Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

From the symptoms it sounds to me as if the Tamiya paint coat rather bears the problem, not the top varnish coat? From my experience with Tamiya acrylics, they proved to be very robust. Once dry, they are hard to "impress" by any kind of varnish (either acrylic or solvent-based). Did the p...

Three suggestions. If you have a mini drill or an engraving tool, you can CAREFULLY try to sand the area with an appropriate sanding head. Still hazardous, though. Another way is cheating: a die-punched, thin piece of styrene (e. g. with a paper hole puncher, or a belt punch) could be glued into the...

You could also try to use adhesive tape to rip the decals off of the surface. Sounds crude, but if the decals are wrinkled and did not bond well with the surface below, chances are good they might be "peeled" or scraped off with little other damage. Sand paper can work, but I guess that th...

I am painting a 1/25th scale Wonder Woman, and I need to paint her star-spangled fanny. Does anyone have any ideas for how I might paint stars that small? I would recommend some 1/72 WWII armor decals. The American stars that go on the fenders of tanks and hoods of jeeps should be about right. I ho...

An angle gauge (measuring helps, in many cases), and if you need many specimen of the same stuff, build a simple pattern model made from a piece of wood and some nails?

Besides weight, the item's center of gravity and the option to mount a display also play a major role, as well as the display arm's lenth - the longer, the more wobbly things might end up, so that more than one arm might be necessary.

Take a trip to a DIY store and keep your eyes open. You will find a lot of potential donation parts there that can be used for engine parts.

Can also be done with salt and some water (esp. on large scale models).

Agree, it's a rather non-specific tone - just avoid pure white, because it is very harsh. A very light grey can be the answer, as well as brownish additions or ivory, there's IMHO no definition. I'd make it dependant on the surroundings. On a WWII USN aircraft, with blue upper camouflage, I'd rather...

Nylon stockings can also do wonders...

I have used crackle medium on a small diorama - results were so-so, it did not work too well...

Personally, I prefer a wooden work surface and I have a scartched "work platform" that I attach a normal table, primarily as protection. A cutting mat would be the best surface for construction, I think, but it's prone to stains when you paint parts. I'd avoid any glass surface, because it...

Cleaning the parts thoroughly is half the job. And beyond that, any acrylic primer (automotive stuff is good, DupliColor great and the white Tamiya primer excellent, but expensive) will do. I do not recommend spray filler, though, it tends (from my experience) to react with resin and the remaining s...

I frequently use a wooden toothpick, shaped into what I need with a cutter, for fine tasks. Works pretty well, because the wood sucks up paint (I normally use enamels) like a brush, and I can tailor and refresh the "tip" easily. And it's not so costly, I can imagine that such a fine brush ...

3. Purchase some Evergreen or Plastruct styrene rods of appropriate diameter and fill holes with them using liquid cement to weld them in place. Allow them to fully dry, then trim, sand flush, then re-drill. Second that. You can also use plastic sprues, heat the over a flame and tear a thin string ...

I'd still think it's a reaction issue, but I guess the primer would be the only suspect if everything else is "normal." Second that. Many styrenes, especially from packagings, contain softeners that keep the material flexible - and make painting it/adhesion complicated if not impossible. ...

Hmmm, Humbrol does a Ferrari Red tone (220, both enamel and acrylics), as well as Model Master. And I have heard that Tamiya TS-49 (Bright Red) is supposed to be a decent alternative. But I understand the problem, and it's tough. I had a 1:24 Fiat 500 on the bench which was to be painted in somethin...

Hey all, I'm looking for a match for Monza red. Where does the color belong to/come from? If it is a real car color, using the actual car paint is a good way to go; many colors are available in a rattle can, either from the manufacturers themselves or as generic offers, and these tend to be water-b...

Besides using ONLY acrylic primer (read the can - if it does not say acarylic just stay away in order to avoid any risks), give the parts a good and thorough wash in a mild detergent. There will certainly be silicone separator agents left on the parts, or, if you have poor vinyl material, it keeps o...

Look in your local yellow pages of plastic supply businesses. You can get 4x8 sheets or larger in several thicknesses for a fraction of what Evergreen charges. Manufactures and suppliers use the term HIPS. High Impact Poly-Styrene. TazMan2000 Another good potential source is architecture stuff - th...

Second that. You will lose the shiny surface reflections, but the mica/PET particles inside of the paint will still sparkle. As a side note, I'd stay away from metallic effect paint on small scale models, e. g. "real life" car paints from a rattle can or effect paints from hobby stores. Th...

TL Modellbau of Germany offers a range of generic decals with stripes in various widths and even matching curves , as well as "massive" sheets, in a wide range of colors (incl. gold and silver) so you can easily combine single elements. I have been using the stuff on several occasions wher...

I'd also suggest a thin(ed), even layer of the basic color under the decals on top of them. Airbrush recommended - it is also possible to do that through dry-brushing, but this looks rather like a worn marking, and at a small scale like this it's not really approriate. Would look too dirty.

3 words, Big Flat File. Mine is 14x1 inch. Because they don't bend @ all you can end up with a absolutely flat surface. Second that. If it is too large for a file, you can also put a sheet of sand paper under a flat, stable board (not too thin and light, so that it does not bend at all! Marble soun...

I did the blast marks on my Viper by drybrushing paint on in black, then a little grey inside the black and followed up with some black pastel chalk: http://www.starshipmodeler.com/contest/contest17/kit_29.htm I was trying to replicate what was some of the CGI pics. I'd suggest trying it out on som...

Which material? Everything is relative... and you will certainly receive a dozen of replies!

I only used salt two or three times, basically on things that are in scale too small for it. But for me it worked fine - even though it would not be a "apply salt, add paint, rub off, be happy" process. It was rather messy, but worked perfect to achive a "NMF under chipped paint"...

I have used very fine sand on top of a plaster base, a bare plaster surface with paint, and also pigments (artist stuff, comes directly in various shades of grey, ochre and even others and can be easily mixed). The latter work fine - I actually created a sand base in 1:72 with this stuff without any...

And add a drop of dish washer to the water you use to break surface tension.

Second that. I just work with brushes, but found these to be very effective: a) a black ink wash. highly thinned and rubbed off so that the pigments only stick to engravings and edges. Adds depth, and depending on how thorough you do this, it also weathers the surface visually. b) Counter-shading of...