Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

Hi davelant, Filling vinyl kits with foam is a standard practice. Modelers used Mountains in Minutes, a two-part urethane foam for model railroaders. I'm not sure if its still available. If anyone knows where to buy it please let me know. I've used aerosol cans of urethane foam sealant from the hard...

Thanks Everybody,

I drew templates with CadStd, glued them down and drilled the holes. It turned out okay.

Mike

Thanks macfrank,

CadStd did everything I needed it to do.

Mike

Thanks Kylwell,

I'll give CADStd a try. I'd like to be able to create my own templates.

Mike

Thanks again macfrank,

I just downloaded CADStd. Hopefully it will work.

Mike

Thanks macfrank, I have Inkscape but it isn't accurate enough and frequently locks-up. I need a program with real dimensioning that supports circular arrays. Something equivalent to an old DOS version of Autosketch would be fine. I'm not sure if if I have enough computer to run large programs. Thank...

Thanks Everyone, I can't afford to buy anything to make a couple of model parts. Inkscape almost worked but it isn't accurate enough and it frequently locks up. Now, I'm looking for a free CAD program that supports circular arrays. Thanks for the generous offer 1138thx. If I can print templates I sh...

Thanks Joseph,

Has anyone used any of those programs?

Mike

Hi,

Are there any simple, free 2D CAD programs for Windows?

A naive search on sourceforge wasn't very helpful. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks,

Mike

Hi malheiroslacerda,

Was that inspired by Kobayashi's bike in the original Hyperweapon books? This?

http://aswars.tripod.com/id58.html

Mike

Hi Photoguy,

Here's a video.

http://www.gamerabaenre.com/fade.htm

Mike

Hi Callandor, It depends on what you're clamping. Over a decade ago, I bought some Berna clamps when they were on sale. http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/misc/tools/Berna/berna.html Their unique design lets you precisely control the clamping force. They're perfect for some applications and comple...

Thanks Chacal and NNYGamer, I'll try laying out a template on sheet styrene after I replace the door switch clip on my clothes dryer. I've thought about building a little dividing head out of gears. But little plastic gears probably have too much play and I'm not sure I could build the dividing head...

Thanks Everybody, I think part of my problem was trying to lay out the pattern with a pencil. The line was too thick and it wasn't straight enough. I'll try scribing the pattern on a piece of sheet plastic then use dividers to tweak the spacing before I drill holes. I'm also downloading (on a very s...

Hi, I'd like to put a circle of Grandt Line bolts around the face of plastic disks that are about 1.125" (28mm) in diameter. Since this is for an original design anything from 12 to 20 bolts per circle is acceptable. I've tried laying out the pattern with protractor, compass, ruler and pencil b...

For Trek buttons I'd use stretched clear sprue. You can color it in translucent paints and easily shape the cross section.

Mike

Hi David, The solution is simple. Build more models. Actually, I've had exactly the same experience. Of all the model paints I've tried, enamels by Testors and Model Master have the worst shelf once they're open. I think they're engineered to go bad in the bottle after you open them. I've stopped bu...

There are a bunch of different ways to preshade. If you search video sites for Max Watanabe, you should be able to find some video of his preshading techniques. Here are some scans from a Japanese modeling magazine.

http://www.geocities.com/quinngundam/maxwhite.html

Hi David, Most of the tools I make are sanding tools. I super glue square toothpicks to 3M wet-dry sandpaper. After they are cut out they can be cut to shape for sanding in tight areas. Over a decade ago, I bought a 4' x 8' sheet of 1/8 inch ABS. It's smooth on on side but the deep hair cell finish ...

Hi sci-fi-bldr, It's always nice to meet another KY SF builder. It will depend on the scratches. If the scratches are very light, priming with Mr. Surfacer might cover them. Tip: Always mix the Mr. Surfacer thoroughly. Putting screws, nuts or BBs in the jar helps a lot. Make sure the lid is screwed ...

I use a copper bristled suede brush. Years ago, I bought mine from the shoe department at Kmart.

Mike

Hi, Loosing a hand must be tough. Hopefully you can get back into modeling. I think you might be able to modify techniques for holding parts you've used before. You've probably stuck small flat parts onto an index card or cardboard with a loop of masking tape or Blutac. Now you can tape the card dow...

Hi, Do you know what type of plastic it is? Something in the PE family might cause problems. I'm not sure if Future works on polycarbonate either. Otherwise, if you have a good plastic, wash the part in dish detergent and water then thoroughly rinse it in rubbing alcohol or stronger isopropyl alcoho...

ARC has a couple of relevant canopy articles. http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/TnT_Archives/Canopies.htm There's an article on gold tinting canopies with acrylics. http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/tnt1/001-100/TNT063_Tinting%20Canopies_Gok/tnt063.htm And another article on using food color...

Each grit of sandpaper should remove the scratches produced by the preceding grit. Is the 1500 removing all the scratches from the 600? If not try some 1000 between them. You might not need the Micro-Mesh. Try Novus or another plastic polish. Your toothpaste might not have any abrasive in it. Then f...

Thanks Ti Raven, Fortunately, it's a hexagon. A 17-sided pyramid or the general formula for an N-sided pyramid would have required some real trigonometry or a reference book. I wonder if Andrew has enough information. You might need some math to calculate the angle to bevel the edges of the sides fo...

Hi Andrew, Say you want to build a hexagonal pyramid where: H is the height when viewed from the side. B is the length of each of the six base segments that form the hexagon. R is the distance from the center of the hexagon to the point of the hexagon. S is the length from a point of the hexagon to ...

Hi Dr. Snuts,

NNYGamer is right. If you can find a plastic object with the proper curvature, use it.

For shallow sections over a sphere, you won't need a vacuum former. The simple heat and smash technique should work fine.

HTH

Mike

I use round paper coffee filters. They're inexpensive and as close to lint-free as anything you can buy in an ordinary store.

HTH

Mike

Hi SJM, Yes you can airbrush gloss coats and dull coats. Thin them with the manufacturer's recommended thinner to the same consistency as the paint you airbrush. It's hard to see the clear spray. Too much clear gloss will run and too much flat coat won't be flat. You can always touch-up the finish l...