New guy !

[Guest]

Thanks for all the warm greetings, just a few 'newbie' questions .....

What products are people painting their models with ?

I have never done a small car (many on this forum do) but on my Rolls Royce 1/16 Phantom, I used Tamiya Synthetic Lacquer (spray can). It gives a very glossy mirror-like shine (all cars need that):

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It is harder than acrylic gloss paint so it can be sanded lightly and polished if any spraying faults occur. Provided you can master the technique of spraying from a can (keep the nozzle about 18 inches away from the model) it is easy to use and there is no cleaning of an airbrush needed. The disadvantage is that its solvent is Cellulose Thinners which are very smelly and not for a confined place. I use it in my garage.

[Snowman]

What products are people painting their models with ?

That really depends on you. Most of us started with rattle cans and then later upped our game to air brush.

To start off, the rattle cans are great and straight forward!

Not to mention a tad cheaper on initial outlay....o_O

BTW, welcome and I hope you enjoy your stay, 'cos you'll never leave...........

[Guest]

Iv been spraying lexan RC shells for some time now, so I'm dead handy with a spray can. Thanks for all the kind words of advice guys !

[Guest]

That really depends on you. Most of us started with rattle cans and then later upped our game to air brush. .......

I went the other way! After painting exclusively with an airbrush, I diverted to the Tamiya spray can simply because the paint did what I wanted for that particular model. Now I'm back to acrylics, airbrushed.

[Guest]

http://www.kentmodels.co.uk/glues-and-accessories/humbrol-modellers-tool-set-medium

Would this be a good kit to start myself off with ?

[Ian M]

Welcome Harley. Hope you enjoy the mad house!

That tool set should get you on the way. Not sure about those clamps though. They might come in handy some how...

Ian M

[Guest]

http://www.kentmodels.co.uk/glues-and-accessories/humbrol-modellers-tool-set-mediumWould this be a good kit to start myself off with ?

I think it would. All (except perhaps for the snips) are standard tools frequently used by most plastic modellers. They would get you started and with experience, gained by using these tools, you will have a good idea of what others you would need.

[Guest]

Little updates

Got myself a nice little table and lamp in my dining room now. That'll be my modelling area for now. Iv purchased the modelling tools I mentioned previously so cannot wait for them to arrive so I can get cracking. And also found myself a rare little gem on eBay, so I snatched it up !

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[Guest]

Havnt been on for a while, progress has been put to a halt recently following the birth of my first child. But here's how far Iv gotten with the build.

The arches have all been cut to fit the fenders, which one of is fitted. Along with the back bumper and the front is mocked up tape for now. Not much but it's my first model, so I'm just plodding along really.

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[Guest]

if you let me i would like to suggest some items to buy. they are essentials if you are building civilian cars.

1- Tamiya Masking tape http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tamiya-87034-Masking-Tape-Refill-10mm-for-87031-/331134423600?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item4d19265230 i suggest to use tamiya

2- Finishing abrasives P100-P400-P800-P1200-P2000 (i use theese numbers) example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tamiya-87060-Finishing-Abrasives-P2000-3pcs-per-pack-/371221358691?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_J N&hash=item566e846863 you can use any brand you want

3- Decal setting solution http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tamiya-87060-Finishing-Abrasives-P2000-3pcs-per-pack-/371221358691?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_J N&hash=item566e846863 this is must must

4- Tamiya Polishing compound set http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tamiya-87068-87069-87070-Polishing-Compound-Coarse-Fine-Finish-Craft-Tools-Set-/171598543191?pt=AU_Toys_Hobbies_Model_Kits&hash=it em27f411f957 this item is very important

5- Adhesive for transparent parts like head lights glass etc. for example http://www.ebay.com/itm/Revell-Contacta-Clear-13g-39609-100g-20-76-/360884868021?pt=Modellbauwerkzeuge&hash=item54066a 13b5

6- Bare metal folio.

tamiya masking tapes are designed for this work. they never leave any adhesive etc on the model. i used some other items and had big troubles. you already know about decal setting solutions and microscales are the best around. dont be cheese pincher and buy them, they lasts for years abrasives are needed after after finishing varnish. you need to apply abrasives from low number to high number like i wrote up. this process is basicly sanding. you can apply different numbers from i wrote but you should end up using P2000. this sand are applied with water, i mean wet-sanding. after applying sand you should apply tamiya compound set. the sequance is coarse-fine-finish. from my point of view you can skip coarse. at the end you will have mirror like cars in geneve mototor show i suggest to use adhesives like revell contacta clear for transparent parts. they are weak and invisible. you wont see them after applying it. Bare metal folio is good for incrasing realisim. if your kit doesnt have chrome parts for head light etc.. you should apply BMF behind the transparent part and you will get realistic shine behind the transparent part. also you can apply BMF to side mirrors if you dont have PE parts for mirrors. you can apply BMF with white glue.

i hope this helps

[Guest]

if you let me again i would like to give some words from my experiance. i am writing this also to hear comments from other people.

first of all in this work most of things are DOP (depends on person)

i want to tell something about rattle cans. just ask this question to yourself "do i like this and continue building models?" if the answer is yes, just go and grab an airbrush. yes rattle cans are tempting, cheap to buy, no need to clean etc but they are uncontrolable. they blow too much paint. with small scale models you might end up filling details with paint. how i know this? i have done it dont be frightened about cleaning. just blow 1-2 cap alcohol or glass cleaner from supermarket and all the paint inside will blown away. and disassmble AB once a month and place only metal parts inside synthetic thinner for 2-3 hours. thats all. dual action ABs are very good for detail works and you can spray very thin layer of paint over the model. whilie choosing AB pick bigger than 7cc paint capacity brushes. for me 7cc is the minimum.

i dont want to suggest any brand for AB paints because from my point of view it is the biggest DOP. there is a very good word for this.

"you don't choose paint, paint chooses you padawan, - Master Yoda"

all of the brands and colours have its own thinnig ingredient and quantity. you should find best fit for you. if you ask what i use, it is tamiya acrylic & tamiya thinner. but there are 2 rules everyone must obey;

1- Stay away from enamels. they are highly toxic. they might cause kidney cancer. health is more important than everything else. go straight to acrylics

2- Do not mix different brand's paints and thinners. they might go into chemical reaction. and ruin your day.

feel free to use your imagination, instead of buying some simple things. for example you can easily craft something like this or more advenced ones http://www.ebay.com/itm/15-pcs-Airbrush-Spray-Gun-PARTS-HOLDER-CLIP-STAND-Holds-Model-Hobby-Painting-/161183214247?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item258744aaa7 on your own with cheap items from nearby workshop. i have build my own paint cabin instead of buying this expensive product http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Tamiya-Airbrush-System-No-34-Painting-Booth-Japan-Best-Deal-/201228025075?pt=Model_Kit_US&hash=item2eda1ffcf3

sometimes you make big mistakes for painting which is very normal or sometimes you just dont like & want to change the colour. you need to buy a paint remover, there are products designed for this. what i use for this is DOT 3 break fluid just put your model into this fluid and wait for 2 days. most of the paint will be taken away, if there are some paint left over the model, you can easily take it away. comparing with the special products it is chep and you can use it again and again after using it many times i suggest you to buy some high quality brands like Castrol. but be careful. it is highly toxic. contain it with a good quality box like tupperware and don't touch it w/o gloves.

and yes i am the new patient in this asylum

sorry for the long post and poor english

have a nice day

[Guest]

if you let me again i would like to give some words from my experiance. i am writing this also to hear comments from other people.first of all in this work most of things are DOP (depends on person)

i want to tell something about rattle cans. just ask this question to yourself "do i like this and continue building models?" if the answer is yes, just go and grab an airbrush. yes rattle cans are tempting, cheap to buy, no need to clean etc but they are uncontrolable. they blow too much paint. with small scale models you might end up filling details with paint. how i know this? i have done it

........

I normally use an airbrush with acrylics and I agree that rattle cans can be uncontrollable, although practice helps. For my recent 1/16 Rolls Royce I was very keen to get a very smooth mirror-like shiny surface because all cars have that. After experimenting with acrylic gloss paint I chose Tamiya Synthetic Lacquer. This was because the lacquer produced a thicker coat that allowed sanding and polishing any imperfections (dust etc.) with less danger (compared to an acrylic gloss) of going through to the lower layer of primer. This was OK for the simpler gently curved parts but I had to use the airbrush to get enough lacquer into the depressions like the insides of the wheel wings without flooding nearby parts. The result was very satisfactory (for me).