Modeling Supplies Suggestions

[big F]

Oven cleaners are great... stinky and messy, but great.  Stuff like Easy-Off can be liberally sprayed on styrene, ABS, Vinyl, etc without any deleterious effects; just spray the part inside a plastic bag or plastic wrap and seal to let the goo do its voodoo, after about 15-30 min scrub the part with an old toothbrush under warm running water and you'll be left with a paint free part (any left over paint/residue can be easily handled with a second dunking or other cleaning methods).

383361[/snapback]

Great tip thanks Mechaninac I will give it a go.

[jardann]

Make sure you wear rubber gloves while using the oven cleaner type product.

I have used a product called "Greased Lightning" It is a degreaser. I soak the parts in a tub of this stuff for a few hours and then use an old toothbrush to clean off the paint.(most of the paint comes right off at the slightest touch) I still use rubber gloves with this product too, but it is biodegradeable.

[big F]

Yes most of these products work on the principle of removing the grease from whatever it is thats encrusted on your oven. Once the grease and oils are removed I supose the crud is easier to get off. So in theory they should work well on most paints with oils in them.

I agree you shouldnt handle this stuff with out gloves. It removes the grease from your skin. It can cause dryness and rashes and at worst could give you split skin and dermatitus.

That said I am going to try some on some 1/55 parts I bought that were painted with some really tough paint. I have already tried thinners and nailpolish remover also I gave them a shot of Isopropol and the paint just shrugges it off. In fact the only method I have that works is sandpaper.

I will of cause post and let you know how I got on.

Edited March 25, 2006 by big F

[Chas]

I don't know about MoriMori in particular, I've never used that one, but typically with polyester putty (this goes for three or four different brands I have used, they've all been more or less the same) the little 'bottle' isn't actually liquid but a similar consistency to the stuff in the tube. You use 'an equal length' of each; squeeze the putty and the hardener out in lines next to each other. The nozzles of the bottle and tube are sized such that you get the correct ratio.

I do not think this will work with Mori Mori as the openning on the small black bottle is larger than the openning you get on the tube. The instructions say the volume of hardner that should be used is 2% of the volume of the white stuff.

I, myself have found that I can use the cream hardener that I get with the light-weight automotive finishing compoun that I use from my local auto supply store. Which is a lot cheaper, but, because it is only a paste, I still use the polyester putties for some stuff. If you wanted I've heard of some people thinning Mori Mori in order to 'paint' on thin layers of it, although, I don't know what they use to thin it with.

Try googling 'Mori Mori polyester putty' and you should get some useful hits in english with hints and tips from folks who have used the stuff.

P.S. there is some info at SSM (they also offer it in both sizes at a good price in ther store -- cheaper shipping than HLJ too I'll wager!)

good luck and let me know how everything turns out.

Edited March 26, 2006 by Chas

[Sdf-1]

Is Hasegawa's (tri tool) panel scriber good?

[Sar]

Is Hasegawa's (tri tool) panel scriber good?

385014[/snapback]

Personally I don't know what I'd do without my set of photoetch saws, but I use them in nearly all the places I'd expected to use the stylus scriber. I think the only things I really use the scriber for these days are the times I use templates and stabbing into plastic for rivet marks...

[Sdf-1]

Yeah I ordered the saw scribers, and the normal scriber. Actually I've never had a modeling scriber before.

[big F]

Is Hasegawa's (tri tool) panel scriber good?

385014[/snapback]

Yes ther are plenty of shapes you can use, some of them are more usefullthan others but worth the buy I think.

[Sdf-1]

I'm in need of high quality drybrushes. Any recommendations? Let's say if I went to an ordinary art supplies store, which kind/hair brushes they would be? I ordered some brushes for that ages ago, but now when I tested them for the first time, they weren't stiff enough.

There are miniature drybrushes available here, were they Citadel. But I'm not sure are they big enough for bigger work. Or which kind of sizes you guys recommend? I would think using bigger sizes don't give fine enough results?

[Chas]

If the bushes you have are not stiff enough try trimming them so that the bristles are shorter. This will give you a 'stiffer' feel. Try that before you spend more cash on new brushes. Save the cash for more kits.

[Sdf-1]

Yeah I thought that too, but the thing is, they aren't exactly the cheapest brushes. Actually I found a couple of old Games workshop brushes. I will check if I have some a bit bigger brush to cut short.

Even more kits? Are you going to kill me?!?

[Sar]

If the bushes you have are not stiff enough try trimming them so that the bristles are shorter. This will give you a 'stiffer' feel. Try that before you spend more cash on new brushes.

385706[/snapback]

I know popular wisdom seems to go against me on this one, everyone I've talked to about drybrushing has said they use a stiffer than normal brush, but personally I've always preferred a soft brush. I find it's easier to smear or dapple with a stiff brush, even with practically no paint on the bristles; they push onto flat surfaces more so there's more chance of them leaving paint where they shouldn't.

Also, if you trim down your brushes be aware that you'll need to be more careful about wiping away paint before drybrushing. The paint tends to collect in the centre of the bristles where they're bunched together into the ferrule, and it's hard to wipe out; normally it's not so much of a problem and you can just rinse it away when you wash the brush when you're done, but if the bristles have been shortened then that part's so much closer to the tips you're painting with.

[Sdf-1]

personally I've always preferred a soft brush. I find it's easier to smear or dapple with a stiff brush, even with practically no paint on the bristles; they push onto flat surfaces more so there's more chance of them leaving paint where they shouldn't.

385719[/snapback]

Now that's interesting. I think the soft brush will mess up the drybrush work easier, and it's difficult to get the right amount of paint on it. It either leaves no paint, or too much. But they can be used on some cases though I'm guessing, and it's up to getting used to it propably. I'm in no doubt it works for you.

But I prefer stiff brushes, as you said, like people usually do. The Games workshop brushes are pretty good actually, only thing is that drybrushing is quite fatal to brushes, so if I need a brand new sharp one, I have to get a new one often. And at least over here they cost IIRC about 4.50-5 euros.

[David Hingtgen]

I mainly want a brush with really "even" bristles for dry brushing. Neither soft nor stiff (maybe slightly soft), and a "perfectly even tip". Flat brush, basically cut straight across. I want no bristle to be longer or shorter than any other. Otherwise you'll have some places getting more, and some getting less, than you want. (I drybrush cockpit instruments, and that's how I do it)

Here's an SR-71 panel I did:

[onezero]

Great stuff! A lot of supplies & tools to be added on my to buy list.

Oh, which kind of sanding sticks/blocks etc tools do you guys use?

373027[/snapback]

I go to beauty supply stores - places that cater to women wanting to buff themselves to precision - and get the various nail sanding/shaping sticks. Nail polish too - the stuff is just thick lacquer paint, and comes in some really groovy colors (especially pearlescents) not readily available in hobby shops.

[onezero]

I'm in need of high quality drybrushes. Any recommendations? Let's say if I went to an ordinary art supplies store, which kind/hair brushes they would be? I ordered some brushes for that ages ago, but now when I tested them for the first time, they weren't stiff enough.

There are miniature drybrushes available here, were they Citadel. But I'm not sure are they big enough for bigger work. Or which kind of sizes you guys recommend? I would think using bigger sizes don't give fine enough results?

385629[/snapback]

Get some cheap synthetic hair brushes in the shape you want and let some paint dry in them. Voila - perfect for drybrushing.

... which is why I have a desk full of drybrushing brushes, nd not a daggone 00 shader I can use to paint with .....

[Sar]

I go to beauty supply stores - places that cater to women wanting to buff themselves to precision - and get the various nail sanding/shaping sticks.  Nail polish too - the stuff is just thick lacquer paint, and comes in some really groovy colors  (especially pearlescents)  not readily available in hobby shops.

387001[/snapback]

I found that emery boards from such places were more expensive by far than homemade equivalents - I tend to buy various grades of sandpaper in bulk from auto supply places, cut them into strips with an old pair of scissors or disposable knife and glue the strips to a thick bit of plastic or two I've been using for this purpose for ages using cheap superglue. So long as you don't get any glue on the sanding side, they're great... ;-)

Oh, and a word of warning about nail polish/varnish - over here (UK), at least, a lot of it's acrylic, it seems. Perhaps people didn't like the idea of lacquer thinners wafting around their houses? (That said, my mother always used to yell at me when I was living at home for airbrushing with alcohol in my room, despite respirator with organics filters and open windows and fans, but would happily sit around at her computer desk with a cloud of acetone nail varnish remover floating around her... ;-)

[specr0101]

Sar,

What type of cement do you use to bond the sand paper to the plastic that is water resisant and thin? Thanks.

[Sar]

What type of cement do you use to bond the sand paper to the plastic that is water resisant and thin?

387819[/snapback]

Just cheap liquid (non-gel) superglue - I use wet-n-dry (water resistant) sandpaper, so it doesn't soak through the paper and render it useless.

I'll spread the glue thinly on one side of the plastic strip, lower it glue-down onto the end of the strip of sandpaper, press down, wait for that to dry then coat the end and the other side of the plastic with glue and fold the strip of sandpaper over the top. Typically the sandpaper hangs over the edge of the plastic by a half-millimetre or so, but I've not found that to be a problem when sanding with it. I try to have two of these on the go at once, one with 200-grit and one with 400-grit, which is about as high as I usually need.

[specr0101]

Sar,

Great tip! I'll have to try that w/ some of the paper I picked up 800 and 1000 grit. Thanks!