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mllaneza posted:Packing material styrofoam is also excellent for holding the dozens of long-tailed alligator clips you will absolutely need. Maybe I should upgrade from my wire cutters, eh.
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Dec 30, 2022 16:05
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gradenko_2000 posted:I primed my model today, so the next step is to start painting a base coat. It's really something you just have to get a feel for though, through trial and error. Some paints thinned too far will have no coverage, whereas others you can thin down to nothing and still get decent results. I like to keep a cheap sketchbook next to me while painting, and I can put down a brush stroke, or a shot from the airbrush, to see what the coverage and consistency is like.
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Dec 30, 2022 16:06
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Also, don't overthink it too much. If you see that it's leaving brush marks in the finished paint, thin it a bit more. If it pools in low spots or runs, thicken it a bit.
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Dec 30, 2022 20:12
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mllaneza posted:They're easy to clean, don't wear down, and are so much stronger than the plastic that they sand quicker and cleaner. They're just really, really nice files. With that said though I think glass files are the way into the future as the main sanding tool. If only for the fact that they'll save you money in the long run and you can still use some paper/sponges for tricky shapes or spots. Somebody just has to make a file set in sensible grit sizes (like from 800 to 2.5k) and I'll pounce on it  E: Also since we're talking sanding, here is a hot tip from me on tool maintenance The real game changers for me were rubbers for cleaning sanding belts/discs. Peep this sanding sponge...  It has seen some work and is nearing the end if its life. I can't stop that but I sure can make it last a little while longer. Notice how it's all gunked up from use during a build session that night.  That's quite a different look imo. It also takes next to no effort to clean this way. Just rub it over your sanding tool of choice a few times and there you go. Might have to clean a few specks of rubber/dirt every now and then but that's literally it. Kinda blew my mind how good this works tbh. I bought my rubber stick for a little over three bucks and most big tool retailers should have something similar in their sanding gear isle. Give it a try! Tin Tim fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Dec 30, 2022 |
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Dec 30, 2022 20:57
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I prefer my glass files to my metal ones just because they're not anywhere near as aggressive, while still really cutting through nubs. You can get some nice ones at your local beauty supply store or drugstore. They also make your nails feel really nice, if you're a whacko and use things for their intended purposes.
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Dec 30, 2022 22:50
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Mine are a gifted pair of Sirens (SF-13 and -15), checking online they're about 10-12,000 grit. Even that fine they still just eat nubs off of plastic models. They're also cheap as hell and easy to clean. I'll have to get some that are smaller to get into awkward areas, but these are already super useful.
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Dec 30, 2022 23:08
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At the beginning of the year, I set a goal for myself to finish 8 models in the year. I'm happy to report that, with a few hours to spare, I was able to do just that. This is the 1/32 Zoukei Mura Ki-45 Toryu (codenamed "Nick") heavy fighter/interceptor as it appeared late in WWII. The kit was good, but not great in terms of fit. ZM's instructions are absolute works of art though, so that was neat to see. This is built straight out of the box except for the radio wire. I was surprised at how small it is for a heavy twin. Definitely smaller than a Bf-110. Because of my self-imposed timeline this went from untouched to completed in 23 days. That's a record for me. Happy new year, all!                       
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Dec 31, 2022 22:38
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That looks really killer, and ocngrats on finishing under the deadline. I'm picking at a much tinier Tony right now, and I'll be delighted if it turns out half as good. You're not kidding about the Zoukei Mura manuals, either. I dunno if I'll ever have the courage (or the space) to build the P-51 of theirs, but I'm happy to have it just for the neat trade dress. I can't be bothered to unbox all my old stuff from earlier in the year, so my year-in-review's a best-of collage. I didn't remember so much blue, but here we are. For moving several thousand miles and completely uprooting my life, I think I was pretty productive. 
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Jan 1, 2023 00:39
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My achievements for 2022.               Purely in numbers, this is my most productive year in a while. Not that much of my usual bread and butter (1:35 scale tanks), but lots of new 3D printed stuff in various scales, my first bust, my first 1:6 gun, my first experience with large metallic paint jobs, my first diorama in a long time, and the first time using LEDs.
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Jan 1, 2023 02:03
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My new years resolution is to finally try a military model. Car models have been fun but I'm kind of burnt out on them.
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Jan 1, 2023 02:26
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Gewehr 43 posted:1/32 Zoukei Mura Ki-45 Toryu That's a beautiful airplane. It looks like a lot of fun to weather the beat up Japanese planes Great way to end the year! Ensign Expendable posted:A bunch of inspiring models Awesome work! Looks like a wide range of subjects. I had no idea you could get Mass Effect scale models. What is the scale? Update on the airbrushing! I got some Vallejo flow improver. Smells just like Windex. It made a huge difference. I did some tests and it worked out ok I think. I used blue tack and making tape to mask the camo. It was tricky around the details and I've broken off the front wire cutters about half a dozen times now. Sprayed the black stripes and did some touch-up with a brush. Still enjoying myself and learning techniques from essentially zero.  
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Jan 1, 2023 04:42
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Hey that looks really nice! Good sharp lines. Instead of blue tack, try plain old silly putty. It is the best material for masking irregular lines, bar none. It's less tacky and never leaves a residue or adhesive behind like blue tack can.
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Jan 1, 2023 12:52
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Gewehr 43 posted:At the beginning of the year, I set a goal for myself to finish 8 models in the year. I'm happy to report that, with a few hours to spare, I was able to do just that. This is the 1/32 Zoukei Mura Ki-45 Toryu (codenamed "Nick") heavy fighter/interceptor as it appeared late in WWII. The kit was good, but not great in terms of fit. ZM's instructions are absolute works of art though, so that was neat to see. This is built straight out of the box except for the radio wire. I was surprised at how small it is for a heavy twin. Definitely smaller than a Bf-110. This is rad! Hairspray chipping? One of my new years resolutions is to Build More Kits and I'm starting this year off with Tamiya's recent 1/72 Bf109 G-6 today. I'm not usually much of a luftwaffe guy but Tamiya kits are always a fun build. My next model club meeting is on the 10th - will I get the entire thing finished by then? Let's see! 
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Jan 1, 2023 15:25
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tidal wave emulator posted:This is rad! Hairspray chipping? Yep. Basically, you spray the undercoat (aluminum in this case), then hairspray, then your base coat (the green here), then brush on a little water to liquify the hairspray. Once it liquifies, it carries away the top coat in highly irregular patterns, mimicking chipping. There are a bunch of tutorials on youtube that explain it pretty well.
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Jan 1, 2023 16:01
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Gewehr 43 posted:Yep. Basically, you spray the undercoat (aluminum in this case), then hairspray, then your base coat (the green here), then brush on a little water to liquify the hairspray. Once it liquifies, it carries away the top coat in highly irregular patterns, mimicking chipping. There are a bunch of tutorials on youtube that explain it pretty well. I've done it a few times before, but it's been a couple of years since my last chipped aircraft - I'm currently on the bare metal stage of a B7A2 (albeit it's been a shelf queen for months).  My paint scheme will be pretty similar to yours - what was your process for doing the yellow strips on the leading edges? Paint before and then mask off, then paint everything else? From previous experience you need to chip fairly soon after painting so I want to try and minimise the number of extra steps necessary before getting to chipping. Did you have any issues with masking lifting paint because of the weak grip of the hairspray?
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Jan 1, 2023 16:17
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The build thread is here: https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?/topic/95329-zoukei-mura-ki-45-kai-tei-nick/ My basic process was - Prime - Aluminum on the parts I wanted to chip - Vallejo chipping medium - this is a lot thicker than hairspray, so I applied it with a sponge. - Panel line pre-shade - Light base coat - Mask areas for the white bands - Final base coat - Demask white bands, mask around white bands - Spray whites - Spray red insignias - Mask for the light orange leading edges - Chip the paint. Since the Vallejo medium is so thick, I didn't need to use water. I just took some Tamiya tape and dabbed it on the surface, and the medium pulled off large areas. The build thread shows what it looked like at that point. Later, I went around and hand-painted smaller chips to help unify the whole look as the big chips from the Vallejo product were too stark on their own. The benefit of using the chipping medium is that time isn't really a factor. Its grip on the undercoat is very weak, so you can chip it any time. Indeed, I chipped a few spots as I was finishing up yesterday, and that was under multiple layers of paint and varnish. The downside of using chipping medium is that its grip on the undercoat is very weak, so it absolutely will pull up if you mask over it. So, I only use it for larger areas I'm trying to chip. I've never done a 1/72 scale anything, so I'm not sure how well something like a chipping medium would translate to that scale.
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Jan 1, 2023 16:37
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You have to accept a little bit of exaggeration in 1/72 planes and tanks, but it works well enough if you use a fine brush instead of going at it with a big filbert or something.
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Jan 2, 2023 01:50
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oh sweet this has english translations of the instructions that come with the model this will be super useful
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Jan 2, 2023 02:39
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I built nothing in 2022 outside of wargames stuff so I grabbed a pair of cheap 1/72nd Revell Soviet/Russian armour kits I found in a local discount place when visiting home. Upon examining the contents I found brass sheets and what looks like 0.25mm wire taped to the instructions to make tow cables with. Looks like 2023 is going to be another year of zero builds.
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Jan 2, 2023 03:20
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Gewehr 43 posted:Hey that looks really nice! Good sharp lines. Instead of blue tack, try plain old silly putty. It is the best material for masking irregular lines, bar none. It's less tacky and never leaves a residue or adhesive behind like blue tack can. Thanks! The blue tack was the closest thing I could find at the store but I'm going to look for some silly putty. I am not convinced that specific "masking putty" is much different other than marketing, but I may be wrong. This vehicle has mirrors and I've been looking around for the best way to tackle them. Maybe light gray is sufficient to get the effect across?
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Jan 2, 2023 03:54
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Arquinsiel posted:I built nothing in 2022 outside of wargames stuff so I grabbed a pair of cheap 1/72nd Revell Soviet/Russian armour kits I found in a local discount place when visiting home. gently caress tow cables. PFC Fuckup lost them 5 miles ago and no one wants to root through cold mud to retrieve them. Now build your drat tank.
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Jan 2, 2023 05:35
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There are plenty of photos of T-34 tanks where the tow cable either migrated from where it's supposed to be kept or disappeared completely.
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Jan 2, 2023 05:49
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smh if you're not mining lead to melt and draw out to hand-braid your own tow cables to better be in scale, can you really call yourself a modeller otherwise?
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Jan 2, 2023 09:19
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therunningman posted:Thanks! The blue tack was the closest thing I could find at the store but I'm going to look for some silly putty. Masking putty is a stiffer, tackier, and more expensive silly putty. Thus, it is inferior in every way. And yeah, light gray, silver metallic, or light blue will get the effect you want.
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Jan 2, 2023 13:03
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Jonny Nox posted:gently caress tow cables. PFC Fuckup lost them 5 miles ago and no one wants to root through cold mud to retrieve them.
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Jan 2, 2023 14:59
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what is a reasonable time to wait for acrylic paint to dry? Like, I don't mind doing one light coat today, and then do another one tomorrow, and so on, but maybe that's excessive
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Jan 2, 2023 15:59
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Like an hour or so? If it’s spray paint it should be touch dry immediately after application.
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Jan 2, 2023 16:11
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If you're brush painting then it depends on the thickness of the coat but generally we're talking minutes here rather than hours or days to dry like enamels. There is a technical distinction between drying and curing, and acrylic paint can take a few hours to a day to properly cure but for all intents and purposes once it's touch dry it's fine to paint over it.
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Jan 2, 2023 16:36
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gradenko_2000 posted:what is a reasonable time to wait for acrylic paint to dry? Like, I don't mind doing one light coat today, and then do another one tomorrow, and so on, but maybe that's excessive ime it's dry enough to handle in like ten minutes, but continues gaining durability for like two hours. Sweet spot for doing chipping stuff is like forty five minutes.
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Jan 2, 2023 17:17
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Anyone here have experience with Revell enamel paints? I've used Vallejo and Tamiya acrylics off and on over the years but I have a new kit I want to put together and it's going to require something like 20 different colors.  I can get 14ml tins of enamel for $2.59 and I know they are unlikely to dry out. All my acrylic paints only last for 12 months or so before they start going on me. I've considered hand painting the small parts and using my airbrush and spray booth for anything bigger. I know there is a longer cure time and I'll need thinner and more safety precautions with enamels but it seems like they are still making the paints for a reason right?
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Jan 2, 2023 23:58
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Hekk posted:Anyone here have experience with Revell enamel paints? I've used Vallejo and Tamiya acrylics off and on over the years but I have a new kit I want to put together and it's going to require something like 20 different colors. I have jars of Tamiya acrylics for 3 years that are just as good as the day I bought them. How are you storing them? Are you moving them out of their jars into different containers? My recommendation is to never pour from the jars. And if you do, immediately clean up the threads. That's what messes them up, getting dried up paint on the threads means the lid cant be closed completely which will let air in and dry them out. I don't have tons of experience with enamels, but personally I would take acrylics (especially Tamiya) over enamels any day. I just find they are easier to work with and so nice to spray. And the short drying time is nice too.
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Jan 3, 2023 02:28
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Charliegrs posted:I have jars of Tamiya acrylics for 3 years that are just as good as the day I bought them. How are you storing them? Are you moving them out of their jars into different containers? My recommendation is to never pour from the jars. And if you do, immediately clean up the threads. That's what messes them up, getting dried up paint on the threads means the lid cant be closed completely which will let air in and dry them out. Vallejo in the dropper bottles in my heated and air conditioned basement. My only experience with enamels was as a kid with lovely Testors paint. Otherwise, I have some oil paints I've used for weathering that have worked well on top of acrylics with a spray can clear coat.
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Jan 3, 2023 02:51
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Weird. I have 9 year old bottles of vallejo paints in the dropper bottles that are still going strong. In other news, I went looking for some oddball ship models and landed in a time machine from the dotcom era. http://ironshipwrights.com/ironship.html Yeesh.
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Jan 3, 2023 02:53
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Gewehr 43 posted:In other news, I went looking for some oddball ship models and landed in a time machine from the dotcom era. http://ironshipwrights.com/ironship.html Yeesh. I have, but have not built this: https://freetimehobbies.com/1-700-combrig-models-uss-boston-cruiser-1887/ Lots of small pieces, nice detail on the resin, I'm looking forward to getting to it.
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Jan 3, 2023 03:02
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Gewehr 43 posted:In other news, I went looking for some oddball ship models and landed in a time machine from the dotcom era. http://ironshipwrights.com/ironship.html Yeesh.
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Jan 3, 2023 03:24
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Tin Tim posted:Treat yourself with a nice photo CD from the accessory catalog One of the links on their site takes me to a page that will allow me to buy their sister domain steelnavy.com.
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Jan 3, 2023 03:28
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if i ever have the time i'm going to scratch build the samuel b roberts using archival plans from this place https://floatingdrydock.com/TFW2.htm they even have a form for mail and fax orders!
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Jan 3, 2023 03:41
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Hekk posted:Anyone here have experience with Revell enamel paints? I've used Vallejo and Tamiya acrylics off and on over the years but I have a new kit I want to put together and it's going to require something like 20 different colors. I've brush painted with Revell enamels for quite a while until I partially moved over to Revell acrylics (Their Aqua Color line) a few years ago. You're looking at a much longer drying/curing time, and in terms of them drying out in-container I've had better luck with the acrylics due to the container design. Not to mention that the Aqua stuff is a bit easier to revive if it does dry out: Just add a few drops of water. In terms of end results I'm not seeing too much of a difference most of the time, and I've had a weird issue with some enamels on occasion not curing correctly, which seems to be related to not stirring/shaking the paint/tin enough beforehand.
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Jan 3, 2023 09:17
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Gewehr 43 posted:Weird. I have 9 year old bottles of vallejo paints in the dropper bottles that are still going strong. Even Cybermodeler and Hyperscale for the aircraft stuff are already at least two decades out of date design-wise.   I think it must be that ship modelling is an exponentially more niche interest than aircraft that most of the web resources for it have barely changed since the 90s. Aside from the kit manufacturers, I think most of the aftermarket makers etc are pretty much one-man-bands at this point and entire lines close or disappear when the owners die or can't find a buyer for their business. Colourcoats enamels which are p much the most respected ship paints (used as paint references by Flyhawk etc) were saved from disappearance when White Ensign's owner retired by Sovereign Hobbies which is again a tiny husband-and-wife operation run in their spare time filling the paint tinlets in their garage etc. It's probably worth noting that aside from SA, scale modelling communities are one of the few groups keeping the old classic forums/messageboards alive through sheer will of their membership being old fellas who hate change and appreciate the advantages of forums.
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Jan 3, 2023 11:10
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Another blast from the past, but that's because it literally is a 1-man operation: https://www.dacoproducts.com/ DACO products still uses frames on their site. He makes some cool stuff though.
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Jan 3, 2023 11:43
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