General steps of modeling and other questions

[edwin3060]

the macrossy explanation would be that there some kind of fancy sensor or ECM antenna or something. but I'd like to think there just

fancy shaped Formation lights

Yea I would think so too, although they are different in colour for each VF-25, that may just be for animation purposes.

[MechTech]

Formation lights are electroluminescent (EL) strips that basically glow brightly (and cool). A lot of household items have them. You can see them in formation, but not down on the ground like the other lights. It's a safety thing.

Here's the civilian version - http://www.e-lite.com/electroluminescent.htm - MT

[Cent]

I've gotten most of my VF-25F buildup completed, including airbrushing all the internals, and am about to move onto matte top coating the model.

Most of the decals have been applied, except for the ones that overlap separate pieces (and require the joint to be assembled).

A frequent issue I'm running into with decals though is that:

1. I notice that the decals that came with the VF-25F have a transparent thin border around the decal, which gets in the way when they are applied to the edge of a fin. I could trim these borders off before applying the decal, but that would leave my tweezers no room to grab onto the backing of the decal while pushing off the slide. I'm planning on trimming off these borders carefully after the decals have dried, but I'm wondering if I'm doing it right. I also have no MicroSol or any other decal solution, I'm just using water with a few drops of detergent.

2. Im having a lot of difficulty applying the shoulder hexagonal decal. Seen here on both shoulders: http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...st&id=62418

It seems that the decal itself is too big for that hexagon, and refuses entirely to stick, especially with the transparent trim mentioned above. Should I start cutting it up? Because its having difficulty folding around this part, as has a curved surface.

[jardann]

If you're careful, you should be able to gently score through the clear carrier film on the edge of the decal, but not cut all the way through the paper. That way you will have an area for your tweezers to grip. Once the decal begins to soften, you can push away the trimmed edge bits with a soft brush or a cotton swab. Be careful not to get the waste tangled up with the actual decal. Most times, I cut all the way through around most of the decal, and then just trim lightly along one edge. That way I don't have a lot of the clear decal edge to pull off of the paper.

I have a lot of older kits where I did not use any kind of extra setting solution and many that I didn't even put on a final clear coat and most of the decals are still well stuck onto the model. They may be scratched up a bit, but they aren't coming off. Most decals (once completely dry) should stick pretty well without any extra solutions. The setting solutions will mostly just help the decal look better on the kit. Put a clear coat (flat or gloss whichever you prefer) and they should be quite durable for a long time.

Good luck with the kit!

[jardann]

The detergent may be hurting you adhesion problems. I've never used detergent in the water for my decals. Sometimes adding a little white glue or Future floor polish can help the decals adhere better.

For those shoulder decals, that is where a decal setting solution will really help you out. Microsol or Microset is the brand that is mentioned most. They will help the decal "melt" around those corners and lay flat. Several applications may be necessary depending on the details that the decal needs to conform over.

If you go this route, just be sure to put the decal into position, try to remove as much of the water as you can with a cotton swab and gently press the decal into place with the tip of the swab. Then apply the setting solution and walk away. Do Not Touch the Decal after you have applied the solution! The solution will wrinkle the decal and it will look like it is ruining it, but as it dries it will flatten out and suck down onto all the little details and curves on the part. If you come back after about eight hours or so and the decal is still not completely conformed to the part, you can do another application of the solution unitl it fits the way you want it to.

Hope this info helps!

[Cent]

Hey thanks Jardann! Exactly the info I needed Now I can finish ^^

[westfall]

This will sound like a dumb question but here it goes:

I'm a nobb when it comes to painting, therefore when i have kits like the VF-25's, wich are molded with the correct color (or at least close enough) i tend not to paint them. But there are parts where some areas need to be painted if this bird is to look right, like the black and red stripes (decals are not my thing) and details in some parts that are supposed to be of a different color than the one the part is molded in. (Hope that sentence made sense).

The question is: Since priming is essential to have a good paint job, but you don't want to paint (hence, prime) the entire craft, is it possible to mask the areas you do want to paint and apply primer only to those areas, and then paint? Or does priming force you to paint the whole thing?

Edited February 14, 2009 by westfall

[mojacko]

Or does priming force you to paint the whole thing?

YES.....coz its gonna be a plain/dull gray/white primer seen in your kit...if u really dont wanna paint......i would suggest u put panel lines......w/ markers or enamels

[anime52k8]

This will sound like a dumb question but here it goes:

I'm a nobb when it comes to painting, therefore when i have kits like the VF-25's, wich are molded with the correct color (or at least close enough) i tend not to paint them. But there are parts where some areas need to be painted if this bird is to look right, like the black and red stripes (decals are not my thing) and details in some parts that are supposed to be of a different color than the one the part is molded in. (Hope that sentence made sense).

The question is: Since priming is essential to have a good paint job, but you don't want to paint (hence, prime) the entire craft, is it possible to mask the areas you do want to paint and apply primer only to those areas, and then paint? Or does priming force you to paint the whole thing?

you can't mask then prime, sorry. if you do the edge will be funny looking. I know of some people who have used flat clear paint as a primer before, but I've never tried it and have no idea how well that would work.

for small areas you don't HAVE to prime if you prep the surface well enough it's possible to get a good finish for small areas without primer. some paints need primer though (metal finish paints in particular.)

[shiroikaze]

I have more questions...

Is the Tamiya sandpaper supposed to wear down quickly?

What's the best alternative to Tamiya putty, which seems to be discontinued?

Making sure, when sanding/shaving the sprue and it's flat enough, but leaves behind a "white" area, will priming it/puttying make it "invisible"?

[westfall]

you can't mask then prime, sorry. if you do the edge will be funny looking. I know of some people who have used flat clear paint as a primer before, but I've never tried it and have no idea how well that would work.

for small areas you don't HAVE to prime if you prep the surface well enough it's possible to get a good finish for small areas without primer. some paints need primer though (metal finish paints in particular.)

When i say mask i mean mask like you would after priming, just the pattern you'll paint, but in this case, you do it before priming. You mask, prime, paint and remove mask. Since it will be colored, will that edge be an issue?

I'll probably try it your way and paint without priming. Since it will only be the stripes is the white areas, maybe it will work.

I will prime the inner mechanisms wich i'll paint with silver, gun-metal and other metalic paints and will be weathered more heavilly.

As for the pannel lines i'll use either Gundam Markers or Pro-Modellers clay based wash, wich is very simple to use. I haven't made up my mind yet.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

[westfall]

I have more questions...

Is the Tamiya sandpaper supposed to wear down quickly?

What's the best alternative to Tamiya putty, which seems to be discontinued?

Making sure, when sanding/shaving the sprue and it's flat enough, but leaves behind a "white" area, will priming it/puttying make it "invisible"?

I just got some of those Tamiya sandpaper sheets and was wondering the same.

I never used Tamiya putty so i can't compare it but i've used Mr. surfacer and it's worked very well.

In Hobby Japan and other such magazines they use gundam markers, on that "white" area and then rub it with some product wich i haven't been able to make out what it is. They sometimes dab the markers tip in what i believe to be thinner. Anyone with better japanese reading skills than me can clear this up?

Of course, this is done mostly with parts that won't be painted, but if you're going to paint, priming will cover those spots even before painting. If not, priming or puttying will only make it more visible unless the part is the same color as your primer.

Edited February 15, 2009 by westfall

[mojacko]

I just got some of those Tamiya sandpaper sheets and was wondering the same.

I never used Tamiya putty so i can't compare it but i've used Mr. surfacer and it's worked very well.

In Hobby Japan and other such magazines they use gundam markers, on that "white" area and then rub it with some product wich i haven't been able to make out what it is. They sometimes dab the markers tip in what i believe to be thinner. Anyone with better japanese reading skills than me can clear this up?

Of course, this is done mostly with parts that won't be painted, but if you're going to paint, priming will cover those spots even before painting. If not, priming or puttying will only make it more visible unless the part is the same color as your primer.

i been using tamiya sandpapers for some time.....and after using it...it collects a lot of plastic dust.....so what i do is get a used toothbrush and brush the sand paper with some liquid or powder soap...and let em dry and used it again!!! its like gettin rid of those plastic dust that u accumulate in the sandpaper.....

[anime52k8]

When i say mask i mean mask like you would after priming, just the pattern you'll paint, but in this case, you do it before priming. You mask, prime, paint and remove mask. Since it will be colored, will that edge be an issue?

I'll probably try it your way and paint without priming. Since it will only be the stripes is the white areas, maybe it will work.

I will prime the inner mechanisms wich i'll paint with silver, gun-metal and other metalic paints and will be weathered more heavilly.

As for the pannel lines i'll use either Gundam Markers or Pro-Modellers clay based wash, wich is very simple to use. I haven't made up my mind yet.

Anyway, thanks for the input.

I understand what you mean, and It's kind of hard to explain why it will usually result in something funny looking. I've tried something like this before and you can often end up with the primer being visible at the edge where the mask was. and if you put too many layers against a mask you can end up with the paint sitting to high above the plastic. the paint can end up raised a little sort of like a sticker because of how thick a sticker is.

[westfall]

i been using tamiya sandpapers for some time.....and after using it...it collects a lot of plastic dust.....so what i do is get a used toothbrush and brush the sand paper with some liquid or powder soap...and let em dry and used it again!!! its like gettin rid of those plastic dust that u accumulate in the sandpaper.....

That's a nice tip. Having your sandpaper full of plastic dust doesn't help.

I understand what you mean, and It's kind of hard to explain why it will usually result in something funny looking. I've tried something like this before and you can often end up with the primer being visible at the edge where the mask was. and if you put too many layers against a mask you can end up with the paint sitting to high above the plastic. the paint can end up raised a little sort of like a sticker because of how thick a sticker is.

That's pretty much what i thought would happen but it's better to ear it from someone with a better understanding of these things. Thanks for your help. I'll probably skip the priming part except in the inner parts that will be painted with metalic paints.

[MechTech]

You can also try wet-sanding. Just dab a few drops of water on the surface and sand. Rinse off the paper in the water to clean it. Yuo can also get a smother finish sometimes too. Some epoxy putties sanded this way may require a little time to dry first. I mostly use the sanding blocks that are wet dry and they give you a smoother surface too. - MT

[shiroikaze]

So, uhh--eheh... hey guys... and yikes.

I broke this hip piece of my VF-25F kit while trying to pull a leg out since it wasn't lining up properly for some reason (it lines up now for some odd reason). I guess I know how to fix this, but my actual question is:

How do I reinforce it once I do fix it?

Also separate question, did Tamiya ever release that white putty?

Edited April 5, 2009 by shiroikaze

[MechTech]

Ouch! Take it apart and glue it back to shape. You can do one of two things next, make a "washer" out of styrene that fits around it and glue it over it. The other is to glue fiberglass or carbon threads around the socket. Hope it come out out alright! - MT

[shiroikaze]

Ouch! Take it apart and glue it back to shape. You can do one of two things next, make a "washer" out of styrene that fits around it and glue it over it. The other is to glue fiberglass or carbon threads around the socket. Hope it come out out alright! - MT

Thanks, it doesn't seem easy but I'll look into these options and give 'em a try!

Edited April 6, 2009 by shiroikaze

[mechatek]

...Also separate question, did Tamiya ever release that white putty?

Why yes they did. Released almost two years ago according to HLJ.com.

[shiroikaze]

Well, I meant outside of Japan... but ahh, *smacks forehead on desktop*, I need to stop looking at only certain online stores...

One store says Tamiya Flat White in a regular bottle is discontinued, another stores says the white putty will be released soon. Geh.

Thanks Mechatek, I'll give in and just get what I need from HLJ.

[Bri]

I've bought a few Bandai kits, the Gundam and Macross ones are in pre-collored plastics. I'm a bit in doubt how to prime them.

Normally I either prime a model white or black with an airbrush depending on the brightness or the colors I want to use.

Would you recommend to ignore the colors in plastic and just reset everything to white or black or use some transparent primer? And if so what kinds are there?

I only work with acrylics.