Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

I've been using my D3000 for the past several years. Whisper quiet, and very nice to work with. You will find the pressure regulator a worth while accessory.

Yep. ALWAYS use the manufacturer's thinner. My airbrushing experience improved 1000% by simply switching from alcohol to Tamiya Thinner for airbrushing with their paints. Each line of paint has a corresponding thinner for airbrushing. USE IT.

Keep it simple - keep it fun!

He DARES to use the manufacturer's thinner!

This is considered heresy against the church of Windex, Washer Fluid, Future, and Alcohol!!!!!!

Which Createx are you using? The straight Airbrush Colors line is more of a low-end illustration paint - not really the best for models, but I've used it. Use Createx Illustration Base to thin your paint instead of water. " Water Clean-Up " does not mean " Thin With Water ". On t...

So I was just looking through the stash for inspiration, and my wife sees my obvious displeasure at NOT being able to find the right base kit. She pulls a PL Scorpion kit from behind her back and announces that she found it on a clearance rack today for $3....

Hmmmmmmm.

You can make two part decals, or you can design the decals to be printed on the white paper, with a block of your background color around the design. This isn't really a practical way to go if you are applying the decals to a metallic surface, however.

I've got my guns picked out of the spares box! This could be massive....

Oh it smells HORRIBLE when you're spraying it. Absolutely need to do it outside! But it very clear, and stays that way - probably longer than the model will last

I've used Top Flight (the guys who make Mono-Kote RC airplane covering) urethane clear coat with very nice results. It's glow fuel proof too! Should be available at your LHS, Hobbytown, etc.

jonmarcus wrote:I found out the hard way that Walmart's ColorPlace clear spray enamel should not be used on clear parts. My TOS Viper has a permanently frosted canopy.
Ah well. Live and learn.

Lesson of the day - NEVER Clear Coat your Clear parts!

Lighting is qualified by three aspects. 1. Color - either the actual K temperature of the source, or by filtration 2. Quantity - how much/bright the light source is 3. Quality - how harsh or soft the light is Today, color can usually be adjusted very easily with your digital camera or image editing ...

Using a complimentary color to add shadow detail (i.e. panel lines) is as old as painting itself. Go get an art book and look as some of the "old masters" works. It is a technique that has been used for hundreds of years to obtain a very realistically shaded subject, without dulling down t...

Paint, Wash, Wipe. I just read an article somewhere about using tempra paint for washes. Looked pretty straight forward. Goes over acrylic or oil, and removed the excess with a damp towel. No thinners, no solvents - no chance of damaging your paint scheme. Keep it simple. Also, I've been experimenti...

The most common causes for adhesive being left behind are: 1) the quality of the tape I'm going with seam-filler on this one. I've applied Tamiya tape to a canopyand left it on for MONTHS while I finished and painted the rest of the model. I had no problems removing the tape or it marring the surfa...

Step one: I don't know if it's technically correct for copyright and all, but I'd go ahead and scan the decal sheet at a high resolution 600 dpi at least, and save that as a back up in case you need to print up some replacement decals. Step two: Paint the model with a gloss white spray paint. The fi...

The automotive guys do this all the time. It's called "Candy" colors. Silver base coat, followed by a translucent color, really gives a nice effect. Check out any automotive paint - I use a lot of the Createx AutoAir for models and illustration work, as well as the automotive work that the...

Check out the suggestions in this thread
viewtopic.php?t=77919

I usually build in sub assemblies and paint as I go. Some painting is done while the parts are still on the trees. It is a whole lot easier to paint individual parts that need to be different colors while they are still "individual". Once their on the model, you have to worry about masking...

Yep. Been there, wearing the T-shirt. :evil: #1 Testor's enamels take FOREVER to cure completely. And, Yes, they need to be absolutely 100% cured before you clear over them. #2 Krylon Clear contains a very "hot" thinner that will soften the underlying paint layers. I've also seen this dest...

If you're going to rattle bomb it, I'd go with Krylon Metallic - Brilliant Silver. It provides a fairly smooth finish, very fine grain, and is quite durable when completely cured. For airbrushing, there is absolutely NOTHING that beats the new Createx AutoAir fine aluminum base. It is simply the fin...

I usually spray a coat of primer on while the parts are on the trees. I like to build and paint in sub-assemblies, and this helps move the process along. Depending on the kit, and the amount of filling and sanding I need, I will sometimes need to re-prime a section or assembly, but especially with a...

Looks really good. Didn't someone post a DIY arc welding circuit a few months back. I was looking for it in my downloaded schematics, but apparently I didn't save it.

I'll check it out. Thanks!

Yep. You'll want one super bright LED, and you'll want to frost the acrylic rod to give the light something to scatter around on and produce a nice glow. No need for a laser, it'd be too bright.

Honestly, the photos don't look too bad. I'd probably let it go as is. HOWEVER, if you want to mess around with it, you could try some very thin transparent white and mist it on with your airbrush from about a foot away. OOOoooh, you could spray it through a piece of window screen, and give a second...

You can't go wrong with an Iwata. The Eclipse is a great suggestion. You will get years of enjoyment out of that brush.

Huh???? A lot of steps? No more than using any other airbrushing paint. 1. Prime / Seal /Basecoat 2. Masking 3. Secondary Coloring 4. Detailing 5. Weathering 6. Clear Coat The only additional step is your choice of adding an intermediate clear coat between any given step allowing you to protect the ...

See, that's why I paint with acrylics A little windex, maybe some alcohol if it's been sitting on there for a while, and the stuff washes right off. No mess, no nasty fumes!

It gets thinned with their 4011 reducer. "Flash it over" refers to using your airbrush to blow air onto the surface of the wet paint. You'll see the paint go from a glossy wet to a flatter dry right before your eyes. once it "flashes over" to dry, it's ready to tape off. You need...

jdeleonardis wrote:Just fwiw, I bought a nice Iwata brush about a month back, and Im never looking back...

Welcome to the enlightened side of the force. I'm sure you'll find your experience very rewarding.