Official Bandai 1/72 Scale Macross Frontier Model Kit Thread Ver.2

[David Hingtgen]

Tamiya clear red and clear blue have the same problem as food coloring---they turn brown when mixed. I'll try mixing them again with the ratio that kinda sorta worked with dye earlier. (but Tamiya colored clear is SO inherently sticky and streaky, I don't know how I'd ever apply it evenly even airbrushing)

As for red #3--actually, my really old food colors don't have it at all, but the newer ones do, including the one I looked at in the store today. Maybe they re-introduced a "safer" version? Or at least, determined it was safe enough to use in small amounts, as a "strengthener" to red 40.

[Vince]

I'm pretty sure Sharpie will streak. Will experiment a bit with my red and orange ones on some spare clear bits, and see if buying a purple one might be worth it.

Future+Tamiya clear does NOT work. They don't mix. At all. It's a really cool effect to watch though, they're much worse than oil and water. (actually, I've found Future doesn't mix with any paint I've tried, except Tamiya Flat base--which isn't really paint) It mixes great with food color, it's just that red+blue food color won't make purple. If I can find purple food color, that would probably work well.

India ink---I don't think I've ever seen purple.

I wasn't saying to use Sharpies on the clear parts, just the edges. Tamiya might have clear purple spray can, I've use the clear ~ish candy apple before. nothing clear will cover well with quick coats, few more coat should take care of it.

[Vince]

... I don't know how I'd ever apply it evenly even airbrushing....

airbrush with extra thinner, gloss clear is supposed to thinner to at least 1:2 I think.

[PetarB]

The best tinted canopies I've seen by pro modellers were all airbrushed.

It's always an issue though, so David, I think you're not alone in your struggles!

[anime52k8]

Tamiya clear red and clear blue have the same problem as food coloring---they turn brown when mixed. I'll try mixing them again with the ratio that kinda sorta worked with dye earlier. (but Tamiya colored clear is SO inherently sticky and streaky, I don't know how I'd ever apply it evenly even airbrushing)

As for red #3--actually, my really old food colors don't have it at all, but the newer ones do, including the one I looked at in the store today. Maybe they re-introduced a "safer" version? Or at least, determined it was safe enough to use in small amounts, as a "strengthener" to red 40.

well, I was thinking about forgoing anime accuracy and just giving the canopy a blue overall tint.

[big F]

Well, after a dozen transformations, the left front landing gear door will no longer stay on in battroid mode. The nubs that hold it on have worn away, so the slightest touch, as in when transforming to battroid mode causes it to fall off.

In the closed position, the door will still stay on.

Graham

So basically you have to treat them with kid gloves or they will break. Much the same as the Hasegawa kits then.

[electric indigo]

I don't think I've ever seen/heard of airbrush ink. How intensely colored is it? I found some citadel games purple wash, but it seemed too streaky/uneven in the bottle, just watching how it behaved by swirling it around.

::edit:: I found this--airbrush "color", and they have transparent dioxazine purple--dioxazine is THE purple pigment IMHO, anything made with it has to be intense. A couple hours ago I was wondering if I could buy raw dioxazine purple pigments somewhere, and if they'd mix with future. http://www.dickblick.com/zz253/21/ (we just got a Dick Blick store here recently, ONLY place in town that sells flow-aid)

That's what I had in mind. We have diffferent brands here in Germany, but this acrylic ink is what I use for tinting clear Styrene (with airbrush, of course). The pure paint layer is easily scratched, so it should be mixed with FFA or receive a sealing coat.

[IXTL]

Ozma's VF-25S plamo is now out in Japan.

http://www.toysdaily.com/discuz/thread-78909-1-1.html

[DarkReaper]

I guess it's good then that I preordered it from HLJ today.

[Penguin]

Tamiya clear red and clear blue have the same problem as food coloring---they turn brown when mixed. I'll try mixing them again with the ratio that kinda sorta worked with dye earlier. (but Tamiya colored clear is SO inherently sticky and streaky, I don't know how I'd ever apply it evenly even airbrushing)

If you can, try Gunze aqueous instead of Tamiya. I mixed the clear red and clear blue, with a generous helping of gloss clear, and got a near-perfect pale purple.

[badboy00z]

[CosmicSpore]

Stupid database error just erased the stuff I was about to post, so I have to type it again.

Anyways, here's some idea to make purple with Future. But I've never tried any of them, so I don't know for sure.

Using food coloring, use extremely small amounts. Drip the dye down a needle onto a dish and test the color with your finger or a very small piece of paper towel.

Food coloring's pigments are impure, but there should be a combination that gives a good purple color.

Also, what appears to be brown maybe a highly concentrated purple. Maybe try diluting it with water or thinner before adding it to the future.

Sometimes colors appear to be black or brown before diluting them. A good purple should appear to be black before diluting it.

Also, maybe try some rubber-stamp inks. You can find them at general hobby stores like Hobby Lobby and sometimes even Wal-Marts. I know I've seen purple ink there before. Most of them come on dishes soaked in a sponge, so you may need to squeeze the ink out. But because they are straight pigments, they should be soluable in Future.

And in case none of that works, perhaps water-color paints?

Pre-dilute some with water, or thiner, or just leave them dry and keep mixing them in Future until they dissolve.

It may not work... but it's worth a try if nothing else works.

Again, I've never tested any of the stuff. Just throwing out some ideas.

[Greyryder]

I've had good luck mixing Future with Model Master, before. Worked pretty good, the time I mixed Future with Vallejo, as well. You could always just use regular clear coat, instead of Future. The only way I've been able to get a decent weathering coat on my model trains, is by mixing the colors with flat clear, otherwise it goes on way too opaque.

[Graham]

So basically you have to treat them with kid gloves or they will break. Much the same as the Hasegawa kits then.

Actually, overall it is pretty sturdy for a kit. This is one of the very few problem areas.

Graham

[Morpheus]

Actually, overall it is pretty sturdy for a kit. This is one of the very few problem areas.

Graham

Its pretty durable, my son once played it in fighter mode and he "accidentally" pulled the leg off and change it into gerwalk mode, with the nose folded down, but I must admit that would be the last time I allowed my son to play with it

[Alex]

Someone said that the Ozma is out?

I didn't see it in any stores today. I doubt it is sold out that quickly. Perhaps that person in the pic grabbed a sample. Most sites I see say November 30th-ish for release.

[Zeropioneer]

Someone said that the Ozma is out?

[...] Most sites I see say November 30th-ish for release.

November 15th according to rainbow ten, yay!

[biggooftoybox]

I read it was mid November so next week sounds about right. But i pre-ordered on HLJ so I don't get left out this time.

[Alex]

I had a scare last night as one of the staff at one of the larger stores told me that it came out on the 3rd and had sold out. Then the guy was corrected by his superior basically saying "yeah, don't listen to him. He's an idiot."

[miriya]

Stupid me!

Please learn from my mistake....

So I had panel lined my VF-25 on the sprues with a gundam panel line pen. It looked good...

Then I used Testors Model Master laquer overcoat lusterless flat (dullcoat) over it to seal in the panel lines.

The result....

The panel lines bled and broke up becoming splotchy and fuzzy. Where they were solid, they became almost like sponged, and also feathered out.

So what did I do wrong?

Anyone?

I am guessing that I used the wrong clearcoat?

[Maiden Japan]

Gungam marker is water base. The overcoat that you used is lacqer base that has strong solvent which breaks down

water based materials. It is best to use Tamiya acrylic base clear paint with airbrush for overcoat.

[miriya]

Thanks.

Will there be any problem putting the stikers over the laquer clear coat?

[Maiden Japan]

No, just make sure that surface is completely dried.

[CosmicSpore]

When using lacquer paints you should not try to coat them on other types of paints. They will destroy them like you saw.

Lacquer paints should only be put on other lacquer paints.

Some lacquers can even melt the plastic itself. So you should probably be testing things before using them, especially when dealing with lacquers.

You can put anything on TOP of lacquers, as long as they've completely dried.

Also, you also shouldn't try to put enamels on acrylics, it doesn't always work.

To sum it up, there is a sort of order to paints:

Acrylics will go on anything, Enamels on itself or lacquer, and Lacquer on only itself.

[anime52k8]

Stupid me!

Please learn from my mistake....

So I had panel lined my VF-25 on the sprues with a gundam panel line pen. It looked good...

Then I used Testors Model Master laquer overcoat lusterless flat (dullcoat) over it to seal in the panel lines.

The result....

The panel lines bled and broke up becoming splotchy and fuzzy. Where they were solid, they became almost like sponged, and also feathered out.

So what did I do wrong?

Anyone?

I am guessing that I used the wrong clearcoat?

don't go over panel lines with lacquer paint, don't go over decals with lacquer paint, don't go over ANYTHING but lacquer paint with lacquer paint, not even plastic, go over plastic with lacquer based primer, then go over the primer with the actual paint.

that said, I've found that Model master flat clear coat is basically the same as Testors dullcoat (seems like same product, different bottle) and testors dullcoat can be put over enamel paint, assuming the enamel paint is 100% ABSOLUTELY dried and cured first.

still, don't go over decals with dullcoat, I've done it and the results aren't pretty.

dullcoat is really only good if you need a dull finish on parts with no decals BEFORE you add panel lines/weathering, also it works good for sealing metalizer and other metal finish paints.

Go over decals and panel lines with Acrylic clear. (I Just realized, I've never actually seen clear enamel before.)

[Skypoet]

My straight build of the VF-25F Alto...

Nothing special

[eyesonme78]

Stupid me!

Please learn from my mistake....

So I had panel lined my VF-25 on the sprues with a gundam panel line pen. It looked good...

Then I used Testors Model Master laquer overcoat lusterless flat (dullcoat) over it to seal in the panel lines.

The result....

The panel lines bled and broke up becoming splotchy and fuzzy. Where they were solid, they became almost like sponged, and also feathered out.

So what did I do wrong?

Anyone?

I am guessing that I used the wrong clearcoat?

EDITED**

I supposed you shld spray the clear coat first then perform the panel line drawing, the panel line will dissolve once u spray the clear coat on the panel line. i had the experience of the panel lines dissolving after i spray with my clearcoat.

Hope it helps. =) but you can apply some thinner to remove the problem... but you have to redo everything again later=)

Edited November 10, 2008 by eyesonme78

[Parker Midwinter]

I supposed you shld spray the clear cost then perform the panel line drawing, if i am not mistaken, the panel line will dissolve once u spray the clear coat on the panel line. i had the same problem also.

Hope it helps. =) but you can removed the clear coat by using some thinner to wash it off.

=)

that or the paint marker wasn't 100% dry and cured...

[UN Spacy]

So it's better to spray a layer of dullcote first then panel line it afterwards?

[eyesonme78]

edited my replies think i really typed in a hurry thus abit misleading also... hahahah..

[eyesonme78]

So it's better to spray a layer of dullcote first then panel line it afterwards?

Hi UN Spacy, i did so for my gundam models, seems to work well.

Not worry abt making mistakes, you can remove the panel lines with an eraser.

But if you spray a clearcoat after you have done your panel lining, it's not possible to remove unless you use thinner to remove.

I am sure there are many professional people around here which could answer better then i can

my two cents input only...

[wm cheng]

Well... its a little more complicated than that. Dullcoat or any flat finish is inherently microscopically bumpy (this is what gives the flat appearance). Any marker or wash put over top of this "rough" surface will be harder to remove (as it gets into all the little crevices - if you apply a wash, you will stain the clear-coat finish). If you use an erase to take away any marker mistakes, you will end up with a "shiny" spot where you rubbed (because you would have smoothed out the roughness which is what gives the matte finish). So you may need to clear-coat flat again over it to even out the finish. It isn't so much of a problem when applying marker or washes over Glosscoats since glossy surfaces are microscopically smooth (this is what gives something the shiny appearance). This smoothness allows things to "not stick" as well and allows markers and washes to "erase" easier.

I would generally do washes or markers over a somewhat glossy or semi-gloss surface (or bare plastic) and then seal it in with whatever final finish you desire (as long as you're not using some clear-coat that has the same solvent as your wash/marker ink or some clear coat which is "hot" meaning that it will chemically react to the surface beneath).

[Vifam7]

Just a note on Gundam markers. If you're using the super thin hardtip pen, the ink inside is lacquer based. However, if you're using Sumiire (panel-lining) Gray #21 with the soft-tip, the ink inside is acrylic based. All of the regular Gundam markers and weathering type markers are also acrylic based.

[ARKARY]

Hey all:

Long time lurker, although I never really post here. But since I just finished putting together my VF-25, I thought I'd share. Now, unlike a lot of custom painjobs I've seen around here, I wanted to do one of my personal paint schemes (inspired heavily by my AC from Armored Core, hence the GIANT FREAKING GATTLING GUNS), so ignoring my general lack of painting skill and the general complexity of this kit, I just dove right in.

I must say, painting and putting together this model was quite a challenge. I can definitely agree with the statements that this really doesn't seem like it's intended to be painted. There's tons of little internal parts that are still visible enough that doing a solid paint scheme like this was tough. Also, the paint is enough to interfere with transformation a bit. I have a hard time getting fighter mode locked down because even a relatively thin layer of spraypaint is enough to cause some extra gaps. Also, even with a layer of clearcoat on it, transformation makes a lot of the parts rub together, which is causing some paint wear along the edges of various parts.

But all in all, a great kit. I've got another one on the way, which I think I'm going to leave bare aside from detail paint, which should make things a whole lot easier.

[miriya]

AWESOME Custom !!!!!