Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Polly Scale Grimy Black is one of the most useful bottles of paint you can own. I use it for exhaust stains on my WWII aircraft: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b307/romulanspy/DSC_0135.jpg Most hobby shops that cater to model trains carry Poly Scale. It can be mixed very thin with alcohol and spr...

I use Future as an undercoat for my decals all the time. I've not yet had a bad reaction when using oil paints heavily thinned with mineral spirits. I typically use artist oil paints for shading and washes after the decals are on. The Future holds up well.

Try Windex as a thinner. May or may not be compatible with your particular inks, but it will be a bit gentler on the underlying paint. Worth a try.

I don't mix the whole bottle; I just mix a little at a time, just enough to spray the model at hand. I've found the paint goes bad over time if too much thinner is added. I keep a couple of extra empty paint bottles for mixing and thinning colors, then discard whatever is left when I'm finished with...

I've never tried decanting Testors spray cans, since their bottle paints are easily available where I live; so I can't give you a direct comparison to the spray cans. However, both Testors and Model Master enamels airbrush beautifully with plain jane hardware store mineral spirits. I like fairly thi...

I've never had problems painting one over the other, but never ever mix Tamiya directly with Testors (or PollyScale, for that matter.) I tried it once and it turned into a goopy puddle of goo. As for thinners, I use Windex with both. Tamiya and Gunze are lacquer thinner friendly, while Testors is no...

Are you using gloss or flat colors? Flats are easier, gloss takes a bit more practice. As stated before, fresh cans and gentle heating in hot water helps the paint flow a little better. Also, make sure you don't try to completely cover the part with one coat. You want to gently mist on a few light c...

I like Tamiya's powders. They are pricey, but, providing they don't dry out, they should last a good long time. If you'll excuse a non-scifi model, here's an example: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b307/romulanspy/DSC_0102.jpg Look at the tail and along the wing root, near the leading edge. I use...

Try an anti-static-cloth . If there is a photo supply store near where you live (not likely these days) you may be able to find one locally. I use mine to gently wipe down negatives and slides and to clean off the glass on my film scanner. Works great and doesn't leave a mess. Just keep it dry, don'...

Can't say for sure how the studio model was painted, but the fighter always looked white-ish on screen, depending on the particular bit of stock footage that was used for each scene. I would go with a very light gray, maybe FS 36495 . Model Master makes this in both enamel and acrylic. You could alw...

If you can get it taken apart, then your best bet is a little lacquer thinner. I use cotton swabs and pipe cleaners on my Badger 100. Clean the needle, then use a pipe cleaner soaked in thinner to clean out the nozzle and the main body of the brush. When you put it back together, turn on your compre...

What airbrush are you using?

Testors gloss enamels love lacquer thinner. I use gloss black (in the little square bottle) thinned with about 70% lacquer thinner as a primer for metallic finishes. It sprays super smooth, flash-dries quickly enough to prevent runs and sags, and fully cures in a few days to a very hard finish. Howe...

My one gripe with all water-based paints is their lack of adhesion. Assuming I prime with a lacquer (Mr. Surfacer is my current favorite), how well do these craft paints "stick" to the surface? My local Megalo-Mart carries a fair selection, so I might be willing to give it a try. And that'...

Try a Prismacolor Metallic Silver colored pencil. Sharpen it to a fine point and carefully pencil in a few "chips". The stuff is fairly shiney and does a good job of simulating bare metal.

Are you using Floquil acrylics or lacquers? The lacquer paints are very high quality. Use either Floquil's Dio-Sol thinner or hardware store lacquer thinner. The usual suggestion to thin to the consistency of milk works well enough. Experiment on an old model first.

I too like the rattle cans for filling imperfections in the surfaces of my models. The 1000 goes on thick enough to fill sanding scratches but not so heavy as to fill small details.

Most Hasegawa kits list Gunze-Sangyo paint codes. Here's a Chart that lists GS paint codes with color chips. You should be able to cross reference with FS colors.

Don't know about the nine-volt battery. I saved one of those big plastic soda cups with a lid from Wendy's. Filled it with a bit of water, stuck a piece of steel wool in it, then promptly forgot about it for a few weeks. When I stumbled across it, it had a nice layer of rusty gunk in the bottom.

Try soaking a bit of steel wool in water in a disposable container. Real rust!

The best method I've found is to lay strips of masking tape to both edges of the seam you are trying to fill. Lay down a thin layer of putty, then smooth it out with a spatula. I use those fake plastic "credit cards" that come in the junk mail. Carefully peel the tape up while the putty is...

Do you have access to Floquil Railroad enamels? You might like to try Platinum Mist, a very light silvery color.

http://www.dixieart.com/

I've ordered from them before, was very happy.

I don't think Badger sells directly. But there are plenty of online retailers that sell Badger brushes and parts.

I like Floquil Bright Silver. http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b307/romulanspy/P-51001.jpg I primed this P-51 with Testor's Gloss Black enamel, thinned about 70% with lacquer thinner. After drying a few days, I sprayed Bright Silver, thinned again about 70% with lacquer thinner. As you can see the ...

Dullcote from a spraycan is real simple, and leaves a dead flat finish. The trick is to spray it on in light dusty coats. Wait a few minutes between each coat, and slowly build up the finish.

Try thinning the paint. I save the little plastic lids from fast food soda cups, and these make excellent disposable palettes. Make a small puddle of paint, add a few drops of thinner (I use Windex or Tamiya's own thinner), and stir well. If you want it to go on even smoother, go to a craft/artist's...

I've never had much luck with Acryl thinner, but that's just my opinion. For thinning Tamiya paints, I like plain old Windex. Are you using your new Paasche H? If so, 4:1 thinner to paint ratio seems kinda high. I'd start less than 50/50, then add more thinner if needed. Try it on a scrap bit of pla...

I've not had any problems spraying Metalizer with a gravity fed Badger single action, with a medium tip. Stuff sprays fine.

I think Gloss Black enamel will be your best bet for priming. Here's a P-51 Mustang I built: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b307/romulanspy/P-51001.jpg I sprayed plain old Testor's Gloss Black enamel, thinned with lots of lacquer thinner, then sprayed Floquil Bright Silver, also thinned with lacq...