Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

For anyone in the UK - Fairy Power Spray is great at removing even the oldest acrylic paint & is completely safe on styrene, ABS, polycarbonates, PVC, acrylic and resin. I don't know the US equivalent, but the active ingredient that does the actual stripping is phenoxyethanol . There are loads o...

I have yet to see a pen (maybe 3D?) which dispenses 0.1mm lines of almost pure metal which then solidifies like a wire, allowing it to be soldered and also sticks to surfaces permanently. NOW, that is revolutionary. Circuit Works pens deliver "wire" that can be soldered at low temperature...

I had to go through two stores to find the connectors I needed, It seems there are now two sizes of airline connector on airbrushes today? This one was 1/8'' but a cheaper one as well as my old ones are much smaller. For the time being I will use a simple hose for air, I am not yet sure about the p...

I have a 400V compressor with a 50 liter air tank in a different part af the basement, my plan is to put in a permanent air line from there to the build bench. A regulator (for fine tuning) and a moisture trap at the bench sounds like a plan. A lot of regulators come with moisture traps anyway. You...

Ditto on the moisture trap. I would even argue that it is more critical for lacquer or enamel paints - just think of how well oil and water mix! Water in an oil-based paint could completely destroy the finish and even ruin it to the point where it might not even cure properly. A mini in-line moistur...

Tamyia acrylics have been around since at least the very early 1980's. I've used them (though not exclusively) since. Though a somewhat limited range, they mix well, are easily thinned for both airbrush and hairy-stick. They clean up easily and don't attack airbrush O-rings. Non-toxic fumes? They sa...

Since I only use the acrylic what I'll do is when the paint begins to dry is put the jar under running tap water. And if the paint is unsalvageable I toss the jar but save the lid if it's still got the lid liner because lids will some times stick the rim of the glass and some times it winds up tear...

Check the surface for pin-holes - hopefully you won't find many. Unless they are really large, I fill mine with CA and a sprinkle of bicarbonate of soda. They can be sanded within minutes. Doubtless you will find more pinholes after priming - just treat them the same. Big holes get Apoxie. Personall...

Yes he does, bottom of the home page... If you would like to contact me, please send an email to: info@scalectronics.com Please note as I have a separate full time job and run this website in my spare time, I cannot always reply immediately, but I will respond- typically within 24 hours. No phone nu...

I replied to your post in the Microcontrollers sticky, but this is the Inner Lights website...

http://www.scalectronics.co.uk/

Never used them as the basic kit is a bit pricey for me, but they do sound interesting.

No, but I found their website...

http://www.scalectronics.co.uk/

If a good clean doesn't work like gsb5w suggests, then it could be that the resin mix wasn't quite right in the first place (i.e. not enough hardener). If this is the case, then the part will never stop leaching which means that normal paint will never stick properly. If this is the case I suggest y...

Another idea is to run one of those cheap de-ionisers before, during & after airbrushing. It also helps keep dust down when sanding.

True, but the same companies that make good compasses also make beam compasses with he same fittings Some of these can draw/scribe circles up to 18 inch diameter.

They are not cheap but will last decades.

To be honest, you can't get much better than a really good quality pair of drafting (draughting) compasses. The best ones will accommodate a blade where the pencil lead normally goes. You may even want to look out for an old, second-hand precision set - the ones I have are over 30 years old and prob...

Thanks for relating the results of your experiments.

Although the Tamiya smoke (or any of their clear colours) will mix with Future, it will inhibit it's self-levelling capability a tiny bit. I've had best results by applying the tint first. As EVAPodman says - it's easy to overdo tinting, so doing this first gives you the opportunity to strip & r...

Disposal of chemical waste is often governed by local laws - and the company that handles waste management. Just dumping it in the environment is not a sensible or safe thing to do - at the very least it is anti-social and almost certainly illegal, wherever you are. Empty rattle cans and paint conta...

Here in the UK there are 2 types of wood putty - it may be different in the US. The first is chemically very similar to solvent-based fillers like Squadron. They tend to be softer than the plastic fillers and will contract and expand more (to suit the way wood does). The second is an acrylic-based t...

If there are any decals on a sheet that I am never going to use, I often (I honestly can't say "always" :wink: ) try them out on the sort of finish and surface the rest are planned for. This includes testing how long the need to "cook" (see DaveMan's post), brittleness or elastic...

...This might mean widening the location pin sockets or slightly filing the location pins. If this misalignment is particularly severe, you many need to cut one or more pins off and rely on careful gluing or fixing some scrap plastic tabs to help secure the pieces while the pieces set. :D I remembe...

I have to agree with DaveVan - really sound advice. Here are a few extra hints of mine... Instead of using tweezers and/or damp paper towel to position the decal, I have been using artist's silicon shaping brushes (usually quite soft ones). They give a bit of control, are gentle on the decal and are...

I made the Millennium Falcon when it first came out I used pastels for weathering it. I used a can of Dullcote, but when I applied it it did it too heavily and the pastels puddled in places. I should have applied it in several light coats from a distance to secure the powder in place. You need to w...

SpaceRanger1 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 28, 2018 6:08 pm Setting solutions can sometimes cause brown stains to appear under the top coat, especially if the water in your area is hard.

Try using filtered water or de-ionised (battery) water.

In my experience, unused masks have a considerably longer shelf-life than two weeks. If it was that short, no seller would be able to keep stocks! However, I have found that, once the adhesive is exposed to air (i.e. been used on a model) they do shrink noticeably in place after about a week. Mind y...

side glow fiber optics anyone? https://thefiberopticstore.com/solid-core-side-glow/ Funny you mentioned side glow fiber optics. I just made a neon sign for a building out of fiber optics, I used regular fiber but used an Exacto #11 blade to scrape the outside cladding off the fiber side facing out....

There is a technique using candlewax between coats to get a chipped effect, but because the result is not scale, it is not of much use to modelers. However, it is used by 'crafters' to achieve chipped effects o signs and furniture.

Rub-n-Buf (sorry I got it wrong in my earlier post) is a range of wax-based metallic pastes. You smear a small amount on and then polish it. The more you polish, the more lustrous the shine. It can be applied with a brush. Until varnished, the finish can be lifted and if you touch the area, you will...

Here's a description of how it works... New water based Medium to create flaked paint, scratches, and rust chips. Chipping Medium can be applied with airbrush or brush to create chipping effects with water based acrylic colours. The Medium can be applied with airbrush or brush on the base colour of ...

Mixing ground pastels with water, and a little surfactant, is what's known as a 'sludge wash'. Great for getting dirty and will also demonstrate the abrasive qualities of re-ground pastels. Very finely ground pastels are often used as water streaks, laying down a thin filter then gently dragging a ...