Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

You might check a local artist supply store and look for paint pigments. These are available in a wide range of tones, and they can be applied on a surface easily when carefully rinsed through a fine mesh (nylon stockings are great!) on a surface which is prepared with a mix of water, paint and whit...

Any glue has issues with paint largely because the glue attaches to the paint which then attaches to the plastic. That's the main point. Whatever you glue together, make sure you have clean surfaces - not only without paint, but also without grease from your fingers, etc. Scratching away paint will...

There's dayglo paint available in artist shops, acryllic paint (water-based, AFAIK in orange and yellow - any red I know is rather magenta and not suitable for magma/lava) which comes in tubes. These might work for some drama, but it's personal taste if you want to go THAT far. Might look pretty toy...

There is (at least in Europe) a Humbrol product called Maskol available, which is actually a water-solluble and pretty quickly drying latex stuff just for detail masking. It's tricky to handle (probably any masking film product?), since it behaves like water (surface tension makes it "shrink&qu...

IMHO, primer makes sense on large scale models and when you have smooth surfaces. On typical small-scale vehicles (aircraft, edgy space ships) it is not necessary. Two uses are very important, though: - as already mentioned, primer reveals surface imperfections, better than anything else, and a very...

A screen visualisation of the tone does not help, since color representation varies widely from one screen to another. If this is no standardized tone (according to something like FS, RAL, RLM etc.), there will be hardly any help for you expect guesswork.

Did you use primer on the kit, or (additionally) cleaned it before using the spray paint? Grease stains from your fingers on the model could also cause such problems, as well as a lack of primer. You might also have used too much paint at the time, when the paint started running on the kit - this ha...

These are PVC figures, and they are painful to clean and paint (as you experienced). What you should do: - clean thoroughly before putting any paint on - use an acryllic/water-based primer as a base coat - use acryllic/water-based paint for finishing While the primer might allow enamels to be used, ...

Whatever you do, don't over-do it. Subtle is the rule at this scale. I'd avoid the "grunge" wash. It's appropriately named - usually it makes things look grungy. Agree with that. It also depends on how close you want the "audience" to come. For a real close look, a subtle shadin...

Against yellowing, you can simply use some tape and pin the decals into your southside window and have them bleached. Takes some time, but it works and does the decal itself no harm. Normally, even vintage decals keep their integrity, but I had the case with (very old) ESCI decals that they literall...

I think I read in that thread a while ago that sticking the model in the freezer helps shrink the plastic a fraction and makes fragile the bond. Never tried it but it makes sense. That would have been my advise, too. Put the kit in a refrigerator, cool it down thoroughly, and see how the glue areas...

Also looking for the best way to make à wash for panel lines? If the goal is to have a wash settle in to engraved panel lines it is a good idea to apply that wash over gloss paint or a gloss coat over matte paint because on matte paint the wash will settle in to the miniature-sandpaper-like surface...

Mad-Modeler wrote:Paper-mache is your best bet here.

Look at those spherical paper-lampshades or similar.

And/or use strips from a newspaper, soak them in thin wallpaper glue, and apply the cross-hatch in multiple layers onto the blown balloon.

IMHO, all options are not good - it might also depend whether you use a brush or an airbrush. From personal experience I can tell that a stamp does only work half-heartedly, you hardly get sharp edges and the amount of paint to apply to the stamp is a tricky thing. I'd also assume that finding the p...

The standard MM enamels should be no trouble, they are durable and can be safely painted over. I just found some of the authentic color range, esp. the semi-matte RLM tones, to be very hard to handle. They have a weird pigmentation - they are thin and offera perfect base for decals, but they do not ...

You can basically use any color that says "acryllic" - these are safe. Flat paint form a rattle can will do. Just check ingredients - some cheaper no-name/all-purpose paints are rather based on synthetic resin (like the Tamiya stuff), but these can, if they are not made especially for mode...

Not sure what you mean - but I had much success with semi-translucent "mother of pearl" effect lacquer (I think it was/is acryllic) over a colored base coat of acryllic paint. I experimented with this combo some time ago on an anime character figure: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2492/406...

That sounds good, too - unless the white tones differ. This happens easily, but your method just omitts the risks of an additional clear cote layer under the decals. Should work, though, good luck!

Use the coat sparrsely. Normally, you should not see a yellowing unless you apply too much. Just a "hush" with the rattle can should be enough. But if it is just for 2 decals, maybe invest a few bucks and get some clear coat to apply thinly with a brush? Rattle can works IMO well on large ...

I'd hit the finished kit with grinded, very soft pencil mine. With bare fingertip of a soft cotton cloth, and then rub the stuff gently from the the front to the back. It will emphasize surface details with a greyish-metallic shine and might add to the "impact" or "burnt" look. V...

Humbrol used to have a special clear coat/material (similar to clear nail polish) which was intended to fill windows, e. g. on small scale passenger planes. I think it is out of production, though, and probably not stable enough to fill a 1/4" void without some construction help. But it dried u...

Tricky. I am doing this in small scale on mecha kits (visors and the like, not complete bodywork), and the best tip I can give is to use different coats, based on different materials - when you use a nitrous clear paint, better use a water-based silver underneath. If both are nitrous, chances are hu...

I made good experience with partial hot water baths for large area dents and deformations on thinner plastics. I used it on a NASCAR model a couple of years ago. Take the piece (in my case the car body), hold it in boiling water (ideally just the area that is supposed to be formed) and quickly "...

What if you just want to scan the decals from the AMT kits and print them out on decal paper? Can I do that, and what kind of paper should I use? Complicated, but works. First, you need a good basis - e.g. a well-printed decal sheet. Then you need a good scanner. Set the scanning resolution to at l...

I had good success on clear parts with 1.000 grit snad paper plus lots of water, then an interim finish with a 4.000 grit Abralon pad (also lots of water), and finally a polish with a simply polishing paste from the DIY store (contains some fine abrasives, plus wax to shine the surface up) or, alter...

Depends here, too - but mainly, I like to build and finish major parts (like a tank hull or the turret) before painting, esp. when I use spray. Thereafter, details follow. It really depends on the kit and how it is supposed to be assemble. But I'd give parts on the sprue only a basic paint or a prim...