Whats Lying on your Workbench MK IV

[arbit]

5 minutes ago, MechTech said:

Thank you! Good idea for the white. I was thinking of doing that for the Ingram model too. It would help break up the solid color.

Hold on, double check, oils and enamels may melt some bare plastics.

[Big s]

Not so much the oil or enamel paint, but the thinner. Even the tamiya panel wash is known to turn some plastics into trash. It’s always a good idea to test the paint mix on some of the sprue just in case. And honestly it’s not just an issue with oils or enamels, but with lacquers and acrylics as well.

 I remember not too far back that the mg sunanju had to be remade because the abs joints would turn brittle with mr color primer. And That’s just one example of a kit going wrong. I’m just glad that mechtech was able to rescue his kit. I would be totally devastated if I had built an entire mg kit cleaned all those tiny parts only to have the inner frame, that’s supposed to be the toughest part shatter when simply bending a joint.

 I’ve seen issues with softer plastic melting or even styrene plastics cracking or melting due to various paints as well

[arbit]

Taking papercraft to a whole new level. Some guys are just better at doing stuff...

 

[pengbuzz]

18 hours ago, Big s said:

Not so much the oil or enamel paint, but the thinner. Even the tamiya panel wash is known to turn some plastics into trash. It’s always a good idea to test the paint mix on some of the sprue just in case. And honestly it’s not just an issue with oils or enamels, but with lacquers and acrylics as well.

 I remember not too far back that the mg sunanju had to be remade because the abs joints would turn brittle with mr color primer. And That’s just one example of a kit going wrong. I’m just glad that mechtech was able to rescue his kit. I would be totally devastated if I had built an entire mg kit cleaned all those tiny parts only to have the inner frame, that’s supposed to be the toughest part shatter when simply bending a joint.

 I’ve seen issues with softer plastic melting or even styrene plastics cracking or melting due to various paints as well

Paint thinner for enamel-based paints is deadly to styrene; it will cause it to crack, break and crumble in a matter of minutes if it is applied straight. Lacquer thinner will craze and melt the plastic straight out of the bottle; I remember with Floquil paints, you needed a "barrier coat" if you were going to try to use it as a "brush paint". All of this is one reason I used Krylon; (now I use Rustoleum Painters Touch since Krylon fell out of favor with Walmart in my region) and Apple Barrel/ Folkart/ Ceramcoat acrylic paints.

[Thom]

@arbit That was pretty sweet! I've thought about using styrene with papercraft plans.... Thought about it...

[joscasle]

Crusher Joe too, my Minerva OVA Edition

Edited March 16, 2022 by joscasle

[electric indigo]

It's Crusher Joe month!

Looks great, that's exactly the level of weathering that I have in mind for my kit.

[MechTech]

@arbit That bike is great! I was waiting on him making a Kaneda out of straws!😄

ALL - Thanks guys! I just use Tamiya paints or similar acrylics. In this case, I took Tamiya paints and created a color that almost exactly matches the styrene color. The WHOLE model was lightly blotched with the paint and "dry sponged" (like dry brushing). The flat coat brought it all together as a single layer.

@joscasle Your Minerva is looking good! I agree with Electric Indigo on the weathering. - MT

[derex3592]

11 hours ago, joscasle said:

Crusher Joe too, my Minerva OVA Edition

That's a gorgeous build!  Love the paint job. Ship totally looks like something out of the Southern Cross series. 

[joscasle]

3 hours ago, electric indigo said:

It's Crusher Joe month!

Looks great, that's exactly the level of weathering that I have in mind for my kit.

 

1 hour ago, MechTech said:

@arbit That bike is great! I was waiting on him making a Kaneda out of straws!😄

ALL - Thanks guys! I just use Tamiya paints or similar acrylics. In this case, I took Tamiya paints and created a color that almost exactly matches the styrene color. The WHOLE model was lightly blotched with the paint and "dry sponged" (like dry brushing). The flat coat brought it all together as a single layer.

@joscasle Your Minerva is looking good! I agree with Electric Indigo on the weathering. - MT

Hi!, yeah Crusher Joe time!!

About the weathering, well I went to my usual black basing jejeje, lol paint the entire model black to painted white again jejejeje

 After this I just spray a very thin gloss white coat.

 

[joscasle]

On 3/13/2022 at 6:26 AM, electric indigo said:

@MechTech

Love the CORDOVA!!!! Nice, is in my TO DO LIST!

On 3/12/2022 at 6:17 PM, MechTech said:

What a coincidence! Here's some more "Capital J" stuff:

This Harpy was a fun build! I didn't put a lot into it. The canopy gave me issues. The black paint I used did this - with the window completely cleaned. Something must have gone wrong with the paint. It orange-peeled by melting the plastic like this! I had to sand it down, remask and paint. The canopy is awesome! Nice color and it has grooves around the frame that your X-acto can easily follow. The cockpit is great with a HUD and decals to go on it to simulate it. The BEST part - the canopy AND cockpit can go in last. Nice-n-easy!

I DID NOT paint this. The colors are as molded with only minor trim painting on the engine parts. I panel lined it (Gundam marker-they're cool), weathered it and put a matt coat on it. This is how it came out:

 

 

 

 

What  a nice build!!  Love the Color!!

Edited March 16, 2022 by joscasle

[arbit]

I did not expect three Crusher kits at the same time.  Those 80s sci-fi anime designs have a beauty all their own.

[joscasle]

17 minutes ago, arbit said:

I did not expect three Crusher kits at the same time.  Those 80s sci-fi anime designs have a beauty all their own.

lol, neither do I

[pengbuzz]

UPDATE:

Decided to continue on with the SDF-1; with our lease up in November and not being sure we'll be able to afford the rent, I need to finish this well before it would need packing. So, building my own replacement parts continues.

My progress thus far:

The mods for the "A" stance are done, enabled in part by the removal/ lengthening of the lower legs:

I cut them off at the knees ad then added about a 1/4 inch of styrene, backed/ supported by plastic welder. After it was cured, I then reattached the legs using plastic welder and filled any gaps with Waterweld:

After some filing to even up the edges, I managed to clean it up pretty well, i think. Final adjustments will come with the detailing process alter. I thought about jointing the knees, but the metal slide bar for the hip/ torso mechanism complicated that far more than I was comfortable with.

I also began marking out the carriers for detailing:

The markings are just to "ballpark" in "what goes where" on them; final details will be added using printouts from the Hasegawa Daedalus/ Prometheus instruction sheet I found online at 1999.co.jp:

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10502166/60/3

(Note: not an attempt to "hot-link"; just providing the url in case anyone may need the instructions from online, so they can go there and find them).

I also got the chance to get some features added to the booms while I was at it:

Still more that needs adding, like gun turrets and such. Also, I have yet to do the final linkage of the booms to the metal bars that hold them; I need to build a "box" for each one that contains the joint, then install it into the booms as a whole so the joins don't put direct pressure on the wood.

Yet to come: adding the bridge "bubble", the aforementioned boom joining to the main body, antennae/ radar array, main rail cannon barrels, gun emplacements, carrier detailing and general overall detailing.

Stay tuned...sha-boom sha-boom, yadda da--dadda-da-dadda-da-dah...

 

[electric indigo]

4 hours ago, arbit said:

I did not expect three Crusher kits at the same time.  Those 80s sci-fi anime designs have a beauty all their own.

Guess who designed them...

[arbit]

1 minute ago, electric indigo said:

Guess who designed them...

IDK exactly for each one, but I know Kawamori did some mecha design for the show.

So who designed your capital ship?

[Big s]

Nice work on updating that old sdf1.

and I have a feeling a lot of the crusher joe projects are due to the recent attention to the franchise by hasegawa. 

Lots of busy people on here

[electric indigo]

19 hours ago, arbit said:

IDK exactly for each one, but I know Kawamori did some mecha design for the show.

So who designed your capital ship?

To my knowledge, Kawamori designed (at least) the Minerva, Fighter 1, Harpy & Siren, the Galleon tank, the Cordoba, and Dongo the robot. I wouldn't rule out some of the pirate ships, Crusher Joe is really jam packed with mecha stuff.

[pengbuzz]

20 hours ago, Big s said:

Nice work on updating that old sdf1.

and I have a feeling a lot of the crusher joe projects are due to the recent attention to the franchise by hasegawa. 

Lots of busy people on here

Thanks! Still have plenty of work to do on the old girl, but she's coming along nicely! At this moment, I'm working on the bridge canopy, trying to make a clear one out of styrene.

[MechTech]

@pengbuzz Great looking work! The carriers kick butt over the old ones even roughly done! - MT

[Thom]

@joscasle Nice paint job on that Minerva. Lovely.

@pengbuzz Loving the work on that SDF-!!

[joscasle]

16 hours ago, Thom said:

@joscasle Nice paint job on that Minerva. Lovely.

@pengbuzz Loving the work on that SDF-!!

Thanks 😁

[derex3592]

The weather today is quite literally PERFECT 👌. So!  to the spray booth we go to try out for the 1st time Tamiya Enamel through the airbrush. Mixed about 50/50 (maybe a bit more thinner) with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner and I gotta say... It's niiiiiice. Not incredibly stinky like the lacquer stuff. Not bad at all. Lays down very well. Nothing beats a good old enamel paint! Also cutting more light holes in decks and by the end of the day today we shall have fully painted smokestacks hopefully! 

[arbit]

34 minutes ago, derex3592 said:

So!  to the spray booth we go to try out for the 1st time Tamiya Enamel through the airbrush. Mixed about 50/50 (maybe a bit more thinner) with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner and I gotta say... It's niiiiiice. Not incredibly stinky like the lacquer stuff. Not bad at all. Lays down very well. Nothing beats a good old enamel paint! Also cutting more light holes in decks and by the end of the day today we shall have fully painted smokestacks hopefully! 

I bet you never thought you would be a Titanic ship specialist!

Question: I've never airbrushed enamels. But you use Mr. Color Levelling Thinner with Enamel paints, the same as what can be used to thin Tamiya Acrylics? I thought you use Tamiya Enamel thinner. I didn't know you can use the same thinner for enamels as acrylics.

[derex3592]

@arbit - I firmly believe now that Mr. Color Leveling Thinner is the "magic bullet".  It's not cheap, but it works on everything.  That being said, I don't waste it on Tamiya Acrylics. I use Tamiya Acrylic Thinner for those.  Everything else from here on out on my bench, regardless of brand, is getting thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner.  

[Bolt]

Taking notes..👍🏼

[pengbuzz]

UPDATE:

Booms are now permanently attached:

They function in all modes, with the sections rotating (friction slip joint for the boom sections that rotate). The booms are held to the metal swing arm connector by a steel pin that I machined via Dremel tool:

(Note: actual Pengbuzz™ flipper pictured here for scale. Sold separately, batteries not included. Parental supervision suggested. Not for use with some sets, models , crochet or the occasional hand gesture in rush-hour traffic. Color may vary by how many times it get slammed in car door. See instructions for details.)

And of course, the business end of the Main Reflex Cannon:

And for the first time, the ship is now complete in cruiser mode, with all main modules attached:

Overall progress shot in Storm Attacker Mode:

(kinda blurry, may need to clean the lens)

Stay tuned folks....

[Big s]

1 hour ago, derex3592 said:

@arbit - I firmly believe now that Mr. Color Leveling Thinner is the "magic bullet".  It's not cheap, but it works on everything.  That being said, I don't waste it on Tamiya Acrylics. I use Tamiya Acrylic Thinner for those.  Everything else from here on out on my bench, regardless of brand, is getting thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner.  

I had watched some YouTube videos awhile back from Barborosrex, and he uses that same thinner on just about everything from lacquers to enamels and the acrylics. I think it’s really just a universal thinner and the fact that it has a retarder mixed in that work together. Enamel paints can usually be thinned by weaker thinners, but the acrylic could be thinned with simple water if needed and lacquer kinda needs a bit of a stronger thinner. The acrylics and enamels seam to break down a lot smoother when he was testing the mr leveling thinner than they did with their dedicated thinners and of course the retarder just keeps things wet a bit longer so the paints level out a bit smoother 

[arbit]

2 hours ago, derex3592 said:

@arbit - I firmly believe now that Mr. Color Leveling Thinner is the "magic bullet".  It's not cheap, but it works on everything.  That being said, I don't waste it on Tamiya Acrylics. I use Tamiya Acrylic Thinner for those.  Everything else from here on out on my bench, regardless of brand, is getting thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner.  

I also use Tamiya Thinner for Tamiya Acrylics, but I have heard that Mr. Levelling Thinner does wonders with Tamiya Acrylics. 

[pengbuzz]

12 minutes ago, Big s said:

I had watched some YouTube videos awhile back from Barborosrex, and he uses that same thinner on just about everything from lacquers to enamels and the acrylics. I think it’s really just a universal thinner and the fact that it has a retarder mixed in that work together. Enamel paints can usually be thinned by weaker thinners, but the acrylic could be thinned with simple water if needed and lacquer kinda needs a bit of a stronger thinner. The acrylics and enamels seam to break down a lot smoother when he was testing the mr leveling thinner than they did with their dedicated thinners and of course the retarder just keeps things wet a bit longer so the paints level out a bit smoother 

Depending on the acrylic, water works just fine, but you have to be careful not to dilute it too much or the color becomes a bit dull and "threadbare" (although this can work when used deliberately for washes and weathering).

[derex3592]

There's a wide spread idea that Titanic's smokestacks were light or faded orange.. This is incorrect however...They were painted in a color called "StarLine Buff".. No one knows exactly what the color was precisely however, I give you my custom 3 color mix and not to toot my own horn, but I think I pretty much NAILED it after a lot of research and trail and error! It's a hair lighter than it appears in the picture...

[electric indigo]

That's a very elegant nostalgia color!

_

Meanwhile, back in space:

[Bolt]

21 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

UPDATE:

Booms are now permanently attached:

They function in all modes, with the sections rotating (friction slip joint for the boom sections that rotate). The booms are held to the metal swing arm connector by a steel pin that I machined via Dremel tool:

(Note: actual Pengbuzz™ flipper pictured here for scale. Sold separately, batteries not included. Parental supervision suggested. Not for use with some sets, models , crochet or the occasional hand gesture in rush-hour traffic. Color may vary by how many times it get slammed in car door. See instructions for details.)

And of course, the business end of the Main Reflex Cannon:

And for the first time, the ship is now complete in cruiser mode, with all main modules attached:

Overall progress shot in Storm Attacker Mode:

(kinda blurry, may need to clean the lens)

Stay tuned folks....

Most excellent !

 

18 hours ago, derex3592 said:

There's a wide spread idea that Titanic's smokestacks were light or faded orange.. This is incorrect however...They were painted in a color called "StarLine Buff".. No one knows exactly what the color was precisely however, I give you my custom 3 color mix and not to toot my own horn, but I think I pretty much NAILED it after a lot of research and trail and error! It's a hair lighter than it appears in the picture...

looking good and moving right along !

 

7 minutes ago, electric indigo said:

That's a very elegant nostalgia color!

_

Meanwhile, back in space:

Wow ! I love this !

[MechTech]

@derex3592 GREAT looking stacks! I think the color looks authentic. Its MUCH better than the school bus orange of my old Chevy Vega when I was in high school (photo not my car, but the right color).

@pengbuzz Your Macross is really coming together great! More and more hardware too! It's getting bulletproof!😁 But it will be nice and hardy, no teasily broken like a lot of toys.

@electric indigo The Cordoba looks very realistic! It just needs some Macross music as it comes out of the shadows. - MT

[pengbuzz]

41 minutes ago, Bolt said:

Most excellent !

 

26 minutes ago, MechTech said:

@pengbuzz Your Macross is really coming together great! More and more hardware too! It's getting bulletproof!😁 But it will be nice and hardy, no teasily broken like a lot of toys.

Thanks guys! Just need to add a few more emplacements, finish the bridge, find/make the rail guns and finish off the boom and carrier details (hinging the door on the Daedalus would be a good thing, right?) and we can head to pants!