Starship Modeler Discussion Forums

There's nothing scary about soldering ! Practice on a few scraps, make sure the the wires are hot enough for the solder to flow as soon as it touches the wires and you are good to go. Here is the old reliable Western Union splice which can work cold:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Union_splice

Another option is metal faced corroplast-
https://www.laminatorsinc.com/sign-pane ... /alumalite
It's used for a lot of signage, and is available in a brushed silver finish. I second the idea of vinyl letters- they are pretty much industry standard these days.

One benefit of COVID is that Tim Hunkin, Brit tinkerer extraordinare and host of the 1980s BBC show "The Secret Life of Machines" has come up with a youtube series on the Secret Life of Components- Bearings! Chains! Springs" Blackmail! Blue Films! Narcotics! ( not really those last th...

I was just thinking about this. I would like to do the Revell XSL-01 landed on the moon. Hatch open, rope ladder dangling, solar boiler open. I just need to copy the off-center booster nose cones in my copious free time.

I'll have to try that stuff! Using up a whole bottle of CA is something I have never done.

The stuff in hobby stores is way better than what I find at the dollar store. I've heard Gorilla is good, Loctite seems to work better but goes bad in a week, but I have never used a full container of CA before it goes bad.

Easy off for me usually loosens up the yellowish layer enough for me, but maybe a rubdown with a white Scotchbrite pad will get rid of the clingy remains.

True- some do get very hot, especially straight plaster of paris. I usually use Durhams Water Putty or patching plaster which stays pretty cool. It's there mainly as a heat sink. As always, do some research and try it in an inconspicuous location.

Vacuform them using the original parts as a master. Fill them with clay or plaster to act as a heat sink, or make a plaster copy. I have melted styrene masters in a Mattel vacuform machine, so be careful.

I think it has vanished. Lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth on flying model airplane boards about the lack of the tube cement, and the address on an old bottle shows up as a suburban house. I use acrylic cement as a substitute for Pro-Weld. I get it at TAP Plastics, a West coast supplier but you ...

Easy Off works just fine.

That sounds like an application for a rotary broach. I'm not fully convinced it would work on styrene or if any off the shelf tools would be the right size, but might be worth checking out:
https://www.polygonsolutions.com/how-ro ... ing-works/

Why not just make a mold of the original part and cast it hollow? Otherwise, it looks like the bridge window could be hollowed out by drilling straight back with a long drill bit (aircraft drill) all the way to the back of the neck for your wires, and then just opened up from the front. Just a sugge...

It looks like PVA glue because that is pretty much what it is. It may eventually clear up. Other possibilities could be using some clear epoxy-prone to bubbles, some clear enamel, or cut the tops off of some tiny googly eyes. I'd give it some time to dry, or start over and build the domes up in laye...

I hold them upside down and bleed off the pressure. Every little bit of pressure loss helps if you are spraying the paint into another container. WD-40 straws only fit WD-40 nozzles which may or may not fit your paint can, If you bleed off ALL of the pressure- there will be no more hissing and the c...

Needle files!
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-piece- ... t-468.html

Double check the ID and dimensions on the original batteries against the LR 44 specs, and the holders. There are a lot of very similar batteries out there and a lot are mislabeled. Should be close enough...AND DO NOT THROW THEM IN THE TRASH. One of those things will kill a baby. Unpleasant stuff ins...

Indeed. Like things go with like. I like the cheap multi-compartment boxes with a space for tiny fins, big fins, little round stuff, oval things(not easy to find) etc. My only regret is the big box of "stuff to re-file" that builds up over a very brief time. Stillborn projects go into a zi...

I use acrylic cement, which has some methylene chloride in it. Works great on Styrene, ABS, acrylics, plexiglas and most rigid plastics. I get it locally at TAP Plastics, but there are other versions. It is pretty similar to Ambroid Pro-Weld, but a lot cheaper: https://www.tapplastics.com/uploads/pd...

Surround each half of the mold with a box or frame and fill it with plaster? Make sure to add some registration pins on the frame if you don't have them on the mold itself. If the mold is really whippy you might want to do this with the master inside to keep it from deforming. Just a suggestion...

Look for a "micro drill chuck"- a google search will conjure up a bunch of options. I am not familiar with the Tamiya tool, so can't say if it will fit in to the business end.

Check on eBay and Etsy for lots of watch parts- "steampunk watch parts" finds a lot of loose pieces.

The cheap battery powered toothbrushes really don't have a lot of power and stall pretty easily. At least the dollar store cheapie I used. It worked on ejector pin marks, but it was a slow task. If I made a another one I would move up to a higher quality rechargeable toothbrush.

A coat of white paint can work well. If it’s still too bright, add another layer.

Lots of little organizers here! I don't build anything out of the box so I usually break down any kits as soon as they come in. If I had the space I would keep everything in the original boxes, but I do not. One of the may compromises made to live in a city.

I usually just use cut off straight pins- if you shop around you can find some variation in head diameter and depth. I've also used escutcheon pins for bigger rivets. I ordered a set of rivet and bolt head molds- http://www.greenstuffworld.com/en/silicone/541-silicone-molds-rivets.html But have not ...

if the print is really recalcitrant, just sand it off. Water on a glass sheet will usually hold the plastic in place and sand away!

There is also styrene faced foam core-
https://www.foamboardsource.com/medium- ... board.html

Years ago I picked up a bunch of solid plastic doll eyes at a fabric store- styrene hemispheres 2, 3 4 5 and 6mm across. Cheap and useful for all kinds of things, especially covering up ejector pin marks. I haven't run out or seen any more since. NOPE- I checked AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.co...

Or the old classic desoldering braid. It's cheap.