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Speaking of Star Trek kits. Does anyone have a recommendation for an Enterprise refit/A or Miranda cruiser? I've wanted models of both of those since I was like 12.
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Oct 4, 2023 08:58
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https://www.scalemates.com/topics/topic.php?id=12184 Polarlights is the way to go there. You’ve got three choices: the $100 1:350 kit, the 1:537 old AMT kit that matches the scale of the old AMT Miranda kit here which is also reissued, or the 1/1000 scale one that matches the new 1/1000 Miranda that polar lights put out in the last decade there’s also a 1:2500 snap title kit set of the two along with a k’t’inga cruiser Raskolnikov38 fucked around with this message at 10:57 on Oct 4, 2023 |
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Oct 4, 2023 10:55
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Also speaking of Star Trek kits has anyone seen the Strange New Worlds Enterprise painted in original/motion picture colors?
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Oct 4, 2023 12:15
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I spoke earlier in this thread about wooden boats with help from The Locator, but honestly I wonder if I'm just setting my sights too high - in my adult life I've completed one scale model kit - an out of the box 1/350 HMS Dreadnought. I have another Dreadnought with all the bells and whistles vis. upgrade parts - but I'm just not there yet with regard to techniques or ability to do it justice so it's shelved. My 1/96 Cutty Sark is another big, impressive model but I ran out of steam because it's just such a bad kit, and I'm not prepared to spend another £150+ on replacement parts from HiS Model. I do, do a fair bit of miniature painting and railway modelling of a sort (i.e. repainting, photoetch, brass kits) so I'm not an amateur, but I feel like I need an easy-win kit to see if scale modelling is really for me, or whether I just think it is because I look at the contents of this thread completely agog. I'm after something which won't take me a year to build, isn't dependent on a super-high level of skill for fit/finish, and doesn't require aftermarket parts. My wheelhouse is basically anything from the ancient world up to the start of WW2. To show I'm not just randomly asking for help I've done a bit of research into the kinds of things I'm after: - Oddball inter-war tanks in general - Trains (Trumpeter 1/35 BR86 tank loco, Occre 1/24 Adler) - For sailing ships it seems I'm out of luck here and it's either wood or a 60+ year old Airfix model - and I have the Cutty Sark for that... - Specifically a Hawker Hurricane/Spitfire - a relative flew one in the Battle of France - Early cars (Airfix 1/12 1930's Bentley?) I would love to hear any suggestions of what to start looking for? Honestly 'just crack on with the Cutty Sark' is also a feasible response.
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Oct 4, 2023 13:40
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If you want a Spitfire and you've got about $100 to spend, you want this one https://www.scalemates.com/kits/kotare-k32001-spitfire-mkia-mid--1374490 If you want to go smaller and cheaper, it's this one https://www.scalemates.com/kits/tamiya-61119-supermarine-spitfire-mki--1162877 For a Hurricane, Revell have a new one out https://www.scalemates.com/kits/revell-04968-hawker-hurricane-mk-iib--1395506 Or for 48th scale, this one from Arma https://www.scalemates.com/kits/arma-hobby-40004-hurricane-mk-iic--1323693 All good kits, but I'd say the Kotare Spitfire is probably the best of the bunch.
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Oct 4, 2023 14:05
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That's very helpful for the planes, thank you! Silly question, but where do you keep a plane that has a footprint of ~18" x 12" ?
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Oct 4, 2023 14:26
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Unkempt posted:If you want to go smaller and cheaper, it's this one
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Oct 4, 2023 14:49
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Southern Heel posted:That's very helpful for the planes, thank you! Silly question, but where do you keep a plane that has a footprint of ~18" x 12" ? some people mount them on walls
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Oct 4, 2023 15:15
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I had the Revell 1:72 B-36 Peacemaker hung over my bed with fishing line when I was a kid. That thing had a 3 foot wingspan and a 2.5 foot length.
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Oct 4, 2023 15:20
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If you want smaller there's a million 1/72 Spitfires or Hurricanes. The best early war Spit is probably (weirdly) the Airfix Mk1a https://www.scalemates.com/kits/airfix-a01071b-supermarine-spitfire-mkia--1121401 Hurricane, Arma also do one in that scale and Airfix isn't bad there either.
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Oct 4, 2023 15:30
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I mentioned the points above to my Dad and he revealed he's had this stashed away for gosh-knows-how-long and guess who's just inherited it?
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Oct 4, 2023 15:34
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Southern Heel posted:I mentioned the points above to my Dad and he revealed he's had this stashed away for gosh-knows-how-long and guess who's just inherited it?
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Oct 4, 2023 16:13
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Southern Heel posted:That's very helpful for the planes, thank you! Silly question, but where do you keep a plane that has a footprint of ~18" x 12" ? I think you’re supposed to hang it from the ceiling of your shop with fishing line.
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Oct 4, 2023 22:07
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Raskolnikov38 posted:https://www.scalemates.com/topics/topic.php?id=12184 Thanks! I think if I can successfully complete my Backlogtober kit, I'll order a pair of the smaller ones to try and put together. Having only ever done Gunpla, the process of doing other types of models is super daunting.
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Oct 5, 2023 04:26
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Very many thanks for the Enterprise recommendations! I consulted with my brother and while a 1701-D will probably get done at some point, he really loves the Constitution refit/Constitution II from the first six movies. Owing to space concerns, I've opted for the 1/1000 Polar Lights kit and might take a look for some lighting kits for it but won't be heartbroken if it just gets done as a static model. I'm not much of an electrician so I'm not confident in my ability to create a lighting kit of my own from scratch without inadvertently melting things that should not be melted or creating a housefire-in-waiting. In other news, I painted another historical miniature and dug out the ol' magnifier and the Series 7 Miniatures to do it:     It's a rifleman of the famed 95th Rifles, familiar to those with an interest in Napoleonic history or folks who watched Sharpe on the History Channel before it was overrun by conspiracy weirdos. 54mm, so 2.5" tall or thereabouts. So that is 1/3 of my backlog cleared.
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Oct 5, 2023 07:06
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stealie72 posted:Is there a special prize for longest-dormant kit in Backlogtoberfest? Not quite the 50+ years of the Bentley that I've yet to lay hands on, but this is one of my two backlog kits:  I'm still treating this as a 'best efforts' kit rather than aiming too high. I think that's been the biggest problem for me with so many professional modellers churning out content online I have always felt completely inadequate. This time I have the 'excuse' that the kit is from 1959 so I can justify to myself that it doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to be finished. I airbrushed up some Vallejo Model Air Copper and I don't think it looks too bad:  I have unfortunately lost the rudder, so a pleading email has been sent to Revell. The deck is together, but the one concession to accuracy I'm making is an overlay - the original deck is (bizarrely) split into three sections with edge-on joints. In the meantime I've got some masts and painting, and a base to mount it on to get on with 
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Oct 5, 2023 10:35
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Southern Heel posted:I'm still treating this as a 'best efforts' kit rather than aiming too high. I think that's been the biggest problem for me with so many professional modellers churning out content online I have always felt completely inadequate. I am often liable to feel this way about my builds, so I try to just focus on comparing them against my older ones and seeing my gradual evolution/improvement of techniques rather than the unreachable goal of making them look like models I see online.
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Oct 5, 2023 16:15
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tidal wave emulator posted:I am often liable to feel this way about my builds, so I try to just focus on comparing them against my older ones and seeing my gradual evolution/improvement of techniques rather than the unreachable goal of making them look like models I see online. This. Your worst critic is yourself. If you are steadily making improvements build after build, then good deal and keep on truckin. The 'pro' modelers that are in the video's or winning competitions probably started out making ugly models and just kept after it until they got gooder.
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Oct 5, 2023 17:41
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The Locator posted:This. Your worst critic is yourself. Yeah I'm my own worst critic. Just an absolute dogshit critic. Everyone else's criticisms of my work are so much more elegant and devastating. Anyway wall of shame time  I already picked out the smallest and easiest kit to build out of this a few weeks ago.  This is an IBG TKS tankette with a full interior and a resin figure, since even an easy kit can't be too easy!
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Oct 5, 2023 20:43
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It's time for me to paint the machine guns on my Abrams model. A M2 and a M240. The manual says I should use gunmetal for them. I've used that before and it just doesn't look right to me. Every pic I've ever seen of these guns they look almost totally black. However if I painted them in flat black I think that wouldn't look quite right either. I was thinking maybe if I mixed some Tamiya gunmetal and smoke together maybe that would darken it enough but also still make it look like metal? Anyone have any other ideas?
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Oct 6, 2023 23:34
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Paint it a non-metallic dark blue-grey, then rub a pencil over the raised details like it's a drybrush. Braindead easy steel. I'm even lazier and use VMC gunmetal, but getting that very slight blue tinge in it helps sell the effect.
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Oct 7, 2023 02:03
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First build of Backlogtoberfest completed. It's Tamiyas Peugeot 206 WRC 2002. Box stock apart from an upgrade kit and some replacement ribbon for the belts. The belts are always a bit of a pain to put together but I like the look of them when they're done. Also tried out my slightly dodgy photobooth but the results are far better than without it.   This Rear wing is held on with hopes and dreams and the only real issue I had with the kit apart from the decals being very delicate.  The finished article.        Dodgy photobooth working hard.  And to keep the ball rolling I'm back working on this one. Sadly the fluro orange has faded in a couple of spots since I got the body clearcoated a couple of years ago. 
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Oct 7, 2023 04:25
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Holy cow! The Peugeot really turned out. Good luck with the 787B.
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Oct 7, 2023 04:35
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nitsuga posted:Holy cow! The Peugeot really turned out. Good luck with the 787B. Seconded! Nice work! That looks fabulous.
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Oct 7, 2023 11:54
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Charliegrs posted:It's time for me to paint the machine guns on my Abrams model. A M2 and a M240. The manual says I should use gunmetal for them. I've used that before and it just doesn't look right to me. Every pic I've ever seen of these guns they look almost totally black. However if I painted them in flat black I think that wouldn't look quite right either. I was thinking maybe if I mixed some Tamiya gunmetal and smoke together maybe that would darken it enough but also still make it look like metal? Anyone have any other ideas? For gun metal I always use Gunze Mr. Metal Color 214 Dark Iron -- you are supposed to be able to brush it, but I always use an airbrush. After it is dry, buff it gently with a cotton swab until it looks good. This stuff will clog up a double-action airbrush, so I always lock the needle back a mm or two so that the pigment comes out immediately when pressing the trigger, so it takes a bit of care -- no practice air-only sprays, just gun the stuff out. And then clean the airbrush well. Either way you apply it, first stir it up and mix it really well. A big pain to use, but it really looks nice.
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Oct 7, 2023 16:33
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Humbrol Metalcote gunmetal. For small stuff like guns, stir forever, take a few drops out and thin just a bit. Brush paint, wait a few minutes. It starts off looking like a dark matte gray, but polish with a soft cloth or even q tip and it becomes a very realistic dark metal. It's my go-to for guns. Trust me on the stir forever part! The pigments settle out into a pretty solid clump, but once back into suspension work out excellently. The polished steel is similar but a much lighter color. They really do look like metal. It airbrushes nicely, too.
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Oct 7, 2023 18:53
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Dr. Garbanzo posted:First build of Backlogtoberfest completed. drat, that looks great
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Oct 7, 2023 23:45
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MyronMulch posted:For gun metal I always use Gunze Mr. Metal Color 214 Dark Iron -- you are supposed to be able to brush it, but I always use an airbrush. After it is dry, buff it gently with a cotton swab until it looks good. This stuff will clog up a double-action airbrush, so I always lock the needle back a mm or two so that the pigment comes out immediately when pressing the trigger, so it takes a bit of care -- no practice air-only sprays, just gun the stuff out. And then clean the airbrush well. Either way you apply it, first stir it up and mix it really well. A big pain to use, but it really looks nice. Or if you don't want something with a metallic finish, I find Vallejo 70862 Black Grey achieves the result that you would think normal flat back should do but doesn't look right
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Oct 8, 2023 03:49
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The dollhouse thing is complete!     Overall a nice diversion and they're apparently sending another kit my way soon. Only annoyances are that the instructions aren't always clear when it comes to identifying the books that go on the shelves so you have to work with a process of elimination, and some of the flowers are quite tricky.
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Oct 8, 2023 16:34
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Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Scale Modeling: some of the flowers are quite tricky That looks sweet, nice work.
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Oct 8, 2023 17:38
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That is so incredibly cool. I absolutely love it. It tells such a cozy, warm story without saying word. Awesome.
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Oct 8, 2023 20:32
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That looks really nice. Where did you get the kit from?
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Oct 9, 2023 00:12
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stealie72 posted:I had the Revell 1:72 B-36 Peacemaker hung over my bed with fishing line when I was a kid. That thing had a 3 foot wingspan and a 2.5 foot length. This is the way. Every kid should have a giant nuclear bomber over their bed, to keep them in line.
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Oct 9, 2023 00:40
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MrYenko posted:This is the way. Every kid should have a giant nuclear bomber over their bed, to keep them in line. I had a 1:48 F-14 Tomcat of similar size
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Oct 9, 2023 03:07
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MrYenko posted:This is the way. Every kid should have a giant nuclear bomber over their bed, to keep them in line. Build the Revell 1/48 B-29, pose the bomb bay doors open and hang the Fat Man it comes with below it on another length of line.
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Oct 9, 2023 03:13
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You probably can’t see very well from this view, but I used my lathe to turn up a couple of aluminium columns to mount the boat - custom 5/32” threads on either end and custom-made nuts. It’s odd that I would’ve considered that to be very difficult while I was working, primarily with plastic – but now it seems significantly easier than anything. I’m doing on this kit.  I have finally received some watercolours to test out for the rich varnished wood that his prevalent over the model. I was really hoping to get some done yesterday, but after a very busy difficult day I fell asleep at 7 pm !
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Oct 9, 2023 06:54
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neurotech posted:That looks really nice. Where did you get the kit from? My wife's parents got it (And another one they'll be sending out) for me from a local discount store, the brand is Crafts&Co but it's a Dutch brand. Looking at their site they have a few more things but this one's out of stock, no idea where they ship to.
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Oct 9, 2023 07:20
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NTRabbit posted:I had a 1:48 F-14 Tomcat of similar size I had a balsa quetzalcoatlus.
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Oct 9, 2023 12:04
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Sorry to bother but let's say I want to get a friend who's into modeling an airbrush, is the Iwata CR still a solid buy? I"m willing to spend a soft $100 or so. I figure he can buy his own compressor but would that still a basic recommendation? Let's say said friend lives in a different state, aside from Amazon is there any online shop that has a nice gift buy that goons could recommend? Thanks!
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Oct 11, 2023 06:35
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adnam posted:Sorry to bother but let's say I want to get a friend who's into modeling an airbrush, is the Iwata CR still a solid buy? I"m willing to spend a soft $100 or so. I figure he can buy his own compressor but would that still a basic recommendation? I have an Iwata Revolution CR and have had it for years. It is reliable, easy to clean and capable of remarkably fine line work to moving large amounts of paint for basecoats-- it is a very versatile piece of kit. I adore mine and highly recommend it. The camo pattern on this fellow was done with it:  
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Oct 11, 2023 08:53
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