|
I had no idea this thread existed until it was linked in the Warhammer thread. Ok, so I'm not an experienced model builder. I've dabbled in painting gaming stuff, but my first real kits were actually Doyusha castles that I built because I really like old castles:     After that I picked up a battleship on a whim, and put it together. My girlfriend was curious about it and helped me paint it, so the painting pattern was pretty simple as it was her first kit ever:   Now I'm trying to do a little more serious work. I was looking for a T-72 tank but the shop didn't have one, so I settled for a Dragon T-34 kit. I've also ordered some tank crew models and a diorama to put them in from Miniart, but they haven't arrived yet. Since I'm stuck without an airbrush I settled with going for a more hastily applied whitewash camo, which I put on with stippling and lots and lots of turpentine.  I'm pretty happy with it considering it's my first tank. I hope it will look better once I put it in a diorama too, with other things to divert from the mistakes (the threads look really bad from the other side, for one thing). I'm already thinking about what the next project might be, but it might be a tank because tanks rock.
|
#
¿
Dec 13, 2009 21:23
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 08:44 |
|
|
ZenMastaT posted:God drat that is some fine looking stuff. Wish I had half your talent when it comes to painting, hell I'd settle for half your girlfriends talent. What kind of diorama scene are you thinking of?  (with Caen sign altered, of course) +  That, and some tuft and snow for that Christmas feel. My biggest fear when shopping for the Miniart diorama kits online was which ones would have enough room to fit a tank! Edit: anyone with experience of making icicles? lilljonas fucked around with this message at 21:58 on Dec 13, 2009 |
|
#
¿
Dec 13, 2009 21:54
|
|
|
Danger - Octopus! posted:It did, I have been too busy with wargaming miniatures to finish my Merkava I have some decal paper that I bought some three years ago, but don't have a printer and all the printers I have access to at university and such are of piss poor quality and would make for horrible decals. 
|
|
#
¿
Jan 21, 2010 20:35
|
|
|
Midjack posted:One thing I've been told when trying to color match is that small kits seem darker than the full size article. Not sure exactly why this is; it probably has something to do with the way the brain sees colors (small things reflect less light). As a miniature painter I can say that this is true. If you paint a miniature that is 54mm scale you can use colours in a completely different way than, say 6mm, because you need to use much brighter and more vibrant colours at tiny miniatures to make the colour even visible.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 12, 2010 09:23
|
|
|
I've bought my stuff from Model Hobbies, and can't complain about anything. Don't know if the shipping is expensive outside Europe though.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 26, 2010 16:22
|
|
|
Xenomrph posted:Jackpot, awesome. Ask your female friends and relatives if they have some make-up sponges that they don't use anymore, or not to throw them away next time they are used up. Or just buy one yourself, if you want to spend the money.
|
|
#
¿
May 27, 2010 11:02
|
|
Thanks!
|
Vaporware posted:
Simple green kills surface tension, which is why it is a good idea to add some kind of soap like simple green in the water you use to dilute paint. Personally I just paint Vallejo gloss varnish over the stuff I want to have a wet finish. lilljonas fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Jun 9, 2010 |
|
#
¿
Jun 9, 2010 15:21
|
|
|
alcyon posted:
Now this is just a loop of hypocricy, isn't he "just as bad" for making kits (and profit) of other people's IPs? You are protecting the right of people to copy other people's IPs and then produce kits and not get those kits copied. I just don't get the logic, because it is based on arguing that kits that are no longer in production must be cut of from the mainstream hobbyist while a bunch of hob-nob collectors keep the only unbuilt examples. And what's worse, arguing that they are available for sale even after going out of production is specifically because people buy kits to keep them boxed up, unassembled, to appreciate value, which is like the direct opposite of what you might expect the model building hobby to be about : building model kits. It's just insane to me, but then I'm not a collector, so what do I know.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 9, 2010 14:03
|
|
|
Speaking of compressors and airbrushes and stuff, I wonder if anyone has any experience from resin casting. I'm just starting out, and I often get the comment that a vacuum pump or similar can be very useful for getting out the air bubbles. The guides I find mentions putting your cast inside a painter's pressure pot, but when I look for advice on what to look for I quite naturally only find discussions between actual painters. Does anyone know about a good affordable painter's pressure pot or similar vacuum contraction that is suitable for small scale resin casting? I don't want to spring 250 bucks on something that turns out to be useless for my purpose. I guess I'm looking for something like this: http://www.artmolds.com/product_details.cfm?product_id=220&page=0&cat_name=Studio%20Accessories But I have no idea which ones are good or not and what price range I should go for.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 16, 2011 09:45
|
|
|
laratron posted:Excellent, thank you. If everything is discoloured, how about painting them up? For the uneven surface I would fill in the "valleys" with milliput and then take a fine file and then some fine sandpaper and work the surface even. Cakefool posted:A pressure pot is simply a rigid container with a vacuum pump attached. A cheap vacuum cleaner plumbed into a big plastic carver box with lid will get you started. Work on the seal, strengthen the box, switch to a real vacuum pump, good enough to lower the pressure & pull out the bubbles from the resin. How much pressure can you get through this? It sounds like a cool idea and would probably cost about as much as the makeshift vibrating table I was planning to make until I can afford a professional vacuum pot. I'm guessing I would need a one-way vent as well, and somehow attach it to the box I use? I'm just not sure how this rig would look like, since I'm far from the handyman kind of guy. lilljonas fucked around with this message at 20:00 on Jan 17, 2011 |
|
#
¿
Jan 17, 2011 19:53
|
|
|
Nebakenezzer posted:That 1/72 Swedish tank is just astonishing. (Reconsiders weathering on the Challenger.) My dad subscribes to Military Modelling and I always take time to browse through the recent issues when I visit him. They always have lots of pretty pictures and a few tutorial style articles that usually starts with "So I picked up a model by Company X, scoffed at their simplifications, and bought a ton of post market etched brass kits/scratched built everything but the basics".
|
|
#
¿
Oct 2, 2011 21:01
|
|
|
kryptonik posted:Hey guys. I was hoping someone could point me in the right direction of a first model ship to get? Where do you live? Either way you can check here: http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/wooden-ship-kits-c-161.html for some guidance as to price levels and what kinds of kits are available. I've only done tiny metal ships (1:1200), but I can tell you that much of the work when making sailing ships is in the drat rigging. It's fun, but a true challenge. Be prepared that wooden kits are far more expensive than plastic ones.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 7, 2011 18:14
|
|
|
SkunkDuster posted:The casting isn't bad. I just think that GW miniatures are severely lacking in detail for the high prices they charge. I had a big post written up describing what I don't like about them, but this thread is about military scale models and I don't want to derail it with a discussion about GW miniatures. Well, I find it a bit unfair to compare GW to "real" model kits, as the GW kits have to be durable enough for people to lug them around between games, push them back and forth a lot, mayby place heavy pewter miniatures on them, etc. If you did this to a normal model kit, it would break into pieces rather quickly due to the fine details. They simply aim at doing different things, so I think that complaining that a kit that is supposed to survive a 12 year old shoving it across a table while shouting PEWPEWPEW is not detailed enough is a bit unfair. Those motorcycle kits are plain awesome though, when I browsed across the page I didn't realize they were kits at first.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 12, 2011 10:19
|
|
|
The Blue Pyramid posted:Those are some amazing looking bikes, so that narrows down the search a bit. As for scale, exactly how big are 1/48, 1/72 and 1/100, in terms of wingspan? I've never had to choose between scales before, so I don't know what the sizes are like. The plane has a wingspan of 933 cm. So in 1/48 that is 19.4 cm. In 1/72 it is 12.9 cm. And in 1/100 it is 9.33 cm. Metric system, muthafuckas, do you speak it? 
|
|
#
¿
Nov 12, 2011 21:51
|
|
|
So some two years ago in this thread I finished a T-34/85 as my first "real" model kit. I thought I would make a diorama of it for my dad for Christmas, and this is how it turned out. I'll try to take some better pictures when I get back from work as the rest turned out (more) blurry:
|
|
#
¿
Dec 21, 2011 07:10
|
|
|
Ensign Expendable posted:That's a pretty awesome looking diorama! Did you make the wall yourself or did you buy it? Also are you sure that's a T-34/85? The turret looks like an early model T-34/76. No, the crew and the diorama is made by MiniArt, they do several diorama kits like this which is pretty nifty. Now that you mention it it is a Dragon kit of a model 41 T-34/76. I somehow thought it was a /85 since I don't have the box anymore, but when I check their range it is clear that it is this kit: http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/dragon-t3476-model-1941-6205-p-31433.html It was a ton of fun to build, so now I'm thinking about what kit to do next. I might go with a WW2 fighter to put in my office.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 21, 2011 19:44
|
|
|
big_g posted:Are you planning on doing anything else with the other half of the mini art base that came in that kit? I've got the same here just sitting in a cupboard. No, I bought the small version that only had that half since it has just enough room for one tank and some crew. So I used up most of the kit, even though there's still a few extra fences and windows and such that I plan to use in tabletop terrain. That Spitfire looks great and it is a beautiful plane. The problem is that there's so many great looking planes from that period, so it is hard to decide! 
|
|
#
¿
Dec 22, 2011 07:51
|
|
|
Looks great! I didn't get a kit for Christmas, but I got to rummage around in my dad's unbuilt kits and came off with two old 1/72 matchbox kits that I think are from the 70's! One Humber Mk. II armoured car and one with a smal diorama with a Car B.1 and a Renault Ft.17. These are my first 1/72 kits, and it's kind of delightful. I built the Humber in about an hour, and priming it took about as much time. It's so tiny and cute just being a 1/72 scale kit, but I also really love the look of many WW2 armoured cars so it was really fun to build. Now I just have to decide how to paint it, and if I should mount it to a base or not. lilljonas fucked around with this message at 22:13 on Jan 1, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Jan 1, 2012 22:10
|
|
|
Arquinsiel posted:Does it not come with a mini-diorama base? My two Revell re-issues of it did if you're down one, and I have used neither since they're wargaming models. No, the Humber doesn't come with a diorama, but I have a wooden base that I bought years ago. I thought I would use it eventually for a miniature or something, but it is quite the right size for a tiny armoured car. If I use it I will just make it as a bit of desert. The French tank box is nice, and yes, looking at the sprues it seems like the FT.17 will be roughly the size of my thumb when it is finished. I can really see these 1/72 kits being addictive. I have a personal rule when it comes to modeling and miniatures in that I must finish a project before I buy something new, and being able to finish in a few days (and in extension, getting to buy something new!) is a huge boon. lilljonas fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Jan 1, 2012 |
|
#
¿
Jan 1, 2012 22:34
|
|
|
Arquinsiel posted:I'll check when I get home just to be sure, but if I find that I do have a diorama base of some kind do you want it? I'm trying to clear space at the moment anyway. Cool, thanks for the offer, but I think I will do a more simple base with just a desert and maybe some tracks. My previous diorama had a big building and other parts which draw away the eye from the vehicle itself, and while I'm happy with how it turned out, I want less distractions for this way. Mostly because of my sudden and surprising love of cute and boxy armoured cars. 
|
|
#
¿
Jan 2, 2012 19:08
|
|
|
No Pun Intended posted:Does anyone know a good source of 1/32 WWI British/American infantry figures? I'm looking for some crew for a project I have in mind. I don't know anyone who make infantry figures in 1/32, how bad would it be to go with 1/35 instead? arquinsel posted:You'll want the Hasegawa Daimler Mk II then, and the Daimler Dingo is found in the Revell reissue of the Monty's Caravan set. Yes, a Daimler Mk 2 would look good next to the Humber. I might go e-baying it after I finish this one.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 3, 2012 19:33
|
|
|
No Pun Intended posted:Yeah 1/35 would work just fine. Then there are tons of them. I usually browse http://www.modelhobbies.co.uk/shop/ since they have so many kits available, and you can easily search for specific scales and subjects. Even if you end up buying it somewhere else, it is a good place to browse. Progress report:   I might work some more on the tires, but overall I'm happy with it since it took just a few hours. I opted to go simple with no flashy camo, but a simple desert coloured one without too much weathering (which I did with drybryshing and washes, just to show how lazy I am). I could probably leave the base as it is if I wanted to be completely lazy, but I think I'll put some desert on it. The tank is so tiny, barely longer than an AA battery, so it shouldn't be too hard. Too bad the decals were too old and fell apart as I tried to apply them.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 4, 2012 21:32
|
|
|
Arquinsiel posted:The turret looks slightly different to mine, and the guns look to be entirely different. Weird. Weird. Are you sure it is a mk.2? The other versions have different turrets and armaments.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 5, 2012 07:47
|
|
|
Arquinsiel posted:Yeah, it's not the turret itself so much as how the detail is represented. Mine seems to have more deeply etched lines etc, and one or two more parts. The guns seem to be the same guns, just yours have dust covers or something where mine don't. Looking at the one I built most recently there's a lot more stowage on it, but that could be from other kits too. I also noticed that various kits have various stowage etc., which makes sence as my googling for real pictures shows that pretty much every one were rather unique. big_g: I have bought two Tamiya weathering kits, but I don't have them at home right now. I'll definitely try them and see if the result is better than just drybrushing. Thanks!
|
|
#
¿
Jan 5, 2012 16:51
|
|
|
Yes, you really managed to get the stripes perfect.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 6, 2012 18:35
|
|
|
Hot Soviet tanks ITT 
|
|
#
¿
Jan 10, 2012 06:16
|
|
|
Is there anyone in this thread who use a dremel tool or similar? I'm thinking about picking one up, as I'm moving from making 6mm scale buildings to 15mm, and filing down excess wood and plastic is taking more and more time. But I'm not really sure what to look for, as in what extra tools are the most useful for modelling, and what brands/models are suitable. Any good recommendations?
|
|
#
¿
Dec 27, 2012 04:35
|
|
|
Bloody Hedgehog posted:Dremels are pretty great, but they do have some caveats. Thanks for the advice. I've been reading up on some other forums, especially for wooden ship modelling, and it seems that I had slightly higher hopes for the tool. But I'll see if I can find some deal and try it out before I give up on it.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 14, 2013 08:50
|
|
|
Bloody Hedgehog posted:Just went to a new model shop the other day, and they had a lot of model ships on display. I think I've caught the bug.... That looks just awesome. I want to build a ship one day. My parents even live in an area by the coast where it is extremely common to have at least one ship of some kind in your window, so it could even be used for something. Seriously, 90% of the houses will have at least one ship of some kind in a window. Or a seagull.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 22, 2013 11:51
|
|
|
I've been looking for German WW2 kits in 1:48 for a club project. I have found a few by Tamiya and AFV Club, but are there any other manufacturers who are doing WW2 kits in 1:48? Are AFV Club kits worthwile, or should I stick to Tamiya?
lilljonas fucked around with this message at 12:35 on Jun 16, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Jun 16, 2014 12:32
|
|
|
RillAkBea posted:I've made a Tiger I from the same series, they're definitely comparable to the 1/35 models on detail if not on parts count and overall Tamiya makes a decent solid model. Though they are guilty of making the occasional lazy model. Just put together two Tamiya 1/48 tank kits as well, and only hosed up a little bit. They seemed quite beginner friendly to me. I have ordered an airbrush, so I'll do some experimenting on them and post the results. I did end up building the entire kits before painting them. Is that a bad idea? Should I paint the individual parts and then assemble?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 8, 2014 08:23
|
|
|
Trying out a lot of "firsts": First time using an airbrush First time building a 1/48 kit First time using weathering pigments First time using a iphone camera because my real camera got stolen  Lots of big mistakes all over, but it was a fun little project to finish in just a few hours. Next time I'll try to get more use out of the airbrush (pretty much just basecoated panzergrau with it) and improve my weathering skills!
|
|
#
¿
Aug 13, 2014 20:46
|
|
|
Crossposting my ICM and Tamiya 1/48 kits from the painting oath thread:  It was my first attempt at airbrushing and also the first plastic kit I built and painted in like, four-five years. It was a ton of fun, and I got to play with Tamiya's weathering powders as well. It was really a quick and dirty job as I wanted them finishing for a game the same week, but I plan to spend some more time on my next kit: a Tamiya Sd. Kfz. 232.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 31, 2014 20:19
|
|
|
The Locator posted:If the manufacturers included decent instructions (and they needn't be extensive, but should have basic things like what knots to use in different places on the rigging), and slightly different parts (correct line sizes for the rigging - not sure how including 3 or 4 sizes of line instead of 2 would change the cost by more than a buck or two), the kits would come together much better, and with much less frustration, as the kit provided line is almost impossible to thread through the blocks, and is simply the wrong size in many places. I agree, it's such a huge jump in complexity between those wooden ships and putting together plastic kits that it is terrifying. In comparison, I put together half a Tamiya 1/48 Sd. Kfz. 232 yesterday. It took about an hour. In another hour or so it should be finished, and then 2-3 hours of painting. It's just so incredibly stress free, though the end result is not even on the same map as that ship when it comes to awesomeness.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 10, 2014 07:33
|
|
|
Bruiser posted:Anyone have ideas for stands? My Star Trek models are just kind of laying on a shelf. They look like butt, but I'm proud of them and want to show them off. Tried building a cradle out of the left over sprue, but it didn't really hold up. Brass rod? It's strong and won't bend, and you can attach it to some kind of base. Many DIY stores and hobby stores will have various kinds of wooden boards that are either pre-varnished, or that you can varnish yourself to make it look more classy. Here is an example of the most basic version I can imagine, just drilling a brass rod into the wooden board and mount the model on it: http://www.geminibuildupstudios.com/id115.html lilljonas fucked around with this message at 13:36 on Sep 12, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Sep 12, 2014 13:32
|
|
|
Airbrushes are also, IMHO, a great thing to share. I recently bought an airbrush together with my clubmates. It's not like I you use it every day, so if you get a relatively small compressor you can easily trade it back and forth by car or bike. So if you have some friends who are also interested, or if you can make contact with some other hobbyists in your area, it's definitely an option. As a bonus you can usually afford a better (and more fun!) model if you only have to pay part of it.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 30, 2014 15:17
|
|
|
I recently got an idea, and I want to check if it is dumb or not. I've been building a bunch of 1/48 tanks recently for wargames, and I've seen some random motorized kit now and then while browsing, but the 1/48 Tamiya kits I've seen have looked a bit sketchy. Now, are there any good motorized kits out there, maybe at a larger scale? I've even thought about an R/C kit if there's any good ones, even though I've never done R/C stuff before. It would be a fun thing if I could finish a kit before spring/summer, and go do some awesome tanking action in the park with my nephew. I've seen some 1/16 scale R/C tanks, but the cost is way too high for me to be able to excuse it as a fun little project. lilljonas fucked around with this message at 09:41 on Nov 26, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Nov 26, 2014 09:39
|
|
|
Ensign Expendable posted:This looks like a kit that would really benefit from a good wash or dry brushing to make all those panels and angles stand out. Agreed. And washing is quite a simple technique to learn as well. You can pretty much just splatter it all over the kit, and then gently remove the wash from the exposed panels and stuff with a brush or even a Q-tip or similar. It would make the kit look a lot better with a minimum of effort, and give you a good introduction to the next step of the hobby as you move from pre-painted models to painting them yourself. That said, these pre-painted models snap-fit models look exellent for getting your feet wet in the least scary way possible. Good job! Myself, I just ordered a 1/48 Sd. Kfz. 251/1 Ausf. D and a Flak 37 AA-gun from Tamiya. I've painted my last tanks in panzergrau, so I'm thinking about trying something new with this one. Eiher a brown camo or whitewashed panzergrau. Should be fun! If anyone wants painting tips on a novice-medium skilled level I could try to document the painting procedure.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 1, 2014 09:08
|
|
|
astupiddvdcase posted:So i started this hobby last year, (haven't completed any kits yet, got a airfix 1/72 spitifre half way done and the revell 1/500 STID enterprise WIP) and hoping to get back into it soon. It is recommended to wear some kind of mouth mask if you spray paint or airbrush indoors, especially for long durations. But it sounds a bit overcautious if you are just painting with a brush, but do whatever you feel comfortable with. The only protection I wear is latex gloves when I pour resin in molds, as that stuff will dry out your hands something fierce. It's possible that I'd wear eye protection sometimes if I didn't already wear normal glasses, for example while pouring resin or drilling with a dremel.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 1, 2014 15:45
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 30, 2024 08:44 |
|
|
astupiddvdcase posted:Yeah I paint with an airbrush and it feels like I'm entering Chernobyl Do you have any way to improve ventilation? It's tricky if you live in a cold climate, and a proper airbrush venting setup might cost a bit. The other option would be to spend money on a higher grade of face mask. A store bought venting hood will put you back at least 200 bucks, but if you like a project you could try something like this: http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=136265 Again, depends a lot on how much room you have and how permanent you can make your workbench. lilljonas fucked around with this message at 18:14 on Dec 1, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Dec 1, 2014 18:10
|
|