What paint to use on 1/48 custom covers?

[Benson13]

So I'm embarking on my first ever custom paint job and I'm looking for recommendations for brushes, paint, and techniques.

This is a small job and I won't be touching the 1/48 itself, just the side, neck, and intake covers. The Valk is a 1/48 VF-1S Roy. I'm looking to get the covers to match the Valk. Is there a recommended yellow and black for this?

The material I'll be painting is resin, the side and neck covers are recasts. The intake covers are factory material.

Thanks for your help guys, I appreciate it.

[Benson13]

Starting this tomorrow and still open for any kind of input.

[gwfalcon]

IMHO,

The silver metal color of 1/48 vf-1j's foot and intake can be applied to all the side, neck, and intake.

Pictures here

http://www.toyark.com/news/macross-toy-news-51/yamato-macross-148-vf-1j-hikaru-version-weathering-special-1740/

[mslz22]

If you are going with a metallic look you could use Tamiya gunmetal in a spray can, it's easy and Tamiya is a quality paint. Just be sure to shake the heck out of the can before spraying. Tamiya has always shown good adhesion for me so it should be good for the resin, use multiple light coats and be sure to clean the parts first. I would recommend just a light soap and water but be sure to really rinse the parts so there is no soap residue to mess up adhesion.

[Benson13]

I went with the yellow and black vertical strips with yellow on the outside with black on the inside for the sides. The neck cover I just painted black.

I'll be doing the intake covers when they come in. Thinking maybe a thin yellow stripe on the outside of both covers with the rest being black.

When I started this project I had zero experience. I started using a primer on the resin pieces. The black went over it well but when it came to the yellow, it looked really thin and didn't go on well. When I moved onto the resin hands I skipped the primer and did two coats of yellow and it was perfect. Don't know why it worked out that way.

The changes themselves added a lot more character but I have a looooooong way to go before I'm customizing any of the Valks themselves. I'll be posting pics once I get the intake covers in and painted.

[Benson13]

This is the final product. Not 100% happy with it but I'll get practice in elsewhere and maybe redo it. Any constructive criticism is welcome.

[nightmareB4macross]

Looks good, but I think you over did it on the accents. Maybe a more subdued tone would work??

[Lobizon]

Nice with Daisuke's gunpod and stuff, great work Benson!

[Benson13]

Looks good, but I think you over did it on the accents. Maybe a more subdued tone would work??

This is the first time I've painted anything. So what do you mean by subdued?

[nightmareB4macross]

You might want to tone down the yellow and the true black.

If you look closely, the black is NOT black but a deep charcoal matte. The yellow has is more mustard in color than rich canary yellow.

Hope this helps.

[Benson13]

I knew the colors were off from the get go but my options were limited to Hobby Lobby and some place where they sold some Warhammer stuff. I just moved to a new town and I'm not really familiar with what's around me yet.

One thing that I don't understand is why the yellow wouldn't go on evenly. It was always runny looking.

Is there a prefered brand and color that is typically used to match those colors?

Edited March 30, 2012 by Benson13

[SchizophrenicMC]

I think it looks good. The yellow could use some more mustard, but otherwise, I think you did a good job for a first try with the wrong colors of paint.

Yellow paint is always runny-looking, especially when applied with a brush, and over dark material. It's best to first prime your piece a lighter color, then airbrush the yellow on. It's more expensive, and takes more time and effort, but the results are worth it. This is especially true of acrylics, though I hear enamels go on better.

Reminds me: I need to buy a new airbrush and compressor; mine died.

[Benson13]

Thanks SchizophrenicMC. I think the next thing I will pick up is Yamato's 1/60 Fan Racer. Once it's done I might rearrange my display to reflect Hikaru's growth from fan racing weenie to VF-1S stallion.

[Ahab]

Nice work! Good luck on the racer.

[Skull One]

Nice worlk!

[Benson13]

Thanks Skull One. I got some better paint and stuff now. I may just redo it.

[Benson13]

Anyone know how the resin recasts would react to some Tamiya thinner?

[SchizophrenicMC]

Tamiya X20 Enamel Thinner is just whitespirit, and won't degrade polyurethane. Tamiya X20A Acrylic Thinner is some other chemical, I don't recall, but it won't damage urethane. I wanna say it's ethylene glycol, but don't quote me. I'm almost positive it's a type of alcohol, but most alcohols destroy acrylic finish.

[Benson13]

Tamiya X20 Enamel Thinner is just whitespirit, and won't degrade polyurethane. Tamiya X20A Acrylic Thinner is some other chemical, I don't recall, but it won't damage urethane. I wanna say it's ethylene glycol, but don't quote me. I'm almost positive it's a type of alcohol, but most alcohols destroy acrylic finish.

Dude you just spoke Greek to me. Is polyurethane or urethane the same thing as resin? Are polyurethane and urethane different things? What's a whitespirit? Teach me oh wise Jedi Master, for I am but a lowly Padawan Learner.

[SchizophrenicMC]

Resin casts are made of a type of plastic called polyurethane. It's a type of urethane plastic. Enamel thinner (whitespirit) is a mineral spirit that won't damage urethane plastics. Acrylic thinner is a different chemical that also won't damage urethane plastics.

Most plamo kits are molded from Polystyrene (PS) , a type of styrene plastic. It's also immune to damage from the above chemicals, but isn't as hardy against certain others.

Yamato Macross toys are molded from Acrylonitrile Butadeine Styrene (ABS), which is known for its durability, precise results from the molding process, and expense. It isn't degraded by any of the above, but is prone to oxidation. (yellowing)

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a soft plastic that doesn't like most chemicals, but has a unique property of being a thermoplastic. That is, it can be heated up, deformed, and allowed to cool, and its chemical structure will be unaltered. PVC parts that get deformed can be hit with a blow-dryer or a heat gun until they get soft, placed in the correct shape, and when they cool, they'll be correct again.

Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA, Acrylic Glass, Plexiglass) is a clear thermoplastic that isn't as strong as Polycarbonate.

Cyanoacrylate (CA, Super Glue) is an liquid plastic compound that rapidly sets and cures into an acrylate plastic when exposed to oxygen. Do not get it on your fingers. Also, once it cures, acetone doesn't do much to dissolve it.

That was a bunch of plastics, but I've seen them all in models, so watch out.

[Benson13]

Awesome MC thanks.