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Trying to do my first photo-etch on the Tamiya Challenger 1 and I removed the plastic that gets replaced before prepping the photo-etch. I screwed up prepping the photo-etch  ....and now what?
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Apr 25, 2023 18:29
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stealie72 posted:I don't really trust myself to do this so I primed/sprayed the fuselage walls then brush painted as many things as I could singly (oxygen bottles, throttles, various sticks and wheels, etc.) then glued them in. This FEELS like I'm making more work for myself, but it also means I'm not accidentally blobbing black on the fuselage wall where the oxygen tank attaches to it. Should I just get over myself and assemble everything as bare plastic, then prime/spray, then brush paint details? This is how I tend to approach detail stuff and most of my ship kits these days. It feels like I'm making more work for myself painting everything separately but I've learned through experience that if I assemble too much first it just makes for more frustrating problems down the road with difficulty masking, painting etc. I tend to try and think of it as a series of subassemblies or mini-kits that will eventually all come together power rangers style.
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Apr 25, 2023 18:29
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tidal wave emulator posted:This is how I tend to approach detail stuff and most of my ship kits these days. It feels like I'm making more work for myself painting everything separately but I've learned through experience that if I assemble too much first it just makes for more frustrating problems down the road with difficulty masking, painting etc. This is how I handle things as well. I'm getting better with hand-painted touch up and hand-painting in general, but since I do 95% of my work with my airbrushes it feels more consistent if I work with sub-assemblies or individual parts. For pinwashes and weathering, that's when I start getting into larger assemblies.
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Apr 25, 2023 18:40
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therunningman posted:Trying to do my first photo-etch on the Tamiya Challenger 1 and I removed the plastic that gets replaced before prepping the photo-etch. 1) order the photo-etch to get a replacement for what you screwed up 2) scratch build! 3) "battle damage"
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Apr 25, 2023 20:22
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MyronMulch posted:1) order the photo-etch to get a replacement for what you screwed up 4) "There was nothing there in the first place." 5) I hosed up, time to buy a new kit. The Five Stages Of Hobby Grief
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Apr 25, 2023 21:07
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I feel blessed I have a duplicate of HMS Dreadnought because the stupid gantries around the funnels are loving impossible. If I were doing an etched brass kit I would solder the joints after bending to stabilise them - is that something that's done in PE detail parts also? On the other end of the 'wargames miniature' of HMS Agamemnon is basically complete sans rigging. I've ordered some AK Extra Fine Rigging line. Obviously the shrouds and ratlines are conspicuous in their absence but I'm not sure what I can do about that. There's a uk supplier but they're not answering my messages and it'll be a month to get them from China. 
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Apr 25, 2023 21:32
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Bloody Hedgehog posted:Which exact paint and which exact thinner? The culprits:  I was under the impression that the AK line was all water based acrylics. Live and learn I suppose. Good thing i was smart enough to do it in a mixing cup, that would have sucked to clean out of the airbrush.
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Apr 25, 2023 22:14
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A good rule of thumb with acrylics is if there is a flammable warning logo on the container then it's a solvent based acrylic and you can't thin it with water.
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Apr 25, 2023 23:28
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Warmachine posted:4) "There was nothing there in the first place." I think I'm at 4 right now. I may try to cover it up somehow... I think the AK real color is similar to Tamiya acrylics and doesn't play nice with the water based thinners. I use that thinner for the AK "3rd Gen" acrylics.
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Apr 26, 2023 03:34
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Warmachine posted:4) "There was nothing there in the first place." "Time to buy a new kit" is a part of every stage.
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Apr 26, 2023 09:00
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Keeping the newbie questions rolling: Are themed paint sets (like the Vallejo "WWII allied colors") a good way to get a little bit of a discount while building up your paint collection, or are they a way for the paint company to package a few popular/needed colors with some random colors that you don't really need, that saves the buyer neither time nor money? My process so far has been to look at instructions on scalemates to see what colors are needed and order whatever paints I don't have along with the kit I'm buying, but this requires time and concentration, since I've got to double check what colors I already have. I don't have enough colors on-hand to be confident that I've got something like "is a WWII era tank" covered with my selection. I can also see a paint inventory spreadsheet (unless there's a good paint stash app?) in my near future.
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Apr 26, 2023 17:06
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Ensign Expendable posted:"Time to buy a new kit" is a part of every stage. I have already done that, more than thrice!  quote:Keeping the newbie questions rolling: I'm convinced that the paint sets are pure marketing meant to sell nearly identical shades over and over again. Personally, compare what I need for a new project against my Scalemates inventory and only if it is sufficiently different or I'm getting low do I order anything new. Scalemates is exactly that! I started keeping track of everything from the start and it has been a super great resource.
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Apr 26, 2023 17:28
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stealie72 posted:Are themed paint sets (like the Vallejo "WWII allied colors") a good way to get a little bit of a discount while building up your paint collection, or are they a way for the paint company to package a few popular/needed colors with some random colors that you don't really need, that saves the buyer neither time nor money? A bit of both - if you're starting out and don't have a big paint stash it's probably a lot more worthwhile than if you end up buying it later down the line and duplicating paints you already have. Obviously some paints you'll go through more quickly than others though and it's worth having spares (I almost always pick up a pot of Tamiya XF-17 when I'm in a shop since I use it for my sea bases and I'll always have a need for it). If you're going to buy a big paint selection like that, make sure its a brand you're comfortable using and investing in long term, otherwise it is a waste of money. stealie72 posted:My process so far has been to look at instructions on scalemates to see what colors are needed and order whatever paints I don't have along with the kit I'm buying, but this requires time and concentration, since I've got to double check what colors I already have. I don't have enough colors on-hand to be confident that I've got something like "is a WWII era tank" covered with my selection. I use the Hobby Color Converter app on Android for keeping track of my paint stash. Although its main function is to show you equivalencies between different paint brands (and some of these can be fairly dubious), I find it useful because it has pretty much every major (and minor) paint brand in its database and lets you add paints to the basket/wishlist so when it comes to being at a show or browsing a model site I can just check my phone to see what I actually need.
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Apr 26, 2023 17:39
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tidal wave emulator posted:I use the Hobby Color Converter app on Android for keeping track of my paint stash. Although its main function is to show you equivalencies between different paint brands (and some of these can be fairly dubious), I find it useful because it has pretty much every major (and minor) paint brand in its database and lets you add paints to the basket/wishlist so when it comes to being at a show or browsing a model site I can just check my phone to see what I actually need. That looks like a great app! I must have overlooked it when I was trying to find exactly this not that long ago.
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Apr 26, 2023 17:42
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therunningman posted:I think I'm at 4 right now. I may try to cover it up somehow... The owner of my local hobby shop told me that AK Real Colors are almost straight lacquers. All I know is that they airbrush very nicely thinned with either Tamiya lacquer thinner or Mr Hobby leveling thinner. But then again, so do Tamiya acrylics since they are solvent based.
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Apr 26, 2023 18:18
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stealie72 posted:Keeping the newbie questions rolling: I think the various colors all have a purpose, but that purpose comes down to paying money to save time and consistency. 20 variations of Russian Green is 19 variants of Russian Green you don't have to mix yourself. I more or less made my own copy of AK's "Essential Yellow" set, because I could see myself using all the paints in the set at some point. In theory, I could have used other colors to mix up any of the six or so paints, or I could do what I did and buy the related colors. Honestly, given my last gently caress-up with mixing--not writing down my recipe and running out mid-project and not being able to replicate the shade properly--I'm kinda leaning into the idea. Being an ADHD cowboy dumbass with colors is a good way to screw up your scheme as it turns out. Charliegrs posted:The owner of my local hobby shop told me that AK Real Colors are almost straight lacquers. All I know is that they airbrush very nicely thinned with either Tamiya lacquer thinner or Mr Hobby leveling thinner. But then again, so do Tamiya acrylics since they are solvent based. I was really surprised to learn the Tamiya Acryic + Mr. Color combo, since I had about 15 old pots of Tamiya Acryl sitting in my tool box and absolutely love how the leveling thinner works. I just need to pick a project to try this out on since I really want to see how it goes. Warmachine fucked around with this message at 18:54 on Apr 26, 2023 |
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Apr 26, 2023 18:52
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tidal wave emulator posted:I use the Hobby Color Converter app on Android for keeping track of my paint stash. tidal wave emulator posted:if you're starting out and don't have a big paint stash it's probably a lot more worthwhile than if you end up buying it later down the line and duplicating paints you already have.
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Apr 26, 2023 19:15
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stealie72 posted:Keeping the newbie questions rolling: I've got a couple of the Vallejo themed sets. I get a lot of use out of the USN and Russian WW2 Aviation sets, the latter has a ton of useful cammo colors in it. You can see both on the two 1/144 planes I posted a few days ago.
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Apr 26, 2023 19:40
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I tend to buy paints as needed myself, when I switched from enamels to acrylics last year I got the most used colors first and add another one or two if they have it available and a kit I plan on starting soon needs it. I also tend to pick my kits based on what colors I have available (Scalemates and Hobby Color Converter are quite useful for this, I tend to browse stores based on my wishlist unless I see something odd/obscure that may be neat and check before buying) as there have been some paints I only needed for minor detailing and it feels like kind of a waste. Never got any paint sets but that might be because I build a variety of subjects and I don't care too much about perfect shade matching or accuracy.
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Apr 26, 2023 19:53
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Warmachine posted:I was really surprised to learn the Tamiya Acryic + Mr. Color combo, since I had about 15 old pots of Tamiya Acryl sitting in my tool box and absolutely love how the leveling thinner works. I just need to pick a project to try this out on since I really want to see how it goes. Mr Color Leveling Thinner + Tamiya acrylics are the bee's knees. They've been my go-to for years. I'd been mixing my Tamiyas with water and was getting a super rough surface. No matter how much I buffed with a rag or how many layers of gloss I put down, decals were silvering and ripping off at the slightest disturbance. So, I finally dug in, did a bunch of research and landed on MCLT and Tamiyas as my main airbrush paint combo. I promptly bought a lifetime supply of MCLT and have never looked back.
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Apr 26, 2023 21:21
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Gewehr 43 posted:Mr Color Leveling Thinner + Tamiya acrylics are the bee's knees. They've been my go-to for years. My rule is to always have an unopened bottle of MCLT in stock. The poo poo is basically magic. Warmachine fucked around with this message at 23:11 on Apr 26, 2023 |
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Apr 26, 2023 23:09
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Gewehr 43 posted:Mr Color Leveling Thinner + Tamiya acrylics are the bee's knees. They've been my go-to for years. I wish companies that make paint would be more clear about what kind of paint it is and what kind of thinner to use. Like it's not enough to label paint as "acrylic" for the very reason you mentioned. Acrylics can be water based (like Vallejo) or solvent based (like Tamiya) but neither one says so on the jars. And then you have things like the Aqueous line of Mr. Color paints which if I'm not mistaken are actually solvent based acrylics like Tamiya. Or Tamiya rattle cans are lacquer paints but good luck finding that listed anywhere on the can. Unless Im just blind and I'm missing it.
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Apr 26, 2023 23:24
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Charliegrs posted:I wish companies that make paint would be more clear about what kind of paint it is and what kind of thinner to use. Like it's not enough to label paint as "acrylic" for the very reason you mentioned. Acrylics can be water based (like Vallejo) or solvent based (like Tamiya) but neither one says so on the jars. And then you have things like the Aqueous line of Mr. Color paints which if I'm not mistaken are actually solvent based acrylics like Tamiya. Or Tamiya rattle cans are lacquer paints but good luck finding that listed anywhere on the can. Unless Im just blind and I'm missing it. All I ask is for the MSDS-equivalent for hobby paint lines be made readily available.
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Apr 27, 2023 01:36
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Yeah, I found out the hard way that Tamiya primer and Vallejo paint don't mix. I haven't looked much deeper into it but does Mr. Surfacer agree with water based acrylics?
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Apr 27, 2023 03:23
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Turbinosamente posted:Yeah, I found out the hard way that Tamiya primer and Vallejo paint don't mix. I haven't looked much deeper into it but does Mr. Surfacer agree with water based acrylics? Every primer agrees with water based acrylics. You used Tamiya primer and had problems applying Vallejo paint over top of it later?
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Apr 27, 2023 03:34
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Bloody Hedgehog posted:Every primer agrees with water based acrylics. You used Tamiya primer and had problems applying Vallejo paint over top of it later? Yes, the paint flaked off stupid easy, using undiluted paint was the only real way to get coverage on it as any water in it caused it to bead on the surface with no adhesion, and strangest of all, scratch testing a painted area would remove both paint and primer leaving bare metal. I've since stripped the figure and will try again later with a different primer.
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Apr 27, 2023 04:12
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If you're priming metal minis, you can get metal etching primers that offer a super strong primer base that essentially fuses with the metal. There are hobby focused ones out there, but you can pick up automotive etching primers at most auto parts stores.
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Apr 27, 2023 04:20
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I think automotive primer came up when I last whined about this in the mini thread? I phrased the question asking if there was a specific primer for metal and it mostly set off a debate as to whether such a specific primer is necessary for metal miniatures. The Tamiya also stuck very poorly to the plastic in Bandai kits and I had similar paint troubles there, but powered through it and varnished it hoping for the best. Idk if something happened to the rattle cans of Tamiya when it went through the mail to me or what because I've had so many problems with it. So what do you guys use to prime Bandai kits? I've got the Swordfish II with a poo poo Tamiya prime job I did that I'll wind up scrubbing off anyways. I got a suggestion here that "Gundam builders use Mr. Surfacer for a reason" as the metal mini in question is a cheap cast Gundam thingy and I guess they thought it was a full kit? And yes all the kit parts and figures were cleaned with soap and water and dried before priming as well, so it isn't dirt/mold release causing it.
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Apr 27, 2023 13:03
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Turbinosamente posted:I think automotive primer came up when I last whined about this in the mini thread? I phrased the question asking if there was a specific primer for metal and it mostly set off a debate as to whether such a specific primer is necessary for metal miniatures. I mean I definitely use Mr. Surfacer 1500 as well. You can get it in rattle cans, so if you don't have an airbrush the option exists, but I just buy the pots. GSI Creos (the company behind Mr. Hobby brand products) makes extremely high-quality stuff. It's bizarre that the Tamiya primer was acting that way though. I don't think 'weird defect in that batch' can be ruled out. Does it behave the same on plastic and metal, or is the peeling limited to metal figures?
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Apr 27, 2023 13:45
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Warmachine posted:It's bizarre that the Tamiya primer was acting that way though. I don't think 'weird defect in that batch' can be ruled out. Does it behave the same on plastic and metal, or is the peeling limited to metal figures? On plastic it would stick but easily be scraped off by a fingernail. On metal it stuck great, until I tried to paint over it, then paint and primer came off with a light fingernail scrape. Sometimes the lightest touch would obliterate just the paint on the metal figure. In both cases it was resistant to the paint, especially when it was thinned with water. Idk if I hosed up and sprayed it in sub optimal conditions? Or over did it on the metal as it was a little thicker compared to getting myself under control with the plastic parts. Or shouldn't have bought it from a random Ebay seller specializing in model supplies?
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Apr 27, 2023 14:28
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How did you spray it? It's been a long time since I used rattle can primer but I recall you were supposed to do a very light coat first to act as a key, and once that's gassed off to do another couple of light coats to build up the surface. That's what I do with Stynylrez, Mr Surfacer etc via my airbrush too and if I do one single heavy coat then it's quite easy to chip it off as it's not had a chance to bite.
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Apr 27, 2023 14:36
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It's been a long time since I primed these things, but I do remember attempting a light coat, then thinking I needed a little more coverage and spraying again. I probably didn't allow enough dry time between coats as I did it all at once.
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Apr 27, 2023 14:48
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Did you wash your parts before hand? Minis and kits can occasionally still have mold release on them from the factory, which can prevent adhesion of paints.
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Apr 27, 2023 15:08
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Bloody Hedgehog posted:Did you wash your parts before hand? Minis and kits can occasionally still have mold release on them from the factory, which can prevent adhesion of paints. Yes I did. On second thought the Tamiya did stick to the plastic and metal, but wouldn't accept Vallejo paint. And oddly flaked on the metal after forcing paint on to it. It was Vallejo brush on primer that was weak adhesion to Bandai plastic and sparked this whole primer search in the first place.
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Apr 27, 2023 15:13
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I'm literally painting a Bandai plastic kit right now with Vallejo acrylics that was primed with Tamiya fine light gray spray primer and I have not seen any issues 
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Apr 27, 2023 16:05
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Turbinosamente posted:On plastic it would stick but easily be scraped off by a fingernail. On metal it stuck great, until I tried to paint over it, then paint and primer came off with a light fingernail scrape. Sometimes the lightest touch would obliterate just the paint on the metal figure. In both cases it was resistant to the paint, especially when it was thinned with water. It sounds like possibly: - Too hot/too cold when you sprayed the primer - Can wasn't shaken enough. - The primer wasn't allowed enough time to dry. - Primer sprayed too thick. I would definitely say to try it again at some point in the future. Tamiya primer is top notch (like everything else they make) and works great over metal. And while a bad can can't be ruled out I definitely doubt that was the case.
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Apr 27, 2023 16:13
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Turbinosamente posted:Yes I did. On second thought the Tamiya did stick to the plastic and metal, but wouldn't accept Vallejo paint. And oddly flaked on the metal after forcing paint on to it. It was Vallejo brush on primer that was weak adhesion to Bandai plastic and sparked this whole primer search in the first place. Hmm, not sure what this may be, since you seem to be having multiple issues from different angles. Your not adding some jungle-juice style concoction of home-made thinners and additives to the paint are you?
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Apr 27, 2023 16:14
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Bloody Hedgehog posted:Hmm, not sure what this may be, since you seem to be having multiple issues from different angles. Nope just plain old water. It could have just been bad conditions when priming, at the time it was cold enough that I did the old pop outside just long enough to spray and right back inside to keep the can and parts warm. All can shaking took place inside and it is kept indoors at all times and it's a bare minimum of 30 seconds of shaking.
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Apr 27, 2023 16:28
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So as I’m going through my model to sand and fill gaps and seams I’ve noticed I actually way too nervous about using too much glue and used too little in parts resulting in seams that are barely together with little strings of melted plastic holding them together instead of a solid fuse. So now I’m having to go back and apply glue to them again and squeeze to fit them down better before I can actually work on the seam in earnest
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Apr 27, 2023 16:43
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Went to the hobby shop for the first time in months today. No models purchased but did get the primer I needed, a can of tamiya metal primer cause I find the fine surface primer doesn't stick super well. Also treated myself to a new cutting mat cause my old one was from the 90's, hadn't been flat in years and lost it's self healing ability at some point in time.
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Apr 28, 2023 09:01
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