Which to start on?

[Guest]

How do Wayne, i know you what to do WW2 armour but, if you what something to "cut your teeth" on, how about trying the 1/35 scale Tamiya Chieftain mk5. It's cheap, just seen one on modelzone for £15, it's simple to build because it was motorized back in the day, and it can be made into a very nice looking model too. Just a thought.This one is mine that i did to get me back into modelling.

Hope this helps, John

Now to be fair John thinking about it there is no reason why not. As i've said somewhere on the forum i've only just started modelling even though im in my 30's, and the reason for the ww2 angle is i've got this mad urge to build dio's and that seems to be where all the kits are aimed. (And to be fair i do tend to like that look more than modern) But if i take a few new bits of armour just as stand alone pieces it could give me the practice i want and broaden my horizons. Cheers Wayne

[Guest]

Hi Wayne , as a new boy helping a new boy , have both enamels and acrylics in your modelling kit it does not matter all the top guys on here have both , if your going to start with tamiya figures why not start with tamiya acrylics they dry very quick meaning you can over paint anything your not happy withwithout having to wait 12 hrs , If your on a tight budget material wise ask on here what colours are needed for the model you have and the guys on here will advise what you need .Richy.

[Gern]

Hi Wayne,

I find that ordinary brake fluid works well for stripping acrylics. You do need to leave it soak overnight though so it's not quick, but it doesn't harm the plastic. A stiff paintbrush helps with stubborn bits but you obviously need to be careful with fragile bits like aerials, gun barrels etc.

Gern

[Guest]

Hi Wayne i will throw my two cents in here as iam a huge tamiya fan i would go for somthing from their range as they look good and go together well without too much trouble however i would also say Italeri as well as i have built a few of there armour products and i have found that they also go together without to much filling of gaps.

scott

[Guest]

I'm glad you posted that advice about brake fluid Gern, I've messed up a kit so now it's back to square one!

Patrick

[stona]

Hi Wayne,I find that ordinary brake fluid works well for stripping acrylics. You do need to leave it soak overnight though so it's not quick, but it doesn't harm the plastic. A stiff paintbrush helps with stubborn bits but you obviously need to be careful with fragile bits like aerials, gun barrels etc.

Gern

Or an alkaline cleaner. Oven cleaners (containing ammonia) or my airbrush cleaner (Muc-Off,meant for bikes) will strip acrylics. For stubborn bits methylated spirit and a tooth brush works. For enamels you'd need to use the appropriate solvent but I've never tried to strip a large area of enamel paint.

Steve

[Guest]

Oven cleaner? Well that's easier to get than brake fluid! Having said that, I might just try re-spraying the offending areas first! Sorry Wayne for taking your thread off subject!

Patrick

[Guest]

Oven cleaner? Well that's easier to get than brake fluid! Having said that, I might just try re-spraying the offending areas first! Sorry Wayne for taking your thread off subject!Patrick

Not at all, all good info is useful info. And i know i'm going to have to buy shares in oven cleaner and brake fluid to keep my costs down ha ha.

Cheers

Wayne

[Guest]

Well I've never stripped a model of paint before so that will be an interesting experience! Hopefully I won't need to go that far but my desire for perfection outweighs my skill!

Patrick

[Guest]

I hear that patrick.

Wayne

[Guest]

Another one, how do i clean brushes that i've used with enamel paint? And do i always have to thin paint down and where can i find the ratios?

Cheers

Wayne

[Guest]

I use that Revell brush cleaner stuff-It's a lime green colour? Watch out though coz it takes the paint off the brush handle too! Thinning paint in general is best simply coz 2-3 thin coats work better than one thick coat that might obscure detail. Also, thin paint flows better & (hopefully) won't show brushmarks. If I'm painting enamels by brush then it's just trial & error, I have a small amount of thinner & paint in a mixing tray and I combine them as needed. With an airbrush, I've not tried enamels but for acrylics I thin 50/50 or more thin if getting close to do camo patterns.

Patrick

[Guest]

Sorry i'm probably being thick here but what do i need to use to thin the paint down? Does it have to be the brand of paints own thinner, i.e humbrol enamel = humbrol thinners? Are there any cheap alternatives? And when i get some acrylics in can i just use water?

Cheers

Wayne.

[Guest]

Don't think that Wayne, coz there's no such thing as a dumb question! You can use the branded thinner though most people are happy enough with basic white spirits-I've never had a problem using that coz I save my Humbrol thinner to make oil washes! You can also use white spirit to clean your brushes too!

With acrylics, it depends on what kind you have. Vallejo are fine being thinned by water (distilled if possible) but I personally wouldn't thin Tamiya acrylic paint with water. The reason for this is that their chemical formulation is alcohol-based. Many people (including me) have used 91% isopropyl alcohol, surgical spirits & even windscreen washer fluid to thin Tamiya paint. All work fine although all of them speed up the drying time which can lead to a gritty finish when airbrushing. I've gone back to using Tamiya branded thinner although soon I'm trying a lacquer thinner which is rated highly.

Keep asking Wayne, I don't mind helping!

Patrick

[Guest]

Cheers again patrick

Wayne