Top Ten Tips For First Timer

[sqidd]

Ok master modelers. I will be modding a YF-19 Yammie here shortly. I am going to give it my beloved Fokker paint job. I am no dumb a$$, I can build motors, diagnose problems and my living involves fluid dynamics and an incredible attention to detail. My problem is that I have not had a history of painting so there are two big things I am missing. One, I have not made any mistakes yet (because I haven't done anything yet) which means that I will be making mistakes and therefore learning from them. Secondly I don't know what products to use or not use because I have not been able to test them all.

Would you guys be as kind as to put together a top ten, or top twenty things I should be armed with? It may be tid bits of wisdom, or it may be make sure you use XXXXX for primer.

Thanks in advance

Jason

[Valk009]

Not a great modeller myself but I would recommend you to acquire some modelling skills first on a cheaper item, say a reissued BanDai Macross VF-1 model kit or something else you fancy. This way you will learn basic techniques, make mistakes and will not feel bad when the completed model is not what you had in mind. It will also let you know if modelling is something you fancy as the equipment involved, even entry level stuff can add up to a fair sum!

Just my opinion but I am sure so of the pros here can give you more advice

[big F]

Yeah another good idea is head out to a carboot sale or jumble/garage sale or what ever they call em round your town. Buy up some kids toys all used and cheap and practice on them.

Firstly they are cheap and you wont feel bad if you mess em up and secondly they are all different types of plastic so you`ll get a feel for painting plastics etc. Dosnt matter what they are (as long as they are not dolls as they are for girls) toy cars or those cbuggies that you can put toy figures in would do as they are similar in plastics

Secondly you may come up with something funky that you can post here

Thirdly your not messing up any Macross goodies.

Edited October 12, 2007 by big F

[Ghadrack]

1. Take your time.

2. Go Slow

3. Slow, Careful masking will save you time and frustration in the end.

4. Clean, gently sand (With a very fine paper) and clean again anything you are painting

There's a few

[Jeremy007]

definatly start on a cheaper model first...so if you screw up you dont feel as bad.

when it comes to painting definatly use an airbrush...the results are 110% better than not using one.

if available, use Mr. Color paints.

[David Hingtgen]

Even though I reserve airbrushing for only the "most uber-important" areas (I HATE getting the paint ready and cleaning up afterwards for 10x longer than the actual spraying)----even bad airbushing looks better than good hand-brushing. That said:

Try thinning the paint. It solves a lot of problems in my experience. Brushing, spraying, etc.

Sharp blades. And cut towards you. Years of experience (and talking to everybody else who uses knives for more than just chopping carrots) shows that most "common sense" suggestions about blades and cutting are BS from people who tend to injure themselves a lot. SHARP blades and cut towards you so you can see where the blade's going.

Explanation: most people get cut by the blade slipping and rapidly heading off in an undesired direction. Why does the blade slip? Because it's not sharp enough to slice in. Why does it go off at speed when it slips? Because you're putting a lot of force into it because it's not cutting. And cutting away from you--you can't see it working (or likely, not working).

Sharp blade cutting towards you---minimal effort, low speed. Because the blade is doing the work, not you. And you can see what it's doing. If it does somehow slip--it'll be going so slow you can probably stop it in mid-air before it actually cuts you. And even if it does---it'll be a very shallow, smooth cut that'll heal in a few hours. And often won't bleed even a drop.

[captain america]

You want some good advice? Measure twice, cut once! Hell, I should put that in a fortune cookie!

Model building/making is similar to commercial illustration: it's 90% preparation, and 10% application. Further, I will echo the sentiments expressed above, whereby it's generally prudent to hone your skills and experiment on a kit of lesser value, as committing untried techniqes to an expensive model can increase your risk of high blood pressure, stroke and depression.

[THOR]

some things i do:

1. wash your parts in mild detergent and rinse/dry thoroughly to get rid of the mold release
2. wear latex gloves for handling of parts before painting, the oil from your finger wil ruin a paint job
3. make sure you have proper ventilation (spray booth), especially when using enamels/paint thinner (i use water based acrylics)
4. dust free environment for paint and drying

experiment with your airbrush:

1. air pressure/volume
2. distance and angle to model surface
3. motion of airbrush across model
4. paint thinning
5. practice your paint scheme on lesser subjects

[RDClip]

Yeah...you probably should get a lot of practice before you take the brush to a Yammie.

I bought a knock-off Bandai VF-19 a while back that i was planning on modding, but still haven't gotten well into it. I think planning is a big part of modding; in a fit of frustration over a floppy leg in fighter mode, i carved a hole in one of the legs that a makeshift peg was supposed to go in. Needless to say it didn't go so well. (Oh well, i only paid 25 bucks for it ) Anyway plan ahead, is the point here.

And a word of advice: model paint is DAMN expensive, don't waste it.

[MechTech]

Yeah, what they said! There's so much I could say; but my advice is use the search function! I think it's all been said one time or another here! I'm still surprised at the wealth of info on these boards! - MT

[sqidd]

Thanks for all the feedback. I took everyone’s advice and got a Hasegawa 1/72 YF-19 model kit to practice with. At $25 it's "disposable"

I won't be buying an airbrush quite yet so I will be using spray cans for some of the bigger areas. For example I will be painting this one up with a Foker paint job. I was going to use a flat white as the base coat. Does that seem like a good attack plan or should I be searching out a satin white? Gloss?

I know I won't have any issues "staying in the lines" my hands are highly trained from what I do for a living. I have no fears of the detail work. What concerns me the most is how to achieve the paint finishes that I am looking for. I plan on doing a lot of testing on plastic things so I can try out a finish before applying it to the model. But a head start would be nice. What would you use to paint the fighter base coat white?

Thanks a lot! I will keep everyone posted about my progress. It could be entertaining for you guys

[Valk009]

Even though it is an inexpensive model you should still take your time and follow each step carefully!

As one of the member already suggested, start by washing all the parts, still on the sprue by soaking it in luke warm water with a little mild detergent. This will wash away all the grease used to seperate the kit from the mold.

Next, by yourself a pair of very good cutting plier and cutting knife (with some spare blades), which you will only use for cutting model plastics. This will ensure longevity of the blades and sharp at all times!

Glue...use only model cement and not carzy glue! You will also need some sanding paper with various grain sizes. Tamiya sells a combo set with 1000 (the finest) to 600 and 400 (the corses). There is also liquid type but in my opinion they are not much use besides a sales gimmick, some modellers use the liquid type to get rid of very fine lines, such as those on the clear canopy.

Primer, usually in gery but also available in white and black. Since you are doing a Focker colour, get a white one! Primer also come in various smoothness. For a Hasegawa kit, the regular one will do.

[sqidd]

Even though it is an inexpensive model you should still take your time and follow each step carefully!

As one of the member already suggested, start by washing all the parts, still on the sprue by soaking it in luke warm water with a little mild detergent. This will wash away all the grease used to seperate the kit from the mold.

Next, by yourself a pair of very good cutting plier and cutting knife (with some spare blades), which you will only use for cutting model plastics. This will ensure longevity of the blades and sharp at all times!

Glue...use only model cement and not carzy glue! You will also need some sanding paper with various grain sizes. Tamiya sells a combo set with 1000 (the finest) to 600 and 400 (the corses). There is also liquid type but in my opinion they are not much use besides a sales gimmick, some modellers use the liquid type to get rid of very fine lines, such as those on the clear canopy.

Primer, usually in gery but also available in white and black. Since you are doing a Focker colour, get a white one! Primer also come in various smoothness. For a Hasegawa kit, the regular one will do.

Great tips, thanks a lot. The paint part is going to be a steep learning curve for me and I intend to take my time and do a great job even though this is my first attempt. The good thing is that I have tons of shop space and every tool imaginable at my disposal. I won't need to rush through it because I have to clear the kitchen table off to eat or anything, LOL.

I was walking my dogs earlier and was wondering what the threshold is where you switch from spraying paint on to applying it with a brush. For example, the 19's fins are red and black, but they are fairly small. Maybe a square inch or so. I could tape them off and spray them, or I could go at it with a brush. How do you decide when to get the brushes out?

And, what do you suggest for taping off? I was at the hobby store the other day and I picked up some Testors 1/2" masking tape which is supposed to be for cutting good lines. I am just curious what you guys use. I have a couple of rolls of pin stripe for cars that I use to tape off race bodywork for my motorcycles and it's pretty thin and easy to bend around corners, etc. But it's pretty thick (all relative of course) and I can see it leaving a ridge that would be too big for a models scale. Any thoughts?

Thanks again

[big F]

As far as Painting is concered I try and use my airbrush as often as posible but some of the really small areas dont notice if you brush paint them. Its really down to you at the end of the day.

On the subject of masking I have almost gone exclusively to Tamiya tapes. I still use liquid mask and block in large areas using normal cheap masking tape with a tamiya tape boarder. Tamiya tape is less prone to paint creap than the normal diy shop cheap stuff.

[Valkyrie addict]

ok, here are my tips from trial and error

1. for the love of god, get a proper workspace that will only be for your model and that you know it's safe

it will help you avoid unexpected accident like stuff falling over your model or someone getting their dirty paws on your fresh paintjob

2. read the manual first and decided how you want to start off the model, and make sure what parts are left hidden in the finished model so you don't do any extra work that noone will noticed

3. as mentioned before, wash your parts first, do a test fitting and sand, sand sand away, I tend to use 400 grit first to get rid of the seamline, then smooth it off with 400 or 600 grid, and later I use 1200 to leave it smooth as possible

4. check for any gaps in the model that look odd, hasegawa models usually don't have those gaps, but once in a while they appear, putty them and sand, if some panel lines seem a bit weak in the are you are sanding, rescribe them to deepen them and then sand so you don't erase them, after sanding you may rescribe them again but be careful not to deepen them too much

5. apply primer and check if you missed any details in the putty-sanding process and correct

6. let the primer dry well and start painting, careful with spray paint, shake the bottles well and spray at least 4 inches away so you don't get those pesky drops on your finish, the the paint dry and adhere itself well before masking, so you don't chip the paint after taking the mask off

7. I tend to first paint the small areas first and then masked them so I can later paint the large area like the fuselage, less masking that way, but to each his own

8. if you're unsure about using brush or spraying it, I suggest you spray it, it leaves a more homogenous finish, using the brush tends to leave those annoying lines in the finish and may look out of place, a bit more of work, you will appreciate it in the end

9. apply coat, decals and panel lines

10. if you have any tiny mistake that frustates you that may have give you the crazy idea to start everything over again hide with the weathering... hehehe

hope it helps, good luck, show us pics of your progress

I would have started with a cheaper BanDai, but I guess starting with a more upscale model, will make you work harder on doing it right!

Edited October 14, 2007 by Valkyrie addict

[MechTech]

If you're going with spray can's for now (I'm a heavy user for LARGE areas) here's some MORE tips (if you're eye's and brain aren't burning yet).

Clean the surface with soap and water, or Isopropyl rubbing alcohol (70% - drug stores) if you're in a hurry. It won't harm styrene,

Shake the snot out of the can to ensure it's mixed well; especially if the ball inside was stuck when you first started. It's obvious but most forgotten.

Spray outside if you don't have a booth. Even if it's freezing outside or the humidity is high, it will save your brain! Then bring your project in right away to a room that's sealed off and hopefully humidity/temperature controlled. If you can't let it ventilate, let it sit all night/day to let everything settle and cure. The only drawback is you may get some lint on it - maybe. At least your body won't hate you for it.

Let the paint cure thoroughly before painting over it with a trim color or handling it. Unless you want Zentaedi looking finger prints all over.

If you can work out fluid dynamics, you can do this too! - MT

[Jeremy007]

people should just keep adding modeling tips and maybe we can get this thread pinned...this is turning out to be very useful.

[big F]

If your gonna panelline it then use a different type of paint than the one you use to do the rest of the paint.

If you paint acrylic then use an oil based paint for the lines.

If you paint with car paints use an acrylic for the lines.

If you paint in enammels use acrylics to do the lines.

Alternative you can use fine markers or pastles ground in the solvent that wont ruin the paint you just did. ie white spirt for acrylic based paint and window cleaner for enammel based stuff.

If in doubt just try it on an old peice of a plastic food container to see if you got it right.

Edited October 14, 2007 by big F

[vermillion01]

I'm no modeller by any stretch of the imagination... and i'm new to panel lining... i came up with this one on my own..

I use an ordinary pencil for lining. Preferably a soft one like a 2B or something.. works a treat, and if u dont like it... it rubs off - magic eh?

n00b skillz

[Jeremy007]

not a bad idea at all...never even occured to me to try that.

[vermillion01]

not a bad idea at all...never even occured to me to try that.

It just seemed like common sense to me. A non permanent lining method...

Heheheh.. top tips from the totally unprofessional.

[big F]

It just seemed like common sense to me. A non permanent lining method...

Heheheh.. top tips from the totally unprofessional.

Works for me too just get one of those cheap draftman pencils the injection type with the really small leads in them. They fit pannel lines a treat.

[THOR]

i quit using model glue 25 years ago because the bond is ultra weak. every model i've built with testors model glue has fallen apart. super glue is the only way i fly. i like the thicker gel type. it's more managable for my clumsy, fat fingers that seem to attract glue.

glue does not stick well to chromed parts...scrape/sand/dissolve the chrome off

i've gotten the best results with cans when i warm them up in a pan of 1 inch high really warm water. not boiling! the paint seems to spray better.

post pics of your experiments and work!

[Sdf-1]

The plastic weld stuff is good too.

[Jeremy007]

for as long as i have been building models, ive always used super glue. there is no substitute.

[Valkyrie addict]

super glue for me too.... it even makes a tight bond on resins...sometimes too tight when your screw up, haha

[big F]

The warming of rattle cans in warm water works well you can also put them in a warm room or like me the airing cupboard where its nice and dry warm

[sqidd]

Ok, so I took a bit of advice from everyone here and a big thanks to all. I spent some time last week collecting supplies so I could get started. I just washed all the parts in warm water and dish soap and they are now drying.

I know I am looking a few steps ahead here, but if I need to get an additional paint this would be a good time to ask. On the YF-19 there are some fairly wide “panel lines” toward the back of the fuselage. I will be using Testors Flat White spray enamel for the color of the fighter. What would be the best/easiest method/kind of paint to panel line this paint?

Thanks again!

[azrael]

I know I am looking a few steps ahead here, but if I need to get an additional paint this would be a good time to ask. On the YF-19 there are some fairly wide “panel lines” toward the back of the fuselage. I will be using Testors Flat White spray enamel for the color of the fighter. What would be the best/easiest method/kind of paint to panel line this paint?

The best thing to do is mask the area around the line and paint the line (This is done when you detail the model). Remove the masking tape and your line should be fine.

[sqidd]

The best thing to do is mask the area around the line and paint the line (This is done when you detail the model). Remove the masking tape and your line should be fine.

Can do on the thicker stuff, thanks

But what do I do for actual panel lines then???

[THOR]

after my basecoat color, i use a wash of either thinned black (dark gray/brown/etc) paint or thinned oils. either way, coat the line and wipe off the excess. the rag cannot reach in the crack so you're left with a nice dark panel line. i've seen people use fine graphic pens to get down in the panel line. i tried it and always seemed to make a mistake and draw outside the lines here and there. i'm sure if i was super-focused and took my time it would have turned out better. i've seen people use pencils and watered-down black chalk dust, too.

experiment on a toy or something and see which yields the best results for your taste.

I want to try a dark basecoat color with light colored panel lines someday like on that neograde valk armor.

Edited November 2, 2007 by THOR

[jardann]

If you're going to do a wash, it's much better to spray on a gloss coat first. The gloss coat will allow the wash to flow into the lines easier and the excess will wipe up easier too. The flat/matte paint has a rough texture and the paint of the wash will stick to it. It will likely leave smudges when you try to clean up the excess wash.

[azrael]

If you're going to do a wash, it's much better to spray on a gloss coat first. The gloss coat will allow the wash to flow into the lines easier and the excess will wipe up easier too. The flat/matte paint has a rough texture and the paint of the wash will stick to it. It will likely leave smudges when you try to clean up the excess wash.

A wash is the preferred method for thin panel lines. You could also try using an ultra fine permanent marker or buying a Gundam marker to do the fine panel lining.

[cowie165]

Jason may I suggest you put on a pot of coffee, and head over to http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/TNT.htm

There is some great content there. Highly recommended!

Mark