with it? Recommended rpms? 6000? I'll give it a look this weekend, but I still think the bits I used were smaller than piano wire We'll see. Now I'm s...

I'll have to check out the music wire thing. I didn't know you could chuck wire and toothpicks and drill holes with them. On the other hand, they weren't that expensive, I'm not sure what I'd use them for after another Galactica and the Pegasus, and I can use the bits for drilling holes. Nah, I have...

I used 3-4 sizes. Ican't tell if the serial numbers correspond to a recognizable size. I ordered them from China. (Of course). Nothing I used is as big as a straight pin. Some are small as acupuncture needles...unfortunately. The length is off, but it's hard to focus on accuracy when you're bleeding...

Hmmm. Well, I read the idea somewhere, probably here. Where would I find music wire? Why would it be better or easier than a hole I have to drill anyway? Does it come in several sizes? Can it be cut easier than microdrill bits? Is it cheaper?

I'd like to have done that. It would mean drilling them in 2-3 inches. Some of the bits I'm using are so small they don't drill out lots of plastic quickly, and I found it's best to go slow with a pin vice vs. fast with a motor tool if you don't want to snap 5-6. I'm guessing it would take me 10 min...

Thanks, The silicon carbide disks worked fine. Lessons learned: Don't: try to cut them off after installing them on the model try to cut them off after installing ALL of them on the model Do: use tape so you don't lose them be patient and drill the hole into the model deep enough to survive bumps, e...

I'm sinking micro drill bits into the front of a Galactica to replicate antennas. Now I need to cut them off to length. a couple of pairs of nippers hasn't done the job. Will a Dremel cutoff disc do the job or what? I hate to do that cause I'd like to hang on to the remaining drill bit parts.

Not sure where this one belongs. I'd like to buy a nice black acrylic display base, perhaps with an acrylic mounting post that I drill a hole in for an internal mounting tube for the model. Anyone got a source?

Thanks, Springhill, I'll have to check that out. How well do the individual cells hold their shape. I can see great applications for that stuff in field-applied screen uses. For air/spacecraft uses, I'd think it has to be pretty uniform. Still, I gotta check it out. The stuff I found was as good as ...

Found a product for $5.99 called "Activ-Wire Mesh - Incredible Sculptural and Modeling Wire Mesh." It was a 12x24 inche sheet folded about six ways. It was diamond not octagonal and possibly a bit large, but it'll do. Lots left over. Thanks again.

All good ideas. I'll give them a try. Thanks. I calculate the screen will have to have 15 or so cells per inch to be roughly in scale. We'll see what pops up. If I was at an IPMS Nationals, there'd be a vendor with that kind of stuff. In fact, I have a couple of sets but they're too fine, more suite...

Found a place, actually several. Just got to google right. This place actually gives you the number of wires per inch so I could find something that's close to scale. http://www.twpinc.com/ OK, they're gonna charge $10 for a "swatch", which turns out to be 3x3. But they're also gonna charg...