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I'm just getting into the hobby again. My last kit was the a Tamiya tank kit about 20 years ago when I was a teenager. I have a a couple of armor and figure kits on order and I have started looking for paint and it is totally overwhelming. My only experience has been huffing the small metal Humbrol bottles and old Citadel paints. My instinct is to stock up on a selection of Tamiya acrylic paints and thinners and look in my local art store for good brushes and some basic oils for weathering. I also have a decent airbrush but would be using one for the first time. If YouTube is to be believed, varnish appears to be essential, both glossy while working and weathering and then matt for finishing. Any recommendations on what to use? Is it a good idea to stick within a brand for consistency or is that just marketing huff? My budget is not super tight but I want to realize the best value and not looking to dive in with products that are unnecessarily frustrating to use. Looking to dive in head first but avoid the biggest rocks. Thanks!
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Dec 3, 2022 20:26
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Ensign Expendable posted:
Ok, that is very good information! Did not know that. The Tamiya paint seems to have a very good reputation so maybe their paints would make good bases and maybe weather and detail paint with water based like Vallejo (and the mig products seem popular and in the right colors? Does the type of primer matter much? I have been leaving towards a bottle of the black and grey "Vallejo surface primer".
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Dec 3, 2022 22:14
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Gewehr 43 posted:
Thanks! I have put in an order for some various supplies. I think it will be a matter of testing things and finding what I like best. I'm excited to get back into it.
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Dec 4, 2022 16:57
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We've got a lot of great people in this thread. No questions are stupid, so feel free to ask anything you're curious of.
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I distinctly recall painting a kit with a Tamiya rattle can back in the day thinking "this is awesome". Good to know rattle cans is a good option!
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Dec 5, 2022 18:28
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This is the airbrush I have. I picked it up used some time ago. The air trigger is a bit sticky so I disassembled it and found paint in the valve. Most likely acrylic paint as there was a small kit of "Comart* paint included. Can I leave it, and other parts, soaking in isopropyl or do I risk damaging anything?  
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Dec 7, 2022 04:18
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Ensign Expendable posted:Rubber seals don't do well suspended in thinner. You might be better off applying some paint remover carefully to the metal parts and scrubbing with a toothpick. Good to know, I'll be more careful and not leave it soaking. Also, great Mosquito! Is the all blue a historical scheme?
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Dec 8, 2022 02:18
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If I ever build a Spitfire it will definitely be pink! Thanks for the explanation.
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Dec 9, 2022 03:08
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Lovely work on all the models in this thread. I'm slowly working my way through the thread. Currently at about page 150 I have vicariously lived through several wooden ship builds Assume work everyone!
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Dec 11, 2022 01:34
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I have now started putting together my first kit since 1997. It is a 1/35 Trumpeter AVGP Cougar. So far I've put some pieces on backwards and stabbed myself with the Xacto blade but it's going pretty well otherwise. Tamiya Extra Thin is effectively like magic compared you what I used back then. Thinking about the painting and building a small list of colors to order. Overall 5/5. Strongly enjoying myself.
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Dec 17, 2022 08:17
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Very cool ship, made me check out the wiki article for its history. Seems like an unusual subject! And such tiny scales. Thanks for sharing the water techniques.
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Dec 18, 2022 09:36
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Construction is substantially complete with a few minor things I'm still considering. Wheels and hatches are dry fitted only. The kit didn't come with figures so I'm leaving those to be coordinated later. Left off the windshield to paint separately. Also need to figure out the antennas. I tried to pay as much attention as I could to the little screw nibs and flashing. Tiny parts and not the best lighting made it difficult. The only big screwup so far is a gigantic glue fingerprint by the drivers hatch. Will need to try and sand it down or something before painting. Also couldn't figure out the photo etch for a couple of small brackets. Currently trying to think of a paint scheme and find some suitable figures at a christian price.   
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Dec 18, 2022 23:26
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Ensign Expendable posted:Squeaking one build in, probably the last one for the year. This is a 3D printed 1:72nd scale Crusader III (with a 1:35 Italeri Crusader for scale). Really nice build. Did you 3d print it yourself? Mokotow posted:I like this one in the UN scheme; SFOR if you really need it to be green. I have my sights set on a different vehicle in a UN scheme. May do this one in the green scheme.
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Dec 20, 2022 08:01
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Been trying to paint the Cougar the last week. I had a couple of Vallejo "Model Air" paints delivered to try. Nato green and black. I chose these because they are supposedly airbrush ready. The green paint seemed thick and I added a little bit of thinner to it and it seemed to work well. Put two somewhat even coats on it with issues. The black however immediately clogged the airbrush even after thinning it and was a huge hassle to clean the airbrush. Doing some reading it appears my problem may be the paint is drying too quick on the needle. -Maybe I didn't thin enough? -Do I need airbrush-specific thinner? -If I use acrylic paints from Vallejo, AK, and MIG do I really need three different branded thinners? -Should I be also looking at "flow improver" and "retarder" and make cocktail every time I want to airbrush? My hobby supplier are either a week and $20 shipping fee or 4 hrs away but I happen to be going by it tomorrow and hopefully get what I'm lacking. Appreciate any insight!
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Dec 28, 2022 06:43
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Thank you for the replies! Going with the acrylics is a deliberate choice due to odors and my kids wanting to be involved. I think in the long run it will be worth the extra hassle. I will be picking up some more ingredients at the shop today and see if I can improve the process.
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Dec 28, 2022 18:12
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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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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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 What have I gotten myself into?  Found a Facebook marketplace ad of a local guy clearing out part of his stash. With no local hobby store I took the whole lot!
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Jan 6, 2023 04:14
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Ensign Expendable posted:Tried something new for myself, a 1:10 scale bust. This is my first bust and the largest scale human I've ever painted. Looks great! Is the painting method more or less the same for smaller figures, just "scaled up"?
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Jan 6, 2023 04:33
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Oh, that's just for re-greasing the sprues before assembly.
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Jan 6, 2023 05:04
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While I'm waiting for some paints to arrive to continue the Cougar I decided to break into a new kit, a Panzer IV by Academy. The parts were fitting comparatively terrible so I checked it out on scalemates and it seems to originate way back in 1968 from a company called "Nichimo" and has then been passed around to quite literally *everyone*. The list is a billion miles long and wide. Does this mean it is effectively a 55 year old kit or would it have been revised in the intervening years? I thoroughly enjoyed building the Trumpeter Cougar but this Panzer IV sucks. The instructions are so muddy I put some parts in the wrong way too. https://www.scalemates.com/kits/academy-1328-panzerkampfwagen-iv-ausf-h-j--107559
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Jan 13, 2023 18:05
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quote:While the timeline is all over the place it's rather easy to read and it doesn't branch much: This is a new tooling from Academy from 1984. You can see this by following the thick line from the kit in the timeline back to the left until you come across "New tool". Ok that's interesting so while the kit may be the same design there are new moulds made on occasion. Been doing some more assembly and most parts fit a little bit better than the initial ones.
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Jan 14, 2023 08:47
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 My vinyl wheels are peeling! What did I do wrong? They are primed with "Painter's Touch" then brush painted with Vallejo and lastly clearcoated with Vallejo airbrushed gloss. Is it just the nature of the vinyl? How are you supposed to paint these, and by extension tank rubber tracks?  So difficult, but I have realized I enjoy painting figures very much. It can only improve from here. I fully admit it's an AliExpress recast, but I have seen the light and got some originals on order. The sculpts have come so far from the "Tamiya 35038 Machine Gun Troops" I last painted in 1996.
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Jan 29, 2023 03:57
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That's a really good insight, thanks for the write-up! Seems there is no easy solution to dealing with vinyl. On these wheels I will try some pigments and see how it goes. Will probably look for hard plastic wheels in the future though.quote:That turned out really well. Keep posting Thanks! I'm excited to paint more figures.
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Jan 29, 2023 07:05
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Looks very interesting, I may give that glazing technique a try on the next figure.
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Jan 29, 2023 16:09
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 While I wait for some pigments for the tires I took a photo. I'm pretty happy with my re-entry into the hobby. Starting on the next one in the meantime!
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Jan 29, 2023 21:50
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Currently building the venerable Tamiya Panzer II with my 10 year old. It's coming together very easily and I think we will be mixing up some purple for the airbrush soon. On the topic of airbrushing; I ran into a strange issue while airbrushing the other day. My flat paint came out almost semi-glossy. I use Ammo Mig's German Gay, mixed with the Mig brand thinner and with a drop of Vallejo flow improver. It sprayed great! Best spraying experience so far. No clouds. However it did not dry to a flat finish. Could it be too much thinner? The mixed brand flow improver? quote:A beautiful T-34 From the thumbnails I thought it was a 1/35 scale first! Very nicely painted.
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Feb 2, 2023 02:54
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Follow up...I tried again without the Vallejo flow improver and it looks great now. I also noticed a lot less issues with tip drying using the Ammo paint vs Model Air. I would not have expected that.
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Feb 2, 2023 05:59
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tidal wave emulator posted:Small scale tanks you say? I picked these up recently and have a notion to create a tiny little diorama of them crossing a river or something Holy crap, that's tiny! Is it printed or cast?
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Feb 4, 2023 02:23
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Tamiya putty is so much nicer than the Squadron brand carried by by local shop. Much easier to put on and sand afterwards. The Squadron putty is like sanding diamonds and flakes off. None of that with the Tamiya. Also trying to texture the turret with Mr. Surfacer 500. Fun to try some techniques! 
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Feb 12, 2023 23:59
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Katamari Democracy posted:Hello Thread, Very cool! Are all the pieces in molded color? How do you deal with all the little sprue nibs?
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Feb 13, 2023 01:15
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Please stop making me want to buy these Japanese mecha kits. I've been back in the hobby for mere months and I already have years worth of kits waiting.
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Feb 15, 2023 02:21
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Ensign Expendable posted:Another 3D printed tank, this one is the smallest diorama I've ever made at 1:100 scale. I also gave up on trying to take photos with my phone since it seems like it can't handle tiny objects no matter what fancy camera app I buy. Love seeing these tiny guys. What's the advantage to 3d printing vs regular injection molding? Gewehr 43 posted:This involves major surgery to splice in resin replacement parts guided by lovely instructions that have been photocopied over at least a few dozen iterations and we're nothing more than suggestions to begin with. Oh, and the backdate kit is defective in that I got two of the same nacelle pieces instead of the handed parts I need. I'd call the company for a replacement, but they went out of business in 2020. Holy heck that is some serious surgery. I felt ambitious shaving off the fenders on the T-62, not so much anymore. Been laying down a basecoat on the hyper-accurate Tamiya T-62. I bought a set of "4BO" modulation colors. I feel like I'm starting to dial in the airbrush now. It was very interesting laying on the different colours and seeing it all come together with the final coat. Thinking about how to approach the rubber band tracks. In my previous model paint on the vinyl wheels totally failed and peeled off. I have acrylic paint and some oils and pigments at my disposal but not sure what's the best to use. 
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Feb 20, 2023 01:33
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drat, you're supposed to wash the sprues? Maybe I'm lucky I haven't had any issues or perhaps that is more a problem with smaller manufacturers?
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Feb 22, 2023 07:45
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Great job for a first model! I am very much in the same spot of returning to the hobby after a long time. What is the difference between using Microsol/set vs the one bottle Tamiya Markfit?
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Feb 24, 2023 03:27
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Nice looking Tiger. The tools are a challenge to get looking right that's for sure. I managed to screw up the machine gun on the T-62 so I thought I'd cover up my sins with further crimes in the form of a tarp. I looked at some Youtubers and make my own attempt using tissue paper and diluted Mod Podge. The first one ripped after pulling out after soaking, the second one ripped while draping over the machine gun. The third one was successful but ended up permanently glued on. Painted it in place and I think it looks okay'ish. I also pinged the antenna base across the room while trying to reattach it. I lathed a new one from a piece of spree in my hand drill. 
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Feb 25, 2023 20:17
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"Glazing" for figures. I keep seeing this method talked about in this thread and thought I'd give it a try. I did a "zenithal prime" in black and white. Turned out ok. I'm using acrylic paints from ammo and ask thinned with Vallejo acrylic medium. My understanding is that you are meant to layer thin layers of very thin paint and the underlying "zenithal" shading will show through. My problem is that the first 5 or so layers goes on very uneven. It gets smoother and better as more layers go on, but the "shading" is then gone and it just looks like solid color. Not sure where it's going wrong, or if my understanding of the technique is wrong.
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Feb 26, 2023 18:35
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Lord Ludikrous posted:Painting and weathering of the turret is now complete and it can be mounted to the hull, and everything connected up. That is rad as heck! Great job!
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Mar 2, 2023 04:53
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Finished my version of the classic Tamiya Panzer 2! I've been wanting to make a ratty looking Africa tank and I had so much fun trying all kinds of things on this build. Great learning experience for the bigger more complex kits I have waiting. I'm really hooked now.     
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Apr 14, 2023 06:36
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Gewehr 43 posted:Fabulous. Straight outta North Afrika. Nice work. Thanks! The hairspray technique was alot of fun. The paint came off in large chunks so if I do it again I think I would combine it with sponge chipping for a finer appearance. The pinwash was much easier with a long thin liner brush as opposed to a regular brush. Learned how to keep the airbrush from clogging too!
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Apr 14, 2023 18:41
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I have found my favorite filler in the Tamiya basic putty. Dries quick and sands real easy. The more materials and tools i acquire it seems like everything Tamiya "just works". I have a Tamiya 1/35 Challenger 1 I picked up on a private sale with some Eduard photo etch. It looks pretty intimidating. Any tips for a first time photo etch attempt? Any tool must haves?
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Apr 15, 2023 07:03
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